#since it's short and fits okay with the rest of the family names

[bokettochild]

Have we as a fandom agreed on a name for Rusl and Uli's baby girl? Can someone tell me what it is?

[gracie-eilish]

okay so i have another actress!reader because i was so excited u opened ur requests again haha. i luv ur work and again you dont have to pick this up. but how about actress!reader being a big actress and everyone wanting to work with her because she’s so talented. but reader already in an established relationship with billie chose to breakup because she’s felt like she wasn’t giving enough time to the relationship. months go by and the reader and billie are miserable without eachother, then comes award night or oscar night. it being highly anticipated that reader wins and billie being there nominated as well, they both see eachother and realize that it was a mistake leaving eachother. maybe it’s like eye contact with one of them on stage accepting an award and that’s when they realize idk. sorry for this being so long, but thank you!!

an: requests can be as long or as short as yall want them to be!! thank you for sending thisss (sorry it took me so long🥺)

an: suspend ur disbelief for this one teehee! i made some edits to real life for the sake of the story :) please read request for summary!!

warnings: none !

you were already nervous enough the whole night. it was the first time you had ever been nominated for an oscar, for a performance you put so much into! you just didn’t expect tonight to go like this.

you wanted the pink, hollywood, barbie dream you had been living since last year… since you met billie.

while in post, greta and the team introduced you to billie and finneas after they had completed their song “what was i made for”. as barbie, they wanted your opinion on the song as well! making sure if fit with your intentions and the performance you gave. you and billie clicked and the rest is history.

until a few months later when life blew up for you, the highly anticipated movie came out with a bang shooting you into stardom! and shooting down your schedule. you and billie had broken up about a month ago due to your stress and limited time for a relationship. you thought it was for the best…

now you sat in the dolby theater, donned in pink, mingling with other nominees, but you can’t seem to focus. not when she was also there. sitting right behind you, also mingling and enjoying her night as a nominee. the two of you hadn’t spoken all night, a respectful wave and smile was all you two shared. for now…

billie’s performance was breathtaking, you were so proud of her. she had been so nervous about singing this song live for months, and you were there by her side every festival show last summer, watching her prove herself wrong and rock it.

as the crowd leapt to their feet for her, you made brief eye contact. you sent her a watery smile and you cheered and clapped with the rest of the crowd. she sent you one back, before taking in her moment once again. the sight was unimaginable, the whole theater on their feet for her and her brother… but she was distracted too by a pretty girl in pink.

when the time came for the award for best original song, naturally you were the first one on their feet when billie’s name was announced as the winner. after hugging her family members, and after the shortest hesitation, she leapt into your arms for a congratulatory hug before continuing her way down the aisle, finneas following, to accept her award.

you couldn’t help but feel emotional. you missed her so. fucking. much.

“and i also want to thank y/n, you brought barbie to life so perfectly and made it so easy to feel how you were feeling so we could write this song. thank you for your input and support always.. like literally always…” she continued with her thank you’s, meanwhile your heart was beating so fast in your chest. that was the first time you had “spoken” since the breakup…

the reverse happened when your name was announced as the winner for best actress in a motion picture. shocked, you stumbled to your feet, hand over your mouth trying to hold in the tears. you hugged your family next to you and felt a hand on your shoulder.. billie.

the hug was so familiar.. warm, safe, like home.

“i’m so proud of you ba……” her words got jumbled in your head due to the music volume. barbie? baby? no of course she said barbie! why- why would she say baby? she said barbie as a cute little joke… right?!

as you accepted the award you went down your list of thank yous, and of course expressed your gratitude for the honor you were receiving.

“i mean this is just such a dream come true.. i never thought playing a doll most of us used to play with as kids would lead me here…” you trailed off. you looked up but she was already looking. her big blue eyes glassy with tears, and her hands clasped together on her chest with pride.

she missed you.

the after parties were actually the most fun you had had in a long time!! dancing and mingling and drinks, it was a perfect night.. well almost perfect.

in true hollywood fashion, you caught her eye across the room. she changed into a grey suit, seeming to be much more comfortable now than in her dress. she nodded her head towards the door behind her. signaling she wanted you to follow. without a second thought you pushed through the dance floor to follow her. pushing the balcony door open, looking right and left.. and there she was.

“hi,” you said breathlessly.

“hi.” she replied with that heart melting smile.

JK JK JK there’s no part two, i just wanted to be evil for a second teehee

“how are you?” you squeaked, suddenly shy. your shyness was always endearing to billie.

“i’m doing actually really good.” your heart sped up. “but how are you doing miss oscar winnerrrrr?” she said with a smirk, opening her arms for you. giggling, you let her encase you in a hug that you never wanted to get out of.

“i really am proud of you,” she whispered. her voice clearer now than it was before.

“thanks billie,” you gave her a pouty smile, her words touching.

“of course baby,” she pushed some hair from your face, her other hand still resting comfortably on you waist.

baby. not barbie… baby.

you bit your lip, eyes shifting between hers before you broke. “i’m so so sorry billie. i don’t know what i was thinking. i was so busy and i couldn’t keep up and i took it out on us and that was so not okay, and-“

following in the theme of hollywood moments, she cut you off with a kiss. immediately your shoulders relaxed, and you just melted into her arms.

“i know love, i know.” she kissed your cheek pulling you in for a hug. “let’s just enjoy tonight yeah? we can talk about it later. just want you right now.” you just nodded, not trusting anything more than a squeak to come out of your mouth.

the disco pop sound of the barbie soundtrack flooded through the door making both of you look towards the dance floor. while your head was still turned, billie pressed a kiss to your cheek before holding out her hand.

“care to dance, oscar winning actress barbie?” you snorted at her charm, while taking her hand.

“why of course, oscar winning pop star barbie.”

the two of you had a lot to talk through. and you would, tucked in her side in her hotel room bed that night. lots of tears would be shed, as well as hugs given and apologies squeaked out. but until then, you two danced the night away, holding onto each other, sharing kisses and having the best night of your lives. together again.

[thecordelialetters]

The Bionic and the Ballerina

Chase Davenport x fem!reader

wc: 2,495

Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 Pt4

An exchange student comes to mission creek to do 3 things: pass highschool, dance, and fit in. But when a certain bionic boy comes into her life she realizes that maybe her dreams just got a little bit bigger.

