#only just starting to recover from over 8 months of

[wosospacegirl]

And they were roommates - part 7

Summary: Y/n gets injured and has to stay in recovery for 8 months. It's a good thing her friend and teammate Kyra is more than willing to move in with her. wink wink

Warnings: peer pressure leading to a kitty adoption!!! making out!! a little bit of angsty (really just a tiny tiny bit); Leah and Y/n being your favourite grumpy duo.

Word count: 5.3k

Masterlist

You can read part 1 here and part 8 here

..

“So how did it all start, tell me everything!” Beth said enthusiastically in the middle seat in the back.

“Oh fuck", Y/n and Leah said in unison, Leah holding the bridge of her nose.

It was very clear that  Beth had only joined the drive to Lia’s because she wanted to interrogate Y/n and Kyar about their relationship, not because she was truly moved by the loss of her teammates' pet.

Kyra was too busy driving to care and Alessia was in her own little world, holding the cake that said ‘We’re sorry your cta died’ that they had just bought on their way to Lia’s house.

“Was this going on before your injury? Or was it after?” Beth asked, sticking her head between the two front seats 

“After,” Y/n said, pushing Beth’s head back into her seat. “Get back, man!”

“They were so head over heels for each other,” Alessia said. “I don’t know how you didn't see it before.”

“I knew Kyra was bullshitting with the whole ‘I’m moving in because she needs a friend around’ thing. Beth said proudly.

“Hey! I did move in to help her out, okay? Kyra said defensively. “Things just…happened.”

“Was it you or Kyra that initiated it?” Beth asked, ignoring Y/n

“It was very much mutual,” Y/n said.

“Hmm.” Beth nodded like she was putting the pieces of a puzzle together. “Interesting.” 

The car was silent.

“Who initiated the first kiss?” Beth continued to pry, gathering more and more pieces of information. “Come on, don’t hide anything. We’re all friends here!” 

“Please don’t tell us,” Leah murmured, almost begging.

Y/n rolled her eyes but replied. “Me, we were watching a film.”

“What film?” 

"Oh bloody hell," Leah groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Beth, I swear to God, does it fucking matter?" She tried to elbow Beth—a warning shot. But Beth, unrelenting, elbowed her back with double the force.

Kyra put a hand on Y/n’s tight.

“I’m going to throw this car into the next truck that passes us,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, good idea baby! Please, put us out of our misery,” Y/n said, matching Kyra’s energy.

“Oh don’t act so superior, Leah Cathrine, you just don’t care because you knew it all from the start!” Beth said, narrowing her eyes. 

“Some of us had to find out the hard way," Beth said, clutching her chest like she had been wounded. "There I was, minding my own business, and then, out of nowhere, boom! A full-on snogging session in my place of work. I may never recover." 

“Beth?!” Kyra said, turning her head around but quickly returning her attention back to the road. “We weren’t snogging!”

“Yeah, you interrupted us before we could actually do anything, Beth.” Y/n rolled her eyes.”

“Y/n!” Kyra blushed. “You’re instigating her!”

“For fucks sake do not have sex on our changing room, Y/n” Leah warned. “Or else I’ll have Renée bench both of you.”

Alessia hummed as she looked out the window. “Well…” She paused, letting the tension build. Then, without emotion, she shrugged. “They wouldn’t be the first couple to do that.”

“What?!” Everyone asked at the same time, turning to Alessia.

“Who the hell is having sex in the changing room?” Kyra asked. “That place smells of something, not romantic at all.”

After turning to Alessia, everybody turned their attention to Beth and looked at her suspiciously. There weren’t many couples on the teams, so their options were really limited.

“Oh, do you guys really think Viv would agree to have sex in a changing room? She’s plain. It wasn't us!” Beth said, rolling her eyes. “My wife is a respectable lady, but also boring as hell."

“Caitlin and Katie,” Alessia said casually as if she wasn't bomb-dropping the biggest gossip around. “Before they were even dating, by the way."

“And how do you know that?” Kyra asked

“I’ve got eyes in all the right places,” Alessia said jokingly, but none of the girls took it as a joke.

The song on the radio was the only sound on the car for a few seconds. But that's all it was. Seconds.

“So… did you guys wait long before you ha–” 

“Beth, if you say one more word, I swear I’ll crash the car,” Kyra said, mortified.

“Make it a murder-suicide, Cooney-Cross,” Leah muttered. “Maybe Beth will shut up for once.”

“Guys, do you think this is too much?” Alessia said, completely ignoring the banter and staring at the cake. “What if she cries because we wrote about the cat dying on the cake.”

“She’s gonna cry anyway,” Y/n said, watching Alessia in the rearview mirror. 

“I agree with Alessia, maybe we shouldn’t have written about her cat’s death on the cake,” Beth said. “Maybe she’ll get sad thinking about it again.”

“Oh come on,” Y/n said, preparing to defend her idea. “How else are we going to get our message across…that we’re here to support her and celebrate her cat’s life!”

“You know, some people just use words,” Leah muttered from her seat. “Not whole ass writings in a cake with pink icing.”

“Oh look who’s talking!” Y/n said defensively. “On my last birthday, you sent me a Spotify link to the Happy Birthday song! Miss ‘people use words.”

“I literally posted a story on my Instagram for you too, you ungrateful–”

“Okay, we’re here!” Kyra said, pulling down to Lia’s driveway. “We’re finally, finally here,” she said the last part in a whisper, like a prayer.

“Everybody out, come on,” Y/n said as they all got out of the car. She was the last one to leave, having to wait for Kyra to pick up her crutches.

The five girls stood in front of Lia's door, Kyra went to ring the bell, but Y/n held her wrist.

“Let’s just set some rules first,” Y/n said, “Kyra no dead cat puns, please. Leah, remember the whole thing about being nice. Beth, let Lia do the talking, alright? Let her vent.” Y/n said, pointing at each one. “And Alessia–”

The blonde looked up at her, cake in her hand.

“Just be yourself, babe,” she said, smiling.

“Why does Alessias get to be herself but I–”

“Not another word, Leah,” Y/n said in a warning. “Be. Nice.”

Leah rolled her eyes but remained quiet.

As Y/n nodded to Kyra,  she rang the doorbell, and in a few seconds Lia opened the door, but they were not prepared for the scene in front of them.

Lia was holding not one, not two, but three kittens. The girl was wearing a grey robe, her hair was in a messy bun, tears streaming down her face.

The five girls stared at Lia, each of them with their mouths agape.

“Guys I think I messed up! I went into full-on mourning mode and kind of panicked-adopted these three babies while I went to the vet to look at cremation stuff for Guler and they–” She held up the three kittens. “–were staring at me and–and I’d just lost my Guler boy, so I took them and now I can’t keep them all!”

Lia was sobbing, barely able to understand what she was saying, the poor girl was a mess and the poor kittens on her hands looked frightened.

Y/n was at a loss of what to say, so she did the first thing that came to mind. 

She took the cake from Alessia’s hand and gave Lia a nervous smile.

“Uhm, well, we bought cake!” 

..

Beth and Alessia were able to calm Lia down as Leah and Kyra took each kitten and put them on their laps. They were so small and tiny, they were barely two months old.

The one Kyra was holding was a little black one, and Leah had two, a ginger and a tabby cat, neither of which had a name yet.

Y/n, well, she was on cake duty. 

She had cut a piece of cake for each girl, and they were eating on the floor of Lia’s bedroom, while the girl talked about everything that had happened so far.

Guler had died of old age. She had taken him to the vet to be cremated. There was an adoption fair going on and she panicked-adopted the three kittens–and the only ones left– but when she got home she realised she couldn’t look after them all.

“I was so stupid!” Lia cried on Beth's shoulder as Alessia patted her back.

“You weren’t stupid, you’re just grieving,” Alessia said as she watched  Lia take a piece of her cake.

Alessia was right once again. Lia did cry even harder when she read what was written on the cake, maybe next time Y/n wouldn’t suggest writing about the loss of a pet in pink glaze. Noted.

“Grieving people do stuff like that all the time, babe, it’s okay, we’ll fix it,” Leah said, giving her pinky finger for the tabby cat to bite playfully. 

“We can keep one,” Kyra said bluntly, picking up the black kitty with her two hands and practically shoving it in Y/n’s face. “Right, Y/n?”

Y/n almost choked on her cake. 

“What? Of course not!” Y/n said. “We can’t have a cat!”

Lia started to cry even harder, from her corner of the room, Beth and Alessia gave Y/n a death stare.

Mean, Alessia mouthed to her. 

Great, just great.

“Oh fuck, sorry Lia, I’m sure we will find it another ho–”

“But look at him!” Kyra insisted, holding the cat close enough to Y/n that one of its hairs went into Y/n eyes. “He 's so cute.”

Y/n narrowed her eyes at the tiny creature in Kyra’s hands. Its body was scrawny, but its belly was huge, and its ears were far too big for its face. It was… desproporcional. And somehow adorable. Not that she’d admit it.

“Meow,” the thing said.

Still, she crossed her arms. “No.”

She had never had a pet before, too busy with the football season and the FIFA calendar to take care of one. When she had holidays and days off, she was most definitely not at her home, so she really couldn’t have had a pet before. 

“I think I’ll keep this one,” Leah murmured, kissing the tabby’s cat in the face. “I like her.”

Kyra turned her face quickly to Y/n. The biggest doe eyes she had ever seen. Kyra was a kid in a candy shop, and Y/n wasn’t allowing her to take up anything.

“Please?” Kyra begged with a pout, putting the cat on her chest, and holding it like a baby. An ugly one at least.

“No.”

“Please!”

“Kyra, no!”

“But Leah got one!”

“And what does that have to do with anything? If Leah jumps off a cliff–”

“Yes!” Kyra answered before Y/n could finish.

“Oh my god just take the cat!” Leah said, as her cat purred. “It might do you some good, maybe you won’t be a pain in the ass anymore.

“I’m not a pain in the ass! I’m responsible, I actually think before I make a big life commitment like adopting a living being!”

Y/n realised what she had said before she had said it. She didn’t need the smack on the back of her head to realise it.

“Y/n!” Beth and Alessia said in unison.

Lia, who had stopped crying, started sobbing again.

“I-I’m sorry! I knew I was being irresponsible and now I have to find another home for at least one of them ” Lia cried her hands in her face.

Kyra held her kitten closer and gave Y/n a judgmental look as Leah slapped her own face and dragged her hand across it.

Y/n hadn’t expected to be the mean on this outing. Leah was usually the one who said insensitive things, not her.

Well done, Y/n.

“Okay, I’m sorry!” Y/n said, looking at everyone in the room, her hands hanging defensively in the air.

Y/n walked over to Lia and hugged her. “I didn't mean it like that, baby. I’m sorry, yeah? Me and Kyra will keep the black one, Leah will have the tabby one and you can keep the other one, does that sound okay?”

Before Lia could answer, Kyra was back on her two feet, cat in hand and the biggest smile on her face.

“We’re keeping him? Really?” She asked enthusiastically

“Yes,” Y/n murmured, patting Lia’s back.

"Leah, our cats are brothers and sisters. That makes us family,” Kyra declared proudly.

Leah stared at her, dead inside. “Don’t fucking start, Cooney-Cross.”

..

“But–”

“Not a single word, Kyra.”

Kyra snapped her mouth shut, but Y/n could see the argument bubbling under the surface as she focused on the road.

Kyra was driving Y/n and their new family member, Footy, to their home. 

Yes, Kyra was the one who named it.

They had dropped all the girls off at their respective houses before heading to three different pet shops to buy everything Footy needed. 

Y/n didn’t even know that a cat needed clothes, I mean, they already had their fur, right? But Kyra insisted on buying it a jumper like her own life depended on it. 

A bloody jumper. It looked more like a sock because of its size.

“It was time that we added a new member to our family!” Kyra declared proudly, one hand on the wheel, the other gesturing dramatically.

Y/n blinked at her. “I’m sorry—time? Time for what?”

Kyra nodded towards the kitten in Y/n’s lap as if it was obvious.

“Kyra, my love, we’ve been going out for two months,” Y/n said, reluctantly,  patting the thing in her lap.

“We’re gay,” Kyra said simply, glancing at Y/n as if that was the whole explanation. Then she shrugged. “That’s more like two years.”

“It was a reckless decision, Kyra!” Y/n argued, letting the thing bite her hands with its thin teeth. “How are we going to take care of it when we’re gone?”

Kyra sighed and made an L-turn. “We can either take him–stop calling the baby it–or we can leave him in a pet daycare for a few days.”

“I’m not paying a pet daycare for a car!” Y/n rolled her eyes, scratching Footy’s head–was it normal for it to have a bald spot near his ear?! 

“Then we’ll take him with us wherever we go, just like that,” Kyra winked at her.

Y/n wanted to argue and stand her ground.

But she didn’t. She breathed in and out, feeling the air coming to her lungs, her anger slowly coming to an end.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Kyra asked, confused.

“Yep,” Y/n said, with no emotion in her voice. “We’re cat parents now.”

Kyra narrowed her eyes, Y/n never let an argument go that easily.

“You are the one who’s going to clean its litter tray,” Y/n said.

There it was, Kyra thought.

“And you’re the one taking it on walks.”

“Cats don’t need walks,” Kyra said. “Have you seriously never been around animals your whole life?”

Y/n blushed slightly. “Well, if it ever needs one, you’ll be the one to do it.”

“Okay, ma’am,” Kyra said, making the captain salute with one hand while she held the wheel with the other. “I guess you’ll be an absent mother then.”

“No, I won't!” Y/n murmured. “It’ll feed it.” 

Y/n scratched Footy’s big belly. Maybe she could be a good cat mom.

..

When they got home, Kyra turned her old room into Footy’s.  She put his litter tray, toys, bed and scratching post next to what had once been her bed.

Since Kyra had been sleeping–pretty much every day–on Y/n’s bed, she didn’t need the room anymore.

Footy was very tired when Kyra put him on his little bed. 

Being panic-adopted by a grieving football player and then being adopted again by two other football players was too much for the little black kitty. The cat was sleeping as soon as Kyra turned off the lights.

When she got to her and Y/n’s room, she helped the girl out of her clothes, and they both lay down on the bed.

Y/n scrolled through her Instagram while Kyra read her book. She was already in the middle of a chapter when she noticed Y/n’s arm bushing against hers. The gentle touch was enough to remind Kyra that the couple had yet to kiss today.

Silently, Kyra put her book down on the bedside table and took the phone from  Y/n’s hand.

“Hey! Give me–”

“I wanna kiss you,” Kyra said, interrupting Y/n. “Right now,”

Y/n shut her mouth and grinned, forgetting about the phone immediately. 

“Do it, baby,” Y/n said, taking Kyra’s cheek in between her hands and bringing their lips closer. “You don’t have to ask me, you know that.”

The kiss was sweet and slow, their tongues swirling together, their saliva mixing.

“You haven’t kissed me all day,” Kyra whined against Y/n’s mouth.

“I’ve been waiting for you to do it,” Y/n whispered back.

In one swift movement, Kyra was hovering over Y/n, her legs on either side of Y/n’s body. 

Kyra kissed her again, this time urgently, her tongue slipping in fast, Y/n hands holding onto Kyra’s ribcage, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

“Missed you,” Y/n said. “A lot.”

“We were together all day, baby,” Kyra said, exploring her neck with her mouth.

“But not alone,” Y/n stated, moaning softly as Kyra sucked on her pulse. “I like being alone with you.”

Kyra moaned against her mouth and brought her hand to Y/n’s neck, resting it against her jugular. “You’re so pretty,” Kyra says, a string of saliva attached to each mouth. “And so hot, I want you all to myself.”

“Yeah? You think so?” Y/n teased, eyes closing and Kyra's mouth trailed down her neck, kissing her cold skin. “Then show me, make me feel good, please?”

“But we’ve talked about this,” Kyra mumbled as she bit the spot on Y/n’s neck, making the girl rock her hips as much as the cats on her leg would allow. “We’ll have to wait until your cast is off completely.”

Y/n took Kyra’s chin in her hand and gently pushed Kyra’s face until they were staring at each other. “Baby, I need you, please?” she begged again, trying to give Kyra her best doe eyes.”

Kyra smiled and kissed Y/n’s mouth.

“Just have to be patient, yeah?” Kyra said. “Now let me enjoy you, keep quiet.”

“You’re the one who keeps saying we have to wait, yet you’re the one holding me down,” she teased.

Before she could continue, Kyra’s palm silenced her.

“What did I say?” Kyra asked more sternly, raising one brow.

That tone made Y/n wet, very wet

“I’m not usually the one taking orders,” Y/n said, slightly confused by the shift of their dY/namic, but enjoying it nonetheless.

Kyra chuckled. “Just this once, ok?”

Y/n hesitated but nodded.

“Pretty girl,” Kyra said before returning her attention back to Y/n’s neck. The tip of her tongue trailing from the back of her jaw till the beginning of her cleavage, Y/n moved slightly, too caught up in how Kyra was making her feel.

Y/n tugged desperately at her shirt, but before she could remove it. Kyra held her wrists.

“What are you doing?” she asked, watching the way her hand wrapped perfectly around Y/n’s wrists. 

“It’s hot in here,” Y/n says, trying to sound innocent.

“We can turn the air conditioning on,” Kyra suggested.

Y/n rolled her eyes.

“Come on Ky don’t you wanna see my tits?” Y/n said, throwing away all her fake innocence and being her naturally blunt self

Kyra blushed. “We won’t have sex until you are completely healed.”

“I know,” Y/n said impatiently. “You’ve said that like 10 times already, but we can make out–with my shirt off.”

“Your shirt has to stay on,” Kyra said, getting up from Y/n’s body and sitting on her legs next to Y/n. “When the cast is off we–”

“–can have all the sex in the world, I know it.” Y/n huffed, kissed Kyra again, more desperately, trying to distract the girl.

Kyra accepted and deepened the kiss, her hands gripping Y/n’s waist.  Y/n arched into her, her breath shaky.

But then Y/n shifted slightly, and Kyra could feel the awkward angle of her cast pressing into her leg.

Kyra moaned against Y/n’s lips before she forced herself to pull away. “Fuck. No. We can’t.”

Y/n sighed and turned her body around to sit on the edge of the bed, leaning forward to take her crutches and get off the bed. “Okay, I’m off.”

“Where are you going?” Kyra asked. “We were making out, we can keep on doing that, we just have to go–slowly.”

“Yes, we were making out, ” Y/n rolled her eyes. “Until you decided to become a nun.”

“Oh come on, don’t be difficult! ” Kyra whined, throwing herself dramatically on the bed. “It’s hard for me too!”

“It looks like you are having way too much fun denying me,” Y/n said, matching Kyra’s dramatic attitude. 

Y/n wanted to put the fucking cast on fire. Never in her life had she been so cockblocked, kudos to Kyra as well.

“I’m not denying you!” Kyra argued, sitting back down on the bed. “Are you telling me you’ll be able to stop whatever we were doing if we were half naked?” 

Y/n was silent.

“See,” Kyra said, pointing at herself. “I'm right on this one, we don’t have self-control”

“You know what,” Y/n said, tapping her crutches against the floor, a habit she had developed whenever she was made. “You can fuck off!”

Kyra rolled her eyes and watched as Y/n walked out of the room.

“Where are you going?!” Kyra whined again, getting off the bed and following Y/n.

“I am going to take a very very cold shower,” Y/n said angrily. 

Kyra pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, let me grab your towel first and then we can do–”

“No! I’m taking a shower alone,” Y/n stated.

Kyra just looked at her,

“The last time you tried to take a shower alone you fell flat on your face, baby,” Kyra said nonchalantly. “Are you back to being stubborn and not accepting help or what?”

“Are you back to being annoying or what?” Y/n said, grumbling under her breath all the way to the bathroom before closing the door.

Kyra stood by the side of the door, counting on her fingers. 

Twenty-eight…

Twenty-nine...

“Kyra?” Y/n murmured, her voice soft through the door. “Are you there?

Kyra smirked proudly. She knew her girl.

“Always, baby,  do you want me to come in?”

“Yes.” She said,

Kyra went into the bathroom and found Y/n sitting on the toilet, her shirt was still on, but her trousers were at her feet.

“I can't take my trousers all the way off,” she explained, an impatient tone in her voice, she thought that she’d be getting used to the bloody cast by now.

“I’ll help you, it's all right,” Kyra said, getting down on her knees and taking her trousers off. She tapped on Y/n’s leg playfully. “Shall we get you into the shower?”

“Yes,” Y/n said, accepting the help.

Kyra took off Y/n’s shirt and she couldn't help herself.

“So now you want to take my shirt off?”

Kyra rolled her eyes. “We can always take a shower in our swimsuit, up to you, pretty girl.” 

“You’re an evil, evil woman.” 

..

The couple was lying on the sofa, enjoying their day off. It was a sunny Saturday. No games or training for Kyra and no physio for Y/n. It had been a long time since they had a day like this.

“FIFA date is coming up,” Y/n said as they watched yet another film Kyra had chosen, Footy lying down by Kyra’s side. 

“Uhun,” Kyra said, eyes glued to the television, her left hand stroking Footy. 

“Are you excited? Y/n asked, taking Kyra’s hand from Footy and putting it on her leg. “It’s the first time Australia is playing at the She Believes Cup, right?”

“It is yeah,” Kyra says, sounding bored. “It’s Colombia’s first time too; and I’m all right.” 

“You don't look too excited.” Kyra’s hand caressed her tight.”What's the matter? Too scared to play against Foxy?” Y/n joked, trying to lighten the mood. 

“Nah, Foxy’s good but we can handle her,” Kyra smiled. “I'm more worried about leaving you, actually,” she confessed, still not looking at her.

Y/n’s eyebrows furrowed, she took the remote and turned off the TV.

“Hey–”

Y/n cupped Kyra’s face so they were looking at each other.

“I’m trying to talk to you,” Y/n said, a little impatient in her voice. “What happened? You always  get so excited about playing for Australia, seeing Mimi and the other girls.”

Kyra hesitated.

“I–I just don’t want to leave you here, alone,” she confessed, “Half the girls from Arsenal got called up to their national teams.”

“So? They always do, I was expecting that already.”

“But you’ll be alone, all your friends will be at camp, and I won’t be here to help either.”

Y/n rolled her eyes.

 “Oh come on Kyra, I’m a lot more independent than I was months before,” Y/n said, partially annoyed.

“I just think it would be better if I didn't go,” Kyra muttered.

Y/n straightened her body and looked at the girl with wide eyes.

"Wait—you’re serious?" Y/n’s voice lost its teasing edge. She sat up straighter, her hands clenched into fists. "Kyra, be fucking for real. You would actually refuse a call-up? Do you really think I’m that fragile? That I can’t be on my own for a week without completely falling apart?”

Y/n was fuming.

“I didn’t say that; you’re putting words in my mouth,” Kyra said. “I’m just worried about leaving, we’ve been pretty much glued together for the last few months and everyone you know will be at camps as well.”

 “For your information, I have other friends who are not football players who will keep me company,” Y/n stated, crossing her arms. “My whole life doesn't revolve around football like you make it sound like.”

Y/n was getting frustrated with Kyra. Sure, it wouldn’t be the best feeling in the world to be stuck at home with the cat while everyone she knew was out doing what she wanted. 

But she already came to terms with it, she had cried all the tears she needed to cry, she had screamed all she had to need to scream on her pillow while Kyra was out on running or training.

She already yapped about it non-stop with Leah, who was not much of a comforter, but still was a great listener nonetheless.

Y/n didn’t need Kyra to feel pity for her. She was, slowly but surely, becoming more independent. And maybe staying one week away from Kyra would do them some good, maybe Kyra would realise that Y/n was more capable than she thought she was.

