#she couldn't get comfortable though and left to sit next to me where the blanket is

[newtness532]

so jealous of everyone who went to the guts tour btw

[lovelyjj]

Hopelessly Devoted

jj maybank x reader

wc: 2.7k

(not my gif)

a/n: the first time I posted this it didn’t show up in the tags so i’m posting it again!

JJ has never experienced this before. His whole life he has never felt this way before. The only word that he could describe it is lovesick.

JJ was absolutely totally undeniably completely hopelessly in love with you. and you had no idea. It wasn't like it wasn't obvious. The way he looked at you with hearts in his eyes.

Other people noticed it too the way JJ looked at you like you hung the stars in the sky. John B, Pope and Kie could tell their friend was in love.

"Does she ever talk about me?" JJ asked Kiara as they were out on the boat.

You were working and missed out on the boat day but you didn't mind you were gonna catch up with them later.

"I mean she doesn't not talk about you." Kiara replied.

"Come on Kie, I know you guys have your girls night. She has to say something" JJ begged.

"I think she loves you as a friend" Kie offered.

"You don't ask her about me?" JJ frowned.

"Not really slipped my mind."

"Well next time you see her will you." JJ asked.

"oh no i'm not getting in the middle of it." Kiara reasoned.

"You already are in the middle of it."

Kiara turned away from JJ shaking her head and looking out at the ocean. John B was driving the boat back to the château after a day of swimming and fishing.

Later that day when it started to turn into the evening you came over bringing snacks with you for a movie night.

You knocked on the door and then entered the château.

"Hey I brought snacks," you shouted hoping they could hear you.

"thank you y/n" John B acknowledged.

You walked into the living room ready for a chill night with your friends.

JJ patted the seat next to him on the couch gesturing for you to come sit next to him.

"Sit with me" JJ spoke.

You climbed over Pope and Kiara who were on the floor cozied with blankets and a air mattress.

John B and Sarah were on the couch too. The space JJ pointed to was small and so you sat down a little squished.

The movie started and everyone settled down. However, you seemed to inch closer to JJ progressively throughout the movie.

It got to the point where half your body was on top of him. Then JJ took it upon himself to haul you onto his lap.

"There. That's better huh," JJ whispered in your ear.

You simply nodded focusing your attention on the TV.

Near the end of the movie you started to grow restless. You shifted around and ended up straddling JJ's lap. Now you were facing him.

"Hi there princess."

"Hi"

"Shhh" Sarah hissed.

You then proceeded to lay your head on his shoulder, nose nudging at his neck. Eventually you fell asleep.

There wasn't that much left of the movie. JJ was shocked you felt comfortable enough to fall asleep on him. He felt like he was in heaven. He couldn't believe it, your soft breaths hitting his neck. Occasionally, JJ would rub your back, soothing his hand up and down. When the movie was over and the snacks have been eaten JJ got up.

"Alright guys Im gonna hit the hay, and get this one to bed."

Your legs unconsciously wrapped around JJ's waist. JJ carried you by the back of your thighs.

When JJ made it to his room he laid you down on his bed. He brought the covers up to your neck and kissed your forehead.

"Good night angel."

JJ went to the hall closet for some blankets. Then he made himself comfortable on the floor.

—————

You woke up from one of the best sleeps you've ever had. Maybe it was JJ's scent in the sheets or being in his bed but you were unbelievably comfortable.

You started to sit up when you did you noticed a mop of blonde hair peaking out from a blanket on the floor.

He slept on the floor? You were shocked. What a gentleman. You would have been fine sharing with him though.

"JJ," you called to him.

"JJ."

When you got no response you threw a pillow at him.

JJ propped himself up on one arm and threw you a nasty glare.

"Seriously" JJ asked.

You scrunched up your nose, "You weren't waking up."

"So you through a pillow at me?"

"Yes." you laughed.

And JJ who loved the sound of your laughter grinned.

"Why'd you sleep on the floor?" You asked curiously.

"I wanted you to have the bed," JJ spoke sincerely.

"You could have shared with me," you reasoned.

JJ hitched his throat. The thought of you sharing a bed with him had his heart hammering in his chest. He wondered if you would have cuddled with him. No that he couldn't handle. He was practically blushing.

"No baby girl you just seemed so tired I didn't want to disturb you." JJ responded. He didn't even notice the pet name. It just flowed out of his mouth so naturally he didn't even notice how flustered it made you.

You buried your face in your hands hiding your flushed cheeks and smile.

When you uncovered your face and looked at him JJ was already looking at you. To him, you looked breathtaking. Your hair was messy and your lips looked plump. Your face looked ethereal. JJ could feel his blood rushing through his body. Then he got himself thinking, if he could wake up to this beautiful sight, to her, every morning he would die a happy man.

————————

The next day you all went over to Sarah's house to go swimming.

The boys came to pick you up at your house since yours was closest to Sarah's. You were the last stop.

You were wearing a purple bikini and some jean shorts over it. When you entered the twinkie JJ took notice to your lack of clothes and exposed skin. You looked hot and JJ was practically drooling.

Your legs were pressed together in the back of the twinkie as John B drove. Pope was in the front seat leaving Kie, JJ, and you in the back.

JJ reached over and put a hand on your thigh. This causing you to blush furiously. This action unnoticed by kie.

"Hi pretty girl," JJ whispered.

"Hi," you whispered back.

The rest of the drive over to Sarah's house was quick and you all casually conversed.

"Alright ladies, here we are," John B shared.

JJ was first to hop out of the van. The rest of you quickly followed.

After entering Tanny hill you all headed to the pool area. Sarah was happy to host everyone over.

The pool was huge and you forgot how well off kooks are.

"Here are some towels," Sarah commented.

"Thank you."

The pogues were lounging around the pool no one was going on just yet.

You stripped down into your bikini. Not even 10 seconds after you did so JJ was picking you up bridal style.

"JJ don't you dare."

JJ swung you over the edge of the pool and acted like he was going to drop you by releasing you from his grip over the ledge. Each time he would fake drop you you would cling onto him a little tighter. He would fake drop you three times and on the fourth he actually threw you in.

When you surfaced you gave JJ the stink eye.

"Your welcome," JJ offered.

John B got up and made his way to sneak up behind JJ. It only took one shove for JJ to end up in the water.

"Hey!" JJ said as he surfaced wiping his face.

"Thank you John B," you voiced.

"Anytime."

In no time the rest of the pogues joined you and JJ in the water. Pretty soon everyone was splashing each other.

You all had a good time swimming and splashing.

About an hour or two later you sat in a lounge chair working on your tan.

Kiara came and sat by you.

"So tell me what's going on between you and JJ," she spoke resting her chin in her hand and her elbows on her knees.

"What do you mean? There is nothing going on between us," you stated shocked.

"Just admit you like him already would you," Kiara put out.

"I don't know what your talking about," you smiled smugly.

Your smile did not go unnoticed by Kiara who just shook her head and looked the other way.

JJ walked over to you and sat at the end of your lounge chair.

"What are you guys talking about?" JJ says nonchalantly.

"Nothing," you and Kiara say at the same time.

"Right we'll I was wondering if y/n wanted to come surfing with me tomorrow morning?" JJ placed his hand on your knee and uses his thumb to stroke the area.

His actions don't go unnoticed by you but you let him touch you as you found it sweet and endearing.

"Yeah i'd love to go surfing with you J," you added.

"Great. It's a date."

———————

You woke up on the pull out couch in John Bs den. It was all a haze waking up to hushed voices in the living room. The sun peaking through the window.

"Hey sleepy head." JJ's voice rang through your ears. You let out a groan and covered your head with a pillow.

JJ grabbed the pillow and threw it on the other side of the bed. "Ready to go surfing?"

JJ's eyes were bright and he had a faint smile on his lips. Truth be told he was excited to spend some alone time with you. He was deeply in love with you and you were absolutely clueless.

"Yeah give me a minute."

——————

You and JJ sat on the sand after crushing the waves. JJ had his arm around you.

"Thank you for coming out with me." JJ spoke softly, digging his hands into the sand at his place next to you.

"Yeah no problem, the waves were great," you smiled.

JJ was at war with himself. He desperately wanted to tell you how he feels about you. How he loves you so much. He wanted to shout it from the roof tops. He just didn't know how you felt and it was torture. He didn't think you liked him back but then again he didn't know for sure. Should he risk everything including you friendship and tell you.

JJ was conflicted. Right now was the perfect opportunity. You were alone overlooking the beach. And here you are sat next to him without a clue that his heart is beating faster with you next to him. JJ finally decided to do the next best thing: ask you out.

"Hey, So I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me?"

"With the other pogues?" you questioned.

"No it would be just us." JJ answered.

"Like a date?"

JJ panicked. "No not a date. Just two friends hanging out."

"Oh okay. Yeah I'd love to."

__________

You and JJ had your dinner and it was lovely. You guys talked and laughed like there was no tomorrow. Your legs touched under the table and you felt like you were floating.

It was three days after the dinner when you were walking to the château.

It was a 5 minute walk but you decided to stop at the store to get some beer, making your walk a little longer.

You were almost to the store when a truck pulled up right next to you. To your horror it was Rafe and Topper.

"Hey there girlie," Rafe commented stepping out of the truck.

"Rafe." You gave him a mean look.

As he got closer to you, you could see his face more clearly. He had a black eye and a busted lip.

"What happened to you?" You asked, not that you really cared.

"Your little boyfriend is what happened. But you should see him." He whistled, "Not pretty."

"I swear if you hurt him-"

"What? What can you possibly do to me." Rafe spoke.

Without thinking you threw a punch at Rafe hitting him in the nose.

"You little shit!" Rafe snarled.

"Topper grab her!" Rafe shouted.

Topper took your hands and held them behind your back holding you in place.

"That pogue really got me. Now it's time for some payback."

Topper held you down while Rafe hit you. You were able to kick him in the balls but he was beating you pretty badly.

All of a sudden the three of you herd a siren. Topper let you go immediately and tried to act natural.

Sheriff Peterkin stepped out of the car.

"What's going on here?" she questioned.

"Nothing sheriff." Rafe yelled.

"Why don't you run along and get out of here," sheriff peterkin announced.

Rafe and Topper were quick to move. They quickly drove off not wanting to get in trouble.

"You okay miss."

"I'm fine," you whispered.

Then you fell to the ground and everything went dark.

—————

When you first woke up you were confused as to where you were. Slowly becoming conscious, you realized you were at the police station.

"Oh good your awake. I'd like to see you in here please." Sheriff peterkin ordered.

You slowly got up and made your way to her office.

"Have a seat."

You sat down quickly realizing that everything in your body ached.

"Now who did this to you?"

"I think you know," you replied weakly.

"damn it!" she cursed.

"Would you like to press charges?"

"No. I just want to go home," you spoke truthfully.

"I highly advise-"

You cut her off, "I just want to leave please."

"Ok." She motioned for you to exit the room. You breathed a breath of relief.

On your way out you looked at the time. It was almost 3pm. You were supposed to be a John Bs an hour ago.

You slowly but surely made your way over to the château.

When you arrived the pogues were all out in the porch. You were anxious to face JJ because you don't know how he's going to react.

You walked up to the lawn and the pogues could see a shadowy figure. When you stepped into the light on the porch all the pogues gasped.

Your face was badly bruised.

JJ stood up. "What the fuck!"

"JJ-"

"No stop. Who did this to you?"

"Rafe."

JJ started walking. "I'll kill him."

"No JJ. Please don't," you pleaded.

JJ was fuming. How dare someone hurt his girl. JJ felt a little bit guilty because he fought Rafe a couple days ago.

"It's all my fault I shouldn't of provoked him. I'm so sorry."

"You didn't know he would come after me. it's ok."

"It's not ok," JJ expressed.

JJ took your hand and led you to the bathroom. He had you hop up on the sink. He began cleaning your wounds.

"I can't believe he laid his hands on you." JJ spoke.

"I'm fine JJ."

"Look at you. No your not."

JJ dabbed at your eye and you winced.

"Sorry," JJ apologized.

When JJ was just about finished assessing your injuries he began to speak. "I can't do this. This is breaking my heart."

"JJ wha-"

"No let me finish."

"I can't stand seeing you hurt like this. My chest physically hurts and I feel like i'm going crazy because Im crazy about you. I can't pretend like i'm not in love with you when I am."

JJ's chest was rising up and down. He was breaking down over his love for you. He was ripped to shreds at the sight of you hurt. It tore him apart.

"JJ I have always loved you," you confessed.

As if he was holding his breath he let out all the air in his lungs. He gave you a bright smile.

JJ wasted no time as he leaned forward in his spot between his legs. He cradled your face in his hands and placed his lips on yours. The kiss was quick and frantic.

You were surprised at the passionate nature of the kiss. Your stomach was tingly. Your mouths explored each other's. When the need for air became too strong you pulled away.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." JJ expressed.

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Yandere Coworker (part 15)

Thank you @i---believe---in---pink for commissioning this chapter.

(2515 words)

tw: afab reader, infantilization, nonconsensual touches from Cyprus, butchered Spanish,

Masterlists (+commission info), part 1, part 16

She grinned, and so did her son; he was happy to see the beginning of a bond forming with his mother and the woman he planned to wed.

"I should start preparing dinner. Excuse me." His mother walked past you and Cyprus to get to the kitchenette.

Whereas Cyprus went on to usher you to the couches. A large hand guided you by the shoulders to sit on the cushion, it was so soft, that you sunk into it much to your surprise. He then left the living room without a word, entering a doorway that you assume leads to his mother's bedroom.

You looked over at her, she was gathering all the ingredients needed for tonight's meal. It appears beans, tortillas and some fresh vegetables Cyprus bought are on the menu later. She paid you no mind as she brought her crockeries and food processor onto the clean counter.

He returned with two pillows tucked under his arm as he held a folded, pink blanket. Cyprus fluffed your pillow before setting it near the armrest, "Acuéstate." He instructed.

You stared at him, vaguely knowing what he wanted you to do. But you wondered if he had forgotten to switch back to English with you.

"Lay down, that's what it meant." He clarified after a few more seconds of staring. You asked why he didn't just tell you to do that in English.

"I want you to learn my language, mi amor." He tucked you under the blanket, gently stuffing your arms with the other pillow. "I'm sure you knew what I just called you." Your boyfriend smiled, ruffling your hair affectionately.

You grimaced when he kissed you on the cheek with a very audible smooch, he was obviously teasing you, loving how your face would heat up like an inferno out of embarrassment. His mother doesn't seem to mind this public display of affection, though. It's almost as if she's encouraging it.

"Get some rest, I'll be helping my mom out." Cyprus took a long sniff of your hair, greedily inhaling your scent. He reluctantly pried himself away from you in the end.

You asked if you could watch TV, at least. He shook his head. "No, you should take a nap; dormir."

You said that you're fine. It's not like that could kill you.

Cyprus merely rolled his eyes and mumbled something under his breath in Spanish. You bet it's something about how stubborn you are.

The rest of the afternoon rolled by peacefully, with the mother and son duo chatting away in a language other than what you're used to. The soft clanking of utensils, the bubbling of broth, and the occasional sizzling all served as white noise to you. It felt homely despite your circumstances, it felt cozy. Comfortable enough to let your eyelids droop heavily, to let your mind drift to slumberland.

-

"Mija." His mother's soft voice gradually became clearer as you regained consciousness from your afternoon nap. You groan and rub your eyes, only to have her gently pull your wrists away from you. Cyprus must have told her to stop you from doing that. You couldn't believe that her apartment was comfortable enough for you to fall into a deep sleep.

You greeted her and looked around. All you saw was his mother crouching to the level of her sofa. You then asked where Cyprus is.

"I told him to get me something from the store nearby." Her voice was hushed as if she was trying not to alert her presence. But her smile said otherwise.

You asked her what time it was.

"it's five o'clock, my son will be back in half an hour." She stood up and sat next to you. There was an awkward silence between you and her as you sat up as well, what is there to say? You avoided eye contact with her too, but you heard the rustling of plastic. So you looked at what she's doing.

You didn't notice that she was holding your medication, she was unscrewing the cap of your eyedrops and placing it on a sheet of facial tissue.

"Look up, Mijo." Her hands, there was obvious aging but it's still quite supple and soft. She tried to grab the side of your face so she could apply the drops. However, unnerved by this, you declined and said you could do it yourself. She appeared surprised, but unlike her son, she gave you the bottle without complaint.

Just like a regular, adept adult, you pulled your lower eyelid down and placed a few drops in. You did so efficiently and quickly, clearly not needing anyone to do this for you.

So you asked her what Cyprus had said regarding this. His mother folded her hands on her lap.

"He told me you may need some help."

You replied that you never did, Cyprus is the one insisting that he treats you like a helpless invalid. She nodded sympathetically and stayed silent, you took that as a cue to continue talking. This could be a good time to spill everything about Cyprus, all his horrible behaviors, how he's actually trapping you in this relationship. You hoped that his mother could help you out, she seemed sane enough. But you could never be too sure, so you chose your words carefully to test the waters.

She listened to your rant quietly, all her attention was on you and it seems like she expressed nothing but sympathy for you. Did she expect this from Cyprus? Perhaps she could help you pry him off your case.

You were a bit animated in your talking, feeling the emotions and upset that he had put you through. It was hard to control, but you managed for the sake of winning her favor. You ended the vent without a verbal conclusion or a request for her view on this, you simply stared at her as you waited for a response.

She sighed. "Ah, I..." His mother looked away, almost guiltily. It formed a pit of dread in your stomach, thinking that she wasn't going to be on your side.

She took your hands into hers, enveloping it firmly as she prepared to say her piece. Her piercing grey eyes looked into yours as she parted her lips to speak.

"Mija, I have never seen my son this happy." She began, gulping and darting her eyes all over your face. It appears as if she is finding it hard to express her thoughts. "Cyprus had a bad childhood, his father left us when he was very young. Me and my eldest daughter tried our best to raise him, but I knew it wasn't good enough."

The corners of your mouth is threatening to tug into a deep frown.

"My son is not a bad man. Sometimes he is rude, sometimes he cannot control his anger, but he is not a bad man." Her grip on your hands became tighter, desperate, even.

"He will take care of you, I know he will. I can see that you are his light, and I know you are good for my son." She paused for a moment, maintaining a doleful look. "Please, Mija. You must understand, as a mother, I want nothing but to see my son living the life he deserves. I want to see him happy- Cyprus is a good man, I know he is nothing like his father. He will take care of you, Mija."

You think that she's starting to sound like a broken record, repeating the same handful of words as she tries to convince you to stay with Cyprus.

You told her that you're just one of his temporary girlfriends, and you don't think this relationship will last. You just want to get out sooner and you're sure Cyprus will be fine.

She shook her head. "No, you are very different from the other women Cyprus knew. You are a very nice girl, very respectful and kind. Please stay with him, you are good for my son." It was getting harder and harder to look at her pleading face.

You pulled your hands away from hers, feeling uncomfortable at her desperation. You gave up trying to reason with her, she isn't going to help you at all. If anything, you think she will just make your life miserable.

You ended the conversation by telling her you would think about it. But it looks like she isn't done, as she stays in place and stares at you, prompting you to talk again.

You asked her if Cyprus usually heed her warnings or advice.

"My son has a very... strong personality. Sometimes stubborn, but his heart is big. You are very important to him, Cyprus will listen to you if you can talk to him properly." You noted how she avoided answering the question.

You asked her what she meant by 'properly'. It appeared to catch her off guard, as she stammered a bit before formulating a response.

"Ah... don't shout at him, don't say bad things--"

You cut her off and asked her again, if Cyprus listens to her.

She sighed in defeat, "No. It is very difficult for me or his sister to talk to him."

Having his mother change his behavior is out of the question.

"But he will listen to you!" She grabbed you by the arm, her neatly manicured fingers sinking into your flesh. "His eyes are full of love when he looks at you, I know he will do anything to make you happy."

You doubt his mother's beliefs. But you didn't verbally express it, your opinion may have shown itself on your face, though.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but the jiggling of the doorknob stole her attention away, She immediately released your limb and folded her hands on her lap. Surely enough, the front door unlocked and swung open to reveal Cyprus with a case of beer cans in one arm and a brown paper bag in the other.

He grinned widely when his grey eyes landed on you. "Had a good nap, princess?" Cyprus made his way to the living area, placing his items on the coffee table in front of you, as he was itching to hold you again. His mother stood up and went ahead to lock the door behind him. She then brought the items elsewhere, to give you and him some privacy.

He sat next to you and forcefully pulled you into his lap despite your protests and thrashing, he wore his glasses on the top of his head so it wouldn't get in the way. Cyprus then silenced you by peppering kisses all over your face, you couldn't turn your head away either as his lips would assault your neck. His arms caged you in, so there was no escape from his affections. No amount of whining would stop him from laughing and teasing you with such sensual yet strong touches.

"Bésame." He mumbled. You repeated the word quizzingly. And that was met with another barrage of kisses. Spluttering, you managed to push his head away from you.

You demanded to know what that word was.

"You have to be more specific, Mi Princesa." He pinched you on the cheek. To which, you swatted his hand away.

You said the word "Bésame", you wanted to know what that meant. Only to have him pull you into a deep kiss on the lips. The tips of your ears are getting warm as you realize that Cyprus is doing all these embarrassing displays in his mother's home, probably right in front of his mother too. Has he no shame? He must derive some pleasure from humiliating you like this.

Eventually, he lets you go, allowing you to finally fill your lungs with air again. He chuckled and kissed your forehead, cuddling you like a beloved stuffed bear. "What do you think it meant, baby?"

You said you don't know, and you would appreciate it greatly if he would just be direct. It made him playfully roll his eyes at you. "You're boring. It meant "kiss me"."

You told him that you're not using that word ever.

"What word?" A smirk plastered itself on his handsome face.

You clarified which word you meant: Bésame, but you realized you fell into his trap and braced for a kiss that inevitably came. This time, it's much calmer and quieter. His eyes were fully closed in bliss with his long, fluttery eyelashes tickling your skin. His soft, plush lips molded perfectly with yours.

You whacked him on the chest with your fists, he wouldn't let you go until he thought you were about to pass out from oxygen deprivation.

He laughed heartily when he saw you catching your breath. "Eres tan tierno..." Cyprus cooed, caressing the side of your face and brushing stray strands away. "Do you know what that means?" You lied and said yes so he would stop bothering you further.

"Did mom give you eye drops?" He asked. You nodded as you allowed him to examine your eyes.

"You're getting better-" He was interrupted by a knock on the door. The room became deathly silent as he froze, unblinkingly waiting for further response. Eventually, another knock came, this time it was louder than the last. His mother left her hiding place too, confused as to what or who might be outside her door. The mother and son knew that this wasn't necessarily a safe area.

"¿Esperas invitados esta noche, mamá?" He asked his mother. She shook her head.

He merely shrugged and went back to doting on you, ignoring the incessant knocking while his mother looked increasingly worried. You asked if he should handle it.

"Later." He nonchalantly replied, he shared a look with his mother, who told him something in Spanish. "Dinner should be ready in a few minutes, go freshen up." Cyprus urged you in the direction of the bathroom, you could tell that he was actually trying to hide you from whatever confrontation was about to occur.

