#personally I want them to be there for a planned visit and they walk in on everything imploding

[greengoblinswifey]

Without You—Luigi Mangione x Fem!Reader

summary— After Luigi’s arrested, your whole world comes crashing down. Even more so after discovering you’re pregnant. based on this request.

warnings— heavy angst, L bombs, pregnancy, mentions of abortion, miscarriage, mentions of blood, slight fluff.

“l love you sweetheart, I’m just visiting my parents for a couple days. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Those were the last words Luigi had said to you before the events of December 9th unfolded. After his arrest, you felt like a shell of your former self, stressed and worried for his well being.

Being so caught up in his case, traveling hours to visit him in prison and having countless depressing meetings with his lawyer, you hadn’t noticed your period was missing for weeks. When you finally noticed, you brushed it off as due to stress. You had much bigger fish to fry than a late period.

The air in the court room was tense as Luigi pleaded not guilty. You knew they didn’t believe him and were solely focused on pinning the murder on someone convenient. The stress had been taking a toll on you but you had to be strong for your boyfriend. You would be by his side no matter what and you had faith he would not be found guilty and would finally come home.

After it was over, you were barely able to say a word to him. They treated him like he was a mass murderer.

“I love you, amore,” he muttered, giving you the best hug he could with his hands cuffed.

“I love you. I miss you so much,” you sobbed, making an officer roll his eyes.

“Don’t cry. It’s gonna be okay, this will all be over soon. Stay strong for me, amore.” And with that, he was dragged away by officers, hurling curses and begging them to let him finish speaking with you.

His treatment made your heart ache and you ran to the bathroom to throw up. The whole situation made you sick to your stomach but as he said, you had to be strong for him.

After reapplying your lip gloss and exiting the court, you were bombarded by journalists shoving their microphones and cameras in your face.

“How does it feel to be the girlfriend of an alleged murderer?”

“Are you planning on ending the relationship?”

“Will the relationship progress if Mr. Mangione gets life in prison?”

“How do you feel about what the crimes he has committed?”

You shoved your way through the reporters, utterly disgusted at their lack of empathy and inappropriate questions. If you answered them in the way you wanted, they would’ve surely dragged your name through the media. Instead of hurling insults, you opted to stay silent, walking briskly to your car and driving home.

The house was lonely without him. Usually, you would be in the living room watching movies together with his hand wrapped securely around you. Now, the sofa felt cold as you stared at the television, watching news reports about him and the case.

The days passed in a depressing blur, you spoke to Luigi on the phone everyday and although the situation was unfavorable, he still managed to stay positive. The letters he had been receiving from supporters helped him stay afloat and you did your part by advocating for him online and humanizing him. He wasn’t the cold-blooded killer the media made him out to be. Luigi was kind, intelligent and the most loving person you had ever met.

Each morning, before Luigi would call, you were bent over the toilet, spilling out your insides vomiting. In moments like these, you wished he was there to hold your curls and rub your back. A few times you would even miss his calls, so caught up in throwing up that you didn’t hear your phone ring.

When you finally answered, he was concerned even though you were the one who should’ve been worried about him.

“Are you okay, amore? I called twice before and you didn’t pick up,” Luigi’s soft voice said.

“I’m so sorry Lu, I’ve been really sick these past few days. When you called I was throwing up.” As you spoke, you felt bile coming up and you ran back to the bathroom.

“That’s terrible, baby. I wish I was there to take care of you. You need to see a doctor immediately, I don’t want to call back and you haven’t seen one,” he said, sternly but lovingly.

After speaking with him a bit more, you ended the call and decided to head to the hospital immediately.

As you sat waiting on a doctor, you were given sympathetic stares. You hadn’t expected so many people to recognize you as Luigi’s girlfriend. As you entered the room, you were greeted by the doctor.

“Good morning. I’m so sorry about what’s been happening to Luigi,” she began, “you’re a strong woman. I hope it all works out for you both.”

You thanked her, grateful for her kind words in the midst of the storm and explained how you had been feeling for the past few days.

“I understand but just a quick question, when was the last time you had your period?”

Confusion was etched on your face at her question. “W-well, we’re in January so probably, early October.”

She hummed in response and took your fluids to run a few tests then gave you two sticks. Your eyes widened at the pregnancy tests in front of you but the words you wanted to say couldn’t leave your lips.

“Just take the tests,” she said, rubbing your back.

Sighing, you went into the small bathroom and peed on both tests, a million thoughts running through your head. Was your doctor suggesting you were pregnant? You couldn’t be, could you? It was just the stress of Luigi being in prison and the possibility of him never leaving. You couldn’t be pregnant. Now wasn’t the time for you to be pregnant.

A knock at the door startled you and you exited the bathroom, not even bothering to look at the tests.

“I don’t want to look at it, can you do it for me, please?” you said to the doctor and she obliged.

“Sweetie, congratulations. You’re pregnant.”

Pregnant. Your heart thumped in your chest at her words. This was just too much.

“I-I can’t be, what do my other tests results say?” you asked.

“They’ll come back as positive too but if you’re still not believing, let’s do an ultrasound.”

She lathered your stomach in cold gel and as you looked down, you realized it was a bit plump. A baby was possibly growing inside you. The transducer glided across your stomach and as you stared at the monitor in front of you, you saw it.

In black and white, you saw the small outline of a fetus. It was tiny but you couldn’t miss it as it moved around a bit.

“There’s your baby,” you doctor beamed, pointing to the screen.

All you wanted to do was burst into tears but you didn’t want to cry in front of her. After thanking the doctor for her time, you headed home, a heavy weight pressing down upon you.

The flood gates opened as you swung open the front door. You were pregnant. What were you going to do? Your boyfriend was in prison and with the way things were going, he wouldn’t be out for a while. You and Luigi had never even discussed having children as yet. Well, you had, but it was always said to possibly happen after you guys were married and well established in your respective careers.

How would you navigate pregnancy in a situation like this? You were spiraling, not sure what to do and you hadn’t stop crying since you arrived home. The only thing you thought to do was call your mother. Since Luigi’s arrest, she had completely isolated from you after realizing you were going to give your boyfriend unwavering support. Despite her demanding you break the relationship off, you stayed with him and supported him publicly. Wanting no part, claiming you would bring “shame” upon her, she had stopped speaking to you.

With shaky hands, you held the phone up to your ear, wondering if she would even pick up.

“Have you finally decided to end your relationship with that murderer?” your mother inquired, as soon as she answered.

Tears flooded your eyes again and you scoffed. “Enough mom, I’m not breaking up with Luigi. Especially not now. Mom, I’m pregnant.”

She paused for a moment. You could feel the shock through the phone. “This is exactly what I was afraid of. How could you be so irresponsible? You’re pregnant for him of all people. And out of wed lock at that. Now look at you, pregnant, unmarried and a baby mama to a man in prison,” she snapped.

“You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to be pregnant? You think I wanted them to lock him up? We were going to get married eventually, mom but life fucking happened. If you aren’t going to be there for me then I don’t want you in mine or my baby’s life if I keep it,” you retorted, voice shaky.

“If you keep it? No daughter of mine will even think about getting an abortion. Own your mistakes and the shame you brought upon yourself. You don’t get to take the easy way out.”

Her words made you nauseous again. “It’s my body and my choice. You don’t get to tell me what to do especially with the way you’ve treated me. I’m not your daughter anymore, you’ve made that clear through your words and actions. A mother supports her daughter and treats her with respect no matter what. Get off my phone.”

Before she could yell again, you ended the call. You curled up into a ball on your bed and cried, the only person who could comfort you was Luigi, and he wasn’t even here.

In just two days, you would be visiting him. It would be better to tell him the news in person rather than on a phone call. God, did you even want to tell him? Would he take it as good news or bad news? Would he want you to keep it or abort it? Did you even want to keep it? Did you want to abort it?

A million questions infiltrated your thoughts. How could you know what reaction you wanted from him when you weren’t sure of what decision you wanted to make. But you did know one thing, Luigi loved you and the life growing inside of you was a part of you. He would love it just the same. Maybe this was the good news he needed and the calm in the storm.

For the next two days, you spoke to your boyfriend over the phone, trying your hardest not to spill the news. You needed his comfort but you’d just have to wait, and finally, the day came for you to see him again.

Your heart skipped a beat seeing Luigi’s gaze meet yours. He had his signature smile on and you ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.

“I missed you so much.” You immediately bursted into tears, not sure if it was the hormones or just that you truly just missed him—probably both.

He cupped your face, using his thumb to wipe away your tears. “Don’t cry amore, you’re seeing me now aren’t you?”

You sat across from each other, your hand in his as he stared into your eyes lovingly. “You have no idea how much I miss looking at you every morning. Every night, every day. It’s hell without you.”

Tears threatened to spill from your eyes again. How could you go through your pregnancy all alone?

“Lu, I have something I need to tell you,” you said simply.

His thick eyebrows furrowed in confusion but he still held your hands tightly.

“I did what you said and went to the doctor,” you started, and he squeezed your hand reassuringly. “I’m pregnant, Lu.”

His breath caught in his throat and he gazed into your eyes before pulling you in for a hug. “My baby is carrying my baby,” he said, almost in disbelief.

“I didn’t know how you’d react, I don’t even know what to do,” you sobbed.

He kissed away your tears. He didn’t know what to do either but he had to be strong for you now.

“Whatever decision you make, I fully support you. But you being pregnant? I’m not mad at that. That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

You leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips, his understanding doing so much for you in that moment. It was a complex situation but having Luigi by your side made you feel as though it would all work out.

“I’m so scared, Lu,” you murmured.

“Me too, amore. But it’s going to work out. I have you, you have me, no matter how far away from each other we are. It doesn’t matter if I’m behind these walls,” he retorted.

You nodded your head, leaning into his warm touch on your cheek.

The rest of the visit you spoke about how he was feeling and how you were managing alone. His conditions weren’t the best but you were doing everything you could and speaking to everyone in high positions of power to rectify whatever issues there were in the prison.

You kissed Luigi like it was the last time you’d see him and by the time you arrived back at your house, you could still taste him on your lips.

Your happiness didn’t last long as after a few days, you were bombarded with messages from your mother and other relatives. They blew up your phone with insults, accusing you of choosing a man over your mother and claiming you brought disgrace and embarrassment upon your family by getting pregnant.

Clearly, your mother chose her own pride over you and her potential grandchild. You were not the one to be blamed here but their insults never ceased. You resorted to blocking them, the stress of the situation putting you in a dark place.

It didn’t help that floating around the media was if Luigi was convicted of federal charges, he would face the death penalty. You knew they didn’t have much evidence but that didn’t stop you from being utterly broken and terrified of the possibility.

But despite that, you had finally come to a decision. After much internal battle, you decided to keep the baby.

“I’m going to be a dad?” Luigi beamed over the phone. He was ecstatic.

“Yes, Lu, and I know you’re going to be the best dad that you can be.” Tears rolled down your cheeks even though you tried to be positive.

“And you’re going to be an amazing mother. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, amore. I’ll always be here.”

He had to end the call and with your hormones raging, you couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. You were happy to keep the baby, but you were going to be alone for most—if not all of your pregnancy. He would miss doctors appointments, kicks, watching you grow—almost everything. It made your heart ache.

You thought your relatives had cooled down but they began finding your social media accounts. They left nasty comments calling your baby a “bastard child”, telling you that Luigi was a murderer and your baby would grow up with their father in prison or hopefully dead. Their comments made you sick and it affected you deeply. These were the people that were supposed to be supportive and nurturing. Instead, they were the ones that caused you the most harm.

One night, you woke up in excruciating agony. The pain you felt surpassed any cramps you’d ever experienced and you practically crawled to the bathroom and sat on the toilet trying to comfort yourself. You sat there for what felt like hours, clutching your stomach and passing whatever came out of you.

Looking into the toilet, it was filled with an unmistakable red hue. It was blood, and you could see something that looked like a small fetus. You couldn’t breathe—couldn’t speak. The stress of the last few days had caused you to have a miscarriage. That night, you lay on the bathroom floor sobbing, even crying out for Luigi but you knew he wouldn’t come. You cried until you fell asleep and the next morning, you finally had the courage to flush the toilet.

You called and informed your doctor of the miscarriage and she was devastated. She suggesting coming in but you refused, the only person you wanted to see was Luigi. You didn’t want to go back there, all it would do was remind you of the baby you lost. The hope you lost.

The drive to the detention center was long and treacherous with you zoning out multiple times. Somehow, you arrived safely and seeing Luigi’s face made you burst into tears.

“Sweetheart, hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, his hands holding yours.

Clutching your stomach, you slowly looked up at him. “I lost the baby, Lu. I had a miscarriage, I’m so sorry.”

Luigi had tears in his eyes and he felt as if the world was closing in on him. “I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry that happened. Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault. God, I’m so sorry you went through that alone, I’d give anything to have been there.”

Luigi hugged you for as long as he could. You didn’t have much to say, his presence and support was enough. You were all each other had.

“I wanted you to be a dad, Lu,” you began, “I wanted us to have a family. This baby gave me hope. It gave you hope, it made you so happy.”

“I know, baby. I wish things would’ve been different. I’m so sorry that happened. You don’t deserve any of this.”

Inevitably, visiting hours were over and you reluctantly had to leave. You didn’t know how you’d survive however long without him. Without him being next to you each morning and each night. Without him being there to hold you close whenever you would start crying.

It seemed like a long, hard road ahead but no matter what, no matter the distance or circumstance, you had Luigi. The situation wasn’t perfect but he was the perfect man. You weren’t sure when you’d get over losing the baby—or if you get over it but each day was a small step closer to getting better. One day, it was all going to be alright.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Mitsuhide Akechi Sequel

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Spoilers ahead. Not a full chapter translation.

With a pale face, Sasuke nodded.

Sasuke: "The fact that Mitsuhide's name is starting to disappear from the travel guide suggests that possibility."

Sasuke: "If Mitsuhide vanishes from the stage of history, the cause of divine punishment will be gone, and you'll surely return to normal."

The trembling of my body suddenly stopped.

My fingertips had gone so cold I could no longer feel anything.

Mai: "Thank you for answering honestly."

Sasuke: "Mai, what I just mentioned is just one solution. It's not the only definitive answer."

Mai: "Yeah, I know."

(But it is the most straightforward solution.)

Mai: "I'll try to forget about this and come up with other ways."

Sasuke: "Okay. I'll keep looking into it, too."

Sasuke: "So, Mai, please don't dwell on this alone."

Mai: "Thank you."

Unable to say yes, I simply expressed my gratitude.

Sasuke: "!?"

Sasuke: "Mai!?"

A flash of distress crossed Sasuke's face.

(I'm disappearing again!)

I quickly pulled out the necklace and rang the bell.

Sasuke: "Mai!"

Mai: "I'm fine, really!"

I shouted at the top of my lungs, wishing my voice would reach him.

Mai: "You take care too, alright? Thank you, Sasuke."

Perhaps he barely heard me, but Sasuke nodded in response.

Sasuke: "Don't forget, you have so many people on your side."

Mai: "Yeah!"

As I watched him walk away, I could no longer stand and collapsed to the floor.

Mai: "I'm okay. I'm okay. I'll definitely be okay."

I kept telling myself that over and over again, trying to muster the strength to get up.

(I'm scared, but even so, I'm glad I was able to face it.)

(Because now, I know how to avoid the worst outcome.)

This world no longer has a place for me.

The ground beneath me has disappeared, and I'm falling endlessly into darkness.

Fear engulfed me from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. And yet, at the same time, a glimmer of hope emerged—a way to protect the person I love.

(It's strange.)

(Even though the thought of the future terrifies me to the point I can hardly breathe...)

At this moment, I feel the happiest I've ever been in my life.

(Loving someone is full of contradictions.)

Ranmaru: "I've brought Lady Mai."

Nobunaga: "Well done, Ranmaru."

Nobunaga: "You're there, aren't you, Mai?"

Mai: "Yes."

As I replied, the soft chime of a bell echoed, and Nobunaga nodded in acknowledgment.

The warlords, fully prepared for battle, wore determined expressions.

Scanning the hall, I quickly noticed the absence of someone I wanted to see.

(Mitsuhide isn't back yet.)

Although he'd been visiting whenever he found the time since the strange events began, he remained as elusive as ever. I haven't seen him since yesterday.