It’s been a week since the bionic siblings began living like regular teenagers—going to school, getting cell phones, and attending various events. They’ve mostly adjusted to socializing with their peers and trying to blend in. Each sibling has faced their own set of typical teenage challenges, from first dances and forgotten homework to pep rallies. But aside from Bree, their experiences with romance have been a bit lacking

This morning Bree rushed in the main doors almost knocking Leo over in the process. "Guys guess what ! I head there's a new exchange student from the France who’s here for the next 3 years. I've heard she super popular already and she just started." Bree jumped up and down excited for the potential to have a new friend. It was hard for her to make good friends after growing up in a lab with only boys. But a new person meant someone who had yet to figure out her quirks and weird family, that meant a possibility they could be friends.

Leo stood straight after brushing himself off. "Yeah I saw her in my art class. She's pretty and nice. She even told Trent off for knocking my books over. Oh there she is!" He waved his hands frantically trying to signal the new girl down. Chase turned around to see the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. You were beaming at the siblings, bouncing your way over in a short white sundress paired with a light pink cardigan. Two red bows adored the sides of your braids and your pink lips moved in slow motion. Chase's hand instantly began to sweat. Even since the Danielle incident he's been hesitant about approaching girls. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested more so the other way around. Although the confident front he put up, Chase felt he lacked the charisma and social skills compared to Adam and Bree.

Your voice rang out like a soft symphony, your french accent sounded like luxury in his ear. You started talking more but he blanked on what you were saying, too focused on the way your smile looked. Until a big hand punched him in the gut making him lurch forward. "Dude she asked your name." Adams chuckled.

You gasped and put your hands on his shoulders trying to comfort him. "Are you okay?" One of your perfectly manicured hands ran down his chest while the other patted his back to help him stand back up.

"Yep this is a pretty much everyday occurrence," He replied. Chase turned a deep red, he just met this girl and already his family is trying to embarrass him. "Hey don't worry about it, I grew up on a farm with 5 older brothers. You had to endure to survive." You laughed before introducing yourself. "Im (y/n) I just moved here. Leo says I have a lot of classes with you."

“Yeah dude she’s super smart! You guys have the same schedule.”

“ I’m a bit of a smart guy myself , I could help you out sometime,” Leo flirted, waking in front of Chase.

“That’s awfully nice I might have to take on the offer one day! But I better start heading to chemistry, don’t want to be late.” You chuckled. You were thankful for Leo’s directness but you didn’t come all the way here for romance. “I’ll walk with you!” Chase pushed Leo aside sending him tumbling into the lockers. “In fact I’ll escort you to all your classes.” He held out his arm.

You blushed and looped your through his, shocking him and his family. “That’s very kind of you Chase I’d be happy to be your partner for the day.” He beamed back at you. The two of you walked off leaving the rest of the Davenports in awe. "No way that just happened." Leo managed to say through a dropped jaw. "Maybe the guys in her hometown are really ugly." Bree determined. With a hum of approvals the group split to attend the rest of their classes. Meanwhile Chase and you were having a great time. Since no one wanted to parter or sit with the know-it-all teacher pet, you could hang out with Chase the whole day. The two of you developed a bond during these cruel morning hours. Chase found you to be a beautiful girl inside and out. You never laughed at or ridiculed him for odd tendencies and intelligence. In fact you were in awe of him. The way your big doe eyes stared him over his shoulder in chemistry while he was showing you how to do the lab, and then praising him for being so smart, really fed his ego. Compared to his siblings who made fun of him for his excitement, you encouraged it. The two of you came stumbling into the lunch room, once again arm in arm laughing about a cringy joke Chase made. "So a neutron walks into a bar, and asks the man ar the counter how much for a beer?"

Chase waved his arm as if to say ta da "He says for you no charge!"

He threw his head back laughing at his own joke while you chuckled next to him. Leo walked up to you, "He boring you yet? You don't have to be nice to him."

Chase glared at Leo. Typical his family would try to drive away the one nice thing in his life. But you weren't the kind of person who would be swayed so easily. "As a matter of fact Leo, he has been the most welcoming and I thoroughly enjoyed our time today." You sat down at the table next to Bree. Chase smirked back at Leo become taking the seat next to you.

In one swift motion you lifted out your lunchbox and with a thud hit the table. Bree looked at your lunch in shock "Dang girl, you got bricks in there?" She lifted it up with one hand slowly. You laughed, it did seem excessive. "No just a lot of food and snacks, I have to maintaining my food intake for training." You poped opened the lid and it was filled with healthy greens, carrots, rice, chicken and fruits.

"Training?" Adam questioned. "Hey maybe she's like us-" Before Adam could revel anymore Chase quickly interrupted, glaring at him before saying "Training for what?"

You looked at him with half a peach stuff in your mouth. "Fwor danch" Chase laughed at your cute face and moved to wipe some juice on your cheek with his thumb. You quickly swallowed your fruit, "For dance, I'm a ballerina. I train in the morning and everyday afterschool so I need to eat all this food."

You pulled another little baggie out of your backpack. "Dont tell me you have more food." Bree said. "Yes but this isn't for me." You opened the baggie to reveal a cupcake. It was chocolate with marshmallow fluff on top and a kit kat sticking out of it.

You pushed your hands to Chase, "It's for you, thank you for helping me today." Chase gently picked up the cupcake from your hands, "Wow Thank you (y/n)." Leo snapped out of his daze before whispering to Adam "We must be in an alternate reality because no way that just happened." Chase savored the taste of the cupcake you so graciously gave him. It tasted so rich and sweet. As he bit into it he imagined you in the kitchen making it. Maybe you wore a nice white apron with hearts on it with your hair tied in a messy bun. Your kitchen probably looked straight out of a cottage, filled with your garden goods and the smell of fresh pastries in the air. You noticed Chase had gotten a little of the marshmallow fluff on the edge of his lips and reached out with your pointed finger to wipe it off. The bionic sibs watched you slowly wipe the fluff before bringing it to your mouth, licking the white cream off. You looked around the table finding them staring at you before shrugging it off. After school, you were at your locker packing up your books to go home when you felt a hand on your shoulder. Whipping around you came face to face with Chase. He looked a bit nervous rubbing his neck and looking away from you. "Hey I had a lot of fun today, would you maybe...want to come over? I know our history test is coming up and since you new I'd be a good way to study." Chase braced himself for rejecting. Even though he thought the two of you connected, a small part of him expected you to laugh in his face and never talk to him again. You looked the time then at Chase. "I'd love to, but I have practice now. I'll be done around 5? I can come over after that if it's not too late?" You bit your lip looking at him.