Regardless, you went into the bathroom and locked the door behind you, pretended to use the facilities by turning the tap on, and let the crisp, cold water run. Thinking it's somewhat wasteful, you decided to use it to wash your face.

A few minutes later, you heard the door opening and the knocking stopped. You picked up on hushed talking that escalated to unintelligible yelling from the stranger. You're sure that they're all speaking in English, but the door and walls are surprisingly thick enough to absorb most of the noises. It sounded like a mess that you would rather not get into, and you don't think that you can handle any more social interaction for the day. If it wasn't for Cyprus, you wouldn't have left your room at all today.

However, you were curious and whatever lies behind the door is killing you. Maybe... Cyprus could protect you if there is danger?

You scratched the back of your head and stared at yourself in the mirror.

[maddiethedogstories]

New You Gym - 13

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Kylee laid on top of the giant, stuffed bear that she had just violated while wearing a poopy diaper, sobbing like a small child. The adult-sized baby diaper covering her ass declared what she was in block letters--a naughty little potty pants. The incredible pleasure that had rocked Kylee's body earlier had completely left her, leaving her feeling more ashamed, humiliated, and little than she had ever felt in her life.

Standing over Kylee's sobbing from, going mostly unnoticed by the crying woman, was the six-foot-tall, Amazonian of a woman named Julie. Julie, who had manipulated Kylee into this situation, was softly smiling, admiring how thoroughly she had broken the other woman.

Content with Kylee's complete submission to her whims, Julie bent down and began to comfortingly rub Kylee's back like a mother comforting a small child. Julie spoke softly to Kylee, as if she was a small animal that Julie was afraid to scare away.

"Oh, baby, you did such a good job for Nanny Julie. You are such a good girl! I don't know if I've ever had a baby put on quite as good a show as that for me," Julie said soothingly.

Kylee only responded with a deep sob into the chest of the stuffed bear.

Julie pulled on Kylee's shoulder, softly untangling the woman from the bear she clutched tightly.

"Come here baby, Nanny's got you!" Julie said as she quickly picked Kylee up and settled her on her hip like a toddler.

Kylee put up no resistance. She wrapped her arms and legs around the giant woman and buried her snot and drool covered face in Julie's ample cleavage where she continued to sob lightly. Kylee still couldn't help but grimace at the feel of her own now cooling and drying feces being smeared further across her sensitive skin

"There, there sweetie! You did good! You seem so tired though. Do you want to take a little nap while your Daddy--sorry, I mean husband--finishes his workout?" Julie said as she carried Kylee to the giant crib sitting in a corner of the daycare.

Julie could feel Kylee nod her head up and down in agreement between her breasts. "Uh, huh, that sounds nice," Kylee said as she removed one hand from around Julie's neck and subconsciously popped her thumb into her mouth for comfort.

As Julie continued to carry Kylee toward the crib, Kylee began to suckle her thumb and calm down. When they reached the crib, Julie laid Kylee on the hard crib mattress. Kylee immediately curled into the fetal position and closed her eyes. Julie took the opportunity to cover Kylee with a small, soft fleece blanket adorned with a unicorn print.

"Fank 'oo," Kylee said from behind her thumb as she quickly drifted off to sleep.

As Julie watched as Kylee drifted off to sleep, she considered changing the woman's messy diaper so she didn't get a rash.

No, a little rash will be a good reminder that she needs to obey my rules even when she leaves, Julie thought to herself as she slid the side of the crib up, locking Kylee into the crib for her slumber.

NEXT CHAPTER

[whispersafterdusk]

Heart of Stone - ch 11

At an appropriate time Unsuur walked over to Dawn's and found her in her yard sitting at her workbench (the actual one and not the makeshift table, though he could see that one sitting over by her furnaces stacked high with ore, scrap, and bronze bars). A notebook, a few scattered pencils, and a considerable pile of copper screws were on the bench in front of her. Her left hand was resting on its side, fingers slightly curled, providing a back stop for the screws she was deftly flicking at her palm with her other hand two at a time until she reached ten, where she then used the back of her left hand to sweep them off the edge of the bench and down into a bucket at her feet.

He waited for her to reach ten before speaking. "Hey there." ((Continued below cut))

"Hello! One moment..." The next cluster of screws plunked down into the bucket; she fumbled for one of the pencils and scribbled something down on the notebook before standing. "Let me just grab something from inside then I'm ready to go."

Unsuur leaned against the fence to wait. He'd been varying levels of anxious all day -- an ever-present feeling like an insect buzzing around his head; now that the time was here he didn't feel too buzzy (thankfully) but there was something else mingling with it that he couldn't quite put his finger on...

Dawn came back out of the house with a rolled up bundle of something under an arm and her canteen hanging at her side from a shoulder strap. "Ok, ready -- where are we going?"

"It's not far. What's that?" he asked, looking at the bundle. It was thick fabric of some kind...a blanket?

"Something to sit on and, depending on how late we stay out, something to wrap up in if it gets too cold," she answered.

A blanket then. "Good thinking. The padding will help since the ground is pretty hard, and I only have one jacket with me." She laughed at that, wiping out the remaining nervousness with that oh-so-familiar warm feeling - maybe he wouldn't even need his jacket - leaving the other unnamed emotion just beneath the surface; it was a quiet enough feeling as to not be distracting (so far, anyway).

They headed along the tracks, down the path and across the wooden bridge, and over to a spot that he'd brushed clear earlier. Dawn unrolled the bundle and shook out one of the two quilts she'd brought, folding it in half and laying it out for them to sit on; the other she rolled back up and set behind her, and left the canteen sitting between them.

Unsuur scooted forward just enough to comfortably sit with his feet off the edge of the quilt; though he mentally acknowledged that it was already sitting on the ground, in the dirt, he still didn't want to muck the fabric up with his boots. "Did you get to talk to Matilda?"

"I did, and it actually went better than I'd expected. She's willing to let me purchase land on a sort of credit."

"That's good...right?"

With a happy little hum she slipped her boots off and set them to the side then pulled her knees up to her chest, crossing her arms across their top. "It is! I explained how I needed somewhere to assemble and store the trusses until the bridge base was ready and she said I could buy some of the land around the workshop and pay it off in installments, so once I get everything made I can start drawing up an addition to the house. Bare minimum I'm adding on a bedroom but I may also add on a room for my jewelry making. It'd be nice to keep extra dust and whatnot out of my tools, plus it would be more secure to store my materials and creations inside just in case a tourist gets any ideas. ...it's odd to think about, really -- er...the - the 'buying land' thing, not thievery. It's the most set-in-stone thing I've done since I ran away to school. --uh..."

As she spoke she'd been practically glowing in excitement and in the setting sun's light her hair and eyes shone brightly, and her grin was so wide and earnest and it sparked a bubbly happiness inside him too; he'd glanced away about halfway through so he'd stay focused on her words and keep from losing himself in that smile but as she stopped at the mention of 'ran away' his attention snapped back to her immediately.

"Um...forget I said that last part - I-I want to look forward to the future not retread the past. My contract here is only for three years but buying land feels, um, feels permanent, you know?" she stammered.

He thought back to the day he'd seen her on the train platform, when he'd thought she was already leaving. That had been before he'd gotten his crush on her or had any reason to consider builder contracts and the fact that they eventually ended - a worrisome thought, but, if she was going to own land here... "Were you not planning to stay beyond your contract?"

She plunked her chin down on her arm, staring out at the distant mountain and shielding her eyes with a hand. "Before today I don't think I would've had an answer to that. I've spent the last several years hardly able to plan out further than a month or a semester at most... Owning land and building something on it that's solely for me? That was..it was something that felt out of reach until now. Now I guess it's like saying, 'hey world, I'm here to stay.'"

Phew. "I'm glad you chose us. A lot of people don't like Sandrock but I'd say it's pretty much the same as anywhere else, just with more sand."

She snorted and started laughing, shifting to rest her cheek against her arm, facing him. "Have you traveled a lot?"

"I guess. It's more my family moves around a lot. I'm not actually sure where they are most of the time -- they send letters every month but by the time the letter reaches me and I write one back they've usually moved on. I've gotten a lot of my letters returned to me unable to be delivered but that's all right, so long as I keep getting theirs I know they're ok. They weren't too thrilled when I struck out on my own either -- I only ended up in Sandrock because I got lost in the desert while trying to walk to Atara."

"I can't imagine walking to Atara, from here or anywhere else... I thought the train ride took long enough," Dawn mused. "Why'd you choose to stay here?"

"When I arrived I saw the sheriff was hiring. Justice hired me on the spot and said one day, if I worked hard, I could make deputy. It seemed as good a dream as any. I've yet to be told how that's done though."

Something snuck into her smile then; it was a subtle change and he couldn't figure out what it meant. "Well... I think it's a good dream," she said softly, turning to gaze toward the mountains again. "And I'm positive you'll achieve it."

That did not help or give anything away about that smile but the encouragement was touching...seemed like it wouldn't be just his family who'd be proud of him if he made deputy and he felt a heat creeping into his face. "Thanks."

The sky was shifting to pinks and purples as the sun dipped almost below the horizon with the breeze starting to pick up as the air cooled; the stars would be visible soon and the moon would rise, bringing with them a new view to appreciate.

"You were right...this IS nice," Dawn murmured beside him, pulling his attention back to her. "Sandrock really is pretty."

Her eyes were still on the mountain; Unsuur admired how the remaining light turned her silhouette soft, like a painting -- she looked so serene and was so... "Yeah...really pretty." As the words left his mouth he felt his nerves stirring again.

Or...maybe it wasn't the anxiety coming back, exactly, but more a... Longing. Yeah, that might be a better way to describe it. Maybe this was his heart's way of telling him waiting was not the right answer, but then, was now the right time?

She let out a soft noise then, something between a sigh and a giggle, and reached to pull her boots back on; he forced his feelings down and took that as a sign she was ready to head back home and prepared to stand up, but after she'd tied the laces she used her hands to lift her backside up and slid further down on the quilt before laying flat on her back. Her upper half was on the fabric, her lower on the bare stone, and after a second or two she reached up to move the spare quilt further away from where her head lay (but still on the one they were sitting on) then slipped her hands behind her neck and stared up into the sky. "Back in Atara there was an observatory on the outskirts of town - it was technically part of the university's astronomy program - and it would allow non-student visitors on some evenings...never had the time to go myself but I'd hear about others getting to see shooting stars and sometimes Emile would bring me printed postcards of starscapes and whatnot. Wonder what they'd think of Sandrock's skies...the sky in Atara isn't nearly this clear."

"Sandrock has either clear skies or sandstorms, there's not much in between unless it rains and that doesn't happen very often." While speaking Unsuur stretched out too; it felt like he was closer to her physically now -- something about laying down felt a little more intimate, even though he hadn't actually moved any nearer or further away than when they'd been sitting up. Briefly he put his hands behind his neck too but they still hurt too much for that to be comfortable so he settled for resting his head on his uninjured forearm; his free hand drifted down beside him with his fingertips brushing against the canteen, and he pictured them slipping around Dawn's hand instead... They were close enough he could do that, if her hands weren't behind her head, and that feeling of longing grew a bit deeper.

"I'm actually curious what it looks like around here after it rains," she giggled. "Is it a lot of rain? Does it flood in town because the ground is so hard?" As she spoke she rolled up on her side toward him, scooting her hips back a bit to avoid laying on top of the canteen and bracing her elbow on the ground to prop herself up.

"I love the rain, and I think you will too. Every plant that can flower does and for a day or two everything is colorful and smells great. Also when it rains everyone collects as much of it as they can but even if they weren't doing that we don't get enough rainfall for flooding to be a concern." Her position change put her hand out of reach; he shifted to gently fold his hands across his stomach instead.

"Sounds wonderful..." she sighed. "That might be the only thing I miss about Highwind: the scenery."

"What about traveling back to visit?" he asked. "Does that friend that sends you the coffee still live in Highwind?"

She nodded. "Nia, and...while I'd like to visit her I doubt I will so long as she lives there still. I don't want to run into my family - I would honestly rather kiss a cactus than have to deal with them again."

"I can think of a lot of things I'd rather kiss than a cactus, and I don't think Fang would be too happy with you if you did. Cactus spines are hard to get out of your skin." Don't think about the kiss, don't think about kissing her...

She grinned and rolled onto her back again, throwing one arm over her eyes while the other patted toward a pocket; out of that pocket came the little pocket watch she carried, which she peeked at from behind her arm then sighed heavily. "I should probably get to bed early... Rocky has his crew sourcing steel scrap for me and once they locate enough of it I'll be able to actually start making the trusses. ...and I have all those screws and rivets to finish counting in the meantime," she added after a moment, tone sour.

He had to smile at the equally sour look on her face as she sat up. "Don't be intimidated, counting things is actually easy once you get the hang of it. I've discovered that one out of every thousand sand grains is white and shiny by counting them. I also tried counting blades of grass but there's so many, and I started forgetting which ones I'd already counted."

The sour look disappeared in a fit of giggles as she collected the canteen and spare quilt; after they were both back on their feet Unsuur picked up the other quilt, shook the dirt loose, and folded it loosely over an arm. Together they walked back the way they'd come, easily able to make their way by the moon above; under the moonlight Dawn's hair was more of a wine color and Unsuur caught himself wondering what it would feel like to run his fingers through it. Probably a lot better than sand, and he bet it smelled nice, and--

You made it this long, don't let your brain run off on you now. "If there's anything I can help with, just ask. Even if it's just helping count things or keeping you company," he said, dropping his gaze to the quilt on his arm -- he could think about how blue it was, instead of red hair. "You're working to save Sandrock again and I don't want to stand around while you push yourself so hard a second time."

Her fingers brushed the entire length of his arm from elbow to fingertips as she took the quilt from him, and maybe he was imagining it but he thought she lingered a bit as their hands touched; between her touch and the night air hitting his skin he felt goosebumps forming. It was a nice, blue quilt...

"--hopefully," she was saying. "If I need extra muscle or fingers to count on I'll let you know."

Woops. He'd thought about the color blue a little too much and missed most of what she'd said; looking up from the quilt he met her gaze. She was smiling so tenderly at him...

"Sleep well," he said softly.

"You too. And, thank you for tonight. I wouldn't mind doing that again."

"Anytime you want. I know a LOT of great places."

Dawn closed her eyes for a moment, still smiling, then turned to head through her gate. "Guess you'll have to find time to show them all to me," she called over a shoulder.

That sent a little quiver through him and he sucked in his breath -- he was going to need to scout out as many nice, new places to sit as possible.

He waited until she'd gone inside before he started home; halfway there he'd shoved his hands into his pockets and found the folded up notice for the fireside meeting. Oops. Normally he didn't feel too bad about missing them from time to time but considering their bridge problem both he AND Dawn probably should've been there tonight. Not much they could do about it now as he could tell the square was empty and most of Sandrock's lights (aside from the saloon's) were already off. If there was anything really important he needed to know Justice would probably tell him.

(He'd had a way, way better time tonight anyway)

On a whim born out of knowing he wasn't tired enough to sleep just yet he kept walking passed the Corps building and his house and went down the tracks to have a look at what was left of Shonash Bridge from this side of the canyon. There were already signs of construction in place -- a few pallets of bricks, a pile of dirt filler, and most of the remaining track and the gravel under it had been pulled up and set aside. Unsuur let himself walk as far as the pallets before stopping and looking around; it was hard to believe the bridge was gone, and he could still hear the awful sound of it collapsing in his mind...that was going to take awhile to forget, if one could even forget something like that.

Pen hadn't found where the geeglers had run off to so Justice was operating under the assumption that they'd left this region of the Eufala; Unsuur certainly hoped so. They'd threatened and harmed enough people he cared about -- if he never saw one again he wouldn't shed any tears. ...and now he was thinking about how cool it had been when Dawn had walloped that one down in the Breach. She didn't like revolver and wasn't experienced with the sword but she'd handled that pickhammer like an extension of herself...maybe he should suggest some kind of hammer as her weapon of choice (he was thinking "weaponized pickhammer" but that seemed silly - it was already pretty deadly even if it wasn't considered a weapon). The only downside was Justice was way more experienced with hammers than Unsuur was so it would be better for him to provide the lessons. Still...he supposed Dawn being able to protect herself when he wasn't around was the goal so ultimately it shouldn't matter who taught her.

Unsuur turned to head back home and stumbled a little in the remaining loose gravel, his foot slipping down into an opening between the railroad ties; he managed to avoid twisting his ankle and once he'd regained his footing he used the side of his foot to shovel the gravel back into place -- once he'd gotten a sizeable pile into the gap he could stomp it down and hopefully prevent anyone else from tripping in this spot.

As he lifted his foot to start pressing the stones into place a glint caught his eye. Unsuur squatted and brushed his fingers across the gravel and then came back up with a...

Wow.

Wow.

It fit in the palm of his hand and was amazingly smooth to the touch, and as he used the pad of his thumb to wipe away some of the dried dirt clinging to it he uncovered a shiny white luster with a few darker wisps of color threaded through it.

It was a rock, shaped like a heart.

It was perfect. He'd found it. He'd found it.

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As soon as he got home he'd shown Wilson, then slept with the stone sitting on the nightstand beside his bed (beside his head?). When he woke he stretched and, in a break of routine, laid there on his side staring at it instead of immediately getting up.

When he finally did get out of bed he had to rush around a little bit to avoid being late to start his patrols but the sheer excitement of having finally found the perfect replacement for that dang heart knot propelled him through a shower and breakfast in record speed.

It's not holding me back anymore. That mental hurdle was completely gone -- replaced by a rush of anticipation. All he needed now was the right moment and that was something he could actually plan out ahead of time (though if he saw such a moment come prior to the plan then he could jump on it, and he'd still have something nice planned anyway! Win-win!)

The right moment would probably be some time after Dawn had finished her part of the bridge construction; Sandrock was counting on her again and she'd probably be tired and stressed throughout the whole process -- it didn't feel ideal to give her the stone heart in the middle of a crisis. He would support her in any way he could, plan out a relaxing evening of some kind (another sunset show? Or maybe dinner, on story night? She'd loved the former and had said before she wanted to attend the latter) and offer the heart to her then, and see what happened. There WAS the tiniest fear of rejection but...after everything so far Unsuur was pretty certain she liked him as much as he liked her; the fear was likely just a natural part of a crush - anyone would be afraid of taking such a leap...probably.

He practically glided through his morning and lunch time rolled around; aside from helping Elsie wrangle a yakmel that had tried to jump the fence his patrol had been uneventful. As he was heading up the steps to his house Justice came out of the Civil Corps building, spotted him, and waved him over.

"Anything to report?"

"Only a jumping yakmel," Unsuur answered.

Justice nodded. "Good... Not expecting too much trouble with the geeglers gone and the bridge out -- which means Sandrock can handle itself for a bit tomorrow morning. 9 o'clock sharp at Martle's Square I'm going to hold the Deputy Promotion Ceremony and I expect you there."

...deputy...promotion...ceremony? Really? Was it... "Right. I'll be there."

"See ya in the morning," Justice chuckled, heading off toward city hall.

Deputy promotion... Was he finally making dep-- hang on a second. Suddenly that unknowable smile last night made sense: Justice must have told Dawn first that he was going to name someone deputy. No wonder she was so certain he'd achieve it.

Man... Between finding the heart rock and now this, this was turning into the best week ever.

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The next morning, just before 9, Unsuur headed toward the square. He had the rock heart in his pocket, partly for luck and partly just in case, and was pleased to see both Mi-an and Dawn standing at the base of the steps that led up into city hall. Justice was waiting at the top of the steps and as Unsuur walked up to stand beside Dawn he cleared his throat.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, let the official Civil Corps Deputy Promotion Ceremony begin!"

Movement in his periphery drew his attention down to Dawn, finding her smiling brightly up at him; when he returned the smile she gently nudged her shoulder against his arm then turned back to Justice.

"-Sandrock wouldn't be the safe and secure place it is here today!" Justice went on.

He'd missed the first bit during that little interaction so Unsuur tried to refocus on the speech -- it would be awfully embarrassing to miss having his name called.

"Nevertheless, there is still one who stands out among the rest... One whose tireless dedication to law and order has earned them the right to call themselves... Deputy of the Sandrock Civil Corps!"

On Dawn's other side Mi-an clasped her hands in front of her, almost wiggling in place as she whispered to Dawn "Wow! I don't know why but I'm really nervous all of a sudden! You don't think he's going to pick one of us, do you? I mean, I know we're just Builders but-"

Could a builder be a deputy? Would they even have the time to fill both roles? Sounded like a lot of work, plus neither of them were in the Civil Corps so he wasn't sure why Mi-an was worried.

"Now, heh heh, I don't mean to tantalize you all. I'm sure you're on the tip of your toes wondering who I've chosen to be my deputy, so without further ado: our next deputy is known not for brute strength but nimbleness! And wisdom!"

Interesting. Wise wasn't a word Unsuur (or anyone else) had ever used to describe himself. Maybe he'd been missing out.

"Our deputy brings a uniqueness to the team, and fills in the gaps in our Corps skill set with raw, individual talent."

Again he heard Mi-an whispering to Dawn, wondering if Justice was talking about her. Mi-an did seem pretty wise at times, but, again, not a Corps member.

"-with flowing black hair that shimmers in the sunlight as they dish out hearty, heaping helpings of justice with elegance and finesse!"

...not too sure about that one. Black hair didn't really seem shimmer material -- now, Dawn's coppery red? That sure did shimmer. It even shined. He glanced at it just to be sure and yep, it was bright and shimmery and he still wanted to run his fingers through it.

As Unsuur dragged his attention away from her hair and back to the sheriff Justice paused and raised a hand that held a brown leather hat with a deputy's star; Unsuur heard Mi-an suck in a loud breath, and again Dawn gently nudged herself against him.

"Let's give it up for our next deputy: Captain Caaaaaaat!"

...what.

"What the? The cat?!" Mi-an gasped.

Beside him Dawn had gone as still and stiff as a board, staring up at Justice with her mouth hanging open in shock.

Captain (he hadn't even noticed the cat's presence until now) hopped up the steps and Justice placed the hat on the feline's head. The cat meowed loudly, pawed the hat crooked, then sat and began grooming himself.

"Captain, or should I say Deputy Captain, has not only been diligent in patrol work, but this year's mice incidents have fallen to an all-time low. Yes, there really is no question that Captain is the most deserving of this title."

A cat. Had been made deputy. Over him. Suddenly, the week didn't seem like the best one ever. As he let his gaze drop to the ground he felt hands encircling his arm - one high on his bicep, one just above his wrist, and he looked up just enough to see Dawn's apologetic and worried look. "I thought I caught the most mice..." he said, trying to force a smile.

"One more time, a round of applause for our new deputy!"

"I'm so embarrassed! But congrats!" Mi-an mumbled. A breath later she turned to scurry away, rushing for the stairs to head back to her workshop, leaving Dawn and Unsuur standing together in the square.

Captain continued to groom himself as Justice walked down the steps over to them, settling a hand on Unsuur's shoulder opposite Dawn.