Hideyoshi: "Mai came all the way here, and yet, where's that guy?"

Mitsunari: "Lord Mitsuhide won't be participating in this campaign."

Mai: "I see."

(So, he's off somewhere, hatching another plan.)

I offered a quiet prayer in my heart.

(I hope Mitsuhide can accomplish whatever he's aiming for.)

(And also, happiness and peace.)

Nobunaga: "Keiji, what's the situation with Kicho and the others?"

Keiji: "They've left Sakai and are advancing toward Azuchi."

Keiji: "According to reports from the scouts, the enemy forces are twice our number."

(That big of a difference!?)

Hideyoshi: "We can't divert forces from suppressing the rebellion. We'll face them with a select elite group."

Masamune: "Perfect. My sword's itching for some action."

Masamune spoke with a fearless grin, but my heart pounded uncontrollably.

(I'll never get used to war.)

(I mean, how could I? So much blood will be spilled.)

At this very moment, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, must be on the verge of screaming, consumed by the fear of losing someone precious.

(I'm one of them.)

(This pain of loss transcends enemies and allies.)

Just imagining the heartache of losing someone made my chest feel like it was being crushed.

Ieyasu: "Mai, I bet you're making a sad face right now. I can tell, even though I can't see it."

Mai: "Ieyasu..."

Ieyasu: "You don't need to worry about unnecessary things."

Mitsunari: "Lady Mai, we'll return safely. Every single one of us."

Mitsunari: "Knowing that someone is waiting for us gives us strength."

Mitsunari's words were met with nods of agreement from everyone around us.

Mai: "Okay. I'll wait for you guys."

(I'm glad I decided not to run away.)

Even though I was almost like a ghost, there were still people who needed me.

(We're not needed because we're useful; we need each other simply because we want to be there for one another.)

Keiji: "Well then, let's go make some noise!"

Nobunaga: "Do not falter, any of you."

Everyone: "Yes!"

[Mai's Room, a few days later]

Mai: "Kicho and Motonari aim to undermine Lord Nobunaga's power and keep the rebellions going."

Ranmaru: "Judging by how easily the enemy army retreated, that's likely their intention."

(They aim to disrupt the peace of this world itself.)

Mai: "But why? There's no benefit in that for Kicho or Motonari."

Ranmaru: "I have no idea."

Ranmaru: "Times like this make me wish we could consult an expert in scheming."

Ranmaru muttered this with a look of pure frustration on his face.

(Does Mitsuhide know about Kicho and Motonari's movements?)

Ranmaru: "Lady Mai, if Lord Mitsuhide comes here, will you let him know?"

Ranmaru: "Tell him Lord Nobunaga and everyone are waiting for him. He needs to show up."

Mai: "Alright, I will."

After Ranmaru left, the only sound that remained was the howling wind outside.

(It feels like a storm is coming.)

The room started growing darker, so I lit a candle, but the draft caused the flame to flicker wildly.

My shadow, dancing along with the candlelight, appeared faint and thin.

(I don't have much time left.)

(Mitsuhide hasn't returned to Azuchi yet, so tonight's my chance.)

(I need to do whatever I can to avoid the worst outcome.)

I gathered only the bare essentials and wrapped them in a cloth bundle.

As I was preparing to leave—

???: "I'm coming in, Mai."

Mai: "!"

Masamune stepped into the room, his eye fixed intently on me.

Masamune: "What are you doing?"

(How could he show up at the exact moment I didn't want anyone to see me?)

I forced a smile, desperately trying to hide my panic, and turned to face him.

Mai: "Just tidying up. I had some free time, so I thought I'd organize a bit."

Masamune: "Liar."

Mai: "Huh?"

He strode toward me in large steps, leaning in to meet my eyes directly.

Masamune: "You're planning to disappear, aren't you?"

(How does he know?)

I clutched the small bundle I'd just packed tightly to my chest.

Masamune: "Thought so."

Before I could even think of an excuse, he spoke with absolute certainty.

Masamune: "I had a bad feeling, so I came to check on you. Looks like I was right."

Masamune: "Now that I've caught you, explain yourself."

Mai: "............"

Masamune: "Relax. I won't tell Mitsuhide."

He even guessed why I hesitated to speak.

Defeated, I gave in.

(There's no way I can deceive him.)

(I can't tell him everything, but if I don't speak honestly, he'll never forgive me.)

I lowered my gaze, searching for the right words.

Compared to Masamune's bold and vivid shadow, mine wavered like ink dissolving into water.

Mai: "Being near yet unable to connect is just too lonely."

Masamune: "............"

Mai: "If I know I'm no longer by everyone's side, maybe the pain will someday fade away."

Mai: "The sadness of not being able to touch someone, the pain of not being able to help, I thought that if I could just keep the good memories, that would be enough."

Masamune: "............"

Mai: "If I can't change the fate of disappearing, then at least I want to put an end to it myself."

Masamune: "So, you're going to leave here alone and say nothing?"

Mai: "Yeah."

(What scares me the most isn't the thought of becoming a ghost.)

(It's the thought that Mitsuhide might realize that if he disappears, my strange condition will be cured.)

I've come to believe that he would throw his life away without hesitation to save me, having loved me with such unrestrained devotion.

(If he disappears from this world, that would be the worst possible outcome for me.)

Mai: "Even if I leave here, I think I can somehow survive. I've been given enough strength to do that."

Mai: "Once I leave Azuchi and settle down, I'll send a letter."

It felt like a gaping hole had opened up in the center of my heart, and a dry wind was blowing right through it.

Masamune: "I understand your resolve."

Masamune: "That being said, I'll ask you again."

The intensity in Masamune's eye grew even stronger.

Masamune: "Is there no way I can steal you?"

(Masamune...)

(Was he serious about this?)

Mai: "Thank you, Masamune. I'm really grateful that you're trying to help, but there's nothing that can be done."

Mai: "I can't even control my own heart freely."

(Even if it's just for show, I can't be with anyone other than Mitsuhide.)

(I can't lie to my feelings, not even for a second.)

In this world, I fell deeply in love.

Love has become my backbone.

Masamune: "I see. In that case, don't back down, Mai."

Mai: "-----!"

Struck by his commanding voice, I quickly lifted my head.

Masamune: "Even if the bullets run out or the sword breaks, as long as you don't turn your back, there's still a chance of victory."

Masamune: "You stay where your heart belongs, even if it's by force."

(Where my heart belongs…)

The strength drained from my body and the small bundle I was holding dropped with a soft thud.

The gaze that pierced the depths of my soul pried open the feelings I'd buried deep inside.

(I...)

Mai: "The truth is..."

Masamune: "............"

Mai: "The truth is, I don't want to go anywhere!"

Masamune: "Mai..."

The scream I let out never pierced the air, and my wavering shadow finally disappeared.

Still, I couldn't keep it bottled up any longer.

Mai: "I want to be by Mitsuhide's side, not knowing anything about my fate. I want us to live together!"

(I won't give in to this fate. I won't lose.)

I let the tears flow freely.

I wasn't sad. I was just so angry.

Masamune: "Are you crying?"

Mai: "Yeah, sorry."

Even the sobs I couldn't control didn't reach him now.

Masamune: "Cry as much as you want."

Masamune: "Once you've cried it all out, you'll be able to fight again."

Masamune smiled and placed his hand gently on my head.

The motion of his palm as he stroked the air above me was incredibly kind.

(He's patting my head.)

Masamune: "If you try to leave again, this time, I'll take you from Mitsuhide by force."

Masamune: "And it won't just be me. Hideyoshi, Ieyasu, Mitsunari, Keiji, Ranmaru, and Lord Nobunaga—they'll all come for you."

Mai: "T-That's..."

Masamune: "If that bothers you, then stay here."

Masamune: "Understood?"

Mai: "Thank you."

(I hadn't considered the consequences.)

(If I leave Azuchi, there will be people I'll make sad.)

(I've been cherished far more than I realized.)

Fear and happiness crashed into me at the same time, leaving me frozen, unable to move.

No matter how much I pretended to be strong, my heart shattered, revealing my weakness.

(I guess it's okay to still be uncertain.)

I'm determined to avoid the worst possible outcome, and I won't hesitate to do whatever it takes to prevent it.

(Maybe I can stay here just a little longer.)

As I stood there, unable to move, Masamune quietly let me cry as much as I needed.

In the hallway, a shadow listened intently to the sound of muffled sobs.

Mitsuhide: "..........."

Without saying a word, Mitsuhide quietly left the spot without meeting Mai's eyes and departed Azuchi.

A few days later, thick clouds covered Azuchi at night.

As the rain gradually intensified, the brightly lit hall of Azuchi Castle was filled with the gathered Oda warlords.

Nobunaga: "You're back, Mitsuhide."

Mitsuhide: "Yes."

Surrounded by generals in full armor, Mitsuhide, wearing an immaculate kimono with no stains, stood out more than usual.

Mitsuhide: "I was a little late due to personal matters."

Hideyoshi: "You left the battle against Kicho and Motonari and still show up here as if nothing happened."

Mitsuhide: "It wasn't a problem without me, was it?"

Mitsuhide: "In fact, the Oda army won in less than a day."

Hideyoshi: "Don't start making excuses."

Hideyoshi stood up, veins bulging on his forehead, and angrily confronted Mitsuhide.

Hideyoshi: "What were you doing leaving Mai behind?"

Mitsuhide: "I said it was a personal matter."

Hideyoshi: "I'm asking what exactly that matter was."

Even as Hideyoshi grabbed him by the collar, Mitsuhide maintained a cold smile.

Nobunaga & Ranmaru: "............."

Masamune & Keiji: "............."

Ieyasu & Mitsunari: "............."

The gazes of everyone gathered pierced through Mitsuhide as the sound of rain from outside grew louder and more intense.

Hideyoshi: "Speak. What were you doing?"

A growl-like voice escaped Hideyoshi's throat.

No one in the room attempted to stop him.

Mitsuhide: "Let go of me. I won't be able to speak if you choke me."

Hideyoshi: "............"

Once Hideyoshi released his grip, Mitsuhide straightened his collar.

He then walked past Hideyoshi and approached Nobunaga, bowing deeply.

Mitsuhide: "Lord Nobunaga, I wish to resign from my position as a general of the Oda army."

Nobunaga: "..........."

Hideyoshi: "Ha?"

Masamune: "What kind of evil scheme is this now?"

Mitsuhide: "That's something I cannot say."

Hideyoshi: "You..."

Masamune: "Can't even tell us, huh?"

Ieyasu: "A rather honest answer for someone like you."

Mitsuhide: "I won't deny that."

Mitsuhide: "I can't say more, but I do thank you all. I appreciate everything you've done for me."

Hideyoshi: "Cut the jokes. It's not the time for that."

Keiji: "I don't think it's a joke. You should know better than anyone that he's not joking, Hideyoshi."

Mitsunari: "He's not someone who will listen to persuasion."

Mitsunari: "Even if you try to reason with him, he's already got his rebuttals lined up."

Mitsuhide: "You're sharp, Mitsunari. With you here, the Oda army's plans are in good hands."

Ieyasu: "And what about Mai? Does she agree with you?"

Mitsuhide: "I'll tell her myself and make her understand."

Ranmaru: "Do you really think she'll just accept that?!"

Ranmaru: "What happens to Mai if you leave?!"

Mitsuhide: "Mai and I are separate people."

Ranmaru: "-----!"

Mitsuhide: "Mai will follow her own path."

The warlords fell silent, and Mitsuhide quietly looked around at each of them before standing up.

Mitsuhide: "Well then, this is where we part ways."

Nobunaga: "Mitsuhide."

Mitsuhide: "Yes?"

Nobunaga: "Have I strayed from my path?"

Mitsuhide: "No, never."

Mitsuhide: "It's simply that our paths have diverged."

Without looking back, Mitsuhide opened the door and left the hall.

The incoming dark clouds unleashed a violent rainstorm upon the castle.

[Castle's Hallway]

Masamune: "Wait."

Mitsuhide: ".........."

At the voice calling after him, Mitsuhide paused.

The cold hallway was dark, and the night air seemed to cling to both of them.

Mitsuhide: "I thought our conversation was over?"

Masamune: "I still have something I want to ask."

The murderous intent in Masamune's voice made Mitsuhide turn around.

His gaze, sharp as a blade, met Mitsuhide's.

Masamune: "It's your choice to part ways with us for the sake of your ambition, for your own righteousness, but have you truly severed your ties with Mai as well?"

Mitsuhide: "That's exactly what has happened."

Mitsuhide: "If you intend to take her, now is the time."

Masamune: "........."

Masamune: "Eavesdropping again, I see. Always a fine hobby of yours."

Masamune: "Are you really serious about this?"

Mitsuhide: "Of course."

Masamune: "Then you're a fool."

Masamune: "If I could take her, I would have done it long ago."

Mitsuhide: "Don't get so down. It's so unlike you."

Masamune: "You, on the other hand, are acting so much like yourself that it's almost nauseating."

Mitsuhide: "Take it however you want."

Mitsuhide: "Tonight, our connection will be cut."

Masamune: "Is that so? If you're so sure about it, then..."

With a smooth, fluid motion, Masamune placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Masamune: "I'll cut off your limbs to make sure you don't leave."

Mitsuhide: "I'd appreciate it if you refrained from that."

[stagefoureddiediaz]

So is it a planned diaz parents visit or has Eddie already called them and they know what’s going on and are on their way??

Because the implications and possible reactions of Helena and Ramon are different in each circumstance.

they either walk in on Eddie’s life imploding having come to offer support and help

or they walk in on it imploding and find themselves unexpectedly in the middle of everything

[steelycunt]

driving up 2 my uni city on friday n moving into my new uni room in my new house...cant wait 2 decorate it i have such a plan i have posters i am so so excited.... : ^ )

[maddybthorne]

I want a BBC Merlin fanfic where Hunith visits Camelot as a surprise. Merlin doesn't know she's coming, only Gaius knows that she plans to visit. This is set in a time period where all the knights are alive (I'm looking at you Lancelot.) and Arthur is Prince, but running the Kingdom as Uther is unwell.

Hunith pulls up to Camelot and is walking towards the Castle through the citadel, burdened by her bags, when a cheerful voice rings out. "Do you need any help, miss?" It's one of the many Castle servants.

Hunith explains that she is heading to the Castle to visit her son who works there, the servant then offers to carry her bags.

"Oh I don't want to be a bother." Hunith replies

"It's no bother at all! Really, I was heading that way already." The servant insists and they both make their way to the castle, "What's your son's name by the way, I might know him if he works here."

"His name is Merlin." Hunith responds with a smile. The servant stops walking and looks at her. It's not only him that stops at this announcement.

"Y-you're Merlin's Mother?!?" A nearby servant who had been close enough to hear the conversation says in awe.

The courtyard that they're walking through gradually fills with hushed whispers as the news spreads. Everyone knows of Merlin. The Prince's manservant who had managed to not quit in the first week of serving him. Merlin, who changed the Prince from a spoiled brat into a good man whom the Kingdom was proud of and eagerly awaited the day he would be crowned King. Merlin, who had followed the Prince into battle time and time again to save Camelot.

I want a fanfiction where The Entire Of Camelot loves Merlin and is thankful for his role in making Arthur a good person. Where not only the Knights, but the Castle staff meet his mother and collectively decide that she is That Woman and treat her with Respect. Where they treat her like Royalty.

Ofc Gwaine loves her. That's his best friend's mom. Hunith looks at all the knights and adopts them on the Spot.

And Merlin is either really confused by this behavior or knows and just lets it happen.

Arthur has no idea what's going on or why but he treats her with reverence and love because that's his future Mother in Law and he's very much starved for parental affection which she gives him (and the knights) in spades.

But yes, I just want a fic of people meeting Hunith and being like "Thank you for giving birth to your son. I'd die for you both" and her being like "...please don't."

(Bonus if Leon meets her and is just like. "How did you survive being around that little shit (Merlin) for so long?" And she just laughs and gives him advice, which makes him cry because he's just so tired. #LetLeonRest2024 I will push this agenda till I die)

[steddiealltheway]

As soon as Steve hears the phone ring, he sighs.

Robin is away visiting her family in Kentucky for the holidays, and the only other person to ever call would be...

