#she runs through water a lot and get brushed regularly

[seabeck]

Has to give Juniper a bath yesterday because she rolled in something gross. Actually only the second bath I’ve ever given her. She’s a self cleaning bog dog. I can’t believe how fast her fur dried though even before toweling her off. Springer spaniels lol.

[nburkhardt]

There might be a lot of them but I mean, how could I not try my hand at this? Especially after watching this and going “yep that hurts”. Granted, I ended up just using the line (“I know he used to be an asshole but…”) instead of going off the sound a whole lot.

Anyway….timeline is all screwed, don’t think about it too hard. Also clearly not canon. Obviously. Only hints of steddie.

~~~~~~

Look, he knows okay? It’s pretty well known across town. It’s no secret and he’s ashamed of it all, it’s something he doesn’t want to reminisce anymore. He’s grown and he thinks he’s better, hopes he’s better. Swears he hasn’t been like that for a few years now, so why does everyone keep bringing it up?

Why does he have to keep proving himself? What does he have to do for them to stop bringing it up?

The first time it happens, he brushes it off. Mostly because it’s true, he was an asshole and he was still learning and breaking himself from who he was. So, it makes sense for Nancy to say it to Barb and then again weeks later to Jonathan. Truth be told, he thinks neither of them believed Nancy.

(it’s a stab straight to the heart when she calls him bullshit)

It’s months before he hears it again, that he nearly forgot the words. It makes him freeze when he hears it from Dustin as he’s cleaning the Byers’s kitchen. The kid is arguing with his friends about why he’s even here. It’s like he’s hit with a bucket of cold water to hear, “sure, he can be an asshole but he’s here to help!”

Sure those words work to help the other kids lay off Dustin’s back, helps make them grumble less about him. But to him? The words sting and it feels worse coming from the kid who he actually likes, thinks they could be close. Clearly there’s a line between them.

He does forget the words, not even an hour later when Billy fucking Hargrove smashes a plate against his head and beats the shit out of him.

Almost a year later and who he was is thrown directly in his face on his first day of work at Scoops. It’s such a slap to the face, not even a full week after his dad cuts him off.

“Thought an asshole like you would on his way to college with daddy’s credit card”

The smile he had on his face just barely falls, mostly because he forces it to stay in place. It also stays because he’s frozen mid-step to introduce himself. Instead, he drops his hand and moves around her and starts working. The words swirling in his head all day, making him stay quiet and just do the job. Even when girls flirt with him, he ignores and works through it.

The “You Suck/You Rule” board came to be a few days later and he sucks it up and is civil with Robin over it, gives it his all to be friendly. If only just to make this job easier and so he doesn’t get fired for being rude. It isn’t until Dustin comes back from camp and the whole Russians and drugs on the floor for Robin to say it again

“You were such an asshole…”

He doesn’t fully hear what she says, it’s hard with the ringing in his ears and his brain froze the minute the word came out.

After it all, even with his brain screaming at him to run away to lick in his wounds, he doesn’t. Forces himself to see one of the EMTs and to help Robin find her parents and promises that she can call whenever she needs something. It’s only after that, that he makes his way home to have a breakdown over it all.

Despite it all, he does call Robin and Dustin his best friends. (Probably his only true friends, if he’s honest.) And he regularly hangs out with them, and sometimes drives Dustin and his friends around. It stops only because he and Robin get jobs at Family Video and the kids start high school.

He breathes easier now, he thinks. He’s been out of high school for a while now, hasn’t been “King Steve” since ‘83. Robin and him are close enough now that he doesn’t freeze anymore, only overthinks their friendship a little bit.

Spring Break rolls around and the moment Dustin and Max storm into Family Video, he’s immediately on edge. Doesn’t show it, of course. The whole search for Eddie Munson, he’s on edge.

He can’t tell if it’s because of the upside down or if those words will make itself known, again.

Everything is a blur, to be honest. Especially after he’s dragged under water and choked by the bats. Nothing really processes for him, it should worry him, actually.

What he does remember is thanking Eddie and being called metal and Eddie saying, “I guess I couldn’t accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude”

That somehow swirls in his head after and he doesn’t get it. He’s spiraling over it, to be honest. Even if he’s also on autopilot making sure no one dies. After it all, rushing everyone to get their wounds checked and to make sure Max is alive, Eddie’s words are still swirling and he’s still confused.

He thinks about it every single day that he visits Eddie in the hospital. The other man isn’t awake, much like Max. He doesn’t speak much during the visits, too busy in his own head. Sometimes he mumbles the words back to a too-still Eddie, sometimes he questions the words and in turn, questions Eddie. Never getting any answers to his questions.

If he’s being honest, he doesn’t actually want answers. Maybe Eddie didn’t mean it, maybe he was just being nice in the moment. And he doesn’t want to hear Eddie say “thanks for saving me, but you’re still an asshole”

If he heard that, he’d probably break.

So, he stays quiet. Much like all those other times his friends called him an asshole.

Weeks go by and he doesn’t bring it up. Doesn’t even mention anything that happened in the upside down, even after Eddie wakes up and they’re friends now. Even after Max wakes up, nearly three months later.

They all regularly hang out together, including Eddie’s band mates. Who he can tell definitely don’t like him. So when they’re around, he doesn’t even bother Eddie. Even if all he wants to do is be near the metal head. But he can see it on their faces when he does stand close to Eddie, they never say anything in front of him and he can’t tell if he feels better about that or if he’d rather they do say with him near.

Ultimately, he hears the words again and causes him to actually have that breakdown he knew was coming.

It’s like the world hates him. Because he was having a good time, he was starting to actually believe Eddie’s words and was inching his way to the man, and of the places it happens at his house.

He’s sitting on a lounge chair watching Dustin try and fail at pushing Lucas into the water. Eddie’s curled up in the lounge chair pushed next to his, they’re talking about nothing in particular and he’s hyper aware of how close they’re getting right now.

“I don’t know, man, maybe-“ Eddie had started to say when someone else’s voice is louder and catches his attention.

“Oh, I know. Steve’s definitely an asshole”

And he freezes immediately, his body going rigid and growing hot, tears well up in his eyes. He can’t hear anything else and his eyes are blurry now but he has to get away. This is too much, he can’t breathe anymore.

He nearly falls into the pool in his rush to get up and away from everyone. He doesn’t even know who said it, not that it mattered right now. All that matters is getting away, he can’t be near them anymore. Needs to be alone, to breakdown by himself.

Why do it in front of all of them when they so clearly think it’s true?

“Steve’s definitely an asshole” swirls in his head as he forces himself to rush to his room. Clearly, they were just keeping him around as a buffer- because why else would any of them keep him around? Better to let the asshole get beat up instead of kids, right?

He falls onto the floor as soon as his door is shut and let’s out the sob that was stuck in his throat.

~~~~

Well that hurt 🥲

(Part two) (part three) (part four) (part five)

[bloomblanche]

＊✿ It's Melly!! ✿＊

I just realized that I haven't talked about her much on my blog. Time to fix that.

(Text cut for aesthetic purposes)

Bear in mind that she kinda evolved from "splatsona" to "OC who shares a lot of things with me (but not everything!) and still represents me sometimes but is mostly her own character now"

❥ Mélusine (full name Mélusine Larchipel) is 20 years old and goes by she/her. Her height is 166 cm, aka 5'5. She's autistic and pansexual.

❥ She's all academics, no street smarts. She's rather shy, overly polite, and has trouble voicing her opinions (as well as socializing in general). Her enthusiasm and eccentricities regularly slip through the cracks of her demure appearance.

❥ Melly moved to Inkadia around 10 years ago (making her multilingual as a result), but she still hasn't gotten used to everything because she would mostly spend her time inside without interacting much with other people. She's only recently started to open up, and she uses ink sports and tableturf as a way to do so.

❥ Her mom is a surface Octoling, but her dad is a Cirraling (which is my fan species of cirrate octopuses). That makes her half-grimpoteuthis! The reason why it matters is that the top design isn't her true appearance. The bottom one is what she looks like all-natural.

(Older drawings for comparison)

❥ Due to the biological differences of cirrate octopuses, her chromatophores and her ink sac are a bit underdeveloped. It takes roughly 15 minutes of light exposure for her chromatophores to be able to change colour and roughly 30 minutes in darkness for her to revert back to her natural colour.

❥ She's a bit insecure about her differences, so that's why she disguises herself as a regular Octoling. In fact, her hairstyle is meant to make her ears look smaller since she would get teased for them as a kid.

❥ This character is pretty much a metaphor for masking, when you think about it

❥ Now! Being part-dumbo has its perks, such as better night vision, but it also has its downsides. Remember when I said that her ink sac was underdeveloped? Because of that, she has to focus almost all of her gear abilities into ink saving.

❥ And that combined with her being unable to play anything other than brushes means that Melly REALLY sucks at Salmon Run. She sucks so much that her teammates kept complaining, and she ended up getting kicked out of Grizz Co. She doesn't mind it too much, though, because she's happy earning money with turf war and sewing. Not to mention that the whole business looks really shady anyway.

❥ Going back to brush weapons! Melly has a weird obsession with them. She owns all of the available ones on the market and will only listen to Sheldon's rambles if they're about brush weapons (if they aren't, she will immediately zone out)

❥ She's named Mélusine after the fairy from the eponymous myth. Mélusine is a spirit of fresh water who was cursed to become a serpent from the waist down every Saturday. So! Not only does it have a water theme, but it reflects her appearance-changing deal. She likes her full name, and her family uses it on a regular basis. The reason why she mostly goes by "Melly" is because it's easier for her friends to pronounce.

❥ Her favourite band is Chirpy Chips, and her favourite song from them is Shellfie. She's also a big fan of Raian (guess where that came from) and has a celebrity crush on them.

❥ Her favourite show and videogame are called "Magical Mumi Uni-chan" and "Coral Village 2" respectively.

❥ She loves blueberry pies and hates walnuts for their dry aftertaste (macadamia nuts are more up her alley)

❥ She developed emetophobia as a kid after a severe bout of salmonella.

❥ She really likes flowers as well as lolita fashion and does sewing as a hobby.

❥ While not visible in this drawing, she has some webbing between her fingers (which are tainted purple)

❥ Her shoes are punk whites with ruffle socks.

❥ And last but not least: Melly is based on this specific octopus! She's also very interested in the deep sea and likes to search for books about it.

Thank you for your interest!!

Here are some silly gifs

[mamamittens]

A Lone Melody (Pt. 6)

Soft Platonic Yandere Arlong & OC(Melody)

Main|First|Previous

Warnings: Accidental-ish consumption of a deadly substance. Do not eat random things you find anywhere, including and especially in the ocean.

Sea bunnies eat poisonous sea sponges, but I didn't feel like digging for the exact types of their usual diet, so I went with the first result of deadly sea sponge. So it is real! Just might not be exactly what a sea bunny eats regularly.

Fun fact, black-tipped reef sharks eat small fish by hunting and corralling them in groups, betta fish usually eat insects from the surface of their habitat, and sea bunnies eat sea sponges, algae, sea grass, sea snails, and other sea slugs.

Word Count: 1,834

The grotto was a bit of a hassle to get to now that Arlong had grown. When he was younger, it was hardly any trouble to duck between the rocky outcroppings and under thick foliage. Some areas were now a lot wetter than he remembered, small tide pools forming where he’d once gleefully stomped through. Melody clung to his arms, eyes wide as she watched the buildings disappear.

The grotto itself was also a lot more… populated than it had been in his youth. Sea life claiming the hidden space as their home away from fishermen and nets. Nothing overtly dangerous upon first glance. A few peaceful reef sharks a ways off lazily swimming through schools of colorful fish. It was a wonderous beauty, a slice of his childhood that had undeniably changed for the better since he had last seen it. White sand fading into the gradual drop-off of pure blue.

Jinbe whistled as Shyarly waved at them from the shore, setting out a blanket with a basket of food.

“I didn’t know this place existed on fishman island.” Jinbe commented idly with a soft smile. “This is a wonderful place for Melody’s first swim.”

Arlong puffed up with pride, lifting Melody up in the air with a smile.

“Of course it is! Only the best for my pup!” Arlong declared, walking over to set her down on the blanket.

He’d helped her change into a swimsuit in bright, vivid yellow. Her hair brushing her shoulders until he pulled it back with a matching headband so she could see properly. He’d even thrown on a pair of matching swim trunks alongside Jinbe—though he chose a more traditional version closer to a speedo. Arlong settled down on the blanket himself, scooping her into his lap.

She was bigger now. When he first found her, she was just a little too big to hold in one hand, but now he needed both to lift her up securely—particularly when she wanted to run around. Pale gray cheeks soft and rosy with health, it was finally time to teach her the most basic skill of a fishman.

“Do you remember why we’re here, pup?” Arlong asked. Melody tore her gaze from the dizzying beauty of the technicolor fish swimming just beyond the shore, ruby eyes gazing up at him adoringly.

“I do, dah. We’re here to swim.” She answered dutifully. “I gotta learn how to use my gills.” Melody demonstrated by patting low on her neck where the curved slits rested in a relaxed state.

Arlong had seen them flair occasionally, usually when she was about to throw a fit, so he knew she was capable of using them.

“That’s right, pup. Your lungs can’t handle breathing in the water through your mouth, you have to pull in water from your gills. Can you show your dah how you flair them?” Arlong asked softly. Melody nodded in excitement, holding her breath as her gills and hair puffed up. Jinbe and Shyarly chuckled.

“Not so hard, darling. Think of it like… sticking out your tongue. If you have to force it, you’re doing it too hard.” Shyarly advised.

“That’s right. When you get in the water, your gills will do the breathing for you. With practice you can talk underwater too… it does sound weird though.” Jinbe admitted sheepishly. “Sound carries underwater a bit differently.”

Melody looked between the three of them thoughtfully and took a deep breath. Slowly, her gills flared independently of her slow breathing.

Arlong grinned, tapping her nose with pride.

“That’s much better! Just like up on land, it’s important to keep your breath even.” Arlong informed her. “To start with, you can hold your breath to make sure you don’t swallow sea water—it’s really not pleasant, pup. And we’ll stick to the shallows. If you need to, just sit up and breath. We’ll be right here.”

Arlong stood up, walking into the water. When it reached his shins he stopped, slowly sitting down to make sure Melody was comfortable. The fish gave him a wide berth as he dipped Melody’s toes into the water. She giggled, kicking her feet, clearly eager to go in.

So Arlong set her down, the water nearly up to her shoulders. This would be the deepest body of water she’d ever been in and clearly she wasn’t afraid to go deeper. She jumped, splashing the water around before diving down before Arlong could stop her. Arlong gasped, almost yanking her out before stopping himself.

She was crouching down to the sandy floor, her gills clearly flaring in exaggerated motions as she tried on her own terms to simply breath.

Then, Melody relaxed. Tension falling from her shoulders as she slowly drifted back up, her gills only slightly flaring a she took in water to breath. When she surfaced, it wasn’t quite with a gasp of air, but a slight cough as she transitioned naturally from gills to lungs.

Melody looked up at him with a hesitant smile, eyes wide as she sought his approval.

Arlong grinned, chest aching with pride.

He scooped her up, kissing her cheeks with rough laughter, tears beading at his lashes.

“You’re a natural, pup!” Arlong cheered, realizing for the first time that Shyarly and Jinbe were to either side of him, congratulating Melody on her success.

“Beautiful work, angel!” Shyarly cooed, tickling Melody’s exposed side. “You’ll be swimming solo in no time!”

“It’s not so hard once you practice.” Jinbe reassured, gently taking Melody from Arlong to kiss her hair. Melody beamed with pride, sharp teeth on full display as she squirmed.

“Pah! Dah! I wanna swim!” Melody protested with a loud giggle.

“Oh? Do you want to practice more here or go deeper?” Shyarly asked softly. Melody perked up, head whipping around to look at the schools of fish darting around the deeper water, her hair smacking Jinbe’s face as Arlong laughed at his friend’s misfortune.

“Deeper!” Melody looked at Arlong and Jinbe with hopeful eyes.

“…We’ll go with you, pup. There’s still a bit more to swimming than just breathing.” Arlong agreed after a moment. Melody crowed in victory as Arlong stood up and slowly walked deeper.

Just like with breathing underwater, Melody needed very few instructions for swimming itself—though she did doggy paddle for a bit at first. Whenever she got tired she’d swim to the nearest person and climb onto them for a power nap. Arlong had taken to just floating on the surface, totally relaxed as he kept an ear out for any signs of struggle. Shyarly actively swimming with Melody while Jinbe reclined in the shallows.

“Melody, no!” Arlong bolted up upon hearing Shyarly’s screech, whirling around to find his daughter with a mouthful of red coral. The tree-like appendages snapping between her teeth like dry pasta. After a moment, he realized it wasn’t coral at all, but toxic finger-sponge. Jinbe was rushing over but Arlong got there first.

Melody was eating it voraciously in a way he’d only seen with her favorite snack, fruit jelly and crackers.

“Melody!” Arlong snapped, “Spit that out!” Melody paused, branch still sticking out between her teeth.

She swallowed in confusion.

“You want some too, dah?” Melody asked. “It smells good but tastes way better!” Arlong could smell the sour notes quite easily, the sponge bleeding out cloudy liquid that spooked the local fish.

Despite his heart racing, Arlong couldn’t help but pause. He knew damn well that shit killed small creatures in minutes. And he noticed that there was something else between her teeth.

“Melody, how long have you been eating that?” Arlong asked, cautiously taking away the last handful of broken branches from her hand.

“Just a bit, dah!” Melody explained, Shyarly anxiously curling away from the clouded water, her face paler than usual.