"Sorry pal. It just wasn't your time." Unsuur opened his mouth to say something but Justice's attention quickly moved from him to Dawn. "And you, Dawn -- sorry if I made it seem like I was gonna make you or Mi-an deputy. I wasn't trying to yank your chain or nothing but, you and Mi-an are honorary members of the Civil Corps regardless, and I thank you for all your current and future efforts toward the betterment of Sandrock and all its people."

Unsuur had fixed his gaze on a point on the wall over Justice's shoulder as he spoke; he could see, at the edge of his vision, Justice's smile falter then fade completely.

"Ahem, well, best get back to it. Good, uh, have a good day you two."

With that Justice quickly moved around them and headed back toward the Corps building (or at least that's what Unsuur assumed -- he was still looking ahead at the wall).

Lost out to Captain...he really wished he knew what he needed to know, or do, or be, to become deputy. What did Captain have that Unsuur didn't? What-

"How freaking dare he..." Dawn growled beside him.

He tore his eyes away from the wall. "It's ok. I'm happy my friend got promoted. Justice told me he pushed that button real good-"

"It is NOT ok!" she insisted, moving to stand in front of him. One hand remained on his arm and the other gently poked a finger into his chest. "YOU should have been made deputy, not a damned cat! I don't care how many mice he's caught, he's a cat! An intelligent one but he isn't even of the talking mutant variety! How could Justice do that...elevating a...a house cat over you?"

"Captain doesn't have a house but I think he likes sleeping in the sheriff's."

She let out an annoyed huff, tipping her face back to the sky a moment before looking back to Unsuur. "He's lucky I'm too short to properly strangle him... Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No, I skipped it today." Too excited to feel hungry before but now all he felt was disappointed. "Please don't strangle Justice - I'd feel awkward arresting you for assault."

"I wasn't being serious. ...mostly. Come on-"

He blinked as she took him by the hand and tugged him after her down the street; he was sort of aware of how his hand still hurt even in her gentle grasp.

But, she was holding his hand. VERY aware of that, and he marveled a bit at the size difference between their hands too.

...right, she was pulling him along. He should start walking with her so she wouldn't think he didn't want to go (and let's face it - he'd go anywhere she wanted to). "Where are we headed?" he asked, matching his stride to hers so she was beside him rather than partially in front of him.

"Blue Moon - I still want to beat Justice senseless with the dang hat he asked me to make but the least I can do for you is treat you to breakfast."

"You don't have to."

She shrugged with a smile. "I want to. -- un-unless you have to get on patrol?" At that she slowed to a stop just outside of Owen's front porch, looking up at him questioningly.

He did, but in this exact moment he didn't care. "Our new deputy can handle my route for now," Unsuur answered.

With a roll of her eyes Dawn laughed and started walking again, all the way to the saloon's front doors and then inside. There were unfamiliar faces at some of the tables - an unusual number of tourists considering the bridge was out, maybe they were from some of the surrounding villages instead - but there were two stools next to each other at the bar that were open so that's where Dawn headed, and it wasn't until they were sitting down that she dropped his hand.

They'd just settled in their seats when Owen came out of the kitchen with a plate in each hand and one each balanced on his forearms, and gave them both a nod to acknowledge he'd seen them before heading out to deliver the order; it had been awhile since Unsuur had been in here during the breakfast hours... Scrambled eggs sounded good, maybe with a little bowl of fruit.

(Something that wouldn't cost too much since he doubted he could talk Dawn out of paying for it).

Owen came back around the bar and paused to wipe his hands on a towel before heading over with an easy-going smile. "Hey you two - what can I get you?"

Unsuur gestured for Dawn to order first and Owen's attention shifted to her.

"Just a rice omelet, one pancake, and a glass of sand date milk, please," she answered.

Owen nodded and looked to Unsuur.

"Scrambled egg, and a small bowl of fruit salad."

"That'd be a half order of the fruit then. That all right?" Owen asked.

"That's fine. As long as it's not a lot."

Owen chuckled. "Noted. Drink?"

"Just water is fine."

"All right, be back shortly."

Unsuur watched him disappear back into the kitchen -- he hadn't seen Grace since they'd walked in so he assumed she was in there as well. Hopefully it'd be Owen making Dawn's omelet.

"Not much of a breakfast person?"

Dawn's question brought his gaze back around and he shifted on his stool to angle himself toward her. "Not really. I usually eat light in the mornings so the heat doesn't make me sick later." She looked less annoyed now, which was good. "It also takes less time and fewer dishes to cook a small meal. It's easier to clean up afterward."

She giggled. "I'm not a fan of dishes either but I do like cooking, despite how much I hated it starting out."

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Because of your mother?"

"Yep," she replied, tone flat. "But at least cooking is a life skill anyone can and should learn. I hate HOW and WHY I was taught to cook but now I enjoy cooking for myself, and others."

"Is there any dish you like cooking the most?"

He could always tell when she was thinking about something -- that lower lip was between her teeth again. Owen came back with their orders before she'd answered; she made no move to pick up her fork and Unsuur wasn't in any hurry to eat either so he waited as well.

"I'd say...probably this rice porridge recipe that was my grandmother's," she answered then and a wistful smile crept across her face a breath afterward. Finally she reached for her fork and carefully cut into her omelet. "Any time I had to spend the night over at their house we'd have that for breakfast in the morning, and sometimes as dessert after dinner too. She taught me how to make it when I got old enough and it's always been a comfort dish. ...wonder what it'll taste like if I use yakmel milk in it, since that's the only milk I can get here."

Unsuur speared a piece of cantaloupe and popped it into his mouth as Dawn took her first bite of her omelet. His repertoire of recipes was pretty limited...a lot of soups, roasted vegetables, fruits, and he couldn't recall any specific family recipes -- he just ate whatever his parents cooked, and now that he was on his own he stuck to simple things. "It might not be as sweet since yakmel milk is pretty strong.

"Hmm, that's possible. Won't know until I try it I guess...want to be my taste tester?" she asked, flashing him a mischievous grin before taking another bite of omelet.

He could feel the weight of that rock heart in his pocket suddenly. "I'd love to."

She eyed him a moment; Unsuur didn't think his face was giving anything away, but hid himself behind his water glass just to be sure.

"Once I get the trusses done?" she went on.

He swallowed the water and paused to make sure he was composed. "Whenever you want - I'll make time."

With a little hum she went back to eating, and they ate in silence for awhile; he finished off his fruit quickly and purposely paced himself with his eggs so he wouldn't finish before she did. Thankfully focusing on his plate helped temper the rising tide of anticipation and warm fuzzies; that sneaky grin a moment ago had come close to tipping him over into 'give her the heart rock' territory -- maybe not the worst thing he could do right now but he couldn't let over-eagerness potentially ruin the moment.

A change of subject would help. "Has Rocky found the scrap you need?" he asked.

Dawn downed half her glass of the sand date milk before answering. "-not yet. This morning they dropped off what they'd managed to find that was of a high enough quality and I've got that smelting down into something usable, but I'm going to need way more of it."

Unsuur looked to her curiously. "I thought most of the Old World buildings were built with steel and iron?"

She nodded. "They are but not all of it is the right kind to use for this or in a good enough condition to be worth melting down, and there's some areas that were corroded or otherwise ruined by whatever happened in the Calamity. That sort of scrap would be fine for smaller projects but definitely not for a bridge."

That made sense. It would be like choosing the wrong size and shape rock for a stack -- one mistake and it'd all come tumbling down, and the bridge had already tumbled down once so they didn't need a repeat. "I'm sure he'll find what you need. His crew is pretty good at finding things."

"I plan to head down there and help them out after this," she giggled. "Or, well, I will once I've taken my fence down. Heidi will be out sometime later this afternoon to mark my new property boundary."

There it was again - that bright spark of life in her eyes he'd seen the other night when she'd first told him about buying land and building on it; it drew him in, made him smile. Dawn held his gaze for a moment then glanced down into her plate, cheeks going red.

"W-well, anyway, it's going to be a long week," she murmured. She pushed around the last bits of rice on her plate with her fork; the pancake was still untouched. "I hope yours will be less stressful than mine, with the geeglers gone now."

"It should be, though we ARE back to giving the bandit problem our full attention now - the desert is a really big place to search. I'll still get to see you on my patrols though." ...well, that had slipped out.

Laughing, Dawn set her fork down on her plate and nudged it away. "Is that your way of telling me to keep an eye out for you?"

With his face turning red all Unsuur could manage was a quiet 'heh' in response but luckily Owen came over - a timely, if likely unintended, rescue - and Dawn paid the bill, finished her drink, and stood up as Owen grabbed her dishes and headed for the kitchen again.

"I should probably get going, and I don't want you in trouble with Justice either," she sighed, then after a pause smiled gently at him. "I'll see you whenever you pass by."

He felt warm again, whew. "Be careful in the ruins."

She laughed and patted his shoulder as she headed for the door; Unsuur still had eggs on his plate but wasn't inclined to finish them with his stomach doing flips. Owen came back out of the kitchen as he was standing to go and reached out for him.

"Wait a second, Unsuur - got a moment?"

"Sure." Unsuur scooted his stool back in close to the bar and out of the way and waited for Owen to hurry back over.

"Could you come by the saloon later tonight, around dinnertime, and make a quick delivery for me?"

A delivery? "I can do that, but why?"

Owen leaned in toward him, lowering his voice. "With all the work Dawn and Mi-an are going to be putting in for our bridge I feel like the least I can do is keep them fed so they don't have to worry about cooking anything after a full day of work. You're always out that way anyhow -- I'll prepare a few dishes, you can deliver to Dawn and I'll take Mi-an hers."

"That's a good idea, and really nice of you." Plus, it'd give him a reason to stop by her place tonight, and however many nights Owen had something for him to take to her.

"Just trying to help in the only way I can," Owen chuckled. "I'll have it bagged and ready for you."

"Thanks. See ya."

He had to dodge around a small group of people coming in as he left; outside the heat was reaching its peak - the marginally less hot winter season would be here soon enough at least. As he turned to head toward Hammer Time and start his patrol route from there Unsuur slipped a hand into his pocket to rub this fingers over the stone heart...he'd slipped up slightly with that 'I'll get to see you' comment but she'd taken it well. That was encouraging, but he also didn't want anything else slipping out of him again (unless it was the right time - maybe another slip up WOULD be the right time? Who knew...)

Completing one full route put him back at his house and he headed inside and straight to his nightstand where he kept his notebook and pencil. The best way to avoid blurting anything else out again on accident would be to get it out of him first.

Dear Dawn,

Sorry I forgot to sign my last letter. I hope it didn't worry you.

I just wanted to tell you how impressed I was by how you handled those geeglers -- I hear you were very brave, and good with a gun even though you'd never held one before and don't like them.

You're a good builder, and now you're an honorary member of the Civil Corps, is that right? You'd be a very good deputy. Captain did a good job in there too I hear, and he's a good looking cat and all, but you would look way better in the hat.

Sorry, I kinda lied earlier in this letter. I didn't really forget to sign my first letter. I just didn't want to.

Unsuur paused and read it over a few times; short and simple, like the first one. He stood and folded it and went to get an envelope but then saw he didn't have one big enough to hold a letter and a rock of any kind...guess no opals or anything like that in this one. Hmm. If he included a little gift it would need to be...small, or at least fold-able. What did he have...

Oh, wait a moment.

He went over to his closet and threw the doors open, greeted by the sight of all his uniform jackets, spare shirts and pants, and a new pair of boots he'd been meaning to break in but hadn't gotten around to yet -- he didn't need the clothing or jackets at the moment but the boots were sitting on top of a box that held a small collection of belongings he'd never really found a place for. Shoving those aside he flipped the box's lid open and moved aside a few wayward rocks to pull a photo album out, brushing away dust and sand that had come off the rocks and carrying the book to his kitchen table.

It was full of landscape pictures that he'd bought from Arvio about three years ago now. All the colorful pictures and artful framing of Sandrock's vistas and rock formations had caught his eye, and while he suspected Arvio had slightly inflated the price he still purchased it and had kept it on his kitchen counter for awhile, until he'd accidentally knocked a cup of water over onto its cover; even though he'd immediately rushed to dry it off the cover in that spot had wrinkled and warped and, not wanting to risk ruining anything inside the book, he'd stored it away and only took it out periodically to thumb through it and admire the images.

He hunted through the pages for one particular picture: sand dunes painted brilliantly by the setting sun's light, and if he wasn't mistaken this was actually taken from the top of Mt. Rocksand. Dawn had loved the sunset; she was bound to love this and it would fit inside the envelope without him needing to fold it.

After he'd slipped the picture into the envelope he pulled the letter free and opened it flat on his table once more and quickly scribbled an addition to the bottom:

Here's a picture of sand dunes. Maybe you can hang it in your house or something. I'm not your boss or anything, though. You can do whatever you want with it.

He returned the letter to the envelope, sealed it, set his alarm so he wouldn't forget to do it later, and stuck the letter inside the photo album to hide it until tonight, then headed back outside; normally he'd head to the Corps building to see if Justice needed help with anything but since nothing had happened lately Unsuur headed out across the tracks and down near where he and Dawn had sat together to watch the sun set, gathering up rocks as he went. It felt like he was overdue for a nice, relaxing stacking session.

[afteriwake]

A Picture Tells A Thousand Words (3/?)

So I'm finally somewhere with reliable wi-fi so I can update this! Here's some actual grieving from the people left behind.

A Picture Tells A Thousand Words - Everyone mourns their own way when Buffy and Willow are murdered, but photos help.

READ PART 1 | READ PART 3

Xander looked at the coffee cup. "I can't eat or drink right now."

"I understand," Anya replied, reaching over to take his hand again.

"I haven't even cried yet. That just makes me feel so horrible."

"You will when you're ready."

He ran his thumb over her fingers, lightly. "They were my best friends. They didn't deserve this. Not even Buffy, even if she is...I mean, was, the Slayer." He shook his head.

"She knew it would happen eventually, Xander. She was ready. She lived her life like that day was going to be her last day."

"And yesterday it was," Xander said bitterly.

Anya sighed, then got up, moving to sit next to him. "Tell me what else is wrong. I know you; something else is wrong."

"I was supposed to patrol with her last night, not Willow."

Anya nodded. "But you couldn't help the last-minute gig, Xander."

"But I should have died, not Willow. Not her," he said, guilt and sadness and anger finally getting the best of him, as tears rolled down his face. "I should have died..."

Anya pulled him to her, cradling his head as he sobbed. He needed the release, she knew that. But her heart ached for the only person she'd ever been in love with, to see him hurting so badly. "It'll be okay," she murmured softly. "Everything will be okay."

---

Oz stopped the van. It took him a few moments to realize he'd driven out into the warehouses, specifically the one where Spike had taken Willow and Xander almost four years before. It hurt to be there, but something drew him there. Wandering around, he went to the burned remnants of the place they'd been held captive and carefully made his way down what was left of the stairs.

In the back of his mind he half hoped that the stairs would collapse for him, hopefully making him fall on a piece of wood that could very well kill him. Then he wouldn't have to live without Willow. But rationally, he didn't want that to happen. He just wanted to sit there for a moment. Flicking his flashlight on, he scanned it around.

A glint of something caught his eye. Moving the flashlight beam back in that direction, he saw the metallic gleam once more. Carefully, he went over there and picked up the glinting object. It was the bracelet he'd given to Willow when they'd first started to date. He held the small silver object in his hand, looking at it. It'd always been too big for her wrist but she didn't want a smaller one. She'd loved this one.

Just like she'd loved him.

Slipping the bracelet on, he sat down, turned the flashlight off, and buried his head in his hands.

And started to cry.

---

Spike had drunk just about every nonalcoholic drink in the house. She hated him getting drunk, so he stopped. Most of the time, anyway.

Everywhere he looked, there were reminders of her. Of course there were, he berated himself quietly. She'd lived there too. It was her home just as much as it had been his. But it wasn't a home anymore, not right now, maybe not ever.

He went into their room. It was a mistake; there were constant reminders of her all over the place. Her clothing was scattered on the floor, her make-up on the vanity, her schoolbooks by the desk. It was so normal looking. It'd never be this way again. Spike sat on the bed, clutching one of her shirts, and curled up with it like a comforting blanket. The smell of her was so strong, it overwhelmed him. He finally passed out from pure exhaustion, inhaling her scent even though he didn't need to breathe.

Because it kept her close.

[obislittleone]

House Of Memories (20/?)

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Padawan!reader

Warnings: more spicy thoughts, also talk about the spicy thoughts... some fluff, some angst, the usual.

Summary: Obi-Wan takes your suggestion to heart, and he looks good, very good. You think about yourself in a different and decide it's best to talk with him about it.

A/n: NO BC U DON'T UNDERSTAND... i live for this kinda relationship, and i will drag it out as long as I possibly can and u guys will probably hate me but it's true i cannot be stopped

Words: 3k

Obi-Wan woke up the next morning and was feeling a bit warmer than he initially anticipated. He was about to chalk it up to the weather on this planet being summery, the sun shone brightly through the windows and bringing light to everything around him. He then found out what the extra warmth was due to, as soon as he tried to sit up. Your arms had been loosely wrapped around his middle, still sleeping the day away. You liked being close to him, and if that meant holding him to you the whole night long, pressing your face between the wide expanse of his shoulders, so be it.

His breath hitched in his throat when he realized how natural it felt to him, how comfortable. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to sleep in a bed without you again, knowing your warmth was the reason for his peaceful slumber.

He carefully unwrapped himself from your embrace, kissing each hand as he set them back down on the bed. He turned to look at you, your disheveled hair, splayed out on the pillow and framing your face. He looked down at where your shirt was falling off your shoulder and was unable to stop himself from touching the soft skin. Everything about the image before him was soft, and light. She is the light incarnate.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss on the bare skin, moving back up to your face before smiling sweetly and kissing the top of your head. He cherished those kisses the most.

Forcing himself to leave your side, he went into the fresher, ready to prepare himself for the day. He rinsed his face over with some water, drying it off then looking at himself in the mirror. His hair was worse right now since he had just woken up, but he decided you were right, and he needed to get it cut. He could probably wait until the mission was over and you all went back to Coruscant, but he was certain it needed to be done as soon as possible.

-

You woke up about an hour later, struggling to leave this bed. It was so fluffy, and comfortable, and had so many pillows and blankets. You'd become aware of Obi-Wan's missing presence subconsciously, so you weren't surprised not to find him when you woke up. You were a little surprised that he'd left the room, though, leaving a note on his pillow for you to find.

I went out to get some things done, make sure you're packed up so we can leave for home this afternoon. - Obi

You smiled, yawning a little before you got ready for the day. After you'd gotten everything together, you figured you would go downstairs to see how the clones were dealing with the man you'd captured. Upon reaching the ship, you entered to see them all sitting sporadically, laughing to themselves and making the prisoner scowl. They seemed to be playing a game of Sabacc, but you weren't sure what all the laughter was about.

"What's so funny?" You asked Cody, and he snickered, nodding to the prisoner.

"They asked him if he wanted to deal the next hand," he answered, a smirk on his face.

You snorted, seeing the completely unamused face of the captured man turning to anger with every second. Too bad he couldn't do anything about it. There's only so many places you can get with your elbows.

You sauntered over to the man in the cell, and he seemed to be a bit afraid of you, but his look of worry only lasted a second before he put on a facade.

"Come to apologize?" he tilted his head and gave you a once over, and though you hated him for it, you were about to make even.

"Yes, actually," you leaned on the bars and gave your most sincere facial expression to him, before looking down and continuing, "I truly am sorry about the lot of them, I know they can be... a handful."

The clones that had managed to keep themselves quiet long enough to hear that one had just about keeled over. The man in front of you simply rolled his eyes instead of scowling. He knew he should best not insult the Jedi who took away the very thing they all teased him about.

You weren't done yet, another joke spiraling in the covert of your mind.

"Seriously, though," you tried to keep the smile from spreading on your face, but it was hard to do. "Let's shake and agree there's no hard feelings."

You held out your hand through the bars, but now he became aggressive, smacking you hand away from him with his arms.

"I've killed a Jedi before, you know. I could easily do it again," he threatened, but again, you had so many puns stacked up, ready to use on the rest of the flight home.

"Did you kill them with your feet?" you waited for an answer, even a harsh and resentful one, but it never came, "I like my chances."

Cody was never a very humorous clone, more so the serious order following kind, but he couldn't even help himself. He knew this man had killed dozens, ruthlessly, stolen millions of credits and been just an overall menace to society. Seeing him get put in his place by a teenager was hilarious. He was laughing along with everyone else.

"What are we laughing about, now?" Came the exhausted tone of your master, as you heard him coming up the hull of the ship. You stepped away from the prisoner, ready to answer him.

"We were just-" upon turning around, you were met with Obi-Wan. He was a mere foot away from you, and was sporting a new haircut, the exact one you'd described to him last night. It looked so good; you could hardly speak. He was dashing, sophisticated, and overly charming. He was beautiful, his bright eyes catching the light from outside and shimmering blue like the oceans you'd been seeing lately.

He looked at you quizzically, waiting for an answer, so you shook your head, snapping out of the trance, and trying your best to speak.

"We were just messing with him, that's all."

He nodded, and then caught your stare which kept going from his hair to his eyes. You'd definitely noticed, and he was under suspicion that you were very satisfied with how he looked.

"I see. Well, if everyone is ready to go, we should depart soon. I've taken care of all the technicalities, so there shouldn't be any issues henceforth."

He walked over to Cody, discussing some plans with him, but you were far too distracted to listen in on what they were saying. He ran his hand through his hair, and you found yourself wanting to card your fingers through it in the same way. Last night his back faced you, but you would love to lay looking at him, at his eyes, his nose, his mouth, and play with his hair, seeing ever expression he made when you did.

You'd been thinking about things a little differently after last night.

You'd been thinking about him a little differently. You were sure you'd begun to feel him opening up to you in more ways than he had previously done when Anakin was around. He was touching you more, holding you hand when no one could see, and kissing your head like you meant the world to him. You hoped perhaps it was the start of something romantic and beautiful, but you'd closed off that thought last night.

You began thinking about how the dancer in the bar described you. What she had said to you about being able to start at a high price.

Your body was always something you'd been proud of, not like the standard of beauty, but still gorgeous and desirable in its own way.

You never thought of yourself in that capacity before, as desirable. Never before looked at yourself in the mirror and thought that maybe someone would take one look at you and want to sleep with you. You knew it was now the case, since the very man who had proposed it was sitting in a cell behind you, missing his hands, and glaring holes into the back of your head. You were desired because of your purity, too. That was the thought that kept jamming your mind for the duration of take-off.

You were wanted because you'd never been taken before. You'd never taken anyone else into your body before, and that made you valuable?

You didn't understand it at the time, but you understood it now.

'Your purity will sell to the highest bidder'

You were vulnerable, and unused. That's what the sick and twisted men of this planet, and other planets were searching for. Not to mention your force sensitivity, and your high pain tolerance. For a certain audience, you had it all. Everything they ever wanted in a woman, or at least what they wanted in a casual hookup. You shivered in your seat when that thought came over you.