It was hard making friends with your schedule. You were used to losing them faster than you could make them since you always had to cancel plans. But Chase was different, he was a sweet guy. "Sure Ill text you my address?" You nodded and pulled out your phone to exchange numbers. Little did you know his nosy family was right around the corner watching your exchange. The whole day they were in awe of what happened. Chase having game? Talking to a girl and she wasn’t scared away by him? They ducked behind the wall as the two of you turned to leave the school. Adam spoke up, "Oh I can't wait to mess with him tonight." Rather than let his younger brother have a chance, Adam was keen on pranking him. Bree sighed "There goes the one normal girl I was supposed to make friends with."

Chase was busying cleaning the living room making sure everything was spotless. He prepared snacks, took a shower, and wore his best plaid shirt. He wanted everything to be perfect before you came. He informed Tasha and Davenport he was bringing a girl over to study, and through wide eyes they supported him. The one road block to his study date...Adam, Bree, and Leo. "Guys this girl means a lot to me. She's funny and sweet. Thinks I'm NOT a freak. And she's the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on. Please I mean PLEASE. Do not do anything stupid." He looked at the group who didn't seem too convinced, "I will do everyone's homework for a week." He watched their reactions light up a bit. "Make it a month and you got a deal." They bargained. He groveled a little and shook their hands "Fine but I'm serious, no pranks, no running in, no trying to bring out Spike." The siblings nodded in agreement before separating. Chase breathed out a heavy sigh, It wasn't like he was trying to become your boyfriend right now, he just really liked you and wanted to get to know you.

In the back of his mind, he thought it was only a matter of time before someone better came up to you and would replace him. Chase wanted to make a lasting impression before that could happen, then maybe just maybe you would stick around. You arrived slightly later than promised, 5:30. You were about to knock open the door when it swung open revealing the kind boy you had met on your first day of school. "You weren't standing at the door waiting for me right?" a nervous laugh following your statement. "Im sorry I took so long but practice ran a bit later."

Chase grabbed your hand to lead you in, "Don't worry about it, we still got plenty of time." You smiled at him and tucked your hair behind your ear. Chase noticed he had yet to let go of your hand, but you made no indication of discomfort so he kept his hand in yours. You followed Chase through a quick tour of the house meeting Tasha who was shocked by your presence saying "Wow, you're super pretty. Omg you're the girl Chase was talking about! I'm so excited we can start having girls' days with Bree and-" before she could embarrass him anymore you were pulled away back to the living room. The two of you spread out your work and began studying. Out of the corner of your eye, you couldn't help but stare at Chase. He was so handsome to you, his olive skin and beauty marks combined with his beaming smile when he talked about his interests. The beating within your chest seemed to quicken and the heat rushed to the apples of your cheeks when he caught your gaze. "Sorry." You said.

"For staring. You're just... I think you're beautiful." Chase looked down. He wasn't used to compliments. He also used to think beautiful was only for girls. But your sincerity and the way you spoke made him feel different about the word. A few hours into studying the American Revolution your head was starting to feel heavy swarming with information. You plopped your forehead on Chase's sturdy shoulder and closed your eyes. "If I read any more words my brain is going to explore." A hand reached to pat your head. Chase could smell your expensive perfume on your, the scent of roses and books invaded his heightened senses. He closed his eyes as well and inhaled deeply. The two of you stayed like that for a few minutes simply enjoying the contact. In the kitchen 3 sets of eyes could be seen watching the new friends. "What are they doing?" Bree questioned. They've been watching for a while but now it seemed the pair was just silent. "I think they're sleeping? Cuddling?" Leo commented. You made the first move to lift your head off of Chase's shoulder. "Sorry I didn't mean to doze off there, you're pretty comfy." Chase laughed, "Don't worry about it. It's getting late." You got up and gathered your stuff. Chase handed you your textbook and savored the feeling of your hand reaching his. Your skin was soft and smooth, he wanted to be able to hold it but it was too soon for that. He stopped you before you reached the door. "Hey let me walk you home, where do you live?" You gazed into his hazel eyes, the boy was a gentleman you had to give it to him. "Don't worry about it! I live 2 minutes away on my bike. It's not far." You proceeded to wrap your arms around his neck and planted a kiss on the cheek leaving a light pink mark. "Thank you for today and helping me. I'll see you tomorrow, Chase." Leaving him frozen you walked out of the Davenport residence with a permanent smile and and eagerness for the next day.

Authors Note: I couldn't help myself. I've been reading soo many fanfics that I needed to write my own Chase one. I know this start is super sappy but I plan to continue this and follow along the show more. Don't worry I haven't given up on my Five fics Im rewatching the seasons to get a jump start on those.

[justauthoring]

naturally [3].

you fit into their little family perfectly - naturally → in which you meet satoru gojo

a/n: yall this one was a blast to write.

pairing: nanami kento x f!reader, yuji itadori x f!reader (platonic), satosugu as well!

want to support your local writer? send me a coffee!

I won’t be able to pick up Yuji today from daycare, do you mind heading there alone?

No worries at all, Kento. You know I don’t mind. Is everything okay?

Yes. My boss is being particularly pushy about getting this project done by today. I’m sorry to leave you alone.

I’ll be fine. But please don’t push yourself too hard, love. 

Thank you, Y/N. I’ll try not to.

I’ll make your favourite for dinner, okay? Love you.

That would be wonderful, dear. I love you too.

When you’d received the text from Nanami, you hadn’t thought anything of it. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked you to pick up Yuji, and that was way before the two of you ever were in a relationship. It hadn’t been much of a hassle then, given that you lived next door to him but it was even less of a worry now since you’d moved in with Nanami and Yuji into their apartment. Often, the two of you would pick up Yuji together and since you’d started joining Nanami, Yuji had been ecstatic about the whole thing that you made it a goal to go every day.

You’d already been out doing some errands, just about to make your way to the school with the assumption that Nanami would meet you there, when you’d gotten his text. You’d shrugged the whole situation off, mentally thankful you’d gotten all the necessary ingredients for Nanami’s favourite dinner when you’d grabbed groceries with a light frown at the realization of how hard Nanami’s office had been pushing him recently. Luckily it was the end of the week and you could spend the weekend making sure he got the rest he definitely deserved.