Kyra still pretty much saw Y/n as a damsel in distress. 

Y/n was in distress but she was no damsel.

“Y/n, tell me one friend of yours that isn’t related to football?” Kyra challenged, raising an eyebrow.

“Ms. Petunia!” Y/n said matter-of-factly.

“...Your neighbour? I mean elderly neighbour?”

“Are you being ageist?”

“Maybe–a little?”

“She's a good friend! and she’ll keep me company while you’re away,” Y/n argued, taking Kyra’s hand away from her leg. “She always bakes me cookies–and we’ll watch telenovelas together! I'm going to have a great time with her.”

“And what about when she goes to the elderly church group? You’ll just be at home all day?”

“No Kyra, I’ll take my crutches and happily skip my way to Wales!” Y/n said eagerly, she could be petty when she wanted to.”

Kyra opened her mouth like she was about to argue again, but then she stopped herself. Y/n was looking at her with that stubborn, defiant glare—the one that meant she wasn’t just mad about this, she was mad about everything. The injury, the recovery, the way everyone was treating her like she was breakable.

Kyra sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Well… guess we’re good then.” She took the remote from Y/n and turned the television again.

"Yes we are," Y/n snapped. The words tasted bitter. She knew they weren’t good. Kyra knew they weren’t good. But neither of them said anything.

A few seconds passed, thick with silence. Y/n clenched her jaw, grabbed her crutches, and stood up. Before she left, she grabbed the remote—petulantly, spitefully—and turned the TV off again.

“I don’t want to watch that movie anymore, it’s stupid,” she mumbles as she makes her way to the kitchen.

“It’s literally The Lorax, bro,” Kyra said from the living room. “It’s got a message!”

Y/n opened the cupboard and took out a bowl and some fruits. She was going to make a fruit salad. Fruit salads were good for regulating the nervous system, and right now all of her systems were very much nervous.

Y/n had just cut the apples, strawberries and mango, the only fruit left were two bananas. Then she began to chop them, more angrily than necessary.

“What did the banana do to you, grumpy?” Y/n felt Kyra’s presence on her back, her hands gently placed on her hips and Kyra rested her head on Y/n’s shoulder.

“I’m taking my anger out on them,” Y/n mumbled, continuing to chop. “My therapist said I need to learn to redirect my anger away from people or some shit like that.”

“Hmm,” Kyra said, planting a gentle kiss on her neck. “You’re doing a great job.”

“Shut up,” Y/n asked, still grumpy. “Did you finish the film?”

“Uhum, like I said, great movie.”

“And did you learn anything from it?”

“Yeah, not to cut trees down and not to make my hyper-independent girl feel like she’s a liability,” Kyra said softly. “I’m sorry baby. I’m sure you’ll have a blast while I’m gone.”

“Maybe even go to some crazy church bingo with Ms Petunia, yeah?” She continued, slightly teasing, putting her hands under Y/n’s shirt.

“You shouldn’t tease someone with a knife in their hand,” Y/n warned in a fake serious tone.

Kyra held her closer and watched as Y/n took the chopped bananas and mixed them with the rest of the fruits. 

Y/n took a spoonful of her fruit salad and offered it to Kyra, who wrinkled her nose and pushed the spoon away.

“Ew,” she said

Y/n rolled her eyes.

“You’re an athlete, you need vitamins! Y/n said. “Now I’m the one who’s worried, I don’t think you’ll eat well if I'm not there to make sure you get some real food.”

Kyra kissed her neck as Y/n enjoyed her fruit salad.

"Steph will look after me."

"Hm," Y/n scoffed, taking another bite of fruit. "We’ll see. If you come back looking like you’ve only eaten cereal for a week, I’ll never let you leave again."

..

PART 8 |

Notes: Please like, share and let me know what you think! Feedback is important and makes me want to write even more. :D

Notes//2: I always have so so much fun writing dialogues between Y/n and Leah like I got myself giggling in my room aloneee.

Masterlist

[bybobbysbeard]

Arrivals

Day 8 for @bucktommyfluffebruary: surprise read on ao3 read other days here

Buck smells like an airport. He couldn’t accurately describe what that smell entails, but he knows he stinks of it. He’s exhausted, his feet hurt, and his bad leg is swollen from the pressure changes. He wants to take his sneakers off, drink a massive glass of icy-cold water, and fall into bed; in that order. 

But no matter how crappy he feels, he won’t let a single word of complaint pass his lips. Any discomfort he’s experiencing has to be dwarfed by what Maddie’s going through. She just did the same amount of traveling as him, and she's six months pregnant. Thank God they were only in Pennsylvania for the weekend. His Mom’s retirement party went well, Buck didn’t make a fool of himself, and Maddie was glowing. But being with his parents was as exhausting as ever. 

And that’s not including the fact that they still have no idea how to deal with Buck dating a man. 

They have never cared about anyone he’s dated before, as long as he wasn’t embarrassing them or getting a girl pregnant. And then they saw him with Tommy at Maddie’s wedding. They didn’t say anything, but Buck could feel his Mom’s eyes on him the whole time. Even as he escorted a half-asleep Tommy to his Jeep, they only waved half-heartedly. He assumed they had decided it was a phase, and didn’t need to introduce themselves. 

When he told them on Friday that Tommy was on special deployment, or he would have brought him along, his mom stuttered over three different sentence starts. She finally ended up with, “I didn’t realize you were still with him.”

Before Buck could think better of it, he said, “Technically, I’m with him again.” That had kicked off a barebones explanation of their break-up and reconciliation, which his parents had not reacted well to. 

The rest of the weekend continued in the same tone.  

The pointed, leading questions, which he pretended to misunderstand. The insinuations that he didn’t know his own mind, which he ignored. The blatant aspersions against Tommy, blaming him for confusing Evan and leading him on. Those he addressed immediately, and at one point, it would have devolved into a shouting match, if not for Maddie. 

Suffice to say, he’s happy to be back in Los Angeles, even if he still has an hour long Uber ride ahead of him. Normally, he knows his family would be tripping over themselves to pick them up from the airport, but Chimney is home with a still-sick-but-recovering Jee, and the rest of the 118 is on shift. Most disappointingly, Tommy’s still fighting the wildfires up north, piloting water bombers for another week and a half.

Buck will be going home to an empty loft. 

The baggage carousel comes into view, so Buck parks Maddie by a nearby column and goes to wait for their bags. She’s digging her cell out as he turns away. He checks his own phone, finds ‘welcome home’ messages from the group chat, but nothing from Tommy. He’s probably in the air. Or sleeping. Eventually, a familiar navy bag and maroon suitcase come into view. His duffle gets slung over a shoulder and he leads Maddie’s wheeling suitcase over. They head towards Arrivals without any words exchanged. Maddie’s walking slowly, obviously tired, breath puffing out of her mouth as she rests one hand low on her belly. Buck wraps an arm around her shoulders and she leans into him. 

“I wish Chimney and Jee could have come with us. He’s so good with Mom and Dad, and Jee is so distracting.” She sighs. “I’m sorry again. About what they were saying. I wish they would just be happy for you.”

“It’s alright Mads, I wasn’t about to let you fly to Hershey all alone. I can deal with them for a weekend.”

She lapses into silence again. They turn another corner and step onto an escalator, finally descending to ground level. The Arrivals area is a wider section of the terminal, an open space, right by the main exit. Floor to ceiling windows let in the setting sun. There’s people all around, reunions between travelers and their families happening in a hundred different languages, a hundred different cultures. Buck steers them through the crowd, hearing the laughter and tears in the voices surrounding them. There’s a line of people by the doors, holding signs. Sunbeams edge everyone in gold.

One of the signs says “Buckley.”

Wait, what? His eyes jerk from the sign to the man holding it. 

Holy shit. It’s Tommy. How?!

Buck stops dead. Their eyes meet. He knows his mouth is hanging open. Tommy’s smiling widely, almost laughing at the dumbfounded expression that Buck knows he’s sporting. His face crinkles adorably with the force of his joy. His eyes are sparkling. 

The arm Buck has around Maddie’s shoulder jerks her to a stop too. People continue to stream around them. She darts a look at his face, bursting into laughter and following his gaze to Tommy. She waves, still giggling. Tommy’s already striding over, eating up the distance between them until he's close enough to touch.

Two big hands settle on his cheeks, pinkies applying the smallest pressure to his jaw. His teeth clack together when he finally remembers to shut his mouth. A chaste, gentle kiss is pressed to his lips.

“Hi baby. Welcome home.”

Stupidly, all Buck can think to say is, “you’re supposed to be in Oregon.”

Tommy chuckles. “I was, but the Canadians showed up early, so they sent us home.” His hands drop down to wrap around Buck’s. Their fingers intertwine without Buck’s input. “Surprised?”

Buck nods. He recognizes he’s staring, like Tommy is a hallucination that might disappear at any second, but it's been nearly three weeks since he’s seen his boyfriend. He’s just had a shitty weekend in his hometown, playing the part of a dutiful son to strangers, while worrying about his sister and his unborn nibling, and dealing with the casual disregard he’s come to expect from his parents. Only this time, there was a nice heaping tablespoon of biphobia sprinkled on top. He needs a minute.

Maddie lays a hand on both of their elbows. “Good timing Tommy, I was worried we were going to beat you to the exit.”

Buck whips his head around to stare at her. “You knew!”

She giggles again. He spins back to Tommy. He’s flushed from laughter, radiant in the early evening light. Buck’s gaze darts over his face. His blue eyes, his crow’s feet, his perfect teeth. The cleft. He’s beautiful, and he’s here for Buck. 

It feels like his brain finally comes back online. Tommy’s here. For Buck.

Buck lunges forward, driving a little oomph out of Tommy and wrapping his arms around him tightly. He squeezes and lifts, hoisting Tommy a few inches into the air, making him flail and squeak out an undignified noise. Maddie snorts, bending at the waist, helpless with mirth. Tommy’s hands land on his shoulders, fingertips digging into the muscle, little spots of warm pressure. 

“Evan! Put me down, oh my God. I missed you too!”

[strawberry-seob]

got milk? ✩ kjs

🥛pairing: afab!reader x jongseob

🥛rating: 18+

🥛 summary: your friend group jokes that you could earn some extra cash by starting an adult breastfeeding business, but after most of them leave, you let your curiosity get the best of you and offer to let your friend jongseob try it out

🥛warnings: erotic lactation, lactation kink, adult breastfeeding, single mom reader, curious friend jongseob, soft kim jongseob, alcohol consumption

🥛word count: 1.6k

🥛a/n: just a little something i wrote for fun while i get over my writer's block and recover from being sick! cross-posted to my ao3

Guys, stop being gross,” Jongseob yelled, running a hand through his hair exasperatedly, face burning up.

Taeyang laughed, his cackle piercing through the general din of your apartment living room, while Keeho covered his mouth, trying to stifle laughter. Jiung shook his head, disappointed, while Shota and Intak fell over each other, cracking up silently, unable to breathe.

Your friends had gotten a little tipsy over dinner, and, their perversions knowing no bounds (which you couldn’t blame them for, because you were the exact same way), started asking you if you would ever charge men to drink your breast milk. Right from the source.

The most sex work you’d ever done was selling a few nudes and feet pictures, but that was before you’d had a baby. You hadn’t even considered their idea about how to make some extra cash with your body, now that you continued to lactate even after your 8-month-old infant had stopped breastfeeding.

“Jongseob, how dare you call Y/N’s body gross , it’s beautiful and capable of amazing things. Like the miracle of life! And a killer titty milk side business,” Taeyang said after he was able to catch his breath, which initiated another wave of wheezing laughter from the group, yourself included.

Jongseob was redder than ever and kept looking to you with panic in his eyes. “Oh my god that is not what I’m saying, and you know that! You’re just trying to make me look bad, like always!” he yelled at Taeyang, pinching the older man’s sides and eliciting a string of screams and profanity from him.

You couldn’t stop laughing, but even after the rest of the guys had left and Jongseob remained to help you clean up (like he always did), you also couldn’t stop thinking about their little idea .

You looked over to where Jongseob sat on the couch, shaggy blonde hair covering his eyes, feet propped up, staring at his phone and scrolling mindlessly – his baseline position.

“Hey,” you said, after staring at him for an uncomfortably long time from the other end of the couch. 

“Hm,” he responded absently without looking up at you.

“Do you actually think it’d be gross? Y’know, the whole adult breastfeeding thing?” you asked, alcohol still buzzing through your system and causing your inhibitions to be a little more numbed than usual.

“What?” Jongseob balked, head snapping up to look at you, discomfort suddenly marring his features, that familiar blush rising in his cheeks again. “That’s not what I–ugh,” he groaned, slipping his phone into the pocket of his gray sweatpants and hiding his face in his hands.

You couldn’t help but laugh at his response, only feeling a little bad for pressing the issue. Even after he’d been friends with you during the whole pregnancy and breastfeeding phase of your baby, he’d still get so shy about certain things. Immature as it was, you also thought it was cute. Plus, most of the time, you knew he was just trying to be polite and respectful. The rest of your shared friend group didn’t usually offer that same courtesy, as evidenced by their crude commentary that evening.

“I’m just fucking with you,” you said, tossing a small throw pillow at him, which he caught and promptly put in his lap, squirming subtly. You caught his eyes on your tits for only a moment before seeing his face blush even deeper. 

No way in hell , you thought, suddenly feeling incredibly devious. Not only that, but Jongseob’s thin gray sweatpants and fitted white tank top were leaving little to the imagination. Besides, you’d had a tiny crush on him for a while now, but hadn’t wanted it to mess with your friendship.

 A surge of boldness arose in your chest, and the words left your mouth before you could think twice.

“Would you ever try it?” you asked bluntly, training your eyes on him.

“Y/N, I’m gonna kill myself in front of you if you don’t stop teasing me,” Jongseob retorted, running both hands through his bleached hair exasperatedly and sighing loudly, the blush never leaving his cheeks.

“I’m not teasing, I’m being serious. Do you wanna try? Right now?”

Jongseob half-choked, half-laughed, face incredulous, looking like you’d just slapped him across the face. “You literally sound crazy right now.”

You rolled your eyes and smiled despite yourself. “This is your last chance, I’m not gonna offer again.”

Jongseob sat in silence for a few moments, not looking at you, and for a second you wondered if he was just going to start ignoring you out of annoyance… and then, you started wondering if you’d gone too far, regret souring your stomach, and–

“Nobody can know. And you can’t make fun of me,” he said quietly, face fixed towards his lap, refusing to look in your direction. Your mouth went dry. So, you hadn’t been wrong after all. 

“Duh,” you retorted nonchalantly. “Now get over here, doofus.”

He scowled at you as he scooted over reluctantly. “Um… how do you wanna, uh–”

“Probably easiest if you kneel on the floor in front of you. Unless you want me to hold you like a baby,” you added with a wink, and he opened his mouth to yell at you but you put your hands up in surrender.

“Sorry, sorry, no teasing, my bad,” you blurted, and he slipped off the couch to sit on his heels in front of you. You hated the way your heartbeat sped up in your chest.

You pinched his cheek. “Don’t be weird.”

“I’m not,” he muttered, hand reaching up to rub the spot on his cheek that you’d pinched a little too hard.

Your tank top had a built-in shelf bra, so all you had to do was pull one side down, and you were instantly exposed. 

Jongseob stared at your nipple, gulped, and looked up at your face from his position on the floor. “Are you sure about this?” he said, biting his lip subtly.

“Oh my god dude, just go for it before I change my mind,” you said, rolling your eyes. He smiled for the first time since he’d agreed to do this, and flushed lightly, avoiding eye contact before leaning in to pull your nipple between his lips. He started to suck lightly and pulled back instantly, causing milk to drip from you.

“Shit, sorry, it was just, it startled me, I—”

“Well you made a mess, so now you’re gonna have to clean it up,” you interrupted him, and his eyes widened as he looked at the liquid dripping down your breast.

“Sorry, okay,” he said in a voice that was shockingly quiet, and you felt a surge of pleasure pool in your groin as the novel dynamic between the two of you started to set in.

He leaned forward again and licked from the underside of your breast to the nipple, lapping up the spilled milk, before latching his mouth to your nipple once again. He started to suck gently and, completely outside of your control, you reached a hand up to his head, stroking his surprisingly soft hair gently, nails scratching lightly against his scalp, and he sighed out his nose, closing his eyes.

Even though you’d had the slight crush for a while now, you’d never really looked at Jongseob this way before. And you knew that the hormones were partially to blame, but your whole body softened as you watched him. There was something so simultaneously innocent and dirty about the act.

He hummed as he found a rhythm, his lips suctioned against you comfortably, and you hated yourself for the intense fondness you felt towards him in that moment. You’d figured he would end up trying it out just for a moment, but he wasn’t stopping, and if you were being honest with yourself, you didn’t want him to. 

You lightly caressed his cheek with the fingertips of your other hand, and whispered his name.

He startled subtly and his eyes flickered open as he pulled away, milk dripping down his chin. You swiped your thumb across his chin and, although you wanted badly to press it into his mouth to make him clean it off of you, you didn’t want to push too far, so you wiped your hand on your pants.

Jongseob looked horrified but also slightly dazed, pupils blown out. “Shit, I’m sorry, that tasted way better than I thought it would. God, this is embarrassing,” he said, raising his hands to hide his face but you grabbed them before he got the chance and he looked up at you, eyebrows pushed together in distress.”

You smiled compassionately. “You need to chill. I was going to ask if you wanted to lay down on the couch with me while you do it, so you can relax.”

His eyes widened in surprise but you could tell he wanted to accept the offer.

“Are you sure?” he said weakly, and you flicked your head back subtly. “Come on,” you encouraged, and he crawled up onto the couch with you, both of you laying down and facing each other while he positioned himself in front of your chest again. 

This time, he didn’t hesitate before taking your nipple into his mouth again, and hummed quietly as his whole body relaxed, melting into the couch next to you, his hand coming up to rest idly on your waist. 

Your hand found its way into his hair yet again as you ran your fingers through it, roaming from the soft hair behind his ears to the back of his head, and eventually to the back of his neck. You absently thought about how weird things might be between the two of you in the morning, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

And without meaning to, you drifted off to the most restful sleep you’d had in weeks, your nipple never leaving Jongseob’s mouth as he dozed off as well.

[pillowspace]

Hihi!! Could I have some ISAT fic recs? Hurt/comfort is my fav but anything good is good~ Thank you!

I've read 200 ISAT fics, I'm gonna really have to think on which ones to put

Okay, here's your recs from my 200 fic scroll in no particular order <3 There's so many fics I like that I didn't put here, but I had to be picky about it so I didn't just put down everything I had

---

victim of your own creation by dysphoriahighschool

Siffrin has craved blood for as long as they can remember. After so many years of wandering, he's come to Vaugarde in hope of finding answers, just as the King's Curse begins freezing the country in time. He's quickly losing hope, but when they come across a small group determined to save Vaugarde from the King, Siffrin decides to join them. They can't get the answers they want if the country gets frozen in time, after all. They'd never traveled with other people before. Siffrin doesn't expect to grow attached to any of them, but as time goes on, the thought of leaving them hurts more and more. Worse yet, they refuse to even entertain the thought of one of them discovering what he is and what he's done. They just know that if they find out, they'll hate them.

Words: 192,175 | Chapters: 32/?

---

Stagger on Backwards by entryn17

[Ha… Ah?]

The fist opens. Hand turns. Fingers twirl. Again. And Again. You watch with mounting horror as your hand moves on its own, the actions becoming more frantic, more jittery, your chest starts to heave, stomach muscles spasming.

(Loop–)

[Stardust–]

They’re in your body. They’re in your body.

⯍

Or, after experiencing hundreds of grueling loops, Siffrin suddenly wakes up 3 months before they even started, on a bed in an infirmary, bandages wrapped tightly around their newly missing eye. Loop is there with them, too.

Words: 15,213 | Chapters: 3/?

---

UNCANNY ALL ALONG by entryn17

You can… you can still fix this. If you can just muster up enough want, you, both of you can come back from this.

“You can’t come back from anything! Hundreds of days spent in stasis, in your own personal handcrafted hell, an ice cold inferno – you think you’re the same person you were before you laid down on that meadow?”

✧

Or, trauma changes you, often in ways that leave you unrecognizable to even yourself. Now freshly out of the loops and rough around the edges, Siffrin with the help of their friends has to navigate not being the person they remember.

Words: 33,629 | Chapters: 8/?

---

Even in my fantasy, I can't commit to believing by Loafabun

You’re not sure what to think of Loop.

So far, you’ve come to two rather obvious conclusions during your time around them.

1) They’re… a star.

2) You don’t think they like you that much.

Words: 18,275 | Chapters: 3/3

---

Human After All by dunkalfredo

Isabeau, freshly recovered from burnout after rushing through graduate school, stumbles across an ad for a lab position at the research institute where his idol, Dr. Odile Yamamoto, conducts her work. Willing to risk another bout of burnout to potentially work with the Dr. Yamamoto, he applies for the position and gets the job. However, in the process of applying, it quickly becomes clear that something sinister is happening at this institute. He decides to go forward and accept the offer—only to find himself in way over his head in a conspiracy far bigger than himself.

(Or: Modern AU/Sci-fi. Isabeau goes back into the world of science after swearing it off only to end up in the Vaugarde equivalent of Area 51 and finds Siffrin, a shapeshifter of unknown origins, trapped deep underground in a padded cell. Unfortunately, he falls in love. Is their romance doomed? Could Siffrin ever escape? What is Siffrin, anyway? And, importantly—how does Odile factor into all of this?)

Words: 33,697 | Chapters: 3/8

---

The Funeral of Siffrin No Last Name by Kamary (SERIES of fics about ghost Siffrin)

"Ha, like, cut your ashes in equal parts like a pizza?"

(In a timeline that can not and will not take place, Siffrin dies. Unlike other times, he stays dead. Sort of.)

Words: 18,969 | Works: 3

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Inutile by blueshine

Mirabelle doesn't know what to do. Not with her life, not with her faith, not with her own memory. Why does it feel like she's always forgetting something important?

Mirabelle is the Housemaiden. Isabeau is the Fighter. Odile is the Researcher. Bonnie is the Kid. And that's everyone!

It's raining in Dormont. If clouds cover the stars, are they still there?

Separate Sifloops-

Words: 173,378 | Chapters: 23/34

---

What became of you? by goldviola (Note: this one can get dark. I'm including it because I like it, but only read it if you're in that kind of mood)

After the world returned to normal, and everyone was safe and together once again, Isabeau noticed Siffrin's state. He knows they endured far beyond what he could ever hope to understand.

So a vague, earnest wish, mostly symbolic, was made, folded into a star shaped leaf gifted by a little girl.

I wish I could truly understand Siffrin, and always be there to help and love him.

Isabeau had no way of knowing The Universe would listen.

—

Or: Isabeau gets stuck in his own time loop, and does everything in his power to change it.

Words: 27,746 | Chapters: 1/1

---

Of Stars and Longing by Raaj

Months after saving Vaugarde together, Isabeau spots Siffrin lingering outside the window of his clothing shop. Naturally, he's excited! The Universe granted his wish!

...It still feels a little bad he had to wish for it, though. And something seems off with Siffrin.

Words: 4,979 | Chapters: 2/2

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The love persists through it all. (The love persists through time.) by Pixxyofice

You are standing in front of a building. Nothing else is around- just a building. The building has a sign above a single door in big letters: TIME LOOP SURVIVORS SUPPORT GROUP. Hanging from that sign is a smaller sign reading Multidimensional!

... What the....

[...]

You let go of the door and look up as it clicks shut behind you.