"Dustin," Steve says, his free hand coming up to rest on his hip, "why are you calling?"

There's a pause on the other line before Dustin whines, "How do you always know when it's me."

"Because your irritating energy bleeds through the phone."

Another pause. "You got that from Robin, didn't you?"

Yes. He did. Sue him for wanting to be witty and taking a few notes from Robin. "What do you want?"

"Okay, so..." Oh boy. "I've been meaning to talk to Suzie for a while now, and we made plans not to talk on Christmas because she would be with her family all day, and I knew my mom wouldn't want me to be away for too long so-"

"The point, Dustin."

Dustin mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like multiple curse words before continuing, "The point is that I'm taking Cerebro to that hill, but I'm going to need a ride."

Steve frowns, walking toward the nearest window until the phone cord is fully stretched so he can pull a curtain open. He winces a bit at the bright light. "Dustin, it's freezing out, and the hill will be covered in snow."

"You would've done the same for Nancy!"

Steve's eyebrows raise. "Not the best approach if you want a ride, dude."

"I'm not trying to approach the whole you and Nancy thing. I'm trying to make a point," Dustin emphasizes a little too loudly into the phone. "You would do anything if you were in love! Even sit out in the snow for a few hours just so you can talk to the person you love."

"Have you ever heard of the phone?"

"Have you heard the number of siblings she has that would jump at the opportunity to listen in on our call? Plus, Cerebro is our thing."

Steve really wishes Dustin were in front of him, so he could see the way his cheeks are flushing during this exact moment. "You just like using your Cebro thing because it makes it feel like your love is forbidden."

"I do not!"

"Alright, Romeo," Steve says with a laugh, "I'll give you a ride. If you promise to only be there for an hour."

"Not including the time it takes to get there, set it up, and leave."

Steve sighs and knocks the phone against his head for a second before reluctantly agreeing, "Yes, but you better be bundled up so much that you're sweating out there. I don't want to hear you complain." He also secretly worries about the kid getting frostbite or something, but he'd never admit to it.

"Fine I'll see you in an hour?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then," Steve says as Dustin hangs up. "A thank you would've been nice..."

He really hopes he doesn't regret this.

-:-:-:-:-:-

When Dustin climbs in the car, he's bundled from head to toe but still manages to laugh at Steve who is wearing the same amount of layers as him. "Look in the mirror," Steve comments dryly before driving off.

The drive there isn't too long, and although Steve saw Dustin a few days ago - after Claudia insisted he spend Christmas with them instead of home alone - he's kind of glad to hang out with Dustin again. It's not often he gets a lot of one-on-one time with the kid anymore.

Which is why Steve is particularly bitchy when he pulls up to the familar area below the hill and find a familar van there.

"Dustin..."

"I didn't think you would agree to take me here and stay! So, I asked Eddie to give me a ride back this morning-"

"This morning?"

"And he said he was already going to be in the area and wanted to briefly meet Suzie and my Cerebro, so he's here now! And if you want, you can just drop me off. Think of it as a late Christmas gift."

Steve shakes his head. "And leave you in Munson's capable hands only to find out you two froze to death? No thanks." He gets out of the car with thoughts of a mourning Claudia Henderson on his mind.

"We wouldn't freeze to death!" Dustin practically shouts as he climbs out.

At that same moment, Eddie exits from his van, wearing his usual attire, only with maybe an extra added layer - a leather jacket.

Steve turns to Dustin, raising his eyebrows and gesturing toward Munson. Dustin sighs before going to the trunk to dig out all the different Cerebro parts.

Before Steve can join him, Eddie approaches him with a big smile. "Steve Harrington. Looking awfully toasty."

Steve rolls his eyes in response before openning his car door and reaching toward the back, grabbing the spare pair of gloves and a hat that he keeps whenever Robin forgets the extra layers - which is often. He hands them to Eddie without a word then helps Dustin grab his things before heading to their snow covered destination.

Eddie only lasts a few minutes up the hill before he manages to push into Steve's space while Dustin hurries ahead of them. "So, you look happy to see me."

"Just peachy, Munson."

Eddie snorts. "I'm guessing Dustin didn't tell you I would be tagging along when you got here?"

"And I'm guessing Dustin didn't tell you I was planning on staying."

"Actually," Eddie says, nudging Steve's shoulder, "I told him you would jump at the opportunity to hang out with him, and there was no way you would drop him off to freeze to death."

Steve narrows his eyes as he looks at Eddie.

Eddie shifts things around in his arms to grab his shirt and jacket and lift them up enough to show off some of his scarred skin. "Our matching battle scars will forever bound us, Steve. I wonder if the bats gave us telepathic abilities," he says, way too cheery for Steve's liking.

"If it did, then I would teleport up to the top of the hill right now."

"Telepathic means the ability to read each other's minds. The word you're thinking of is 'teleportation.'" Eddie corrects him without judgement - something Steve's always found surprising.

"Oh. Then guess what I'm thinking about right now."

Eddie hums before leaning in to mumble in his ear. "You're thinking about getting a piece of this."

Steve laughs and shoves him away. He's glad it's cold out so he blame his blush on the cold. For some reason, he's still not entirely immune to Eddie's flirting. "Definitely not what I was thinking about."

"You are now," Eddie teases.

Steve swallows heavily, pressing down those thoughts and many... many.... images. "I think you're confusing my thoughts for your own thoughts."

"Tell me about it," Eddie sighs dramatically.

Steve is relieved when he sees they've reached the top of the hill. He's even more relieved when Dustin doesn't ask for his help to put Cerebro together, but Eddie is all too happy to help while calling Dustin a genius - in various annoying, dramatic ways.

It's not long before Dustin is awaiting Suzie's response while Eddie bounces on his feet. Steve's not sure if it's from excitement or being cold - probably both.

"Dusty bun?"

Dustin's face lights up in a way that is entirely too endearing for Steve's heart to handle. The jedi has learned the art of love from the master - or something like that. "Suzie poo! I'm here with Steve and Eddie for the next few moments. Eddie wants to say hello."

Steve frowns and raises his voice, "I want to say hello, too! Eddie just wants to be dramatic about it."

"Because I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the lady," Eddie argues before turning up the charm. "Suzie, it's a pleasure. I'm sure you've heard nothing but wonderful things about me just like I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you. Unlike Steve over here who you've probably never heard a good thing about."

"Hi, Eddie, it's nice to meet you," Suzie replies, giggling. "And hi Steve!"

"Hey, Suze. Don't let Eddie win you over with his charm just yet. It's bad for his ego."

"You think I'm charming?" Eddie asks, batting his eyelashes.

Steve makes a see? gesture before realizing Suzie can't see him.

"Alright," Dustin says, "Now they're going to leave us alone for the next hour."

"Hour? It's already been at least five minutes," Steve complains.

Eddie grabs him by the shoulders and steers him away. "Don't worry, Suzie! I'll make sure you get the fulll hour!"

Steve lets Eddie guide him a little down the hill, ignoring when Suzie asks, "Do they always bicker like an old married couple?"

When they get a comfortable distance away, where they're out of earshot but Steve can still see Dustin to make sure he doesn't freeze to death, Steve sits on the ground. He glances up after he gets as comfortable as he can get on the side of a hill, only to find Eddie frowning down at him.

"What?" Steve asks.

Eddie shrugs. "Doesn't seem fair that you get to sit on the ground, and I can't."

Steve's eyes scan over Eddie's body. "Not my fault that you didn't wear a long enough jacket to cover your ass when you sit."

"Not my fault that I wasn't born into a wealthy family that can afford those jackets."

Steve's stomach flips, but he knows Eddie isn't looking for an apology. "Why don't you sit in your van then?"

"Wouldn't want to miss my chance to hang out alone with Steve Harrington," Eddie says with a wink.

Steve nearly scoffs and gives him a snarky reply, but his thoughts go out the window when he notices Eddie's teeth chattering. "Shit," he mutters.

"What was that?"

Steve groans and stands up before unzipping his large jacket.

"Am I in a dream?" Eddie jokes, but his voice shakes a bit.

"You're about to be living one," Steve says dryly as he stands in front of Eddie and opens his coat. Eddie just stares at him. Steve huffs out a breath that becomes visible in the cold air between them. "Come here."

"What?"

Steve raises his eyebrows at Eddie before tugging at his coat. But Eddie continues to stare at him with wide wandering eyes. "I'm not letting you freeze to death up here, so come here before I tell Dustin to pack it up because you're cold."

Eddie crosses his arms a little tighter. "I'm f-fine." A shiver visibly runs through Eddie's body.

Steve rolls his eyes for what feels like the hundreth time this day and wraps Eddie in his jacket before he can protest.

He's stiff for a moment, then Eddie relaxes enough to wrap his arms around Steve who is able to close the jacket around them. They linger in each other's arms long enough that Eddie stops shivering and Steve wonders how much time Dustin has left with Suzie.

"Better?" Steve asks to break the silence.

He feels Eddie nod over his shoulder before he pulls back enough to look him in the eye, nose brushing against Steve's as he whispers, "I know something we could do to keep ourselves warm."

Steve's heart beats a little faster in his chest.

Eddie laughs and tucks his head into Steve neck, his lips far away enough from Steve's that it's no longer the only thing on Steve's mind. With the new brain space, he can feel Eddie drum a nervous rhythm onto his back and bounce a little on his face. He wonders if maybe Eddie was onto the whole scars making them read each other's minds thing because he swears he knows the first part of what Eddie's about to say before he says it.

"Sorry if that was too much. No guy has ever let me flirt at them the way you do."

Steve gets stuck on flirt at and, "No guy?"

Eddie lets out a short humorless laugh. "No guy."

And for some reason, Steve has to ask, "Has any guy let you kiss them before?"

Eddie pulls back to look at him with a frown tugging at the corners of his lips. "What are you getting at, Steve?"

Steve glances at Eddie's lips, slightly chapped but they've never looked more inviting. Maybe it's time to listen to Robin's knowing looks whenever Eddie is around and Steve finds himself simultaneously drawn to him while also wanting to run to the bathroom with Robin to have another floor talk. "What if one guy let you kiss them?"

"Steve..." Eddie whispers, his eyes flicking over his shoulder.

Steve turns to find Dustin, facing away from them. Still he loosens his hold on Eddie and says, "Wrap your arms around my neck instead of my back."

Eddie does as he's told, and Steve gives him no warning before saying, "Hopefully this goes alright." Then, he slightly picks up Eddie before falling back, letting the snow break their fall as he lays back with Eddie on top of him.

"That went better than I thought it would," Steve says with a big smile then asks, "Can Dustin see us?"

Eddie glances up and shakes his head.

"Perfect," Steve says, heart practically beating out of his chest when Eddie looks down at him. When he doesn't make a move, Steve can't help but tease, "So you really are all bark, no bite."

"Shut up, Harrington," Eddie says before finally kissing him.

For only a moment, Steve nearly laughs at the fact that Eddie Munson told him to shut up. But then his brain goes nearly haywire yet completely silent when Eddie's lips meet his in what he thinks might be the single most transformative kiss of his life.

His arms tighten around Eddie's back, and Eddie's hands move to cup the back of his head as they deepen the kiss. Somehow, laying in snow, Steve has never felt warmer.

They eventually break the first kiss reluctantly, both of them going back to steal more as they catch their breath, which turns into laughter and giggles between more kisses. Then, Eddie breaks away long enough to say, "You know, the van is seeming like a really great option at the moment."

"And Dustin's a smart kid. He knows how to not freeze to death," Steve says, kissing Eddie every chance he gets.

"You're right. No need to stay here in the snow," Eddie replies.

"Right."

Neither of them make a move to get up, but they both move to kiss again.

It's only a little while later before they hear Dustin yell out, "Guys?" And that's when they finally break away.

Eddie pops up first and calls out, "Yeah?"

"Let's pack up! It's been over an hour! Come on!"

Steve pulls Eddie back down into the snow one more time for a kiss before stomping up the hill. "Alright, alright. We thought you'd be happier that we gave you more time and that we both waited for you."

"it's cold," Dustin complains.

Steve nods, but he still feels warm.

Eddie joins a few moments later, stealing glances at Steve before asking Dustin what they're doing next.

"I'm thinking we change out of our snow clothes and get food somewhere maybe..." Dustin trails off and frowns at Eddie. "Why are you covered in snow?"

"We were making a snow angel?" Eddie hurriedly says.

Steve tries not to laugh.

"One?" Dustin asks.

Eddie nods. "You'll see it on the way down."

Sure enough, on the way down, they all see one horribly disfigured snow angel.

While Steve laughs and Eddie smiles proudly, Dustin shakes his head and mutters something like more curses to himself. In a volume that's able to be picked up by the other boys, he asks, "Eddie, you'll drop me off at my house, and we'll meet back up in an hour at my house?"

"Hour and a half," Steve says. When Dustin opens his mouth to complain, Steve explains, "I need to take a shower so I don't get pnemonia. Plus, I'm not letting my hair freeze on my way to your house."

"Fine," Dustin sighs. "See you then."

"See you then," Eddie echoes to Steve, winking at him once.

Soon after Steve gets home, he hears a knock on the front door, and when it's Eddie on the other side, Steve pulls him in and says, "Maybe you were right about the telek- tele-"

"Telekentic abilities?"

Steve nods as he closes the door behind Eddie and traps him against it. "I definitely know what you're thinking about now."

Eddie cocks his head to the side and wraps his arms around Steve's neck. "Yeah? What am I thinking about?"

"Kissing me again," Steve says, leaning in.

"Actually," Eddie says turning his head away, "I was thinking about a lemon."

"Crazy. I happen to have lemon scented body wash," Steve comments as he grabs Eddie's hands and tugs him up the stairs.

They're both a little late to Dustin's house. And maybe their hair freezes a bit.

But Dustin was right. There's a lot of things Steve would do for love.

[dollishmehrayan]

# “I’M GONNA MARRY HER ANYWAY” ── .✦ ( how batboys marry you and propose to you )

a/n: this is a request by anon (here) but literally this is making me feel like ultra single on a spectrum, anyways I love these type of requests because I like some simple stuff like this ya know? Tags: (batboys x fem!reader)

DICK GRAYSON ── .✦

The Proposal: The stars are twinkling above as Dick stands beside you on a rooftop he transformed into a wonderland of fairy lights and soft music. “You’ve given me so many reasons to smile, and now I want to give you one more,” he says, his voice trembling with emotion as he gets down on one knee. His eyes are so full of love you feel like you could drown in them. When you say yes, he lifts you into his arms and spins you around, whispering, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving you.” (He’s such a mediocre man proposing 😭🌚 h/j)

The Ceremony: Dick watches you walk down the aisle, completely captivated, like he’s seeing the sun rise for the first time. His vows are filled with tender promises: “From the moment I met you, my heart knew it had found its home. You are my partner, my best friend, and the love of my life. I promise to stand by your side, to laugh with you, to cry with you, and to love you endlessly.” By the time he finishes, his voice cracks, and tears stream down his face. (You swear he cried like 6x times that day.)

Married Life: Every day with Dick is a celebration of love. He leaves you little notes that say, “You’re my greatest adventure” and brings you flowers just because. He holds your face in his hands like you’re the most precious thing in the world, telling you, “I fall more in love with you every single day.”

JASON TODD ── .✦

The Proposal: Jason plans something quiet, but the depth of his love shines through. Sitting on the couch together after dinner, he pulls out a small velvet box and says, “I’m not great at speeches, and I’ve never been the guy who gets things right the first time. But I know I got this right. You’re my home, my peace, and my everything. Marry me?” His voice is soft, almost vulnerable, and when he sees your tears, he gently wipes them away and says, “I’d spend my whole life making you happy.”

The Ceremony: Jason’s vows are raw and honest: “I’ve lived a life that didn’t always make sense, but you—you’re my clarity. You make me want to be better, to deserve the love you so freely give me. I promise to protect your heart, to cherish you every day, and to never stop fighting for us.” His hand shakes as he slides the ring onto your finger, but the love in his eyes steadies him.

Married Life: Jason doesn’t just love you—he adores you. He’ll randomly pull you into his lap just to hold you, resting his forehead against yours as he whispers, “You have no idea how lucky I feel to have you.” On lazy mornings, he cooks breakfast for you, insisting, “You’re too good for me, but I’m keeping you anyway.”