Your walk to Yuji’s daycare isn’t long at all and your thoughts are filled with the wonderful and loving family you’ve found yourself. None of it was in your plans for your life but you couldn’t deny how incredibly happy you were. Yuji was an absolute bundle of joy that you loved like your own son, and Nanami was the best boyfriend you could ask for – understanding, loyal, and loving. He checked off any and all boxes that may exist and made you incredibly happy.

You wouldn’t trade any of it.

“Y/N/N!”

You’re pulled from your thoughts at the familiar sound of Yuji’s voice. You blink, not having even realized you’d reached the daycare until a blob of pink comes crashing towards you, slamming right into your legs as Yuji hugs you as best he can with his small arms, peering up at you with bright, shining eyes. You smile at the sight, crouching down to his level as you distantly catch his teacher’s eye and offer a smile when she waves at you, before putting your full attention on Yuji.

“Hi, Yuji-kun,” you giggle, ruffling his hair. You notice his eyes drift past you, and are quick to explain. “Your father is stuck at work for a bit but I was thinking me and you could make his favourite dinner together, how does that sound?” 

Yuji beams; “perfect!”

You let out a laugh, nodding your head. “How was your day?”

“Amazing!” Yuji practically cheers, and you blink slightly at the pure excitement in his voice. Suddenly, he’s letting go of your leg to take your hand in his own, his grip quite tight for such a small child as he starts pulling. “I want you to meet my friend, Y/N/N. His name is Megumi!”

You internally laugh at Yuji’s short-attention span. You’d thought he’d be more disappointed about Nanami not being able to show up, but as usual, the boy was effortlessly positive and didn’t seem to let himself get phased by many things.

That, or he was just happy as long as one of you came.

“Okay–just, slow down a little, Yuji, I–”

“MEGUMI!”

Your lips part as Yuji practically bellows the name, eyes drifting ahead of yourself to the direction Yuji’s yanking you towards. You see a small boy, just slightly taller than Yuji, with black, spiky hair (it’s quite amazing actually), in a similar uniform as Yuji but he looks a lot more neat and put-together than Yuji does–even though every morning, you make sure Yuji leaves with his buttons all done and his collar straight, something or another is amiss every time you come to pick him up.

The boy glances back at the call of his name, seemingly unphased by how loud Yuji was, and it’s then you notice the man standing next to him.

He’s tall. Very tall. He’s got startlingly white hair that falls effortlessly around his head, shaping his face perfectly and he’s wearing a pair of black sunglasses but yet as his eyes drift in the direction of you and Yuji, it still feels like he’s staring directly into you.

“Y/N/N! Y/N/N! This is Megumi,” Yuji tugs at your hands and you pull your eyes away from the man, moving to smile down at Megumi. “Megumi, this is Y/N/N. The one I was talking about.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Megumi,” you offer gently, smiling softly down at the boy.

Meeting your eyes, you’re shocked as Megumi bows, offering a small ‘nice to meet you’. You don’t think you’ve met such a polite young boy, even if he was a little quiet. It’s funny, you think, how Yuji could’ve made such a friend–someone so quiet and calm compared to your loud and boisterous boy. But then again, didn’t they say opposites attract?

“I certainly don’t know where he got that from.”

You glance up as the man with white-hair speaks up, grinning at you as he steps forward, ruffling Megumi’s hair. The boy instantly frowns as he does, batting the man’s hands away as he he grumbles to himself all whilst Yuji giggles, moving to point out Megumi’s frown and the two of them fall into a chatter amongst themselves as the man with white-hair sticks his own out towards you.

“Satoru Gojo,” the man introduces, “and you must be the famous Y/N Yuji keeps telling me about.”

Slowly, you let your hand fall in his, nodding. “Yes, I, um… I’m Kento’s–”

“Wife,” Gojo cuts off, smirking. “Yes, I actually work with your husband.”

Your eyes widen, cheeks burning red; “oh… oh no! We’re just dating, not… we’re not married, Gojo-san.”

“Ah, please, call me Satoru,” he brushes off, “and sorry. I just assumed Nanami would’ve put a ring on you already with the way he talks about you. He’s absolutely smitten.”

Your cheeks stay flushed, glancing at your feet. “Ah, well… you know…” desperate for the conversation to change, you glance back up at him. “Are you Megumi’s father?” You only ask because the two of them don’t really look all that related–of course, that didn’t mean much.

Still, it was a shift in conversation.

“Not biologically, no,” Gojo nods, “but I do take care of him.”

“Barely.” Megumi cuts in, glowering at the man.

You press a hand to your mouth to stifle your laughter–for such a young boy, he was rather quick-witted.

Gojo sticks his tongue out at the boy, and you find yourself unable to stop the giggle that leaves your lips at the sight. They were a rather odd pair, weren’t they? 

Gojo glances at you as you giggle and your eyes widen.

“Oh, my apologies, Satoru-san! It’s just–”

“No need to apologize,” he waves you off, stepping towards you. “Now, where is Nanami?”

“Oh, he had to stay at work to finish something up. Speaking of, Yuji and I should be heading home. We’ve got to start making dinner. But it was lovely–”

A huge gasp cuts you off. You blink, glancing down at Yuji who stares up at you with an expression like he’s come up with the best thing in the entire world.

“Y/N/N! Can Megumi and Gojo-san stay for dinner?”

-

After a long and grueling day, Nanami is more than excited to come home to you and his son and have a nice, quiet, relaxing evening.

At least, that was the plan.

Until he sees Gojo Satoru standing in his living room.

“What the hell are you doing here.”

He ignores his rather sharp language in front of the children. Never, ever has he ever wanted to see Gojo standing in his apartment, in his living room and least of all, has he ever wanted Gojo to be anywhere near you–talking with you, making you laugh, offering to help you with dinner–any of it.

Your wide eyes fall on Nanami the second you hear his voice, and Nanami feels a flash of guilt when he sees the panicked look in your eyes.

Gojo just beams. “Nanami! You’re just in time for dinner.”

Yuji comes bounding towards Nanami, hugging his father tightly and Nanami, despite the annoyance standing in front of him, of course returns the hug to his son, as Yuji beams up at him; “I asked Y/N/N if Megumi and Gojo-san could come for dinner and she said yes!”