You see

your family.

---

siffrin meets up with versions of his family who have suffered like he did. is this a blessing or a curse?

Words: 12,015 | Chapters: 1/?

---

Follow the stars back home by Loafabun (note: I haven't actually finished this fic, but I'd like to!)

There's an island north of Vaugarde. You were never able to remember its name. So why now? Why after all this time?

It's so close. You can see it now.

You want to go home.

Inspired by a post on Tumblr by @/auncyen!

Words: 77,781 | Chapters: 16/16

---

Thank you, kind wizard. For making me a frog. by Spinning_Planet_of_Love

With Siffrin's timelooping journey at an end, he walks away with a LOT of new information and trauma to process. Moving forward is a difficult feat, even with his family by his side.

Mirabelle suggests that, perhaps, keeping a journal to organize these thoughts and communicate his feelings to the others may help, so he decides to give it a try.

-

Contains spoilers for ALL content in ISAT, including achievements and quests dialogue, and eventually the epilogue too.

Words: 74,662 | Chapters: 18/?

---

Bleeding in Monochrome by JustSalPals

You're the first one to notice.

(After the events of the game, red stayed in this world of black and white.)

Words: 3,061 | Chapters: 1/1

---

And if I were not myself, would this be easier? by rabbit_soup

Siffrin and his party's journey to Bambouche, and how he needs to learn to deal with what happened to him during the loops. Between nightmares, regaining his humanity, and his new-found PTSD, Siffrin is sure he's being a burden to his family. They, however, think otherwise.

Hopefully they'll make it to Bambouche in one piece.

Or

Siffrin is traumatized and his friends love him a whole lot.

Words: 63,086 | Chapters: 13/?

---

Natural Satellite by dirtbagtrashcat

After a hundred miserable loops, Siffrin makes a wish. Isabeau gets caught in the crossfire.

(…yes, it’s another Isa Loops AU. but hear me out! rock might beat scissors, but there’s no stone in the cosmos that can resist the gravitational pull of a star.)

Words: 55,043 | Chapters: 14/14

---

Bloom by Level99Eevee

After breaking free of the loops, Siffrin is more than ready to move on and enjoy life again. They’re with their family—their friends—for another journey, one without the King’s Curse nipping at their heels, and everyone will be together for the foreseeable future. So Siffrin is fine. Great, even! The others don’t need to know that the aftermath of their experience in Dormont still hangs heavy as a noose around their neck.

They just need to get over it.

-

Or: Siffrin has trauma, learning to open up is a process, and the others realize the loops left deeper scars than previously thought.

Words: 41,445 | Chapters: 7/7

To Cut You Open With a Knife and Find Your Sacred Heart by Hexea_Art

They didn't know how they remembered but they both knew that there are legends about these fae doppelgangers, that they wish for nothing more than to steal the heart of the person whose face they stole, for power, for acceptance, to trick more people, to lessen how uncanny they could be.

Either way, it's a death wish to be around someone who shares the same face.

So of course Siffrin and Loop decided to travel together.

(Aka an ISAT changeling AU)

Words: 73,358 | Chapters: 19/21

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raconte-moi qu’on puisse crier tout bas by bibliomaniac

After everything, Loop is struggling to find their place in the world. Siffrin is struggling to adjust to life outside the loops. Isabeau is struggling to balance his love for Siffrin with his need to keep them safe, alongside his own worries about Changing. Politely, things could be better!

But when Loop joins the party on their journey, things tilt even more drastically off course. They'll all need to reconcile their past with their present growing feelings and with the future they're beginning to want. Maybe they'll even do it, too.

It will just blinding suck along the way.

Words: 100,632 | Chapters: 17/?

---

ghostlight by Kittenixie

ghostlight - a single lamp placed on stage to keep the theatre from being in total darkness after everyone’s gone.

After trying and failing to kill Siffrin to take his place, Loop tries to disappear. Siffrin makes them stay. They figure things out together.

Staying with Siffrin's party in Dormont's House of Change, Loop starts down the long, winding path towards recovery, carefully trying to navigate the complicated knot of trauma and grief that the loops have left behind.

Words: 86,075 | Chapters: 24/24

Sequel is back to one | Words: 71,525 | Chapters: 14/?

[agoldenblackbird]

started my own post instead of adding on bc WOW this got long, but seeing sadieb798 's addition to this post reminded me that YEAH, buck HAS bent over backwards for eddie and chris. like friendships aren't transactional or they shouldn't be but if you tally things up its very uneven and that's a glaring red flag.

buck has:

-given up endless days off to babysit christopher so eddie could go out on dates, work without buck, go out with other friends, and cheat on his girlfriend!

-he also got voluntold to babysit when carla wasn't available when he was recovering from the embolism and severely depressed! eddie said buck being off work - the thing he was so depressed about he literally wasn't getting out of bed - was CONVENIENT for EDDIE.

at the time it was supposed to be a joke i'm sure. but looking back through all of canon it's like...really? oh so you only do care about what he can do for you, you even said the quiet part loud.

-he saved eddie's life

-he saved chris' life

-he brought carla into their lives and solved eddie's childcare issues after eddie had been floundering for months already [math: couple weeks-1 month at the 118 (or could be much longer, bc maddie went through all of dispatcher training between 2x01 and 2x02, time is fake on this show) plus 5 months for the academy plus however long he was in LA before that. a long time to be without consistent organized childcare and relying solely on favors from women in your family who have their own lives and in pepa's case a full time job!] it's implied by the vague 'programs' and how applying for one can disqualify you from others that carla was able to also help him get funding from the state for chris' care, so this solved a serious financial issue for eddie as well.

-he grovelled for forgiveness for not being there for EDDIE after buck had suffered the extensive trauma of 3 near-death-experiences in a row and had to fight to get his job back when he was unfairly and illegally constructively dismissed because of personal bias on the part of his boss

-he forgave eddie for screaming at him in a grocery store and calling him exhausting and selfish even though eddie never apologised

-he put eddie up during the pandemic in his NO BEDROOM LOFT APARTMENT ffs, and considering eddie still had to pay rent on his own house buck probably did that for free

-he's cooked dinner for them (i think we only see this happen onscreen twice but there's indications it's a fairly regular thing, and that's labor and time intensive and also not cheap considering the price of groceries)

-he organized firefam christmas at the station when eddie was upset about letting down chris on their first christmas without shannon by having to work

-he ran to eddie's rescue in the middle of the night after his breakdown AND took over the running of the diaz household in the aftermath so eddie could focus on therapy and his own recovery, including helping clean up not just the metaphorical but the LITERAL mess eddie had made, complete with patching the holes in his walls

-gently intervened with worry for eddie's well being and mental health when eddie was cheating on his girlfriend with his dead wife's clone

-puts off his own life/wants/priorities and drops everything to deal with eddie's problems - the most glaring examples coming to mind would be all but moving into eddie's after eddie's breakdown and ignoring his newly-moved-in girlfriend, and rescheduling a date with tommy at the last minute after finding out about kim, but i'm sure there are others if i felt like an 8-season rewatch (reader, i do NOT)

-gave up his home - probably paying a penalty for breaking his OWN lease - to sublet from eddie so eddie could afford to move to texas

-and then functioned as his DAILY life coach/cheerleader/ersatz therapist when eddie, having impulsively quit his job and moved to el paso without talking about it with chris and bought a 'fixer-upper' aka money pit, had no job and was broke and floundering

-continued to coach him through staying and reconnecting with chris instead of giving up despite that meaning buck would get what he wanted - his partner and friend back. if he was actually as selfish as eddie likes to accuse him of being he could have said 'welp you tried, you're right it's time to move back'

-did not once say anything along the lines of 'i told you this was a bad idea' or 'hm what's going on with chris' health insurance now that you no longer have a firefighter job pretty sure uber doesn't have a benefits package' or anything else pointing out how eddie keeps on causing his own problems with impulsive bad choices and not learning anything from it (i would not have been able to resist! buck is way too nice!)

-and then there's the part where buck is always happy to step in and do the emotional labor w/ chris that eddie doesn't want to do or maybe doesn't have the ability to do, which is why i side-eye eddie being praised for being the best father EVAR. some examples:

-->when chris was upset about being lied to and how he was not like other kids/couldn't do everything after the skateboard incident, came up with a way chris Could Skateboard, Actually

-->it's said he often took chris to the zoo without eddie, to the point that they 'have the place memorized,' so he's involved in seeking out and scheduling these sorts of activities and probably also paying for them

-->buck is the one making cookies with chris for the pta bakesale, and he also helps with homework

-->and most importantly, buck has taken over difficult conversations with chris MULTIPLE times over a span of years including

------>struggling with people leaving/his father dating again

------>telling chris his father was shot

------>comforting/explaining to chris after his father had a breakdown and smashed up his bedroom with a baseball bat and scared the shit out of chris

------>not two-timing girls, which then turned into a conversation about his dead mom that eddie, despite listening in, continued to let buck handle for him

------>a second conversation about two-timing and how it's apparently fine when eddie does it, in order to convince chris not to LEAVE THE STATE. eddie really said 'hey i'm tagging you in, do your thing' instead of talking to his own kid after arguably the biggest parenting screwup made by a main on the show.

some of these buck just happened to be the person who was there or chris sought him out specifically, but at least twice eddie assigned him that task and it's implied in how he says it 'do what you ALWAYS do' that it's a regular thing.

on the other hand, eddie:

-helped save his life after he was struck by lightning (he gets half points for this because it was a group effort)

-took him to a poker game once to spend time together as friends that does not involve buck doing something for eddie (although it was arguably just to abuse his math skills for eddie's entertainment/gain)

-hosted one (1) dinner for buck and taylor that he actually cooked himself which i'm sure was a HUUUUUGE sacrifice in eddie's mind considering how terrible a cook he was and how much he hated her...

-sometimes throws his child at buck when buck is depressed or upset (i'm only listing this bc eddie probably thinks of it as something he has 'done for buck.' EYE don't think using your child as a combination of meat shield/inspiration porn (christopher never feels sorry for himself) and essentially putting the burden on chris of making buck feel better instead of eddie himself saying 'hey i'm worried about you, do you need to talk about it' and then listening to him, or saying 'hey, that was shitty of me to pick a fight with you and say all those mean things, i didn't mean it and i'm sorry' - y'know, being a FRIEND - is something he should be praised for)

-was very supportive when buck was angry and spiralling about his parents' bullshit (this was legit a very lovely friendship moment! back when eddie's character had potential and i had hope! oh, those halcyon days)

-gave buck refuge from maddie's micromanaging post-lightning strike, asked how he was, listened to the answer, and gave advice/encouragement/support from his own NDE experience (genuinely, no sarcasm, this was A+ good friendship and a standout moment. unfortunately it doesn't make up for *gestures vaguely at canon*)

-forgave buck for spraining his ankle/said through the proxy of tommy that he felt bad for excluding buck. it was an Everyone Sucks Here situation because Eddie was being thoughtless but that doesn't give buck the right to bodycheck him bc he's jealous. (people get hurt playing sportsball yes, so it's debatable if it was really on purpose although buck himself alludes to it not being completely accidental in the convo with maddie). it was still kind of eddie to understand where buck was coming from without needing it spelled out or going but whatabout meeeeeee. i'm just salty because clearly he's CAPABLE of seeing things from buck's perspective and being understanding and fair, and most of the time he'd just rather use buck as an emotional punching bag and accuse him of 'making everything about himself.' the time when buck arguably WAS making things about himself that weren't - ie eddie making a new friend - eddie doesn't say that. but when buck is having emotions in a way eddie doesn't like or finds inconvenient, suddenly the verbal knives are out.

-wasn't a homophobe when buck came out to him, although that's kinda bare minimum for being a Non-Awful Human plus he managed to insult him twice in that 10 minute conversation soooo... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

-and gave buck custody of his son if/when he dies which is arguably actually for chris's sake and for eddie's own peace of mind, considering that eddie's not dead yet, but he already has a habit of outsourcing the parts of parenting he doesn't want to do to buck!

[gainercontent]

Room to Grow Part 8: The End

It had been weeks since Josh had helped Elliot through his emotional breakdown, and despite the occasional tug of guilt or uncertainty, Elliot was starting to feel more comfortable in his own skin. Josh had been right—accepting where he was now, letting go of who he used to be, was the first step. Things were different, but that didn’t mean they had to be bad.

Still, there was one thing left unresolved. The third bedroom in their apartment had been empty for months. It wasn’t like they were actively searching for a new roommate, but as the rent due date loomed and their space began to feel quieter, they figured it was time to find someone. 

One evening, Josh came in holding some papers. “Got someone coming by to check out the room. He’s coming in about an hour.”

Elliot leaned back in his chair, eyeing the flyer. “How’s he look?”

“Seems cool. Got a job, is laid-back, and he’s been looking for a place for a while.” Josh sounded casual, but there was a glint of something else in his eye. “Oh, and he’s, uh… pretty fit.”

Elliot froze at the last part. He wasn’t sure why it bothered him, but it did. It wasn’t like he was self-conscious about his body—well, not *all* the time—but the thought of another fit person living in the apartment felt... unsettling. Like a reminder of the person he used to be.

But Josh was already heading to the door to prep the room. Elliot sighed, shaking off the sudden discomfort. It wasn’t like he could avoid it. *Besides, this guy is just a roommate. Nothing more.*

An hour later, the doorbell rang.

Josh answered it first, greeting the man with a smile. The new guy, named Derek, stepped inside with a relaxed smile and a firm handshake. He was tall—maybe 6’1”—with a broad, athletic build, and a confident posture that suggested he spent time working on it. His T-shirt clung to his chest in a way that made Elliot feel hyper-aware of his own soft form beneath his hoodie.

“Hey, nice to meet you,” Derek said, his voice smooth and friendly.

“Yeah, good to meet you too,” Elliot said, forcing a smile as he stood up. He offered a handshake, but Derek gave him a quick, brotherly shoulder clap instead, his grip warm and firm.

“Well, it looks like a good place,” Derek commented, looking around the apartment. “I’ve been in smaller, definitely. How are you guys with food? I’m not picky, but I like a little variety.” 

Josh chuckled. “Well, we’re kind of a *takeout* house around here.”

Elliot didn’t mention that they were more of a *gorging* house, but he kept it to himself.

The tour of the apartment was brief, and Derek seemed impressed with everything. But it wasn’t until the next day that things began to shift.

Derek officially moved in, bringing in a small amount of belongings. He had a clean, minimalist vibe to his style—clothes neatly folded, a gym bag slung over his shoulder. His protein shaker was visible on the kitchen counter, a reminder of his routine. But things started to get interesting when he made his first trip to the living room in the evening.

Josh was already sprawled on the couch, game controller in hand, a half-eaten pizza box beside him.

Elliot was in his usual spot, his belly still recovering from the last food binge, a container of fries and a milkshake in front of him. 

Derek hesitated at the scene in front of him. “Uh… you guys always eat like this?” he asked, a chuckle in his voice, though it didn’t come off as judgmental. 

“Pretty much,” Josh grinned, popping a slice into his mouth. “We’re not big on salads around here. More into burgers, pizza, wings—you know, the essentials.”

Elliot gave a half-hearted grin as he took another sip of his shake, his stomach still swollen from his earlier indulgence. “We like our food,” he said, almost apologetically, as if he had to justify their habits. But Derek’s smile only grew.

“That’s… pretty cool actually,” Derek said, scratching the back of his neck. “I’ve been on a strict diet for the last few years. Eating clean and all that, but honestly, it sounds fun to just… eat whatever.”

Josh’s eyes lit up at the mention of *whatever*. “Oh, you’re in for a treat, man. You’ll get used to it.”

And *used to it* he got. At first, Derek would show restraint—eating smaller portions, occasionally laughing at the idea of eating as much as Josh or Elliot. But as the days passed, things started to change. The first sign came when Derek joined them for takeout on a Wednesday night.

Elliot and Josh had ordered a double portion of Chinese food, and Derek had opted for a small bowl of steamed chicken and vegetables. But by the time the food arrived, Josh was already digging in, taking bites of his egg rolls and laughing at some ridiculous joke he’d made. 

Derek, clearly curious, grabbed a wonton chip and dipped it into some sweet-and-sour sauce. It wasn’t much at first, just a few chips, but then his plate started to look less clean. By the end of the night, Derek was half-finished with a second serving of fried rice, and Josh was grinning like he’d just introduced a new recruit into the *eating* fold.

The next night was more of the same. Derek had already devoured an entire slice of pizza before he even realized it. 

“Wow,” Derek said between bites. “You guys were right. This *is* fun. I haven’t had pizza like this in forever.”

From that point on, Derek seemed to fully adopt their unhealthy lifestyle. He started ordering more frequently. A burger one day, Chinese food the next. It wasn’t long before his protein shakes were replaced by milkshakes from the local diner, and his lean, athletic build began to soften. His abs, which were once clearly defined, were hidden under a layer of new softness that he seemed to brush off with a laugh.

At first, Elliot didn’t think much of it. He was too focused on himself, on his own habits, to really notice how things were changing for Derek. But over time, he began to see the evidence. Derek was starting to wear clothes that were just a bit too tight around his chest and stomach. His shirts stretched slightly, and his usual athleticism seemed to be fading.

One evening, after a particularly large feast of burritos and nachos, Derek slumped onto the couch, his stomach round and swollen.

“Man,” he sighed, rubbing his belly, “I can’t believe how much I ate. I used to never eat like this. What’s happening to me?”

Josh laughed, patting his own belly with a playful grin. “Welcome to the club, dude. You’re one of us now.”

Derek looked at him, unsure if he was joking. “You really think so?”

Josh grinned wide. “Oh yeah. No going back now. It’s a lifestyle.” He nudged Elliot, who just shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. “We don’t count calories around here, we just count bites.”

Elliot laughed, but he felt a strange sense of pride as he watched Derek, someone who was once so disciplined, sink deeper into their world. Derek was letting go of his old habits, and with each pizza box, burrito wrapper, and milkshake container, he seemed to be embracing a new reality.

Months had passed since Derek moved in, and the three roommates had become more than just fellow tenants—they had become a tight-knit, food-loving family. What had started as a subtle shift in their habits had transformed into a full-on lifestyle. With every passing day, the apartment had become more familiar with the smells of greasy takeout, fast food wrappers, and the sounds of laughter punctuated by the occasional groan of a full stomach. But somewhere along the way, they stopped noticing the gradual changes that were taking place in their bodies.

Elliot had never been the kind of guy to obsess over the mirror. But now, when he caught a glimpse of himself, he couldn’t help but notice how different he looked. The transformation since first moving in had been slow, a gradual bloating at first, then a steady softening of his once lean frame. His once toned stomach had become round, with a noticeable layer of fat that jutted out when he sat down. When he walked, his belly hung just over the waistband of his jeans, pushing the fabric tight against his skin. His chest, which used to be flat, had filled out as well, no longer resembling the slim, defined shape he had once been proud of. 

Elliot now wore oversized hoodies almost constantly to hide his new size, though even they were starting to feel tight across his shoulders and around his midsection. His sweatpants, once a comfortable fit, had become increasingly tight around the waist, forcing him to adjust the waistband constantly. It wasn’t that his clothes were too small—they were stretched out of shape from constant use.. His T-shirts now hung snugly around his shoulders and stomach, emphasizing the roundness of his belly rather than the slight build he used to have.

When he stepped on the scale a few weeks ago, the number that flashed back at him was startling: **268 pounds**. At 5'11", that was a significant gain from his previous weight of 160. The weight wasn’t just visible on his belly but had started to accumulate in his face too. His jawline had softened, his cheeks rounder, and his double chin was more prominent when he looked down at himself. He could feel it in his knees, too—the occasional soreness, the feeling of pressure when he climbed stairs or moved quickly. But instead of fighting it, he had grown used to the idea of his body as it was. He wasn’t sure if it was self-acceptance or if he had simply given up, but either way, he couldn’t help but enjoy the ease with which he could eat whatever he wanted.

But there were some downsides. Elliot had trouble finding clothes that fit right. His once-favorite jeans now felt suffocating when buttoned, and his shirts clung uncomfortably to his midsection. His belly pushed out even when standing, a visible sign of how much he had gained. And though his energy levels had dipped, he tried to ignore the frequent exhaustion and the feeling of being sluggish. It didn’t help that he often found himself winded after short walks or climbing a few flights of stairs. 

It wasn’t just his clothes that were different; Elliot could feel it in every movement. His thighs rubbed together when he walked, the inner seams of his sweatpants stretched tight. When he stood up after sitting for a while, he would often groan, pushing himself up with his hands, his legs aching with the weight. His once-shapely arms were now soft, with rolls forming at the elbow and the top of his biceps. The muscles that had once been lean were now hidden beneath layers of fat.

His face, too, had changed. Where once he had sported a defined jawline, now his cheeks had rounded out, and the faint beginnings of a double chin were evident when he looked down at his body. He often caught himself staring at his reflection, confused, almost a little horrified, by the person looking back. But then he’d remember the comfort of a warm meal, a cold drink, and the laughs shared with Josh and Derek, and the guilt would melt away. 

Derek had been the most fit when he moved in. A regular at the gym, his body was lean, toned, and muscular—what many might call “beach body ready.” But within months of living with Josh and Elliot, Derek’s physique had begun to change as well. He’d started out cautious, still opting for his usual protein shakes and lean meals, but eventually, the lure of late-night pizza, takeout dinners, and the easy pleasure of a good milkshake had worn him down. 

Derek’s transformation had been equally dramatic as Elliot's. Where he had once been a solid, athletic build—proud of his thick muscles and broad shoulders—he was now... softer. His body had thickened in ways he hadn’t anticipated. His biceps were still strong, but they were now hidden beneath layers of fat. His once-flat stomach had grown into a pronounced paunch that hung over the top of his sweatpants when he sat, something he’d never imagined happening to himself.

Derek’s weight had ballooned from 185 pounds to just under 210. His muscles were still there, but now they were covered with a cushion of fat that made his once-ripped abs and chiseled chest unrecognizable. His chest, still large and broad, lost its sharp lines, and now sagged with the weight, and his love handles hung over the waistband of his pants in a noticeable roll. His arms, which had once been sculpted from years of gym work, had become soft logs, with a thick layer of flab now obscuring the definition. The fat around his neck had begun to grow, and he could feel his breathing become heavier as he moved about the apartment.

His wardrobe had gone from well-fitted clothes to bigger sizes. His T-shirts, once snug in a flattering way, now stretched across his chest and beer gut, and his jeans had transformed into sweatpants or the stretchy, drawstring kinds of pants that allowed him to binge eat without any restriction. At his heaviest, Josh had to buy size L and XL shirts and his 34 waist pants were getting too tight around the waist and thighs.

Like Elliot, Derek found that his energy levels had decreased. He often struggled to make it through a full day of work without needing a nap or an extended break. His knees hurt more often than they had before, and though he tried to avoid the mirror when he could, he was still acutely aware of how his appearance had changed.

Josh had always been the largest of the three, but now he was something else entirely. He had put on over 45 pounds, bringing his weight up to about 300 pounds, a shift from his initial weight of 255. His arms, once slightly defined, had softened into thick, rounded shapes. His chest, which had once been a beefy display of fat and muscle, now looked round and sagged, the contours of his pecs disappeared behind a thick layer of fat moobs. His stomach, which had already been a substantial sized belly, now his largest feature. Derek had gone from wearing 36 inch jeans to wearing 42 waist pants that were now tight around his waist and thighs. He often found himself tugging at the waistband of his shorts, trying to ease the discomfort.