Obi-Wan wasn't one of those men. He wouldn't look at you like that, not ever. He was always there to protect you from those kinds of people. He was the one to stand up against them and show them that you were not to be messed with, lest his wrath come upon them. You were by all means able to take care of yourself, and he knew that well, but it helped your heart to know that he had the calling over his heart to protect you anyway, even when you didn't need it. You were important to him.

"I was going to come talk with you, but you seem lost in thought," Obi-Wan approached, his hair falling out of place and coming over his forehead when he tilted it down to look at you.

"Just thinking about last night," you admitted, smiling coolly, ready to deflect any questions you weren't ready to deal with... unless? "I like your hair, though."

"I think you were right; it feels far better, now."

You dropped your head to hide your blush but picked it up again to see for yourself how good it felt. You let your fingers graze the sides and moved it to readjust the fallen strands of the top.

"It looks better, too. Very handsome," you smiled, bringing down your hand to rest by his face. He leaned into it, and you were melted at just the sight.

You thought he was handsome, and that was all he needed to hear.

"I only have you to thank for that."

You sat back in your seat and contemplated asking him some things. You were wondering about your body today, what it meant to be pure, and what it was to not be so. You couldn't help but be curious about it, because it seemed like a very universal thing. Sex was universal, it was the base of reproduction, and among other things, connected two humans in a most intimate way, but you'd never done it, therefore there were questions to be asked.

"I don't mean to intrude, but you've left your mind open, little one," he admitted, and when you snapped your eyes up to meet his, you saw something different in them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's perfectly alright. I understand your curiosity," he tried to remove any doubt from your mind before it could even settle there. "It's a natural thing to wonder about."

You nodded, feeling more comfortable to open this conversation, but truthfully, you didn't know where to start. You knew this was about to be horribly personal, but the thing you wanted to know the most kept nagging at you from the back of your brain.

"Have you ever done it?" You tried to sound plain, not to let him know how badly you wondered about this for a long time.

He heaved a deep breath, deciding whether or not he should be completely honest. He'd not ever had more than one fling, but the girl of his past had been with him intimately on more occasions than he could count.

"Yes, I had a partner once," he started with that, thinking that perhaps if this took a turn, he could keep some of the information away from you. Not that he wanted to hide it of course, but again, he didn't want you to simply go out and find someone who would not treat you as he would.

You couldn't say you were surprised, with his confident and flirty demeanor most of the time, you would have been shocked had he said no. You were however, a little shy to hear him admit it to you.

"What was it like?" you stared straight on, trying not to get too caught up in his eyes while talking about something so far unmentionable for a Jedi. He probably hadn't broken the Jedi code. He often never did. If he had a partner, it was probably no strings attached, and you needed to not get your foolish hopes up.

"It was nice, for a while... but I didn't feel for her how I should have in an act like that. It wasn't right for me to continue if I was only going to hurt her later on. We went our separate ways before I became your master."

That was a little over ten years ago. He hasn't been with anyone in nearly ten years? That was nearly half your lifespan...

"What should you have felt for her?" You wanted to hear him say it. You wanted him to tell you he didn't love her and that's the reason they drifted apart. You wanted him to tell you he was open to love but she was not the one for him. You wanted him to tell you this universal act was one of love and not of casualty. You wanted him to tell you not to go off with anyone else, and you wanted to imagine it was because somewhere in his mind he wanted to be the one to love you that way.

"Something I couldn't. Attachment among our ranks is forbidden," his answer had some grey areas to it, but ultimately wasn't really what you wanted to hear from him. You dropped your head to your lap, watching your hands as they nervously fiddled with one another.

"Oh."

Your drained tone made him believe he upset you even though he hadn't, but for some reason, he wanted to fix it.

"You misunderstand me, little one," he lifted your chin in his hands to get you to look up at him. You'd hoped the sting of your eyes hadn't meant tears were forming in them. "I did not have those feelings for her, but I have had them before."

"You broke the code? I thought that..." you trailed off, furrowing your brows and trying to make sense of his confession.

"I am still human. And as such I make human decisions, and I feel human feelings. The code has dated back thousands of years, and over the course of time, the meaning of it has evolved. Attachment, and the feelings connected, can only be truly disgraceful as long as they harbor corruption. I feel that the council fears other interpretation of the rules, which is why they are so particular about it... but under my opinion, something that makes you drawn closer to the light should not be kept forbidden."

His words sunk into the depths of your soul, and you were ever so happy to hear that he was capable of loving romantically. You had no idea when he was talking, he had spoken of his feelings for you, but nonetheless, you felt relieved, knowing there was hope for you, yet. You'd only pray that when the right time came, perhaps he would not be repulsed by your lack of experience. He seemed to know quite a lot compared to you, and you felt inferior to know you'd never been touched the way he has. Neven been kissed or held in a romantic embrace.

"I think I feel that way for someone," you trailed off, hoping he could help you decipher your feelings about him. He seemed to get tense beside you, and you'd hoped he didn't disapprove. "I fear I am foolish to have these feelings, because I know the thought of them being returned is outrageous."

"I see."

He didn't have any other words to offer yet, his mind stewing with something to say in reply, but since he was not quite ready, you would keep filling the silence.

"I sit every day, loving this person unrequitedly, and the funny thing is, I don't mind it. I think it's purely the happiness I get from feeling that way that sustains me. It's unconditional," you turned back to him after pouring out your heart, and he looked enraged. He hated that you felt this way for someone else and they had the audacity to not even notice. He hated that he was jealous over whoever it was that had won your affections. He just wanted you to be his, and now knowing you probably never would be, he just wanted to be alone.

"This person you speak of does not deserve you," he said coldly, and though it caught you off guard, you figured he was angry with someone who didn't exist. You couldn't say it was him, but you wanted to at least make it known that it was the other way around.

"No, he deserves everything. I feel that I am not enough for him, that he has grown too used to to seeing me a certain way and that I may never appeal to him."

"Enough of this, you are the most wonderful, bright and shining being in this universe. Whoever cannot see that is not worth your time or energy," he let out, and you smiled under your breath. He uttered the very words himself, so clearly, he could see it. You looked up at him and nodded.

"Thank you, Obi. You don't know what it means for me to hear that from you," you finished off, resting your head on his shoulder, hoping it could stay there the duration of the flight. You didn't let this thought into the open air, but as you drifted off into a nap, the words spilled into your signature.

I love you dearly Obi-Wan Kenobi

-

tags:

@spencerrxids @sawendel @fandomstanner24 @i-shall-abide @officialjellydoughnut @whatshxrname @darkened-writer @superavengerpotter @cutiepoo16 @hypnoash @softlymellow @howlerwolfmax @mephistominion @honestlywtfisgoingon @anakinskywalkerog @mandiiellen @je--a-n @guyinachair27 @avenger5-a55emble @amelia-song-pond @kaminanii @the-abyss-of-fandoms @queenofnightdreamland @world-dominating-kitty @mandowhatnow @ella-error505 @annahalo @infinity-witch @beetlejuice-stuff @liueski @solarbxby @sirianisrock @lxdyred @endless-warrior-always-fighter @iloveinej @msjb2002 @shoochi @itsilvermorny @gingerrosecosplay @sebschicken @loversjoy @argentinemango @1-800-vader @house-of-kolchek

[barry-j-blupjeans]

14 from the song prompts with whoever you'd like (something something, I haven't died yet) please!

14. “Please don’t get morbid” “Right” “It’s just that I haven’t died yet”

((song prompts here - still accepting!!))

--

The windchime above Magnus's porch clicked and tinked together, creating a patternless, calm collection of notes. Magnus himself is sitting out, buried under three blankets and his winter coat to keep warm. The snow is still falling and it's nearly late enough for the kids to start going to bed, but Magnus is excited to help build snowmen tomorrow.

The wind picked up a bit as the front door opened and Magnus turned to see Angus holding open the door for Lucretia, who wheeled herself out. It's not the wheelchair Magnus had originally carved- Lucretia's daily chair went through too much wear and tear to be used all the time- but the pattern is reminiscent. When she's through the doorway, Angus dipped back inside, shutting the door behind him.

Lucretia steered herself over to sit next to him and they stay that way for a while, watching the snow collect over Magnus's empty garden. Someone had left a frisbee on the path up to the house and it was slowly getting more and more snow-covered. The wind settles with another small song from the windchime.

Eventually, Lucretia spoke.

"I'm told..." she cleared her throat. "I'm told this will be your last candlenights."

Magnus hummed a little note of acknowledgment, nodding his head. They weren't supposed to have told him, but it had gotten to a point where Barry couldn't look him in the eye without looking so damn depressed and Magnus had weaseled it out of him.

"Yeah," Magnus said. "It will be."

"Are you..." Lucretia paused as if trying to find the right words. "Are you scared about it? Being the last time, that is. That there won't really be a- a reset for you, after this."

Magnus took a second to mull over her words, rocking himself back and fourth in the chair. There's an explosion of laughter from inside and he smiled despite himself.

"No," Magnus said. "No, I... I think I grew out of fearing death right about the time Taako started dating him." Lucretia let out a little huff of laughter and Magnus's smile stretched into a grin. "Seriously, though. I'm- I'm ready, I think. I don't know what's waiting for me after death, but I know who. I think that's about all the comfort I need."

Lucretia nodded, seemingly satysfied with that answer, and Magnus took a moment to look her over. She had grown her hair out after Story and Song, but she had confided in him once that she was tempted to buzz it all over again, just to avoid the work. Magnus had never been good at keeping secrets so before the end of the week, he found Lup and Lucretia on the couch, Lup slowly going through and redoing all of Lucretia's locks. Since then, he'd happened upon just about anyone doing the same.

The white hair looked had always looked good on her, but Magnus thought he pulled it off just as well. Though his was more gray than white in some parts. His hands were a mess of scars, both from fighting and from carving. He had a tremor in them now that made it much harder to do either of those things, but that didn't stop him from trying. This year, he had made everyone a little statue of their favorite animals. They weren't nearly up to the quality they had once been, but no one had seemed to mind.

"Please don't get- get morbid or, super sad," Magnus said. "If you can."

Lucretia snorted, raising her eyebrows. "Right."

"It's just like- I haven't died yet. Y'know? And I know you tend to get sort of, uhm. Reclusive when you're sad."

"That's a nice way of putting it," Lucretia said, smiling. "But I get it. Thank you. I'll- I'll try my best, Magnus."

"That's all I can ask of you, at this point," he said.

They lapsed back into silence, staring out over the yard. The magnolia tree he had planted when he first moved back here, to Raven's Roost, was branching and large. A layer of snow had settled against the branches that could afford to hold its weight. He'd get to see it bloom again, at least. One last time.

The chatter from insider was slowly growing quieter and the snow piling up on the ground was slowly growing taller. He passed one of his blankets to Lucretia, who wrapped it around her shoulders. She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. He brought the rocking to a complete stop to support her.

"It shouldn't be too long for me now, either," Lucretia said quietly. "Wanna take a bet on how long I'll last?"

"Probably longer than you should, knowing you," Magnus said and Lucretia laughed, her voice a little wet.

"Probably," she said. "Gives me time to get my affairs in order, at least."

"If you annoy Barry too much he might tell you," Magnus offered and Lucretia laughed again, a bit brighter.

"I'll give that a try," she said. "I... Magnus, if I don't get the chance to say this again before... before you die, I just want to say it now. You have really changed my life. For the better and for the worse, a little. I... I know I haven't always been the best friend I could be but I think I got it right where it counts. I hope you realize that we all love you so, so much. I couldn't- I can't imagine life without you at this point. But I know you're going to be so incredibly happy when the time comes that I'm going to be happy right along with you.

You-" Lucretia chuckled, a little breathless. "You deserve your happy ending, Magnus. And I'm glad you're finally going to get it."

Magnus sniffed, wiping a few tears from his eyes.

"You're gonna make my face freeze, Luce," he said and Lucretia grinned, squeezing his arm.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too."

[slytherbun]

wildflower

pairing: cedric diggory x hufflepuff!reader

summary: you weren't too sure what to think when a new eye candy transfers to hogwarts and becomes the new seeker of the hufflepuff's quidditch team but you realize in time that he is all of what you hoped for.

word count: 3.7k

tags: @specialagentsoftie

note: so this is all just a bunch fluff. i'm not sure how i feel about it in terms of cringey and hope y'all like it! figured i'd post this anyways either way though lol. i made up the way reader and cedric met at hogwarts so, it's non-canon from the movie.

another note: italics are flashbacks! :)

it was cold.

you could see everybody’s breath in the air outside and knew it was a crime to be out and about now with freezing and chilly weather.

the snow outside coated the ground by inches and the black coats zippered up and wrapped around you only helped so much. you were the type to freeze easily and the climate at hogwarts didn't help your situation at all.

minutes ago before you walked outside, you knocked on the door to his dorm after surveying the hufflepuff’s common room and noticed there weren't very many people around. and when cedric opened the door after you rapped on it a few times—he took in the view of your body wrapped around your blanket before pulling you into his room.

pathetically enough, you were shivering in the halls even with your mitten covered hands stuffed in the pockets of your coat. you weren't about to admit the doubled up socks on each of your feet either underneath the knee-length boots you wore today.

"are you cold?" cedric successfully taunted you when you reached your arm out of the pocket of your jacket and then under the blanket to slap his arm. he hissed and glared your way playfully while rubbing his arm dramatically.

you shrugged with a smirk on your lips and he plopped down onto his soft bed. “don’t get too comfortable.” he suggested when noticing you trying to sneakily get underneath his covers. 

“what i’d do for one of those thermal blankets the muggles use.” you sighed dreamingly while watching him walk towards his closet.

“imagine having a postal company deliver the package to hogwarts? dumbledore would have an aneurysm.” cedric replied and you couldn’t help yourself when imagining the scenario playing out in your mind. 

he turned to the side to admire your smile while you were a little distracted while pulling out a coat. then he closed the closet up and walked back over, holding it in your direction to offer an extra to put over your body. you gladly took it with a smile. "thanks ced."

cedric backed up a few steps and brushed a hand through his brunette hair. not being able to help himself he joked, “can’t have you walking around with your blanket wrapped around you. your height already makes you look so adorable.”

you got off from the bed when he exaggerated with your blanket in hand and scoffed. cedric bit his lip nervously while continuing to back up before he felt the wall pressed against him.

he rubbed the back of his nervously while you held the blanket up to his height and above your own head. “i’m just kidding.” he gulped before you took it and put it over his face.

when he tugged it down from his face he spotted you innocently standing by the door with his jacket around you. “i was going to leave it here anyway. just put it on the bed and i’ll come get it later after we get back.”

while you zippered it up you noticed this particular jacket was the one that you often saw him wearing before he ended up buying a new one for the upcoming winter that you were suffering in now.

and it was longer than the one you had previously put on about twenty minutes ago so, you couldn't argue with him on that steal.

"alright.” he laughed and added with a more serious tone. “oh and by the way—you don't need to thank me. you're my best friend, wildflower."

today was the first quidditch match of the season and you were sitting at the edge of your seat in anticipation. the hufflepuffs didn't score well last season and you were hoping they wouldn't come out with last place again for the year.

y/g/b/f (your girl best friend) sat down on the stands next to you with an umbrella in her hands. you turned and looked at it with a confused face. but she just smiled at your contemplating thoughts and looked up at the sky once before supplying you with an answer.

“well it looks bright now but i have a feeling it’ll rain later.” she always had a suspicion for when it was going to rain or snow and you never second guessed her because every single time she was right.

“did you know we’re having a new seeker play on the team today? i believe he’s going to be captain too if he plays his cards right this game.” she asked. you didn’t know that.

“wait is he the new guy everybody is talking about? i heard the rumors but you know how they are. i didn’t want to take it seriously until i saw it with my own eyes.” you stated and she nodded. 

“yeah he’s a transfer i think but i’m not too sure. his name is cedric diggory though.” after her reply, you glanced around the stands to see if anybody had diggory signs for the game but with no avail you sighed. before you could respond you felt a few droplets on your shoulder. 

your friend gave you a smart-ass grin and popped out the umbrella to hold it over the both of you. “guess we’ll see how good he is.” you mumbled before seeing the players come up to the playing area with their brooms.

butterbeer was pretty popular during the winter season. many students from school usually went and got some to help regulate their body temperature and keep warm.

everybody else must have gotten the same memo because you were inside the three broomsticks now for some butterbeer and it was crowded.

almost every table was filled with peers and that’s probably why you didn’t see many people in the school. with just one glance around the area, you could already tell the divided area’s of where each school was seated right away. 

your tables were to the left area, the slytherins must have come earlier because they grabbed the back ones, some of the ravenclaw’s were off to the right, while harry and the other gryffindor’s had the middle area.

cedric nudged your side to grab your attention and nodded towards the hufflepuff area. “want to grab us some seats and i’ll get the drinks?” he asked and you nodded. “sure, could you get me a snack too if you don’t mind?” 

he smiled and tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “i suppose i could.” cedric walked away with a wink and you shook your head knowing he was just humoring you.

little did you know he already had planned to get you something else even before the two of you left the dorms. it had gotten to the point where asking him for little things hadn’t bothered you because you reciprocated all of the time.

but sometimes cedric would give you little excuses when it was your turn to pay, just so he could end up paying for whatever you guys were having or getting. he always spoiled you.

"ah the golden girl is here." hermione scoffed and watched you walk towards the hufflepuff area. your other best friend was seated already and started talking to you when you sat.

the brunette from the red colored house didn't particularly dislike you since you were always nice. sometimes you chatted with her while working on a project that you were paired for. then other times you gave her a soft smile when catching her eye while walking in the halls towards your next class.

she definitely couldn’t help but respect and admire you.

but the reason she didn’t put herself out there and try to befriend you was because you were one of the girls known in school for your smartness, quick reflexes, and witty attitude. 

when people from school talked about you and referred to you as the golden girl instead of your name most of the time—it wasn’t that you were golden per-say but the fact that it matched up perfectly with the school’s color that you sorted it.

hufflepuff was known for its represented yellow color.

and there’s no doubt about it that hermione was also known around the school. but, she felt it was for all of the wrong reasons. despite not having it any other way as one of harry's best friends, she wondered if not for him that in an alternate lifetime that she would be you. 

“why is she wearing cedrics jacket?” ron asked after following hermione’s stare. harry thumped him on the back of his head and then shook his own. “why does it matter?” the one with a thunderbolt on his forehead replied.

“well it is interesting, isn’t it?” the brunette said in defense of ron’s question. the one who didn’t seem curious at all took a sip of the butterbeer in front of him.

he licked his lips, thinking then replied to them with a response. “i mean it’s not our business but it is an odd find now that you pointed it out. maybe he’s just being friendly?”

“as if! cedric has had a crush on y/n since he met her. she’s just oblivious to it all,” she paused and tapped her chin. “—or is she?” ron gasped at her accusation but took a sip of his own drink before she could hear his outburst.

harry noticed her getting riled up once again and sighed. “well i don’t know what else to say. maybe you should just introduce yourself already and ask her instead of me.” he shrugged and hoped to end the conversation there.

you knew exactly who cedric diggory was when he swiftly passed by the hufflepuff area during the game. of course, he was wearing yellow. 

the game has been going on for a decent amount of time now and he was stacking up the scores on the quidditch board—easily passing by the score of the gryffindor’s team.

cedric was undoubtedly the new eye candy for the whole school with the gasps and ‘awes’ from the other girls sitting in the stand. your friend was so busy watching harry that she didn’t catch the commotion.

you didn’t really pay attention to him to get a good glance at his face so, you thought he was just another arrogant rich boy and rolled your eyes.

what you didn’t notice was the way it was like a slow-motion love at first sight situation for him when he went by. since it stopped raining through the middle of the game he was able to catch a quick view of you. 

the week wasn’t done yet so it was possible he’d be seeing more of you in another class he hadn’t had yet. and cedric hoped you were because he couldn’t help but look over in your direction throughout the game to catch another glimpse of your face.

it was still humid outside and you tried wiping your makeup a few minutes ago since it was under your eyes now, but you only smudged it further. your robe was drenched with your wavy and half-dried hair now lying down the back of it. 

but he didn’t care what you thought about yourself because he knew without a doubt that you were the prettiest girl there.

“cedric’s looking pretty good today.” y/g/b/f voiced for the first time today. you played with the napkin in your hand while trying to get a glimpse of cedric. 

“i don’t think you would know even if he was—since you spend all your time looking at harry.” cedric was up to the counter now waiting for your butterbeer and food.

“uh huh. don’t think i haven’t admired cedric before from afar though.” after a moment of not answering her, y/g/b/f noticed that you weren’t paying attention. you knew exactly what she was hinting towards.

cedric did look good.

his hair had that ‘just woken up’ style to it and he always managed to look even more attractive then he should have. the yellow scarf wrapped around his neck was the one that came with every hufflepuff’s supplied uniform clothing.

he usually wore it when you sat with him in potions on a chilly morning and you caught yourself wanting to take it off of him and wear it sometimes.

he always smelled good and it comforted you in ways a best friend shouldn’t have the ability to.

you seemed to have let your guard down and stared longer then you should have which confirmed what y/g/b/f already knew. “i knew it!” she chuckled and stated more loudly than the last comment to snap you out of the zoned out state you were in. 

“know what?” you asked while placing the napkin back down on your table.

cedric was reaching the table and you wanted the conversation to end quickly. you usually dragged out conversation topics like this so you had time to think of another one to distract her with. but, she always found a way to circle it back around again. 

you had to shut it down before he could hear, already knowing exactly what she wanted to talk about again.

“i’ll tell you later before our curfew.” y/g/b/f smirked and you sighed knowing she would in fact take the time out of her night to find you before bed. lucky you.

“hey y/g/b/f. how has your day been?” he asked your other friend while sitting down and placing your refreshments in front of you and then doing the same with his. 

she grinned at you then glanced over at him, “pretty good i guess if it wasn’t for this weather i would say great. how about you? and how’d you manage to get this one out?” she gestured towards you, causing you to roll your eyes. 

here we go again.

you were walking down the path back to the hogwarts dorms with y/g/b/f and some others. there was going to be a small celebration in the hufflepuff’s common room and other students were trying to hurry back without raising suspicions with any professors nearby.

“hey, i’ll be right back y/n/n. i see luna and i’m going to go ask her if she has a hair tie.” she said and pointed to the curly knots that she had on her shoulders.

you nodded and continued along the path while she walked over to the other side. it was quiet for a moment and you surveyed the peaceful area, a few feet over in the grass was a small patch of flowers.

you were about to take a quick look at them before feeling someone tap your shoulder. it was sudden and you couldn’t help but quickly move to the side and form a fist. you were about to throw it but stopped when you stared wide-eyed at the person who scared you.

cedric felt awful and only after he startled you did he realize that you were looking off in the distance of the area. the way you jumped though seemed that you were quick on your feet and he couldn’t help but smirk at the new name he had for you. 