Nanami’s eyes drift to you then, noticing the way you step towards him nervously. “I hope that’s okay,” you offer quietly and Nanami frowns at the look in your eyes. You look positively worried, and he curses himself silently when he realizes it’s because you think you’ve upset him. “Satoru-san said he was a friend from work and Yuji seemed super excited, so–”

Stepping towards you, Nanami gently pulls himself from Yuji, wrapping his arm around your waist to lean forward and press a kiss against your forehead. “It’s no worries, love. It’s not you I’m annoyed by,” he assures you, smiling down at you before his gaze hardens and he faces Gojo who continues to stand smugly in the living room. “It’s him.”

It’s then you learn that while Gojo may consider them friends, Nanami certainly doesn’t.

At least, not outwardly. You can tell Gojo definitely annoys your boyfriend, but Nanami still tolerates him nonetheless and it’s proven in the way he doesn’t immediately kick Gojo out. 

You also notice how Nanami is particularly clingy the entire night – he sticks by you, as if attached to your hip, constantly offering to help, barely allowing Gojo to step within a few feet of you. Gojo notices, of course, and he uses it to his advantage to constantly tease Nanami but you find you hardly care – Nanami was hardly ever possessive and it made you feel giddy that he was so desperate to make sure Gojo didn’t flirt with you all whilst making sure not to be too overbearing on you or do anything you weren’t comfortable with.

It was a feeling that had you tingling all night.

“The dinner was fantastic, Y/N/N.”

Nanami grunts at the nickname Gojo had decidedly started calling you halfway through dinner, a name he’d picked up from Yuji, but you just smile at the man. Gojo is standing by the door to the apartment, a passed out Megumi in his hands. Yuji’s already been tucked into bed by Nanami twenty minutes ago when the two boys had promptly passed out on the couch together. Gojo had moved to excuse himself shortly after, of course with slight pressure from Nanami, who continued to have his arm around your waist, you tucked into his side as the both of you stood across from Gojo, seeing him and Megumi off.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” you smile, leaning into Nanami. “I’m sorry we kept Megumi up so late.”

Gojo shrugs, “nah, it’s fine. Suguru might be a bit upset, but…”

Your brows furrow, “whose Suguru?”

Gojo grins. “My husband.”

Your eyes widen and Nanami shakes his head from next to you; “yet you continue to flirt with my girlfriend.”

“Kento,” you mumble, turning to him embarrassed.

Gojo just laughs; “your girlfriend is very beautiful,” he grins over at you, and you glance down at your feet in embarrassment. “Besides, Suguru knows I love him.” Gojo rolls his eyes at Nanami, before turning back to you. “He’s actually out on a trip with the girls for the weekend. Left yesterday.”

Your lips part; “girls?”

“Yes, Megumi’s sister, Tsumiko, and two other girls, Mimiko and Nanako that we adopted.”

You let out a gasp, “oh my! That’s so wonderful,” you beam up at the man. “The six of you must be so happy.”

Gojo laughs; “I wonder about Megumi sometimes… He didn’t wanna go on the trip, said it would be boring but I think it was because he didn’t wanna miss seeing Yuji at daycare. The two of them are like two peas in a pod.”

Truly, you feel like your heart could melt. Turning to Nanami, you beam at him; “we’ll have to have Megumi over more often then.” Then, turning back to Gojo, you add; “and of course Suguru-san and the girls!”

Nanami frowns, but you don’t see it as Gojo grins back at you; “I’ll make sure to let Suguru know.” He assures, “now, I should go. I think I might’ve overstayed my welcome.”

You glance over at Nanami at that, noticing the frown on his lips and let out a light giggle as you nod at Gojo. With one final goodbye, Nanami opens the door for him, before shutting it the second he’s sure he’s gone. You watch as the man’s shoulders instantly sag the second Gojo’s gone and tilt your head.

“Do you really not like Satoru-san that much?”

His eyes widened; “no… no, it’s not that. I’ve known Gojo for a long time. He’s annoying, but he’s a… friend.” Then, stepping towards you, he shakes his head. “I’m sorry, love. I’m just tired.”

His hands fall on your waist, tugging you towards him and you fall into him with ease, letting your head fall on his chest as you hum out softly. “I know. Don’t worry about cleaning up, I’ve got it.” Leaning back slightly, you press a kiss to his jaw. “Just get some rest.”

Nanami shakes his head; “no, you already made dinner for me tonight. I can help clean.”

“But–”

“No buts,” he smirks down at you. “I want to help.”

With a moment more of hesitance, you nod. And the two of you fall into a comfortable silence as you work to tidy up from dinner. With the two of you, it’s cleaned a lot faster and before you know it, the two of you are already tucked into bed, kitchen clean, clothes swapped for more comfortable attire and feeling ready to pass out completely.

Just as Nanami presses a final kiss to your cheek, arm wrapped around your waist with your back pressed to his chest, you can't help but ask; “were you really jealous of a married man? Married to another man, no less?”

There’s a pause. Then, “...maybe.”

[em1i2a3]

Twin Size Mattress (Bjorn One Shot)

Bjorn x fem!reader

Authors note: Hello! I am definitely new to this. I haven’t written in quite a few years, and just like many hobbies, when you haven’t done it for a while the skill dwindles. So I was hoping I could write something to share on here for the first time, to start dipping my toes back into the pool as most people would say. Like everyone else who is probably lurking these tags, I was pretty enamoured by Bjorn in Alien Romulus (I also went to watch it multiple times in theatres but that was not for Bjorn, I just have a hyper fixation on horror movies.), so I hope everyone enjoys!

Warnings: 18+ NSFW, DNI if you’re underage please, Smut, mentions of loss and grief, unprotected P in V sex (please be safe…you know the drill), swearing, some very light choking, some foreplay, and a hint of angst? I am hoping I didn’t miss anything because I rarely go back to read over my work due to being extremely picky with wording.

A p.s. from the author: I was listening to a lot of The Front Bottoms when I named this piece, and I thought this song would be fitting for the title.

Word count: 6,390 (yes. I know. I am wordy okay? lol)

On the ship, you never expected such limited space. You never expected to share a bed, and you certainly never expected to share a bed with Bjorn of all people. You hadn’t been on a trip with the team at all, you stayed on base most of the time, but when Tyler proposed the escapade, you thought a change of scenery would benefit you. The mines were beyond torture to you, and being able to leave that behind for an unknown amount of time was extremely tempting.