When he walked, the thick rolls of fat around his middle swayed with every step. His once-tight abs had been replaced with a large, rounded belly that seemed to have a life of its own. It pressed uncomfortably against the front of his shirts, and he had long since moved up to 3XL T-shirts and needing 44 waist jeans. Even those were starting to stretch tight across his stomach, forcing him to either leave his shirts untucked or let his pants sag under the weight. He had given up on jeans altogether, preferring the comfort of sweatpants or stretchy shorts that could accommodate his growing size.

Josh’s face, once sharp and angular, was now round, with full cheeks and a soft double chin that had become more prominent in the last few months. His arms, which used to be thick with muscle, now felt heavy and sluggish, the muscles buried beneath thick layers of fat. When he caught sight of his reflection, he often felt a twinge of embarrassment. His body had become so large that he had trouble fitting into the chair at his desk, his belly spilling over the sides and making it hard to move his legs comfortably.

His joints, particularly his knees and hips, had begun to ache more frequently, and his breathing had grown heavier. There were moments when he felt out of breath after standing for too long, and he often had to catch his breath after walking from one room to another. Yet, despite these discomforts, Josh had grown to love the lifestyle they had cultivated. The food, the indulgence, the carefree attitude—it was a release from everything that used to matter.

But it wasn’t just his appearance that had changed. His joints ached more frequently, and his breath came a little heavier as he climbed the stairs or jogged in place. Derek had even noticed the faintest puffiness around his ankles and wrists, signs of his body holding onto more fat than it used to. His face, which had once been angular, was now rounder, with a soft layer of chub around his cheeks.

The three roommates’ days now followed a familiar pattern. They woke up, had a massive breakfast—eggs, bacon, pancakes, and coffee—and then spent the day lounging or playing video games. When hunger struck again, they’d order takeout. Pizza, Chinese food, burgers, fried chicken—whatever it was, it was always an indulgence. Dinner usually consisted of even larger portions, accompanied by sugary snacks and sometimes a late-night dessert. Every meal was a marathon of food and indulgence, and they ate until they couldn’t move. 

But as their bodies grew, the discomfort began to catch up with them. Elliot found himself getting winded more easily, needing breaks after short walks, or even after standing for extended periods. The belly bloating was the worst—after a big meal, it wasn’t just full—it was tight and painful. There were days when Elliot had to lay down on the couch, his belly aching, his body protesting the overload of food. Derek, too, often complained of feeling sluggish, and Josh’s feet had begun to give him trouble, making it harder to get around.

And yet, despite all of this, the three men never thought about changing their habits. They’d laugh about their growing size, joke about the “good life,” and continue to indulge, day in and day out. The weight was heavy on their bodies, but it had become so deeply ingrained in their routine that it no longer felt like something they could—or wanted—to fight.

In this new life, their bodies had changed. They had grown in ways they hadn’t expected. But it wasn’t just their weight that had shifted—it was their entire way of living. And in some ways, they were happier for it, embracing their new reality, one meal at a time.

[ieatfanficforbrunch]

People Pleaser Steve

Steve is a people pleaser. Years of living with his parents and their demeaning stares and harsh words have destroyed his sense of self preservation.

"Keep Eye Contact, Steven," his mother would say. "Stop Complaining, You need to make our guest Comfortable." His father would say. Until the age of ten all Steve got was criticism. Constant reminders on how to behave perfectly and how to appease his parents.

The morning they decided he was old enough to stay home himself, coincidentally on his 10th birthday, they packed up and started renting an apartment in Chicago to better monitor their Business. They sent him money for food, got him a bike so he could go to school, they even sent a few extra 20s every other month so he could get new clothes as he grew.

Of course, Steve never complained. This was how he kept the peace, how he avoided the cold glare from his parents.

The pattern continued into adulthood, Steve practically raised himself for the last 8 years of his childhood, he only saw his parents when they needed him.

When he (accidently) became the mother of the nerdiest bunch of kids in Hawkins, he made himself a promise, No matter what he'd be there. Every recital, every birthday party, every holiday, and every time they needed a ride; he was there.

When Christmas came around after everything had happened, after Max had recovered and Eddie's wounds had healed perfectly, he decided he would make it the best Christmas they'd ever seen. Just to make them happy.

He decorated the entire house, made enough food to feed his small football team of a group, he got so many presents for everyone that he had to skip out on food three days a week for two months just because he wanted it to be perfect.

The kids came over on Christmas Eve night to spend the night together, slept in sleeping bags he bought special for them. Eddie came to help wrangle the crazies until Robin got back from visiting her grandparents in Ohio.

They ate like they were starving or like it was their last meal. All except Steve, who was too afraid to overstep or take away from someone else to even try one of the many kinds of food he made.

The games died down and the food was gone by midnight. The kids slept peacefully in their sleeping bags. Steve let out a small sigh, a smile on his face as he stood and took empty platters and plates to the kitchen.

He washed the dishes in silence, a baggy crew neck sweater replacing his usual polos. He knew if he wore them the others would notice he had lost weight and he didn't want to inconvenience them. It was rude to burden others with your problems. He honestly thought he had gotten away with it until a familiar Metal head guided him to the kitchen table.

"Ok Big boy, This isn't working for me," He said in a soft voice.

Steve immediately looked up, "I'm sorry, it won't happen again," he whispered, not even sure what he did.

Eddie sighs and says, "Steve, You think you're hiding it so well but you aren't. You take care of everyone and everything all of the time. Let me take care of you."

Steve couldn't move, couldn't respond, How Was he supposed to behave? He didn't know so he merely nodded.

Eddie smiled and immediately made Steve a bowl of cereal, something small and quiet. When he was positive Steve would eat it, he finished the dishes for him.

Steve looked so beat down and tired, the bags under his eyes told so much and Eddie knew that from now on he would do Everything to keep them away.

He took the empty bowl and washed it before walking over to Steve. "I know it's a bit early but...I got you something," he whispers, pulling out a small box from his back pocket.

It was a light blue box with a thin red ribbon and white trim. Steve's thin fingers removed the lid to find a locket in the shape of a guitar pick.

Inside there were two pictures, one with the kids, and one with Steve and Eddie. It was the picture from when Eddie was discharged, the day Steve agreed to get treatment for his wounds. Eddie's arm is around Steve's shoulders, it's the only picture in the world with Steve's Real smile. His eyes swelled with tears. It's the only gift he's gotten since he was 10, since his parents left to run their company, since Everything.

"Shit I didn't mean to make you cry again! I just-" Eddie is cut off with the tightest hug he's ever gotten.

"It's Perfect," Steve whispers.

He's met with calloused hands on the back of his head, gently massaging his scalp.

"Merry Christmas, Harrington."

"Merry Christmas, Munson."

[boredpotate]

Happier Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Arcane or any links. I only own the concept idea for this story.

Concept: Isekai Fem Reader turns back time to fix her timeline, but has unforeseen consequences.

Reader Pov.

I'm in a clear white space with blue pulsing light that that endlessly spread throughout the whole space. Up, down and around. I don't know how I got here, but a little ways away from me I see someone. A hooded figure with some kind of staff.

"Hello?" I call out and the figure turns to me, though I can't make out a face under the hood. A sharp pain suddenly goes through my skull and I black out.

My eyes shoot open and I feel my body being shaken on the bed again and grunts that I know only one little girl makes. I turn my head and see Isha trying to shake me awake, which makes me smile and forget about the weird dream.

"Five more minutes," I grumble and turn over to the other side, making Isha climb onto the bed and shaking me more to wake up. Her little grunts and hums insisting that I wake up for the day, "*sigh* Okay, I'm up. I'm up." I say as I sit up and get a morning hug from Isha. Her hug being much tighter than before, since her body has become much more healthy during this passing month. Along with more energy to run and jump around.

After separating from the warm hug, Isha hops off the beg and grabs my shoes and leg brace for me as I scoot over and swing my legs over the side. She helps me get my shoes on and put on my leg brace; tightening the lower straps while I tighten the higher one's before holding my hands and helping me stand up. The cane no longer needed now that I have enough strength in the rest of my body to balance myself, but my braced leg still not fully recovered, but getting better. I let out a big stretch and groan before putting on my gear. Isha almost immediately tugs on my hand after I'm ready and heads towards the bedroom door. Always acting like she's my nurse or caretaker ever since she started getting healthier.

What has felt like a little over a month has been nice. Therapeutic in a way. It felt like home again. Having talks with Vander, Silco and Benzo. Getting to know the older Claggor and Mylo and what their interests are and bantering like old times. Talking with Sevika, Vi and Cait about their work and learning that Vi and Cait moved into their own place; even getting invited for tea sometimes. Though most of my time was significantly spent with Powder, Ekko and Isha in Powder's lab. Surprisingly the same one Jinx had but a vastly different mood in it. Though more bright colors have been brought into it thanks to Isha and Powder's drawings and decorating together; creating a strange, but nice, mix of themes.

Mostly Powder, but with a touch of Jinx.

Both Powder and Ekko invited me in to help them with their project for the Innovator's Competition, in fact it felt like they insisted on it with Isha either pulling or pushing me to the lab with them. If I remember correctly it's some kind of chem energy cell that lasts longer and outputs more power. I couldn't do much on the research or figuring out how it works, but I could help with more labor tasks just like old times and Isha seemed to love learning from them. Besides that they would plop me into one of the bean bags or couch and let me watch them at work. Occasionally playing with Isha when she get's bored of waiting to continue working. I didn't mind; it felt nice not being alone. We eventually got the damn thing working, but they still need to run some tests.

Anyway, Isha drags me out to the bar where I see the boys with Powder sitting at their usual table and Vander getting the bar ready for the day while talking with Benzo. He turns to Isha and I as we sit at the bar. Opting for two tall chairs with backs to lean on instead of the regular stools.

"Rise and shine. Today's gonna be a big day," he says before heading to the back and coming back out with two plates of food, "Here, eat up. It's still warm." he says as he sets them down for us. Isha immediately stuffing her face, which makes me slow her down before enjoying my own.

"So, how many people are you expecting tonight?" I ask curiously as I eat my breakfast.

"Quite a lot. There's gonna be a whole party goin' on here along with the competition. Music and dancin'. Y'know Gert, right?." He asks, making me smirk.

"Of course. The girl Mylo has a crush on~" I say out loud teasingly as I glance at him. He flips me the bird as a response and I giggle before I turn back to a chuckling Vander.

"She has a band called "The Chem Sisters". They're gonna perform tonight, and Heimerdinger said he might play some toons too. Said he was working on some bar songs."

"Ha! Can't wait hear those!" Benzo says with a laugh.

"Hey I never asked, what's the big deal about the competition anyway? Is there some big prize?" I ask and I am greeted with Powder sitting next to me and scooting closer.

"Yes and no." she says as she steals some food off my plate. I give her a glare before poking her arm with my fork, making her laugh as Ekko comes up to sit next to Isha. Scooting his stool closer and laying and arm across Isha and I's seats, and I feel his arm brush against my back.

"There is a trophy for the winner, but it's mainly to catch the eyes of investors. Get them to invest in you or your invention, or at least have eyes on you to invest in for future projects or something." Ekko explains for me.

"Ooooh, so the real prize is just getting the spotlight in front of the investors?"

"Yup. The top three are likely to get more eyes on them and if your invention works and you get your bag, that's when you can start taking off in life. Or at least that's the idea." Powder says as she leans her head on my shoulder and letting out a sigh. A normal occurrence from both her and Ekko whenever we hang out somewhere. Ever since that one night we accidentally fell asleep in a pile in Powder's lab after losing track of time and spending all day working.

'It actually wasn't that bad. Best sleep I ever had in fact.'

For some reason, I spot a look from both Vander and Benzo. Their eyes going between Powder and Ekko, and I glance over and see Ekko shifting and adjusting in his seat; avoiding eye contact.

"Something wrong?" Powder asks sounding a little nervous, but is acting casual. Leaning more into me.

'Did they do something?' I wonder before looking at Vander and Benzo. The both of them having slightly narrowed eyes before glancing at each other, then looking back at us.

"Nothin'."

"Yeah, nothin'. Don't worry 'bout it." Benzo says as Vander moves and leans over to him and they start having a hushed conversation. Making me even more confused.

"What was that about?" I ask both Powder and Ekko.

"I dunno." "No clue." They both say with shrugs.

'Clearly I'm not gonna get an answer. Better just drop it.' I thought before I put whatever that was aside and finish my breakfast.

"So, you and Isha gonna join us again?" Powder asks, making Isha tug on my sleeve.

"I know, I remember Isha. Don't worry," I say to her before turning back to Powder, "I promised Isha I'd take her out for some ice cream today and get her an outfit for the party tonight, if she didn't have another paint bomb accident." I say making Powder stiffen before sitting up.

"You-You're going alone?" Powder asks with concern clearly in her voice.

"No. I going with Isha. But yeah, besides her it might just be the two of us."

"But what if you two get lost or something?"

"I think we'll be fine. It shouldn't be too hard to find our way there."

"What if you get hurt?," Ekko asks which makes me look at him in confusion, "Zaun is more safe than ever, but that doesn't mean there isn't any bad eggs stills around. Your leg still isn't fully healed, so if something goes wrong, you might not be able to get away." he explains his worries, but I still feel confused about their concern.

"You're not wrong, but what are the chances of something really bad happening that I'll need to run away? There's a bunch of enforcers on patrol too." I say to try to reassure them, but fail based on their conflicted looks.

"We can go!," I hear Claggor call out and we turn to look, "Mylo and I aren't doing anything today, so we can go with you. We could use a break after spending so much time on our plants." he explains and I see Powder relax a little out of the corner of my eye.

"Are you sure? You don't need to do any finishing touches on your plants or anything?"

"No. The samples from the tree and the plants really helped out a lot into understanding how to get them to grow and still produce air. We already spent the past few days running tests, so we're pretty much ready for tonight's competition."

"There we go. That solves it." Powder says before going back to her relaxed posture leaning against me again and I glance over to Ekko to see he also relaxed. I hear a chuckle from Claggor and glance back to see Mylo shaking his head.

"And people say I'm stupid," he says to Claggor sounding perplexed before turning back to us, "So what are we doing? I wasn't listening."

"We're gonna get clothes for Isha for tonight, then get her some ice cream. Maybe one of those big cones with three scoops." I say, which makes Isha excited; bobbing in her seat.

"You think we spoil her too much?" Ekko asks as Powder picks more food off of my plate.

"Definitely," I pinch Isha's cheek because she's being too adorable, "but she's our spoiled kid, so who cares." I say before pulling in Isha for a quick tight hug, then once again catch Vander and Benzo giving a skeptical look our way before turning back to their conversation.

"A-Anyway, we better get the energy cell ready. Right, Ekko?" Powder says as she stands up from her seat.

"Yeah. You two stay safe out there." Ekko says quickly as he stands up and they both go speed walking out of the bar. Clearly in a rush.

"Well. I'm done, what about you?," I ask Isha and she nods her head before hopping off her seat, "Alright. You two ready to go? Or you need to get breakfast too?" I ask Claggor and Mylo.

"Nah, we got something on the way here this morning." Mylo says as they get up from there table.

"Alright. Vander, we're heading out. We'll be back before the competition starts." I say as we head towards the doors.

"Stay safe out there."

"Bye!" I say and Isha gives him a wave before we all head out for the day.

Vander Pov

"She has got to be the most clueless person I've ever met." Benzo asks after we watch them leave.

"No kiddin'. I mean, I knew they spent a lot of time together. Never thought they'd get like that though." I say, as I look at him disbelief and remembering Powder leaning against Y/n and Ekko having an arm out behind her and Isha being protective, "I know those kinds of looks Benzo. You saw that too right?"

"Thought my glasses might have been playing tricks, but you're right. Those two lovebirds are usually always with themselves in that lab of hers; never seen them bring anyone else with them in there that much," he says as I refill his drink for him and filling a glass for myself, "I'm wonderin' if they both know what each other's feelin'."

"They most likely do if you ask me. After that "she's our kid" comment those two looked more red than a tomato." I say with a chuckle at the image.

"I see why they would. Have you seen those four goin' out around town? Only a month and they're already actin' like a small family they are. I heard the rumors, but thought that's all they were." Benzo says before drinking from his glass.

"You're not alone. I only found out about it when Gert asked me one time during her shift, thought she was joking till I started really taking notice of those two's behavior around Y/n. It's pretty obvious now. Especially after that; never saw Powder get that comfy with anyone but Ekko," I say before taking a sip from my own glass, "So, what's your opinion on it?"

"Y'know me Vander, if they want to and Y/n is fine with it, then I don't see a problem with it. It's not like we haven't met anyone before who had some "friends"."

"That's different. What those two got goin' for her is more than just wantin' a "friend" Benzo. They want her heart."

"Hah! That's pretty obvious. They're already rasin' a kid with her. We better be careful, or else next week they'll be married. Wouldn't mind her as a daughter-in-law though. She fits right in around here." Benzo says, making me chuckle at the idea.

"I wouldn't mind either."

Ekko Reader

"Well it looks stable, power is going through fine, no leaks and not overheating. I think this baby is ready," Powder says after checking off a list of precautions we're taking. I watch her from her workstation as she examines the power cell and can't help but admire the look in her eyes. The passion behind them, "You're staring again."

I snap out of it and fumble with a screw driver I was holding as she laughs.

"U-Uh sorry. Can't help it sometimes." I say as she walks up and wipes some grease off my face before she leans in and gives me a peck on the cheek

"You're cute when you try to flirt," She says as she sits on the chair for her workstation and stretches, "I wish Y/n and Isha were here. We would be celebrating together." she sees with a fond look in her eyes and I can't help but do the same.

"It feels like somethings missing without them."

"Yeah," she says, obvious that her mind is wandering before blinking out of the trance she was in, "By the way, should we talk about that? Y/n, I mean. Y'know?" Powder asks, the first time either of us have actually addressed this topic about her.

'It's pretty obvious.'

"I mean, if you want to. We can. Only if you're ready though."

"Are you ready to talk about it?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

".......Tomorrow then?"

"That sounds good." I say with some relief in my voice. Too much on my mind today to really talk about this.

"So, I guess we're finally done. Investors are gonna eat this thing up, so be ready to feel like eye candy to them." she says with a satisfied smile. I can't help but feel conflicted as I glance between the energy cell and Powder, not wanting to ruin the moment.

".....Hey, I uh, I wanted to actually ask you something." I try to start off, but she is already giving me a skeptical look.

"Yeeeaaaaah?"

"I-I was thinking. Maybe we can present it together, as partners?" I ask her and I already see the hesitance on her face, "I wouldn't have been able to do this without you, and you seem to really like doing this. If we were to present together-"

"Ekko. I just.... I just don't know, okay?," she says as she starts to close in on herself before shaking her head and standing up, "I'm going to get ready. You should too." she says before she starts to leave.

"Powder!," I call out to her, but she doesn't stop, "Damn it."

Reader Pov

"Look at you. You look great Isha," I say as she wears her new frilly dress I got her. We got back awhile ago to prepare for the party for the Innovator's Competition and because the sun was getting low. Isha immediately wanted to go put on her dress; dragging me upstairs without giving me a chance to say hi to Ekko at the bar or bye to Claggor and Mylo before they left to get the plant they chose to show off for the competition, "Ready to show off to people?" I ask and she nods her head before holding my hand and we make our way back down to the bar.

As we walk down the stairs and I look over the people that have arrived a little early for the competition I hear Vander call out to us over all the noise.

"Now who let a princess in the bar, huh?" he says making Isha smile brightly and laugh a little while I also see Benzo and Ekko smile at her from there seats. We reach the bottom of the steps and I help Isha up onto a seat.

"Aw, she looks lovely," I hear from behind and turn to see Silco.

"Silco! You made it!" Benzo says as he claps a hand against Silco's shoulder.

"I wouldn't miss such an important event. Plus, we have royalty visiting." he says as he gestures to Isha with a slight bow, and Vander pulls out a coloring book and crayons from behind the bar for her.

"Get over here. I'm gonna need help serving tonight." Vander says, making Silco chuckle and he ruffles Isha's hair before heading behind the bar with Vander.

I smile at the two before noticing Ekko looking down and I get a look from Benzo. He nods towards Ekko, before moving over to Isha and asking her about her coloring book while I take his seat next to Ekko.

"What's got you so down in the dumps? Something happen to the power cell?" I ask, a little worried about all the hard work he and Powder put into it going to waste.

"No. That's not it. It's just..... I made Powder upset." he says and I give him a skeptical look.

"You didn't say something stupid did you? Did you say "Yes" when asks if she looks fat in a dress? You always say "No". It's not an actual question, Ekko" I ask jokingly which makes him chuckle and nudge my leg a little with his.

"No! Not that. At least I don't think I said something stupid," he says now making me look at him in genuine confusion. He turn on his stool to face me directly and I do the same, "Look, I know we've only known each other for little over a month, but we spent a lot of time together. You..... You see the same thing that I do in Powder, right? When she works? And focuses in on an idea?"

"Oh, yeah! Of course! Passion in her eyes, fully invested on the task, prodigy, genius, talented and a whole lotta potential. You both are the same like that..... except Powder has a habit of biting her lip when she's in her work trance," I finish before looking at Ekko and he stares at me in silence, "What?"

"U-Uh sorry. But yeah, yes! Exactly! I asked Powder if she would present the power cell with me as partners, so that maybe she would start pursuing her passion, but she didn't want to. It's not just this either. She has always been hesitating on pursuing a dream or passion and I don't know why. I know she can be great, an-and I'm not saying I don't like her now, it's just I know she has this passion that she loves and can pursue. But-"

"She's holding herself back for some reason?"

"Yes," he says with a sigh and takes a few breathes before hesitating to look back at me, "I know this might seem like a weird thing to ask, but d-" I cut him off by with a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll talk to her." I say which makes him smile before surprisingly he gives me a hug.

"Thank you." he says and I gladly return the hug even tighter.

"It's fine. As long as you don't mind keeping watch of princess over there." I say as I point a thumb over my shoulder towards Isha.

"It would be an honor, but I don't really know where Powder went. I haven't seen her since she walked off."

"I'm sure I can find her." I say as I stand up and head back up the stairs, already having an idea of where she might be.

'There was always a certain spot she liked to go to.'

I make my way up and up through doors and more stairs leading to upper levels of Zaun. I see and hear more people making their way to The Last Drop for the event. I get to look out over Zaun, the higher I go the more of Zaun and Piltover I get to see before finally reaching that special place I have engraved in my head. Powder sitting by herself at the edge in a new outfit and her hair down.

"Powder?" I call out to her and she turns around. I see she applied makeup and her new outfit in full. A nice jacket with a white dress making a simple, but very good combo.

"Y/n? What are you doing here?" she asks sounding confused as I walk closer to stand nearby, not wanting to invade her space since she might still be in a bad mood.

"Looking for you. Ekko said you were upset." I say, which makes her slightly sad before turning back forward to the beautiful view of our home.

"You didn't have to come looking for me. It wasn't anything bad."

"I know, but I wanted to find you make sure you're okay and..... maybe talk about something?" I say that last part with a little hesitance, which makes her sigh.

"Why?," she asks, still looking forward at the view, "Why does everyone keep pushing me on this? What's wrong with just staying where I am?"

"Because then you'll be stuck Powder. You'll be stuck while the world moves on and regrets build up," I say to try to reach out to her, "We all care for you, and we all know you have a gift. I know that may sound weird since we only met like a month ago, but I've seen the way you work with Ekko. You love inventing and working in that kind of stuff. What's holding you back?" I ask, genuinely curious on the reason.

She stays silent for a few second before I finally hear something.

"I'm scared."

"Huh?"

"*sigh* I'm scared." she says, now making me perplexed at that answer.