Arlong dropped the broken sponge and swiped at her bottom lip where a thick bead of bright blue liquid dripped from her teeth. It was more teal, like pure, shallow water that glowed in the light. It made his skin tingle and burn before going numb. Leaving a red mark like a rash that he knew would only grow worse the longer he touched it.

“…Let’s not eat anything else but what your auntie Shar packed, alright? I think we need to look into something.” Arlong declared, rinsing off his hand in the sea water.

“Oh… okay, dah.” Melody agreed reluctantly before turning to Shyarly, “What’d you bring, auntie?”

Shyarly recovered herself and gave a shaky smile.

“I made sandwiches for everyone—and I also included jelly. Jinbe told me you like fruit jelly, darling.” Melody perked up immediately.

“Jelly!” Melody looked towards the shore hopefully.

Arlong chuckled and shared a nervous look with Jinbe.

What the fuck was their daughter’s species?

--*--

This wasn’t Melody’s first memory either.

Crystal clear water and a dizzying array of tropical fish swimming past her. Her aunt’s fin spinning around her in teasing circles.

It wasn’t of endless minutes relaxing on her papa’s or dad’s chests after tiring of balancing swimming and breathing either.

Nor the elation of praise for quickly grasping these skills.

Firm, loving hands keeping her safe in the sea water. Fish fins delicately glancing off her outstretched hands as they darted away.

The sea will always feel like home when it teemed with life that pulsed and raced around her, but that wouldn’t be something she consciously remembers either.

Nor would it be the first time a scent tickled her nose underwater. Savory and almost sweet with a strange bite to it. Drawing her towards the red branches of sea sponge growing near the edge of the grotto where fish gave it a healthy berth.

It won’t be the sharp snap as she broke off a small piece and rolled it on her tongue, the cloudy red liquid sharp and mouthwatering to her senses. Crunching pleasantly in her teeth like ice.

She won’t remember the sharp panic her aunt showed when she noticed what Melody was doing or the worry in the faces of her family.

She won’t even remember the first time her gums felt hot and foreign liquid pooled in her mouth from her teeth.

This is the first time Melody ate a toxic substance and within moments developed a poison biproduct from it.

Later, it will be determined that it’s an entirely natural action on her part and will need to continue eating poisons and toxins to help her system flush out the old. It will be unclear for some time if she’ll ever be able to do it on her own—but she’ll learn.

For now, she’s just a small child learning something unexpected about herself and the world. As all children eventually do.

Though she won’t remember this exact moment—and those anxiously present will never forget—this is where Melody grew to love the taste of deadly toxins.

And when she started being seriously taught to never bite people—for their own safety.

[snowyknight-17]

Some facts about my new FO4 OC Annie🖤

Go to drink order.

Annie doesn’t drink. Never liked the taste of alcohol even before the bombs, but now it all tasted sour. Even ‘bucket brew’ as the wastelanders called it, turned her stomach. Nukas are fine to stay up when on the road, coffee is her preferred caffeine route when home. Give her purified water anytime

Grooming

She likes to stay as clean as she can. Showers regularly, does laundry, shaves when she can. Her time with the BOS was enlightening on wasteland cleanliness. Brushes her hair and likes it up or tied back. Keeps her gear in tip top shape. I really like to role play that she is a traveling medic, since I work in healthcare irl.

Most expensive purchase

Getting HQ up and running was no easy, cheap task. Annie put up a lot of funding to get the departments up and running. Not to mention settlements. Making sure meds, chems, food is in good supply. Basically her caps go towards the greater good. She turned Starlight theater into a large “Family Center”. Arcade games, Nuka World carnival style games, rides for little kids, cotton candy machines and a weekly movie night. This fricken settlement took me so much time to build, but I think Annie found it therapeutic even though it was expensive to build.

Any tattoos or scars?

She has a cat tattoo on her right hand. It’s just a black line tattoo that she got when she was younger. As far s as scars go, no. A couple scrapes from commonwealth life, but nothing note worthy. I’am planning on her having burns at some point after her fight with the Forged.

Factions.

Annie is my FO4, Sim settlements 2 character. If you have not played this mod, consider it. Game changing. Annie starts off MM and stays with them for the most part. Gets the good, 3 faction ending. Spends a lot of time with the CPD, Commonwealth Police Department, along side Nick; solving crimes and going after Good Neighbor goons and Merowski dealers.

Annie loves the Nightingales. Helps them whenever she can. And it has nothing to do with Raphael… no matter what Jake thinks 😉

RR will always be special. Danse, Curie, little Shaun, Nick…synths are love 🫶🏻. Also Deacon is her boi.

Going back to the CPD, did I mention she got Gage to be a good boy…after the events of Nuka World, she spares the Pack and Operators and Gage; and as long as they don’t have to work with the MM, they’re fine working with Annie. Gage ends up working for the CPD and he ends up looking something like this 🫠

So yeah…he’s distracting

Romance 💘

She is Mrs. Jake Evans. But it wasn’t like that in the beginning. Jake was friendly but distant, he had his own troubles he was going through. So while Annie was crazy for him, it took a while for Jake to reciprocate those feelings. But everyone knows the quick fix for the lonely blues can be found in Good Neighbor. Hancock and Annie had a few boozy nights together, but John is no dummy. He sees her broken heart and knows it longs for someone else and encourages her to go to Jake in her own time.

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Poseidon

Fishy fishy fishy… I honestly could write 100 more things for Poseidon MC and Levi. I just love the dynamic between an insecure, otaku shut-in and a chill California surfer dead set on becoming his friend.

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena, Hades Pt. 2, Poseidon 

For anyone unaware, Poseidon is also the god of horses. I know it's a weird combo, but I didn't write the mythos.

Lucifer

…..

They came out of the portal….

On a horse….

They brought the mortal down to the Devildom…

On a goddamn horse….

There's a demigod on a live horse brandishing a weapon and doing laps around the Student Council Room…

Congratulations, he already wants to pull his hair out!!

Honestly, it would have been preferable to pluck them out of the sea. At least then they'd just need a towel! What the hell were they going to do with an entire horse!?

And his nightmare didn't stop there. Poseidon is a notoriously mercurial god, prone to bouts of anger and spitefulness for reasons far less grievous than kidnapping his children… 

Their apology was swift and (seemingly) effective, though the tide waters around the Devildom did rise by several feet for some time…

As for the MC… uh… Well, they're an energetic one to say the least…

Lucifer hasn't met a more active individual since Mammon. They horseback ride, swim, surf, skateboard, and probably do ten other things - the point is, they Hardly. Keep. Still! 

They're also annoyingly easygoing… He can't count the number of times they've told him to, "Just chill out," or, "Hang loose…" What does that even mean??

Between having to order a stable made for their horse and just trying to keep up with them, Lucifer already thinks this mortal has caused him more trouble than they're worth… At least they keep Mammon busy...

Mammon

Upon first meeting them atop their horse, Sunset, his first thought was of course:

"I wonder if I sell that...?"

After that, they nearly fed him to sharks for trying to take their beloved steed on same night. Safe to say, he never touched a hair on its head again…

These two had a rocky start, but their relationship mended fairly quickly. As it turns out, the MC is literally one of those "go with the flow" types. You can say it was water under the bridge soon enough.

Mammon actually thinks the MC is a hell of a lot of fun, even if they're super laid-back. Most of the time, they won’t take his drive for money (or fear of his bills) all that seriously and tell him that he’s worrying too much, but they’ll still lend a hand if its on their way.

He finds their ability to control water pretty cool as well. Levi has it to some extent, but the MC can make a whole-ass whirlpool or use water like a whip! 

He once begged them to call up some rare fish for him to sell, but they got all pseudo-philosophical on him about how “trading life for material wealth” is “not cool, dude...”

He also made the mistake of challenging them to a splash fight only once…. They managed to drench the whole family with a single wave….

The only thing that bothers him is their weird insistence on being Levi's "Best Buddy…" Why would someone like them even bother with a shut in??

Is it the water? … Probably water. Levi, that lucky bastard…

Leviathan 

Thinks they're a big normie, no scratch that, a HUGE normie! The biggest normie he's ever met!! They skateboard and horseback ride for Devil's sake!!

...But they’re also, undoubtedly, the best friend he could've ever asked for.

To be fair to Levi, their friendship was sort of forced upon him. The MC took one look at him, his aquatic-themed room, and his pet goldfish then declared their new friendship status at that moment. 

Unfortunately for him, though, they're energetic, extroverted, and generally have little understanding of personal space… aka, an introvert's worst nightmare…

The next month could accurately be described as the MC doing everything in their power to make their stubborn "senpai" like them.

They would drag him out to the aquarium, beach, or pool; they befriended Henry so he could put in a good word for them; and they'd even bring him little gifts or trinkets they'd find on the ocean floor. Pretty shells and stuff like a cat bringing its master a dead mouse.

After he finally began to accept them as a persistent fixture in his life, he introduced them to gaming and anime and started accepting them little by little...

By the end of their stay, these two were practically inseparable. Not just because they like spending time together, but because they figured out they could have a telepathic link due to Levi being part sea serpent. 

No matter how far they are, they can always have a chat! (That no one else can hear so people think they’re just crazy...)

Satan

Satan honestly isn't the MC's biggest fan, he generally finds them too loud and gregarious for his liking. But their horse…?

He never really thought that he'd be a horse man... Yet it didn’t really take long for Satan to adore Sunset, their beautiful golden-maned mare. Apparently she's not their only horse, but by far their favorite traveling companion.

Sunset is a wonderful horse - brave, strong, and well-trained. It only took a few weeks before he was regularly sneaking out to the stables to brush her fur or feed her apples...

After the MC taught him how to ride, that was it. All other forms of transportation were inferior to him now.

Satan would ride Sunset everywhere and he looked damn good doing it! It takes all that fairytale Prince Charming thing he has going on and puts it through the roof.

It's a good thing too, because when I say everywhere, I do mean everywhere. Lucifer had to put seals on the House doors to keep Satan from riding Sunset through the hallways...

Of course, he’ll always let the MC have Sunset back when they need her!... with a little complaining but nothing terrible.

The MC doesn't mind much because Sunset likes him and they know he takes good care of her, but the rest of the House is slightly unnerved at how quickly he went horse crazy… What if they brought a giant crab instead?? No one wants to deal with crab-Satan...

Asmodeus 

Their body is just scrumptious. Oh, how he could look at their swimsuit-clad figure all day!! 😩

Between the swimming and the fighting, their form is toned to all hell and he can't get enough of it! Yes baby, yes!! Take those clothes off again!!! He'll help~! 😘

When he's not staring at them “totally respectfully,” then he's inviting them out to pool parties or begging them to take him riding...

There are parts of horseback riding he doesn’t like, the smell and the jostling specifically, but there is a kind of… romance to it, no?

He loves having the chance to snuggle up to the MC as they trot around the Devildom! It's so romantic, like they’re his knight in shining armor! (Or his demigod in a damp swimsuit, either works. 😏)

His Devilgram is just full of selfies of him and MC riding on the back of Sunset or sitting by the edge of the pool or them in the middle of a swim meet…

Yeah his Devilgram is now a one part him and one part MC-Appreciation account.

After the pact he'll eventually cool down some and stop staring at them like a sex-object, but even then he'll be at every swim meet. Don't you worry~

Beelzebub 

He actually really likes them! It's great to finally have another athlete in the House. 😊

The MC joined the RAD swim team just as soon the coach was able to convince Diavolo that having the child of a water god wasn't completely cheating... 

Since swim and fangol practice ends at about the same time, they walk home together a lot and complain about... sports things... (Forgive me, I don’t know sports. Uhm... Rival teams? Coaches? That one drill everyone hates? Stuff like that.)

Beel also can surf, skate, and snowboard so the two have a healthy competition going. They're about on equal footing so they tie often (except in surfing but Beel doesn't think that should count cause they’re probably cheating).

The only thing that he has to watch out for is Sunset… As in, he has to watch himself around Sunset because he absolutely could eat her on accident… 

Look, he doesn't want to and he doesn't even like horse meat that much, but even he has to admit there are times he gets hungry enough to consider it…

Of course, he knows that if he ever did Satan would rip him limb from limb then the MC would drown the rest so he really, really tries to control himself… but still… She’s a very healthy horse...

At least he didn’t try to sell her like Mammon. The MC hung him over a shark tank for that stunt… He’d feel bad, but Mammon kind of had it coming.

Belphegor 

The first time they met, the MC smelled like beach water and called him "dude-bro…" He didn't like his prospects.

For a while, he genuinely thought that they had a lump of sand where their brain was. They were just too chill!! Here he was saying that he's being held captive and they were like, "Well that sucks, man… I'll help ya, but I've got practice tomorrow. You can wait, right?"

It's not like he expected them to jump on top of it, but some urgency would have been nice…

When they eventually got around to helping him, he was actually looking forward to choking the life out of them for the extra wait. Unfortunately, they apparently had a horse…

Yeah, Belphie found out just a bit too late that the MC could summon their steed to them whenever they wanted and ended up with Sunset's hooves firmly bucking into his back for his trouble…

What followed was Belphegor running circles around the attic from the weapon-totting MC riding their terrifying murder horse until Lucifer finally intervened....

Thank the gods he wasn’t near any water….

As it would turn out later, as long as he's not being held captive in an attic Belphie kind of vibes with their laid-backness… They say they approach life "one wave at a time" or something.

He could care less about what that actually means, but what it translates to is "Stop stressing out and just keep chill" which he's all about.

Everybody should just chill out!... dude…. Nah, he'll let them stick to the “dude”-thing, it feels weird...

[trueshellz]

Hey could I get something where kyoutani, diachi, and iwazumi react to finding out you when you just didn’t eat for months, when you were younger and you fainted

Hey hun. Thanks for the request. I tried making each one a little different but with the same theme.

Warnings: eating disorders, anxiety, tube feeding mentioned, PTSD, family death mentioned, bullying, body dysmorphia, spanking (out of place but Kyoutani warranted it), injury.

Kyoutani:

"Why did you mother ask me to make sure you eat regularly? She makes it sound like we have no food in the apartment or something. Does she think I'm not earning enough to provide for us?"

You stopped what you were doing, hands pausing on the knife as you cut the vegetables for dinner. You really hoped your mum wouldn't drop anything about your battle with food when she came around earlier, she had been so worried when you decided to move in with your boyfriend.

Apparently that wish was in vain.

"Err....so, you see-"

"Drop the shit. Tell me or I'll call her back and ask her instead. And your butt will pay for it later too."

You sighed long and hard, glaring at Kyoutani as he stood there with his hand on his hips. There was no way you were winning this argument.

"I... Ken-"

His hand suddenly resting on the back of you knuckles was the only change in his mood, eyes still staring holes into you with a frown on his face.

"I... had some trouble with food when I was younger... didn't eat for a while and ended up passing out."

"How long is 'a while'?"

"A few weeks?"

The tightening of his jaw was the only indication of his mood, you could see the small tick in his jaw and the grip on your hand increased, only a little, but it was enough for you to realise. He nodded for you to proceed, thumb back to rubbing small circles on your skin.

"My... my mum... she found me on the floor in the bathroom... I think I was having a bath or something.... I don't think the image ever left her to be honest." You paused. "I'm sor-"

"Don't apologise for that shit. Ever. I'll make sure you eat... even if I have to tie you up and feed you myself."

"Kinky." You snorted a laugh, turning into a yelp as he landed a slap on your ass as he walked to the fridge.

Daichi:

Unpacking your apartment was the worst thing ever, you decided. Between finding what you needed and putting it in the right place, it was driving you up the wall. Daichi was in the living room unpacking the shared collection books that you had, while you were in the kitchen fighting with the unmatched chopsticks.

"Hey babe?"

"Yeah?"

"Come here a sec."

You found him surrounded by yearbooks, all open on the same page- your class.

"So, you're here, here and here." Daichi pointed at each picture of you through the years you were there. "But not here."

His finger landed on the page exactly where you would have been alphabetically, between your best friends. A small trickle of anxiety worked its way down your spine, you remembered that year vividly. It had been after a close family death and it had hit you very hard, you had trouble sleeping and eating. The latter causing more problems, your brother had watched you wither away even when you said you were okay.

The final straw came when you passed out at school one day, walking through the corridors between lessons and the next thing you knew, you woke up in hospital. They had been close to tube feeding you with how much weight you had lost. Lots of therapy and counselling later, you had a better relationship with food but the scars were still there.

You hadn't realised that you had tears running down your face as you retold him the story until Daichi wiped them away. His warm hands cupping your face, thumb wiping away the tears as he kissed your forehead. Arms wrapping around you and bundling you into his lap, his scent washing over you as he held you close.

"It's ok. I got you. You're not alone in this, I'll help ok? Lean on me, it's what I'm here for."

Iwaizumi:

"You okay there, doll? You've gone a little pale."

Hand resting on your forehead, Iwaizumi stepped close as you sat in the restaurant. The menu in your hands suddenly going blurry, writing smearing as you tried to focus on choosing something to eat. Your palms suddenly sweaty, heart beating in your ears as you quickly got up and left the restaurant. The cold air hit your skin, chills running through your body as you realised you had left-

"Here."

Your jacket was draped over your shoulders as Iwaizumi stood next to you. Not touching, just stood silently as you stared into space, his arms barely touching yours as you took some deep breaths in.

"I..." You took a deep breath, "I had some trouble with food when I was in high school. I was your typical chubby kid who got bullied. Where everyone was slim and had these great figures, I had bumps and lumps in places they didn't. No matter what I did or said... what I ate... it didn't stop. So I didn't eat." You sniffed, eyes watering as you continued. "It was good for a while... the bullying stopped and I was slimmer on the outside, I guess? But when I looked in the mirror all I could see whay the body I hated and was trying to get rid of."