“hey i’m sorry for startling you wildflower but i just wanted to introduce myself. i’m cedric diggory.” he introduced with a panty-dropping smile.

you weren’t sure if it was some kind of joke so you treaded carefully. “uh it’s okay, it’s my fault really for not paying attention but i’m y/n y/l/n. nice to meet you ced.”

cedric held out his hand for you to shake and you took it, giving him a firm shake. after you let go he smirked and questioned. “ced, huh?”

he crouched down to pick up a flower that you were looking at earlier and it reminded you to ask, “wildflower, huh?” you met his statement equally and folded your arms together so they were across your chest to look more tough.

his cheeks tinted a minor shade of pink and tried to hide his embarrassment by ducking down and ignoring your question. instead he glanced back up to tuck a hair behind your ear and then placed the flower there.

“yes, wildflower.” 

and how could you argue with him when he was being so sweet?

the two of you made it back to the common room after an hour of eating, then chatting with cedric and your other best friend. he was sitting on the bed with you sitting next to him.

you’ve been sitting for only about a minute or so—only enough time to shrug off your jackets and place them on the desk chair between that time after walking back to his dorm.

“would you like to lay down for a few minutes?” cedric asked when he noticed the tiredness shown clear as day on your face.

“sure” you agreed and you laid down while he shook your blanket out for the two of you to use. his eyebrows scrunched together when he realized it wouldn’t make much of a difference in comfort with how small it was.

you chuckled watching him trying to maneuver it around and he glanced your way with a smirk of defeat. “hmm, seems this blanket is a little small. would you like to go under the covers?”

cedric was giving into what you wanted earlier before the two of you left and he knew that too. the three broomsticks' food was delicious as always and you just wanted to relax for a few minutes after getting teased by your friend.

he grinned watching you get comfortable after the both of you were situated under the sheets and yellow comforter. there was a hufflepuff patch ironed onto it and you rubbed your thumb over it while laying down.

it wasn’t that awkward since you’ve fallen asleep in his arms a couple of times before already. class exams were frustrating and took a lot out of the students so he took comfort in you and vice versa when there was some down time during the weekends throughout the school year.

with an arm around you—he pulled you close to the point where you could feel his warm breath along your neck. “i don’t think you realize how much i treasure these moments y/n/n.”

he spoke breathlessly and you gulped slowly. you were dumbfounded with how seriously he said that. as if it had some kind of hidden meaning behind it. “me too.” you agreed and wondered if he would leave it at that.

but you knew better and cedric never left well alone when he wanted to get a point across. he turned your body slowly with the arm he had around your middle and you faced him with confusion.

he glanced down once before looking back up and continued on with his confession while staring into your doe eyes—a color he deemed his favorite the day that he met you.

“i’ve been fighting myself for a while on whether or not i should tell you this because i didn’t want my feelings to ruin our friendship. i’d rather be your friend than not be a part of your life at all. and i always look forward to seeing you e-everyday.” he paused when his voice cracked.

after cedric cleared his throat he continued, “and i totally understand if you don’t share the same feelings with me but i just couldn’t go on another day without telling you how i—” you cut him off by leaning in and brushing your lips against his.

he moved closer on the bed, so his skin was touching yours. cedric wanted to get as close to you as he possibly could. your hand swept through his brunette curls and you surprised him by tugging it.

he never knew what you were going to do and his friends teased him that you were a wildcard, to which he’d correct them and say you were his wildflower.

cedric smirked into the kiss and you groaned knowing he was being a smart-ass. but in return, he shocked you when he placed a hand delicately on your cheek to cup it rather softly.

he rubbed your cheek while your hand massaged his curls and then moved them downwards to the nape of his neck.

cedric pushed the hair back from your neck with his hand and then placed it back so his thumb splayed across on your cheek in a loving gesture. and you only wanted him closer after feeling sensitive about the whole astonishment that still had you stunned to the core.

you tugged the collar of his shirt and he pulled away with puffy, red lips and a smile. “what’s wrong?”

“i don’t know, i’m just emotional.” you voiced squeakily and full of embarrassment about it. cedric shook his head and before patting his chest, he held up the comforter over the both of you and let the minimal cold air in.

“oh, baby it’s okay. come here and let's cuddle a little before curfew.”

you bit the bottom of your lip and nodded, giving him a smile in return to the one he gave you and then crawled onto him. “i think i like baby better.” you voiced and laid on his chest with your head over his heartbeat.

he let go of the comforter when he noticed you were settled and tugged it firmly around both of your bodies. “better then what?” he asked.

“wildflower.” you admitted and hummed nervously while awaiting his response. you felt cedric shake his head and he put his arms around your body so you were pressed firmly against him before he kissed your forehead.

“you’ll always be my wildflower.” you closed your eyes after giving him a quick kiss on the cheek in response.

after a moment of laying back down you could feel his chest rising up and down in an odd pattern so, you put your head up to see him laughing again at you.

“what now?” you questioned trying to keep a serious facial expression but failing when he grinned.

“guess you got what you wanted, hmm?” cedric said—referring to the fact that you were finally under the comforters and you smirked.

“of course i always do. including finally getting you, ced.”

[vampirerosearin]

Compulsion and Fibbing (Chapter 12)

Book Title: Widowed Willow Warnings: Compulsion and Lying to friends DO NOT REPOST MY CONTENT! YOU MAY REBLOG BUT DON'T REPOST! Story Masterlist | Previous Part | Next Part

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Ignoring Stefan, Amari walked into the house, glancing around before jogging up the stairs and following the wails towards Jeremy's room. Inside his room, she saw Elena sitting at the head of the bed with Jeremy's head on her lap. She spent the entire time comforting him, watching the girl he loved die at the hands of his sister's boyfriend. Amari understood Stefan killed Vicki to save her life, she was clouded with blood lust and couldn't control herself. If she hadn't attacked Jeremy or herself, it would've been an innocent person's death instead.

Amari nodded to Elena, letting her leave to get more tissues and blankets. She sat next to Jeremy cradling his head to her chest, running her hand through his hair. "I know it hurts, Jeremy. I know the pain will always be there but it’ll get better, eventually." 

"I can help with that," Amari cocked her head to the side, staring at Damon as he walked in. She watched him compel Jeremy, Vicki had left town and he shouldn't look for her or worry about her. 

Amari walks downstairs and outside she sits on the steps of the porch. A part of her wished she could forget everything that happened since meeting the Salvatore brothers. The other part knowing that since meeting Stefan and Michelle, things have been better. Elena was happy with Stefan, she was learning it's ok to be happy without her parents. Amari stopped shutting people out and though she still had a crush on him, she was happy just being Stefan's friend.

Ignoring Stefan and Elena, Amari waved Damon goodbye before jogging up the stairs and into her room. She needed time and space away from vampire problems.

────

The following day, Amari sat in an interrogation room with Sheriff Forbes sitting across from her. She and Elena were called to the police station along with Stefan, Matt, and Jeremy for questioning about Vicki Donovan's disappearance.

"Where did Vicki say she was going?"

Amari shrugged her shoulders, "She didn't."

Elizabeth tilted her head, watching for signs of deceit, "Did she tell her brother where she was going?"

Again, Amari shrugged her shoulders, "How would I know? Matt told me Jeremy told him that Vicki was leaving town."

"Hmm, why did you and Elena ask Stefan Salvatore to get involved?" Sheriff Forbes questioned eyeing the dark-skinned girl. The teenager sighed running her hand through her hair and answered, "We thought if he was helping Vicki, he was helping out our brother."

"Any signs of aggression or violence?" Sheriff Forbes asked, Amari, shook her head ignoring the memory of Vicki attacking her the night before, "Nope."

Liz nodded her head in acknowledgment as she leaned forward on the table. "So you believe that Vicki really has left town?"

Amari stayed silent for a moment, fanning the act of thinking before answering, "I think she'll be back at some point, just like Ms. Kelly."

Elizabeth nodded, thinking back to the times the woman would randomly disappear before reappearing because she needed something. Standing up she patted Amari's shoulder, "Thank you for answering, you can go now."

Walking out of the room she spotted her family waiting for her. Elena immediately looked over, standing to hug her before the four of them left the station.

"I hate police stations," Amari groaned, ignoring the snort from Jeremy. "Yeah 'cause you got chased down the road and into the neighborhood. Mom was so mad at you for breaking her plant stand."

Hitting Jeremy to the best of her ability, with Elena still holding onto her arm, Amari scoffs "I did what I had to do, the police officer didn't like it, but his wife loved it."

The four of them laughed while walking towards Amari's truck, only for Amari and Elena's smiles to vanish spotting Stefan leaning against the car.

“Can you give us a minute," the brunette asked, with a small unsure smile.

"You sure?" Amari asked causing Elena to shake her head. Amari wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in and kissing her temple. "Want me to talk to him?"

Elena's whisper of 'yes' Amari let her go, watching her get in the car with Jeremy and Jenna before turning to Stefan with a glare.

"She doesn't wanna talk to you, give her time and then talk to her," She shifts, leaning to the side and examining her nails. "She'll come to your place or ask you to come over to hers. But don't just show up everywhere we go, we'll think you're stalking us."

"Amari please," Stefan asked, voice barely a whisper. Amari sighed, reaching forward and hugging him close, "It'll be ok, I promise. Just, I don't know, give us time."

Leaning back, she cupped his face, "Okay?"

Ruffling his hair in reward for his nod in agreement, Amari turns and hops in the truck's passenger seat. Immediately pulling off, silently thanking Jenna for starting the car already.

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Now at home, Amari lay across the couch with her legs on Elena’s lap and Elena on her phone while Amari sketches. They heard someone walking towards them before a body plopped next to them on the couch, “Logan dumped me.”

“Logan’s an idiot,” Amari sighed in frustration, tilting her sketchpad to shade the hair of her drawing. Jenna whined, curling up so she could face her nieces, “He sent me an email, something like ‘I’m leaving town, see ya.”

Elena scoffs glancing at Jenna in disbelief, “He sent you an email? What is he? 60?”

“Can you guys keep it down please?”

The girls look over in surprise, Jeremy sits at the kitchen table his brows furrowed in concentration. Sharing a glance with the younger girls, Jenna precautioned “What’re you doing?”

“You sound scared,” Jeremy teased, glancing back at the three girls he calls family before turning back to his work. 

“To be fair, last time you were this focused you almost shot me in the ass with a toilet plunger,” Amari grumbled, ignoring the snort from Elena. Jeremy held up a piece of paper, “I’m doing my homework, though I might find a way to shoot you with a plunger again..”

“Please don’t-” Amari throws herself off the couch, walking towards Jeremy to snatch the paper out of his hand, “Wait, since when do you do homework?” 

“I’m super behind and have a quiz tomorrow,” Jeremy huffs, handing his older friend another paper, before continuing the current assignment. She checks over his work, half listening to Jeremy half wondering why he didn’t just do the work before. She turns to check the work assignment he’s on now, righting down the wrong questions on a scratch sheet of paper. 

The girls left on the couch glance between the brunette boy and taller brunette girl, before loudly whispering, “What do you think? Aliens?”

Elena shrugs, softly grinning in amusement at her Aunt, “They were taken in their sleep.”

Jeremy sighed as he switched papers with Amari, correcting one of his problems before sending a fake smile towards the other girls, “They can hear you.”

Elena hums in thought, it was strange seeing Jeremy focused on his work and not doing drugs. He acted like the old him, before the accident. Maybe having Damon compel him was a better idea than she thought, though it would be the last time. 

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“Wakey wakey, little Mari,” Bonnie whispered, quietly opening the door to her room and walking in cautious of the pencils and paints on the floor. Glancing up she sees Elena’s arm hanging off the edge of the bed, Amari spooning her with her head in the shorter girl’s neck. Pulling out her phone, Bonnie quickly takes a picture sending it to Caroline and Michelle before walking toward the bed.

She yanks the covers only for them to be yanked back by Amari. The pair have a tug-a-war before Bonnie lands on the floor with a thud after Amari releases the blankets. The younger dark-skinned girl glares up at her giggling friends before giving them an expectant look and asking, “Why haven’t you guys called me back?”

“I needed to clear my head, so I cleansed myself from my phone.” Amari shrugged, pulling Bonnie onto the bed so she sits between Amari and Elena. She really did want to clear her mind, but she didn’t mean to shut everyone out while doing so. Bonnie sighs as she looks between the two girls sitting beside her, she pulls them down to lay with her. 

“Can I at least get a one-sentence summary of what’s wrong? So I can pretend to be helpful?” 

Amari glances at Elena meeting her eyes, before huffing, “Stefan and Elena broke up.”

Bonnie's eyes widened in surprise, her lips twitching before pressing them together. The last time she spoke with Elena she seemed happy with the youngest Salvatore, She sent a, hopefully, sympathetic look to the brunette and told her, "I'm so sorry, you ok? Stupid question, sorry.”'

“I think I know a way to make you feel better,” Bonnie grins, softly pushing them off her and turning to grab a pillow and scissors. Amari sighs, “Bonnie if you wanted a threesome, you could’ve just asked..”

Ignoring her friend, Bonnie rips the pillow open causing all the feathers to fall out and onto the bed. 

"Hey!" Elena called out in shock.

"Patience," Bonnie coaxed, the other two shared a look but nodded their head nonetheless as Bonnie took a seat on the bed, she looked at the twins seriously, "I need you two to swear to secrecy."

Elena let out a small scoff at her friend's words and stated, "It's kind of been a bad week for that kind of stuff."

Bonnie rolled her eyes sending the twins a pointed look and pleaded, "Swear, 'cause I'm not supposed to be showing you this."

“We swear,” Amari agreed, wondering if this is what Sheila was warning her about. 

The teens both swore they wouldn't tell, Bonnie smiled in relief as she glanced around the room and spoke, "Ok, there are no windows open, right?"

Elena and Grace both shook their heads, Bonnie continued, "There's no fan, no air conditioning.”

"No, what are you doing?" Elena questioned with a frown on her face, Bonnie smiling with excitement as she exclaimed, "Grams taught me and I wanna show you guys.”

Bonnie raised her hand above the feathers swirling her finger to levitate a single feather in the air causing Elena's mouth to drop open in shock glancing at her sister who grinned, waving her hand under the feather.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" Elena asked, Bonnie, let out a sigh as she began to make multiple feathers float around the room making the girls smile in amazement as they stood up laughing, Elena on the bed poking random feathers, Amari running around her room chasing feathers.

“It’s real, everything Grams told me is real,” Bonnie sighed, smiling at the sound of Amari’s giggle. “I’m a witch.” She finished.

“You know, your Grams told me you were gonna come to me about something, I just didn’t think it’d be this.” Amari breathes out, a warm smile on her face, “She told me about your history and how it connects to mine.” 

“So you guys don’t think I’m weird?” Bonnie wondered,  “I mean I get that I joked about being psychic but I’m a witch.”

“Doesn’t matter, you’re still our friend,” Elena smiled, reaching forward to tuck a hair behind Bonnie’s ear. “I just don’t understand why your telling us this?”

“You're my best friend, of course, I’m going to tell you guys,” Bonnie grinned, watching Amari trip over a pile of clothes while chasing a feather. Elena frowned guiltily for keeping things from her when Bonnie openly told them about her being a witch even if her grams has told her to not tell anyone.

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Tag list: @mt2sssss

[mirauwu02]

Michael afton x reader

a/n

well that my first writing and English isn't my first language so please go easy on me <3

warning: none

what you don't usually see after leaving

the clock hits 11:40pm and michael is leaving for his fifth night at fun time editorials, " see you after six hours, love" he said while giving you a quick kiss in the lips, "see you after six hours mikey~" you smiled trying to hide your worries and sadness, you always wanted to tell him to leave that goddamn job but you couldn't cuz you know he want to set Elizabeth free.

you've tried to hell him but to late he left. you can do nothing just heading to the bathroom of your shared room and cries over and over, you couldn't stop thinking about those nightmares that you had about his dead in the scooping room also every dream that you had was happening in reall to him and that what makes you scared more, you didn't realized till you saw micheal standing in the door

"love.... what are you doing here, are you okay?" he said with a worried in his voice. the only light was in the room was from the moonlight

"......" you couldn't say nothing, that was a bit embarrassing you didn't want him to see like this

"y/n... sweetie is something wrong..? did something happened to you?" he was really worried he just left you smiling, he walk slowly to you and sit on his knees looking at you closer

"y..you-.. you supposed... - t to be in.... work"you said between your lips,

"yeah i forgot the keys in the room and I didn't find you" that look in his eyes, you can hear his heart beating more than yours he felt nervous

"is tha.. so-" you could not talk you are shaking, he didn't know what he should do so he hug you very tight trying to comfort you petting your head "darling... please can you tell me what happened to you"

"y..... you... ar... e gonna.... b-...be... l... late" you've tried to avoid his question " Well I know but you came first before work before anything else so please love tell me what happened" after he said the silence fulled the bathroom

" hmm Mike please the goddamn job I can't stop getting those nightmares that you are dead in" you said as fast as you can bfore losing your breath again from crying. he pulls up your face to look in him icy blue eyes tears fall again like it raining "nightmares that I'm dead in? since when you start seeing this dreams?"

"a while before you start working there...... it's.... i..... had a cleared dreams...... about everything you went through....... and i get a bit scared... because everything you told me about in the next morning... i saw it"

you where trying to hold you tears to not cry again because you already made his shirt wet

"love.... can you tell me how i died in your dream...?" he softly asked you

" Well.... you went to the scooping room There were circus baby led you telling you that ballora won't follow you because she's scared from scooping..., but in Somehow They were in one body and they scooped you, you died They took your body though"

"........ I can't say nothing tho-"

he stands up ond hold you in his arms carefully taking to the bed, he softly puts you there and cover you with a blanket giving you a kiss in your cheek whipping the tears of them, he slept next to you holding you to his chest" aren't you going to work...? "

" it's too late it's 1 am already and I can't let you here like this.... I guess you convinced me but I can't help pumpkin I'm staying "

you giggled... he smiles" finely that sad expression left your face "

even both of you knows that your eyes gonna be blown up tomorrow

" y/n... I love you"

"me too mikey"

HEHE... the end... well I know the ending was a bit weird (my ideas crushed suddenly) sorry if it not to long, hope you enjoy it<3

[super-unpredictable98]

Heavenly | The Mortal Instruments AU

Chapter 2: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Warning: Strong language, smut

(Masterlist)

"Here, you can use Clary's stuff if you want, she won't mind," Simon handed you a towel.

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"Yeah, of course," he assured. "I'll get you some dry clothes and I'll put yours in the drier for you, just make yourself at home."

You had to admit, taking a shower at your date's apartment the first time you properly hang out was way out of your comfort zone, you would be lying if you said you were not a little bit scared. Simon was incredibly sweet, but who knows? Men can look respectful and be creeps at the same time...

When you left the shower, though, the room was completely empty. There was only one of his shirts on the bed and a pair of boxer shorts waiting for you. You looked around, making sure you were alone before putting the new clothes on.

"Hey," Simon knocked at the door softly. "Are you dressed?"

"Almost," you put on the shirt and took a second to smell it, his scent was probably the most intoxicating you've ever felt, it was like he was magnetic. "Alright, I'm decent."

He cautiously walked into the room and smiled when he saw you in his clothes. You blushed slightly at his reaction. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants, and no shirt.

"Do you want me to..." he mumbled when he noticed your gaze lingering on his naked torso. "I can put something on, I didn't realize."

"No, it's okay, you're at your house, I'm the guest here," you chuckled. "It's totally fine."

"I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"I'm not, I'm great..." you tried not to stare.

"So, why don't you come with me and pick a movie for us to watch?"

You followed Simon to the living room where a very extensive collection of DVDs was displayed on the shelves.

"Wow..." you mused, amazed by the variety. "You really know how to impress a lady."

"Yeah, they can't resist a geek," he mocked. "I have practically a harem of lovers."

"I'm sure you do alright in that department," you rolled your eyes playfully. "How about Breakfast Club?"

"Perfect, a little throwback... You want a drink?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" you narrowed your eyes.

"No! Oh my God, no! I wouldn't..." his eyes grew wide and he sputtered nervously. "I meant like some juice or soda, maybe some tea, d-do you like milk?"

"Calm down, Si, I'm just kidding," you felt bad for the joke, running to hold his face between your hands. "I'm sorry, I would love a hot cocoa if you have it."

"I do! Sit down, get comfortable, I'll be right back," Simon exclaimed on the way to the kitchen. "You can put the DVD on if you want."

He was so adorable, so lovely. You couldn't help but giggle, it was the first time a guy was treating you like that, being so considerate. He didn't try any funny business even though you were naked in his room... You kinda wanted him to, but it was nice that he didn't want to rush things.

"Not to brag or anything, but hot cocoa is my specialty," he placed a steaming hot mug on the coffee table.

"Wow, marshmallows and whipped cream? You're gonna end up stealing my job..."

"I wouldn't worry about that, my coffee is shit."

Rain was still pouring out the window, but right now you found it comforting. Simon joined you on the couch and you gave him the other half of the blanket.

"You don't seem cold, but it's good to keep the monsters away."

"Oh, what monsters are we trying to avoid?" he laughed, getting cozy next to you.

"You know, the usual: werewolves, demons, witches, zombies, vampires..."

"Aw, it might not be 100% effective then," he sighed.

"What?"

"Nothing, press play."

——————————————————

About halfway through the movie, Simon finally made the first move, slowly wrapping an arm around you. His skin was slightly colder than you'd expect, but not enough to make you worry. He was holding his breath, searching for any sign that you wanted him to back off, but you instead snuggled against him.

You finished the movie with your head resting on his cool bare chest, while his arms were embracing you. As the famous '(Don't You) Forget About Me' played, you turned to look at him.

"The rain stopped," he looked out of the window. "I can walk you home if you want."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No, I'm having a great time, but if you wanted to go back I would understand..."

"What if I wanna stay?"

"T-that's... Cool," Simon's breath hitched. "Do you wanna watch ano-"

You knew deep inside if you didn't make a move, he wouldn't, so without thinking too much about it. You pressed your lips to his, running your hand up and down his neck.

"Is that okay?" you whispered.

"More than okay," he breathed.

The kiss that followed was deeper, more passionate and that's when you felt it: as soon as his tongue touched yours, your entire body relaxed in a delicious wave of euphoria, it was pure bliss.

"Oh my God, it feels amazing," you sighed, nearly high from that feeling. There was definitely something different going on, a kiss couldn't make you feel this way, could it?

"Me too," he seemed wilder now, as if he had an animalistic side you failed to see before. "Come here."

He pulled you into his lap and brought you closer by the shirt. The more he kissed you, the more you wanted him, that euphoria growing more and more. It wasn't just horniness, it was like a drug.

"Should we go to the room?" you asked.

"Do you want to?"

You hummed in response, your senses drowning in him. Simon wasn't particularly muscular, he was quite thin, but seeing the way he lifted you up and made his way to the bed, you definitely underestimated his strength.

"Wow, where have you been hiding all this fire?"

"You brought it out," he crooned, lowering you to the bed.

He hovered over you, observing you carefully, but your wanting lips were longing for his kiss. You tried to bring him closer and he let it happen, giving you what you wanted, slowly kissing along your jaw, and stopping on your neck.

"This feels so good..." you whimpered, shivering every time his icy lips touched your feverish skin.

Taking you by surprise, Simon bit your neck, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a mark. Noticing the way you hissed and squirmed, he pulled back, worried.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's okay, please do that again."