TIM DRAKE ── .✦

The Proposal: Tim’s proposal is a masterpiece of thoughtfulness. He plans an entire day filled with your favorite things—a visit to your favorite bookstore, dinner at the place you’ve been wanting to try, and finally, a quiet moment in a park under the stars. “I’ve spent so much of my life searching,” he says, taking your hands in his. “But with you, I’ve found everything I’ll ever need. Will you marry me?” His hands are shaking, but his voice is steady, full of hope and love.

The Ceremony: Tim looks at you like you’ve hung the stars in the sky. His vows are deeply personal: “You are my greatest discovery, the love I didn’t know I was looking for. I promise to love you with the same care and dedication I’ve put into everything I’ve ever valued—because nothing will ever mean as much to me as you do.” He kisses your hand after slipping the ring on, his eyes misty with tears.

Married Life: Tim’s love is gentle but constant. He checks in on you throughout the day with texts like, “How’s my favorite person?” and stays up late just to watch movies with you. On nights when he’s overwhelmed, he pulls you close and whispers, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

BRUCE WAYNE ── .✦

The Proposal: Bruce’s proposal is understated but breathtaking. In a quiet corner of Wayne Manor, with a fire crackling in the background, he kneels before you. “ I’m not exactly good with words but…..I’ve faced many things in my life, but nothing has been as terrifying—or as wonderful—as loving you. You’ve changed me in ways I didn’t know were possible. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” His voice is steady, but his eyes are full of emotion. (He kinda proposes the same he did with Andrea Beaumont poor guy gets a bit of flashbacks 😭😭)

The Ceremony: Bruce’s vows are simple but deeply moving: “In my darkest moments, you were my light. In my loneliest nights, you were my solace. I vow to be your partner, your protector, and your greatest love for as long as I live.” His hands linger on yours during the ring exchange, as if he can’t believe you’re real.

Married Life: Bruce loves quietly but fiercely. He kisses your forehead every morning and holds your hand under the table during dinners. On difficult days, he pulls you into his arms and whispers, “You’re my everything. I couldn’t do this without you.”

[alisonsfics]

words unsaid

pairing: carmy berzatto x reader

summary: after months of flirting and unconfessed feelings, you and carmy get in an argument when a customer gives him her number.

word count: 2.4k

warnings: swearing, angst, carmy being completely unaware of everything

After wiping down your stations for the night, you and Carmy headed to the lockers to grab your bags. You both were exhausted after a hectic night.

“You have any plans for the rest of the night?” Carmy asked, curiously. You shrugged, looking over your shoulder at him as you fiddled with your locker. “You mean besides eating leftover pizza and then passing out from exhaustion?” You joked. You heard a small chuckle from Carmy.

He noticed you were tugging at the locker and the door seemed to be stuck. “Here, let me help you with that.” He offered.

You stepped out of the way and let Carmy take a shot at it. He jiggled the handle a few times and then was able to tug it open. “My hero,” you teased, as he walked back to his own locker.

If you had turned around, you would have seen the pink tint on Carmy’s cheeks.

“Anyway, did you want to maybe go grab a drink. I mean, only if you’re okay with postponing your pizza plans. Those sounded important though,” he teased you. You were one of the few people that Carmy would actually joke around with.

You jokingly scoffed at him. “My commitment to my leftover pizza is none of your business, Berzatto,” you responded, trying to maintain a serious tone. Once again, the sound of his soft chuckle met your ears.

“Hey, guys. Our last table wanted to personally thank their chefs.” Richie said, sticking his head around the corner.

Carmy gestured towards the door, politely letting you walk in front of him. Richie guided you both to the booth that currently seated three women. They were the only remaining customers from the dinner service.

Richie quickly introduced you both to them, and then he headed back to help with clean-up.

You noticed that two of the women seemed to be smirking at their other friend. “The food tonight was absolutely amazing.” One of them perked up and complimented you both.

You politely smiled, letting Carmy take the lead since he was the owner. You saw his posture shift as he went into customer service-mode.

“Thank you very much. Thank you for coming to visit us tonight. We’re glad you liked it.” He said, putting on a polite smile.

Carmy didn’t see it, but you noticed the two women quickly raise their eyebrows at their other friend. She then directed her attention to Carmy.

You knew where the conversation was going, and you hated how it tugged at your gut. You felt a heavy weight on your shoulders, and it took a lot for you to fake a smile.

Carmy was an attractive guy, and he was a chef, which was a pretty good recipe for success. You saw customers fawn over him constantly, but it never got easier.

That being said, Carmy wasn’t technically yours, but he was. He wasn’t your boyfriend by any means, and you weren’t his girlfriend. But, he dropped everything any time you called, and he’d do anything for you.

Your relationship was sometimes flirty, but neither of you had ever taken it further.

“Yeah, the food was really excellent. You’re an amazing chef. I definitely have a reason to come back.” The woman said, coyly.

You forced yourself to bite the inside of your lip, so you could keep your pleasant facade. You noticed their check sitting on the table and decided to use it as your excuse out of there.

“Thank you again for coming,” you said, smiling, grabbing the check, and heading back towards the kitchen. The woman looked like she finally realized you were standing there.

Carmy quickly thanked them again and followed right behind you.

Once the kitchen doors closed behind you, you turned to Carmy. “Being a chef does it every time, Berzatto,” you teased him.

Instead of being met by his usual grin, you saw him tilt his head as he tried to figure out what you were talking about.

“What do you mean?” He finally asked, when he couldn’t figure it out. You waited for a second, almost thinking he was playing dumb. “She was hitting on you, Carmy.” You told him. His eyes widened as he looked at you. “No, she wasn’t,” he argued.

You looked down at the check you were holding, which confirmed your suspicion when you saw a phone number written across the bottom of it.

“Really?” You asked, sliding the check into his hand. Your hand grazed his as you did, which almost made Carmy short circuit. He looked down at the check in his hand and saw the phone number clear as day.

“So, what am I supposed to do?” He asked you. From his perspective, he was asking how he was supposed to let her down and tell her he wasn’t interested. You didn’t take it that way.

“Well, if you’re interested, you call her.” You explained. He was speechless. He stood in front of you, not having a single coherent string of thoughts in mind.

“Wh…what—what do you mean?” He stumbled over his words.

You were practically fuming. You thought that you and Carmy had a thing going on, but he seemed to be pretty interested in asking this girl out.

“Are you interested? Do you want to go on a date with her?” You asked, your tone coming out a little more hostile than you intended. You were just jealous and even more unsure of where your and Carmy’s relationship stood.

“I…I don’t know,” he stammered, taken aback by this whole situation. He was getting love advice from the girl he wanted to be with, but was getting love advice for a different girl.

“Well, you’re the only one who can figure that out,” you huffed and quickly walked away from him. You knew if you continued the conversation for another minute, you’d start crying.

You grabbed your work bag and slammed your locker shut. “Woah, you okay?” Sydney asked from beside you. You hadn’t even noticed she was standing there. You took a deep breath before responding.

“Not really, you wanna go get a drink?” You asked her. She could tell that something had really gotten to you. “Yeah, of course. Is it about Carmy?” she asked, quietly. You just nodded, biting down on your lip and trying not to tear up.

“It’s okay. C’mon, let’s get you out of here,” she said, wrapping her arm around you as the two of you walked out the back door.

Still stunned from the whole encounter, Carmy walked into the office to hopefully clear his head. He sat in there for thirty minutes, continuously replaying his conversation with you in his head. He knew you were mad, but he wasn’t sure why. He was also thrown off by why it seemed like you were encouraging him to go on a date with the other woman.

After wracking his brain for answers, he still had nothing, so he headed towards the back alleyway to smoke a cigarette. He found Richie doing the same thing.

“You okay, cousin?” Richie asked, clearly being able to see how on edge Carmy looked. “Fuck no,” Carmy mumbled.

“Is this about your girl?” Richie asked, having already gotten a text from Sydney that explained what happened. “She’s not my girl, Richie, but I think we’re in a fight, and we’ve never been in a fight before. I just don’t know why she’s mad.” Carmy explained.

“You don’t know why she’s mad?” Richie asked in shock. Carmy looked at him with a confused look and shook his head.

“You two have been flirting and hanging out more and more. Then, you tell her that you maybe want to go on a date with this other girl. You don’t think she’d be hurt by that?” Richie asked him. Carmy didn’t understand why everybody was suddenly an expert on his relationship today and why he was so out of the loop.

“What do you mean, we are just friends.” Carmy argued, not being able to admit anything to the contrary, “wait, how do you know about our conversation?”

“Sydney told me. She’s busy trying to cheer Y/N up because she’s pissed at you.” Richie said, quickly brushing past it, “how does the idea of her going on a date with someone else make you feel, cousin? Like when you watch those customers that stare at her,” he asked.

Carmy hesitated. He knew the answer. “I fuckin’ hate it, but I’m just being protective. We’re friends, and I care about her.” Carmy replied, still in denial.

“Cousin, do you really think colleagues go out for drinks after work and get coffee together before work as often as you guys do? You know all her favorite movies, and her favorite flowers, and the words to all her favorite songs. And that big dinner you made for her birthday,” he told Carmy. Hearing all of it like that made Carmy realize how special your relationship was, but he was having trouble admitting it out loud.

“I’m a chef. I make food for people. It’s what I do.” Carmy argued, not even believing his own excuse.

“Yeah, because it’s like your fuckin’ love language, dickhead. How did you not see this?” Richie asked.

Carmy didn’t know what to think. “So are we like together?” He asked, stunned. Richie shook his finger at Carmy.

“Not until you finally grow a pair and actually make a real move. Ask her out to dinner, tell her how you feel, give her some grand gesture.” Richie told him.

Carmy stood still for a moment, processing what he had just heard.

“Where are her and Syd right now? I need a ride.” He told Richie, desperately. Richie quickly grabbed his car keys, and they both headed out the door.

“I know we’re not dating, but I just don’t understand why he didn’t say he wasn’t interested. Like, surely I can’t be imagining all of the flirting and how sweet he’s been.” You rambled to Sydney, taking another sip of your drink. Sydney nodded along.

“Maybe he felt like he was put on the spot because I’ve seen how he looks at you. He really cares about you but just has a shit way of showing it.” Sydney mentioned.

You looked down at the bar, slowly stirring your drink around. The front door of the bar quickly opened, slamming against the wall. Both yours and Sydney’s gaze went right to the loud noise.

You both saw Carmy burst into the restaurant. His eyes searched around until they landed on yours. He rushed towards the end of the bar where you and Sydney were sitting.

He stopped in front of you and caught his breath for a minute. “I am so fucking sorry. You are my everything, and I really fucked it up. And I don’t even know what I was saying.” He started to ramble.

You were shocked to say the least. “Carmy, you wanna go talk outside?” You suggested, assuming some privacy for this conversation was probably a good idea. He quickly nodded and held out his hand to help you down from your seat.

Sydney gave you a reassuring smile, and then you felt Carmy’s hand on the small of your back as he followed you outside. Now that he had a better grasp on your relationship, he felt much more confident, which made him more affectionate. And you loved it.

He rushed in front of you, so he could hold the front door open for you. You both saw Richie waiting outside. “Syd’s inside. Can you give us a minute, cousin?” Carmy asked him. Richie quickly nodded and headed inside to freak out with Sydney that they were so close to getting you two together.

“I didn’t mean any of that earlier. I was just confused, and it felt like you wanted me to ask that girl out. So, I was questioning if you felt the same way I feel about you.” He apologized. He had to stop himself from grabbing your hands. He wanted to, but he wanted to apologize first.

“Enough of what I want. Tell me before I waste anymore of my time. Carmen Berzatto, what do you want? Do you want to be with me?” You asked him. You felt like you were being harsh, but you wanted everything to be out in the open.

“I want to be with you so fuckin’ bad.” He said. One of his hands wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to him. He used his other hand to cup your cheek and close the distance with a kiss.

Richie and Sydney saw the kiss through the window and had to stop themselves from cheering.

You stumbled forward a little since Carmy had pulled you towards him so quickly. He tightened his grip around your waist, while smirking into the kiss. You let your hands rest on his forearms, feeling his biceps flex under your fingertips.

The kiss was rushed, fueled by months of pent up feelings and the fear of losing each other that you both had experienced. Neither of you wanted to let the other go.

His lips tasted like spearmint as they moved effortlessly against yours. There was a loud clap of thunder above you both, and the sky opened up as it started pouring.

You both pulled out of the kiss in shock at the freezing rain that was hitting your skin. You both just grinned at each other, knowing how picture-perfect this moment was.

“You wanna go inside?” He almost had to yell for you to hear him over the rain. You just shook your head. You wanted to enjoy every single second.

He grabbed your hand and spun you around in a circle, watching as the rain droplets flew off the ends of your hair.

You were smiling and giggling. You grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back into a kiss. “You are perfect,” he mumbled as he kissed you.

He finally pulled out of the kiss when he noticed you shivering. “This is magical, but I’m not gonna let you get sick.” He said, wrapping his arm around your waist and leading you back inside where you were met by the smiling faces of Richie and Sydney. They both immediately pulled you into a hug.

“You know how hard we had to work for this to happen because you both wanted to be in denial for months that you’re head over heels for each other.” Sydney teased you both. You just smiled at Carmy, and all you could think about was how the rest of your coworkers were going to freak out when they heard.

taglist: @laurakirsten0502 @miraclesoflove @nathaliabakes @millipop18 @lillyssh-tposts @shyinadarkplace @vanteguccir @missroro @guacam011y @sw33t-cupid @ice-dtae @leyannrae @sia2raw @nyx2021 @just-a-littlebit-of-everything @shyconversationalbookworm @shadowhuntyi @visenyaverse @ruzannetheseahorse @superdeath @wandaswifeyforlifey @spookyqueen @mcuswhore @bookwormchick91 @princess-evans-addict @n3ssm0nique @peakascum @cjand10 @namsey1987 @supernaturalstilinski @stephv213 @warriormirkwood @one-sweet-gubler @narliesstuff @bibissparkles @stupiidfrogs @navs-bhat

Let me know if you want to be added to my taglist for all my imagines or for a specific character/fandom!!

[hannieehaee]

Hi!! Could you do a fic where Jeonghan is being the menace that he is, but his partner is the only one who can quell him with one look pls? Like he is just super soft w her and always listens cos he’s a simp?

content: simp!jeonghan, established relationship, afab reader, slightly suggestive, etc.

wc: 1156

a/n: this was based on that one scene from nana tour in which jeonghan basically waterboarded mingyu for absolutely no reason (ik he was on a mission but he drenched him ?!\>\£). hope u enjoy <3

masterlist

jeonghan was always known to be a bit of a menace by all his friends.

well, maybe even more than just his friends. after all, there was a reason why he was often called the loki of seventeen by many of his fans.

he was simply a bit unconventional in the ways in which he found entertainment, such as the time in which he berated dokyeom into searching for bugs for them to eat on the streets. he simply had a tendency for bugging his members (out of love, of course), becoming an extra obstacle in their lives just for the fun of it.

now, jeonghan also had a heart of gold and far too much love for his brothers to ever actually cause any harm to them. however, after over a decade of knowing his brothers, he had somehow conditioned them to accept his odd behaviors and simply go along with his shenanigans whenever he felt like acting up.

you, as well as his members, always found great entertainment in his weird behaviors. i mean, it takes a great man to be able to cheat his way through every single game without consequence.

despite finding humor in his ways, you would sometimes have a tendency to put a halt to it. a simple whine of 'hannie!' would have him stopping in his tracks and murmuring against your ear as he whined back but relented at you. what you didn't know, however, was that you were the only person who held this power over jeonghan (even his sister would occasionally fall victim to his menacing ways).

today was one of the many instances in which jeonghan grew bored while at practice, deiciding to wreck havoc just for the hell of it. it was easy for him to spot a victim, – it was usually mingyu – which then lead him to approach him with the illest of intentions. there was never much thinking that went into teasing his members. it was just second nature to him by now. so when he eyed the water bottle in mingyu's hand, even the other members who were standing nearby could see what jeonghan's next move would be.

he was patient with it; engaging in conversation as he usually would as to not draw suspicion. jeonghan realized in that moment that maybe his instincive need to bug mingyu for no reason might be something to look into, but that would come some other day. for now, he wanted a quick laugh.

jeonghan saw his opening the moment mingyu uncapped his bottle and brought it to his lips, taking advantage of his calculated proximity to tilt the end of the bottle in order to drench mingyu's face, causing the man to almost choke on the water he'd been drinking.

as expected, this began a mini war between the two boys, as five minutes later they were both attacking each other with any and every water bottle they could find in their vicinity, even going as far as causing collateral damage to a few of the other members. what jeonghan hadnt planned, however, was a sudden visit from you, who had walked in just as jeonghan squirted yet another water bottle directly at mingyu's face.