His arm came around you, pulling your to his chest as you felt his lips in your hair. Hand rubbing up and down your shoulder as you wiped your eyes, sure that the mascara you had was now rings on your face.

"We had P.E one day, netball or something, and I remember jumping.... and then nothing. I woke up to my mum crying, a cast on my leg because I landed badly. It took months of rehab to get myself back to my old habits but now... eating out kinda scares me. I know it's stupid and-"

"It's not stupid."

You peered up at him, his eyes soft even though his expression hasn't changed. His hand brushed your hair back and turned you to face him.

"It's not stupid at all. You went through something traumatic and you reacted how you thought best. But the relationship you have with food is still fragile and that's understandable. We don't have eat out."

"But-"

"Don't do that. Don't deflect and worry about me, that's my job. I'm supposed to look after you, doll. How about we go to the supermarket and you choose something we can make together? And we buy something small that's premade... like some dumplings or some mochi?"

You could manage that... you thought.

"But Hajime..."

A soft kiss on your lips silenced you, hands cupping you face as he leaned into you.

"Let's take one day at a time, ok?

[junicai]

infinite.

| summary | When Aria's with her boys, it feels like the sky's the limit.

| word count | 2.3k

| warnings | none

| era | circa. June 2021, filming for Hello, Future music video

The grass in the empty stadium had been liberally covered in fake flower petals - the healthy green of regularly watered grass slowly becoming overshadowed by the light pink and yellow that settled lightly atop it. 

The white corduroy overalls that Aria donned were splashed with colour in fake paint splotches to compliment the petals - yellows and greens and pinks mixed with blues and oranges in a jumble of streaks that were stark against the otherwise plain material. The Doc Martens that all eight of the members had been fitted for were all padded at the toe and the heel - lest the hard rubber break away skin and cause them to bleed during filming.

Aria crunched several petals underfoot in the heavy boots as she wandered over to the other boys who had been released from hair and makeup a handful of minutes before her. 

The sun was just reaching it’s highest point in the sky, the heat bearing down onto her exposed midriff and almost entirely cancelling out the cool breeze that threatened to rise goosebumps on her stomach. The floaty, bell-sleeved crop top was, in Aria’s opinion, absolutely gorgeous. She had already planned out the best way to corner Heejin unnie - one of the stylists that had an especially soft spot for Aria and her pout, when used effectively. 

Shaking her freshly dyed blue hair out of her eyes, Aria broke out into a light jog to catch up to Renjun, swinging an arm around the boy’s shoulders. 

“Hi!” She smiled brightly. 

Renjun wrinkled his nose at her playfully. “Hey. You done in makeup?”

Nodding, Aria replied, “Yeah. They wanted to touch up the colour in my hair and stick a couple more tattoos around.” She pointed to the new daisy sitting underneath her eye, and the Make Peace, Not War written in differing fonts along her left forearm. 

He aah’d exaggeratedly, patting his own upside-down HELLO on his arm absent-mindedly, before frowning lightly. “Is your colour coming out already? I thought they only dyed it a couple days ago.” Lifting up a hand, Renjun brushed away the strands in Aria’s fringe that were falling into her eyes, cringing lightly when they came away covered in blue residue. 

Aria pulled away from his fingers, shaking her fringe back into place. “They didn’t have any dye left, so it’s hair chalk.” She explained. 

Renjun made another noise of understanding, looking at his smurf coloured fingertips thoughtfully. When his eyes flickered up to meet Aria’s, they had a mischievous glint in them, and she barely had the chance to turn on her heel and break out into a run before Renjun was giving chase hot on her heels. 

“No!” 

“Yes!” 

Her boots were beginning to rub the skin around her ankle raw, still not broken in enough to stand the test of a sprint through a football field, but Renjun was behind her - holding up his hand threateningly - and that was enough to keep her powering through the burn.

“Stop it!” Aria panted, laughter beginning to soil her already failing lung capacity. Her pace was lagging, but much to her relief; so was Renjun’s. With a final burst of energy at seeing the ground she’d gained on him, Aria made her escape attempt-

Only to be captured by Jeno, strong arms wrapping around her waist and swinging her around in a circle to be plopped right back down in front of a now jogging Renjun, an evil smile on his face. 

“Lee Jeno!” Aria protested, wriggling against the arms that had yet to release her. “Let me goo!” 

He deigned not to respond, but Aria could see the matching glint in his eye, and she resigned herself to her fate. He shared a nod of understanding with Renjun who was advancing slowly now that his victim was immobile. 

“Renjun.”

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. 

“Renjun, I’m sorry.”

His smurf-hand raised threateningly again. 

“I’ll do your dishes for a week.” 

With a final step, Renjun was now within a half-arms distance from Aria. 

“Jenooo-” Aria cut herself off with a squeak, as Renjun dragged his fingers over the bridge of her nose, leaving behind a trail of the blue hair chalk. Aria flailed in Jeno’s grip, but he held her fast, even going so far as to tug her down into his lap on the ground to hold her steady. 

Now entirely stuck, Aria resorted to flailing her limbs as much as she could, which really wasn’t a lot when Jeno tucked her legs beneath his knees, trapping her with all four of his limbs as Renjun rubbed the rest of the hair chalk off of his fingertips and onto Aria’s nose and cheeks. 

Revenge enacted, her attacker eventually settled back onto his heels, fingers now chalk free - having spread most of it over Aria’s face as a replacement for blush. 

Aria let out a small sneeze when the loose dust tickled her nose, blinking harshly in surprise. 

With her eyes closed, she couldn’t see the hand Renjun held to his heart, or the pout that Jeno’s lips formed at the cute sound. The two men peered up at each other, silently agreeing that: Yes, it was unfair that she looked so tiny and cute with blue blush. Sometimes, life wasn’t fair, and it was coming for Renjun and Jeno’s heart in the form of a very tiny girl with a blueberry nose. 

With a pat on the arm from Renjun, Jeno released Aria from his grip who promptly turned around and rained a series of light smacks onto his chest, only stopping when her rings snagged in the necklace he wore. He made no effort to help her, asides from holding her up when he accidentally leaned back and nearly took her down with him. 

“Traitor!” She declared once she had untangled the jewelry. For her own revenge, she ran a finger through her hair to collect the chalk and smudged the colour onto Jeno’s cheek in a bright smear. 

The shocked look in his wide eyes was enough to have Renjun coughing out a laugh, the other two soon following. The patch of grass they had settled onto was far enough away from the filming location that there were no petals to hinder Aria’s plans of laying down onto her back, hands splayed over her stomach as she laughed along with the boys. 

“Guys!” It was Mark’s call that drew their attention away from the coloured chalk - although Renjun did let out another snicker at the light blue cloud that Aria’s hair left on the grass where she had been laying - and together the trio made their way back over to the other five members. 

When Jeno and Renjun got distracted in comparing the temporary tattoos they had both been decorated with, Aria slowed her pace enough to let the two wander ahead without her. 

She slid her focus away from the duo and towards the group that had settled in between the flower-covered goalposts, some standing, some sitting.

The bright colours of this concept was a nice change, Aria thought. She loved doing sexier concepts - don’t get her wrong, she loved the empowerment that came with it, and the twitter reactions were always fun to scroll through - but she’d missed this kind of bubble pop. Songs that made something uncurl up in your chest, complemented and encouraged by all the bright colours and messages. 

When Aria had read through the lyrics the first time, she’d never felt like she’d loved a song more without hearing it. They meant something, especially to her. 

Hello, Future; and all that.

And the costuming was always so fun. Short skirts were never the most ideal things to dance in, and the heeled shoes were the bane of her existence (no matter how good she looked in them) so the sturdy boots and durable overalls was a welcome switch-out. 

Her boys looked happy with it as well.

With Hot Sauce, there was an infinite amount pressure to get it right. It was the first full album that NCT Dream was going to release, and it was 8DREAM. They had Mark back. They were all adults at that point. There were expectations to meet. They couldn’t pass things off as being children anymore; they had millions of eyes watching them, and it was like having someone breathing down your neck. 

The pressure just kept mounting and mounting until it loomed over them all like dark clouds that you could just know held heavy rain. It was like they were debuting all over again. Re-debuting as eight again. Aria doesn’t think she remembers a single thing from the set at all. The whole thing is just a blur in her memory. 

Hello, Future, this time around, is different. The members had gathered in the living room around Donghyuck’s laptop when the Hot Sauce music video aired, watching as the views racked up and positive comment after positive comment poured in. They’d read through each and every one, Mark and Aria translating the English ones that the others couldn’t read. 

If Aria cried, one arm wrapped tightly around Jaemin, with the other held Mark’s right hand in his lap, then no one commented on it. It could be, because they had tears of their own in their eyes - but no one can say for sure.

They ended up sleeping on the floor that night, laptop discarded on the couch that was stripped bare of pillows and throw blankets. Curled around each other - this time with her head on Renjun’s chest and her stomach monopolized by both Chenle and Jisung lying horizontal from each other, Aria felt the tension and the fear that had been teeming underneath her shoulders for the last two months abate. 

The terror that if the album had flopped, then they’d be facing disbandment like so many kneitzens wanted. 

Or worse: Dream would keep going, but they’d lose Mark again. 

Even the thought made something horrible curl up in the pit of Aria’s stomach. 

No. 

Never again. 

The odd sleeping arrangements were not something that were uncommon in the Dreamies dorm (Honestly, Aria can’t remember the last time she had slept alone in a room, let alone a bed. They had a system worked out for when someone genuinely needed time alone, but otherwise, most bedroom doors remained open all night.)

This time, Mark was forcibly settled into the middle, everyone clamoring that he’d missed out on nearly three years of them - and he wasn’t getting ride of them that easily again. 

To his credit, Mark went without much argument, although that probably falls down due to the fact that god, he had missed them too. 

Over the weeks of practicing together, re-working the choreography for the songs that had been released when Dream was seven members only, they found their rhythm again. The one that they had lost in 2019, the one that Mark had taken with him when he’d graduated from the group.

Finding it again felt easier than breathing. 

Aria thought she’d never get to see her boys smile so brightly as they did together again, giving the colourful flowers lining the grass a run for their money. 

From her position a ways away from the group, she watched as Chenle immediately launched himself at Jeno as soon as he was close enough, tackling the older boy onto the ground where they both landed with a thud, Chenle’s head whipping backwards with the force.

She watched as Jeno - ever careful - had tucked a hand behind Chenle’s head to catch him even before they started to fall, his hand taking all the impact as they came into contact with the ground.

Jisung was quick to clamber up, eager to pull Renjun over to Jaemin and show him what they had been doing. She watched as Jaemin held up a small crown made of the fake petals, held together loosely by the short strands of confetti that were scattered around the goalposts. 

Mark was leaning his back against the post, head tilted down onto Donghyuck’s shoulder. Donghyuck was watching Jeno and Chenle wrestle with each other - cheering for one or the other, depending on who was winning at that exact moment. 

Aria watched as Donghyuck slowly slipped into silence, tilting his head down to look at Mark’s peaceful expression as the eldest seemed to almost doze off on his shoulder. 

And, she watched as Donghyuck lifted his eyes, flickering from each of the members. His eyebrows furrowed, scanning the group again before he craned his neck towards the rest of the field.

When his eyes locked onto Aria’s, he raised an eyebrow, but deigned to stay quiet - choosing against startling Mark with a yell. His expression was enough, though. 

Donghyuck understood Aria on a certain level that she thought not a lot of people could. She had a unique bond with each member of Dream, but Donghyuck sometimes knew what was going on in her head before she even did. 

Which is why, instead of teasing her for being an introvert, or running away; when Aria strolled up to join the group he just extended the arm that wasn’t wrapped around Mark’s waist, beckoning to her.

After being firmly tucked into his other side, Aria curled into his chest with a sigh, shivering lightly when the sun slid behind a cloud for a brief second and the air felt cooler than it had all day.

Feeling her shudder, Donghyuck tilted his head down to look at her the same way he’d looked at Mark a moment ago, before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

“You okay?” 

Aria nodded. “M’okay.” 

(Donghyuck didn’t realize that his lips were blue from the chalk until Jisung pointed it out, some thirty minutes later.)

[misc-headcanons]

Hey! May I request some morning after HCs for Sanji Law and Zoro with a fem s/o?

Sanji 

Regardless of chest size, he naturally rests his head against his s/o’s breasts. He is naturally inclined to nestle himself in the tiddy, and may actually dream about soft things as a result whenever his cheek and lips brush against them--kissing really soft rose petals, floating on an extra-soft and silky lilypad in the ocean, etc. He always wakes up from a pleasant dream when he’s spent the night with his s/o.

If his s/o has said she’d be okay with it, he’d want to wake her up with some morning oral. If not, that’s okay too! He’ll try his best not to wake them up if he’s up before them, but he’ll move a little bit to hold them closer and maybe gently kiss their cheek. 

Will NOT get up until his s/o is awake because he doesn’t want to wake her. Once her eyes open, he’ll run his fingers on her sides before giving them a good morning kiss. The two of them only get up after at least a few minutes of cuddling under the sheets, minimum. He’ll offer to make them breakfast before anyone else on the crew, and he’ll even carry them to the dining room bridal style after putting on a robe or something on her; he’ll put on a shirt and pants before heading out with them, of course. He’d love to see her wearing his shirt or jacket as a nightshirt, but he’ll still insist on putting a robe or something over her as well. He doesn’t want anyone else to see how cute she looks wearing his shirt and nothing else.

He’ll draw a bath for her if she wants one, and if she says she’s not hungry he’ll join her (if not, he wants to make breakfast for her as soon as possible. He hates the idea of his beloved having any kind of hunger, even if it’s barely there at all). 

If she wants to help him cook or make a cup of coffee/tea while he’s in the kitchen, he always hugs her from behind at least once whenever she’s in proximity to him. He’s so ridiculously affectionate, but in the morning it’s a special kind of softness. It’s less over the top with his heart eyes and dramatic declarations, and feels much more intimate when he gives her a sleepy kiss and gently sways a bit while he holds her close from behind as the breakfast he’s made for the two of them is cooling off on the counter.

Law

He has nightmares more often than not, but they rarely happen after he’s spent the night with his s/o. Something about their presence makes him feel less tense/wound-up/stressed, so sleeping with them is much more comforting and pleasant than sleeping alone. This is more apparent if they’d had sex the night before, and he thinks it’s due to the endorphins released during orgasm. This is a half-truth: it’s because he loves her. Endorphins. Law, you fucking nerd.

He naturally wakes up early and he enjoys just watching his s/o sleep until she wakes up. Out of context, he knows it sounds kind of creepy to just watch his s/o sleep. It’s just comforting to see her safe and comfortable next to him, you know? It subconsciously lets him relax, even if it’s just a little bit. Plus...she looks cute when she sleeps.

When he sees that she’s awake, he usually just puts his hand on hers as opposed to full-on cuddling the way Sanji does. Still, if she did it he wouldn’t mind at all. He’s kind of quiet in the morning and doesn’t talk much, just enjoying their shared warmth in the bed and the hazy dim light from the surface coming through the water while the Tang is submerged.

Is definitely the kind of guy who enjoys morning sex: Lazy, casual, sleepy kisses and wandering hands underneath the sheets. He likes how domestic it feels since he doesn’t get to experience that very often. He’ll initiate it either in bed or after they both get up and are in the shower together, under the guise of washing her back or something before his hands travel lower and lower.

Zoro

Zoro doesn’t sleep longer than maybe 2 or 3 hours at a time, so this would be more of a post-sex nap than a full night’s sleep after sex. If it is late and his s/o is in deep sleep like a normal person, he’ll get out of bed (trying not to wake them) and maybe rest a hand on their cheek for a moment before going to train in the crow’s nest, getting something to eat, or just patrolling the deck of the Sunny.

He naturally falls asleep with an arm around or over his s/o, so he always has to make sure he pulls his arm out from them without waking them up. Whenever he accidentally wakes them up, he just asks if they’re gonna get up with him or stay in bed. If it’s still late at night or early in the morning, she usually just wants to stay and sleep for a while longer. He doesn’t make her stay or go if she doesn’t want to, but sometimes he likes to stay in bed with her and relax instead of getting up from his nap right away.

He’s got a lot of stamina and power when it comes to “physical activities~”, so if his s/o is a bit more fragile he’d bluntly ask if she can walk or if she needs to lean on him. Because of this, he may have her do some stretches with him after she wakes up every morning so that on nights they do have sex, he doesn’t wind up making her too sore. 

Of these three he’s the least cuddly in the morning, but that doesn’t mean he’s not affectionate at all. Like I said, he’ll brush his hand over her cheek while she’s sleeping and he naturally spoons her while he’s sleeping, but he’ll also nuzzle her neck and kiss her when he feels her move around a bit after waking up. He likes how nice she smells in the morning, but conveniently doesn’t reply whenever she says that if he bathed regularly then he too could smell kind of nice after a night of sweaty sex. If they’re passing through a Winter island, he’ll want to pull them closer for warmth and will wake up between naps to reach for a bottle of sake by his bed before cuddling back up to them.

[thatnerdwolfnell]

Pocky challenge: MC x Main six

The Pocky game is a party game played withPocky, a Japanese chocolate- or candy-coated biscuit snack. Two participants place the Pockybetween them “Lady and the Tramp” style, and try to be the last to hold onto the biscuit, often resulting in a kiss.

^coppied from google.

Ohohoho. Yes. Thank you. I love you. This would have been done yesterday, but I was a dumb bastard and I ran out of my meds so I was busy feeling like general shit. Sidenote: me and my uni friends used to do this with gummy bears before Covid because we have no shame I guess? Idk.