"Scared? You? What could you possibly be scared of?" I ask with a short laugh at the idea.

"My-......Myself."

That freezes me in place. My feet feeling rooted in the ground at that answer. At Powder being scared of herself. Just like before. Before she became Jinx.

"W-What?" I ask, trying to control my breathing and ignore the old memories resurfacing again.

"All my life, ever since I was young I always found a way to just mess something up," she says my eyes widening at her words. At their similarity to what she said to me before, "It's like I was bad luck or something. I go on a job with my siblings, it goes wrong. I try to invent something, it doesn't work or ends up hurting someone. What if..... what if I mess up again?"

"But, you were young then Powder. There's nothing wrong with failing; we're all supposed to fail and learn from them to get better. It shapes us. Makes us stronger." I say to try and reassure her, but I don't seem to reach her.

"I-I..... I don't know," she says as she stands up, "Maybe I'm just a jinx."

Jinx. That damn word echoes in my head. Memories of a young Powder crying and blaming herself for the deaths of Vander, Mylo, and Claggor. Believing herself to be destined to hurt everyone close to her. To never know peace or happiness.

'No! Not again!'

Powder turns around and walks past me to leave, but I grab her arm and turn her back around to stop her.

"No!," I say letting my emotions get to me as she stares at me in shock, "You listen to me, Powder. You have the making of greatness inside of you, but you gotta push for it. You need to leap! Charge down the path you want in life and let nothing get in your way," I take a step back and gesture towards the city with my arms, "and when the time comes in life for you to really test your inner iron and steel and show the world what you're made of. I-I can only hope I get to be there that day Powder. Catching some of the light shining off of you," I say as I look up at the stars starting to shine in the night sky, "You may not believe in yourself Powder, but I do," I say before turning back to look at her with tears running down my eyes and cup her face with my hands gently, "You're gonna rattle the stars one day. I know it."

I stand there in tears and see her eyes water before she shoots forward and embraces me into a close hug. I hold her close to me, hearing her sniffles and labored breathes. I take in the moment and just hold her close to me, feeling my shirt get wet from her tears.

We stand there for what feels like forever in each other's embrace, before I feel her pull away but still hold on close and I see her makeup streaking down her face, so I wipe them away with my sleeves.

"You-You're makeu-"

"Shut up." she says before I feel her grab my collar and pull me into a deep kiss her arms wrapping around my neck. My head blanking for that moment not knowing what to do as I feel her explore me deeply before pulling away. Then I start to panic.

"Wha-!" I go to yell, but she puts a finger over my lips.

"Ekko knows," she says, making my brain even more fried than it was a second ago and based off her laugh it shows on my face, "C'mon, I'll tell him about this tonight and we can talk about it all tomorrow. I just really needed that." she says before dragging me back down the stairs and leading me to the bar while I'm left with no words.

'What the fuck.' Is the only thing I have on my mind as we arrive back at the bar. All the sound and music not registering as Powder puts me on a bar stool.

"You're back!" I hear Ekko yell out and I turn to see him and Powder hug and kiss. The kiss brining back memories from just a few minutes ago and Powder gives me a wink, confusing Ekko and making me blush.

"I want to talk to you for a second." Powder says to him before pulling him off to somewhere as I stare at the bar counter; still processing what the fuck just happened.

"You okay?"

My head shoots up and makes eye contact with Vander and I immediately start to panic again.

"U-Uh u-um, ye-yeah. I'm fine. I just....," I say as I stare at the back door of the bar that I know leads to the alley, "I just need a breather from all these people. Be right back." I say before quickly rushing off towards the back door, and step outside for fresh air.

I take some deep breathes of the cool fresh air of the night.

'Calm down. Just breathe and calm down.'

I slowly steady my breathing before looking back at the door and consider going back in, but back out and instead head down the alleyway.

'I need to walk. Get my mind off of, whatever the fuck just happened.'

I thought before walking down the alleyway towards the main street which looked much more busy and crowded tonight.

"It really is a par-"

I'm cut off by a sudden force of pain to the back of my head and falling to the ground; my helmet rolling away from me. The world goes blurry and my head dizzy as I reach for my gun, but my hand is stomped on and my gun is taken from me.

"Got you now. Bloodhound," I hear someone say before I feel my multiple footsteps and my hands be tied behind my back and my mouth gagged, "I think it's time for payback gang." they say before I feel myself be picked up. Too light headed and dizzy to fight back.

'Help.'

Hope you enjoyed. Sorry if there are grammar mistakes.

[sleepyorchidmonster]

Soo, remember in Glorious Masquerade, when Malleus came up with the story that the cause of the Crimson Lotus was unknown, and Rollo was actually trying to save everyone alongside the NRC students?

What if that's another bit of foreshadowing for the end of Book 7?

Briar Valley is in a really precarious position now, still recovering from the Silver Owls, with the Senate mostly taking over while Maleficia grieves, so Malleus overblotting is just another blow to the fae, even if students like Leona, Kalim, Vil and Idia manage to advocate on his behalf.

So why not spin the tale of how there was an unnamed threat on the island that was so Dire (pun intended for Crowley) and all-encompassing that Malleus had to go all out?

To avoid collateral damage and prevent the issue from reaching the rest of the globe, he had no choice but to use his UM to cover the whole island, keeping everyone safe in a peaceful slumber while the threat was dealt with. Luckily, STYX coordinated efforts with the rest of Briar Valley and they managed to subdue the threat both inside and outside the barrier, and everyone is safe now!

That way, the world can see Malleus not as an uncontrollable monster, but as a fierce protector who might go a bit overboard, but means well (also he's a dragon and his remaining family was on the island, so his protectiveness is understandable). Therefore, it's best to befriend the fae and Briar Valley than make enemies out of them!

The only problem is the rest of the student body and staff that saw the overblot at Lillia's farewell party, but I'm pretty sure STYX's Lethe program is back on to deal with the mobs, while the rest of the cast can be sworn to secrecy in exchange for having Malleus owe them a favour (they can use Azul's UM for the NDA).

As for the problem, NRC has been dealing with overblots at least once a month, not to mention the STYX invasion, and the Phantom Dwarves back in the mines, and how Book 7 might introduce the true mastermind and that's what we have to deal with in Book 8... They just have to pick ONE of the options above.

As a sidenote, having Sunset Savanna become Briar Valley's fiercest allies because Leona told his brother that Malleus is his friend would be so funny. Falena sees his depressed brother going to the trouble of making a whole Power Point presentation to convince the council on the benefits of allying to Briar Valley, all to save a school friend, and just decides that Malleus Draconia will have his unending support. Kifaji too.

(Leona has been ignored and belittled so many times that he prepared for the worst and made a whole slide presentation in hopes of defending his point well enough. Shoud've just led with "Malleus Draconia is a friend of mine who just went through a very traumatic experience and I want to help him" Kifaji and Falena would accept in a heartbeat).

BONUS:

Leona: *Practicing his Power Point presentation at 2AM*

Cheka: Unca, what are you doing in the middle of the night?

Leona: I'm just practicing, no one (my dormmates aside) ever likes my ideas and I have to make sure this works...

Cheka: Why?

Leona: Well you see... [starts explaining the inportance of supporting Briar Valley at theur moment of need and the benefits an alliance may bring to the table] ... also the Lizard would love if-

Cheka: Why do you keep calling Malleus Draconia "Lizard"? Is he your friend? Do you want to help him?

Leona, sighing: Yeah kiddo, he is my friend. He's been going though some tough times, almost lost his father and brother, and as much as we butt heads, well, no one deserves that...

Cheka: So why don't you just say that he's your friend and you wanna help him instead of talking about those "tweatwies"?

Leona: First of all, it's "treaties", and second, well, Briar Valley is in trouble, and helping them might get us in trouble too. Also I'm just the accursed second prince, people never listen to me, I need to back up my proposal with facts.

*random noise that sounds like a mix between a growl and a sob (Falena and Kifaji are eavesdropping lol)*

Leona: What's that?!

Cheka, panicking: Probably the wind....

*THE NEXT DAY*

Leona, finishing the presentation: And that's my proposal, any questions?

Random councilman: Well I-

Kijaji, smiling menacingly: I think it's a splendid idea, Leona. Briar Valley has been a longtime friend of ours, so it's only right that we help them in their time of need.

Falena, also smiling menacingly: Agreed! I'm so proud of you, my brother!

Leona: Wait, seriously!?

Falena's wife, smiling and sharpening a knife while subtly observing the other councilmen, marking targets: Of course, Leona! You have a sharp mind and this is a good plan. Briar Valley will have Sunset Savanna's full support for the coming criais, isn't that right, councillors?

Other councillors: Yes Ma'am!! Don't kill us pls

[byler-endgayme]

Official Lobegate Lore

If you’re new to lobegate, I highly recommend reading this post by @bluearacari

Read that first if you want to understand what lobegate is. It explains lobegate itself, how it started, and the key pieces of lore in order of when they were revealed to the ‘audience’ (Bald Mike nation).

In this post, I’ll explain the full lobegate storyline in (mostly) chronological order. Most of this is based off of anon asks, but I also just made up some of the lore so it flows better. Unfortunately, I couldn’t incorporate every single anon ask, because some of the lore contradicts each other or has loose ends. However, if I missed out on something important or got things wrong, please let me know!

I’ve also made a lobegate playlist, which you can listen to while reading if you like:

Playlist cover is from this hilarious edit by @xoceanstarx011

I’m the anon behind these following identities in lobegate:

Baseball Girl

Will’s Favorite Car / Milkvan

Jesse

U. N. Owen

Duolingo

Other anons:

@dynamicccsworld (Baseball Boy, George Seymour Kent (?), Hawkins Reports)

@your-ivy-grows13 (Tick Tock)

@itwasaseven7 (The New Baseball Girl)

Others (If I missed you and you wanna be tagged, please let me know!)

Bald Mike nation (received anon asks):

@tripleatechie

@clericallyinsane

@dia-depeche

@bluearacari

@pythoness94 (hacked the MMM, allowing Bald Mike nation to hear what occurred within)

@noihavenosanitythanksforasking

@orlastarburst

Others (This is based off activity in the #lobegate tag - if I missed you and you wanna be tagged, please let me know!)

Lobers (started this whole thing)

@somewiseoutthere

@itwasaseven7

@noihavenosanitythanksforasking (?)

Others

@red-raven707 (fooled us into thinking they were a Lober)

Anyways, let’s get into it!

…

Mike was going bald quickly and desperately needed a balding implant. Alas, he couldn’t get on the waiting list for one, so he decided to steal Walter White’s balding implant, becoming the Bald Mike we know and love today. At this stage, Bald Mike did not yet fully comprehend the power of his special, shiny implant to hypnotise people…

Conveniently, nobody knew what happened to Walter White himself, so Bald Mike got a wig and stole his identity for the time being. Only Bald Mike’s best friend, Jesse Pinkman, was in on it. However, Jesse didn’t know about the balding implant yet, and just thought he got a weird haircut.

On November 2nd 2021, at 8:15, Bald Mike took over the Village with Three Waterfalls and reclaimed it as his own. As Jesse stood by his side, holding his hand, Bald Mike revealed his radiant glowing head for the first time. The puny Baseballians didn’t stand a chance against the radiant power of The Light. In the invasion, many Hawkins residents danced in the streets, whilst Baseballians lost their homes. From then on, the Village became known as Hawkins. Because Bald Mike was under the alias of Walter White at the time, this incident became widely known as the Walter White incident.

The loss of the Baseballian village devastated Baseball Boy, Baseball Girl (his cousin), and the New Baseball Girl (Baseball Girl’s twin). They are also known as the Three Waterfalls, named after the iconic landmark from their hometown. Planning revenge on Bald Mike, Baseball Boy formed the Mitochondria Metamorphosis Mob (MMM) with Baseball Girl’s support. However, the New Baseball Girl mysteriously disappeared and was nowhere to be seen…

Over the next couple of months, the MMM recovered from the Walter White incident by recruiting people to join, building a milkshake factory, and establishing their MMM lair. The MMM soon formed an alliance with the Lobers and Duolingo. Duolingo wasn’t much help but made a great pet bird for Baseball Girl, whilst the Lobers adored their holy Lobe. Baseball Boy started the tradition of worship towards the holy Lobe, milkshakes, and baseball bats. He also teamed up with the mysterious Tick Tock, who collaborated with him remotely and helped form many plans. Initially, Baseball Girl supported Baseball Boy’s efforts within the MMM, but gradually she became more and more power-hungry…

Elsewhere, the New Baseball Girl had her own plan to take down Bald Mike. She sneaked off to Hawkins, planning to assassinate Bald Mike herself, but instead stumbled upon a Milkvan in the junkyard who was rusting away. It was Will’s Favorite Car, discarded and forgotten. She repainted him bright blue and discovered he had time travelling powers. Together, they started testing time travel out…

…

Meanwhile, Hawkins was preparing for the upcoming presidential election…

On August 17th, 2022, Bald Mike started his presidential campaign and revealed himself to the world as the bald man he truly was. Entranced by the power of The Light, everyone listened to what he had to say. The citizens put him as their profile pictures and created a large movement in support of Bald Mike. From then on, his supporters became known as Bald Mike nation. Pretty much everyone thought he was a worthy president, and his Baseballian hater minority were nothing to him. At some point in Bald Mike’s campaign, Jesse pointed out that the bald implant had hypnotic powers, with the potential to mess with memories. Surely they could use it to their advantage…

On November 8th, 2022, George Seymour Kent and his partner, U. N. Owen, were scheduled to meet with the new presidential candidate, Bald Mike. They agreed to come - though apprehensively, due to hearing rumours about the Walter White Incident of 2021. They were also surprised that Jesse came to the meeting, seeing that he only stared intently at his watch and seemed bored. At first, George and U. N. Owen’s discussion with Bald Mike went smoothly but then…

At around 4:15 during the meeting, George asked Bald Mike about the Walter White Incident, and everything went awry. Bald Mike didn’t want his dark past to be revealed! In a fit of rage, he ripped off his wig and unleashed the power of The Light unto George. Shocked, George and U.N Owen fought Bald Mike and Jesse. U. N. Owen distracted Bald Mike momentarily with a blow to the cheek, allowing George to escape the office. But poor George’s memories began to jumble up, and he couldn’t escape Bald Mike’s voice in his head…

Soon afterwards, George ran away to Lover’s Lake, suffering from migraines as Bald Mike’s voice became louder and louder. He was seeing the light… he was not himself anymore. All his memories evaporated, replaced only by a vision of that shiny, radiant, bald head. The infection had spread to his brain… he had not long left… and yet the love letter in his pocket was tragically unsent, unread by its intended recipient. With his mind gone, George ripped the envelope open and scrawled a message on the back of the letter. His last words were preserved in golden ink:

HE IS ALL.

THE LIGHT IS NYE.

WE WILL REST UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE. OF THE KING.

REJECT HUMANITY EMBRACE LIGHT.

Back at the office, Jesse wrangled U. N. Owen off Bald Mike and adjusted his watch, changing the time from 4:15 to 7:00. With his time travelling powers, Jesse brought U. N. Owen and himself to a barren wasteland sometime in the far future. This way, Bald Mike would be safe. But mere moments later, Milkvan and the New Baseball Girl appeared out of nowhere and grabbed U. N. Owen from Jesse. They began to U-turn to capture Jesse, but Jesse quickly adjusted his watch from 7:00 to 8:15. Nobody knew when or where he had time travelled to. So, Milkvan, U. N. Owen, and the New Baseball Girl were forced to return to the present.

Milkvan, U. N. Owen, and the New Baseball Girl now stood in front of the MMM lair. Suddenly, the New Baseball Girl bolted off into the woods - finding these two randos was not part of her plan…

When the original Baseball Girl found Milkvan and U. N. Owen outside, she welcomed them into the MMM with open arms. Milkvan and U. N. Owen didn’t know she was a twin, so they assumed she was the one who saved them. Soon, they formed an undying loyalty to Baseball Girl. Besides, U. N. Owen was intensely worried about George. He still hoped George was alive out there somewhere, but nevertheless, he swore to kill Bald Mike himself.

Having recruited more loyal MMM members, Baseball Girl began to ruminate over leading the MMM herself… without Baseball Boy…

…

Bald Mike suffered an imprint on his cheek where U. N. Owen had hit him. And now he was left alone, without his best friend Jesse. But Jesse’s words from the Walter White Incident kept on repeating in his head…

“I’m gonna save you, my lobe I MEAN LOVE. My sweet, evil, radiant, shiny, goofy, silly, dictator, murderer lobe I MEAN LOVE, you are in grave danger. But don’t worry. Sit tight.”

It was strange that Bald Mike had never remembered him say these words… until just now. It was as if a new memory had just inserted into his brain. Surely, it was one of Jesse’s time travelling antics. In time, everything would make sense. He trusted that one day, his Jesse would return.

…

When The New Baseball Girl had fled from Milkvan and U. N. Owen outside the MMM lair, she bumped into another girl in the woods.

El… wearing a big yellow Benny’s t-shirt. Instantly, the New Baseball Girl fell in lobe at first sight and listened to her story.

Ever since the Walter White incident of ‘21, El had been providing displaced Baseballians with eggos, milkshakes, blankets, shelter, baseballs, and the other necessities they needed to survive the invasion. But to really help the local Baseballians out, she needed to take her ex, Bald Mike, down… and this would only be possible through the MMM. The New Baseball Girl, tormented by her failed plan to assassinate Bald Mike by herself, agreed to help El. She made El her Queen and did whatever she ordered. Together, they started planning to take over MMM from Baseball Boy and Baseball Girl…

…

For three years, Bald Mike basked in the glory of his presidency of Hawkins. But eventually, the time for re-election came again, and Bald Mike would do everything in his power to ensure #baldmike2025 would become a reality.

However, the MMM and its allies had other plans. During these three years, Tick Tock helped Baseball Boy devise the MMM’s plan to assassinate Bald Mike. First, U. N. Owen was going to drive Milkvan all the way to Hawkins and play a haunting tune to scare away Bald Mike nation. Then, U. N. Owen was going to capture Bald Mike, tie him up, and, most importantly, cover up his bald head with a cloth. After this, they were to drive to the three waterfalls and throw Bald Mike down, finishing him off once and for all. With the plan complete just in time for the 2025 election, the MMM and its allies were ready to begin tormenting Bald Mike nation.

…

On 7th January 2025, the Lobers sent Bald Mike nation claims that Mike and El were in lobe. However, it wasn’t long before the Lobers were caught, causing them to surrender and disappear.

Then, the MMM’s recruitment intensified, and they began to reach out to Bald Mike nation. The MMM began spreading propaganda, claiming that Bald Mike was a terrible candidate, that Lobe was for life, and that the holy milkshakes and baseballs should be praised. When this didn’t work, the MMM began threatening Bald Mike Nation with their powerful alliance with the Lobers and Duolingo. All of these theatrics aimed to take down Bald Mike in the upcoming election. But Bald Mike’s radiance was too strong and Bald Mike nation were unmoved.

Secretly panicking, Baseball Boy asserted himself as the leader of MMM and warned about the Milkvan and his haunting tune. He was still hopeful that the original plan could be carried out, but alas…

…

Many years’ worth of seething jealousy finally awoke from within Baseball Girl. In a burst of frenzied fury, she took over the leadership of MMM, and Baseball Boy was much dismayed to find out that Milkvan’s loyalties lied with Baseball Girl. He surrendered and was kicked out of the MMM. Still, he felt he had to reveal the truth about the Walter White incident, and sent coded messages to Bald Mike nation. Before Baseball Boy could continue, Baseball Girl ordered Milkvan to finish him off by running him over.

With Baseball Boy out of the way, Baseball Girl changed the plan. She wasn’t in contact with Tick Tock, so Tick Tock was uninformed of these changes. As originally planned, U. N. Owen was going to drive Milkvan to Hawkins to capture Bald Mike. But according to Baseball Girl’s plan, U. N. Owen and Milkvan weren’t to kill him right away. Instead, they were to deliver him to the MMM lair, find Jesse, and kill Jesse in front of Bald Mike. This would inflict maximum pain unto Bald Mike. Only then would the MMM kill Bald Mike, and afterwards, they’d send the Milkshake Tsunami (generated at the milkshake factory) to destroy Bald Mike nation once and for all. (But of course, nothing ever goes to plan…)

After the plan revisions, the MMM continued sending out recruit invites and threats to Bald Mike nation. In the background, the baseball manufacturing and milkshake brewing continued too. Milkvan was asleep, charging up for the long trip. U. N. Owen was watching the Hawkins News intently, spying on them for information but also secretly hoping George was still alive. Many news reports about Bald Mike and other affairs began to surface, scaring the local Baseballians in Hawkins.

It was around this time that Jesse began contacting Bald Mike nation with coded messages. He ensured they couldn’t be intercepted by the MMM, for that would allow them to track his whereabouts - in both space and time.

Even with all this going on, everything seemed stagnant for a moment or two… and for good reason. Baseball Girl mysteriously disappeared... but what happened to her?

…

All these years later, under the orders of her Queen El, The New Baseball Girl returned to take over the MMM from Baseball Girl. After all, Baseball Boy’s death weakened the group, and now was the perfect time to strike.

Overworked from leading the MMM, Baseball Girl had let her guard down. This allowed The New Baseball Girl to breach security, knock Baseball Girl out with a baseball bat, and throw her into the milkshake brewer at the milkshake factory.

Now, with Baseball Girl out of the way, The New Baseball Girl claimed leadership over the MMM. She painted Baseball Girl as a coward, claiming she fled the country due to stress from leading the MMM. Bald Mike nation continued to be sent endless baseball and milkshake threats. In these threats, The New Baseball Girl warned about the dangerous truth about Bald Mike, criticised Bald Mike nation for suggesting Baseball Girl was dead, and sympathised with local Baseballians.

…

On the 8th of January 2025, shortly after The New Baseball Girl revealed herself to Bald Mike Nation, she disappeared too. Without a clear leader of the MMM, Bald Mike nation eventually calmed down. However, many questions were still left unanswered. What happened to Baseball Girl? What were the New Baseball Girl’s plans? Is Bald Mike truly safe now? Amidst all the silence, Bald Mike eventually let his guard down.

But of course Bald Mike wasn’t safe yet. Far from it. Because Baseball Girl reappeared, explaining her disappearance. She asserted that she didn’t flee the country, contrary to the New Baseball Girl’s claims. It took her hours to clamber out of the Milkshake pot in the milkshake factory, but finally, she returned. The MMM was officially back in business! But now they had to stop the intake of MMM recruitment for safety reasons. Where would they find new recruits now…

Baseball Girl was ready to commence her plan. Milkvan and U. N. Owen were sent to Hawkins, playing the grim Milkvan tune all the way. With his guard let down, Bald Mike was easy to capture. U. N. Owen tied him up and threatened Bald Mike nation. He managed to further capture 387 citizens and began his drive back to MMM lair. Because of this sudden influx of unpaid, forced recruits (slaves, basically), MMM officially closed recruitment to the public. A news report about these missing citizens was broadcasted on Hawkins television, accurately reporting it was coordinated by Baseball Girl.

…

Meanwhile, Tick Tock finally managed to reach the MMM again after Baseball Boy’s death. But Baseball Girl, still tense after the security breach, mistook Tick Tock for the New Baseball Girl. She demanded that her twin reveal herself at once and fight her at the Milkshake factory. When Baseball Girl arrived there, she found The New Baseball Girl busy sipping on some milkshake samples. So there she was! As payback, Baseball Girl drugged her, ensuring she would be unconscious for at least the next 12 hours. She pretended she didn’t know what happened to the New Baseball Girl, trapped her in a bunker, and patiently waited for the captured Bald Mike to arrived at the MMM lair.