"jeonghan!", you scolded as soon as you were in earshot, "leave him alone, you got him all drenched!", you were now standing next to the group, frown on your face as you took in the scene.

"baby? what are you doing here? did you–"

"don't 'baby' me. why are you bugging mingyu again? look at him! he's completely wet."

"i got water in my eye!," whined the tall man, taking advantage of your defense for him.

by now, a few of the members nearby were snickering at the swift turn of events, entertained by not just the water fight but the way in which you immediately sided with mingyu rather than your boyfriend.

"i'm wet too! how do you know he didn't start it?", tried jeonghan, knowing full well that the idea was unconvincing.

"hannie, don't lie to me."

"okay, fine. i got bored, okay? it's just water, baby. it's fine. right, mingyu?"

"dude, you fucked up my hair," mingyu didnt seem truly offended, but more so wanting to feed the flames now that he had an opportunity. jeonghan could tell by the slight smirk on his face.

the frown remained on your face, continuing to come in mingyu's defense for some reason unknown to jeonghan.

"jeonghan, apologize to him."

"what?", his wide and incredulous eyes turned to look at you, ignoring the snort he was pretty sure seungkwan had just let out.

"you heard me."

"but–"

"hannie!"

"f– fine," like a petulant child, jeonghan turned to mingyu and gave him a forced smile, "i'm sorry for getting you wet, gyu."

"than–"

"thank you", you interrupted the man.

jeonghan couldnt help but feel scolded by you. it was rare that you actually ever went against his shenanigans, but he did know he could sometimes go a little extra hard on mingyu due to mingyu's disposition to put up with jeonghan with no complaint (usually even fighting back). he was a bit embarrassed by the way in which you sided with him and even berated him in front of his members, but he also knew he could never say no to you, so apologizing just seemed logical to him.

after a few moments of him whining at his members to mind their business and go get their own girlfriends, he dragged you away to a less polluted corner of the practice room to get some one-on-one with you.

"babyyyy," he immediately pouted at you, proceeding to attaching to you like a bear, burying his head into your neck.

"hannie, you're all wet!", you complained despite making no move to push him away, even wrapping your arm around him and running a hand through his damp hair.

"why'd you have to do that? the boys are supposed to think you're obsessed with me," he frowned against your neck.

despite the whine behind his words, you could feel the vibration of his giggles against you and the smile pressed against your neck. as per usual, he was just whining because he could; something which you always found an endearing result to any rare instance in which you'd scold him.

"they're all gonna think im a simp now," he continued.

you giggled at that, causing him to sway you back and forth as he buried himself even deeper against you.

"are you not?", you inquired.

"i am, but they dont need to know that!"

"you're so annoying ..."

"yeah, but you find it fun, don't you?"

"im not at liberty of releasing that information."

he laughed against your neck, reaffirming to himself how much he liked the back and forth between the two of you, even if it meant relenting to you every single time, earning himself the title of simp among his members.

[rmview]

they bond with your cat, ENHYPEN.

featuring — enhypen members x gn!reader ( masterlist )

summary — just some sweet moments of the enhypen boys bonding with your pet cat!

contents — fluff, no warnings.

hee 🐾 seung

heeseung wasn’t much of a cat person — at least not before meeting your fluffy little companion. from the moment your cat first approached him, weaving between his legs with a curious gaze, he was smitten. at first, he tried to play it cool, but his heart melted when the cat bumped its head against his hand.

the first time he babysat your cat while you ran errands, you came back to find him sprawled on the floor, holding a feather toy above his head while your cat pounced and batted at it. heeseung’s laughter filled the room as he teased, “you’ve got a future athlete here! i’m raising a pro.”

despite his playful side, heeseung also shared quieter moments with your cat. on particularly lazy afternoons, he’d sit on your couch with a blanket draped over his legs, your cat curled up on his lap. he’d absentmindedly scratch behind its ears while humming a tune.

one day, you caught him whispering secrets to your cat as if it were his confidant. “you think they’ll like the surprise i planned?” he asked softly, rubbing its chin. when you teased him about it, his ears turned bright red.

your cat adored heeseung, and he jokingly claimed it was because he gave the best head scratches. but deep down, you knew it was because your cat could sense his genuine warmth.

jay 🐾

jay approached your cat with cautious respect at first. “hey there, buddy,” he murmured, holding out his hand for the feline to sniff. when your cat rubbed its face against his fingers, jay’s eyes lit up, and he gently stroked its fur. “oh, we’re friends now, huh?”

it didn’t take long for jay to become your cat’s favorite. he had an innate ability to read its moods, knowing when it wanted to play and when it wanted to laze around. “they’re just like me,” he joked. “cool, calm, and collected — most of the time.”

jay’s favorite moments were when your cat would pad over to him unprompted and settle on his lap. he’d freeze for a moment, overwhelmed by the trust, before relaxing into the moment. “see? i’ve got the magic touch,” he’d brag, scratching behind its ears as it purred contentedly.

when your cat was in a playful mood, jay would grab a laser pointer and have it darting around the room, laughing at its frantic attempts to catch the elusive red dot. “i think i’m having more fun than they are,” he’d admit sheepishly.

one day, you walked in to find jay sitting cross-legged on the floor, painstakingly untangling a yarn ball your cat had unraveled. “your little troublemaker strikes again,” he said, shaking his head fondly. but the soft smile on his face told you he didn’t mind one bit.

jake 🐾

jake was immediately captivated by your cat. “oh my gosh, they’re so cute!” he exclaimed the first time he met them, crouching down to their level. your cat seemed to pick up on his excitement, tentatively approaching and sniffing his outstretched hand. when it finally allowed him to pet it, jake grinned like he’d just won the lottery.

jake quickly became the ultimate cat dad. he’d bring treats whenever he visited, earning himself your cat’s undivided attention. “you’re bribing them!” you accused, but jake just laughed. “hey, i’m building a bond,” he replied, offering your cat another treat as it purred loudly.

your cat loved jake’s energetic personality. he’d dangle a toy mouse on a string, laughing as it leaped and twirled to catch it. “look at them go! we should enter them into competitions,” he joked, cheering every time your cat made a dramatic pounce.

but it wasn’t all play. jake had a soft side, and your cat seemed to sense it. they often curled up next to him as he scrolled through his phone or read a book, their head resting on his thigh. jake would gently pet them, a serene smile on his face.

once, you overheard jake talking to your cat. “you’re lucky,” he said softly, scratching its chin. “you get to stay here with them all the time. take care of them for me, okay?”

your heart melted at his words, and you realized just how much jake cared — not just for your cat, but for you too.

sung 🐾 hoon

sunghoon wasn’t sure how to act around your cat at first. he wasn’t used to animals, and he approached with a mixture of curiosity and caution. “hey, don’t scratch me, okay?” he murmured as he held out his hand. when your cat nudged his fingers and purred, sunghoon’s eyes widened in surprise. “oh, i think they like me!”

he quickly grew more comfortable, and your cat seemed to enjoy teasing him. it would paw at his hand, then dart away, only to return moments later with a playful glint in its eyes. “you’re such a little troublemaker,” he’d say, but there was always a smile on his face.

sunghoon also had a soft spot for cuddles. if your cat decided to curl up beside him, he’d sit perfectly still, not wanting to disturb them. “i guess i’m stuck here now,” he’d joke, glancing up at you with an amused smile. but you could tell he secretly loved the quiet bonding time.

one of your favorite moments was catching sunghoon trying to teach your cat tricks. “sit,” he’d command, holding a treat above their head. when the cat just stared at him, he laughed. “okay, maybe you’re too smart for that.”

sunghoon’s gentle and patient demeanor won your cat over completely. by the end of the day, they were inseparable, and he’d proudly announce, “see? they love me more than you now.”

su 🐾 noo

sunoo and your cat were a match made in heaven. from the moment they met, it was like they’d known each other forever. “aren’t you the cutest thing ever?” he cooed, crouching down to shower your cat with pets and kisses. the cat responded by rubbing against him and purring loudly, cementing their instant bond.

he loved taking selfies with your cat, holding them up and tilting his head to find the perfect angle. “look how adorable we are together!” he’d gush, showing you his camera roll filled with pictures. you couldn’t deny they made a ridiculously cute pair.

sunoo had a knack for understanding your cat’s moods. he’d instinctively know when they wanted to play, pulling out toys and making them chase feathers or strings. “you’re such a little star,” he’d say as your cat pranced around, clearly enjoying the attention.

but sunoo’s favorite moments were the cuddly ones. he’d sit on the couch with your cat nestled in his lap, gently stroking their fur while humming softly. sometimes, he’d talk to them like they were his best friend. “you’ve got such a good life here,” he’d say with a smile. “you’re so lucky to have the best owner ever.”

your cat adored sunoo, and you often found them waiting by the door when they heard his voice. “they know i’m their favorite,” he’d tease, winking at you.

jung 🐾 won

jungwon’s calm and caring nature made him a natural with your cat. the first time they met, he patiently let them sniff his hand before gently petting them. “you’re such a soft little thing,” he murmured, his voice soothing. your cat seemed to sense his warmth, immediately warming up to him.

jungwon loved spending time with your cat, whether it was playing with a toy or just sitting quietly while they explored his lap. “they’re so curious,” he’d remark, watching as the cat pawed at the strings on his hoodie. “it’s like they’re trying to figure me out.”

one day, you caught him napping on the couch with your cat curled up on his chest. the sight melted your heart, especially when he stirred and mumbled, “we’re having a bonding moment—don’t interrupt.”

he also took his role as your cat’s unofficial caretaker seriously. he’d remind you about feeding schedules and even researched the best treats to buy. “we have to take good care of them,” he’d say with a determined look.

jungwon’s soft spot for your cat was undeniable, and he often joked, “if you ever need a sitter, i’m available. they’re basically my best friend now.”

ni 🐾 ki

ni-ki was a little hesitant around your cat at first, unsure of how to interact with them. “do they like to be petted?” he asked, glancing at you nervously. when your cat approached him and started rubbing against his legs, he broke into a relieved grin. “oh, okay, i guess we’re friends now.”

his playful nature quickly took over, and he loved coming up with creative games to entertain your cat. whether it was building a maze out of cardboard boxes or making a toy dance around like a puppet, ni-ki’s energy matched your cat’s perfectly. “they’re just like me,” he said with a laugh. “always full of energy.”

despite his playful side, ni-ki also had a gentle streak. he’d sit cross-legged on the floor, letting your cat climb into his lap and curl up. “they’re so small,” he’d whisper, stroking their fur softly. “how can something this cute even exist?”

one day, you found him lying on the floor with your cat perched on his chest. “we’re bonding,” he explained with a grin. “this is how you build trust.”

ni-ki’s enthusiasm and genuine love for your cat were infectious, and you couldn’t help but smile every time you saw them together. “i think they like me better than you,” he teased, sticking out his tongue. “but don’t worry, i’ll share.”

notes: this reaction was so cute because i love cats (i have an orange one named pineapple hihihi)

[gay-dorito-dust]

You may request A batboys reacting to the death of the reader

First time writing for Tim, so he’s probs ooc in this one.

Dick feels as though he’s failed you.

He tries to act like he was fine but he was far from it and everyone knew it as they stepped on eggshells with him during this time.

Dick would often find himself sat on the very rooftops where he’d take you on countless dates or just to star gaze and talk as though you were still with him.

It was his own way of comforting himself with your loss but that was never enough to stop the tears that fell from his eyes when he spotted a bright star he’s never seen before until now, and laughs humourlessly.

‘I see you’ve finally made your way amongst the stars huh sweetheart?’ He’d say as your star would twinkle in response, making him chuckle. ‘You’re so beautiful, the brightest of your kind.’ He adds sombrely as he wipes his eyes with the back of his hand as he felt his heart sing out for you, only to receive nothing in return.

Reality was often disappointing but with you it was a fairy tale.

Waking up to you was a dream within itself and getting to do mundane things with you before heading off to work was something that could only exist in a daydream.

He knew Hayley misses you as badly as he does with how he’d hear the poor dog whine and whimper at the door, as if waiting for you to walk through it and tackle her with kisses and love like you always did, only to get nothing for hours.

‘I know, I miss them too.’ He says against Hayley’s fur as she whimpers and whines at the door. ‘I miss them so fucking much it hurts.’ He adds as he allows himself to mourn for you alongside his dog long into the night.

Jason blames himself for not being fast enough or strong enough to keep you protected and safe.

The apartment you once shared with him that only recently had started to feel like home to him now felt cold and haunted with the ghost of you, so much so to the point he avoids it at all cost.

Nothing felt right without you, everything felt wrong and unjustified that he became more ruthless then before on patrols just to let off some steam and would come back from them more beaten and bruised then normal.

He didn’t care, he couldn’t feel anything anymore with how numb he became after loosing you.

Dick and Roy would stop by to see how he was doing but each visit was the same with Jason refusing his older brother and best friend entry as he held one of your plushies tightly against his chest. He knows they mean well but he just couldn’t find it within himself to hear the same thing he’s heard from everyone else; It just felt disingenuous after a while and didn’t feel as though people truly understood the impact that you had on him throughout your time together.

Jason would become more destructive with himself and going headfirst into danger without a second thought and damns his teammates for dragging him out by the scruff of his neck as he fights and kicks out of their hold. He doesn’t want to be saved! He just wanted to be with you again, why couldn’t they see that?!

After loosing you Jason becomes more prone to angry outbursts and often lets them out on the wrong person but he couldn’t care less at this point, his favourite person was gone and he was left back where he was before you.

Lost and deeply afraid.

Tim would retreat from everyone and everything by cooping himself into his room, rarely to come out.

He’d rather rot in his bed and on his phone, looking through all the photos you’ve taken together and seeing just how happy you both were, all the while a pit in his stomach grew at the thought of all the plans you’ve made but would never get to do.

He hated how easily he gave you his heart and hated it even more at just how easy it was to loose you that he wishes that he could stop himself from meeting you for the first time, just so he could selfishly save himself from the best moments of his life and the inevitable heartbreak he’d soon suffer.

Tim would do anything in his power to get you back but knew that it just wasn’t possible.

He knew Jason was given life by the Lazarus pit but he wasn’t willing to subject you to that even if he was held at gunpoint. He’d rather you rest in peace than force you to live with the knowledge that you should technically be dead.

Tim would remain in his room, wondering about the what ifs and the what could’ve beens if you hadn’t died. Would someone have taken your place? Was your death an unchangeable fixed point in time that was meant to happen?

He would only be reunited with you in his dreams where he has saved you and you had gotten to live out the rest of your life happily, rather then left for dead in an alleyway not too far from the place where you were originally going to meet up for date night.

Damian dedicated his life to getting revenge.

He had lost the light in his life, so why should he think his adversaries should live when you weren’t even given the option?

There will be more bodies pilling up on the streets of Gotham at a faster rate than normal whenever Damian is on patrol, much to Bruce’s dismay.

His anger and grief was all consuming and that left little to no room for logic to make him stop and see what he was doing was no better than the thing that took you away.

Life was black and white for a long time for Damian and you were the colour.

You were the air he breathed and without you he was gasping.

He knew about the Lazarus pit in his grandfather’s possession and its mythical properties and how it gave Jason a second chance at life. However he was at a cross roads on using it for his own selfish gain, on one hand he could have you back and everything would be fine again, but on the other hand you wouldn’t be the version of you he fell in love with…

Damian didn’t know what to do. The grief, the anger, the sadness…it was all too much for him. He felt as though he apart of him was missing and he would never get it back, it just wasn’t possible.

Bruce feels as though nothing has changed since his parents death.

He may be older, faster, stronger and wiser but that didn’t mean nothing in the face of death, and your death only proved that to be true as he held you in his arms, holding you close to his chest as he quietly sobs into your cold neck.