Pocky game Mc and Main 6

Asra:

He loves it. Even when you kiss him regularly he still loves the thrill and challenge of the game.

He has a bit of a competitive streak so if he has to he will full on kiss you and suck the slimy ass pocky out of your mouth. (I'm sorry for that image)

When he pulls out some strawberry pocky hes already got that cheeky knifecat smirk on his face.

He rattles the box a bit specifically to draw your attention

He gets that dark heavy sparkle in his eyes as he puts the strawberry end between his lips and just looks at you, completely still.

You try to hide your smile, you love when he gets like this.

Asra has a thing for games.

You shift over on the couch enough that you can take the end of end of the pocky in your teeth.

He leans in to take another bite and steadies you with an unexpected hand sliding up from the small of your back.

you raise an eyebrow

The corner of his mouth twitches up into a grin.

he takes a deep breath and holds it as he inches closer. He somehow has nibbling the pocky within millimeters down to a practiced skill and he always holds his breath when he starts getting close. It's a focus thing and probably to keep from moving too much. You can tell he expects to win.

You lace a hand through his hair gently anchoring at the nape of his neck, and bite off most of your end

He blinks in surprise and finally lets out his breath slow enough that it catches in his throat and sends goosebumps down your spine.

His face is so warm next to yours. You can hear his heartbeat, quick and shallow in his chest.

"Gib ub yet?" You ask. There's not much left of the pocky but you know he won't stop.

He grins around the pocky.

The hand on your back slides to your waist. The other skims along your thigh and you gasp slightly.

He doesn't break eye contact. You let out a shaky breath as he nibbles just enough off to keep your lips from touching. If you moved you could easily kiss him.

He plays dirty. He likes teasing you. Waiting for your next move.

You kiss him hard and push him down onto the couch taking the whole last bit of the pocky in your mouth and crunching down.

He tilts his head back and laughs his hair falling back into his face.

"mm I think you cheated" he smirks and leans in to kiss along your jaw

"So did you." You say. You grab another pocky and smooth his hair away from his face before you push off.

Nadia:

Well Nadia isn't really one for party games but she IS one for food. (I think we have a couple different canon scenes I could use as evidence here)

She's never heard of it but she's intrigued.

It's after dinner and you're both still at the table. This isn't something she would ever do in public

"If you wanted me to kiss you, all you had to do was ask...but if you'd rather earn it that can be arranged"

She takes a pocky and gently feeds the end in your mouth.

"If you drop it you'll have to earn my kisses some other way. And I'll be sure to make it a very long night."

She smiles sweetly with just a hint of a smirk and your heart skips a beat.

The way she looks at you with so much reverence, like you're one of her intricate, beautiful machines and she'll take you apart piece by piece just to understand every part.

She starts eating her end and you do the same. She somehow looks elegant with her lips pressed around the pocky and the heat of her breath condensing against the chocolate.

She pauses at the very last bit and let's you close the gap. Her lipstick tastes sweet and floral.

You deepen the kiss and run a hand along her shoulder.

She grabs you by the waist and leans you back against the table in one smooth movement without breaking the kiss.

One hand pins your wrist against the wood above your head while the other is still wrapped around your waist under your back so that it arches slightly.

"I didn't say you could do that, MC." There's amusement in her voice that draws in a low whisper.

She gently caresses down your neck stopping in the middle of your chest. "But I don't want to wait."

She kisses you and you kiss back letting your hands wander through her hair while she presses down over you.

"that's good, love. We should do this more often."

Julian:

He suggests it at the rowdy raven one night. A game he picked up in his pirate days.

"Come on, who's down for a little fun? Make the party more interesting."

Nadia rolls her eyes.

Portia immediately looks at you and pointedly tilts her head at Julian, wiggling an eyebrow suggestively.

You blush a little. You're about to volunteer to play when Lucio steps in.

"I'm up for the challenge. Give you a chance to get near my lips, hey Jules?"

If Julian is disappointed, he doesn't show it. He just grins and pulls out a pocky. "Alright that's the spirit!"

They move down the pocky rather fast and it's clearly a competition. Neither hesitates before meeting in the middle. Julian pulls of with a dramatic peck before pulling away just as fast.

"Anybody else?"

"I'll go!" You take your chance a little too quickly and you see Portia smile in the corner of your eye.

Ah MC. Perfect!" He seems surprised. Maybe a little flustered.

You take a pocky in your mouth and offer him the other end.

He blushes and leans in to start chipping at the biscuit.

He smells like salt and leather. You can feel his heartbeat in his lips moving the stick.

You lean in further, resting a hand on his knee as if for balance. He stiffens but you can see his smirk grow wider.

You both hesitate at the last little piece, caught in the moment of closeness. You start to move to take it and kiss him but he pulls away before you do.

You look at him startled. He's bright red and flustered.

"Ah. um MC I- I didn't think you were going to-"

He's been doing this. Avoiding you when he knows you both want it. You've had enough of that.

"Did you want to?"

He blinks. "What?"

"Kiss me. Did you want to?"

You hold him under your gaze and his eyes soften into something like longing. Or guilt. Or hunger.

"...yes." he says it simply and quietly. Like the only true thing he can find in a single soft word.

And you kiss him. You feel him melt into the kiss and he's kissing you back.

You hold his face in your hands and he pulls you in closer.

You can feel how much he wants this. Like water in the desert. His brow is furrowed in desperation. You break away.

The hurt in his eyes is obvious and you brush his hair out of his face rubbing a thumb along his cheek.

"Hey," you look him in the eyes and try to convey everything in that look. "I'm not going anywhere, you get that?"He nods.

"We can have this all the time." You say.

His eyes wander down your body. "All the time..." He repeats softly.

You kiss him again, much gentler this time. He pulls you in and you feel like THIS is how things were always supposed to be. And this is the life you want to have. With Julian and your friends, and everything right in the world.

Muriel :

He is a blushy boy. But he's been approaching things like this with curiosity, and maybe even wonder, even if it can be hard to tell.

He never refuses a touch or a kiss, and for a while you weren't sure he knew he COULD refuse.

You don't want to make him uncomfortable and you were worried he just tolerated it for your sake.

While he's been getting better, he still lacks awareness of what he wants and likes. You've been helping him figure out his boundaries after years of having them constantly violated and convincing himself that it doesn't matter.

When you told him he seemed surprised. "No, I like it, MC. I always like it." He made it clear that he would say no if he was uncomfortable, "like with cantaloupe or bananas." He said.

(Not eating foods he didn't like had been game changer. A lot of textures bother him.)

Since then he's been making more of an effort to initiate and touch has become something of communication for him.

Hand squeezes for comfort, an arm barring you from accidentally stepping in a rabbit hole, a touch on the shoulder to say "be careful", a nudge to say "look at this", a nuzzle into your neck to say "I love you"

It's just easier than talking. It's how he's always talked to Asra amd Inanna despite the telepathy.

But this is something different.

"But...why?" He asks as you take a pocky from the box. He's already blushing like crazy.

"Because it's fun." You say and you put the end in your mouth.

He frowns but you can see the amusement in his eyes.

He takes a small bite off the end and leans back chewing it curiously.

You laugh. "No, you're supposed to keep going and we hold on until we get to the middle."

"Oh." He leans back in and starts eating away at his end. He looks at you for confirmation, a look of confusion on his face.

You smile and inch closer.

He's bright red and you can feel the heat from his face and his heartbeat, strong and fast.

You both pause at the last bit, daring the other to make a move.

His green eyes are bright and sharp as they lock with yours for just a glance.

Then he closes the gap kissing you gently. Eyes closed, taking the last bit before moving away.

A hand rests on your waist and the other on your shoulder.

"Sorry, did you want the last bit?" You think he's teasing you, but the alarm in his eyes say he's completely serious.

You laugh "no, of course not. I just wanted to kiss you."

He smiles and pulls you into his arms. "I know. But I thought you still... might have wanted it." He shrugs.

He looks down at you and you feel his heart skip. "You could still taste it. ...if you wanted to that is."

What? His mouth twitches up into a slight smirk.

OH.

You kiss him for real this time. And you both end up on the floor of the hut laughing.

You kiss him again.

And he kisses you.

Again and again and again.

Portia:

Yeah she's definitely played before.

Something about the kitchen staff at the last masquerade?

Anyway the rowdy raven has gotten, well, rowdy.

Julian brought the pocky and there's enough overly competitive people in the room that there's been a few kisses.

Portia grabs the box from brother and shakes it teasingly in your direction.

"MC!" She winks. "How about it?"

Her face is flushed from Mazelinka's sangria that she snuck in (which you're pretty sure is actually just pure liquor) but Portia can hold her drink despite going red rather quickly.

You grin. "If you think you're up for it."

You get up and sit down next to her and move a piece of hair off her shoulder, resting your hand there longer than you need to.

She's beautiful when she's smiling like this, having fun.

You can't help a bit of a smile when she leans into your hand slightly while she takes out a pocky.

While you're distracted, she suddenly pokes the end into your mouth making you jump back in surprise.

"Mm hey!"

She just laughs leaning back in the booth letting her giggles fade with a snort.

"Don't drop it!" She says between laughs.

"I'b not!" The pocky is still hanging from your mouth and you wiggle it around for emphasis.

She leans forward and takes the other end in her mouth.

Her eyes sparkle and suddenly she's reaching her arms around your waist pulling you in closer

Your eyes widen and she smirks. You feel the exhale of a silent laugh on your skin.

You're so close and she's so warm. Your heart is pounding.

There isn't much left of the stick and you're not sure if–

Oh.

You didn't mean to but now your lips are together and they're warm and solid and everything seems to explode at once.

The last bit of pocky falls to the ground as you gasp.

She frowns slightly when you pull away, but she still has that self-satisfied expression.

You lean in again and lift your hand towards her face. Hesitating. Waiting for permission.

But then she gives you a look through her lashes. She glances again at your lips.

You tilt your head as you lean in and close your eyes, cradling her face in your hand and letting the other press against her waist.

She moves closer and you can feel her chest pressing against yours.

You pull her tighter and she makes a small delighted noise between a laugh and a gasp.

"Oh. I love this." You say between kisses.

She grins. "This'll be an adventure, hey?"

Lucio:

He sets the box of pocky on the table in front of you.

"You've heard of the pocky game right?"

You nod, unsure of where this is going. Normally Lucio is pretty straightforward about kissing you.

"Well how about a little wager? If you win I'll get you whatever the hell you want, a whole shopping spree of the finest jewels, clothes, whatever."

You nod again. "Alright and if you win?"

He shifts uncomfortably wringing his hands. "Well, if I win.... youhavetotakeCamiotohisvetcheckup."

You sigh. Oh god. So that's what this was about. Camio HATED the vet. That rascal of a bird would be screeching insults the whole time.

You could see why Lucio was trying to get out of it.

You love that little shit, but damn he could be annoying. He's the kind of bird that will hold a grudge for about a week, and he does not take vet trips lightly.

"Please?" Says Lucio, "and if we meet in the middle we go together."

"You realize that I could just say no and make you do it yourself, right?"

"But you're not going to because I'm your boyfriend and you love me?"

You frown.

"Okay but then you wouldn't get to kiss me. Plus Camio likes you more, he'll be nicer with you there."

You pause considering. It WOULD be good to have a buffer instead of leaving the poor vet with Camio and Lucio by themselves.

"Fine, but ONLY if you win, remember?"

"YES!" he eagerly grabs a pocky and sticks one end in his mouth.

You take the other end and start chewing as fast as you can.

He takes a moment to get his bearings and catch up but once he does you're both at the very end right before the middle.

Neither of you want to move, both trying to avoid the task.

You try to get him to back down by inching a little closer, but he stays put.

He moves the tiniest bit.

And then you kiss.

fuck.

"YES!" He shouts, jumping back in triumph.

"You have to come too, still." You say.

Yeah but i won't mind if you're there."

You sigh and lean back.

"Oh come on don't look like that. We'll do a half shopping spree. That seems more fair anyway. I get half a win, you get half a win."

You laugh. "Alright, alright. Where is that stupid bird anyway?"

[kilibaggins]

I Like Murphy, Too

Murphy x Clarke x Bellamy fic (Mostly Murphamy If I’m Being Honest)

Ao3 Link: HERE

Request: Not Requested!

Prompt: “Person A falls for both person B and person C but B and C hate each other”

Summary: Clarke Griffin is polyamorous, Bellamy knew this when they first started dating. What Bellamy didn't know though, is that when it came down to it,  John Murphy is the other man she likes.

A/N: This is the longest Fic i have ever written. It’s the reason I got behind and im not fics behind on my april challenge im doing lol. I hope you enjoy??

Setting: Peaceful Arkadia AU

Warnings: Death of Murphy's parents is mentioned, Alcohol, and i think that’s it?