Though tied up, Bald Mike bashed about inside Milkvan and damaged him quite badly. When they arrived at the MMM lair, U. N. Owen began repairs on Milkvan, whilst Baseball Girl was delighted to finally have Bald Mike in her hands. With Milkvan’s time travelling powers on her side, she intended on finding Jesse next. Unfortunately, they faced delays due to Milkvan’s repairs and not knowing where/when Jesse was hiding. It didn’t help that Baseball Girl lacked the braincells to decode Jesse’s secret messages to Bald Mike nation.

With the MMM planning to capture him next, Jesse began to panic. He frantically sent his last messages to Bald Mike nation, resolving not to communicate anymore out of fear of being found by the MMM. After all, of all people, U. N. Owen might know where he time travelled to…

Meanwhile, propaganda - both pro-Bald-Mike and anti-Bald-Mike - continued to circulate. Some messages about The Light praised its saving power, whilst others ominously warned against looking at it. In any case, the overpowering strength of The Light was made clear.

…

Tick Tock contacted the MMM again, disappointed about the changes to the original plan. They disapproved of the capture of 387 Hawkins citizens and the delay in assassinating Bald Mike. They threatened Bald Mike nation, claiming Bald Mike would be in danger if a deal was not made.

But Baseball Girl asserted to Bald Mike nation that she wanted to assassinate both Jesse and Bald Mike. She would drown them both in the milkshake pot at the milkshake factory. Initially, Baseball Girl was apprehensive about collaborating with Tick Tock, not knowing who they were. Nevertheless, she started discussing plans with Tick Tock, requesting to capture Jesse and make Bald Mike watch him die.

Tick Tock didn’t disclose their true identity to Baseball Girl, saying they were only here to make plans. However, they agreed to help capture Jesse.

Baseball Girl asked Tick Tock if they had any ideas as to the time period Jesse was hiding in. She also waited for help from Milkvan or U. N. Owen, but it took a while to get a response from them…

…

At the repair shop, Milkvan’s repairing was delayed, as U. N. Owen’s attention was drawn to breaking news on TV. Three years after George’s disappearance, his body was finally discovered near Lover’s Lake at 5:15. His last written words on the piece of paper were broadcasted on TV, but tragically, the love letter for U. N. Owen on the other side was not shown.

Upon the announcement of George’s death, many years’ worth of pent-up yearning and hoping crashed inside U. N. Owen. Pure grief, regret, and devastation ravaged inside him, and he admitted - too late - his love for his beloved partner. He described how brave, courageous, and justice-seeking George was, and went away to cry for a few minutes.

…

The New Baseball Girl finally awoke from being drugged. She was ultimately powerless, trapped alone in the bunker without any food or water. Nevertheless, she swore that Jesse would be captured, and claimed Jesse was the ‘brains’ whom the ‘stupid’ Bald Mike relied wholly on. Then, she descended into a fit of fury, swearing to fight Baseball Girl. The New Baseball Girl claimed the MMM truly belonged to her and that there was only supposed to be one of them growing in their mother’s womb.

But Baseball Girl ignored her twin’s requests to fight, saying that finding Jesse was more important.

Finally, U. N. Owen stopped crying and finished Milkvan’s repairs. Discussing the plan with the other MMM members, U. N. Owen recounted the traumatic events of the day he and George met Bald Mike and Jesse in the office. Crucially, he remembered that when Jesse was escaping Milkvan, he had turned his time travel watch from 7-ish to 8:15.

Thinking about what 8:15 could mean, New Baseball Girl wrongfully guessed that Jesse was hiding in Hopper’s cabin in Hawkins.

On the other hand, Baseball Girl thought the whole deal about 8:15 was ridiculous.

What they failed to grasp, fatally, was the true significance of this number, of 8:15. Of course, you can’t really blame them seeing that so much time had passed, but still.

8:15 on November 2nd, 2021… it was where it all began.

The Walter White incident.

…

When Jesse had turned his watch to 8:15 all those years ago, he time travelled back to the past, back to this momentous day. It was the day his life changed - the day Mike revealed his bald head to him. It was so radiant, so magnificent, that Jesse full-on fell in lobe. And, of course, his lobe was reciprocated. The two of them held hands and Jesse had never felt happier.

That’s why Jesse knew it was the perfect time period to hide from the enemy. Not only was it a traumatic moment for the Three Waterfalls, but reliving his best moment - the moment he felt so much love - gave him power. Again and again did Jesse experience this blindingly radiant moment, and again and again did Jesse’s power grow and grow.

But finally, after three years of reliving the Walter White incident, Jesse knew it was time to return to the present. Changing the timeline, Jesse told Bald Mike,

“I’m gonna save you, my lobe I MEAN LOVE. My sweet, evil, radiant, shiny, goofy, silly, dictator, murderer lobe I MEAN LOVE, you are in grave danger. But don’t worry. Sit tight.”

Jesse set his watch from 8:15 to 12:00. And all of a sudden, he teleported to the present, now standing at the centre of the MMM lair. Beside him, his belobed Bald Mike was tied up with his radiant head concealed. And in the room also stood Baseball Girl, U. N. Owen, and Milkvan all staring, gaping at Jesse. They were too late; they failed to find him in time.

HE found THEM.

Jesse untied Bald Mike, and they each held the other in their warm embrace. The MMM thought it was a mere act of affection from these reunited lobers. But it was more than that. The two lobers simultaneously ripped off the coverings off each other’s heads - Mike’s cloth and Jesse’s wig, because Jesse is also actually bald - to reveal two perfectly shiny, bald heads. The power of love, accumulated over years thanks to Jesse’s time travelling antics, was more powerful than ever…

At once, they unleashed The Light unto the MMM.

Milkvan spontaneously combusted; U. N. Owen screamed his dead lober’s last message and exploded into golden ink; Baseball Girl transformed into an inanimate baseball. Positively glowing, Bald Mike walked over to the baseball and squashed it into insignificance.

The New Baseball Girl may have survived this attack, being stuck in the bunker, but she too would not survive much longer without food or water. As for Tick Tock, communicating from afar saved their life. But they disappeared, powerless without the MMM to do the dirty work.

And so, on the 9th of January 2025, Bald Mike and Jesse defeated the MMM with the power of love. With all their enemies obliterated and the 387 hostages returned, Bald Mike’s presidential campaign became an unmatched success.

On the 10th of January 2025, Bald Mike officially won the elections, as well as the hearts of Bald Mike nation. Again did the people make Bald Mike their profile pictures, showing off their Bald Mike pride to the world.

Basking again in the ever-radiant glory of presidency, Bald Mike’s head continued to shine throughout the village with the three waterfalls, throughout the valley - all the way to the abandoned Mitochondria Metamorphosis Mob lair, all throughout the drained milkshake factory, all throughout the woods, all throughout the universe - now and forevermore.

[ravencincaide]

Desperate times call for desperate measures 

Summary:  You leave your small twins with Dazai and Chuuya and hope the two of them can manage their fatherly-duties while you take an hour of much needed ‘me time’. Scratch that, you just needed long enough to take a shower in order to feel human again before going back to being a mom.

Pairing: Dazai x Chuuya xfem! Reader 

Inspired by Sweetober prompt 8: Napping together

Warning: Cursing, hints at depression/ postpartum depression, New parents/exhausted parents.

Enjoy~

______________________________________________________________

You were going to kill Chuuya. 

No, you decided as you paced back and forth around the house, rocking the fussing twins in your arms. You were going to kill Mori for dragging your Chuuya out of his parental leave to deal with whatever shit Dazai had gotten himself into. You had thought the suicidal maniac of a lover would have gotten more efficient on missions- or at the very least more considerate. Nope. Still, somehow, if one part of twin dark was sent on a mission, he’d get in sufficient shit to need the second one's assistance. 

Responsible adults, your ass.

You sighed as the wailing continued with no amount of rocking, hushing, singing and pacing doing much to ease the tears. You were also silently cursing Chuuya for getting you pregnant with twins, why couldn’t it have been one to start with? Though you admitted as you looked down at the two crying balls of ginger, they were adorably cute; both took after their father in appearance,inheriting Chuuyas ginger hair and stunning blue eyes. With the only seeming resemblance to you being in their chins and petit nose. 

You definitely picked the short straw you mused bitterly as another loud cry made your ears ring. 

The ginger haired girl was crying and waving her doll around every now and then, getting it tangled in your hair or hitting you on the head with it with a surprising amount of strength. Her twin, an almost identical copy of her with slightly fluffier hair and larger eyes, was just gripping onto you and crying. He wasn’t wailing as loudly as his sister but the teardrops that rolled down his cheeks were larger, almost comical. 

There was no doubt in your mind that they were setting each other off. And all this mess because you got distracted and missed nap time. 

God you could feel yourself reaching your limit. What you’d give for just a little bit of time to yourself- a few hours was all you asked for. Something you hadn’t seen much of- if any after giving birth. As soon as the twins were born you got to spend a month in the hospital recovering before you and the babies were allowed home. Then it went downhill from there. First the wonderful nanny that you had picked out had to leave your services. The agency you hired her through was quick to send a replacement, but that woman got killed in an unfortunate plane crash. Getting another replacement was proving more challenging. Then almost directly after, despite being barely at home Dazai pulled from parental leave due to ‘emergencies’; first several back-to-back abroad missions where he’d only come home for a few days tops and then his last one for which he left over two months ago. You had Chuuya but even he had to go back into the office several times a week.In the best case.  If that wasn’t making your existence miserable, suddenly Dazai needed backup out of the blue, forcing Chuuya to leave without warning in the middle of the night. 

For the last two months you were completely alone. 

You had to do everything; from childcare to household chores, to different parenting classes and doctors visits with the two. In the evenings after putting them to bed you’d be sitting and going through reports and reviewing mission statements to keep your lovers workload manageable and the department not at a standstill. It became your job to ensure subordinates were still sent out on missions and nothing critical, that couldn’t wait until their return, got missed. Then you’d get a little cleaning and food prep done,  shower if you managed to do that before the babies woke up for their nightly feedings. When you’d crawl into bed you’d shut your eyes for twenty minutes at a time, plagued by nightmares of your partners drying and being a failure as a mother. When you’d finally calm your demons, the twins would get hungry again so you’d be up to warm the bottle for them before changing them and rocking them back to sleep. Sometimes you’d fall asleep right on the soft carpeted floor with both of them cuddling to your chest, sleeping a few hours longer than in their own beds. 

Those mornings were your salvation. 

You let out a loud groan, looking up at the ceiling as you felt tears sting your eyes. You didn’t know if children were meant to scream and cry so much. You didn’t know if you were doing this right or wrong. You didn’t know what you were supposed to do. You just wanted them to be healthy and happy- why couldn’t you do that? You brought them closer to your chest and pressed a kiss to each of their foreheads. “ Mama’s trying her hardest” you muttered as you continued to rock them “Mama would really really need a helping hand though.” 

-

It seemed gods took pity on you just this once. 

You nearly broke down crying or screamed out in joy when you heard the car pulling up to your driveway. Then silence before a key pushed into the lock followed by the door swinging opened. 

“ Sweetheart we’re back!” Chuuya yelled as he kicked off his shoes. You heard Dazai’s voice muttering something to him, the bickering overshadowed by the twins' cries. You made quick way towards the hallway. The moment Chuuya and Dazai came into sight, new screams filled the house; excited cries of “ Dada” and “ papa” which bounced off the walls, a bitter reminder that you children were never this excited to see you. 

You could see Chuuya chuckling, a bright expression on his face full of love and happiness. He didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by the yelling- if anything it seemed to fill him with contagious happy energy and an eagerness to get his damned coat off so he could come to the children. Dazai, dressed in completely white attire, which resembled something between a prison uniform and the dresscode of asylum patients seemed less happy about the screaming. But even he had a smile playing on his lips as he hurried towards you at the same time as Chuuya, who had given up on hanging his coat and just threw it on the ground. The two were practically tripping over each other, with each ‘papa’ and ‘dad’ cry getting more and more eager to get to you, limbs frailing; hands, arms and snappy remarks at each others inability to get out of the others way. 

Finally they seemed to remember how to walk and the bottleneck in your hallway was replaced by two adult men rushing towards you. 

“ How are my loves?” Chuuya cheered looking far too happy as he hurried pressed a kiss to your children's heads. First the boy then the girl. Dazai did the same in the opposite order, both ignoring you and your puckered lips. 

For a second a pang of jealousy hit your heart. You hadn’t seen your partners in over two months and before greeting you, their attention was on the children. Picture perfect fathers. Shitty lovers. And the second the thought entered your head you felt your heart drop to your stomach with guilt. In what sane world was a mother jealous of the attention her babies were getting? You should be happy and proud that both of your partners- not only the biological father- cared so deeply for the balls of joy you created. Though, you added almost bitterly, right now these two brought you anything but joy. 

“ Here” you stated in a slightly bitter tone as you pawned over one kid per partner “ Do everyone a favour and act like fathers for longer than 30 seconds.  I need some ‘me- time’ before I murder someone” 

Chuuya and Dazai shared a look of bewilderment between each other as you stepped away from them. They had expected kisses, hugs and a warm dinner but got a kid each and a blank stare in return. Dazai stared at your retreating form with agap mouth for a moment before he stretched the little girl towards Chuuya; “ Here Chuuya be a good dad, me and Y/N have some catching up to do.” 

You pretended to ignore what he said, the same way he ignored your comment about ‘me time’. Though you wondered if you should at the very least make them dinner before taking out that ‘me time’ moment. 

“ Heeh stop being so bitter and just hold her, Mackerel.” Chuuya snapped trying to get the boy to settle in his arms “if your swimmers could actually swim they’d be your kids” 

“ Don’t be such a slug about it” Dazai declared as he turned his attention away from Chuuya as the boy began sobbing again making Chuuya curse before attempting to pacify him. Zero attention to either Dazai or the girl in his arms. 

In the process the girl-child who had just settled down, amusing herself by pulling on strands of Dazai’s grown out hair, turned her attention away from him and towards her crying brother. Seeing him cry, her eyes began to water.

 In seconds Dazai’s attention was back to you; “ Ohh Belladonna you’d not be so cruel as to demand your newly returned partner whom you haven’t seen for months to be a father without sleep or proper meal “ Despite his dramatic words he shifted the girl to his other arm so her back was to her brother and began rocking her more quickly. His second hand was trying to keep her attention on the doll she had abandoned in favour of his hair. The very doll she had been hitting you with not even ten minutes earlier.  Scratch your earlier thoughts. They were adults and older than you- they knew how to order in or warm up leftovers! 

You sighed heavily before you went towards the kitchen and the fridge. “ Then you boys are in agreement that we stop at two right?” You questioned  when you returned with a cold rattle for the boy. He was quick to grasp it in his hands before beginning to chew on it. The relief it brought was sufficient to stop the tears. 

For now. 

When you got no reply, you motioned between the two of them and then to the children in their arms. If you weren’t so tired you’d have laughed at the look of horror drawing of Dazai’s face as he realized you were serious, and then the very hurt expression at the mere idea of not having any children of his own with you. That look melted a piece of ice around your heart.  “ Or can you manage to look after them for an hour while I take a shower in peace?” 

Your lovers nodded eagerly, both giving you a salute before shuffling off towards the baby proofed living room with toys, a playpen and floor covered in soft playmats. Your eyes lingered long enough until they were out of sight before you headed upstairs to your bedroom. Once there you dragged yourself towards the chair by your make up table which had a thin layer of dust over your make up palettes. Serving as a bitter reminder of just how ‘much’ time you dedicated towards yourself in the past months. The thought plastered a bitter smirk on your face; no wonder you didn’t get as much as a kiss-hello from either Dazai or Chuuya. 

You dropped in the chair with a heavy sigh and buried your head in your hands. You didn’t understand what was wrong with you. You didn’t understand where you were making mistakes; how could other mafia women manage to do so much more? More time with children, more work, more chores- many would even visit headquarters to spend lunch with their husbands. 

Husbands- the word brought a bitter taste to your mouth. How long have you three been together already? How many milestones have you celebrated? Missions, promotions, twins. Plans for extending the family with at least one more kid- Dazai’s. And still your ring finger remained bare. In fact after the icy greeting today you doubted your relationship would ever move anywhere positive from this standstill. 

You heard steps outside your bedroom, irritated and heavy before the door to your bedroom swung open with Dazai’s usual dramatic appearance “ Ahh my sweet Belladonna my heart-”

You didn’t need to turn around to know the look he was wearing.” One hour” you stated “ Or no more kids. Your choice” 

The door closed as quickly as it had opened. 

The peaceful silence didn’t last for long. Though you didn’t know how long you were sitting in your thoughts, salvaging a moment of being alone, you knew it couldn’t have been longer than five minutes before you were interrupted again. This time the footsteps outside your door were calmer and more confident. Their owner opened the door very gently. You closed your eyes biting back the frustration as you heard Chuuya’s half hesitant whisper “Sweetheart..” 

“ What is it, Chuuya?” You still didn’t have it in you to face him. 

“ If you want to soak in the bath, it's ready any minute now” You nodded, feeling a wave of guilt wash over you. Maybe you shouldn’t have been so cold to him. Especially when he went out of his way to do something nice for you. “ Also, do you know where the nursing bottles are?” 

There it was. 

“ There are some prepared bottles in the fridge; just place them in boiling water for a few seconds until they’re body temperature. Not too hot.” You rubbed your temple as you spoke, fighting off the want to cry and scream much like the children downstairs. These were things he as their father was supposed to know. Or at least be able to figure it out on his own. He could lead an entire faction on his own, why couldn’t he handle a baby or two? 

After your reply you heard Chuuya linger in the doorway for a few moments. You pictured him opening and closing his mouth, hesitating as he thought over what to do. A hopefully side of you hoped he’d come in and wrap his arms around you and just hold. Just fucking hold you for a moment without the children being present. Then another cry from downstairs and he was gone; the door shutting quietly behind himself. 

You waited for a moment, gathering your strengths before leaving the safety of your room, rushing quietly through the small hallway, trying not to waver at the sound of the children's cries. Once in the bathroom you closed and locked the door before leaning your back against it. Why did no one tell you that when you’d become a mother you’d become so alone while constantly surrounded by others? 

Shaking your head you stripped before climbing into the baths. You let out a low moan as the feeling of bath salts soothed your skin. Then salvaged the moment of humanity as you dipped your head underwater with the realization you didn’t need to watch anyone while you washed. Then you reached for the shaving blade and shaving cream, getting rid of the hair on your body that annoyed you more than you’d ever wish to admit. 

When you got out of the bathtub and showered off, you felt human. Like a sliver of being a woman was returned to you. Dressing in clean clothes only reinforce that.  Now then you were feeling more ready to tackle the rest of this cursed day.

Coming out of the bathroom you noticed how quiet it was. The silence filled you with dread; anyone with children knew that the only time they were quiet was either when something was wrong or they were up to something, while anyone acquainted with Dazai and Chuuya were very aware that the two together were constantly either bickering or yapping.

Silence like this filled you with dread. 

Throwing your dirty laundry carelessly to the side you rushed downstairs, heart in your throat. When you made it down the stairs you stopped, shocked as the sound of snores reached your ears. More carefully you made your way towards the livingroom being cautious to remain light on your feet. 

Once there you leaned against the wall, your eyes falling on the heartwarming sight before you. All four of them were on the soft playmat. Chuuya was lying stretched out on his back on his coat, an arm dropped over his eyes and loud snores resonating around the room. On his chest lay your daughter with his hat covering her head from the light. His hand was on her body keeping her close to himself. Dazai was lying curled up into a ball on his side, beside Chuuya. His messy head on his thigh. Your son laying in his arms, held close to himself through a make-ship baby-carry out of his bandages. Although he wasn’t snoring you could tell he was fast asleep by the rise and fall of his shoulders. 

Going over to the couch you picked up the warm covers before gently placing it over them. You saw Dazai stir, a sleepy eye opening just long enough to register that you weren’t a threat then he shifted slightly, creating a space between him and Chuuya for you. “ Don’t be a stranger Belladonna” he whispered as he beckoned you to lay down between them. 

Once you did, he wrapped one arm around you, the second one still holding your son in place, before he buried his face in your hair. He took a deep breath in and out, his hand finding yours and squeezing it once before interlocking your fingers together. “ I’ve missed you” he muttered, his eyes sliding shut in tiredness “ Lets rest now and when we wake up I wanna give you a proper greeting Bella” 

Before you could answer he was fast asleep. Which was probably good because it saved you the embarrassment of explaining why his one sentence brought you to tears.  

______________________________________________________________

Author note: Craving part 2?

Check out We need to talk for the sweeter version, and Happy Unhappy home! For more angst.

All fics are unique works by ©ravencincaide 2024. Do not copy/repost/translate or spread my work(s) without my explicit permission. If you see any of my work(s) reposted/copied anywhere else without my consent, please inform me!

[floridecuts]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Bonus

And here's the epilogue, guys! Hope you'll enjoy it! ^^ I actually had wanted to draw Yashiki with the kids for this part's chapter art but this week hasn't been great for me on the creative side, sadly. After a lot of struggling I threw the towel and ended up just drawing (a hopefully cute) Yashiki. Anyway, I want to give my thanks again to all readers and a special big Thank You to everyone leaving comments! I'm super grateful for your support and that you took the time and effort to write these!! <3

With this part, we've finally cracked the 100-pages-mark! I never thought this project would become this big when I started working on it a few months ago, but here we are! xD So this plays one day after the successful pacification of the Departed. Yashiki is still in the hospital to recover but already feeling a lot better! I guessed it would make sense to have him getting a cold because of the events the night before - he'd been dragged out of bed by the Departed, held in it's clutches for who knows how long only wearing thin hospital clothes in a chilly cold room (because spirits often cause the room temperature to drop). Not to forget that his health state hasn't been the best in general since he fell victim to the curse. I just liked to add that small detail. ^^

I was glad that I found a way to include Ai and Tsukasa here, so I got almost every Mark Bearer included in this story (sorry Banshee ^^'). I know it's probably a bit weird that Ai is wearing her idol costume here when doing a hospital visit. I thought about drawing her in some alternate everyday clothes but decided against it because I didn't want her to be the only one to wear a non-canon outfit. My explanation for her wearing that in this scene is that Ai just returned from that "idol-buisness trip" and, after hearing that Yashiki is in the hospital, went straight there after work.

I hope I did Moe's character justice here. I can just imagine her being a little cheeky and very enthusiastic about the OOPArts Monthly. About the rabbit figurine: I had the idea that Yashiki, being very talented in crafting, once carved that rabbit for Saya, maybe even when they were still kids. It could have been one of his first masterpieces! It had been a precious item for Saya, a symbol of her brother's love for her, so she held it dear and unconsciously it became infused with her spiritual energy. Even after her death her spirit kept watching over Yashiki. To help him when he fell victim to the Departed's curse, her spirit reached out to Yasuoka, guiding her to the Kujou Mansion to get that figurine. Yasuoka didn't exactly know what it would do, but she knew it would be important, so she put it inside that O-Mamori and gave it to Yashiki at her visit. I like to think that, after the Departed's case, Yashiki keeps holding onto it, always carrying it in his pocket, both as a memento to his sister and a lucky charm.