Much like Tim, Bruce doesn’t take care of himself anymore and it was up to Alfred to make sure that he doesn’t keep over and die unexpectedly.

‘They wouldn’t want this for you sir.’ Alfred would say as Bruce slams his hands down on the surface of his desk. ‘And what would you know that they want for me Alfred, y/n’s dead and it’s my fault.’ He would bark and bare his teeth at the only father figure he had in his life, a father figure whom has seen this expression bore on the young master’s face more times then he could count, but it still hurt him to see Bruce in pain and heartbreak.

‘They would want you to take care of yourself, sleep proper hours, eat full meals, shower, reach out to anyone,’ Alfred began to walk towards Bruce and place a hand on his shoulder, where he could practically feel the unbridled anger and pain radiation through him that he kept under control. ‘They wouldn’t want you to wallow in pain alone, Gotham needs you.’

‘And I needed them.’ Bruce replied sharply, aggressively wiping his eyes with his hand as he looks over at a framed picture of you that he always kept nearby. ‘All I wanted was them.’ He adds softly this time as he looks at Alfred, lost and confused at what to do now that his anchor was gone. ‘I miss them so much Alfred.’

Alfred brings Bruce into his arms, much like he did when he lost his parents, when he lost Jason and now you, allowing him to burrow his face into the Butler’s shoulder and softly sob into the fabric. Alfred felt his heart break even more as he rubbed Bruce’s back in an attempt of bringing him comfort. ‘I know master Bruce, I know, but you’d be doing their memory a great disservice by destroying yourself.’ The older man started as he looked over at the framed picture of you and smiled soberly, you were a beacon to Bruce and Alfred wasn’t afraid to say that he viewed you as his in law with how happy you made Bruce and that was all Alfred could ever want for him.

Now that you were gone, Alfred couldn’t help but feel that the manor got just that little bit lonelier without you.

[alexthetrashyracoon]

It was Simon’s turn for the coffee run this morning, he had Soaps’, Gaz’ and Prices’ order always in his mind so he didn’t even bother asking in the group chat of their Restaurant, instead he visits the usual little coffee shop only a few houses down from the restaurant he was working at.

“Morning! What can I get you!” You beamed at him, smiling sweetly with your blue apron on and a thick paper cup in hand, ready to serve Simon.

For a second he’s taken aback since normal Walther, the other guy working here knows his order and starts preparing them the moment Simon shows up in the window.

But you were new. Simon had never seen you before.

He was smitten with you and blinked a few times before he was back in reality. Some weird little voice has already planned your wedding with him.

“Hey. Uh…” Simon actually needs a moment to think.

What was his usual? For a moment he actually had forgotten what he and the team usually got from that place, to used to Walther already preparing his stuff.

Oh yeah, Simon remember and quickly tells you his order before putting the money down on the counter while you start preparing the drinks.

“So… you’re new here?” Simon asked casually, leaning against the counter end, waiting for his drinks.

“Yeah. Moved here a few weeks ago and started working here last week. And you?” You chirped happily.

“Working down by the restaurant, have been for years now. You should come over. Walther usually spends his break and gets a quick snack there.” Simon lies smoothly. Walther never stepped a foot into the restaurant.

But he wanted to see you more often. And if you would spend your break there where he could impress you with his cooking skills, wasn’t that worth the little lie?

You smile happy at his suggestion. “I’ll try my best, can’t promise anything.” You place the four cups in the holder and slide it into Simon’s hands. “Enjoy it!”

Simon was one hundred percent smitten with you when he left the coffee shop and walked back to the restaurant.

For the next two weeks Simon offered to take over the coffee run, ignoring the teasing coming from Gaz and Soap and the knowing glances from Price and Laswell but he uses every chance he got to see you.

Sadly one day you’re not there, Walther is back and Simon begrudgingly pays for the drinks and headed back to the restaurant.

“Hey, Si! There is someone at the back door for you!” Gaz called as he cut the vegetables for today’s food.

Simon immediately rushed outside to see you, dressed to impress with a small smile on your lips. “Walther told me you were looking for me… is it too early for that food you offered?”

“It’s never too early. Come on, I get you some delicious breakfast before the rush starts.” Simon grinned and pulled you inside, introducing you to the rest of the team.

After that day you spend every free minute of your break at the restaurant, Laswell had been nice enough to give you your own table after a while, so nobody would bother you, and Simon who hangs around while the rest works their asses off.

You and Simon share your first kiss after an especially stressful rush hour where he had managed to burn his hand and almost punched a guest in the face who ordered some seafood without the fish that came with it.

This is for the one person that consumes more Coffee Shop Au Stories than there are actual Coffee Shop Au Stories on the internet <3

[daisiescomelate]

Collision

Prompt: Unfortunately, Sylus decided to drop by your apartment for a surprise visit the same day Zayne agreed to stay the night.

Content: Zayne&Reader, Sylus&Reader. no proofread sorry.

masterlist

Credits rolled on the screen and you cheered with a round of applause. Zayne followed your lead with his usual lack of intention to show enthusiasm and a stoic face. As the black screen led to a final musical number with all the crew in colorful outfits, you stretched your arms over your head and rolled your neck to get rid of the stiffness of laying on the floor for so long.

The lights were down and the cortines closed to add to the atmosphere. You sang to the tune, following the choreography you knew by heart with exaggerated passion, pushing Zayne’s arm to encourage him to join you. He didn’t, of course. Instead, he straightened his crossed legs and stood with his socks over the sheets and cushions you had thrown over the carpet to get yet another extra layer between you and the cold tile.

You held a high note holding an invisible microphone to your face, throwing your head back and striking a pose. You then motion to Zayne to take the spotlight for the next line.

“C’mon, Zayne! I know you’re a good singer!” You teased him.

“I prefer to keep my talents to myself.” Mr. Too Cool To Party pated over his dress pants to shape them back into their ironed form. “And lower your volume, you’ll get complaints from the neighbors.”

You didn’t let his attitude kill your mood –but you did quiet down a little bit, just in case.

“What time is it?” You asked as the music died down and the screen faded back to black. The sudden pain and tingly sensation that took over when you moved your leg warned you not to try to get on your feet just yet.

Zayne fixed up the sleeves of his shirt, pulling them back down and buttoning them up. He flicked his wrist so he could see his watch properly, then walked to the closest window and pulled the heavy clothes just a small fraction out of the way with one finger. The sky was a dark mass sprinkled with silver dust. The city lights painted reds, whites and yellows as far as the eye could see.

“Twenty minutes ‘till two.” Said Zayne, letting his finger drop and covering the view back down again. And moving to the stitch on the wall to turn on the lights of the living room.

You blinked.

“Wow.” Almost two in the morning?

You invited Zayne over for a movie marathon. It was a plan you had been postponing for a few weeks since his schedule was often messy and unpredictable. You guessed maybe now that you had finally been able to do it you got a little bit over excited and ‘Just one more movie’ turned into this.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize it was this late.” You scratched your neck and felt a tweak of guilt in your chest.

“It’s okay. Tomorrow is my day off. Well… today.” You winced. Zayne rarely had a good night of sleep pulling so many extra hours at work. To top it off, you picked him up from the hospital that afternoon after a long shift and he was too stubborn to take a nap. You didn’t even want to think how long he had been awake by now. He was certainly in no condition to drive.

“Do you want to stay the night?”

The question seemed to have taken him off guard because he stiffed before squaring his back again. He coughed and turned his face to look at you from over his shoulder.

“There is no need for that.”

“You have been awake for too long for it to be safe to sit behind the wheel.”

“I can just call a cab for that.” He pulled his phone from his pocket as if to prove he could.

“How long is it going to be until you get home? Aren’t you tired?”

“It’ll be forty minutes at most.” He typed on his password and set a stubborn hand over his waist. You looked at the side of his profile, and bit your lower lip. If there was one person who was more bullheaded than you, that was Dr. Zayne.

You made an effort to stand and walked to his side, trying to pick your face between him and his phone screen to force him to look at you for a second. He ignored you.

“We had plenty of sleepovers when we were kids, it would be nice to do it again. You rarely come to my apartment if it’s not to pick me up for something.” His expression didn’t show any sign of hesitation. You decided to take out the heavy ammunition. Knowing Zayne’s weak spot for puppy eyes after seeing him give in to his smallest patiences’ trickery, you hucked your hands around his arm and with pouty lips –Zayne’s health came before dignity– you attempted an attack.

“Please? I’m worried about you.”

Zayne looked down and away from the screen when you tugged on his arm. The words he was about to say died on his tongue and after a stuttering couple of minutes, an emotion you couldn’t catch flashed across his eyes. Probably the effect of your inexperienced pleading. God, you were sure you looked ridiculous right now.

I do this for your own good, Zayne.

His expression went from startled to a frown, but you didn’t budget. You could see a hint of internal struggle, which meant that it was working, so you squeezed his arm a little bit closer to your chest and waited.

Finally, the struggle gave way to resignation and you knew you'd had won.

“Fine.” He said in a cold voice. He held the bridge of his nose with two fingers and closed his eyes with exasperation, “but let go of my arm.”

You let a triumphal smile spread across your face since he couldn’t see you and you let go. “Great!” You sang, “We’ll have to find you some clothes for you to sleep on. I’m sure I have some oversize pieces at the back of my closet. Let me look for them.”

You ran off to your room, leaving a distress doctor sighing at your back.

No more than fifthteen minutes later, Zayne was on your biggest (oldest) black hoodie, stretched and torn after so many washing cycles, and a pair of gray sweatpants that barely got to his calf. You had retrieved a back up toothbrush from a dark corner of the cabinet –still in its box–, and he was brushing in the bathroom while you finished picking up the stuff in the living room.

“You are too big for the couch, I’m telling you. And you can’t sleep while sitting down, your neck will kill you tomorrow.” One argument had turned into the next. Now you were trying to explain to a six-foot-one man how tall he was. “And you could sleep on the floor if you wanted, but my bed is big. I don’t know why this is such a big deal for y—”

The doorbell rang from across the room giving you a startle.

Shi—.

“Who rings someone’s doorbell at two in the morning?” You asked, annoyed. What a way to scare the living hell out of someone.

You heard Zayne’s voice muffled from the bathroom.

“Probably some kids playing around.” His voice was followed by the sound of water running as he rinsed his mouth.

You scolded and dropped the cushions in their designated spot over the dining chairs. With angry stumps, you moved to the small screen next to the door. The security camera showed the image of the main door of the building.

Empty.

There was no one in front of the glass windows, not even a shadow under the iridescent light of the streets.

They run off. Rascals.

You prompted both your fits over your waist. “Seriously, that’s just annoying. I don’t see how this would be entertaining for anyone.”

“You can’t take in a joke?” Zayn’s voice sounds closer than before. He had walked off the bathroom and was moving to the kitchen area with that signature faint smirk in his lips.

“Oh, shut up.” You shushed him. You heard a low chuckle and the clinking of glass as he looked for something in one of the cabinets. You turned back to the screen, bent over and squinted your eyes, paying close attention for any sign of movement. Nothing.

Fine. You will let it go this time, but next time you would teach them not to play pranks on a hunter’s house.

You straighten back up and turn around. Immediately, someone knocked on the door behind you.

“What—!” You jumped.

“What was that?” Zayne asked from the kitchen.

“I– A neighbor?” You asked, your voice full of doubt even as you said it. You turned back to look at the door.

Oh, fuck. It was the singing, wasn’t it?

You groaned and covered your face, feeling the blood rushing to your face, making it go hot.

“I told you they would complain.” Said Zayne all coky, seemingly having the same idea as you.

“Be quiet. I stopped singing a while ago, this is probably because you were being stubborn about the couch. They probably hear us screaming at each other from one room to the other.”

“Well, I don’t live here, so this is your problem.”

You sighed. You were regretting your merciful soul. Maybe you should have let him fall asleep behind the wheel so he would learn his lesson by himself. No, you slapped your face with both hands. Leave those dark thoughts. One problem at a time.

Taking a deep breath, you faced the door. You fixed your appearance as best as you could before taking the doorknob into your hand and plastering an apologetic smile into your face. You opened the door slowly, and embarrassingly showed yourself from the crack of the door.

The apology dried down in your lips and your eyes went wide when you saw the person at the other side. The shock was such that you weren't able to hold back the surprise pitch in your voice when a word escape you,

“Sylus?!”

“Lower your volume, kitten. It’s late.” He laughed and held a finger to his lips. He stood there in his whole glory, covered in black leather. His jacket opened to show a white shirt with a small stain of blood close to the hem of his neck and his golden pendant hanging over his chest. His red eyes flickering with the light of the common corridor.

You started with your mouth open and let the expression set, seemingly pleased to have baffled you stupid as he often did. What is he doing at the door of your apartment? Your blood rushed again, this time with a more displeasing feeling.

You held the door tight, narrowing the gap that let him see into the apartment as much as you could without closing it right in front of his face.

“There are cameras everywhere in this building. I told you to stop doing this. What are you doing here?” You whispered between greeted teeth, a mix of anger and alarm.

He lowered himself to be eye to eye with you, placing a heavy hand against the door. Not yet pushing it open, but to at least make sure you couldn’t lock him out. He followed you lead by whispering his next words too.

“I missed you, that’s all.” His eyes flashed with amusement. Great, you gave him a great reaction –that sight of infatuation he liked to trigger on you– and now he was hooked and ready to play you around.

You swallow the come back lingering at the tip of your tongue. Don’t entertain him. You kept your expression neutral but firm when you said,

“Not today, Sylus.”

“What, are you tired? You can go ahead and sleep, I just want to sit with you for a little bit.” He moved closer until your noses almost touched. His whispers turn into soft spoken words. “Some pests have been running around causing trouble lately. They’re sneaky and give me a little bit of a headache. That’s why I haven't been able to come and see you lately. I still need to go back to work, so it will only be for a moment. Is that alright?”

You didn’t answer, running possible excuses for him to leave as soon as possible. While he waited for your answer, something seemed to come to mind. He moved back a fraction and tilted his head to the side, curiosity in his gaze.

“You opened the door quite fast. You weren’t asleep yet?” Whatever look you gave him was enough for him to know the answer to that. He laughed quietly and straightened back up, “Are you misbehaving, kitten?”

Deciding the most efficient way to deal with Sylus was to tell him to get the hell out of there, you opened your mouth to tell him off. He would always listen to you if he saw true displeasure in your expression.

In that instant, a voice came from behind your back.

“Is everything alright?” Zayne’s tone was calm, but also somehow worried and vigilant to your ears.

At the sound of the voice, Sylus’ smile dropped. Red lights swarmed in his pupils, turning to the deepest crimson, as black as blood when you gash out an important artery.

“Who is that?” His tone was sharp as knives. Games aside, he didn’t care about keeping his words a whisper anymore.

“I…”

“Are you asking about me?” Zayne’s calm tone turned into stone.

Sylus’ gaze twitched when he heard it again. His eyes clocked on you, almost threatening. He studied you, running his eyes over you from the tip of your toes to your face, looking for something. You tensed under his scrutiny, wondering why it made you feel so vulnerable. This was the hard gaze Sylus would use with the people he considered rats tampering with his trash and ruining his sidewalk. You weren’t used to those eyes looking down on you.

“Did I interrupt something?”

“If it was the noise that bothered you, we apologize for the inconvenience. We will stay quiet from now on, we were setting on to sleep.” Sylus’ attention moved over your head as if trying to see through the door to the person on the other side. “We can talk about this more in the morning if you’d like.” When Zayne finished his statement, Sylus’ slowly moved back to look you in the eyes. There was a lingering note of danger when he repeated Zayne’s words to you.

“...The noise?”

It was as if the cat had eaten your tongue. Sylus didn’t look alright. The sight of it made your brain immediately try to recall the spare gun hiding in a drawer in the kitchen.

A hand wrapped around your arm and pushed you away from the door.

—

Zayne brushed his teeth with his eyes passively staring at his reflection on the mirror over the sink. Your voice came loud from the end of the hall through the opened bathroom door. His expression remained stoic while listening to you talk some nonsense about waiting to share the bed with him from the living room. He deemed for every word of yours to get in one ear and out the next.