Word Count: 6009

Tags: @lovelessdyke​ @ultimatereyesstan

~~~

“You what?” Bellamy asks, looking at Clarke surprised. Clarke shakes her head softly and sighs. She quickly latches the button on her pants.

“I like Murphy, too.” Clarke says, putting on her jacket. Bellamy slips on his shirt and scoffs.

“Seriously?” Bellamy asks, and Clarke crosses her arms and looks at him.

“Look, I told you I’m poly when we first got together. I told you this might happen.” Clarke says, and Bellamy throws his arms up.

“Yeah! But I thought it would be like, Raven or Someone else, not Murphy!“ Bellamy exclaims, plopping down on the bed. Clarke sighs and shakes her head.

“Your issue is with who I like?” Clarke asks, walking forward. Bellamy looks up at her, his shoulder obviously tense. She brings her hand to his face and cups it.

“I don’t like him.” Bellamy grounds out, and Clarke sighs. She steps back and grabs her gun holster from the top of her dresser.

“That’s because you won’t give him a chance.” She says, walking over to the other side of the room, where her boots lay. She grabs them and walks over to the bed. She sits down and starts putting them on.

“Listen, you know i'm supportive of you, and heck if it was anyone else I’d probably be happy, but Murphy isn’t good.” Bellamy says, his voice low. Clarke sighs and gets up.

“Did you know he’s been working with my mother in the med bay?” Clarke asks, going to the little bathroom that is connected to their room. Bellamy gets up and followers her into it, watching as she grabs her toothbrush. “Or that he’s been helping Monty at the gardens? Or that he’s been helping Miller and Brian get along? Or that he’s been-”

“Okay, okay I get it.” Bellamy says, grabbing his toothbrush as well, pushing Clarke slightly to the side. Clarke grabs the toothpaste, and Bellamy takes it from her hand before she can use it. She glares up at him through the mirror and Bellamy hides a smile.

“Do you really? Because he’s not bad. He’s misunderstood.” Clarke says, letting Bellamy give her back the toothpaste. Bellamy Sighs and starts brushing.

Bellamy brushes for a second, before pulling out the tooth brush and spitting into the sink “Listen, he killed two kids.” Bellamy says, and Clarke raises an eyebrow.

“Okay? And we killed all of the mountain men.” Clarke says, putting her tooth brush in. Bellamy sighs.

“That’s different. We did it for an actual reason.” Bellamy says, going to brush his teeth more. Clarke spits out some toothpaste and sighs exasperated.

“He had his own reasons too!” Clarke says, grabbing the cup next to the sink and putting water in it. She takes some into her mouth and spits out the rest of the toothpaste. She always brushes way faster than him, he hates it because it gives her more time to talk during these morning discussions they regularly have.

“Yeah, like revenge. How is that anything similar to why we did what we did?” Bellamy asks, now spitting out his toothpaste again. He grabs the cup and rinses out his mouth, before following Clarke out of the bathroom.

“He did it to save himself. He was scared, Bellamy. Have you even bothered to ask about how he felt?” Clarke asks, grabbing a few more things from her dresser drawer. Bellamy sighs and opens his drawer to grab a few of his own things.

“Listen, I can’t stop you from liking him, Hell, even being with him, but I’m not going to like it. I don’t want anywhere near him.” Bellamy says, and Clarke Grabs his arm before he can walk away.

“Bell, please.” Clarke says softly. Bellamy lets her grab his hand and She looks up into his eyes. “Please, Bell. I want this to work. I want you and him to get along.” She says.

“That’s never going to happen.” Bellamy says, taking his hand away.

“At least try. Come to lunch with us today.” Clarek says, and Bellamy sighs. He looks to the ground and then back up at Clarke, her eyes wide and begging. He feels his stubborn-ness give and he sighs softly.

“Okay, fine, I’ll have lunch with you, two.” Bellamy says, and Clarke smiles widely. She jumps forward and kisses him softly, and Bellamy smiles into the kiss.

“Thank you, Bell.” Clarke says, her voice filled with love.

“Anything for you, Princess.”

During the day, Before Clarke went in to get her job done, she stopped by to tell Murphy about everything. Murphy wasn’t surprised that Bellamy didn’t trust thim, If he was being honest he barely even trusted Bellamy, but for Clarke he’ll try anything. And if that means along the way he and Bellamy get closer, then he might as well try. So, he agreed to join them.

A few hours later, Bellamy and Clarke are sitting at a table in Arkadia’s eating area, they both have their plates, and drinks, and are eating as they talk about the day.

“Murphy should be here by now.” Bellamy says, taking a bit of his food. He brings his head back up and looks at Clarke. Clarke grabs her napkin and brings it up to wipe at a spot on his lip where some food stayed. He smiles softly at her, “Thanks.”

“He’s probably just running a little late.” Clarke says, putting down her napkin and taking a bite herself.

“He probably decided to ditch us.” Bellamy snarks, taking a drink of his water. Clarke sighs and puts down her fork.

“He wouldn’t do that.” Clarke says, looking at Bellamy with a serious expression.

“Ah, right, because the guy who was a juvenile delinquent wouldn’t skip out on lunch.” Bellamy snarks, and then a voice comes from behind them.

“Yeah, uh, sorry. Miller came in with a cut the size of my hand on his side. I had to patch him up.” Clarke looks behind her to see Murphy standing there, looking at Bellamy with a look that tells her this will not be easy. She jumps up and kisses him on the cheek. “Hey.” He says, smiling at her, like she can make his day go from a nightmare, to a daydream. Bellamy gets that. She always cheers him up at the end of the day. Clarke grabs his hand and pulls him over to the table.

“Sorry, we kind of started without you.” Clarke says, sitting in her spot. Murphy sits next to her, on the opposite side of where Bellamy is sitting, and sighs softly, happy to be sitting down for the first time in a few hours.

“It’s fine, Clarke. You didn’t know when I’d get here.” Murphy says, raising his hand so a guy who will come get his order can see him. He always tries to give them extra help whenever he can, when he’s off work he sometimes comes in and works with them.

“Heya Murphy! The usual?” The server asks, and Murphy nods softly. The server walks away, and Murphy looks to Clarke and sighs.

“Hard day?” Clarke asks, genuinely worried.

“Yeah, a lot of people are getting hurt lately.” Murphy says, shrugging as if it’s not too much for him. Honestly, when he agreed to work with Abby, he was happy to do it. It was good for him to feel useful, and to help people. But now it’s too much sometimes. The blood gets sickening sometimes, especially when it stains his hands.

“And you’re worried about how much work you have to do?” Bellamy asks, his eyebrow raised. Clarke glares at him softly and his his leg under the table. Murphy sighs and looks down at the table. “I obviously care about them, Bellamy, or else I wouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” Murphy grounds out, trying to keep his voice calm. Bellamy has no idea what he goes through every day, or how much work he does, or anything like that. He has no right to assume all he cares about is how much time he has to work. As much as Murphy would like to cuss Bellamy out, the warmth coming from Clarke is enough to keep him grounded. He's doing this for her.

“Anyway! How has your day been?” Clarke asks, grabbing Bellamy’s hand. Murphy lets his gaze linger on the touch before smiling softly. He’s happy when Clarke can get love, in any form she does. As much as he is hesitant of Bellamy, he knows Bellamy will take care of her.

“It’s been okay. I’ve had to yell at a few people, keep them in their lane.” Belamy says, taking a bite of his food, that Clarke had forgotten existed. She feels bad eating while Murphy sits there without anything.

“Here, have a bite.” Clark says, pushing her food towards him. Murphy smiles and does as he’s told, knowing that Clarke will probably take his head off if he refuses to eat. Clarke looks around them for a moment before looking back at Bellamy, who is staring at Murphy. She sighs and kicks him under the table and gives him a look. Bellamy makes a face that Clarke knows to mean “What?!?” and Clarke glares at him.

“You guys do this often?” Murphy asks, pointing a finger between them.

“Do what?” Bellamy snaps, before taking a deep breath and calming himself. “Do what?” He asks softer this time.

“Talk with your faces.” Murphy says, a small smirk on his lips. He looks at Clarke and laughs when she blushes.

“Also, Bellamy, can you stop staring at me? I’d appreciate it. I mean, unless you’re appreciating my god given good looks.” Murphy continues and Clarke laughs and bumps into him with her shoulder. Bellamy feels his cheeks heat up despite himself and he looks back at his food, his jaw tight. Murphy sees this and back tracks a bit. “Look, man, I was just joking, sorry.” He says, pushing Clarke’s food away from him, and back to her. He reaches forward and steals Clarke’s water and takes a sip.

“Murphy!” The server says, walking over and giving him his food. Murphy smiles and nods at him.

“Thanks, how about later I help you with that shoulder? You said it's been bothering you.” Murphy says, taking his food and looking at it with excitement. He has always liked food, especially after working in the medbay.

“Really? It’s been really bugging me, it makes me slower to work.” The server says, giving him his cup and pouring water in it.

“Dude, of course. Come by the med bay after your shift.” Murphy says, trying not to think about how busy he already is. He always just keeps adding on.

“Great!” The server says, before walking off. Murphy grabs his fork and starts eating before he notices Clarke is smiling at him.

“What?” Murphy says, a smile on his face.

“I love when you help people.” Clarke says softly. Murphy smiles and feels his cheeks heat up.

“Yeah, yeah, eat it all up.” Murphy jokes, and takes a drink of his own water.

“How much do you work?” Bellamy asks, looking at Murphy. Murphy puts down his cup and messes with his hair.

“Well, I have multiple jobs. Different jobs, different days. I have the medbay, which is what I am doing today, Where I work from 7 am to 8 pm. I have a lunch break between that, as you can see right now, and I have a few other short 10 minute breaks in between.” Murphy starts to explain, and Bellamy puts down his fork to listen better. Clarke smiles, knowing that listening is one of Bellamy’s ways to show he cares. “I work at the gardens with Monty on some days, those days are more laid back. Monty doesn’t expect me to do much. Usually I just water some plants, sometimes I gather stuff. And most other days I just pick up whatever job I can to help. There’s a lot of miscellaneous jobs.” Murphy explains,taking another drink. Bellamy nods, and watching Murphy swallow the water, and he looks down at his plate and clears his throat, embarrassed at himself for watching him like that.

“So you do a lot?” Bellamy asks, and Murphy just nods and eats his food.

They sit in silence for a while, before Murphy looks at his watch and sighs heavily.

“Time to go?” Clarke asks, and Murphy nods, taking the last few bites of his food, and taking the last gulps of his drink. He gets up and stretches. Clarke Gets up and hugs him tight.

“Go save some lives.” Clarke smiles, and pushes at his shoulder. Murphy smirks and grabs his cup and plate.

“You can leave those here, the server will come and grab it.” Bellamy says, looking up at Murphy from his spot.

“Oh, I take it up for them, it makes their lives easier.” Murphy says, smiling. He then kisses Clarke on the cheek, and turns away quickly, feeling Bellamy’s eyes burn a hole in his skull. He knows Bellamy is hesitant about him being with Clarke, and if he is assuming right, he thinks he’s also a bit jealous. He walks up and gives his plate and cup to the people near the food and they smile gratefully at him.

Clarke watches him leave and sighs sadly. She sits back down and smiles at Bellamy.

“I guess it's just us for a little bit.” Clarke says, grabbing Bellamy’s hand. Bellamy squeezes her hand and brings it to his lips kissing it softly.

“Finally.” He mumbles and Clarke sighs and takes her hand away.

“Why are you like this? Why can’t you just try to be nice about him? I care about him Bellamy, and I’m trying to get you two to get along. Murphy is obviously trying. He had less of a problem with this than you did. Why can’t you just try?” Clarke asks, looking at him with sadness in her eyes. Bellamy sighs and sits back in his seat, crossing his arms.

“He’s a delinquent!” Bellamy says, gesturing towards the place where Murphy had left from. Clarke shakes her head and sighs, she gets up and grabs her plate and cup.

“I think you forget that I was too.” Clarke says, before walking off. Bellamy watches her leave, and thinks about things for a minute.

She’s right, he knows she is. It’s not right of him to give every other delinquent a chance but then not give Murphy one. It’s just hard for him. He cares a lot about Clarke,and he doesn’t want her to get hurt, and he doesn’t trust Murphy. And now, in his anger towards Murphy, he has hurt Clarke. He shakes his head and gets up, leaving his plate and cup on the table.

Two weeks later, after Bellamy being invited to lunches and enjoying his time more than he’d like to admit, he caves. He goes to Murphy’s room, and knocks on the door, waiting for Murphy to open the door.

Murphy opens the door, his chest bare and his hair a mess, Bellamy notices he looks tired. Bellamy accident stares too long at Murphy’s chest, looking at all of the scars there, and Murphy notices, and Looks down at himself before his eyes widen and his cheeks flush and he closes the door. Bellamy is about to leave after blowing it, before the door opens again, and reveals Murphy, who threw on a shirt.

“Uh, sorry I just-”

“What do you want?” Murphy cuts him off, not wanting to have a conversation about his scars. It’s already something he hates about himself, he doesn’t need anyone to bring them up after staring at them.

“I just- Okay, I know we don’t get along that much, mostly because of myself, but still, and I was wondering if you’d like to… I don’t know, hang out or something? Just the two of us” Bellamy asks, and Murphy’s eyes widen and his lip quirks up in a small smile. “Maybe we could go outside the gates, or maybe sit by the fire and have a drink, or something.” Bellamy continues and Murphy nods.

“Sure, I’d be happy to.” Murphy says, no sarcasm coming from his lips. Bellamy is surprised but smiles.

“Cool! Cool, uh, do you want to meet up, or should I come here at a certain time, or?” Bellamy asks and Murphy smiles.

“Uh, can we do it tomorrow, today’s kind of… Not the best day.” Murphy says, and Bellamy feels his heart drop, realizing he’s probably just trying to get out of it.

“We don’t have to do it at all if you don’t want to, all you have to do is say no.” Bellamy says,his voice slightly defensive. Murphy’s eyes drop in confusion and he shakes his head.

“No, No, I want to I just-”

“Whatever, it’s obvious you don’t want to, I’ll just go.” Bellamy says, before walking away. By the time Murphy cna open his mouth again to say something, he’s already down the hall and Murphy sighs sadly. Murphy closes the door and plops down on the bed. He takes off his shirt, and lays back down, covering himself up before letting out a long breath as his sore back hit the mattress. Yesterday had been bad, he had accidentally pulled something in his back, and he had refused to do anything about it until he broke down crying while helping Monty in the Garden. Monty had taken him to Abby, and Abby had told him he had to take today off, and stay in bed. That’s why he didn’t want to go out with Bellamy tonight. He sighs and tries to get himself to sleep again, even though the pain in his back is still pulling at him. He groans and wipes a hand over his face, realizing that this probably ruined any chance he had at Bellamy getting closer to him.

“Great.” Murphy says to the open, and empty air around him. Hopefully Bellamy doesn’t tell Clarke about this.

Bellamy walks into his and Clarke’s shared bedroom, storming over to the dresser and throwing off his jacket. He throws the jacket over a chair, and strips his holster off.

“Murphy doesn’t want to go out with me.” Bellamy says to Clarke, who just watched him storm in. Clarke raises an eyebrow at him.

“What do you mean?” Clarke asks, closing her book and putting it on the bedside stand. Bellamy huffs and slips off his shoes.

“I asked him to go out, so we could bond, and He doesn’t want to!” Bellamy says exasperatedly. He sighs sadly and Plops down on his side of the bed, turning away from Clarke. Clarke sighs softly and sits behind him, bringing her hands up to massage at his shoulders.

“Are you sure he doesn’t want to?” Clarke asks, and Bellamy looks down at his hands.

“He said he didn’t want to tonight.” Bellamy says softly. He wouldn’t admit it to Murphy, but he was hurt. He wanted this to go well. He wants to be closer to Murphy, and not just for Clarke.

“Well how do you know it doesn’t just mean tonight?” Clarke asks.

“Because why wouldn’t he be able to tonight? What’s stopping him from going out with me tonight? He had today off, tonight too, That’s why I asked him, and we’ve been getting closer the past two weeks!” Bellamy says, his tone harsh. He doesn’t want to be mean about this, but His feelings are hurt. He really doesn’t understand why Murphy wouldn’t want to go out with him. Clarke and said he was willing to try with him, and now he just decided not to be?

“I don’t know, but don’t just assume he doesn’t want to. I know Murphy, he’s been talking about you for a while now. He wants to be close to you.” Clarke says, trying to reassure Bellamy. Bellamy shrugs and sighs.

“I’m just tired, I should just sleep.” Bellamy says, and Clarke nods, letting him lay down. Clarke lays next to him, and pulls him so his head is on her chest. He sighs softly and smiles.

“Night Princess.”

In the morning, Murphy wakes up, and he still feels a dull ache in his back. He grabs the pain pills and takes them, not bothering to grab water. He slips his boots on, and thinks about Bellamy. He wants to be with Bellamy too. He wants their relationship to be good, and he’s scared he may have ruined it all last night. He sighs sadly and slips on a new shirt and pants. Today he will go to Bellamy and explain everything, even if it makes him late for work. Abby will probably just think it’s because of his back or something.

Murphy opens his door, and walks out of it, and starts walking to the guard’s building. He knows Bellamy works today, and he knows he has probably already started. He sighs and starts to walk faster, in his haste he almost runs into someone and apologizes over his shoulder.

He makes it to the guards building and just walks in, not caring about policy. He’s been practicing what he was going to say, and at this point he thinks it’s just better to be straight forward and just say exactly what he wants to. He sees Bellamy across the room and walks straight over, not caring about the people staring at him. Bellamy looks up and quickly sits up seeing Murphy there.

“I pulled my back yesterday, so I couldn’t go out with you. But I can tonight. 8 pm? Come to my room? sit by the fire and have that drink you were talking about.” Murphy rushes out, and Bellamy laughs softly.

“So I just... Completely misunderstood you?” Bellamy asks and Murphy nods. “Yup. Anyways, I’m going to be late for work, So I’ve got to go, but pick me up at 8, huh?” Murphy says, and Bellamy smiles.

“Yeah, sure Murphy, I’d love to.” Bellamy says, and Murphy node awkwardly, before turning around and walking away. Bellamy smiles to himself and Gets ready for the day. He can’t wait for tonight.

10 hours later, after a boring and uneventful day at work, Bellamy is ready to have some fun. He goes to his room, and does something with his hair that nobody understands. Everyone assumes he does something to it, but all he does is put some water on his hands and fluff around his hair a bit. He grabs a nice shirt, Not something too nice, since he doesn’t have that luxury, but something that doesn’t look horrible. He freshens up quickly, splashing his face with water changes into his new clothes he picked out. He smiles at himself in the mirror, and he quickly realizes that he’s excited. He’s excited to go out with Murphy, and he’s not sure if he wants to analyze that fact or not.

He quickly gives Clarke a peck on the lips and runs out their door, realizing he’s late. It’s his first date-but-is-it-really with Murphy, and he’s already late. He quickly, but not quickly enough to make it obvious that he;s rushed, goes down the many halls to Murphy’s room. When he gets there, he’s surprised to see Murphy just entering his room.

“Oh sh-” Murphy cuts himself off, dropping his key. He sighs and picks it up. “Sorry! Someone came in with a huge migraine and couldn’t do anything until they got meds, and I was the one who had to search through the bottles to find something this guy wasn’t allergic to. Seriously, I don’t even understand how he’s still alive on Earth, He’s allergic to almost everything.” Murphy says, laughing softly. Bellamy feels himself smile and finds the story sweet. The Murphy he used to know would never spend his time doing that for someone.

“That’s nice of you.” Bellamy says, and Murphy looks up at him with a smile.