The idea with the OOPArts article about Yashiki was actually a spontaneous idea. I found the thought so amusing that I just had to include it! xD Hope it makes someone else smile too! Also, a blushing and embarassed Yashiki is so adorable! In the end Mashita appears and saves Yashiki from Moe's mischief. He came because Yashiki specifically asked him to. Since he woke up from that coma there's been something Yashiki needs to talk about with him. What it is about will be covered in the bonus part - the next and also last part of this comic (it's gonna be extra long!). I chose to make a seperate bonus part because it's Yashita shipping content (nothing drastic though!). But still, in case anyone does not want to be confronted with this shipping they can just skip that last part without missing any story relevant content. But from what I've seen in the few months I've been in this fandom, I got the impression this won't be much of an issue. xD

Lastly, I am happy to announce that the bonus part is actually a collaboration with a friend! I want to give a shout out for her amazing and beautifully written Yashita fanfictions! You can find her works on AO3, her username is MoonflowerSong. Go check them out if you like, they are so sweet! <3

Link: MoonflowerSong on AO3

I wish you all a nice week! Thanks for taking a look! :)

[forwhatiam]

Happy (slightly belated) 28th! <3 Here's some of my favorite fics I've read this month, ordered from longest to shortest. (As always, fics with a * before them have found their way into my bookmarks.)

*For As Long As I Can Remember (It's Been December) by green_feelings (E, 128.4k)

After recovering from a severe accident that causes Harry to lose his memory of three years, he moves to London to start his life over as a star chef. Little does he know that when he falls in love with Louis at first sight, it’s not the first time they meet.

Featuring an unintentional game of hot and cold, Harry chasing memories that won’t come back, Louis burying himself in work to try and forget what he can’t forget, Liam being torn between two of his best friends, Zayn as a moral compass and Niall saving the day with good music and brutal honesty.

For the Right Reasons by juliusschmidt (E, 105.9k)

Harry doesn’t agree to be the Bachelor expecting to find love. He’s just hoping for an exciting jaunt around the world, half a dozen new friends, and, if he’s lucky, an amazing hj or two.

Louis may have signed up to be a contestant on the Bachelor, but he’s not interested a ring or a proposal, not from Harry, not from anyone. He wouldn’t turn down a few more Instagram followers, though.

*Black with Autumn Rain by whimsicule (T, 93.4k)

Harry is a journalist, Louis has lots of secrets and the moors aren't exactly the ideal place to rekindle a lost romance.

The Unholy Trinity by wickedarcher_08 (Series, E, 40.3k)

When Harry Styles started acting different after his 26th birthday, Father Louis Tomlinson is the only one that may be able to save his soul. He has successfully performed exorcisms before. This should be easy. Until it isn't. Harry is more than he seems. The battle of wills test every bit of faith Louis has. And Harry? Well, he's just getting started.

*please remain on the line by fckingfreakshow (NR, 24.4k)

harry’s looking for love, or at the very least a date that doesn’t make him want to walk off the brooklyn bridge. his friends call him a serial dater, but he prefers romantically persistent. he believes in the process and sometimes, you gotta kiss a few toads and pay sketchy astrology sites for the answers.

what he really wants is simple. someone fun, who keeps him on his toes, who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. someone who’ll flirt shamelessly, make him laugh, maybe even whisper sweet nothings into his ear…

he just didn’t expect the last part to be so…literal.

blend into my favourite colour by rainbowninja167 (T, 19.9k)

Harry is a barista with a secret Werewolf High fan blog, a desperate crush on a customer named Louis, and a best friend on Tumblr who always makes him laugh. Louis can't figure out why the barista at his favorite coffee shop keeps creepily staring at him, and to make matters worse, he may be slightly in love with a friend he met online.

A love square involving two boys, one TV fandom, and one food fight.

Too Young by jaerie (E, 18.1k)

accidentally bonded as 8 and 10 year olds, Louis starts resenting Harry once they were old enough for him to realize what had been taken away from him and now they're roommates who fuck out of obligation

lost stars by tommolinson (M, 15.8k)

His hands fumble the packet out of his pocket, trembling as he licks one finger and sticks it in the packet. The white powder sticks beautifully against the pad of his finger, and he opens his mouth to rub it against the upper side of his gums. He hates the taste at first, too bitter, then he feels it tingle just right and he closes his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath.

Inhale.

Exhale.

[dear-ao3]

hello, saph. here to say thank you so much for the fantastic wonderous brilliance that is the 2024 Formula One Silly Season and Drama Update Post. sometime around march my friend and i thought. eh whats the deal with this eff one stuff lets look in to it. without your unyielding dedication to explaining and recaping EVERYTHING, i doubt either of us would have had any clue where to start. i think ive reread the entire thing at least 5 times (and i will do it again.) how you have managed to do this i have NO idea. just keeping up with everything is enough of a challenge. but for the last 8 months its been our entire life (and a hell of a season to pick it up it seems). tears have been shed, i have woken my entire family and cat up several times at 3 in the morning screeching, my sleep schedule and weekends have been irreversibly damaged for ~half of the year. and i would not have it any other way. and, around two thirds of the way through the season my mother started watching the races with me and is now FULLY in to the strategy, politics and interpersonal drama of it all. i send her things from the update post (she enjoys it greatly btw). and! f1 has also given me a conversation topic over christmas lunch with relatives ive never really spoken to in any depth before and thats. well thats Pretty Cool. anyway sorry for babbling in your inbox for too long. thank you for everything, you are an icon and a legend and a hero and i wish you the happiest of vibes for 2025 <3

thank you so much 🫶 i really don’t know how i managed it either to be honest with you. it was a whole lot of information and i fear my instagram algorithm may never recover from it lol.

yes, this was quite the season to pick it up lol. i myself only properly picked it up in october 2023, so i’m not as much an expert as many of you may think ! i mostly was learning along with everyone else and i haven’t re read the post myself but i’m sure the beginning half is filled with all kinds of misinformation and inaccuracies

that is so fun that your mom got into it! and that you can talk to other family members about it :) i hope you didn’t have to explain slutty little soup can. or the john green cock post. or whatever else i referenced on that post to your mom, if you did i am sorry

thank you for reading my post, i’m glad you enjoyed it and i’m glad you learned things 🫶

[concreteangel92]

Do you want to be a good girl for me?

Noah Sebastian x fem!reader

TW: mentions of dom/sub relationships, getting turned on? Honestly nothing is too graphic here

A/N: So I had this idea in my head today after wondering how the conversation would go with Noah about him being a dom while you’re in the early dating stages.

This has definitely been inspired by watching him spanking the air during IDWT$ the other day which I have yet to recover from 🥵

I haven’t wrote any type of fanfiction in about 7/8 years! I used to write a lot when I was younger but stopped due to adult life haha so I do feel incredibly rusty but Noah and reading everyone else’s stories on here over the last few months has definitely inspired me but please be kind as it’s been so long 😂

I am half way through a smut filled Noah one shot atm so hopefully if this goes well then I’ll be posting that soon!

Masterlist

• So far you were on date number 3 with the Noah Sebastian Davis.

• Tonight was a home cooked dinner and movie night at yours

• Currently sitting together on the sofa, chatting after dinner

• You had both agreed to take things slow-ish to begin with so you could really get to know each other

• Noah being aware that you were a fan of the band prior to these dates

• The most you guys had done so far was holding hands, cuddling and a lot of kissing

• Now you know there is more to a relationship then sex but let’s be honest, it’s pretty important and it’s important to be compatible

• You hadn’t mentioned anything to Noah about the kinks or kind of relationships that you were into but it was definitely the time to see if things could progress

• “so I feel these dates have gone really well and that we appear to be really compatible”

• “so do I”

• “but there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you…”

* Noah would definitely be more intrigued when he sees a small blush forming

• “ask away”

• Noah, as ever, would be very collected with a calm expression that you can’t read

• “Umm, well the thing is….I just wondered….”

• “Don’t be shy y/n, if the blush on your cheeks is anything to go by then I can only assume it’s more of a private question?”

• Noah’s eyes never leaving your face and of course he would have a small smirk on his lips

• “right ok….so obviously you know I’ve been a fan of the band for a while before this….so I’ve seen certain videos online of you performing….and….and seeing the way you present yourself or the way you do certain things…”

• “What things?”

• Noah interrupting with an even bigger smirk, clearly catching on to where the conversation was headed

• You would definitely be blushing a bright shade of red at this point and trying not to do your nervous laugh and you most certainly can’t look him in the eyes

• “The videos of you spanking the air and the way you come across….I just have to ask….are you really the dom that you appear to be?”

• That whole sentence would have been said extremely quickly

• You would feel the need to ‘shy away’ from him after being so bold, eyes looking down at your lap

• Until you feel his fingers brushing your hair off your shoulder

• “why? Do you want to be a good girl for me?”

• You would instantly feel your tummy do a flip and have an instant ache in between your legs

• The latter would have you squirming ever so slightly on the spot and clenching your thighs together

• Something Noah of course does not miss

• “ your reaction just then tells me everything I need to know about you”

• You’d look at him with big eyes, a knowing smile on your face

• “I just needed to make sure that we were compatible in that area, most guys I’ve met aren’t into what I am”

• Noah would be tracing small patterns on your neck, his intense gaze never leaving yours

• “We can discuss what we like or don’t like, make sure that there is a safe word or a colour system in place but I do think we are going to be more then compatible”

• The ache would start to become very prominent to you at this point

• “Just to warn you, I’m not always very well behaved”

• You stare into his eyes, heart rate accelerating and you most certainly had a wet spot on your underwear at this stage

• “Good. Because I love my subs to have a bit of bite to them”

• You would unconsciously move closer to him while his hand gently wraps around the back of your neck

• “Can we just skip the movie now please?”

• Noah also moving closer “please what?”

• “please sir”

• “there’s my good girl”

• The kiss that happens after this would be messy and desperate and a small indication of what was to come

• The film definitely being forgotten about for the rest of the evening

[lionlena]

♕ Queen's Milk (Oberyn Martellxf!reader) one shot

Summary: You are Oberyn Martell's wife, his Queen. After a difficult birth, the first son of the Prince of Dorne was born… Now you are trying to recover, but your husband wants something more.

8,3k

I started writing this about three months ago. It's actually part of a much bigger story. But I've given up hope of writing it in full. That's why I decided to turn it into a one-shot. Note: Oberyn is not 100% canon. I assume he never be with Ellaria Sand for too long and… Of course, he didn't die in a duel with the Mountain ;)

Warnings: NSFW, fluff + porn, loving husband Oberyn, mention of difficult childbirth, postpartum period, blowjobs, unprotected sex, fingering, lactation kink, If you squint you will see a sub Oberyn, the reader has long hair, a brief mention of a previous abusive relationship, breastfeeding…

If you want to learn more about Dorne and listen to Pedro's wonderful voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VCGXAYYntc&t=19s

♕ Queen's Milk

You were lying on the bed and looking tenderly at your several-day-old son. You were so proud. Your son… The firstborn son of the Prince of Dorne, Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper… The only child from his marriage bed. His only son.

You knew you shouldn't be so proud of it, but you couldn't help it. You were the only woman who managed to tame the prince's wild temper. The only one who became his wife instead of his 'paramour'. And now, you were also the only woman who gave him a male heir.

It's true that Oberyn didn't care about the baby's gender. You knew it. That's just the way it was in Dorne. Regardless of the child's gender, the firstborn child took over in Dorne. People treated princes and princesses with the same respect. Something that was hard to find in the rest of Westeros.

Bastards were also treated completely differently than in other lands. In Dorne, no one made fun of them or threw mud at them. And yet, despite this knowledge, you couldn't shake the feeling of pride when you looked at little Dorian Martell. And you saw that Oberyn was also overjoyed, although a little lost. At first, you were surprised, he was the father of 8 viper bastards. And yet, the day after Dorian's birth, he was a little embarrassed to tell you that he didn't know how to change diapers. And then you realized that there was something else special about you.

Oberyn Martell was never present when his daughters were born. The truth was that he had met the first two when they were no longer wearing diapers. He most often saw the remaining six for the first time when they were over 3 months old. And he was never really a full-time father. He didn't change diapers, he didn't get up at night to take care of a crying baby. Yes, he provided his daughters with everything they needed, and his lovers could count on special considerations, but instead of changing diapers, he preferred… Changing sexual partners in a brothel.

All of this changed with his love for you. You were the only woman in all of Westeros who completely captured his heart. So he couldn't imagine not being present in your child's life from the very beginning. Even if you were the one who had to teach him everything.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of the prince in the chamber. He immediately walked over to the bed and sat down next to you. He kissed your forehead and looked tenderly at his son's sleeping face.

"How are you feeling, my Queen?"

You giggled quietly at his words. Another thing that made you feel special. There was no title of King or Queen in Dorne. Still, Oberyn liked to call you that affectionately. Mostly when you were alone, but even if he did it in the company of others, he didn't care about their outraged faces. He just had to emphasize your uniqueness. You weren't just his woman, his wife… You were his Queen.

"I feel fine." You replied with a slight smile. "Although I'm a little tired and I'd love to cuddle up to your strong body."

Oberyn smiled widely at your words, then spoke in a voice full of love and happiness.

"My love, I was just thinking the same thing. I could use some rest too."

He then carefully picked up your son and carried him to the cradle. When he came back, he immediately laid down next to you and pulled you to his body.

"Relaxing and cuddling with you is my favorite chore. Especially when our son is sleeping."

He started caressing your cheeks tenderly and kissed your head. You snuggled into his strong chest and sighed in contentment. Oberyn began stroking your belly with his hand and murmured:

"Honey, can I ask you a question?"

Lost in your little heaven, you didn't really notice that his tone had changed, from sweet to seductive.

"Mmm… Yes."

"My Queen, since we are alone in our bed, will it be okay if I take off your dress?"

You immediately realized what he was implying, and his next words only confirmed it. He started caressing your breasts and his voice became more flirtatious.

"I could do my chores and make love to you without having to worry about our son interrupting me."

He looked at you with eyes full of lust and you froze. You knew it wasn't his fault. How could he know that not all women were ready for sex so quickly? He wasn't interested in it before. Besides, he was passionate and you knew it and accepted it. You made love to each other until almost the eighth month of your pregnancy, but then you stopped when the maester became concerned about your health.

Your labor was very difficult and you knew you wouldn't be able to give your husband what he wanted. Your heart trembled. You could suggest him to use the services of whores, but… The truth was that you were incredibly jealous, and Oberyn had promised you on wedding day that from now on you would be the only woman in his life. Therefore, with big heartache, you replied:

"My Love, you know we can't do this so soon after giving birth? You could accidentally hurt me."

The smile immediately disappeared from the prince's face. He would never, ever contribute to hurting you. He felt stupid as he realized how inappropriate his offer was.

"Oh… yes, that's right. I'm so sorry, Honey, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. It's been so long since the last…"

He looked away from you for a moment, trying to hide his embarrassment at not thinking about something so important.

"Let's go to sleep instead."

You couldn't take it anymore. Your husband was lovely… Peculiar, but lovely. You cupped his face in your hands and stroked his cheeks with your thumbs.

"Look at me."

Oberyn sighed and looked you straight in the eyes. He really felt embarrassed. He knew a hundred ways to satisfy women and men. With his eyes closed he could find all the erogenous zones. And yet… He knew nothing about female pregnancy. He looked at you with an apologetic expression.

"Yes, my Queen."

You looked at him gently, not feeling even a hint of anger.

"You didn't do anything wrong. I know this is hard for you because it's part of… your fiery temper." You kissed his chin gently. "But you'll have to wait a little longer for it. I promise it will be worth it."

Oberyn couldn't help but smile softly at your words, although he still felt a little embarrassed.

"You're right, Honey. I'm getting more and more impatient every day… But since you promised it would be worth it, I guess I have to wait a little longer."

Then a thought occurred to you. You could still give him some relief. You smiled and started caressing his chest with your hand.

"Although… There are other ways."

Oberyn smiled wider and began to caress your cheeks as your hand moved lower and lower.

"Yes, there are other ways…" He replied in a hoarse voice. "But I wouldn't want to force you to do anything."

You shook your head and licked your lips, your hand already on his stomach.

"You know… The fact that I'm not ready for pleasure yet…" Your fingers hooked the hem of his pants. "That doesn't mean you can't feel relief."

Oberyn let out a soft moan, well aware of your intentions. Your gentle touch was already giving him so much pleasure. He took your hand in his for a moment and stroked it tenderly. Then he kissed you and purred:

"Don't hesitate to continue what you started, darling."

You nodded and kissed his chest while sliding your hand into his pants.

"Do you want it to be like this, my prince? Or do you prefer my lips?"

Oberyn moaned even louder and ran his hand through your hair.

"I want both, Honey."

The prince looked at you with eyes full of lust and you smiled and licked your lips.

"Oh, you're greedy, but… You'll get what you want."

You removed your hand from his pants to unbutton them. You then leaned in and placed a passionate kiss just below his navel. Oberyn couldn't control himself and cleared his throat. He closed his eyes when he felt your soft and gentle lips.

"Y/N… Do you know what you're doing to me?” He started caressing your hair, his voice full of lust. "I love you more than you can imagine."

You raised your head for a moment and looked at him lovingly.

"Do you want more, my prince?"

Oberyn nodded firmly, a quiet sound of satisfaction escaping his lips.

"Yes, my Love… I really want more. Now that you've started it… I want you to keep going. I can't describe how much I want it…."

The prince looked at you with lustful eyes and you pulled down his pants and underwear, muttering:

"Very good."

You started kissing his stomach again, caressing his most intimate places. Soon he felt your hot mouth on his groin, getting closer and closer to his cock, which was already swollen.

Oberyn let out a deep moan as your tongue licked the first drops of pre-cum from his cock head. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, unable to control himself. He kept one hand on your head, pressing you gently against his body. Although he never did it in an overly insistent or brutal way. You weren't one of his whores. You were his Queen. His other hand gripped the sheets as your tongue licked his length and your hands caressed his balls. He reveled in your sweet and tender actions.

"Y/N… Oh, Honey… This feels so good! I'm losing my mind here…"

You smiled at his words and reinforced your actions. You touched his cock even more intensely and with more passion. You used your mouth and hands to bring him to the peak of pleasure.

Oberyn moaned loudly and his body tensed. He breathed deeply and his voice was full of desire.

"Oh gods, Y/N, you're so good at this! I'm going to…"

The prince couldn't finish his sentence and climaxed. You tasted his salty seed on your tongue and swallowed everything he offered. His hand gripped your hair tighter for a moment, but as soon as he finished, he let go of you. He looked at you with a happy and contented expression.

"Thank you, my Love. You were wonderful."

You placed one last gentle kiss on his groin before laying down next to him and gently caressing his chest. Oberyn was still euphoric from his orgasm and gasping for breath. You touched your lips to his ear and whispered:

"Like I said. My body needs time to recover, but you… You can always ask me for 'it'."

Oberyn looked at you with tender and loving eyes.

"My Queen, thank you for understanding my needs and for giving me what I wanted."

He stroked your belly tenderly and looked deeply into your eyes with a romantic and gentle smile.

"Honey, your body deserves to rest and recover after everything you went through giving birth to our healthy and happy son." He brushed his thumb over your lips. "But since you promised I could ask for 'it' whenever I wanted, I'll definitely take you up on that offer again."

You sighed and closed your eyes.

"You deserve it, my prince. You were so understanding and caring when I was pregnant. Now you still try to do everything for me. At least this way I can repay you. And I know you need it."

Oberyn couldn't help but smile at your compliments. He felt proud that you appreciated his sacrifice for you. His hand began to tenderly stroke your exposed shoulder.

Without opening your eyes, you continued to gently rub his chest.

"Now that you're satisfied, are you ready to rest?"

"Yes, my sweet Queen. I am ready for some rest. And thank you again for giving me everything I needed." He kissed your lips before closing his eyes to rest. “I love you, Y/N.”

You smiled and whispered sleepily, "I love you, Oberyn."

Then you fell asleep happily in his arms. The prince stroked your hair as you fell asleep in his arms. He felt joy and happiness in his heart seeing you, his love, so peaceful.

"Sweet dreams, Honey." ♕ It was the middle of the night when Dorian's loud screams filled your chamber. Your son was lying in the cradle and was clearly unhappy. You rolled over and nudged your husband.

"Oberyn, your son needs you." You mumbled, still half asleep. "I recently fed him while you were sleeping, so it must be a diaper issue."

The prince slowly woke up to the sound of his baby boy crying. His eyes were half open, but he knew his son's needs came first. He looked at you with a slight smile and caressed your cheeks tenderly.

"It's okay, my sweet Queen. I'll take care of Dorian."

You felt a wave of joy knowing that you had managed to transform the frivolous prince into a caring husband and father. You watched for a moment as Oberyn stood up and headed towards your son's cradle. However, you quickly went back to sleep, believing that your husband would be able to soothe and put Dorian to sleep.

Meanwhile, Oberyn walked to the baby's cradle and took his son in his arms, making soothing sounds. With patience and love, he began to change Dorian's diaper. When he finished, his son looked at him with tired eyes and kept whimpering. The prince smiled at the baby and began to gently rock him in his arms, singing a soothing song. Soon Dorian's wailing turned into soft grunting until it stopped completely as he fell asleep. Oberyn kissed his little son on the forehead and whispered, "Good night, Dorian."

The prince carefully placed the baby in the cradle, then returned to the bed and happily snuggled into your body. ♕ The weeks passed and you felt better and better. Dorian grew up healthy and happy, and your husband patiently waited for intimate moments in bed with you. Finally, two months after giving birth, you felt ready.

Oberyn entered the chamber and saw a beautiful scene that immediately melted his heart. Your son was lying on the bed wearing only a diaper, and you were sitting next to him. You made soothing sounds and kept leaning down and kissing his little belly. Dorian made happy sounds and waved his hands.

Oberyn looked at you tenderly and came closer.

"Good evening, my Queen."

He sat down on the bed next to you and, like you, kissed the baby's belly. He smiled and whispered in a tender, calm voice: "Good evening, our dear Dorian."

You smiled at your husband and kissed his cheek. When your baby boy saw his father, he waved his hands even more and babbled happily in his childish way.

"You have perfect timing, darling."

He returned your smile and then leaned down again, kissing Dorian's belly and looking at his son with tenderness and adoration.

"I couldn't miss the chance to spend time with our beloved son." He stroked his son's dark hair. "How was your day, little one?"

You smiled mysteriously and said:

"Oh, our son had a very interesting day. Didn't you, Dorian? Mommy didn't let you sleep much today." You looked at Oberyn again. "Now, you have a very important task to do."

Oberyn chuckled softly at your comment and looked at you curiously.

"Oh, yes? So what is my task, my Queen?"

The prince kissed his son on the cheek and stroked his belly.

"Don't let him fall asleep for another half hour. I'll take a bath and then breastfeed him."

Your request seemed a little strange to him, but he wouldn't dare disobey you. He believed that you always know what is best for your child. He smiled at you gently and replied:

"It's okay, my love. Go enjoy your bath while I take care of our son."

He then turned his attention to Dorian. He started caressing the baby boy's belly with his hand and making funny sounds, making the baby laugh. Before you went to the bathroom, you looked at your son and husband with love once again. You smiled mysteriously, which Oberyn didn't miss. The prince began to wonder what you were planning, but he decided to focus on the task you had entrusted to him. ♕ When you came back from the bath, you looked stunning. Your long hair was loose and slightly damp. Your skin was shiny and smelled of honey. And you were wearing one of the thinner nightgowns that didn't cover much.

Oberyn's eyes lit up when he saw you and his jaw dropped. He was entranced by your appearance and couldn't hide the fact that the mere sight of you was enough to turn him on.

You smiled at him, took Dorian into your arms, and sat comfortably on the bed. Your nightgown had such a low neckline that you could easily take out your breast full of milk and start feeding your son. Your baby boy immediately closed his eyes and eagerly began to suckle. You cooed at him.