He grinned before bringing his mouth back to where it was. It had been a while since you were with someone, so it was a little scary, but that weird feeling he was able to create made it impossible to worry at all.

"You're so beautiful," he growled, pushing his thigh between your legs, making you yelp. "Oh, you like that? You want more?"

"Please, Si," you melted under his touch. For such a shy little thing, he seemed to know what he was doing.

He helped you out of your shirt and kissed his way down your body, stoping and nipping at some spots, his breathing growing faster and heavier as he kept going. Pulling down the shorts, his lips twitched into a roguish grin.

"You look so sexy like this," his eyes flickered back to you before he leaned in to give your inner thighs some attention.

You placed your hand on his head, burying your fingers in his timid curls, caressing him gently as his tongue met your sensitive clit, moving at a torturous pace, savoring every second. With how turned on you were, it didn't take long for you to feel your orgasm building up.

Simon kept mercilessly teasing your cunt, you arched your back and bucked your hips chasing your pleasure. He hummed against you, holding onto your hips, his thumbs rubbing circles on your skin.

"Si! Oh my... Fuck! Don't stop, I'm so close!"

The high from before added to the thrill, and you nearly fainted when your body gave in and you came. Simon noticed how exhausted you were and his mouth dropped in worry, moving quickly to check on you.

"Are you okay, y/n?" he mumbled next to your ear.

"Never been better," you groaned, turning to give him a chaste peck.

"Was that good?"

"Good? Where have you been all my life? That was mindblowing" you lifted your head and smiled when you saw his obvious erection fighting the thick fabric of his pants. "Now let's take care of that, huh?"

——————————————————

You woke up the next morning with your phone alarm, it took you a second to realize where you were. It wasn't until you felt Simon breathing against your neck that you remembered everything.

"Hey," you whispered, placing your hand on top of his. "Good morning."

"Good morning..." his voice was muffled by your hair.

"I gotta get up, Si."

"Noooo," he protested in the sweetest way possible, holding you tighter. "It's so nice like this."

"I have to work," you chuckled.

"Just five more minutes, please?" he kissed your neck gently.

"Fine, five minutes, but then I gotta go," it was the least you could do after the best sex of your life.

You couldn't believe that was your first date, it felt like you had been together for ages, exchanging glances and flirting while you both got ready for the day. He offered to walk you to work and in exchange, you would make him breakfast on the house.

As soon as you arrived, you put on your apron and started on the coffee. Simon watched everything, leaning over the counter with a silly smile on his face.

"How did I never ask you out before?" he murmured.

"I have to admit, I've had a little crush on you for a while now..."

"You have?" he seemed surprised, not exactly used to this sort of attention.

"Yeah, but I never had the nerve to talk to you because you were always with your friend."

"How can I be so blind? The perfect girl has been here all along."

"Well, all along for the last five months," you joked. "Isn't it ironic that you became less blind when you got rid of your glasses?"

"I suppose it is."

"You did look cute with them..."

"Really? You like it?"

"Maybe, but I think you look good anyway."

You handed Simon the coffee and a cheese croissant, something he would order often when he came by to study. He sighed, happy that you remembered his order, but your little moment of bliss was interrupted by the door swinging open.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, where have you been, Si?" a short, redheaded girl asked, she was the one you have always been so intimidated by, the famous Clary.

"Home...?" Simon grimaced, confused.

"How was your date?"

"It was pretty good," you answered, turning to shake her hand. "Hi, I'm y/n."

"Oh, hey!" the girl seemed a bit embarrassed by the fact that she didn't notice you at first. "I'm Clary, Clary Fray. So, did you guys have fun? That storm was really something wasn't it?"

"I know that face, Clary," Simon looked her up and down. "Spit it out."

"I was hoping you'd come to the Institute today? Alec woke up..."

"Okay?" he was puzzled by the invitation.

"I told you he doesn't care, he doesn't like us," the tall, blonde guy covered in tattoos, that was quiet up until that moment, decided to speak. "Even though Alec was there to save his ass when the vampires kidnapped him."

"When the what kidnapped him?" you were pretty sure you heard vampire, but that wasn't possible, was it? That was probably a new yorker slang you haven't heard before.

"Wait, you can see me?" the boy waved one hand in front of your face.

"Of course I can, I'm not blind! Am I not supposed to?"

"Is Jace here?" Simon asked.

"Um... What does that mean?" Clary looked back at the guy, presumably Jace, the new boyfriend Simon mentioned the night before.

"Well, it can only mean one thing, really, she has the sight," the blonde arched one eyebrow.

"If you can see him, does that mean that she..." Simon muttered, seemed like he had a type, after all.

"It could," Clary nodded.

"We should probably bring her to the Institute," Jace suggested. "We could try to rune her like I did to you that one time..."

"You're not gonna rune her! There must be a better way," she chastised. "That time was an emergency, I was gonna die."

"Rune her?" Simon nearly screamed. "No one's gonna rune y/n until we're sure!"

"What Institute? What vampires? What rune? What the fuck are you guys talking about?" you were starting to think everything was too good to be true. "Are you part of some weird cult or something?"

"Hey, maybe you should get the rest of the day off," Simon suggested. "This is kind of a big deal."

"You guys are scaring me, why are you all so freaked out over the fact that I can see goth Draco Malfoy over there?"

"Because right now... I can't."

Tag list: @elliethesuperfruitlover @holidayspirits @salvador-daley @firstpersonnarrator

[helloalycia]

teenage dirtbag [four] // wanda maximoff

summary: Things finally explode between you and Nate, and Pietro decides to get to the bottom of whatever is going on between you and Wanda, though in usual Pietro fashion AKA not subtly at all

warning/s: none.

author's note: this is very beefy, i must admit, but i think you'll all enjoy the outcome 😂💘

part one | part two | part three | part five | masterlist | wattpad

Dinner with the Maximoffs wasn't as strange as I envisioned. Her parents were sweet and the twins did their best to make me feel comfortable. Wanda still seemed mildly frustrated whenever Pietro and I would talk though, and I figured she may have thought I was lying when I told her I didn't like him like that. I hoped that wasn't the case.

After dinner, Wanda took me upstairs to show me her bedroom. I'm not sure how to describe it other than it seemed so Wanda.

"I'm guessing red is your favourite colour," I said when I saw the hints of scarlet in her bedroom. On her walls, in her bedding, on her pillows. Just like her car and her jacket, they were all bright and very her.

"Great observation, Sherlock," she teased with a sly smile.

I returned the smile, sticking my tongue out at her playfully, before having a walk around and coming across her massive CD collection and CD player. Her music taste was actually quite similar to mine, which I definitely didn't expect. It just made her ten times more attractive to me which wasn't good, but oh well. I was here for a good time, not a long time. And my crush on Wanda Maximoff would surely be the death of me.

"D'you have any CDs at all?" she asked, joining my side when she noticed me staring at the shelf.

I crossed my arms, glancing at her. "Don't get me wrong. I'd love to collect them, but it's just so much easier to have Spotify, y'know?"

My intention wasn't to make her laugh, but God I was glad I did when her eyes crinkled and the sound rang around the room, making my heart pinch with adoration.

After giving me some of her pyjamas, the two of us got ready and brushed our teeth before I realised she wanted me to share bed with her.

"You wanna watch some TV before bed?" she asked, clearly not registering my hesitance to slide into her Queen-sized bed.

I swallowed hard. "S-sure."

She turned on the TV at the end of her bed as I slipped in beside her, still a bit rigid as I kept a fair distance from her.

"What you feeling? Comedy? Drama? Horror?"

"Anything is fine with me," I said, still tense.

She hummed in acknowledgement before leaning down on her pile of pillows behind her, edging closer to me. My heart was hammering in my chest as her hair tickled my arm from where she was laying.

"You comfortable?" she checked in, leaning backwards so her head was upside down to see me. "I have more pillows if you need them."

I offered her a small smile, hoping it disguised my nerves. "I'm good."

She nodded before flicking through the channels and eventually settling on reruns of The Office. It took time, but I eventually overcame my initial shock of sharing bed with the girl I had a major crush on and instead relaxed, getting comfortable under the covers.

After watching some TV, we called it a night and fell asleep quite quickly, the day taking its toll on us. For once, I wasn't panicking about doing something stupid. I simply fell asleep, trying to ignore the heat she emanated from beside me.

It was a peaceful night – her bed was super comfortable – and I woke up to the sound of Wanda moving about in her bedroom.

"Shoot, I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked when she saw me moving about under the blankets. I tried to blink away the sleep as she continued, "I was gonna wake you soon. School starts in an hour."

I rubbed my eyes, yawning, before sitting up and seeing she was practically already dressed. That meant she would have been up for a while, meaning she would have seen me fast asleep. God, I hated when people saw me sleeping. It always felt so weird.

"It's okay," I got out tiredly, before running a hand through my hair.

"You sleep well?" she asked, spinning around in her chair, her makeup half done. "I tried my very best not to use you as a teddy bear."

She was joking, but I felt my neck grow warm at the thought and damn, it was just way too early to be flustered.

"Yeah, I slept great," I settled, feeling her gaze on me. "Thanks again for having me over."

"Anytime," she said, and something told me it wasn't just a friendly response but that she actually meant it. Maybe it was the kind smile on her lips as she said so. "Just like last night, if you wanna use anything in the bathroom, go for it."

I gave her a thumbs up, taking a moment to wake myself up a little more, before heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I returned to Wanda's room, I saw she'd already made the bed and had laid my clothes on top of it.

"I've got a shirt you can borrow," she said when I grabbed my jeans.

"Oh, I can just wear the same thing again, it's no biggie," I told her, already grabbing my shirt.

She pouted before grabbing a shirt from her closet. "Just hold on. You'll love it."

In no time, she came out from her closet and held out a Paramore tee shirt on a hanger towards me.

"I got it from the last concert I went to," she explained. "I thought you'd like it."

I couldn't help but smile at the thought. "Wow, Wanda. Really? You don't mind?"

She nodded, shaking the shirt as emphasis for me to take it. I did, having a look over it and smiling to myself.

"I'll wash it and give it back to you tomorrow," I promised, taking it off the hanger and holding it with my jeans. "Thanks."

"You can keep it," she said, scratching the back of her head apprehensively. "I've got loads."

"Oh, no, I can't do that," I began to deny, but she shook her head.

"It's fine, I'm giving it to you," she said, before smiling sweetly. "I'm sure you'll look better in it anyway."

Again with the warmth spreading up my neck...

"I doubt that," I quipped with a small smile.

"Go! Go get changed," she said, already pushing me towards the door. "I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast."

I snickered, letting her shove me into the hallway, before heading into the bathroom to get ready. The shirt was oversized, so there was no need to be worried it wouldn't fit. It was actually really nice, plus I liked it that extra bit more knowing Wanda gave it to me. Though I knew I wouldn't keep it. It was hers and she was just being nice.

When I finished making myself look presentable, I headed downstairs and found the twins at the kitchen counter, chatting between themselves. Their chatter ceased when I walked in, with Wanda biting her lip and looking me up and down with satisfaction.

"I was right," was all she said, making me nervous. "You do look better in it than me."

—

The day after that, I did as I said I would and returned Wanda's shirt to her, washed, folded and ironed. Knowing she wouldn't accept it without a fight, I left it in her bag when she wasn't looking during class.

I should have expected her to approach me at my locker afterwards.

"It was supposed to be a gift," she said, and I saw her pretty face reflected in the mirror hung inside my locker.

I turned around, already knowing what she was talking about.

"I told you I couldn't accept," I said politely, giving her a small smile. "I appreciate it though." She seemed disappointed which obviously didn't help with my feelings for her, so I took a leap and added, "Maybe I can get my own at their next concert. In the summer, right?"

She picked up on what I meant and smiled, stifling a laugh. Running a hand through her hair, she met my gaze and I found myself frozen in place as always, unable to look away. I wondered if she knew what she was doing when she did that, knew that she was giving me heart palpitations every time her lips turned into a playful smirk and dark eyes studied me curiously.

My eyes drifted to her lips subconsciously and she must have put on some lip balm or something, prior to finding me just now, as they looked shiny and pink and just so damn kissable. Nate was one lucky guy.

—

Having faced issues with Nate three times now (AKA the three times he happened to launch a football at my head), I'd figured I wouldn't be seeing the last of him. He was a dick, meaning he had a natural inclination to piss people off, particularly me. But I never thought he'd go for Y/BF/N.

We were chilling by our lockers, chatting about his film project, when his books suddenly got knocked out of his hands and he was shoved against the lockers. I straightened up when I saw it was Nate, looking pissed off as he had Y/BF/N's shirt bundled in his fist.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted, trying to shove him off, but he merely pushed me back.

"This isn't your business," he said to me before glaring at Y/BF/N, who was quiet with panic. "You. You've been hanging around my girlfriend and I don't like it."

The colour drained from Y/BF/N's face as Nate slammed his hand to the lockers beside his head, startling him.

"I want you to stay the fuck away from Wanda!" he ordered, and students were starting to pick up on the fight that was clearly about to break out. "You fucking hear me, you nerd? Stay the fuck away!"

Poor Y/BF/N nodded his head, eyes avoiding Nate's. Meanwhile, I was angrier than Nate probably was. Y/BF/N had done nothing wrong. Maybe Nate had just seen Wanda hanging with me and because Y/BF/N was always with me, assumed the worst. Either way, this was no way to handle the situation and I was not gonna let this dick threaten my friend.

"Get the fuck away from him, Nate," I said through gritted teeth, glaring a hole into the side of his head.

Nate barely glanced my way. "I told you this isn't your business, honey."

"Five seconds," I said, standing behind him as a crowd began to form. "You've got five seconds or I'm gonna kick you."

He seemed to ignore me as he tightened his grip on Y/BF/N's shirt, only pissing me off more.

"Five," I began to count down, the grip on my books tightening with nerves and anger. "Four."

He still didn't look my way, just kept slapping Y/BF/N's face to scare him.

"Three, two, one," I said quickly, tired of giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Without waiting anymore, I kicked him between the legs with full force, watching as he instantly let go of Y/BF/N and doubled over. Everybody began to laugh, some making 'ooh' noises, but the consensus was clear – it definitely sucked to be Nate right now.

I tried not to laugh as I watched his face scrunch with pain, turning red. I was starting to appreciate my choice of wearing my doc marten boots today.

"No more balls for the guy who keeps throwing them at my fucking head," I got out, jaw clenching.

He looked up, his face crossing with realisation as he recognised me. In response, he glared in my direction, but it didn't faze me.

"Come on, Y/BF/N," I said, looking to my startled friend. "Let's go."

"What on Earth is going on over here?!" a teacher's voice rang out in the distance, and I groaned internally.

When I turned to leave, I heard Nate from behind me, grunting with dissatisfaction.

"Fuckin' dyke," he mumbled under his breath, and I paused, clenching my fists.

"Y/N, don't–" Y/BF/N tried to stop me, but I was too pissed to care.

I spun around and punched Nate square in the face, feeling good as his smirking face scrunched in pain and his back hit the lockers from the impact.

"Woah!" a teacher came out of nowhere, shoving herself between us and pushing me away from him. "What the hell is going on here?!"

I shook my hand to ease the pain on my knuckles, though the pain couldn't stop the grin on my lips as Nate raised his hands to his face, holding his busted nose. Students were going crazy, egged on by the potential fight, and for once, I didn't mind the attention. Nate had that coming for a while now.

"Everybody back to class! Now!" the teacher yelled, glaring all around her, before her eyes settled on Nate and I. "You two. Nurse's office now."

Nate glared at me behind his bloody nose and, once again, I tried not to laugh. Y/BF/N patted my back, amazement written on his face, before letting me leave with the teacher and an unusually silent Nate.

—

Kicking Nate in the groin and punching him in the face wasn't something I did to get attention, yet that's exactly what happened. Word of the incident spread around the school quite quickly, so much in fact that even students from other grades became aware of the situation and were approaching me to tell me how awesome I was. The whole thing was definitely strange, but I could tolerate it.

What I couldn't tolerate was having Chemistry after lunch and wondering if Wanda knew.

Would she hate me for punching her boyfriend? I wasn't sure. I just knew that when she walked into class and sat next to me, I felt everyone's eyes subtly watching us as if waiting for her to explode at me.

I'd been given an ice pack for my bruised hand after my visit to the nurse's office earlier whilst Nate had been treated for his broken nose (the fact that I'd broken it was hilarious to me, since I knew I wasn't even that strong). The principal had a very angry yell at us both in his office, neither of us willing to reveal the premise of our fight, before giving us detention every day after school for two weeks straight as punishment. Of course, Nate got his two weeks at a different time to mine for fear I'd punch him again (he definitely didn't like that, but he couldn't exactly say that to to principal).

I didn't bother using the ice pack in Chemistry for fear Wanda may ask what was up. I successfully managed to hide my hand and as a second surprise of the day, Wanda mentioned nothing about the incident. Not one thing about her boyfriend, about Y/BF/N, about any of it. I thought she might hint at it, trying to get me to bring it up. But she didn't which made me think she actually had no idea it even happened. Had anyone told her? Had he told her? Nah, probably not. His fragile masculinity probably caused him to change the story to something else so he didn't look like a wimp in front of his girlfriend.

Whatever it was, I was safe for now.

Thinking I'd got away with a confrontation from Wanda, I went about the rest of my day as usual. Well, that was until I was replacing some books in my locker at the end of the day and saw Wanda at her locker behind me, arguing with– yep, you guessed it. Nate.

Y/BF/N was collecting some books from his own locker beside me and we both exchanged looks as we saw the two lovebirds in a heated argument. Just when we were about to leave, someone cleared their throat from behind us, making us turn around.

Wanda was stood there, backpack hanging from her shoulder, beside Nate, who looked like he would rather be anywhere else but here.

"Hi," he started quietly, making Wanda clear her throat. He glanced at her before looking to Y/BF/N. "Look, man, I'm really sorry about earlier. I was wrong about what I said. We cool?"

I tried not to laugh at the way Nate was being forced to apologise by his girlfriend. Y/BF/N glanced to me with questioning eyes, so I simply shrugged.

"I guess...," he finally answered Nate, still a little awkward.

Nate nodded before looking to me. He still had his reservations, judging from the twitch in his expression, but for Wanda's sake, he kept his cool.

"I'm sorry for treating you badly," he said reluctantly. "With the football and just generally."

God, it was so hard not to laugh in his face right now. His nose had gauze taped to it and it made him look like an idiot. I fake coughed to disguise my smile, before meeting his gaze.

"It's, er, cool," I said, not in the mood to be an arsehole to him, even though he deserved it. I'd punched him – I think we were equal for now.

He nodded, before staying quiet. Glancing to Wanda, he waited for her to say something. She rolled her eyes and nodded for him to leave. When he was gone, she sighed tiredly.

"I only heard about what happened after Chem class," she said, mainly to me, a guilty expression on her lips. "I'm so sorry he acted like a jerk."

I chewed my lip, unsure what to say.

"It's okay, Y/N here took care of it," Y/BF/N said, smiling with amusement at me. Okay, well now she definitely knew.

"Yeah, sorry you felt you had to do that," she said with a grimace. "I guess he deserved it though."

"Kind of," I agreed, before noticing the regretful frown on her lips. "He apologised though. It's already happened. I kinda broke his nose... No point in dwelling on it."

She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah..." Her eyes fell to my bruised hand before lifting it gently. I winced at the ache, but let her hold it, studying the purple bruise painted across my knuckles. "That looks bad."

It felt good punching him though, but I wasn't about to say that since it was her boyfriend I was talking about.

"It's alright," I said dismissively, shrugging. "Nate kind of got it worse. I'll live."

The pad of her thumb stroked the bruise gently and I held my breath, the feeling of her hands holding mine sending shivers up my arm. Her eyes flickered to mine, softened with guilt, before she let go of my hand.

"I should head home," she said after a pause. "I'll see you both tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Y/BF/N said for both of us, sensing my loss of words.

Wanda held my gaze once more, eyes half lidded as they glanced down. Before I could even question what she was looking at, she waved goodbye and left.

"She's either starting to realise what a dick her boyfriend is or she's just really into you," Y/BF/N said, patting me on the back. "Maybe both, who knows?"

—

"You definitely cheated," I told Y/BF/N once we finished yet another round of air hockey. "Nobody wins six times in a row like that!"

He laughed at my expression. "Tell me, dear Y/N. How would I cheat? The concept of the game is simple, really. It's not my fault you're terrible."

I rolled my eyes lightheartedly. "Seventh time's the charm. C'mon."

He chuckled, about to put more money in the machine, before his eyes got distracted by something behind me. "Well, would you look at that. The Maximoff twins are here."

"Very funny," I said with a knowing look. "You can't throw me off like that. We've established I'm already terrible. Now c'mon. Let's go!"

"I wish I was joking," he said, shaking his head.

I scoffed, not believing him, and turned around to prove him wrong, but I was surprised when I saw Wanda and Pietro walking into the arcade we were in. They seemed to spot us instantly, waving in our direction before approaching us.

"Fancy seeing you here," Pietro teased with a smile as they stopped before us.

I cracked a smile as Y/BF/N joined my side. "We're hanging out. And you?"

Wrapping an arm around his sister's shoulder, he tugged Wanda close to him. "Sibling bonding time."

Wanda rolled her eyes at his childishness, but I could tell she found it endearing all the same.

"Well, if you want, you can hang with us," Y/BF/N offered, and we all looked to him, myself raising a brow his way. He seemed to sense my reluctance, it egging him on as he grinned at them. "Y/N doesn't mind. Do you, Y/N?"

I swallowed hard as I looked between the twins. "'Course not."

And that's how I found myself playing arcade games with the Maximoff twins that Saturday afternoon. It was actually pretty fun, with Pietro being as competitive as I was and Wanda being the sweetest loser with everything she played. It was so adorable, but I ended up letting her win some games of skee-ball just so I could see that cute nose scrunch of hers as she realised she'd won.

"You gonna let me win like that, too?" Pietro caught on as he took his sister's place in playing against me. He had a mischievous grin on his lips and I felt my mouth go dry at what he was implying.

"You wish," I said, playing it cool, though I wondered if he cared that I clearly let Wanda win. He wouldn't read into it, right?

Pietro took his go as he spoke. "So, I heard what happened with you and Nate at school last week."

I closed my eyes, cringing at the reminder. Pietro merely laughed.

"You kicked him super hard, right?" he asked excitedly. "I heard his face went so red with anger that you could fry an egg on it! And don't forget that punch, goddamn what I would pay to have seen that!"

"Pietro!" Wanda scolded from behind us as her and Y/BF/N played air hockey. "Don't be a tool!"

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment as Pietro continued to laugh. Y/BF/N joined in whilst Wanda tried to hide the smile dancing on her lips.

"You're not even together anymore," Pietro called to Wanda between laughter. Wait, did I hear that right?

"You and Nate broke up?" Y/BF/N asked with disbelief. "Our grade's 'it' couple broke up?"