“Yeah, I mean I’m happy to do it, He’s a good guy.” Murphy says, walking into his room which he just now got open. Murphy calls out to him from the inside, “You can come in! It’s kind of a mess, but It’s not too bad.” Bellamy hesitantly walks to the doorway and looks into the room, tilting his head. The room isn't as bad as Murphy made it out to be, but it still wasn't clean either. There are clothes strung about the room, and it looks like the bed was just rolled out of. looks into the room, tilting his head. The room isn't as bad as Murphy made it out to be, but it still wasn't clean either. There are clothes strung about the room, and it looks like the bed was just rolled out of.

“It’s not too bad.” Bellamy observes, watching as Murphy goes to his dresser and quickly grabs out clothes. Murphy picks out his outfit, and walks to the bathroom.

“I’m going to change, go ahead and sit on the end I guess.” Murphy says, shrugging. He smiles and walks into the bathroom, quickly getting ready. Bellamy finds himself standing in the middle of the room; he looks at the things on Murphy’s bedside table and smiles. He grabs the book there, reading the title. He sees that it’s Lord Of The Rings, he smiles and tries to remember the plot. He knows it has to do with a ring, an unlikely hero, and a quest with friends, but he’s not sure what happens during it. He opens the book, and looks at the bookmark. It’s a picture of a young man and woman, and a young boy is next to them. It looks like the woman’s face was once crossed out with a marker, but the marker has been scratched at, and he frowns at it. He picks up the picture and flips it over and the back says ‘The Murphy’s’ and he feels his heart break. He hears the door open behind him and he jumps, almost dropping the book and losing Murphy’s spot before catching himself. Murphy freezes when he sees what he’s doing, and winces slightly.

“I said you could sit on the bed, not look through my things.” He half jokes, walking forward and taking the book and picture from his hands and puts the picture back how it was. He puts the book down and turns to the dresser, grabbing his knife from it’s spot. When he made it to Arkadia, he made a new one, since his old one had disappeared in the chaos. He puts the knife in it’s sput on his belt, and turns to Bellamy.

“I’m sorry, I just… I like books, and I wanted to see what you were reading.” Bellamy says, “And then… that kind of turned into me looking at your bookmark.” Bellamy says, his voice dropping. Murphy shrugs.

“Oh well, It’s not like people don’t know I had a family, Bell.” Murphy says, and starts to walk out the door. “Now come on, you have a drink you owe me.” Murphy says, a smile pulling at his features. Bellamy shakes his head and laughs following him out the door. Murphy pulls it shut, and makes sure it’s locked before they walk towards the firepits.

They make it to the fire pits, and Murphy sits down on one of the logs surrounding it. And looks up at Bellamy.

“Drink?” He asks, and Bellamy nods.

“I’ll get you a drink, relax, sit back and watch the fire or something.” Bellamy says, turning around and heading to where Monty is serving his moonshine. Murphy sighs softly and looks up at the sky instead, feeling the cold air go against his face. He hears Bellamy come back, and he opens his eyes to see Bellamy with two cups in his hands.

“Oh thank God, I need a drink.” Murphy says, reaching out. Bellamy chuckles and hands it to him; he sits down and watches as Murphy takes a drink. The moonlight and the fire both create a glow to Murphy, a glow that would be described as magical in the books he read as a kid. He can’t help to think of Murphy as magical in this moment. A kid who grows up with everyone against him, yet now he’s helping everyone by being a doctor?

“I’ve heard you’re a good doctor.” Bellamy says, watching Murphy as he looks at him with happiness.

“Yeah?” Murphy asks, his mouth upturned in a large smile.

“Yeah, I’ve been asking people about you recently…” Bellamy says, before he can stop himself, he sighs realizing how embarrassing that is. “Sorry, I just… After Clarke told me about you, I was very hesitant, and I wanted to know more about you.” Bellamy says.

“Yeah, I know… I’m not the best guy in the world.” Murphy says, looking at the fire in front of him. The flames light up his face, and Bellamy can’t help but think he’s beautiful. He doesn’t know when his thoughts about Murphy went from annoyed, to thinking he’s beautiful. Maybe it was the way Clarke has been talking about him, and explaining why she liked him the way she does.

“You aren’t the worst, either.” Bellamy admits, and Murphy feels himself smile wider.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m good enough.” Murphy says softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Bellamy frowns and shakes his head, moving closer to Murphy’s side. Their thighs rub next to each other, and their shoulders bump.

“I-” Bellamy hesitates before speaking, “Look, I’m just overprotective. I worry about Clarke. I don’t want her being with someone who will hurt her. I would be worried no matter who it was, but because of our…” He trails off and gestures vaguely, “History, I’m a bit more hesitant with you.”

"I think I love her, Bell.” Murphy says, confidence in his voice. There’s no ‘think’ to it. He knows he loves her. He closes his eyes and pictures how her lips feel on his cheek, and how the feeling of her hand in his makes him feel. He can picture her smile while he’s alone, and it always cheers him up. It always keeps him going. Bellamy nods and takes a drink from his moonshine, feeling the liquid burn hsi throat slightly. Murphy’s is almost gone already, it’s obvious he’s had a hard time recently.

“I love her, too.” Bellamy says, and Murphy laughs softly. They sit there for a few minutes before Murphy randomly starts talking. Bellamy figures out quickly that he’s just randomly speaking about everything. The color of the sky, the way the trees move, it’s all subjects of Murphy’s rambling and Bellamy finds it endearing.

“Do you ever think of life up there? Do you miss it?” Bellamy asks randomly, interrupting Murphy from his rant about the chancellor. Murphy pauses for a moment, not sure how to answer.

“I think about it, but I don’t miss it. I hated it up there.” Murphy says, and Bellamy looks at him puzzled.

“After everything that’s happened to you down here, you still like it more than up there? Why?” Bellamy asks, and Murphy looks up.

“Up there, it was… Suffocating. I couldn’t get away from anything. I couldn’t get away from the people, the guards, the chancellor, the memories, they were all there. When I walked down the hall to school every day I’d see the airlock chamber and remember my dad dying for me. When I’d look at any door of any room, I’d remember running through the door to find my mom, dying on the floor. I-” He breaks himself off and he sighs. “I hate tight spaces. Always have, and That thing up there? That was the tightest spot. I hate not having control over myself, but up there every single thing I did was stared at and picked at. I was forced to be something I’m not.” Murphy rants, and Bellamy listens, putting a hand on his thigh to calm him down. He had started yelling, and that gained the attention for a few other people.

“And Here? What’s good about here?” Bellamy asks, wanting to know how Murphy feels.

“I’m free. I’m able to eat when I’m hungry, and I’m able to work a good job! I’m able to help people here, when up there I was useless. Down here there’s a possibility for so much more! I can have two kids if I’d want to, and It’ll be okay! I can get medicine for myself when I’m hurt or sick, and I can live.” Murphy says, and Bellamy nods. “My dad… He dreamed of this place. He dreamed of being able to Touch the ground, to touch the leaves… And If this is where he always wanted to be, then obviously it;s better than that piece of junk that used to be in the sky. Up there I wanted to be a doctor, but I wasn’t smart enough. I never was. Here, Abby gave me a chance, and Now I get to save people. You want to know the real, 100% reason all of this is worth it?” Murphy asks, and Bellamy nods. “Clarke… I would have never met Clarke. I would have never met her and gotten this close to her. I would have never met you...” Murphy finishes, and by the time he’s done he’s looking at Bellamy with such a wild look in his eyes.

Bellamy doesn’t understand what’s happening to him, or why he feels so connected to Murphy in this moment, but before he can stop himself he’s surging forward, and connecting their lips. Bellamy grab’s Murphy’s arms and Moves him so he’s facing him, and stradling the log they’re on. Murphy wraps his arms around Bellamy’s neck,and lets him pull him as close as possible, not worrying about the world around them. Murphy pulls back his breath heavy and a huge smile on his face.

“What was that for?” Murphy asks, a wide smile on his face. Bellamy rests his forehead on Murphy’s, and takes a deep breath. He’s not sure how to explain it. He doesn’t know what made him do that, what made him make the choice to kiss the guy he has hated for so long, but recently he just… Hasn’t hated him. The way Murphy has proven himself to be good, the way he cares so deeply for Clarke that everything he has gone through has been worth it, just to meet and fall for her, it all hits him way too hard. And the fact Murphy includes him in that, Murphy includes him in the good he has found on this nightmare of a planet, and Bellamy feels happier about that than he has felt about anything ever.

“Was meeting me really worth the pain?” Bellamy asks, suddenly questioning it. Murphy pulls back a bit and nods.

“Of course. I mean yeah, we haven’t gotten along much in the past, but for the past two weeks, we’ve been getting closer. That’s why you asked me to come, right? Because we’ve been closer?” Murphy asks, and Bellamy smiles.

“Yeah I just… I didn't think I meant that much to you, I thought I was just… Clarke’s boyfriend to you.” Bellamy says, and Murphy cups hsi cheek.

“You could never be ‘just’ anything, Bellamy.” Murphy says, leaning forward and connecting their lips once more. Bellamy pulls back for a second and looks into Murphy’s eyes.

“Come on.” He says, and gets up, pulling himself away from Murphy. Murphy looks up at him in confusion.

“What? Where are we going.” Murphy asks, confused. Bellamy smirks down at him.

“I think Clarke and I have room for one more.” Bellamy says, changing his smirk to a small smile. He puts out his hand and Murphy looks at him in shock before smiling widely. He takes Bellamy’s hand.

[fandomcelery]

Feelings are complicated, aren't they?

Pairing: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce

Word Count: 2107

Rating: Teens and Up

Tags: Sexuality Crisis, Internalized Homophobia, Pining

Beta: @useless-fanfictions helped me out a lot on this fic, especially since I'm just starting out writing, so a big thanks to them!

Summary: Walking next to Brittany felt normal and right, but at that moment it felt slightly wrong. A bunch of questions were running through her mind. Was she acting differently? Was it obvious that something was off? Oh god, does everyone think that she’s gay?

Or, the one where Santana realizes she might have feelings for Brittany and panics over it.

Read it on Ao3

For the Glee Character "This-or-That" Challenge: @gleethisorthatchallenge

Prompt: Sharing a bed or Sexuality Crisis

The way Santana feels around Brittany is normal, right? Sure, she’s never felt it for any other person—not even any of her previous boyfriends—but it’s a completely normal feeling. And yeah, okay, she also defends Brittany all the time when people insult or make fun of her, and when Brittany sticks up for her and is always by her side, she can never stop smiling. She always feels warm whenever she compliments her about literally anything that she’s wearing, or how her hair looks that day, or really anything that makes Santana feel pretty.

There’s also the fact that they have sex regularly even though they’re in relationships with guys who would willingly have sex with them as well, but that’s different. It must be different, because if it’s not—

No, it’s not an option for it to not be anything but platonic. It’s got to be, it just has to be.

Even though Santana hates when people flirt with Brittany and will usually try to scare them off when others aren’t looking. Or when they get into fights or arguments, big or small, she feels like shit when she can’t talk to Brittany, and then that means they can’t have their sweet lady kisses that make Santana feel like they are the only two people left on the entire planet.

Feelings are complicated, aren’t they?

As long as she always stands her ground, keeping their relationship just friends, and convincing Brittany—and a little bit of herself—that even though they’re in relationships they can have sex and it’s not cheating because they’re both girls, she will be fine. She just has to keep telling herself that their relationship isn’t anything, that they’re strictly friends and that she doesn’t have feelings for her best friend, because if she did then she wouldn’t know what she would do with herself.

She’s not homophobic, and just because Kurt freaking Hummel struts around with his gay flag waving in the air doesn’t mean that everyone can or has to. And even if they do, they’ll get bullied and harassed, just like him. It’s the way that everything goes, the straight popular kids are on top, and the gays are at the bottom, even though that’s ridiculous, it’s the way it goes.

She’ll just keep it to herself—even though there’s nothing there, obviously—and everything will be fine. She hopes that if she keeps telling herself that then maybe it will be.

***

Of course, that’s not what happens. The following Monday, after the weekend Santana had realized that something is different, it seemed like everyone has been staring at the two of them differently, but it might just be her paranoia talking.

Walking next to Brittany felt normal and right, but at that moment it felt slightly wrong. A bunch of questions were running through her mind. Was she acting differently? Was it obvious that something was off? Oh god, does everyone think that she’s gay? She is suddenly on the defensive side, glaring at the people who she thought were looking at her and Brittany weirdly. Maybe people always looked at them this way and neither of them ever noticed or cared; except now she did.

She knows the route they take to get to their next classes by heart because they always walk together, even though their schedules don’t really line up. Most people think that all the Cheerios just walk to class together in groups because the outfits look good together—which they do, she thinks conceitedly—and because of the cheerleading cliques. For a while that’s why Quinn, Brittany, and Santana would walk together, but then they actually got kind of close because of Glee Club, and now Quinn walks with Finn to her classes and Santana walks with Brittany.

During her fourth period that she has alone she can’t stop thinking about Brittany. How when she walks to class she hugs her binder to her chest, or how during class she always fidgets with her pencil when she’s in between writing, or how even if she doesn’t care about what people are talking about, she’ll listen to them anyway (like this one time a few days ago when they had arrived early to glee club and Rachel had come up to Brittany and her to ask for dance lessons, going on and on about something that had to do with her being a star and needing to know how to dance better, and Santana had only been paying attention to Brittany and ignored Rachel’s harping), Santana admires the way Brittany exists, and how it seems like nothing really bothers her. She doesn’t know why all of the sudden it’s hitting her, especially since she’s been friends with her for so long, and no, she doesn’t have feelings for her, they’re just friends.

***

They walk to their usual seats during lunch together, every now and again bumping shoulders with how close they are while they’re talking. Santana sits down across from Brittany, as she doesn’t miss a beat from what she’s saying to sit down.

“And I swear that Lord Tubbington has a gambling addiction, but he won’t stop—” she takes a bite of her food, “—and I don’t know what to do.”

“Why don’t you just take away his laptop privileges?” Santana suggests, also taking a bite of her own food. It’s not bad, however, it’s not good. Then again, it’s the school’s food. When she looks up at Brittany, she looks quizzical, like she hasn’t thought of doing that.

“That probably would work,” Brittany responds, and continues eating.

Santana’s focused on something else. That something else is Brittany’s physical appearance, everything about her: to her flashing smile, to her thin and perfect eyebrows. her slim waist, long legs, and her torso—which she shouldn’t be staring at in the middle of school, and yet she is. She is stunning to Santana, with her lean appearance and bright golden colored hair pulled perfectly back into a ponytail. Her blue eyes seem to twinkle all the time.

“Santana?” Brittany asks after she’s been staring for a moment or two.

“Huh, what? Sorry, I was just, thinking,” she responds quickly and looks away to other tables where other kids are sitting, she lets go of her lip that she must have been biting on.

“About what?” Brittany takes another bite of her food, almost finished, whereas Santana has barely touched hers.

“Nothing important,” she mumbles, taking a drink from her water bottle. The answer seems to satisfy Brittany and they go back to normal and easy conversation like Santana hadn’t been just staring at her best friend’s boobs.

***

Glee Club isn’t that different. Rachel and Mercedes are fighting for a solo that Mr. Schue handed out, he doesn’t know how to handle it, and so they’re trying to argue over one another. Finn, Puck, Matt, and Mike are making bets about something in football. Kurt, Tina, and Artie are talking about something—she can’t hear their conversation, and honestly doesn’t care—and so it’s Quinn, Brittany and her talking about the Cheerios like they always are.

“Sue’s been on our asses about winning at Nationals,” Quinn comments as she sits down next to Brittany.

“She’s just concerned about staying on top,” Santana remarks, looking around the choir room. She looks up at the two who are arguing over one another and laughs a little bit. Everyone knows that Rachel’s going to get the solo, she usually does. Mercedes probably knows that, too, and yet she’s still going to fight for it.

“And her paycheck,” Quinn adds.

Eventually Mr. Schue stood in front of the class, apparently they had sorted it out where Rachel got this solo and Mercedes would get the next one.

This Glee practice they were going to focus on their choreography added with singing, and it wasn’t that big of an issue for the three cheerleaders (and it was mostly for the jocks to practice anyway, since they were the ones having problems, other than Mike, surprisingly).

Afterwards everyone was tired and sore, they had to start over a bunch of times because someone kept messing up (Finn). Slowly the choir room emptied, and Brittany and Santana walked to their next class together. They were going to walk with Quinn, but she had muttered something about a “troll trying to steal her boyfriend” and went off to walk with Finn. They separated at their different classrooms, and the three of them were going to meet up for Cheerios practice that was after school, which was their usual plan.

***

After practice Santana was even more exhausted than when she left Glee rehearsal. She grabs her water bottle that she had placed in her locker when she first got there. She gulps down a quarter of the bottle before putting it back.

There are many girls around her, yet the only one she’s focused on is Brittany.

Ever since they walked into the locker room, Brittany, and another cheerleader—Hailey was her name—were talking nonstop to one another. It’s not like Santana was eavesdropping, but it’s not her fault they were standing so close and speaking so God damn loudly.

“One time she made a girl cry just because she talked back,” Hailey continues while she brushes her hair in the mirror.

“I know, I was there,” Brittany responds, leaning up against the lockers next to Hailey’s that no one’s using. “Sue can be a bitch sometimes.”

Hailey wraps her hair in a ponytail and starts to put the hair tie around it. “Don’t let her hear you say that she might move you down the pyramid,” she jokes, which gets a laugh out of Brittany. “However, she is the best cheerleading coach McKinley can offer, so I guess we’ll have to put up with it,” Hailey states.

They all know that that’s true, no other teacher will coach the Cheerios, and she’s the only one that’s gotten them to Nationals and gets a pretty big paycheck put towards the cheerleading team.

And listen, Santana doesn’t do jealous, okay? And she’s not. She just doesn’t like Brittany hanging out with another person so closely. And it’s because no one understands her like Santana does is all. And sure, Brittany has other friends, but usually they go through Santana to talk to her, so she knows them, or they’re all in the conversation. This is an entire new person, and they’re jokingtogether, which Brittany can do on her own, of course, but-

“Stop pining and either go talk with them or leave already,” Quinn mutters behind her.

Santana whips around and glares at her, and Quinn smirks.