Now, somehow, you found yourself back to back with one of the people you despised most. He was not a fan of you either, but you were focused more on your distaste for him, you couldn’t care less what he thought of you, definitely not after you overheard him talking about you several times with the rest of the crew. He didn’t like your guts, or how you tried to fit in with the group without having any inkling of what they had gone through together. The crew was his found family and he saw you as an intrusion to that harmony. Not only that but Bjorn didn’t even care to give you a chance, so you had given up on trying to be friendly, and everyone was aware of the mutual hatred. Yet you still managed to get the least desirable spot in the ship.

You laid awake, staring at the wall of the room, listening to the low hum that the ship emitted, the vibrations gently shaking your face. Bjorn shuffled behind you, pulling the blanket that the two of you shared. They couldn’t even give us separate blankets, you thought as you gripped your side, protecting the surface area you had.

“Do you fucking mind?” He said through gritted teeth, “I’m cold.” He added, yanking on the blanket again.

“You can freeze for all I care.” You replied back, mirroring his actions by pulling the end that you were gripping.

“M’ Sure you’re used to the cold since your ‘art is the same temperature.” He said, trying his hardest to pull the knitted blanket over his exposed legs.

”Well if you didn’t dress like you were going into cryosleep you would be warmer. Now shut up and go to sleep before I kick you off the bed and make you sleep on the metal floor.” You spat back.

Before Bjorn climbed into bed he had stripped off his work clothes, leaving him in nothing but a white tank top that hung loosely on him, and a pair of sleep shorts that were a few sizes too big, you had noticed that he had to put on a belt to wear them when you had caught an unwanted glimpse of him taking off the clothing articles. For you though, you were smarter, you brought long sleeved shirts, woven sleep pants, and sweaters, to ensure that you were going to be comfortable throughout the night, knowing that some ships got cold when you were not constantly moving on them.

”Unlike you I want to be comfortable when I sleep.” He replied, pulling the blanket once more. Snapping the tension that was building in you.

”I swear to god Bjorn, stop fucking pulling the blanket!” You exclaimed loud enough for the crew next door to hear. A sharp bang on the wall indicated that everyone was fed up with the argument, telling the both of you to shut up without words. A pang of silence rang through the both of you, as a defeated sigh escaped your mouth, slowly letting some of the blanket out of your grip, allowing him to cover the rest of his body. No more words were exchanged that night, not even a thank you.

————

You were sitting at your mother’s bedside, watching her lay with her eyes closed, she looked like the colour of ash, her lips were blue, and chapped. Her lively appearance had been drained from her, and she was a shell of who you had known her to be. You hadn’t left her side since the medic announced the time of death. They had unhooked her from the machines as you sat there, crying, holding her hand, but you refused to go, it had been hours. She was all you had, and she was now just a vessel of bones. You were never going to hear her voice, or see her smile, or feel her arms around you ever again, and of all times you wished you could take back everything you had said to her, but it was too late.

You were so focused on memorizing your mothers face, you didn’t hear the sliding doors of the medical room open. You only realized another set of people were in there once they pulled you up by your work shirt. Your hand let go of your mothers, as they began to pull you towards the exit, mumbling something that was incoherent to you at that point, as you were now blinded by fiery rage. You screamed and begged at the top of your lungs to have them let you go, to let you be with your mother for a few more minutes, but they were having none of it. You had resorted to pushing back against them, pulling the opposite direction as the securities grip tightened on your wrist. You kept screaming and screaming until it all went black.

————

“Wake the fuck up!” Bjorn exclaimed, shaking you roughly. The scent of cigarettes wafting from his mouth as his hot breath hit your face with his words. You sat up quickly, almost out of a distinct reflex, luckily he had moved back in time before you forehead hit his face. Your chest was burning, and a familiar taste of salty tears coated your lips, as a bead of sweat dripped down your temple. You placed a hand on your chest, feeling the hard thumping of your heart against it. You tried to catch your breath slowly, not even acknowledging the feeling of Bjorn’s eyes watching you.

He had gotten out of bed just a few minutes before this whole thing, craving a cigarette. He didn’t leave the cramped room, he just sat off to the side, with his arms hanging over his knees, taking long drags and staring at your body rising and falling with increasing intensity. He thought that you were just an odd sleeper, but when you started screaming it sent him into immediate action, knowing that the rest of the crew would’ve automatically assumed it was his fault if he didn’t stop the gut-wrenching sounds. He hadn’t heard anyone scream the way that you were screaming, and he hoped that he would never have to experience it ever again, cause even through all the unfiltered hatred he had for you, he knew something bad must’ve triggered this sort of reaction from you.

He sat in silence, watching you as more tears streamed down your face, your hands reaching up to rub the dampness off your cheeks. He looked over at the mini fridge in the corner of the room, and got off the bed, retrieving his water bottle from the inside of it, returning to you and bumping your arm with the cold metal, grabbing your attention. Your eyes were bloodshot and puffy, but there was anger behind them, until it softened once you noticed what he was holding out to you. He moved it in front of you, a silent offer. A glint of distrust appeared behind your stare.

”Don’t worry. Just water.” His voice was soft, almost like he was hurt that you thought he was going to give you something other than that, especially in this moment of all times. You reached out for the bottle, taking it gently out of his hands, avoiding his eyes once again, as you unscrewed the cap and drank, the cold metal touching your lips, and the refreshing water moisturizing your dry mouth. You pulled the bottle away, screwing the cap back on before attempting to hand it back to him.

”Thank you.” Your voice was hoarse, and the words stung your throat, raw from the screaming you had done moments before. Bjorn gave you a small nod, slowly sitting down on the bed in front of you. He didn’t take his bottle back though. The silence overtook you again, as you sniffed, trying to breathe through your nose. Bjorn rubbed his hands on his sleep shorts, watching the goosebumps start to rise on his pale skin which was now in your field of vision.

“Are you alright?” He broke the silence, clearing his throat. You didn’t respond. You felt like your body was reliving the trauma, even though it had been two years by this point, “Do you want to talk about it?” He added, trying not to push you, but curious as to what caused the screaming spell. You never heard Bjorn’s voice be so gentle before, it was uncanny in a way, the complete opposite of his cursing and loud demeanor he tended to display throughout the normal crew interactions. You found yourself somehow feeling warm towards the tone.

”I-I’m fine.” You responded, coughing from the mucus that was built up in your throat from the crying spell.

”Doesn’t look like it. And it certainly doesn’t sound like it.” He shivered slightly, not wanting to get into another fight about the blanket, knowing it was a bad time to ask for you to share when you were in this highly emotional state. He rubbed his rough hands over his biceps, generating some heat from the friction, as he kept his eyes on you, watching as you fumbled with the lid of his water bottle, rocking slowly, almost in a way to soothe yourself.