Wanda ran a hand through her hair to distract from her flittering eyes. "He treated you horribly last week. Both of you." She glanced my way before looking at her shoes. "He was a jerk. It was long overdue... Also, I would have broken up with him there and then had I known what he'd said to you. I'm sorry he said what he did."

She stared at me with apologetic eyes and I wasn't sure what to say or do other than nod awkwardly and look away. The fact that she'd broken up with him put a smile on my face though.

"I just think it's awesome," Pietro admitted, before saluting playfully to me. "Thank you for your service. I knew you were awesome, but this is a whole new level."

I sighed, attempting to hide my smile, before straightening up to play. Pietro and I played some skee-ball before I decided to have a go at the claw machine. Wanda was at the one beside me, attempting to win herself a fluffy black cat plush toy. She'd had three goes before giving up, admitting to defeat.

"Typical Wanda," Pietro teased. "Giving up when the going gets tough."

She punched him in the arm, making him jump and rub it. That elicited a smile from her, making me laugh at their immaturity.

"How about Wanda and I go and get a table in the diner next door whilst you finish up winning whatever it is you're trying to win?" Y/BF/N asked, looking to me, as if assigning blame.

"I already told you, I'm not leaving this machine until I win at least one thing," I stated stubbornly.

"The amount of money you've put into the machine won't make up for whatever you win," Y/BF/N teased with amusement.

"Just go," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "I'll be there soon."

"I'll wait with her," Pietro said, resting a hand on my shoulder, making me shrug him off jokingly. "See you soon," he added with a laugh, to his sister and Y/BF/N.

When they left, I looked to Pietro with an amused smile. "I don't need you to look after me, y'know."

He shrugged and looked through the glass of the claw machine. "I know. But I stayed to give you some advice, princess."

"Oh, really? And what advice is that?" I asked, before putting some coins in the machine to have another go.

"People usually tend to win these things for people they like, right?" he asked, nodding to the plush toys in the machine.

"Or for themselves," I corrected with a curious smile. "Take Wanda for example. How badly did she want that cat?"

He crossed his arms, smiling with amusement. "You could win it for her, y'know."

"What?" I asked, half paying attention as I attempted to grab a teddy bear.

"Win the cat for my sister and give it to her?"

I ended up dropping the teddy from the claw as I looked to Pietro with shock. He laughed at my expression, leaning against the machine.

"You do like her, right? Otherwise this is awkward," he added as an afterthought, looking down and smiling to himself.

My jaw hung open. "I– er– I never really– I don't–"

"She must definitely like you," Pietro noted, glancing at me.

I licked my lips as I found my words. "Did she," I cleared my throat, "did she say something?"

"Well, no," he said, "but she looks like she wants to murder me every time I hang out with you."

"That's just a coincidence," I said, shaking my head and looking back to the machine. "She's not–" I thought about, before shaking my head again. "No."

I appreciated Pietro's help, but Wanda definitely didn't like me like that. She was just protective of her brother and friendly to me. It didn't mean anything.

"Look, you don't have to listen to me," he said, straightening up and looking at the machine as I slotted another coin in. "But you could give it a shot. See what happens."

I glanced at him, his blue eyes watching me knowingly, a matching smirk on his lips.

"Fine," I gave in, hoping it wouldn't backfire. "Let's see what happens..."

[captains-simp]

@tomy5girls

Fhskdhwksnsns I accidently posted this before I was done writing it 🤡🤡🤡

I love Wanda so the first part took me ages to write but writing soft Carol made this either the messiest or best fic I've ever written

"Do I mean that little to you?"

"Was it all a lie?"

"I think I'm inlove with you."

Warnings: cheating and me fucking around with the MCU timeline regarding when characters are introduced

6.7k words

[ masterlist ]

Buy me a coffee ☕

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your relationship with Wanda had always been far from perfect. It was evenings like that difficult one that made you reflect on just how many red flags you had ignored. You had chosen to live your life with her in blissful ignorance, thinking it would work out.

But as time went on there were things that were harder to ignore. Things that hurt you to notice, both about Wanda and yourself. You thought they would go away. They only ever got worse.

That night was the final straw. You couldn't deny the issues that had been growing like weeds in your relationship for a year when you walked into your appartment to see Wanda's head between another girl's legs.

You didn't feel mad. Or upset. You felt empty. Empty at the long awaited realisation that you had committed to the wrong thing.

You didn't say anything, too shocked to know what to say and not knowing if you would even be capable of stringing a sentence together.

The woman's eyes flickered open and met yours and in that brief moment you saw the familiar look of lust before it turned to fear. She roughly pushed Wanda away as she looked anywhere but you and moved away from your soon to be ex girlfriend.

Wanda gave her a questioning look before whipping her head around to see you after following the woman's uncontaminated glances. She stood up instantly and straightened her shirt while the woman on the couch got dressed.

"You're home." Was the first thing Wanda said. Yeah. You were definetly done.

"I am." Your mouth was dryer than sandpaper but you somehow managed to say that.

"I should..." The woman muttered as she awkwardly glanced between you and Wanda before rushing past you and out the door.

Neither you nor Wanda spoke for a while. You were still looking at her, searching for any signs of...anything. She didn't meet your eye. She made no attempt to defend herself. To defend your relationship. It was downright heartbreaking.

You needed to sit down, but there was no way you were sitting where Wanda had just been. Not that knowing what Wanda had done on that couch had bothered you before.

You left the hallway to wander aimlessly towards your bedroom, knowing you weren't the only one Wanda had fucked in that bed, but you had never had to see that.

She followed you into the room, more trailing really. There was no urgency to her pace and she still didn't speak. Did she really not care?

You sat down on the bed and stared at the floor, mot knowing what to feel. Wanda didn't sit next to you. She made no move to comfort you. You didn't need comfort, not from her. You needed an explanation.

"When did it start?" You wanted to ask how many, but you already knew the truth would hurt too much. The ones you knew about were enough.

"I don't know." Wanda huffed. She sounded frustrated, as though you were wasting her time. That finally pissed you off.

"I deserve an explanation, Wanda." You said clearly, keeping your voice surprisingly steady as you looked up at her. She still didn't look back.

"What's done is done." She said simply.

"Do I mean that little to you?" Tears sprung to your eyes as you said that. Wondering for the first time if Wanda had really ever cared about you.

When Wanda finally looked at you you wished she hadn't. Her eyes were full of pity, watching you like a stray puppy in the rain. She moved forward and sat down next to you on the edge of the bed.

"I loved you." You didn't fail to notice the past tense, it cut through you like a knife. "But I wasn't ready." You had started dating so soon after Ultron. At the time you knew Wanda was grieving badly, you had questioned if it was best for her to dive into a relationship the way she had in that state.

Her self-confidence and driven nature always put your mind to rest. There were red flags before the relationship had even started.

"When you realised that...you didn't have to stay." Your voice wavered slightly.

"I know that." God the pitifulness was even in her voice.

"So why did you?" You held your breath waiting for that an answer. Wanda took a few seconds to consider that, like she wasn't quite sure herself.

"I like being around you." She sounded truthful, but you didn't allow yourself to believe her.

"When you weren't around them." You couldn't help the bitter tone that crept into your voice. Wanda didn't like that. Thinking she actually had any right to be mad at you.

"Oh for the- we had fun, didn't we? It's not like it was a complete waste of our time!" She exclaimed, standing up to face you.

"I wasn't dating you for fun, Wanda. It was so much more than that. I wasn't just someone for you to fuck like all of those girls, I was your girlfriend!" You felt proud at what you had said. You were right. About all of it. You were especially right to use the past tense. Something you didn't think you could manage to do. But that pride was short lived.

"You were a distraction!" You froze. Every fibre of your being turning ice cold from her words. You and Wanda stared at each other for felt like an eternity. She didn't take it back. There was an unreadable expression painted on her face. You knew it wasn't regret.

That's all you ever were to her? A distraction? Everything you thought you had...

"Was it all a lie?" You whispered. You hated the question. You would hate the answer. But you had to know.

Wanda's expression faulted and for a second the pitifulness returned. It was quickly pushed to the side when she spoke again, remaining stoic.

"Call it what you want." You bit the inside of your mouth in an attempt to stop your bottom lip trembling as you finally looked away.

"I'd like you to go. We're done." You whispered, turning away from her.

She left without another word. Her boots thudding against the floor as she walked away in the purposeful way she failed to show you that night.

The door to your appartment clicked shut before you broke down into tears.

*

You had gotten a hotel room that night, unable to stay in your own home. You couldn't lay in your bed without wondering how many people had been in it. Wondering how fewer it would have been if you had just confronted Wanda about it when you first knew. But you didn't, and those months of heartbreak were finally coming to the surface.

You arranged for time off of work once you got back to your appartment. Once that was done you flipped over the couch cushions, retrieved your toasted pop tarts and sat down to watch your comfort show under a bundle of blankets.

It worked for a while. The plates (yes plural) full of pop tarts and the hours of TV took the edge off of the numbness you were feeling. That was until a text from Carol brought you back to reality.

Care Bear: you okay?

You smiled a little. Carol was definetly something that would provide you with comfort, living up to her nickname as always. But she worked with Wanda, and the last thing you wanted was to make her life awkward.

Carol was your best friend. She was Wanda's friend too. That was how you had met. After Ultron Carol had introduced you to Wanda at one of Tony's parties. She had even been a wingwoman for Wanda, you pondered over what Carol would do if she knew Wanda had cheated.

The blonde had always been protective of you. It was sweet. Especially the small acts she never even noticed she did. Like standing closer to you when you were in a room full of self righteous jerks. Always being the one to catch you when you tripped over thin air, even if she was preciously on the other side of the room. Knowing when you were uncomfortable in social situations and casually taking you away from them in the most subtle manner that didn't cause a scene. You had never been able to confide in anyone like you could with her. Not even Wanda, although that was probably because she never shared either.

You: 👍 :)

Care Bear: --_--

Care Bear: Wanda's here

You bit your lip as your thumbs danced over the keyboard; evaluating the best response. You were surprised Wanda was even at the Avenger's headquarters. You had assumed she would be spending her nights with random hookups for a while rather than just one night. She finally had the full freedom to do that but she went back to the Avenger's Headquarters instead?

You: she okay?

Care Bear: I haven't seen her since she went to her room, doesn't seem to be in a talkative mood

Care Bear: you guys okay? 👀

Carol never liked to pry into yours and Wanda's relationship. She always let you confide in her. But in the cases where it was obvious something had happened between you, she checked in on you in the least subtle ways. Carol was smooth in a lot of way, but that was not one of them. It had become a joke between you and Carol ended up embracing it.

You: we broke up

Care Bear: CHSKSBSKSBAMZBMZDBAL

Care Bear: I'm on my way!!

Care Bear: or I can give you space to mope?

You couldn't help but smile at Carol's messages. Your reply was instant. You would love to have Carol binge shows and eat trash food with you.

You: come mope with me :(

Carol confirmed she was on her way less than a minute later and you got up to toast the last of your pop tarts and get a drink.

You weren't sure how soon Carol arrived on your balcony. You were sure very few things had made you happier than the sight of your goofy friend proudly holding up a multipack of poptarts while dressed in her sweatpants and goose t-shirt. The shirt was one you had gifted her for Christmas one year and if she wasn't wearing her Captain Marvel uniform, she was most likely wearing that shirt.

You got up to open the sliding door for her as you suppressed a chuckle. Carol appearing on your balcony without warning had stopped scaring you around the ninth time it happened. That was about the time you stopped trying to convince her to just use the stairs like everyone else.

As soon as she was in your appartment she threw the box to the couch and enveloped you in a bear hug. You wrapped your arms around her middle and closed your eyes as you held onto her. You smiled at the familiar smell of vanilla and cat hairs, being so easily comforted by it.

"Are you okay?" She muttered into your shoulder.

"I am." You said truthfully. You hadn't slept well the previous night, even at the hotel. You had cried for a while. But the next day you had felt better, as though a weight had been lifted from.your chest. You were still hurting, but you would be just fine.

Carol pulled away and rested her hands on your shoulders as she studied you, trying to find any evidence of a lie. Upon finding none she nodded and smiled at you kindly. That was something you loved about Carol. She never pitied you, even when the worst happened. She was sympathetic and supportive and never condescending. 

"What are we watching?" Carol asked as she picked up the box on the couch and took it over to your toaster. She knew you wouldn't want to talk about Wanda yet. She would wait for you to bring it up. Until then, she would act as though you were moping because you were sick rather than the reality.

You replied to her with your comfort show that she had grown familiar with and sat back down on the couch with the blanket over you. Carol soon returned with two plates of pop tarts (it wasn't like you had eaten anything else) and two hot chocolates. What you really craved was some alcohol but you decided to leave that till later on.

Your blonde friend sat back down next to you when you lifted the blanket for her. She instantly brought her legs up under her and put her arm around you. You easily leant into her and rested your head on her shoulder before she leant her own head on yours.

Neither of you spoke for a while. Carol occasionally laughed at something on the TV and you found yourself smiling at the sound of her laughter more than the show. It had always been contagious.

Wait. Should you of been smiling that much for someone who had walked in on their girlfriend cheating less than 24 hours prior? Probably not. But then again. You had seen it coming. All the signs prior had softened the blow.

"You alright?" Carol asked again as a whisper as she pretended to keep most of her focus on the show.

You hummed in response and fiddled with the edge of the blanket for a while until you spoke.

"She cheated." You muttered. You could feel Carol freeze. Her whole body tensed up making her as stiff as a plank. Her shoulder wasn't as comfy when that happened. "But it's okay." You assured.

Carol took ahold of both your empty plates and placed them on the table before turning her body towards you so she could see you better.

"That's never something that can just be 'okay', y/n." Carol said in a gentle tone.

"I know but...I already knew before... before I saw." You could hear Carol breathing heavily as you avoided her gaze.

"Christ, y/n." She whispered. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I don't know I just...I guess I thought if I ignored it it would go away." Upon reflection you really weren't sure why you never addressed it.

Carol didn't say anything at that. You glanced up nervously to see her looking deep in thought, trying to understand what you meant. Carol was never one to hope things would go away. Her life as a hero had taught her to comfront every obstacle she faced.

"And you saw her..."

"Yeah, I did. I thought I could handle knowing what she was doing behind my back but actually seeing it...it was hard." Carol breathed out hard as though she had been holding her breath and pulled you into another of her infamous bear hugs. You wrapped your arms around her again and squeezed your eyes shut.

The blonde gently stroked your back in soothing circles until you moved away, not wanting to but knowing Carol wouldn't move away first and Lord knows how long you would have ended up staying like that.

"And you're really feeling okay about it?" Carol asked with a slightly furrowed brow, reading your face for any trace of a lie as you spoke.

"Yeah." You smiled assuringly. You didn't feel like telling Carol the rest. About how you had only ever been a distraction to Wanda. But there was something else you wanted to admit. "It was for the best." You started. Carol could tell something more was coming so she sat up a little straighter to show you you had her full attention. "Even before I figured out I what she was doing things just didn't feel entirely right with Wanda. She was great, but it always felt like something was missing." Carol didn't show any reaction to that. She seemed surprisingly stoic, like she was trying to suppress something. You figured it was probably just that she was thinking about what you had said.

"Enough about all that though." You said when Carol hadn't spoken. "You never got to tell me about your super amazing mission last month." Carol's eyes lit up at the mention of her successful mission.

There were some missions she wasn't allowed to talk about. Some she could. And some she could eventually talk about. Her last one was the latter and once she was clear to tell you about it she did, in great detail and the most animated way. It had been one of her best missions and you were incredibly proud. But you were interrupted by a false alarm at the Headquarters before she could finish.

You loved hearing about Carol's work that she was passionate about. You loved hearing how she could handle herself out there. Recalling some of those missions put your mind to rest when you hadn't heard from her in a long time. And you needed the distraction. Carol knew that.

You listened to Carol intently with a smile but the stress and upset of the previous events had you suddenly feeling very tired. Your eyelids began to feel very heavy and your head became empty as you felt yourself drifting off to sleep.

*

You woke up in your own bed, beyond comfused. You couldn't remember getting into bed or falling asleep. Still in a half asleep state, you tried to recall the events of the night until you remembered Carol. Had she carried you to bed? Had she left?

Your heart ached at the thought that your best friend wasn't there. Refusing to believe it, you wrapped your duvet tightly around you and trudged out of your room.

She was sleeping soundly on your couch with the blanket you had been curled up together under. You smiled at the sight of her looking so peaceful, taking a moment to consider yourself the luckiest person alive to have a friend as caring as Carol.

You came back to your sense when you realised how creepy it felt to be standing over your best friend and staring at her sleep, not to mention how freaked out she would be if she awoke to your duvet covered silhouette. But you didn't want to leave her side.

Carol stirred when she felt you kneeling on the couch. Countless nights of sleeping next to her had taught you she was a fairly light sleeper. You were thankful that she wasn't startled by you kneeling over her as you adjusted your blanket.

"Y/n?" She muttered as she rubbed her eyes to try to see you better.

"Go back to sleep." You murmmered back before laying down on her stomach and holding the duvet over you both.

You felt so at home in her arms. She didn't protest to you and instead wrapped her arms around your back and closed her eyes again with a content smile.

You rested your head in the crook of her neck and soon drifted back to sleep. Carol, on the other hand, struggled to sleep for a while. You had slept in the same bed before, countless times, but you had never been so close together when you did. It had never felt so intimate.

It was making the butterflies that had started arriving years ago whenever you were around dance around happily. As much as Carol tried to ignore them, her feelings for you only ever grew.

*

Over the next few days Carol visited you a lot. You had always been happy to spend time with your friend, but in those days you appreciated her company even more. In fact you were pretty sure you craved it.

She checked in on you often and stayed the night when you asked her to. You tried not to be too clingy with your friend, knowing she had a busy life and a lot of responsibilities to take care of and you didn't want to keep her away from her hero life.

It made the moments you could spend with her even better. You had always had that thought process with Carol, but it was enhanced since the night you slept ontop of her on the couch - something she never commented on.

You mainly spent your time together in your appartment, but on that day Carol had another idea.

"I promise it's safe." Carol grinned at you as you looked over your balcony for the umpteenth time in the last five minutes. You never really realised how high the sixth floor was until your friend was encouraging you to jump off your balcony with her.

"You need to get out of that appartment." Carol insisted.

"I could go on a walk to do that! You know...like a normal person." Carol laughed at your defiance to try what she had offered.

"Just five minutes, you'll love it." Carol said genuinely as she took ahold of your hand. You had never realised how her hands seemed to fit perfectly in your own before. You smiled at the sensation of a slight tingling in your hand upon contact with Carol's.

"Ease off." You giggled, shaking Carol's hand.

"I'm not doing anything." Carol protested earnestly, giving you a comfused look. You gulped and tried not to think about what the feeling was. "If you don't like it I'll bring you right back, you're safe with me - the Strongest Avenger." She said with a cocky grin, she had heard someone say it once and it went straight to her head. You rolled your eyes at her with a smile then paused, biting your lip as you considered the offer properly.

"Okay." You breathed out.

"Okay?" Carol asked with an excited grin.

"What the hell, sure!" You exclaimed. Carol chuckled and went to stand behind you. The material of her suit pressed against your bare arms and made you shiver slightly, you assumed from nerves. Carol had told you you didn't need to wear a jacket or coat, claiming her powers would keep you warm.

She wrapped her arms around your waist to hold you tightly against her and you gripped onto her forearms, not being able to stop yourself smiling.

"You ready?" Carol asked as the yellow swirls started to surround Carol and heat up your back and stomach. Blue and red glimmers occasionally appeared amongst the swirls and you tried not to get too distracted by the beauty of Carol's powers.

The next thing you knew your feet were slowly leaving the ground until the tips of your shoes were an inch away from the floor. You felt weightless and couldn't help but laugh a little at the absurdity that you were floating on thin air.

"Okay?" Carol checked.

"Okay." You confirmed.

As soon as the word left your mouth you felt like you were being catapulted through the air. Wind whipped your hair across your face and everything was a blur. All you could focus on was the whirling colours and Carol's strong grip on your waist.

You were going directly upwards for a few seconds until Carol eased you both forwards slightly, angled so you could finally take in your surroundings.

The speed at which you had been going to get so high in such a short amount of time was insane. It was impossible to know exactly how high up you were, all you knew was the faint clouds in the nighttime sky were closer to you than the ground. A lot closer.

The small gaps amongst the thin layers of clouds gave a glimpse at the stars that shimmered above you. The view below was just as breath-taking.

The city was lit up by the lights emitting from each building, each playing a part in the beautiful display. The lights shimmered and twinkled just as the stars did, the two very different worlds having the same beauty from such a height.

As Carol leveled herself out more you felt your legs drop infront of you and away from Carol. Your grip on the hero tightened in response to the new position.

"Do you trust me?" Carol asked carefully. You nodded, not knowing what your friend was planning but knowing you would go along with whatever she had planned.

One moment Carol had her reassuring grip on your waist, guiding you through the night air, and the next she was gone. You plummeted through the air in an instant, a silent scream escaping your throat. You squeezed your eyes shut tightly, not wanting to see the world spinning as you fell, but as soon as you were falling you were safe again.

You landed on Carol's back surprisingly lightly. You blinked a few times in shock, not understanding what had happened until you realised that Carol was flying horizontally and the position allowed you both to have a much better view and in a better position.

You sighed with a grin as stared down at the city in awe, your eyes occasionally flickering up to the dark sky. You rested your head in the crook of Carol's neck and wrapped your arms around her front, easing into her as easily as you had that night on the couch.

It was the happiest you had felt in such a long time. You felt safe with Carol, even from such a dangerous height and the whole event had you feeling more relaxed and content than you could ever remember.

A warmth spread over your body as the pair of you gently flew over the city. While you wanted to believe it was from Carol's powers, you knew deep down that that wasn't it. Because you had had that warmth for Carol on the coldest nights, you had had it when she was on the other side of the room, it had been there for as long as you could remember. And it was only getting stronger.

*

It didn't take anymore encouragement to get back into your usual way of life without any issues. Thanks to Carol there didn't seem to be much difference. The times that you would have been spending with Wanda you spent with Carol. She knew you were okay and that you didn't need her to mope around with you anymore - not that you had really ended up doing that together much. But you wanted her with you; she seemed to want to be with you too.

While you had slept in the same bed multiple times since you had on the couch, you never cuddled close to her like you did before. You knew that if you did that warmth would return. You knew, deep down, what it meant. However you had no idea if Carol's feelings for you were anything more than platonic, it was a line you weren't willing to cross, so you pushed those feelings to the side as much as you could.

Despite your efforts, those mornings you woke up next to your friend you found that you had your head resting on her shoulder or an arm hooked around her waist or one of your legs tangled with hers. She never seemed to mind, in fact one time you could have sworn you saw her eyes drop when you separated yourself from her. You told yourself you were just seeing things that weren't there.

So one night when Carol casually invited you to an Avenger's party you almost choked on your popcorn. You had always gotten along with the team - ever since the mix up on the mission that had led you to meet them and Carol. You had been to a fair few of those parties in the time you had been friends, but that party would be different.

Carol had assured you that no one else on the team knew exactly what had happened between you and Wanda. Your friend knew you didn't want people knowing and Wanda wasn't about to announce it, all the team knew was that you had broken up.