“Oh, come on, don’t think I didn’t notice.” She walks past Santana to get to her locker, and Santana decides to do what Quinn suggested.

She grabs her water bottle from her locker and makes sure all of her things are put away before she leaves to head home.

***

She can’t be in love with her best friend, right? Sure, she and Brittany are close, and they do practically everything together, and Santana loves everything about Brittany, but that doesn’t mean she’s in love with Brittany.

Those thoughts are how Santana finds herself pacing in her room, not for the first time in the last few days, lost in thought. She looks over at the photos that she has on her walls of all of the Cheerios, but there are a few of either her, Brittany, and Quinn, or just the two of them.

She walks over and picks one up to look at it. She gets the same feeling that she’s been getting every time she thinks about Brittany, yet she’s been ignoring it for a while now. Except this time, she doesn’t. She feels butterflies in her stomach and doesn’t even realize she is smiling at Brittany’s picture. She sets down the photo when she does catch herself, and goes to lay down on her bed.

Even if she was gay, how would she know? Would having feelings that aren’t actually feelings enough to be considered gay? And what would everyone else think? Maybe she should turn to the internet, she thinks. She sits up and grabs her laptop that she keeps on her bedside table and loads it up.

A few searches later she realizes that maybe terms like bisexual or even lesbian fit her. Some more questions pop up in her head after that realization, but at least one thing’s certain.

Santana is in love with her best friend, and she has no idea what she’s going to do about it.

[baskandlatherco]

4 Habits You Should Pick Up That Can Help Prevent Hair Loss

The path to happier and healthy hair is paved with good habits. While we always focus on cutting out the bad habits, never underestimate the power of a good habit! If you stick to good habits long enough, you might achieve goals that you never thought were possible. Whether trying to promote new growth with alopecia hair products or just build a thicker-looking style, here are four habits that can help you get the hair you’ve been dreaming of.

Stimulate Your Scalp Stimulating your scalp can help awaken your hair follicles and may lead to improved growth. One of the best things about this habit is it’s easy to include into your daily routine. You can massage your scalp with your fingertips while shampooing or do it after your hair is dry. Take your massage to the next level with a scalp stimulator. Look for an oil with natural ingredients that provide vital nutrients to your scalp and can help revitalize your follicles. Over the long run, this habit can help you on your way to your dream style. Be Gentle When Styling Your Hair If you think about everything your hair goes through in a day, it might be understandable that it isn’t growing as much as you’d like. If you were battered with water and heat, tugged at, pulled around, and covered in product, you probably wouldn’t want to grow either. It’s essential to make sure you are gentle with your hair. Keep heat to a minimum, use as little product as possible, and stick to natural solutions. Look for detangler brushes and other tools designed for your hair type to help keep it protected and healthy. Add a Hair Oil to Your Routine Applying a hair-strengthening oil regularly can be one of the best habits to help promote growth and a fuller style. Look for an elixir formula that features a lot of natural ingredients. Things like vitamin B, C, or E, as well as minerals like copper and zinc, can promote thick, beautiful hair and seal in moisture to help reduce breakage and split ends. This might be the secret ingredient you’ve been looking for. Listen to What Your Hair Is Telling You This habit can really help you get in sync with your hair. While you can’t exactly call your hair and ask what’s up, you can check in now and again and see how your new habits are treating it. Take note of how it feels in the morning and at night. Is it getting thicker and growing faster? Or is it dull and lifeless? If your new habits don’t seem to be helping after a few weeks or months, it might be time to try something else. Remember, everybody is different—you need to find what works best for you, and you can do this by keeping track of your hair’s health. About Bask and Lather Bask and Lather started after a personal experience with hair loss. After her young sister began losing her hair, Shaina, the founder and CEO of Bask and Lather, sought to find a solution. The family met with specialists who believed there was nothing that could be done, so their mom took things into her own hands. She created a scalp oil and hair oil that worked to stimulate new growth. Suddenly, her daughter was growing fresh, healthy hair. To this day, the Bask and Lather Scalp Stimulator and Hair Elixir continue to achieve remarkable results. Proud users share their experiences and love the difference that Bask and Lather’s 4C hair products and alopecia hair products make. Get products that can supercharge your haircare routine at https://baskandlatherco.com/ Original Source: https://bit.ly/3um8OFv

[suituuup]

pieces - chapter eighteen

Five years ago, Chloe dropped off the face of the Earth. Beca sees her again in the most unexpected place.

ao3 link

*

Chloe couldn’t remember a time where she’d been happier. Just over a year ago, she found herself on the verge of giving up by letting the drugs and the emotional abuse consume her whole, and now… she felt at peace. 

Fulfilled. Brave. Loved. 

Beca and Marleigh were her whole world, and Chloe still had a hard time truly believing that this was her life, now. 

“The itsy bitsy spider, went up the water spout,” Chloe sang as her pointer and middle fingers walked up Marleigh’s stomach. “Down came the rain and whoop!” Her fingers disappeared. “Washed the spider out!” 

Marleigh giggled, her laughter Chloe’s new favorite sound. She was completely obsessed with her daughter and the new things she discovered every single day. Marleigh now slept through the nights and was otherwise a very chill baby, who loved cubes, ladyfingers, rolling over, and listening to Beca or Chloe sing. 

Chloe gasped when she heard the door open. “Who’s that?? Is that Auntie Beca?” 

Beca soon rounded the corner, grinning as she slung her messenger bag over her shoulder. “Hi! You’re still up!”

Marleigh cooed and flailed her arms towards Beca, who lifted her from the bed and held her close. Chloe had witnessed plenty of moments like these between the two, but they never failed to make her heart swell. 

“I was waiting until you got home to put her to bed,” Chloe murmured with a smile, knowing how much Beca loved to take part in Marleigh’s bedtime routine. “I already changed her diaper, if you wanna sing her to sleep?” 

Beca nodded, and Chloe stood up, pressing a few kisses to her daughter’s chubby cheek. 

“Goodnight, my love,” she murmured. 

While Beca put her down, Chloe changed for bed. Ever since they got together, Chloe had been sleeping in Beca’s room. They hadn’t gone much further than making-out so far, and Beca proved to be incredibly patient while Chloe found her footing again when it came to intimacy. 

Beca flopped down face first on the bed when she came back ten minutes later, drawing a giggle from Chloe as she slipped under the sheets. “You alright there?” 

Beca’s groan was muffled by the comforter. “M’tired. Picky artists suck.” 

Chloe smiled in sympathy as she reached out to knead Beca’s shoulder. “At least tomorrow is Saturday? You get to sleep in.” 

Beca rolled her head to the side. “Yeah.” She propped herself up on her elbows and craned her neck to brush a kiss to Chloe’s lips. “Hello.” 

“Hi there,” Chloe breathed out, giggling softly. She dipped back in for a longer kiss, and Beca hummed as she shifted to her side, her hand falling to Chloe’s hip. 

Their slow, exploratory liplock soon turned into something heavier, tongues dancing together and hands roaming under clothing. 

“Wanna slow down?” Beca asked as she laid on top of her, panting slightly.

Chloe shook her head and tugged her down into another hungry kiss. Her hips rolled against Beca’s, and Beca groaned against her mouth, her hand slipping under Chloe’s shirt to run up her side. 

Chloe wasn’t ready for her arousal to be chased away by a wave of panic. She tensed under Beca’s touch, memories she thought she’d gotten rid of flashing behind her eyes, and was pushing Beca away in the next beat.

“Sorry,” she whispered when she realized what she’d done. Embarrassment coated her cheeks with red, and she avoided Beca’s gaze as she sat up. “I’m sorry.” 

“Hey, no,” Beca murmured as she sat back on her heels. “It’s okay. You don’t need to apologize.” 

Chloe scratched at her forehead as she drew her knees to her chest. She could feel the craving for some coke rise within her, to make her forget about those nights. She pressed her palms to her eyes. “Fuck.” 

“Do you… wanna talk?” Beca asked after a few beats of silence. 

Chloe opened her eyes to find twin twinkles of worry staring back at her. She glanced back down to the comforter. “I think… I think I’m dragging some trauma from-- from the stuff that would happen at the club. With--with the customers.” 

Beca nodded slowly, reaching out to slide her hand into Chloe’s and squeezing. Chloe drew in a shaky inhale.

“I… I got used to my body being used in various ways, but never for my own pleasure,” she explained, looking down at their joined hands. “It was just pure sex, whatever the customer wanted me to do to them. Sometimes it was too rough, but I couldn’t say anything because I really needed the money,” she whispered, a sense of shame gripping her insides.

“And I think… that I blocked it all out at some point. It felt like my body didn’t belong to me anymore, and now…” She blinked back the tears pricking in her eyes. “I’m having a hard time reconnecting with it.” She thought it wouldn’t be a problem, as she had taken care of herself when her pregnancy hormones went wild, but being intimate with someone else was a lot different. “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” she said, eventually looking back up. “I do. It’s just... a me thing.”

Beca blinked back her own tears. “What I want the most is for things to feel good for you when we do take that step,” she murmured. “And if you need more time to get to that letting go point, then we’ll wait. And if you never reach it, then that’s okay, too. I don’t… need sex to be happy, you know? I’m already happier than I ever thought I’d be, thanks to you and MJ.” 

“You really mean that?” Chloe asked, quietly. “About the sex part?”

Beca nodded. “I do. I promise.” 

Chloe hoped she would feel comfortable having sex again at some point, but it felt incredibly reassuring to know Beca wouldn’t leave if she never did. 

“Thank you,” Chloe murmured, not surprised but still in awe of Beca’s love and patience for her. “I really don’t deserve you.” 

Beca smiled. “That’s weird, I was telling myself the same thing about you earlier today.” 

Chloe’s cheeks warmed, and her heart swelled in her chest. “I love you.” 

“I love you too, Chlo.” 

*

Spring warmed to summer. 

With Marleigh growing more and more curious about the world around her, they spent a lot of time outside, whenever the temperatures were bearable. Marleigh was obsessed with dogs, squealing every time she saw one and crawling after it in hopes of catching up before Chloe or Beca would snatch her back. 

She was already showing a mischievous side, and Chloe knew her toddler years were bound to be interesting. 

“Do you ever see yourself living elsewhere?” Chloe found herself asking one afternoon at the park. 

They laid on the blanket in the shade of a large oak tree, Marleigh having fallen asleep between them. The eight-month-old could sleep anywhere as long as she had her lovey. 

Beca glanced at her. “Elsewhere than New York, you mean? Or like, another country?” 

“Other than New York. Like, somewhere where we could have a garden, and maybe a dog. And where we don’t have to drive over an hour to find a forest.” 

Beca smiled as she folded an arm under her head. “I like the sound of that. I have the label to manage, but a lot of stuff can be done from home. So maybe somewhere within a two-hour drive from here so I can come down twice a week?” 

Chloe nodded. “Maybe after I’m done with college?” 

She was going back to vet school in a few months to get her vet tech training, and that would take her a year to complete before she could apply to jobs. 

“Sounds like a good plan, babe,” Beca said. “We could start looking in the new year?” 

Excitement swirled in Chloe’s stomach over the knowledge that Beca was on board, and she beamed. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Beca murmured. “Maybe somewhere around Poughkeepsie or Beacon? With four bedrooms and space to make an office or a studio?” 

“Four bedrooms?” Chloe asked, cocking an eyebrow as an amused smile tickled the corners of her lips. “How many kids do you see us having, exactly?” 

Beca chuckled. “Maybe three? If you want to, I mean. I’m also perfectly happy with our family as it is now.” 

Chloe’s heart felt fit to burst over Beca’s words. “I think three is a good number.”

They headed home around six and had dinner, then gave Marleigh a bath and read her a story before bedtime. Chloe stepped into the kitchen a bit after, where Beca was washing the dishes. 

She wrapped her arms around her waist, pressing a few kisses along the side of her neck. “Come to bed?” 

They hadn’t had sex since their talk but continued to explore through make-out sessions that gradually got more intense. Beca was incredible, always in sync with Chloe’s feelings and regularly checking that she was okay. Chloe could feel herself getting more and more comfortable with the idea of taking that step, and she was thinking she was ready to give it a try tonight. 

Beca hummed. “I’ll be right there.” 

Chloe was lying atop the covers when Beca rounded the corner, and she set her book aside, raising a curious eyebrow when Beca remained in the doorway, gazing at her with a look Chloe couldn’t identify. “What?” 

“You’re beautiful,” she murmured. 

Chloe felt her face warm-up, and she rolled her eyes softly. “Get over here, weirdo.” 

Beca laughed and stepped closer, climbing onto the mattress and crawling over Chloe. “Is that what you meant by here?” 

“Yes,” Chloe breathed out as she looped her arms around Beca’s neck and craned hers to brush her smiling lips against Beca’s. She bent her knees and wrapped her legs around Beca’s waist, a thrill of pleasure coursing through her as Beca’s hips met hers in a gentle roll. 

Chloe took the lead and deepened the kiss, skimming her tongue over Beca’s bottom lip. A moan spilled into the liplock as Beca answered with equal enthusiasm, one hand drifting down to rub her outer thigh. 

“I want this,” Chloe breathed out after a while, her lips kiss-swollen and her eyes darkened with lust. 

Beca kissed her softly. “Are you sure?” 

Chloe’s head bobbed up and down in a near desperate nod. “Yes.” 

“We can stop at any time,” Beca murmured. “Promise me you’ll say it if you’ve changed your mind?” 

Chloe reached up to cradle her cheek. “I promise.” She sat up and whipped her top over her head. Her body was different; she still had some lingering baby weight, but she considered herself too thin before the pregnancy, and she liked how she looked now. 

“Jesus,” Beca rasped as she took in the sight before her. 

Chloe couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked at her the way Beca was doing now, with so much love and desire it made her breathing hitch. 

Beca leaned in, re-attaching their lips together as her hand roamed up and down Chloe’s side in a featherlight touch, enticing goosebumps in its wake. Beca’s lips then traveled along the edge of Chloe’s jaw and down her neck in hot, open-mouthed kisses. A moan spilled past Chloe’s parted lips when she latched onto her pulse point, and her back arched off the bed, searching for some kind of relief where she needed it the most. 

Beca continued to explore, kissing her way down Chloe’s chest, towards her breasts. While her palm wrapped around the right one, she swirled her tongue around Chloe’s left nipple, drawing a gasp from Chloe. 

“Too sensitive?” Beca asked, lifting her head. 

“No, no,” Chloe assured her. “It’s-- it feels really good.” 

Smiling, Beca dipped back in and spent the next minute focused on her left breast until she noticed Chloe squirming underneath her. “Okay?” 

“Yeah, I just-- I might come if you keep going like that.” 

Beca puffed out a breath, her cheeks turning redder. “Can I touch you?” 

“Yeah,” Chloe said, then pushed a kiss to Beca’s lips, her whimper swallowed by Beca as she slipped her hand between Chloe’s legs and cupped her. Chloe broke the kiss to take a sharp inhale as Beca moved her fingers in a light stroking motion. 

“Okay?” She asked as she rested her forehead against Chloe’s. 

“Yes,” Chloe breathed, raking her teeth over her bottom lip. Her hips tilted towards the contact, seeking more pressure. Chloe stilled Beca’s hand after a handful of seconds and sat up to shimmy her underwear down her legs. “Better.” 

Beca smiled and placed her hand to its initial position, a moan surfacing from her throat as she felt Chloe’s slickness. “Can I-- I wanna taste you.” 

At a loss for words, Chloe could only nod, her breath growing shallow at Beca’s request. She watched as Beca slithered down, leaving kisses in her wake until she settled on her stomach between Chloe’s legs. She kissed her way along Chloe’s inner thigh, slowly but surely reaching her destination. 

“Oh,” Chloe let out at that first exploratory lap through her folds, propping herself on her elbows to get a better view. One set of fingers gripped a fistful of the sheets while the other tangled through Beca’s hair. A gasp followed soon after, any ounce of apprehension left in her dissipating. “Baby.” 

The groan Beca emitted against her sent a zap of pleasure down Chloe’s spine. Her fingers tightened around the sheets as Beca alternated between lapping at her and stimulating her clit with licks and flicks. Beca clearly knew what she was doing, using the right tempo and pressure to draw out Chloe’s pleasure and not bring her to that climax too quickly. 

Mewls and whimpers echoed against the walls as the coil grew tighter and tighter with each ticking minute. Chloe’s elbows gave out at some point as her body started shaking with her incoming orgasm. 

She knew it was going to hit her like a freight train, yet was taken aback by its power as she released a throaty cry. Her body spasmed with each wave of intense pleasure as she let herself go, Beca’s name tumbling past her lips in a sweet prayer. 

“Oh my god,” she breathed as she basked in the lingering haziness following her climax, attempting to regulate her breathing. 

Beca made her way back up, capturing Chloe’s lips in a deep kiss before flopping onto her side. “Are you okay?” She asked, running her fingertips along Chloe’s side.

Chloe hummed, smiling. “Mmm. Okay is definitely an understatement,” she murmured as she chased Beca’s lips for another kiss. Once she had regained feeling in all four limbs, Chloe rolled on top of her. “Your turn.”

Chloe wasn’t sure at what time they fell asleep, wrapped up around each other as they basked into their newfound connection. There was one thing she knew for sure, however, and it was that the future had never looked so bright. 

[glassbxttless]

Clyde Logan x Reader

Part Four (final)

Summary: just Clyde being a dad.

Word Count: 1,395

Warnings: multiple miscarriages, stillbirth

Clyde was ecstatic to be a dad again, you two hadn’t even been trying this time. You liked the age gap between Ben and Andy, and here your third little boy was coming.

“I like Nathan.” You told Clyde as he unbuckled his belt to drop his jeans to the floor, pulling on his bed shorts. You glanced up from your phone when you didn’t get a response.

“I was thinking something like Daniel.” He says as he sits on the edge to peel his socks off. “Just a thought.”

“So you don’t like Nathan?” You laugh softly as he leans back in bed, pressing a small kiss against your swollen tummy. “I like Daniel. I think it's a really good option. Pair it with something nice in the middle and I think we’ve got a real deal sealer.” You brushed your fingers through his hair smiling. At thirty-two weeks you still look as gorgeous as ever— maybe a little tired, from dealing with Ben and Andy all day, but you didn’t mind. “Get some sleep, Clyde.” You two didn’t get very many nights together, not with Clyde at the Duck Tape.

The next morning you two went about yourselves; Clyde sleeping in and dropping off the boys at Mellie’s for the day, her going on and on about how she’d make them just too pretty for their photos later that evening.

And you were three hours into your work day before you realized you hadn’t felt little Daniel move or kick at all. You excused yourself from your office and stepped into the kitchen of the office to snack on something sweet. Maybe it would wake Danny up.

You waited another hour before you felt really wrong and called Clyde. He was half asleep when he answered, but perked up the second he heard your wavering voice. You two met at the hospital and were rushed back for your ultrasound.

They decided to deliver your little Daniel John-Bennett that evening with another cesarean, his heart just wasn’t pumping anymore. And they regretted every second of having to tell you both that. Clyde let you hold him first, and as long as you wanted; as long as you needed to. Clyde sat in his chair in the corner when it was his turn, holding him tightly to his chest with his flesh arm.