“Listen…I know we may not get along…But I’m genuinely concerned.” He admitted, now moving a bit closer to you, reaching his hands out to hold your shoulders, almost as if he was grounding you to reality. “Can you talk or are you going into shock?” You blinked slowly, shaking your head, now grasping his wrist into your hand, removing his cold touch from your body.

”I don’t need your pity Bjorn, just drop it.” His eyebrows knitted together, scoffing at the sentence that just dropped from your lips, his hands hitting his knees in frustration as he stood up from the bed, going towards his pile of clothes.

”Y’know what? You don’t deserve my pity. You don’t deserve anything actually. I-I try to help and you have to always make it seem like you’re the toughest person in the crew, when you’re just a scared little girl. You’re a fucking baby, and deep down behind that fake front you’re putting on you’re just a lost fucking person, just begging to be accepted.” He rambled, as he grabbed his sweater, putting it on over his head, fixing his red bandana in the process.

”If you even went through an inch of what I’ve had to go through Bjorn you wouldn’t be wanting someone else’s pity either. Who the fuck do you think you are, trying to fucking act like you suddenly are concerned about me. You’ve hated me this entire time, you couldn’t care less, you just fucking switch on a dime and act like a knight in shining armour, as if we weren’t just fighting over a blanket a few hours ago. Don’t you fucking dare talk to me about fake fronts. You know NOTHING about me, and you wouldn’t understand what losing someone is like, so go fuck yourself.” You shot back, venom filling every word that left your mouth. The last part in particular made him go rigid, his hands gripping the table in front of him. His knuckles turning white from the steel grip he had around the wood. It immediately registered with you that you struck a nerve, your breath hitching in your throat as his head bowed down. In a matter of seconds Bjorn spun around on his heel and threw something at you, clinking against the water bottle before falling onto your lap. Dog tags? You thought.

”Those were my moms spare ones. She always had backups in case she lost her usual ones in the mines. She died last year. Buried beneath the rubble. Never coming back. You think you know what loss is? You think you know grief? Imagine not havin a chance to say goodbye, then come on out and accuse me of not fucking understanding what losing someone is like.” The words hit you like a pound of bricks, as your brain took a few moments to process what he was saying. You put the water bottle down beside you, now holding the dog tags in your hands, feeling the engraving of his mother's name on it, with her standard issued number right below it. You looked up at him, watching him clench his jaw under your stare. A pang of regret echoed through your body, as your eyes softened.

”Bjorn…I…”

”Save it, I don’t want your pity.” He interrupted, twisting your words back to you, crossing his arms over his chest, as his crystal blue irises watched your delicate, scarred-up hands hold the dog tags, almost as if they would break under her touch, “Maybe It’ll teach you to think before you speak next time.” He muttered, your eyes flashing up to him, as his gaze broke away to look at the floor now. You slumped down into the blanket that surrounded you, the silence encompassing the room once again. You looked back down at the dog tags, releasing a small sigh while sliding off the mattress, your bare feet meeting the cold metal floor. Bjorn couldn’t help but peek through his lashes as he watched you stop in front of him, leaving a bit of space between the two of you. He could feel your warm breath fan his face, the sweet minty smell of your mouthwash tickling his nose. Suddenly he felt your arms wrap around his neck, and the cold metal chain touching his skin, the contact made him tense up, but he stayed still for you until a small click was heard. You adjusted the dog tags gently, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks under his gaze.

“I’m sorry. I should have never said what I said…I know how you feel Bjorn. I understand how it feels to lose a mom, and I should’ve been aware that I am not the only one who has experienced something like that.” You avoided looking up, knowing he was already looking at you. Even though you hated him you knew when the heat of his ice-blue eyes were on you, and you avoided looking back every time.

”Does the grief get easier?” He whispered as if he was asking you for top-secret information. You held the dog tags between your fingers still, licking your dried lips, and shaking your head.

”It doesn’t…But it becomes your normal. My mother passed away two years ago, and as you can tell I haven’t gotten over it.” You let go of the tags, letting them drop against the sweater he was wearing, taking the courage to meet his eyes, “The nightmares don’t come often, and hopefully one day, I won’t be haunted by that night anymore.” You closed your eyes, taking your bottom lip between your teeth, giving it a small bite, taking some of the dry skin off, drawing a droplet of blood from it, letting the metallic taste settle on your tongue.

Bjorn stared at you, almost enamoured by the way you worded your thoughts, feeling his heart tighten slightly at the sight of you biting your bottom lip. His hand instinctively came up to cup your cheek, his thumb running along the skin just below your eye. You tensed up under his cold palm, flinching back slightly, as your gaze fixated on his. Maybe it was the moment that preceded it, the genuine heart to heart you both were having, but you caught yourself melting into the touch, pushing your cheek more into his hand, holding the stare. Your eyes glistened under the dim lighting, beckoning him to come closer, to close the gap between the two of you, like a siren trying to entrap men at sea, and he was one of your victims.

Slowly he leaned in, trying to gauge your body language as he approached. You didn’t move a muscle, and you could’ve sworn you felt the air from your lungs hitch in your throat, his hot breath now fanning over your lips, pausing to test if you were going to make the final move. As you threw your common sense out the window you closed the gap, allowing the moment to take over, pressing your lips against his, a soft sigh escaping from both of you, like this kiss was somehow a long time coming.

Bjorn's hand left your cheek to hold the side of your neck, your pulse beating against his palm, while the other one was placed firmly on your waist, his fingertips digging into the clothed flesh of your hips. The kiss was sloppy, a feverish craving developing slowly as you adapted to one another’s movements. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pressing yourself into him, a small moan being exchanged, both of you pulling away for a moment to look at each other. To give each other a final chance to realize what you were doing and who you were doing it with.

Red heat crept onto both of your faces, your hands now tangling themselves into his hair, pulling him in again to avoid thinking about the meaning of what you guys were doing, not wanting to put your actions into question. You pulled gently at the hair within your grip, a muted moan vibrating against your lips as Bjorn now had both hands placed on your hips, sneaking under your long-sleeved shirt to touch the soft skin beneath. Goosebumps slowly climbed up your skin, a shiver creeping up your spine, as he switched positions so you were pressed against the small table, entrapping you with his body. His hands slid down the backs of your thighs as he lifted you gently and placed your bottom onto the wooden surface. Your legs opened up for him, letting him settle between them.