"Oh, I know you're tired, my little prince, but just a few more minutes. Once you're full, Daddy will change your diaper and you'll go to sleep for hours."

Oberyn couldn't take his eyes off you. Your appearance, your breasts, your son in your arms. It was an image that was burned into his memory. If he could choose the moment of his death, this would be it. He moved closer to you and started stroking his son's head.

"Oh my Queen, you look gorgeous." His voice was hoarse with desire.

You smiled fondly at him, thinking that what you were planning for him would put him in an absolute state of euphoria. But you had to finish your motherhood duties first.

Your son slowly started to fall asleep, enjoying your warm milk. You moved him away from your chest and rested him on your shoulder, gently patting his back. Then you handed him to Oberyn, saying: "Change his diaper and put him in the cradle in the next room… And when you come back to me, close the door behind you."

The prince nodded and followed your instructions. He felt his skin tingle just thinking about what you had planned for him. When he was sure that your son was sound asleep, he returned to you and quietly closed the door behind him. He looked at you with lust, ready to accept whatever you offered him.

He walked up to you and kissed your cheek.

"Dorian is sleeping and you… you look stunning."

You giggled and ran your fingers along his beard.

"I hoped you'd like it."

"Mmm… I like it very much… I always like you…"

You rolled your eyes and muttered, "Flatterer."

Oberyn smiled, his eyes showing nothing but admiration for you. He leaned closer to you and kissed your neck passionately.

"I couldn't have dreamed of anything more wonderful… You are absolutely gorgeous and I wish I had you all to myself right now."

At that moment you knew you had complete power over him. You kissed his ear and whispered:

"Undress and lie on the bed on your stomach."

Oberyn loved the intimate bond he had with you and had no qualms about following your command. He immediately took off his clothes and lay down in the position you asked him to do.

"There. I am all yours, my sweet Queen."

You sat on his back and leaned down to kiss his shoulder. You felt proud that you were able to tame the Red Viper.

"It's nice to know I still have that power over you, my sweet prince."

Oberyn growled in pleasure as he felt your lips on his body.

"You still have power over me and nothing will ever change that."

You couldn't hide the fact that his words made you happy and filled you with pride. He truly made you feel like a Queen… Like all of Westeros was truly yours and like you could do anything. You wanted to make it up to him.

You started massaging his shoulders, neck, and back. You found every tense muscle and made sure you felt your husband relax. You heard him sigh in relief and you said in a sweet voice:

"You've been so sweet these past months… So patient."

You leaned down and bit his ear. He couldn't help but growl slightly at the feeling of your gentle bite.

"It's been a long time since you showed me that kind of affection… I missed it, Honey."

He closed his eyes and continued to enjoy the massage you were giving him. He felt all his stress disappear and at the same time his desire grew. He didn't want to pressure you. But you sensed it easily. You saw his hands grip the pillow and felt his hips lift. You smiled to yourself. Your plan worked. You kissed his neck and murmured,

"What if I told you that you don't have to be patient anymore? That your behavior will be rewarded tonight…"

Oberyn turned his head to look at you. A happy smile appeared on his face.

"My love, with that one sentence you have made me the happiest husband in the Seven Kingdoms… I can't wait until our bodies become one again."

His gaze alone was enough to make you feel wet between your legs. You sat down next to him and smiled. You took a moment to observe his muscular body, sculpted by daily spear training. You were a lucky one.

"I know that you missed my body and my inner warmth. And that 'other' ways to satisfy your lust were unable to satisfy this longing…" You gently stroked his hair. "But I feel that my body is ready… You can have all of me again, darling."

Oberyn loved the way you spoke to him and he was completely mesmerized. He slowly got up and approached you. He brushed his fingers against your face as if to make sure you were real.

"Y/N… It's like you read my mind. You know my desires so well."

He looked at you with deep affection and kissed your neck. He brought his lips close to your ear and in a hoarse voice full of lust, he said:

"I want nothing more than to have my wife back… And now I want to show you how much I missed your body and your warm pussy…"

You kissed him passionately and whispered, "Show me." Then you giggled and added, "If my motherly tricks work, Dorian will sleep until morning, so… My whole body is only yours."

You lay down on the bed, and Oberyn's heart skipped a beat at your words. He wanted nothing more than to enjoy your body. With a gentle smile on his lips, he moved his body closer to yours and was above you. He started kissing your neck and whispered:

"It'll be like this until morning. I'll make the most of it."

Oberyn began to alternate between nibbling and licking your neck and his hand moved between your legs to rub your clit. You moaned softly, happy that he always knew how to drive you crazy. You ran one hand through his hair and the other caressed his stomach.

"Mmm… I missed you too… The feeling of you in my body."

Oberyn moaned softly, feeling your caresses. He continued to kiss your neck as his fingers worked skillfully over your pussy.

"Ahhh… My sweet Queen… I can't express how much I've missed being inside you."

Oberyn's lips began to travel lower to your shoulders and cleavage. You stopped him for a moment and pulled away. He looked at you longingly for a moment, but when he saw you take off your nightgown, his eyes burned with lust. His eyes devoured your naked body. His hands started caressing your thighs, hips, belly…

"You are a goddess and even that is an understatement… You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known."

You laughed softly and pulled him in for a kiss. You stroked his jaw and whispered,

"Oh, my prince, you know how to charm a woman with words."

He looked at you with a mischievous smile as his finger slipped inside you, sending a shiver down your spine.

"I can do much more than just charm a woman with words. I want to show you."

His thumb rubbed your clit, making you moan louder and louder. Oberyn leaned closer and whispered in your ear:

"Do you want me, dear?"

You moaned loudly and licked his ear. You felt yourself getting wet and ready for what you wanted him to give you. You tried to catch your breath and speak.

"Have I… not done enough today to show you… how much I want you?"

Oberyn smiled passionately. He knew what your words meant and he couldn't resist anymore. He pulled you into another heated kiss. When he broke away from you, his eyes were dark with lust. You ran your hand down his stomach and felt how swollen his cock was.

"My Queen… I want more… I need more."

His voice was like the growl of a wild animal. He wasn't always this impatient. Sometimes he would spend an hour pleasuring you before sticking his cock inside you. But you weren't surprised by this. He was thirsty and so were you.

"So it's your lucky day, Oberyn Martell, because your queen wants a lot more today too."

The prince smiled widely and grabbed your hips, pulling you down. You squealed in surprise, but you didn't mind. Oberyn began to intimately run his hands over your body until he reached your thighs and gently but firmly spread your legs.

"I am the happiest man in the world knowing that my Queen wants me in her bed as much as I want her."

His eyes were full of love and lust as he knelt between your legs. He leaned over you, practically covering you with his powerful body. He kissed your shoulder sweetly and you felt the head of his cock approach your entrance. Still, he waited patiently for your sign.

"My love, my perfect husband… I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this."

Oberyn moaned softly, his hands stroking your sides soothingly.

"My Queen, you have no reason to apologize. I would never change this moment, even if I had to wait another month. The moment I am with you, everything is fine. And now everything is perfect."

You looked at him gratefully and felt your heart beat fast. You kissed him on the lips. You felt ready and you wanted him. You nodded and the prince wasted no more time. He pressed his body against yours, brushed his lips against your neck, and began to slowly enter you.

And that was the moment when you realized that it wasn't going to be that easy. Your husband was big, even before labor, the first moments of his thrust into you caused a slight burning sensation, but now it was worse. You bit your lip, trying to stop yourself from groaning in pain. However, his next thrust had you gripping his arms tightly. You hissed in pain and winced. Oberyn immediately froze and looked at you with concern in his eyes.

"Oh, no… Did I hurt you?"

The prince didn't know what to do. He was still inside you, but he didn't want to hurt you. His actions melted your heart. You took a few deep breaths to calm down and relax your vaginal muscles. You also had to calm down Oberyn.

"Everything is fine… It's been a while and my body needs to get used to it again…"

Oberyn breathed a sigh of relief, although he was still concerned. He gently brushed his lips against your forehead and whispered, "I can stop, anytime…"

You smiled and shook your head.

"No… It's better. Give me more."

Your husband looked at you carefully and nodded.

"As you wish, my Queen."

He started moving inside you slowly, being even more careful. Every few moments he kissed your cheeks and forehead, trying to distract you from your discomfort. The initial pain and burning sensation you felt began to subside. It was replaced by a familiar, pleasant warmth, and a shiver of pleasure ran through your body. The prince's patience and understanding began to be successful. You started moaning louder and louder and scratching his back.

"Mmm… My sweet prince… I want more of you…"

Oberyn had no problem noticing that instead of pain, he was now giving you pleasure. Your body was willing again. He smiled fondly at you and continued to caress your face while speeding up his thrusts. However, he was still watching you carefully, ready to fulfill your every desire.

"I'm all yours…" He growled into your ear. "And I will always be."

He couldn't hold back any longer. He wanted you so much. He was almost addicted to your body, to your warmth and smell. He nuzzled his nose into your neck. Hearing your moans become louder, he was sure he was doing everything right. He grabbed your hips and increased the speed and depth of his thrusts as another wave of pleasure hit you. You grabbed his arms and muttered:

"Oh yes… Ahhh! Just like that, honey… Ahhhhh!"

You started placing hot, sloppy kisses on his shoulders and neck. The prince moaned loudly and lifted his head to look at you with lust. His eyes were almost dark and his forehead was covered with beads of sweat.

"You are mine, Queen. Your body belongs to me for me to worship and please you."

As he said this, he leaned down and gently bit your neck. His words, his bite, his thrusts… It all drove you crazy with pleasure. You felt yourself getting closer to orgasm. You grabbed his hair, pressing his head to your neck. You felt your heart speed up.

"Ahhh! Yes, my prince. I am your wife, your queen… and I belong only to you."

This time, it was your words that made Oberyn moan loudly, feeling himself getting closer to his orgasm. He felt your nails scratching at his scalp, sending shivers down his spine. He bit your neck gently again, his hands gripping your hips even tighter. You felt his hot breath on your ear as he panted.

"So take my love… just like I take yours."

You wanted him even more. You wrapped your legs around his hips, forcing him to enter you even harder and deeper. Your moans began to merge into one, filling the chamber with sounds of pleasure. You arched your back, feeling a familiar tingling wash over your body.

"Oh gods… Ah! Oberyn! I… I…"

Oberyn couldn't help himself. He pushed deeper into you, but his thrusts became more erratic. He was on edge too.

"Oh, my queen… You are like sweet poison to me…"

"Ahhh! My darling, my sweet prince… Mmmm… I…"

You felt ecstasy wash over you. Electricity coursed through your entire body and you screamed his name loudly as you climaxed. Your whole body trembled and your vaginal muscles gripped his cock tightly.

Oberyn lifted his head and looked at you, satisfied, he had achieved his goal, he had pleased you. He himself was getting closer too. He moaned loudly and stilled, emptying himself inside you. His hot seed flooded your insides. He still stayed inside you and began to gently caress your face. His breathing was slowing down as was yours.

You felt your legs tremble and you could no longer keep them on Oberyn's hips. You groaned in dissatisfaction and lowered them down. After such an experience, you always felt the need to be as close to your loved one as possible. So you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

Oberyn had no intention of resisting you and happily pressed his body against yours. He felt an explosion of passion, desire, and love in his chest.

"You have no idea how much I needed this…"

You smiled and stroked his cheek.

"I can imagine that."

Oberyn returned your smile, then kissed your forehead and whispered,

"You are my whole life, Honey."

He was so happy and fulfilled that he didn't want to break free from your embrace. He rested his head on your breasts and sighed in contentment as you began to stroke his hair.

You also felt the same way he did. You couldn't imagine a better man. A man whose main goal in life was to please you and provide you with comfort. Still playing with his hair, you said:

"You are everything to me, my sweet Prince. You are my heartbeat and my breath… And this moment can last forever."

Oberyn raised his head for a moment and kissed your cheek, only to snuggle into your breasts again.

"This is heaven." He murmured.

You felt him start to caress your side with his hand and you smiled. You started massaging his neck and said:

"If this is heaven, then you died lying on top of me."

Oberyn chuckled at your joke. He always loved your sense of humor.

"Well, if that's the only way to the afterlife, then that's a death I'll gladly accept."

The whole situation suddenly reminded you of the beginning of your affair, when you were still married to your first husband. The cruel and aggressive Lord Aron. You knew that having an affair with the Prince of Dorne was a death sentence for you, but you couldn't resist it. You fell in love, and as it turned out, you weren't the only one. Oberyn was crazy about you, he wanted you to be his. He wanted to free you from your brutal husband and he had an idea. Except you didn't like his idea at all.

You laughed in amusement and looked at your beloved husband.

"You know what this reminds me of?"

Oberyn looked up and frowned.

"No, I don't know… Tell me."

"When you came up with the idea that the best way to free me from Aron was to make that bastard mad when he caught us…"

You shook your head and giggled. It made you laugh now, but it didn't at the time. Oberyn really wanted to make your husband so furious that he would challenge him to a duel. The prince was confident in his abilities. And even though you also believed that he was a hundred times better warrior than Aron, the very moment of his fury made you afraid.

Continuing to stroke Oberyn's hair, you added:

"I was so terrified as I waited for him to burst into the chamber and see us. And you pulled me close to you and said, 'If you're going to die, I want you to die on me.' And… Oh gods, I hated you then for saying those words. Now they amuse me."

Oberyn started laughing along with you.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. But for me, it's the moment I'm most proud of. I remember how forcefully I had to hold you down and how sure I was that I wasn't going to let that scum kill you. Those were tense moments, my love. But I would do it again, just for you." He leaned closer and whispered, "You were my Queen even before we got married."

You pulled him into another heated kiss and then said in a joking tone:

"You should thank the gods that your queen has become accustomed to your sense of humor and sarcasm over time."

Your husband chuckled and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of your face.

"And yet you married me. My charm, my wit, and my strength won your heart, my Queen. You just have to admit it."

You shook your head. You felt so wonderful in his presence that you decided to keep joking.

"Even if you torture me, I won't admit that…" You lowered your voice to a whisper. "After our first night together, I knew I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life…"

Oberyn's eyes sparkled with joy at your words.

"I didn't have to torture you… You just admitted it." He kissed your forehead and added, "Our first night together is forever burned into my heart, just like you."

You felt yourself bursting with joy. Sometimes you wondered, what you did to deserve such a loving husband? And other times you felt that the gods had decided to reward you for the years you spent with an aggressive, stupid husband who treated you worse than a dog. You sighed and stroked his dark hair. There were already some gray streaks here and there, but you thought that only made him more handsome.

"Our journey has been long and not always easy, but we are finally here. In this wonderful moment."

Oberyn sighed with satisfaction and replied to you:

"And in the end, it was all worth it, because I finally have you, all to myself. And nothing or no one can hurt you, because I'm here now."

Oberyn began to caress your body tenderly, and you melted under his touch. However, not everything was perfect. Something started to bother you… You hissed quietly and started massaging one of your sore breasts. Your son may have been sleeping, but that didn't mean your breasts stopped producing milk.

Oberyn looked at you worried and you started to explain to him:

"My breasts are full of milk and sometimes it kills me. Our son eats a lot anyway, but I have more milk than he needs."

The prince listened to your explanation with a slight smile on his face. He watched you massage your breasts and suddenly he gently grabbed your wrists.

"Let the prince relieve you, my love."

Before you could respond, he started kissing and massaging your breasts. The feeling was great. His hands, much larger than yours, cupped your breasts perfectly. His fingers dug into your skin with perfect pressure.

Oberyn smiled, pleased with how well he was doing. You heard his hoarse voice.

"You will always be taken care of, my Queen. Just ask me and I will satisfy you as best as I can."

You closed your eyes and sighed softly, feeling his firm but gentle touch. Due to his massage, a few drops of milk flowed down your skin. Oberyn looked at it as if hypnotized. He was suddenly overcome with the need to taste it. He licked your skin, tasting the sweet milk, and purred with pleasure:

"My Queen… My love… You are like a dream… You are my dream and my desire…"

You couldn't even find the words. It was something you never expected. Oberyn looked like he was obsessed with your breasts, and was willing to do anything to serve you.

The prince licked his lips and gently placed his mouth on your nipple. He had always loved women's breasts, but this… This was something he had never done and he was as stunned as you were.

"Can I?"

His pleading voice sounded like never before. His brown eyes looked at you hopefully. You nodded and he immediately placed his mouth on your nipple and started sucking.

A soft moan escaped your lips. It was a completely different experience than feeding Dorian. Oberyn's mouth was sucking with so much force and his hands were still squeezing your breasts, causing the feeling of pleasure to travel from your breasts throughout your body and straight to your core.

You started caressing his face with one hand and gently tugging his hair with the other.

"Ah… Oh yes, that's a relief. Honey, don't stop…"

Oberyn moaned passionately upon hearing your words. The taste of your milk, the Queen's milk, was addictive, and knowing that his actions were pleasing you at the same time added to the excitement.

He released your nipple for a moment and croaked:

"What a lucky prince I am to have such a wonderful wife as you."

Then his tongue began to dance on your skin while his hands continued to caress your breasts, more and more milk flowing out of them. Oberyn smiled lewdly and began to suck on your other breast.

You felt a shiver run down your spine.

"Oberyn… Oh, gods… You're so perfect at this… Mmmm…"

Every time he touched your breasts, the pain you felt lessened. Every flick of his tongue sent a wave of pleasure. Until the pain and tension stopped completely and you couldn't hold back your moans.

Oberyn smiled warmly at the sweet sounds you were making. He pulled away for a moment to get some air.

"I'm glad you're satisfied… I just want to serve you… And I want to taste your wonderful milk every day…"

You giggled quietly and shook your head. You realized that you had probably started his new obsession.

"Umm, Dorian wouldn't be happy knowing his dad was stealing his milk, but…" You smiled and looked at him with lust. "He sleeps peacefully in his cradle and doesn't see it. So, go ahead, my prince."

Oberyn laughed happily and brushed his lips against your nipple.

"Your milk tastes delicious… and for me, there is nothing better than the combination of these two things, a happy wife and her delicious milk."

The prince started sucking your nipple again, swirling his tongue around to give you additional sensations. He wanted to hear you moan his name in ecstasy.

As Oberyn continued to suck and caress your breasts, your moans became louder and louder. You couldn't stand the tension building in your body anymore. Your hand went between your thighs, but your husband didn't miss it.

He knew exactly what you needed and he couldn't resist giving it to you. With a loud click, he released your nipple and in a voice dripping with lust, he said,

"My love… Let me handle this."

One of his hands moved between your thighs and his thumb found your clit with ease and practiced precision.

You started moaning even louder and moving your hips restlessly.

"Yes, please… Please… Oberyn…"

You couldn't even form a coherent sentence anymore, but he didn't care. He didn't need your words. He knew your body and your needs better than his own. His two fingers slid inside your hot core, moving rhythmically as his thumb continued to rub your clit.

You were already on the edge of pleasure. Your body became defenseless and sensitive to the prince's touch.

"I'll take care of you, my Dear." He purred, pressing his lips to your breasts.

Your breathing became rapid and your heart was beating like crazy. Everything around disappeared. There was only pleasure. Oberyn's fingers, his mouth, his voice…

"Let it go, my Queen. I'm here for you."

Hearing your lustful and loud moans, he couldn't resist. He wanted to do everything he could to help you achieve an intense orgasm. He sped up the movements of his hand and pressed his lips against your nipple one last time. And that was it. A strong shiver ran through your entire body. Your whole body tensed as your orgasm hit you.

You screamed and cried with pleasure. And your moans intertwined with his name as You climaxed.

Finally, you closed your eyes and fell back onto the pillows exhausted, feeling your vagina twitch around his fingers.

Oberyn waited a moment longer, knowing how sensitive you were at that moment. He gently pulled his fingers out of you and placed a sweet kiss between your breasts. He then laid down next to you and wrapped his arms around you, holding you as if he were holding his most precious treasure. He kissed your temple and whispered tenderly into your ear:

"My Queen and my Love… You are even more beautiful when you are filled with pleasure … You make my heart beat louder than thunder."

You smiled and snuggled into his warm body. You still couldn't gather your thoughts, but you knew he wouldn't leave you until you returned to normal. You sighed contented and happy. Your breathing slowly calmed down. You felt so relaxed and safe. Finally, you placed a sweet kiss on his chest and whispered,

"Thank you, my love."

The prince immediately replied:

"You don't have to thank me. I always want you to feel happy and satisfied."

He kissed your neck gently, unable to stop himself from touching you. In return, you caressed his body. From time to time, you ran your fingers over the scars on his chest, remnants of many battles.

You didn't see how long you lay next to each other in complete silence. It didn't matter. You closed your eyes and purred almost like a cat.

"You are perfect, my prince. Every part of your body… As if the gods created you, especially for me."

"And you are a masterpiece, my Queen. No one in this world could compete with you in terms of beauty, grace, love, and sacrifice… My love for you is like a star that will never fade." He gently, even reverently, caressed your body. "My body and heart remain the same as the day I met you. You are the greatest wife a man could dream of."

You moved away from him a little and pushed yourself up on your hands. Then you leaned over him and looked him straight in the eyes. You almost touched your nose to his.

"Do you think so, my prince? Or maybe you just want to cast a spell on me that will make me never think about anyone else but you for a second."

Oberyn chuckled and jokingly replied:

"You are too smart for me, my Queen, I cannot deceive you." He started caressing your cheeks, and a seductive smile appeared on his face. "But you are wrong, my love. I don't need to cast any spells on you, my Queen. You are like an angel, the most beautiful angel I have ever seen… And it will always be like that."

You started peppering his face with small kisses and then collapsed onto his body with a sigh.

"You know you are my safe place. My oasis in the desert."

Oberyn embraced you and pulled you closer to his body.

"And you are my refuge, my Queen. My refuge from the horrors of the world. You are the light of my life, my love." His voice was full of affection and love. "I am your husband and your lover. And I will never be anything else, ever."

He seemed determined and confident like he had no intention of ever changing his mind about you or your love.

You snuggled into his chest even more. As if you wanted to absorb his love and warmth.

"I love you." You said, your voice slightly sleepy.

"Y/N… My Queen… I love you too." He gave you a quick kiss on the forehead. "May our love be eternal and lasting, just like the gods themselves."

"Hmm… That's a good plan."

You couldn't stop yawning anymore. And now that you had finished making love, goose bumps began to appear on your body. Oberyn noticed that your body was getting cold, so he gently wrapped the blanket around you and wrapped his arms around you tighter. He started stroking your head and in a calm, sweet voice he said:

"I am here for you, my queen. I will keep you warm. No one can hurt you as long as I am with you. You are safe with me."

You smiled and were about to go to dreamland when one thought appeared in your head.

"Hmm… I forgot to tell you…"

You opened your eyes and looked at the prince, half asleep.

"We should throw a feast. After all, Dorian is two months old and we haven't celebrated his birth yet."

Oberyn smiled broadly. He loved feasts, and he loved feasts even more when they were in honor of his family members.

"That's a great idea. We'll throw a feast and invite all our friends from Dorne. It will be a great opportunity to show the world our love and the wonderful baby we have." He kissed your head. "Dorian is a precious gift, my Queen. His birth must be celebrated, but also your sacrifice. Because you two are the greatest people in my life and the best and most important gifts a man can ever receive."

You nodded and kissed him on the lips. After a while, you snuggled back into his chest and were ready to fall asleep. You knew that the prince would probably wake you up in a while with sweet kisses and ask for another round, but you didn't mind. As long as he treated you like his Queen, he had all of you. All your body, heart, and love. Before you fell asleep, you heard his sweet whisper:

"Sweet dreams, darling. I love you."

♕

Pernament tag list: @harriedandharassed