And neither of you were ready to let him go. Your little bundle of joy, they wrapped in a blanket and gave you both his birth certificate and death certificate paperwork to fill out before you left. You decided to bury Danny next to Clyde’s mama, so she’d look after him whilst you couldn’t.

-

After that day, Clyde was different. He held Ben and Andy a little tighter, read their stories a little louder, and promised them he’d be home and awake a lot more. He wanted to be a better dad and not miss out on a thing when it came to them.

It was Clyde who sat the boys down and explained that their brother went to be with his mama. That he just wasn’t ready to be a part of their family here. He had bigger and better plans. Benjamin had a ton of questions, as you both knew he would, but neither of you could bear to answer them completely.

You took time to heal and so did Clyde. You wanted the intimate relationship you’d always had to comfort you when you’ve needed it the most. You’d lost your baby and you blamed yourself for not noticing earlier. Maybe they could’ve saved him. But Clyde reassured you every chance he had that it wasn’t your fault. Nothing could’ve helped. Sometimes these things just happen.

And maybe these things did just happen. But they certainly always happened to him. After about a year of mourning, you two were able to get past it. Celebrate Ben’s birthday, and then Andy’s, and then you two were taking the boys and a small cake to Daniel’s grave to celebrate his. And once you got home and were alone with your husband, you were the one to break the ice. “Maybe we should try again… for one last one?”

And so you did. You tried and you tried and you tried. Every month for another year seemed like you failed. And you started to think, maybe it wasn’t so bad being an earth side family of four. Ben was eight and Andy was four. They were both school aged and you had plenty of time for yourself.

And that’s when you got your positive. And Clyde was so fucking happy. He’s loved every second he’s gotten to be a father. And he’ll love every second he gets to watch you be a mother.

And then after ten week, you were bleeding. And you tried again, and you were bleeding after six. And maybe you stopped trying. Maybe you stopped caring.

You gave up. He gave up. You two were perfectly fine with Benjamin and Andrew. You visited Daniel regularly, as a family and on your own.

Sometimes Clyde would sit in front of Daniel’s grave for hours. He’d cry, tell the universe how fucking unfair it was. But he’s been better. He’s dealt with his grief. He just wishes he had all of his kids.

He knew you had a doctors appointment that morning and he really wasn’t expecting your panicked call; I’m pregnant.

-

You two were both so fucking careful your entire pregnancy. When you were ordered to stay in bed, that’s what you did. Clyde got the boys up and gave them pop tarts or cereal for breakfast. He got them dressed and to school. And you sat in bed, reading to your little Violet Dolores.

It was a cold, late night, in September when you woke up with your water breaking. Still too early for your little one to be cooked thoroughly. You called Clyde to get him home. You didn’t care who had to take over the bar but he definitely needed to get his ass here.

You called Jimmy to come sit with the boys. You got yourself together.

And Violet was your first born you’ve gotten to actually deliver. She was small and beautiful and her eyes popped open. Even if she was all skin and bones. She was 3lbs3oz and you and Clyde both got to love and dote on her before she was taken away, being transported to a hospital somewhere in Charleston to be able to be cared for properly.

You and Clyde were able to visit every weekend, between work and the boys school. Clyde was the first one to offer himself up for skin to skin. Clyde was the one who changed her diaper first, fed her first, and read to her. Clyde was so excited to be her fucking dad he couldn’t contain himself.

When you were able to, you brought the boys to meet their sister. Benjamin would be nine right here real soon and Andrew would be five. “Now boys you have’ta be careful with her. She’s still pretty small.” Clyde was crouching down in front of them. Andrew just nodded and smiled.

“We’re careful, daddy.”

Benjamin just held onto your hand when Andrew peeked into her incubator. All three of your little ones, and even Daniel, all looked like Clyde. All acted like Clyde (maybe your imagination worked on that a bit for Dan). And you were finally completely whole when you saw your family together.

-

When it came time for family photos, Clyde had Violet sitting on his lap. You sat next to him with Andrew on yours. There was a teddy bear in between you both, with Benjamin standing behind it. You’d clipped two little honey bee pins to the top of your stockings. This way the two you’d lost and Daniel could be a part of your photos.

Clyde smiled at you, listening to the kids run and laugh and play around. Violet straggling along behind her brothers, barely able to walk.

“We did this.” He whispered, pulling you into his side and kissing the top of your head.

You smiled, taking in the last eighteen years. Clyde might not have been the perfect father. But he was a damn good one and he tried as hard as he could.

[chloelucia13]

Chapter 14: Suzie, Do you Copy?

Pairing: none for the moment (currently Jonathan Byers x (kinda) Platonic!Henderson!reader)

Prompt:  You always thought Hawkins was the most boring town of all, stuck in a vacuum void of excitement and entertainment. Well, it seems that way until the world decided to flip upside down, literally.

Chapter Summary: Dustin’s return to Hawkins had overjoyed you, but other than that, there was no change to the normal routine of your summer. At least, that’s what you thought.

Warnings: Mostly fluff, spoilers (obvi), language, mentions of violence, injuries, pretty chill tbh

Word Count: 2764

A/N: AHHHH, I’m back finally! I’m so sorry I took so long to update this story! Hopefully I’ll be able to get back onto this series and update it regularly like I used to, but I can’t make any promises. For the time being, I hope you enjoy and make sure to keep an eye out for any updates! As always, my taglist and ask box is open! 

Tags: @just-my-fandom​, @nightbu-g​

You couldn’t recall a time you had woken up earlier than nine a.m. in the past month.

In all honesty, you had considered just sleeping in until the very last minute scramble to get dressed, rush out the door, and get back before Dustin got home.

Unfortunately that plan could not be executed as your mother woke you up, knowing you well enough that she could predict your plans.

And that was why you were at the mall at 10 a.m., your gaze focused on the floor as you made the trek over to Scoops Ahoy. Surprisingly, there was a small line in the shop, considering it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.

As you finally stood at the counter and lifted your head, Steve visibly relaxed, his “customer service” persona fading. “Oh thank god, it’s just you,” he sighed, leaning against the counter.

“Just little ol’ me,” you hummed, absentmindedly rubbing at your eye. “God, has the day already gone to shit for you, Steve?”

“Well, he’s already struck out twice if that’s any indication,” Robin piped up, peeking through the window that peered into the back area.

“Twice? Didn’t you guys open just an hour ago?” 

“Don’t rub it in,” Steve huffed, a frown sinking onto his features.

“Fine, fine.”

You and Steve had grown close in the past six months, sharing a special bond that you honestly needed. Though you couldn’t decide if the bond grew from him literally saving your life, or from your significant others (well, for Steve at least) dating each other rather than you two. Both, probably.

“Are you here to order something or just to bully me?” he spoke finally, pulling his ice cream scooper from his makeshift-holster. 

“Right, right. Just a pint of cookie dough and a pint of strawberry,” you instructed, pulling a ten out of your pocket.

He nodded and began scooping the two pints of ice cream. “Who’s the cookie dough for?”

“Dustin.”

He looked up at you, his brows furrowed in confusion. “He’s coming back today?”

“Yeah!”

He sealed the lid of the cookie dough pint. “No one tells me anything!”

You rolled your eyes. “Steve, I told you this two days ago.”

You heard Robin let out a laugh in the back room and Steve pressed his lips into a line. “Do you want ice cream or not?!”

You laughed. “Come on, you know you’d never deprive your two favorite people of ice cream.”

He rolled his eyes and finished up the second pint, sliding both of them over to you as you handed him the $10 bill. “Do you work today?”

“Unfortunately. I’m just hoping I’ll be home before dark tonight because they’ve been fucking keeping me for hours after closing.”

“Doesn’t the pool close at like five?”

“Yup,” you huffed, popping the ‘p.’ “And, to top it all off, I’m stuck with Heather  and Billy today.”

The two of you cringed simultaneously. “Can’t say I’d rather be you.”

“Thanks for the support.” You took the change from Steve and stuffed it into your pocket before cradling both pints of ice cream in your arms. “Well, I gotta drop these off at home and then sit in the sun for a few miserable hours. I’ll call you when I get home.”

***

Your soul nearly left your body when a chorus of screams erupted in the kitchen as soon as you stepped in the front door. They fell silent a moment later, though, and a voice echoed out, “Oh, it’s just you.”

With a hand clutched over your chest, you rolled your eyes. “Sorry to disappoint you guys with my presence, but can we avoid killing me the next time you see me?” you huffed, still struggling to take in a proper breath.

We thought you were Dustin,” Lucas explained, a party blower between his teeth.

“Yeah, I figured.” You brushed past the group and put the ice cream in the freezer. “Can someone make sure that Dustin gets his ice cream? I won’t be able to see him until later tonight.”

“I can,” Will spoke up, raising his hand in the air.

“Finally, someone I can count on.” You grabbed the drawstring bag that held all of your items and slung it over your shoulder. “How’s Jonathan enjoying his job at the newspaper?”

There was a small silence. “You haven’t talked to him about it?” Mike spoke up, and Max swatted his arm.

You shook your head, the healing scratch on your eye beginning to burn slightly. “No, not yet. We’ve, uh... We’ve both been too busy. We haven’t talked in a couple of weeks.” More like a month.

There was another silence before Will spoke. “He likes it. He has the dark room all to himself,” he explained, his voice gentle and hesitant.

“Good. That’s good. Tell him I said hi, or something.” You cleared your throat before turning to the group and giving them a smile. “I gotta head to work. You guys have fun, okay?”

***

God, you felt like vomiting.

Everything seemed to be going wrong today, like you forgetting to bring your sunscreen and sunglasses, Billy and Heather’s constant pestering and gossiping, Billy ignoring his job so he could flirt with Mrs. Wheeler, Mrs. Wheeler completely ignoring you so she could flirt with Billy, the dozens of kids that had coined multiple nicknames for you and your scar, and the 101 degree temperature that was unrelenting.

Luckily, though, the day was close to coming to an end. Most of the crowd had thinned, excluding a couple of kids who spent the whole day there anyways and adults who insisted on lingering until they absolutely had to leave. 

The shriek of a whistle startled you from your thoughts, your head slipping from your hand and making you lurch forward slightly. A group of muffled cackles sounded to your right, and you rolled your eyes. “Can I help you, or are you just here to make my life a living hell,” you grumbled, snapping your gaze over to Billy and Heather.

“Well, I was gonna ask if you wanted a water, but I guess not,” Heather huffed, stubbornly crossing her arms over your chest.

You gave her a doubtful glance. “Were you really?”

She laughed. “No. Now get up, It’s my turn on deck.”

With a huff you stepped down the ladder and tucked your book and raft under your arm. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Billy step closer. “Billy, if you push me in the pool you’re gonna wake up with no fucking mullet tomorrow.”

The pair just laughed behind you condescendingly, and you stomped away with a scowl etched on your face.

Ever since the... altercation that occurred months ago, Billy had kept his distance from you. It was a relief, knowing that he wouldn’t test your limits for the sake of his own health. But that didn’t stop him from sprinkling in some teasing every single time he spoke to you.

The hot concrete stung the soles of your feet, and you picked up your pace so you could get to the office before your feet blistered.

“Hey, no running!”  You froze at the voice, your eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Slowly, you turned on your heel to face the source. 

Jonathan stood behind the fence, his hands in his pockets and a shy smile on his face.

“Jonathan?” you whispered, tilting your head slightly as if you were a dog. 

“Hey Y/N,” he hummed, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot.

A small smile settled on your face and you walked over to the fence, a silent sigh of relief leaving your lips when your feet settled on the grass that bordered the fence. “Hey! W-What are you doing here? I thought you got out the same time that I did?”

“I do, I just uh... I wanted to go on a walk.”

You nodded. “Oh, okay.”

“And I uh, I wanted to see you. Just see how you were doing, I mean.”

You let out a small chuckle, hooking your fingers through one of the chain links in the fence. “I’m doing good. I mean, as good as I can be sitting in the heat for five hours straight with no sunglasses. How have you been?”

“I-I’m good. Isn’t Dustin back in town?”

“He is, he just got back today. I haven’t seen him yet, though. How’s your job at the paper going?”

“It’s good, really good. I’m enjoying it a lot.”

“That’s good to hear.”

The two of you stood silently, avoiding each other’s gaze except for the spare glances you’d risk. 

“I should get going,” Jonathan spoke finally, a hint of reluctance in his voice. 

“Right, yeah,” you hummed, clearing your throat. “It was good to see you, Johnny.”

“You too.” His mouth opened as if he wanted to say more, but he decided against it, giving you an awkward wave before walking away.

You lingered there for a moment, an all-too-familiar ache in your chest as you watched him walk away from you.

***

After rinsing off, getting changed, and making a final check of the area, you were finally off for the night. You could feel your shoulders nearly weighing your entire body down and your eyelids were extremely close to falling shut at any moment. Silently, you made the trek through the parking lot and over to your car. 

You hopped in the driver’s seat and fished your key out of your bag before putting it in the ignition and twisting.

And twisting again.

And one more time.

Shit.

You slammed your hands against the wheel and let out a groan, throwing your head back against the headrest. “Of course. Of fucking course,” you grumbled.

Then you began to weigh your options. The first idea that came to your mind was walking home, but you quickly decided against it as you were too exhausted and it was too far. 

Your next idea was to walk over to The Hawkins Post and see if you could catch a ride with Jonathan. But you knew that wherever Jonathan was, Nancy would also be. For a moment, you contemplated swallowing your embarrassment and fear and just do it, but again, you decided against that option.

Then you thought about using the phone in the office to call Steve, but you had no idea if he was even home.

And after running through all of the ideas in your mind, you last ditch plan walked past your peripheral.

You shoved all of your disgust down and hopped out of your car, rushing to try and catch up.

“Billy!” you shouted, trying to stuff your keys back in your bag as you jogged over to him.

He stopped and turned to look at you, part-confusion and part-annoyance wrinkling his features. “What?” he huffed.

“Can you, um...” You shifted awkwardly, the reality of the moment catching up to you. “Would you mind giving me a ride home? My car won’t start.”

He rolled his eyes, fishing a pack of cigarettes out from his leather jacket. “Y’know, any other night I’d love to, but I’ve actually got plans tonight. Call a tow truck or something.”

“Billy, please.” Your shoulders slumped. “I don’t live that far from you.”

“Who said I was going home?” 

Your jaw tightened and you pulled your bag higher up on your shoulder. “I’ll pay you $20. Just please.”

“Why don’t you ask your boyfriend to do it? I saw you talking to him earlier.”

“He’s not my boyfriend! Goddammit-” You cut yourself off, taking a deep breath and scrubbing a hand over your face. “$50.”

He stood there a moment, placing a cigarette between his teeth as he silently debated it. “Fine. But you’re paying me upfront.”

You bit your tongue and refrained from snapping at him, instead pulling your wallet from your bag and handing him a $50 bill. He snatched it from your fingers and shoved it in his back pocket before nodding his head over to his car and heading that way. 

Though the anxiety from asking him was gone, it was replaced with the anxiety of being in a vehicle with a man who very clearly hated your guts. Your brain was nagging you to just walk home, but you pushed the annoying warnings away and got in the passenger seat.

Billy had exited the parking lot before you even had a chance to put on your seatbelt, the engine roaring as he tore down the empty streets. The ride was silent other than that annoying engine, his godawful music, and your heart racing so loudly and harshly that you felt as if you were about to have a heart attack.

Whether it was your panic or your swarming thoughts, you had zoned out for the first few minutes of the ride. When you finally came to, you realized that you were nowhere near your house. “Did you take a wrong turn?” you mumbled, brows furrowing confusedly.

He scoffed, pulling his lower lip between his teeth. “No, I have an errand to run,” he explained as if you were stupid, as if you were already aware of his plans.

Oh my god, he’s gonna kill me.

You gulped, gripping onto your drawstring bag. “What errand?”

“Well, I had already made plans with Karen before you decided to ask for my help, so you’re tagging along.”

Your jaw dropped and you turned in your seat to face him. “You’re making me sit in the car while you hook up with Mrs. Wheeler? You said you were gonna take me home!”

“I did, but I didn’t specify when.” He was grinning from ear to ear, and you had to move your hands under your thighs so you didn’t smack that look off of his face.

“You motherfucker. Literally.”

He rolled his eyes. “Shut up and get in the back seat. I don't want her seeing you.”

It was your turn to scoff. “Excuse me?” 

“I said-”

His words were cut off by a large object hitting the windshield, making both of you jump and causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The car spun off of the road and collided into a tree on your side, making Billy’s head collide into his door and crushing your door into your body.

A slew of curses and grunts fell from your mouth as you worked your way out of the seat, feeling your ribs ache with each breath as you finally got out from between the door and the center console. You sat down on the center console and gripped onto the back of the seat for balance.

“Oh, no,” Billy grumbled from beside you, eyes wide as he took in the damage. The stereo still spat out a distorted and garbled sound that resembled the music that were playing earlier as Billy tried to restart the car, to no avail. “Piece of shit.”

You finally glanced over at him. “You’re bleeding,” you wheezed out, watching the blood drip down his forehead and into his eye.

He reached up and touched the wound, pulling away and glancing down at his fingers with disdain. “Shit.” He slammed his hand against the steering wheel before shoving his door open and crawling out. You followed behind him, collapsing to the ground beside his feet. You gripped onto his arm and heaved yourself up.

Billy left your side to attempt to pry the passenger door open, only for a spew of expletives to fall from his mouth. “Yeah, I’m good, thanks for asking,” you huffed, leaning against the car and clutching your right side as he stomped past you and over to the front of the car.

“Shut up,” he grumbled, leaning close to the windshield and gliding his finger along the spiderwebbed glass. “What the hell?”

A strange ooze clung to his finger, stretching between his hand and the windshield with a strong elasticity. “Fuck.”

A rustling in the shrubs near the building you stood by attracted both of your attention, your heart leaping to your throat.

“Who’s there!” Billy shouted, his body standing straight up.

“I don’t think it’s a who,” you grumbled, reaching for your pocket knife in your back pocket.  “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

As you opened your mouth to explain, Billy fell to the ground and was lugged away by a snaking vine. You screamed, but before you could move onto the car and off of the ground, a similar vine wrapped around your legs and dragged you through the dirt