Rather than pay attention to your rumbling, he moved his gaze around over your creams and trinkles next to the tap and over the shelves on the side. Your towels hung on the walls, and the tiles on the floor showed small details coloured in gold.

Your soap scented the room, the air clean, light and sweet.

His eyes returned to his double in the mirror. The hoodie you handed him had gone from black to gray from washing, and the sweat pants had a hole on one side over one of the seams. He felt the softness of the worn down fabric and the scent of the softener in your clothes.

“I don’t know why this is such a big deal for y—”

The doorbell rang. His body flinched, his shoulders jumped sending his hand a little too far into his mouth, almost stabbing his throat with the toothbrush. You cursed between your teeth, the sound softened by the distance.

He frowned. He turned his head around, over the pile of neatly folded clothes lay his watch. He reached for it with his fingers and shifted it his way to look at the dial. Two past seven in the morning. Who in their right mind rings into someone’s house at this hour in the middle of the night?

“Who rings someone’s doorbell at two in the morning?” You asked from the living room.

Zayne put down the brush and held a hand to his neck, coughing lightly to get rid of the sting of pain at the back of his throat. He ran his fingers through his hair, regained some composure and washed the frown from his face.

He went on to turn on the tap as he answered,

“Probably some kids playing around.”

He let the water run to wash as best as he could at the lack of a shower. He blindly reached his hand for a towel and got the water away from his eyes. There was still a lingering line of annoyance at whoever had almost made him choke.

The smell of you on the towel took over his system again and his mind railed back to the thoughts he had been fighting and the alarming sensation of a fluttery feeling over his heart. The echo of your words from earlier and the feeling of your body pressing against his arm flooded him again.

He pressed his heart over the fluff of the towel and closed his eyes.

The sensation of heart palpitations might just be early signs of arrhythmia.

He uncovered his face and sighed. Putting the towel away, he moved his pile of clothes over the lid of the laundry basket and walked towards the hall and into the kitchen

“Seriously, that’s just annoying. I don’t see how this would be entertaining for anyone.” You said while leaning forward with your fits on your waist and annoyance clear in your tone. He could imagine your face scrunched up and the pout in your lips and he couldn’t help the smile that escaped him.

“You can’t take a joke?” He said, stepping into the kitchen door.

“Oh, shut up.” You snapped back and his smile grew wider. He moved to look through the cabinets over the counter. The uneven sets of plates and glasses spoke of your habit of hoarding all types of stuff that called your attention for either being ‘cute’ or colorful. He was looking for a pair of glasses that wouldn’t be embarrassing to drink from while you mumbled under your breath to the camera next to the front door.

You were still so vivid at this hour of the night, singing and dancing and cursing so freely. It made him wonder about your sleep schedule and if you were lying during your check ups about getting proper rest. He was about to make a comment about it when the sound of knocking on the door startled him again.

His hands freezed over one of the glasses, almost making it fall out of the cabinet and into the floor. He heard you hold back a scream and his body tensed.

“What was that?” He asked.

“I– A neighbor?” Your voice sounded as if you were trying to reassure yourself. However the idea made sense. Your vividness had come back to bite you. The scandal had been quite a deal. Maybe it would teach you about not having to stay so late at night in the future.

“I told you they would complain.”

You bikered with him and he enjoyed it. He was usually so inclined to mind his own business and stay quiet since he never had the patience for conflict, but since you two came back to be together he had discovered how entertaining it was to tease you.

He heard the door being unlocked and seconds later yet another scream, “Sylus?!”

Zayne turned to look over his shoulder, listening attentively. The name didn’t sound familiar to him, but your tone let clear you knew who they were. A man’s voice answered, dulled by the distance, but he sounded calm.

After your initial reaction the conversation turned quiet. Since you seemed to know him and there was no other striking reaction after your initial surprise, he felt he should be inclined to think that everything was fine. However, he couldn’t shake the wary feeling on his chest.

He put two glasses over the counter and filled them with water. Your conversation was a steady murmur he couldn’t properly pull apart. And when the buzzing of the refrigerator engine rose, he felt the urge to get closer to the kitchen door to try to catch on any word he could.

You were hunching forward with your head picking out the hall through a small opening in between the door and its frame. You held into the doorknob with white knuckles and your shoulders were tense like wire.

The light sense of instinctive wariness turned into something sharper. Then, he heard a chuckle.

A male’s voice, husky and oddly cheery, came from the other side, making the hair at the end of his neck stand on end and his gut kicked with a warning.

He walked slowly from behind you. All he could hear were the desperation in your whispers talking to the person behind the door.

“Is everything all right?”

There was a beat of silence, and all the cheerfulness had been washed away from the voice when the man. The voice was stone cold when he lashed his next question at you,

“Who is that?”

What kind of questions was that?

“Are you asking about me?” He intervened before you could give this man any type of answer.

Another beat of silence, and there was a layer of threat in the man’s voice when he said his next line.

“Did I interrupt something?”

“If it was the noise that bothered you, we apologize for the inconvenience. We will stay quiet from now on, we were setting on to sleep. We can talk about this more in the morning if you’d like.” This wasn’t a situation he wanted to muse over. You had gone completely still at the door. Zayne couldn’t figure out what kind of person this would be for you to not lash out at them by the tone he was using. He walked in strides towards the door, and he had extended his arm to pull you away by the time he heard the next question.

—

“...The noise?”

Sylus saw you disappear inside the apartment and a second later a tall figure positioned itself in front of him at the door.

He licked the sharp edge of his teeth, taking one deep breath to clear the rampage that had been set on his mind. He wanted to keep steady and not act in a rush. Who would have thought that you were actually out there being naughty while he was retained by the lame games of a sneaky dirty gang.

Sylus’ eyes were set on the man’s chest at the door since he was way taller than you. And when he felt like he had a hold of his temper again, he slowly slid them up to see the man’s face. What he found there made the last of his temper untwine and his posture relaxed. He couldn’t help but arch one of his brows with curiosity.

The doctor.

Sharp jaw, black hair, green eyes, constipated expression. It was a face he could recognize easily since he had got to see it too often in pictures and files Luke and Kieran collected for him. Someone many would call a prodigy. A cardiac surgeon at Akso Hospital, well known and respected by both his teachers and pairs. Level-headed, serious, pragmatic.

And a wimp.

Sylus’ irritability washed away from his eyes and his gaze recovered the glint of amusement.

Granted, this was the first time he met the Doctor in person, but he had seen enough of him to feel like they were old acquaintances. To Sylus’ eyes the cold expressions were nothing but a façade. It might be something that spooked others away from looking for too long in his direction, but to someone like him that wasn’t a barrier of any type. The man was actually a lot more transparent than one might feel.

Kieran had quite the hand for photography, and enjoyed capturing good images with feeling. Sylus had seen a significant amount of pictures of the shy side glance looks the Doctor sent your way when you weren’t looking. His feelings for you were clear as day, and by the light in his eyes, Sylus could tell it was an old type of love.

When he learned you and the Doctor had met when you were children the look made even more sense. It also gave Sylus some reassurance. To him it was obvious: Doctor here had a childhood crush that had rutted too deep into his heart, and after holding it in for so many years, and giving his shy personality, he was probably never going to confess in his lifetime out of the possibility of you saying no.

“We were too enthusiastic about our movie night earlier. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I presume we all have work tomorrow. It would be better to discuss this at some other time.”

With context about who your visitor was, it was clear to him that he had nothing to worry about.

The Doctor’s eyes set on Sylus and discreetly looked him up and down. Should he have known he would come to meet your childhood friend he would have chosen some better clothes. He moved his hand to cover a strain in his shirt from the altercation from earlier with his jacket. A virtuous fellow like him would certainly disapprove of his attitude, and Sylus had always considered first impressions to be very important.

The contempt in the Doctor's eyes didn’t stroke him as a surprise. What a shame, Sylus sighed. He always thought that if he played his cards well he and the Doctor could strike up a good friendship since they were both smart men and shared very similar… taste.

Sylus took a second to assess the situation. From behind the Doctor’s back, you slide him a warning glance. The poison in your eyes made his heart flutter like a teen with his first crush. Biting back a smile, he decided to show some mercy just this one time. The Doctor was not wrong, it was pretty late at night and you should take some rest now.

Leaving your eyes he moved to look straight at the doctor’. With a motion he knew his type would dislike, he lifted up his chin and looked at him from above.

“Well, I’m glad you are aware of your mistake.” His eyes deflected to you so the Doctor would catch it. “My neighbor here was too stubborn to admit it.” The Doctor’ nails pressed against the wood of the frame.

Upon closer inspection, Sylus noticed the virtuous doctor’s clothes and the way his pants barely covered his shin. Well, he had never been offered clean clothes when he stayed at your house. Favoritism games were not fun, dear.

By his expression, Syrus feared the good doctor might decide to start throwing punches. As fun as it could be to help him start a criminal record of his own, he was sure you would scold him for it. So he decided to cut the conversation short.

“Fine. I am tired myself.” He turned on his heels and looked over his shoulder to throw you a wink. “I will discuss this with my neighbor some other day, when we have both cooled down.”

If the man had a reaction, Sylus decided to miss it. The only thing that got to his ear was a muffled sound and your voice whispering the Doctor’s name.

The apartment door closed behind him with a click. He could only imagine the Doctor’s questions for you if he even dared to pronounce them.

His phone ding with an incoming message and he pulled it out of his pocket. Kieran had updates on the gangster’s location and urged him to go back to work. With a heavy sight he stepped down the hall into the elevator. The night hadn’t gone as he had planned it too, but he got to see you at the very least.

He still wasn’t worried about the doctor’s slender, well taken care of fingers and where they might try to stick to, but just in case, because he was a cautious man, he pondered if he should send Mephisto to make sure you didn’t get yourself into any trouble.

[mariespen]

I know ⋆ ﾟ꒰⚘݄꒱₊

dad!rafe cameron x mom!reader ₊✩ˎˊ˗ summary: your eldest daughter, Ellie, gets into a fight at school. warnings: mention of slight injury

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You checked the time on the kitchen clock, looking over your shoulder and making sure that you were on schedule. You needed to leave to pick up your two kids from school by 3:25 to avoid traffic. You wanted to go shopping before picking them up because your oldest, Ellie, needed some new winter clothes. No one told you that picking up your kids would need this much planning, even after your husband insisted on sending them to a prestigious private school.

Speaking of your husband, at 1:15 he pulled into the garage. You rolled your eyes, only half annoyed.

“Hi, baby.” He said with a smile, walking into the house with his dress clothes, straight from work.

“Late lunch?” You asked as he came up to you, holding your hips and pulling you closer to him.

“Just left early.” He said, grinning and kissing you gently.

“Rafe..” You said, kissing him back.

Your husband, Rafe Cameron, was the CEO of Cameron Enterprises, so he was pretty lenient with his duties. The surprise visits had gotten more common after he hired a new assistant, which freed him up time to be with his wife and two girls. 

His body towered over you as he kissed your neck and down to your shoulder, his hands moving to grab your ass. 

“So perfect..” He mumbled the compliment, burying his head in the crook of your neck.

“Baby.. I gotta get to the shops. Ellie needs a new coat.” You said, pulling away and looking up at him with a sad smile.

“I’ll go with you.” He announced, setting his briefcase and coat down on the kitchen island before walking to the door.

You giggled, grabbing your purse and the keys to your white Porsche SUV. Rafe waited for you at the door, smiling and holding it open for you as you walked out. He gave you a look as you got into the driver's seat, hesitantly sliding into the passenger’s seat beside you. You rolled your eyes playfully and started the car, driving off.

About 15 minutes later, you turned into a small outlet mall. Putting the car into park, the two of you got out. He started to walk to the more designer stores and you rolled your eyes.

“Rafe, she’s 11. The last thing she needs is designer.” You said with a giggle, pulling his arm to an Urban Outfitters. Rafe looked at you, a confused frown on his face as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. After picking out a nice coat to keep her warm enough, the two of you started to walk back to the car. You looked around, seeing a small cafe and looking at Rafe with doe eyes. He looked at you expectantly, smiling at your face.

“Rafe can we-“ You started, interrupted by Rafe intertwining his fingers with yours.

“Of course, m’lady.” He said, smiling and kissing the top of your head as the two of you walked.

Your phone rang from your purse and you stopped, confused. Your personal phone doesn’t normally ring unless it was Rafe or your girls and your face knitted with concern as you rummaged for it. After pulling it out, you saw that it was the school. You frowned, looking back at Rafe’s equally confused expression.

“One second..” You mumbled, picking it up.

Your eyes shot up when the administrator requested your presence at the school office.

“Why? What happened?” You asked and Rafe leaned down, trying to hear as much of the conversation that he could through your phone.

“Ellie had an.. incident with a boy in her grade.” The woman on the phone said cautiously.

“Is she okay? What happened?” You repeated, worry and anxiety growing in your chest for your eldest daughter.

“Mrs. Cameron, Ellie got into a physical altercation with another boy in her class.” Rafe looked at you with an equal, but more subtle, amount of worry. 

“I’ll be right there, thank you.” You said quietly, hanging up the phone.

“What? What happened?” Rafe asked and you turned around, heading away from the cafe and back to the car with him close on your heels.

“Ellie got into a fight, they want us there.” You said, your breathing picking up.

Rafe held your hand, trying to sooth your incoming panic. He was still a bit confused, but he took the keys from you and opened the passenger side door, insisting that he would drive the two of you back.

“What did they say?” He asked, his eyes flicking back from you to the road every so often.

“She got into a ‘physical altercation with a boy in her grade.’” You said, quoting it directly with a lightly mocking tone.

Rafe’s face was still serious, but his facade was cracking with his concern for Ellie.

The two of you pulled up to the school about an hour before the final bell would ring. Rafe walked in first, storming into the office, preparing to demand answers. His face dropped when he saw his precious girl with a bloody nose and blossoming black eye. Your gaze followed his and you gasped, beating him to Ellie.

“Baby what happened?” You asked, touching her eye gently as she winced.

“Who did this, Ellie?” Rafe’s booming voice asked from behind you, his expression deep with anger.

You watched your daughter’s eyes glare across the room. You turned, seeing a young boy with an ice pack to his head, his condition significantly worse than hers. You looked at her, eyes wide. Rafe sprung up, demanding answers right as the woman you spoke to on the phone came out of the principal’s office. 

“Right this way, Mr. and Mrs. Cameron.” She said, showing you to the principal’s office. You left a quick kiss on Ellie’s cheek before walking behind Rafe and entering the small room.

“Thank you for coming, Mr. and Mrs. Cameron.” The principal said, his face pale at the sight of your husband’s outrage.

“What the fuck happened?” Rafe asked, nearly yelling. You put a warning hand on his knee, silently telling him to take it down a notch. Naturally, he eyed you with a quiet ‘no.’

“According to the witnesses, Ellie started a fight with a young boy in her class during lunch.” The principal said with a sigh, shuffling a few pages of paperwork to the top of a stack.

“That can’t be the full story.” You said, leaning forward, as if to urge him on.

“That’s the part that I need to look at. Unfortunately, there are some severe consequences for this-“ You rolled your eyes, listening to him talk before Rafe got up suddenly, leaving the office.

You started to hesitantly stand up after him, sitting back down and trying to stay calm. You watched the door as it opened again, Rafe walking back in with Ellie’s hand in his.

“Let’s hear the full story.” Rafe said, gesturing for Ellie to sit in the seat that he was in previously as he resumed a stance at the door of the closed office.

You looked at your daughter, putting a gentle hand on her leg as you waited for her to start explaining. Her gaze met the principal’s, staring him down.

“Gabe said that my mom was a gold digger and that she doesn’t really love my dad.” Ellie said, her little voice raising as she continued, “And I told him to shut up and he said ‘do something about it.’ So I did.” She finished with her arms crossed.

God, she had so much of Rafe’s attitude that it almost made you wince.

You were astonished, your mouth wide. Rafe was quiet at the door and you didn’t make eye contact with him, not wanting to see how this would turn out.

“What?” You asked her, looking at Ellie and then the principal, “Did she tell you this?” 

“I did!” Ellie interrupted and you gave her a knowing look and she slumped back into her chair.

You heard Rafe moving closer to the desk and you looked up at him as he stood behind you. His face was red with anger as he looked at the principal.