"You don't have to." Carol said quickly. "Wanda will be there." She informed in unimportant fact kind of way. "I just thought it would be nice for you to see everyone again. They miss you."

"They do?" Even thought you had known the Avengers for years, you still couldn't help but be a insecure before seeing them. You didn't have any powers or training. You always wondered what you could possibly bring to their table. Those worries were always put to rest once you were settled in, the smiles on their faces and laughter they emitted when you saw them was hard to fake. Besides, it wasn't like they had any reason to fake it.

You very quickly stopped being insecure when it came to Carol though. You had spent so much time together and knew each other so well that you never worried what she thought of you. She reminded you often of the traits she loved so much, it had been something you had started.

"I'd love to go." You smiled at Carol then went back to the screen. You never liked to make things awkward with exes. It wasn't like you and Wanda were going to become best buddies any time soon, but you were determined to be civil. You just hoped she would be too.

"Great." Carol concluded after studying you for a bit, wanting to be absolutely sure that it was what you wanted. "I'll pick you up at eight on Saturday."

"It's in two days?" You exclaimed, turning to Carol with a horrified expression.

"It is?" Carol confirmed in a not-too-sure tone, not understanding what the big deal was.

"Jeeze, Carol, give a girl a better warning next time." You huffed as you leant back against the couch. The blonde chucked next to you and muttered an apology.

Carol continued watching the film she had put on while you planned when and where you would get an outfit. You knew the dress code of those parties, that wouldn't be an issue, but part of you wanted to match with Carol.

"What are you going to wear?" You asked casually.

"Haven't decided yet."

Damn. You would just have to wing it.

*

Carol knocked on your door at exactly eight o'clock on the night of the party. You were startled at the sound of it at first, not expecting her to actually use the door for once.

You opened the door with a wide grin on your face but felt as though you had the breath knocked out of you when you saw your friend. She was wearing a tailored dark y/f/c suit with a neat white blouse. Her hair was slightly tossled and hung loose around her shoulders. It all went perfectly with her familiar warm smile. She looked beautiful.

Carol's outfit was strikingly similar to your own y/f/c dress that was a much lighter tone but the similarity was still there.

"H-hey." You stuttered as you continued to take in her outfit.

"Hey yourself." Carol grinned smugly, not oblivious to your stare.

"You look...really...amazing." You couldn't help but say. It was the truth.

"You look really amazing too." Carol said a lot more easily than you did. You giggled and stepped out of your appartment and locked it.

"Milady." Carol said in a terrible English accent as she offered her arm for you to hold.

"Milord." You went along and put your arm easily through hers before you started walking down the hallway, unable to contain your smile at the childish and loveable act.

*

When you arrived at the party you were bombarded with people wanting to talk to Carol. You had grown used to that, but it was still a downer when you wanted to stay by Carol, at least for a while.

Eventually, you were summoned away from your friend by the Avengers who were eager to catch up with you after so long.

"How've you been?" Nat asked with a welcoming hug as she outstretched her arms I'm an open hug.

"I've been pretty great." You replied honestly as you hugged her tightly. There was no one you were closer to than Carol, but Nat was someone you considered a friend without a doubt.

"What about you?" You asked genuinely as you pulled away.

"Same old." Nat smiled in her familiar way she saved for those she knew rather than the strangers in the room she had to play nice with.

You talked to Nat for a while as though nothing had changed. You hadn't seen Wanda and you had no idea where she was and no one mentioned her. You were thankful there wasn't any tension around the group. They all talked to you in the same way they always had with the exception of them asking about Carol more. You kept missing their knowing smiles hidden behind their drinks.

After a while you and Tony had your own convosation and it seemed as though being around the others was the only kind of self control he had when it came to refraining talking about relationships. As soon as you two were left alone he didn't hesitate to start saying what he had been thinking.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, you and Wanda seemed great, but I always thought it would be you and Carol who would end up together." Tony said as though he was voicing a passing thought.

"Me and Carol?" You tried to ask smoothly. Admittedly you had been thinking a lot about what it would be like to date Carol. You couldn't seem to stop your mind wandering at night to imagining scenarios with her in which you were dating. It always made you smile so your cheeks hurt until you reminded yourself it wasn't real. Carol would never see you that way, would she?

"Well I didn't see it until Nat pointed it out. Then we actually all kind of assumed you were dating before you and Wanda became a thing." Tony continued in his casual manner before taking another sip of his drink.

"Really?" You looked over at Nat who was talking to Carol. Nat seemed as though she was trying to convince Carol to do something because the blonde had the conflicked look upon her face that always appeared when she had been thinking long and hard about something.

"You certainly acted like it." Tony snickered as he followed your line of sight. As if on cue, Carol and Nat glanced your way and a heat began to grow along your neck at the feeling of embarrassment at being caught staring.

Nat had a small smirk playing along her lips while Carol mirrored your expression guiltily.

You missed Tony and Nat exchanging knowing smiles. You missed the way Carol's cheeks became tinted pink too.

"Excuse me." Tony said as he put a hand gently below your shoulder before walking off in the direction Nat had also departed too.

You smiled at Carol and wandered towards her place on the balcony, glad that she turned around entirely to face you. Unfortunately the blush on her cheeks had faded by the time you would have been close enough to spot it.

"Enjoying the party?" Carol asked as you stepped out onto the balcony and leant against the railing.

"I am." You said certainly. The blonde turned to copy your position so you could both gaze out at the buildings below you. The view you had gotten with Carol was undefeated, but the Avengers tower provided something special too.

"I told you they missed you." Carol grinned as she nudged your side with her elbow.

"Yeah." You blushed and peered down at the railing.

"I don't know about you but my shoes are killing me and I think I've talked to enough of these guests to bore me to death twice over." Carol sighed with a childish smile. You grinned back and nodded.

"You want to stay at mine tonight?" You asked hopefully.

"I'd love to." Carol's smile grew as you held her arm out for you to link your arm through again.

"Milady." The hero said with the same terrible English accent.

"Milord." You mocked as you put your arm through hers easily.

Maybe Tony was onto something.

*

That night when Carol took the same place she always did in her home that was as much hers as it was yours, you couldn't focus on the movie playing on the screen. You couldn't focus on anything except the blonde beside you.

You had your head resting on her shoulder and everytime you moved to get your drink and turned back to her your eyes instantly strayed to her lips, images of kissing her filling your head.

You remembered the night she moped with you after your breakup and how she had been the best friend you could ask for. Except you didn't want Carol to be just your friend. You wanted her to be more.

Your mind had been racing since since party, considering what Tony had said to you and how true it was. You and Carol really had always acted like a couple. You had never thought anything of it, even when Carol did it considerably less when you were dating someone.

Because you had been in more than just one relationship in the time you been friends with Carol. None of them ever felt right. You always thought there was something missing. Something that the next person would fix. No one ever could though. Because what you had been looking had been right infront of you the whole time.

All those feelings that had come bubbling to the surface the couple of weeks prior, they had been there all along. Christ, you were such an idiot.

"Carol..." You whispered, more afraid of what you were about to say than anything before. You wanted to back out. You didn't want to mess up what you had with Carol, but you had never been so sure of something than you were for your feelings for Carol in your entire life.

"Yeah?" She said softly.

"I think..." You held your breath and you could have sworn Carol did too. "I think I'm inlove with you." The blonde froze for a solid minute. Neither of you spoke. Tears threatened to come to the surface as you realized what you had done.

Eventually, Carol put her bowl of popcorn down and slowly turned towards you. You didn't dare meet her eye, instead playing with the edge of the blanket over you both and hoping it would trigger a sink hole beneath you.

"You do?" She whispered. You nodded and bit your lip in an attempt to hold back your tears. Carol lifted your chin gradually so you were looking at her. She had an unreadable expression.

"I love you too." You half laughed half sighed in relief as a smile spread across your face and the tears finally sprung free.

"Yeah?" You choked out. Carol instantly cupped your face and wiped your tears off of your cheeks as she smiled back at you.

"Yeah!" She giggled. "I've wanted to say that for so long." She admitted in a rush.

"Why didn't you? It could have saved us so much time!" You exclaimed and gently punched her arm.

"I was scared, even with Nat trying to convince me to say something." Carol explained, it was her turn to look away in embarrassment but you quickly pulled her back the way she did.

"That's really sweet, I'm here now." You assured genuinely.

Carol smiled back at you as her eyes glanced down at you lips. You grinned at the obviousness of what she was thinking and bravely closed the gap between you. After that prompt Carol eagerly met you half way and smiled into your long overdue kiss. Her lips were so so soft and moved against like a perfected dance. When you pulled away for air you rested your forehead against hers and breathed heavily with a heart filled smile.

"We have to do that more often." Carol said as her hands landed on your waist.

"We absolutely do." You agreed before pulling her into another kiss, engraving the memory of that night into your mind forever.

[elainevc]

please stay

fem!reader x levi

⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️: Mentions of weight loss, low appetite, disease, illness, angst

Please take care of yourself if these things are triggering. Stories on the internet are not worth you risking your mental health <3

Levi watched as you scrubbed away at the window. He appreciated the times when you would stay longer to help him. You knew he was particular about his cleaning and felt the need to keep him company at least.

He liked that about you.

Your willingness to help those you cared about was admirable, especially coming from the stone cold captain.

Both of you felt the strange romantic tension, but you were comfortable the way things were, so why would you change it? He was mostly scared of your rejection if he confessed and decided to keep it to himself.

That was until you were sick one day.

Levi's not one to worry, and definitely not about someone he knows is strong. But you didn't join him for breakfast like usual and when he asked Hange, they said you were resting in your room.

She reassured him that you were just feeling a little under the weather and needed some time to relax and get better.

His anxiety was quenched, but only for a short amount of time because you didn't leave your room the next day, or the day after that. Before he realized, it had been weeks since you were bouncing around the halls, offering your assistance to anyone who needed it.

Even Erwin was starting to worry at your state.

Hange did their daily examination when they spoke carefully.

"Some of the cadets wanted to visit you today," her tone didn't have the normal chipperness that you'd grown so used to.

You were sat up on the edge of your bed in your bra and shorts. Hange looked at you and saw the bags under your eyes.

She glanced at your paling skin and chapped lips. Your hair was greasy and knotted and you were starting to smell a little ripe. She could tell you didn't give a damn about your appearance.

You strained a smile and replied, "they can if they want. I wouldn't mind some company, but I don't think they'd want to help me get from the bed and toilet every time I feel sick."

You laughed but there was no amusement behind it.

The days continued and these times were joined by Sasha who always brought a large tray of food--even though you always ate very little--or Connie and Jean doing your paperwork, at least what they can do, or Armin who always brings a book to read and a snuggly blanket.

These kids cared about you too much to let you spend your days alone.

Everyone visited you at some point with reassuring words and hugs. Everyone except Levi.

He was still trying to figure out what to say to you. He had no idea where the two of you stood but Hange encouraged him to speak to you one day after the examination.

They weren't the best at hiding their emotions and Levi could tell your condition was only getting worse.

The short captain entered the room to find you by yourself. The blankets were pulled up to your chin and sweat formed on your forehead.

You opened your eyes to find him standing there, and at first you thought it was a dream.

"Levi..."

"Hey brat," he said without the usual sass on the last word. He walked over and pulled the chair to your bedside. You moved to sit up so you could see his face better.

His cravat was slightly ruffled and uneven. Your hand moved on instinct to readjust it. The motion was slow and tedious. You knew how he liked his cravat and it was strange that he left his room with it in such a condition.

"Sorry, it was kind of tilted," you said as you leaned back. He eyes followed you with every movement. You rested your back to the headboard.

He grabbed your hand in his. You were surprised how warm his palms were wrapped around your cold hand. His eyes didn't meet yours as you watched him think silently.

"How are you feeling," he asked quietly.

"Eh, I still think I could kill more titans like this than you could."

He chuckled. The sound was like music to your ears. No, it was music to your ears. You could listen to that for years and never get tired of how easily it fell from his lips. You wished it was a happier sound, but it was genuine nonetheless.

"Yeah, I'm sure you could," he stated blandly, still avoiding your gaze.

You wanted to make him look at you. You wanted to get lost in his steel blue eyes once again. Every time you stayed after to help him clean, you loved seeing his eyes light up just a little at you. It wasn't something you could notice the first time, but it was something you looked forward to after the second.

"Levi, can you look at me please?"

Your voice cut through his heart. No, he didn't want to look at you.

He didn't want to see the life draining from your face and the same happy expression plastered over it. Even as you died silently in your bed you had a smile on.

It hurt him more than anything to see your cheeks cave into you, and your collar bones pushing onto your skin.

But you wanted to see him. You were asking for him to look at you, so he bit his tongue and did so.

Your smile immediately returned and your hand gripped his. He couldn't stop the tears from forming at his eyes. The first came down quick, then the second, then the third, and soon his face was drenched with his tears and the room was filled with his sobs.

You didn't know what to do. You'd never seen your fellow soldier break down like this and you were confused why it happened so suddenly.

"Um.. Levi? Are you o-okay?"

He put your hand to his chest. The salty tears didn't seem to be slowing down. You wanted to hug him but you were scared it wouldn't only make him cry harder.

His hands were grasping at yours. It felt like he was clinging to you for life. Dammit, what were you supposed to do?

You let him cry for a moment. He sniffled slightly and finally spoke him broken sobs.

"You can't- you can't leave me too," he choked out. "They're all gone and- and you're all that I have left. Please y/n... please just- just stay with me."

There was no hesitation when you grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. He didn't stop as he buried his head in the crook of your neck. You felt the tears on your skin and soaking into your shirt.

You put your hand on his head and softly ran your fingers through his hair.

Despite your weak form your grip on the man was still strong. He wanted to be in your arms for the rest of his life. He wanted to feel your heartbeat and pulse because that meant you were alive. It meant you were with him.

He hated seeing you like this. It reminded him too much of his mother and how she died.

She left him too early, and he wasn't going to let you leave him too. He held you close, and at some point Levi lost track of how long he'd been like this. You were going to stay.

Walls, he needed you to stay. And you didn't want to leave him either.

[soft-boi-eli]

Mcyts helping a trans masc after top surgry (part 2)

Tw:swearing, mentions of surgry, softness.

Karl

This sweet ass man.

You are just laying on your bed, well sitting really, when he came in.

He had a fuck ton of balloons. And a large box.

Karl seemed like a child on christmas.

Placing the balloons down he handed you the surprisingly light box.

He was gently bouncing as he waited for you to open it.

It shocked you how it even fit in the box.

It was a huge frog bed.

You realized with a pillow you would be able to sleep in it perfectly.

"I knew it was uncomfortable sleeping like that so I got something that should make it a bit more comfortable."-karl

You loved it.

Sadly you couldnt use it till those drains were out though.

He was right though that was definitely more comfortable then laying on a bed only.

He didnt think it through though. And got sad when he wasn't able to fully cuddle you.

But he found out that he could lay on your lap and legs.

You both enjoyed it.

Also he might be a bit squeamish when it came to your chest drains but he was helpful with them.

He helped you clean them and your wounds, he was very, very gentle.

He didnt want to hurt you.

"You know it's ok to do it a little harder. It wont hurt."-(y/n)

"But I dont want to hurt you. I know this doesn't hurt."-karl.

It was sweet. But got kinda annoying sometimes when he couldnt get something off. But he never got angry or frustrated. Just kept very gentle.

I imagine that when he was cleaning your new scars, Jimmy came to see if you got his balloons and if you doing good.

You two were in the living room bowl of warm soapy water, in a large plastic bowl, and karl gently wiping off all of the crust around the scars.

You fell asleep before karl finished and karl was finishing up when jimmy came in.

"Karl. They're alseep."-jimmy

"Yeah but this needs to be cleaned. It doesn't hurt them."-karl

Jimmy and karl literally just sat there till you woke up.

You thanked jimmy for the balloons and thanked karl for helping you clean those wounds.

Karl didnt mind though. Cause this sweet heart cares for you and just wants you to feel better and feel comfortable.

Quackity

He loves you and all but dont expect him to help with the surgical sight.

He'll do everything for you except clean your wounds and drain those drains.

He loves to hug you and kept you warm.

He would stream but you were always behing the green screen so no one would see you.

"Alex. Can you get me to book I left in the living room. I feel like shit still."-(y/n)

He was very quick to get it. And I mean he bolted out got it and brought it in the span of a minute. He gave you a light kiss on the forehead, and whispered.

"Anything for you mi amoir."-quackity.

You gave him a smile.

"Simp."-(y/n)

He gasped offended and looked at you.

"Well only for you though."-quackity.

I imagine as a get well gift quackity would get you something to remind you of him when he streams.

Large duck push.

He knew that his streams could last a long time so he decided it was best if you had a snuggle buddy to help you stay in position.

If the duck got dirty he was cleaned nearly immediately by quackity.

If the duck falls off the bed quackity gently yeets it onto the bed where you can reach.

He might of gotten jealous of the duck a few times. But he seemed to get over it when you went to hugging him instead. Sadly it wasnt that easy to but still none the less you gave him hugs too.

Dont neglect you quack boi.

He needs hugs like you do.

Give them to him. These are the only times you get cuddles. Other then that he is making food, getting you comfy, and fixing your pillows and shit like that.

He is now a maid.

Not sexually though. He just cleans the house, get you things you need, and makes food.

He is helpful.

Just not with the cleaning process of your wounds. And that's fine. He keeps you comfy and that's all that matters.

Also if your cold in the middle of hot ass summer and asking for more blankets he would look at you crazy. Like what the fuck?

But you have them lightly fluttered over you.

He wants you comfy. Even if that means you looking like your boiling alive in the middle of july.

If your happy he's happy. That's how it goes

Badboyhalo

Badboyhalo?

More like dadboyhalo.

He is not going to let you do anything.

Your surgical incisions? He's cleaning them.

Your drains? He's got you.

Your getting alot of soup and smoothies. He even joins in on your so called diet so you wont get jealous about what he has.

Rat is all over you. Sensing the pain you were having and cuddling you completely. Your laps is almost always taken by rat.

Badboyhalo doesn't really care if rat gets alot of attention by you. He just wants you to be comfortable.

But sometimes he gets sad that he cant fully lay with you.

But he enjoys just sitting with you and talking through the nights you cant really sleep.

He gets you a stuffed cat, you use it mainly as a pillow and sometimes hug it when bad is streaming.

"It reminded me of you when I saw it."-bad

Your heart melted.

He loved your reactions to the little sweet gesters he did. It brought him joy to know you were able to relax and trust him at this moment and time.

You get a free swearing pass. He knows you hurt really bad at times but he lightly says language when on stream.

You understood though. He had kids watching too.

You were grumpy one day, bad took rat because of a rat cam stream. And all you wanted was to be warmed up by something else then a blanket.

You were sittinging there looking at bad as he streamed.

You could technically get up and grab rat but he my tell you not to.

So you quietly patted your lap.

Rat immediately seemed to notice and run over to you, jumping onto the bed and laying in your lap.

You felt accomplished and tired so you fell asleep.

Rat leaving made the chat confused but bad explained that you were healing from a surgery.

Chat wished you a good recovery and told bad to go and comfort you. Even though you were asleep.

He tried to explain it but the donations kept yelling at him.

So he ended stream and laid next to you and rat.

This was comfortable.

Eret

Eret, they were a whole 'nother story.

This fabulous being is like a maid service in one.

They have two outfits they wore when you were upset.

A maid outfit and a butler outfit.

You just got home, you were in pain, sitting up and swaddled in blankets and Goose was trying to smother you at this point.

Eret was streaming and you were sitting there in the background, blankets, pain, and goose exsiting.

You didnt know eret was talking about you because you were falling asleep. Eret nor you expected what their followers did.

Her door was bombarded with packages addressed to you. Decorated with words about getting well soon, that they were proud of you, even some saying you were their rolemodle.

Eret decided to have a stream of you opening them.

Let's just say alot of them were food, candies, even foreign food and drinks. Someone made you a homemade blanket in the trans colors.

Best part about that blanket, it was heated.

You were using it immediately as you were freezing.

Eret just chuckled and rubbed your shoulder as you opened them.

Needless to say they are proud of you, happy that you were one huge step closer to who you were.

All they wanted was your happiness.

Niki

She's a sweetheart.

Need I say more?

Well I will because fuck you I can.

Constant cuddles, be it only her head in your lap, it is almost always happening.

When you have to take your pain meds she is instantly on it, do you want soup or a smoothie? You cant decide? She'll make it a surprise.

If you dont live with her then you're staying with her while you are recovering. She doesn't want you alone when you are in pain.

You'll be bedridden until she thinks you're okay.

If she deems you as not fit for doing something she's on it. Drop you glasses for reading/drawing/writing/typing. You bet your ass as soon as she heard that clack and you groan she's picked it up and it's on your lap.

Also makes sure you're good with streaming.

If you say your good with it that day it's a calm stream. There is no lore happening when you're healing everyone was fine with that due to the fact that niki would have to sit out and the lore was with her as well so that couldn't happen.

Will came to visit...

Saw you, took pity, and now you're stuck with two people showering you in affection and comfort.

You saw Wilbur as a brother. And wilbur saw you as his younger brother. So he literally felt the pain when he saw you wince.

Niki thought it was cute and comforted both of you.

Anyways she saw something before your surgery and decided that you needed it.

It would make you feel better.

It made you laugh.

You regretted laughing but loved the hoodie.

It fit so well and it was beautiful, you also were thinking about buying it one day because you could.

But niki beat you to it.

Wilbur didnt stop laughing.

I mean who blames him.

You literally just Yeeted your tits. And niki got you something that said yeet right on top of it.

It worked perfectly.

Also when niki's not cuddling you zuko is.

End of story, you're seriously stuck with cuddles no matter what. Be it from an animal or a human.

Wilbur wont cuddle you more of give you head pats.

Niki normally streamed with you there with her unless lore stream.

So when the second day after your surgery, she had streamed, and you weren't there her chat started asking questions. Wondering if you were good, if something happened.

That's when you raised from your dead sleep, zuko falling off your stomach, shirtless, just to go grab some sock as your toes felt like they would fall off.

Chat seemed relived but started questioning the binder and all that.

Niki explained that you got top surgery and that you were healing still.

"He's looking like he wants to die right now. Are you sure he's fully okay?"-dono

"Yeah I'm good. Just stubbed my toe as well."-you.

Niki was quick to rush over and help you back to the bed.

"Just sit down I'll get you your water hun."-niki

She was quick to fill your bottle up and place it next to you on the table next ot the bed.

She's such a big help not matter what honestly.

She loves you and will do anything for you.

I am sorry this took so long. Just had a very unstable mental state. Also sorry if they seem oc. I'm once more not on a good mental state and have been trying to work on this.

So yeah if I dont post in a bit I'm so sorry just stressing alot. Insomnia is kicking me so hard.

My grandma broke her foot, she's all good though.

And I have taken up most things in my house as I live with both my mother and grandmother still.

But yeah I apologize for the break just gonna try to let myself get better. It might take a bit. It might be quite short I dont know. I just need to get more sleep.

Eli is very tired now. Bye.