“What consequences will you have for him, huh?” He asked, his stance intimidating as the principal collected himself while Rafe kept going, “My kid got beat up too, what’s going to happen about that?” He said, pointing to the blood drying on Ellie’s nose.

Ellie nodded, her little arms still crossed. Rafe shifted so he was between you and your daughter. The three of you looked at the principal expectantly.

“From what we know as of right now, Gabe was simply defending himself-“ “Bullshit!” Ellie interrupted and you looked at her, warning her to be more careful. Of course, Rafe nodded along with her.

“We will review the classroom footage and determine an appropriate punishment.” The principal stated, eager to get this over with. Rafe scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“I will give you a call. Thank you.” He said and Rafe helped you up and out of your chair.

His arm protectively wrapped around Ellie and the three of you walked out without another word. When you passed through the office, you could see both Rafe and Ellie staring daggers into the little boy, still holding an ice pack to his head. Rafe’s protective hold on Ellie didn’t let up until he opened the door for her to get into the car, opening yours as well. He got into the driver's seat and you sat quietly, knowing one of them would say something soon.

Without a word, Rafe turned and looked back at your daughter who was fidgeting nervously. He smiled slightly, holding his hand up for a high-five. You rolled your eyes playfully, watching as her face lit up and she high-fived him without hesitation.

“Rafe!” You said, trying to stifle your smile.

“What?” He said, putting his hands up in surrender. He put the car in drive as Ellie smiled to herself.

“Ellie, you shouldn’t get into fights at school. Especially not over dumb things like that.” You said, trying to sound serious and stern.

“Mom, that's not fair!” Ellie said, looking at you with pleading eyes.

“Your mom’s right, Ellie.” Rafe said, knowing you desperately needed backup. You listened expectantly, waiting for him to continue, but he didn’t. He offered you a shrug and kept driving the way back to the house.

You got out, watching as Rafe opened Ellie’s door and picked her up, grabbing her backpack. You smiled, walking ahead of them.

“Just like your dad.” You heard Rafe say quietly to Ellie, hearing another high-five between the two of them.

You rolled your eyes, giggling at Ellie’s prideful smile. 

“Go get changed, love.” You told her as Rafe sat her down.

She went upstairs to her room and you looked at Rafe, watching him try incredibly hard to stop himself from smiling.

“She’s too much like you.” You said with a huff, trying to play off your smile once he breaks and starts laughing.

“Looks like we’re raising them right.” Rafe said, kissing you softly. You rolled your eyes as you felt him smile into the kiss.

“I love you.” You said, your fingers tracing his cheekbone.

“I know.” He said, kissing you again and then pulling away with another breath, “I love you too, pretty lady.”

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

[alisonwritesimagines]

Blood Son's Girlfriend ~Batmom Imagine~

Summary: Damian takes his new girlfriend Raven to meet you.

Author’s Note: I ship Damian and Raven in Teen Titans vs the Justice League. Also, Damian and Raven are 18 and 20 in this. I think Raven is older than Damian by like two years? Martha is five in this.

BatFamily Masterlist

Reader’s Pronouns: She/Her

Warnings: fluff

Do not repost this anywhere!

There was one person that Damian valued for their opinion. And that person was you.

So when he began to date Raven, he wanted you to meet her after the first month of dating.

“I’m nervous to meet your mom,” Raven tells him as they walked over to the backyard.

“She’ll love you,” Damian reassured her.

Raven knew about you and Bruce. She also knew that you weren’t Damian’s biological mother but he loved you like you were. You had changed Damian in a good way. So when he told Raven that he wanted her to meet you, of course it was natural to feel nervous. Raven had met Bruce on multiple occasions so she wasn't too nervous.

They found you under the gazebo in the backyard with Martha, Alfred, and Bruce sitting with you. It looked like a tea party as Martha was in a dress and a tiara.

“Damie!” Martha yelled excitedly before running over to hug her older brother. Damian picked her up before hugging her back.

“Hey Martha.”

“Do you and your friend want to join my tea party?” Martha asked.

“Sure. Are there seats for us?” Damian asked.

“Yes!”

“Okay then. You up for a tea party?” Damian asked Raven.

“It sounds fun,” she smiled softly. The three of them got closer to the gazebo where you were sitting and smiling with Bruce, waiting to be introduced to Damian’s girlfriend.

“Ummi. Father. I want you two to meet Raven. My girlfriend,” Damian introduced.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” you say as you got up. You have her a hug before looking at her outfit. “I love your outfit!”

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Wayne. Damian talks about you.”

“You can call me Y/n.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Raven,” Bruce smiles as he shook hands with Raven.

“It’s nice to meet you too, sir.”

“Damian and Raven are having tea with us!” Martha said excitedly.

“Do you drink tea Raven?” You asked her.

“Yes ma'am."

“We have some good tea right now. And Alfred has made some sandwiches and little snacks for us,” you tell her.

Raven sat next to you and Damian as Martha carefully poured tea into a cup for her.

“Make sure you raise your pinky,” Martha tells Raven.

“Okay,” Raven nodded.

Damian watched as you and Martha got along with Raven. After the tea party, Damian and Raven had to head back.

“It was so nice to meet you Raven! I hope to see you again soon,” you tell her after giving her a hug.

“It was nice to meet you too. Thank you for the tea party.”

“Now that Martha is the only child in the mansion, we basically have to listen to her,” you joked.

“We’ll visit again soon,” Damian tells you.

“Oh! Maybe we can have a dinner sometime with everyone! I miss you kids. You hardly visit anymore,” you pouted.

“Sorry. I’ll talk to the others and plan something for you,” Damian said.

“You two have a safe drive back,” Bruce tells them.

“Thanks. We’ll see you again soon,” Damian said before walking off with Raven.

“I can’t believe Damian has a girlfriend now,” you say out loud as you began to clean up the tea party.

“I can’t believe someone is willing to date him. Remember how anti social he was?” Bruce asked.

“Don’t remind me. But he looks like he's getting better," you tell him.

"She's a powerful being with powers including manipulation and telepathy," Bruce said.

"If someone is using powers on our children I would notice. But she seems like a nice young girl who is dealing with Damian now so if you're worried, I'd be more worried about her," you tell Bruce. Bruce felt Martha tap on him to get his attention, making Bruce pick her up.

"Mommy? Can we go visit Jason tomorrow?" Martha asked you.

"Let's see if he's busy before we go visit him," you tell her.

"Okay!"

"Let's help mommy put the tea set away before she calls him okay?" Bruce tells Martha.

"Okay," Martha nodded.

[yandere-daydreams]

Screening: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978).

Pairing: Yandere!Carlisle Cullen x Reader (Twilight).

Word Count: 2.1k.

TW: Wildly Unbalanced Power Dynamics, Medical Malpractice, Blood, Controlling Behavior, Deliberate Social Isolation, Misuse of Prescription Drugs, and Generalized Twilight. Dead Dove: Do Not Eat.

It might’ve just been the isolation getting to you, but you were starting to think that your doctor wasn’t completely human.

Not that you’d ever say so out loud. At best, it was awful thing to think about a man who’d only ever been kind to you and, at worst, it proved yet another symptom to your ever-developing, ever-worsening illness had cropped up and would need further treatment to correct. You knew better than to say things that would make you seem more sick than you already were, but it was hard to stop yourself from lingering on the idea – especially considering you only had books, sleep, and his company to pass the endless time. Admittedly, it’d been a while since you’d seen another person, but you could’ve sworn he was paler than he should’ve been, to the point of bloodlessness. He never ate or drank around you, but sometimes when he spoke, the light would catch on his teeth in a way that made them look too sharp, too prominent. You might’ve been dreaming, but once, after you took your medicine but just before you fell asleep, you swore you saw him taking the cap off of the blood sample he’d taken a few minutes prior, like he planned to do something aside from—

You heard a door open and instantly, your paranoia was dismissed in favor of more interesting stimuli. In this case, that came in the form of your doctor, Carlisle Cullen, stepping into your bedroom, an inhumanly perfect smile already painted across his inhumanly perfect lips.

…maybe you should tell somebody about your little conspiracy. If only to be absolutely sure that you were really losing your mind.

“Good morning,” he said, and it occurred to you that you hadn’t thought to check the time, yet. Your life existed in three states: alone, asleep, and with Carlisle. Only that last one really mattered – the other two could easily be lumped into the same category helpfully labeled ‘waiting for Carlisle’s next visit’. “Have you been keeping yourself busy?”

“I’ve only been awake for a couple hours,” you explained, shrugging as he took his usual seat in the chair left next to your bed. He was always polite enough to ask about the boring details of your day, and you were always embarrassed enough to skirt around just how little you had the energy for. Most of the time, it was all you could do to pull yourself out of bed and yourself to eat before retreating back into your little safe haven. On a good day, you’d be able to go for a walk, maybe respond to a few of the calls you were constantly missing, but most days weren’t very good. “Reading, mostly. Thanks again for the recommendation.”

The book he’d lent you – a dry historical drama with characters as bland as water and a plot as boring as sin – sat open on your lap, but you’d only gotten through half a chapter before giving up. It was hard to believe Carlisle was only a few years older than you, sometimes. You couldn’t imagine how someone who seemed so young could have such awful taste.

Still, he looked pleased, his pleasantly aloof expression taking on a defined note of satisfaction. “It’s important to keep your mind occupied while your body’s recovering. You wouldn’t want to waste all of my hard work by letting yourself die of boredom, now, would you?”

“No, doctor.” It was stupid to try, but he’d set himself up for it. You couldn’t seem to stop yourself, your heart beating just a little faster as you grasped blindly for the impossible. “You know, there’s this friend of mine who keeps asking when she’ll be able to visit, and I thought it might help pass the time if—”  

“You’ll have to find a way to let her down.” Carlisle’s voice was smooth, calm. You did your best not to sulk, but still, he let out a labored sigh, only a touch too professional to roll his eyes. “It’s for the best. It’s good that you stay active, but you know what’ll happen if you overexert yourself, don’t you?”

Vaguely. It was hard to remember the details of your condition, and you weren’t in the mood for another lecture. “I do, doctor.”

“And you’re going to behave your check-up, aren’t you?”

“I am, doctor.”

“And that’s why you’re my favorite patient.” Your compliance was rewarded with a beaming smile, an appeased nod as he pulled his old-fashioned leather doctor’s bag into his lap. “We better make good on that promise before you change your mind, then.”

You didn’t protest. Honestly, you didn’t say much of anything. You never talked during your exam, preferring to let Carlisle go through the necessary motions with as little interference as possible. Instead, he filled the silence with mindless chatter about his children and how they were doing at the local public school, the hospital’s ongoings since you were unofficially discharged, and your favorite – Forks’ particularly colorful smalltown gossip, from the sheriff’s wayward daughter moving back into town to the spike in bear sightings on the local hiking paths. “It’ll be a busy week,” he mentioned, as he finished taking your blood pressure. “You might have some unexpected company, after all.”

At that, you perked up. You met nearly all of Carlisle’s assistants (medical students, you guessed, judging by their ages) by now, and even if you didn’t care for all of them, it was still nice to see someone other than him. Your least favorites were the dark haired twins – the wiry boy who always seemed to be biting back a smirk and the pixie-like girl who always acted like she knew something you didn’t – and you were particularly fond of the blonde girl… Rosemary, or maybe Rosaline. She was nice, compassionate, kind enough to keep you company even when Carlisle wasn’t in the room. More importantly, she brought interesting books – romance and horror, novels like Dracula and Carmilla and Interview with a Vampire, always handing over with a sweet smile and a hushed reminder not to let Carlisle know she was breaking his rules. Looking back on it, you probably shouldn’t have accepted anything she tried to give you. You would’ve hated for her to get in trouble just because she was trying to be nice.

Rather than voicing your overwhelming bias, you watched intently as he slipped the loose cuff off of your arm, tucking it back into his bag and removing something else, something long and silver and sharp. Immediately, your gaze shot back to your lap, your throat going dry in an instant. The next time you managed to spit something out, it was nearly too quiet to be audible. “…is there any chance we could, uh, I don’t know,” You paused, shrunk into yourself. “…skip the phlebotomy, this time?”

Carlisle’s answer was as swift as it was ruthless. An airy laugh, a jagged twist to this smile as he took up the needle properly and turned it over in his hand, looking for defects. It was already attached the glass syringe and, even worse, an empty vial; just a touch bigger than you remembered it being, the day before. “And take that kind of risk? How little do you think of me, (Y/n)?”

“It’s not you, it’s just—I already feel a little faint, and you take one every day, and—” You cut yourself off, inhaling sharply. “I just don’t know if it’s really necessary. Considering how careful you are and everything.”

“You’re right, I am careful. Which is exactly why I have to do this each and every time I come to see you.” He sighed, shook his head – suddenly more of a patronizing, paternal figure than any kind of medical professional, let alone peer. “You understand, don’t you? Without regular testing, your condition may worsen, and if you get any sicker than you are now…” You stiffened as he trailed off, bracing yourself. You knew what came next, what always came next.

“You’ll have to go back to the hospital, angel.”

It was strange, how a voice as smooth and as beautiful as his could be so difficult to listen to.

You didn’t like Carlisle. You hated his condescending smile, his repetitive rambling, his terrible taste in books and his creepy little students. You hated how little he let you do, how he talked about your illness – always skirting around the details, never giving you enough information to know whether you were on the verge of dying or a few days away from making a full recovery. No, when you were honest with yourself, you didn’t like him. Hated him, even.

But you couldn’t go back to the hospital, with its blank white walls and sobbing patients and strange, mind-altering drugs that put your sleep and made you feel like someone was biting into your throat. It’d been a miracle when Carlisle first told you about his domestic services, when he offered to have you discharged in exchange for only the promise that you wouldn’t seek care that didn’t come from him. Arrangements were made, your rent and bills taken over by some nameless, faceless local charity, and for the first time in months, you got to go home. You could live with Carlisle and his once weekly, now daily check-ups. You could live with the fact that you didn’t remember the last time you’d gotten to make a decision for yourself.

And, if you had to, you could live with paying for your freedom in blood, too. As long as it meant you didn’t have to go back to that terrible place.

Once again, you didn’t say anything, but you didn’t resist as he sighed and ran a sterilizing pad over your forearm, the antibiotic strong enough to burn. You clenched your eyes shut, but that did nothing to block out the feeling of a thin elastic band being wrapped around the crook of your elbow, of his needle pushing through your skin and burrowing into the vein underneath it. There was a second of pressure, of knotted soreness, and then, the syringe was gone and you were left feeling just a little colder, just a little more empty than you had before.

Even after opening your eyes, you kept them trained on your lap. You easily could’ve spent the rest of his visit in silence, but metal clinked against glass as he rushed to cap his vial and suddenly, you needed to hear the sound of your own voice. “I think I might be getting paranoid,” you managed, with a breath of a laugh. “For a few minutes this morning, I was able to convince myself that you were… I don’t know, an alien studying humanity, or something.”

“If I was, I’m sure that I would still pick you as the best possible specimen for my examination.” It was hollow comfort, but you smiled anyway, nodding along. Your medication came next, in the form of a small, chalky white pill that you still struggled to swallow under Carlisle’s vigilant gaze. You managed to choke it down, though, and as always, the effects were instant; a sudden clearness, blankness, followed shortly by an exhaustion so thick and so heavy, you couldn’t remember what it’d ever felt like not to be tired. You tried to hold yourself up, but faltered – buckling under your own weight. Carlisle chuckled as he caught you, helping you lay down with a soft squeeze to your shoulder, a feather-light kiss to the top of your head. “Sleep, angel. It’s good for you.” And then, his grin still pressing into your scalp. “And try not to dream about vampires, this time.”

So he did know about Rosalie’s books. Pouting, you shrunk into yourself, letting him drag the comforter over your abruptly immobile body as your eyes eased shut, as he pulled away – a vial of your blood still warm in his hand. It would’ve been impossible to stop yourself from falling asleep, but you managed to stave off unconscious long enough to watch him remove the vial’s carefully applied seal, to unscrew the air-tight cap with the kind of tenderness you’d only seen him use while taking your temperature or petting his fingers through your hair after he thought you were already too far gone to remember. He did a lot of things when he thought you weren’t looking, didn’t he? You’d never really noticed that, before.

Through your eyelashes, you watched him bring the vial to his lips before everything went dark.