You pulled back this time, opening your eyes to look at his face. His lips were already red and swollen from the intensity of the kiss, and you couldn’t help but reach out and touch the tender flesh, watching his icy blue irises observe you, as you dragged your thumb down the middle of his lip, to his chin. A soft moan escaped into the air as his hands desperately searched for the hem of your shirt, pulling it over your head and throwing it to the side.

“Oh my god.” He whispered, looking at your bare chest, your skin flushing beneath his gaze, holding back the instinct to cover yourself up. Your breathing escalated, and you felt the nerves begin to bundle and coil in your stomach. You did not know if this was a good situation, but you reassured yourself that you would take care of it in the morning. The cold air of the enclosed room hardened your nipples as Bjorn leaned towards you, his soft lips slowly kissing down your neck, with his rough, calloused hands running down your bareback. You could feel his teeth gently graze the skin of your collarbone, a small bite being felt, making you flinch in his hands at the sensation that crowded your consciousness, you could feel his lips form a small smirk against your skin, his eyes glancing at up at you briefly to witness the blush slowly invade your cheeks.

“You okay?” He asked, his hot breath sticking to the skin just above the mound of your breast, his eyes watching you closely for your reaction, trying to see if there was hesitance. His lips parted slightly, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the sensitive flesh, earning a soft sigh out of you.

“I’m okay.” You replied, “Are you okay?” Returning the same level of concern he had, as his lips took your pebbled nipple into his mouth, hollowing out his cheeks to create a tense suction while the tip of his tongue collaborated with the pressure, a gasp emitting into the air. He pulled back for a moment, with a small pop.

“I’m on fire.” His voice was husky, his mouth returning to the same spot again, adding more saliva to the sensitive skin on your nipples, as your thighs enclosed around Bjorn’s hips, feeling the tenting in his shorts brush up against your core. Butterflies fluttered in your stomach, as your brain focused on the sensations of his tongue, whilst also trying to find the bottom of his sweater with your hands. You tugged at the hem of the clothing, watching him pull off your nipple again to aid you in removing the top, throwing it to the side, and leaving him in his undershirt. Your eyes roamed over his exposed skin, now paying attention to the details you never noticed before, tracing the outline of the healed scars that glistened in the light, you assumed it was from the mines, knowing that the ricocheting rocks could give some pretty nasty scrapes. There was a pause, as the two of you exchanged momentary glances, before touching foreheads. He snaked his arms around you, pulling you up and off the desk, your legs wrapped around him out of instinct while he was making his way over to the small mattress. Your lips found his again, desire burning behind every action you took, feeling your back hit the bed, the mattress pillowing around you. His weight pressed down onto your body, his hands sliding down your bare torso, right to the tie of your pyjama pants, the two of you continuing to kiss hungrily, your teeth nibbling his bottom lip. He pulled away, holding himself up with one arm.

“Can I take them off?” He breathed, motioning to his hand on the tie. You nodded, lifting your hips off the bed so he could pull the pants down off your long legs, bunching them up and throwing them to the side, taking in the sight before him. His eyes roamed over the skin of your legs, smooth and unmarked, leading up to the green lacy underwear you wore, the last thing you had on. You felt his calloused fingers trace up your thigh, as you sat up taking his face into your hands, watching him close his eyes.

“Lay down.” You instructed, his eyelids fluttering open to meet your gaze, “But let’s take this off first.” You added, slipping the undershirt off his form, exposing more of his milky white skin, your hands running down his chest, feeling the thumping of his heart against your palm, your eyes glued to him as he listened to your instructions, laying on his back as you climbed on top of him, your legs straddling his waist, placing pressure on the tent that was formed in his shorts. He pushed his head back on the mattress, as his mouth slowly opened, his hands resting on your hips to press you down harder against the fabric adding friction to the area.

You could feel your arousal pool in your panties, as he dragged your hips forward and back against the outline of his cock. You can tell that he was well-endowed, which made you nervous. It wasn’t your first time having sex, but you had run into a dry spell, it had been a year and a half by this point - not that you were counting the days - and you feared that you possibly lost your touch. Now being aware of his size you had this innate desire to impress him, paying attention to the grip he had on your hips, feeling his fingers dig into your flesh with each movement. He looked up at you, lust filling behind the blue irises as he removed one hand from your waist, bringing his fingers up to his mouth, coating them in saliva, before sitting up, not wanting to stay on his back. His touch left a wet trail down your stomach, brimming the waistband of your underwear, silently asking to continue further. In desperation, your lips met his, wanting to be closer to him, hoping that this was a good enough answer for him to go on with what he was planning.

His hand slid under the waistband, feeling the wetness that was soaked into the cloth of your underwear, a light moan escaping his mouth. You pulled him closer to you, your hands roaming over his shoulder blades. He smiled against your lips, as his fingertips grazed over your clit, earning a sharp intake of breath from you that was a little louder than expected. He pulled back quickly, using his spare hand to cover your mouth.

“You need to be quiet.” He whispered, smirking at the way your face turned bright red, continuing to circle your clit in a slow and rhythmic motion. The wetness from his saliva allows for a smooth glide across the bundle of nerves, causing your hips to buckle slightly. Bjorn removed his hand from your mouth, placing it onto your breast, and giving it a rough squeeze. You closed your eyes tightly as his fingers continued working on both erogenous zones, synching them together so that when your hips ground against his hand his fingers squeezed your nipple. He leaned down, his mouth latching onto your free breast, sucking hard on the sensitive flesh, leaving a dark red mark, and moving to the other side to do the same.

Your brain was clouded, not knowing what to focus on, completely intoxicated by the attention Bjorn was giving you. You were surprised by how gentle he was when usually he carried himself like an unattentive jerk most of the time. His fingers suddenly stopped rubbing your clit, as his hand moved further into the slick wetness of your panties, dipping two fingers inside of you. Your mouth dropped open at the delicious stretch his thick digits provided, mentally reminding yourself not to make excessive noise. A small smile drew up on his swollen lips.

“God you’re so tight.” His words brushed against your lips, “I can’t wait to feel you around my cock.” He added, smirking at the way your eyes closed at the words he said, curling his fingers inside you, moving them slowly to build up the tension that electrified all your senses. Through your short gasps for air one of your hands made its way down his chest, undoing his belt and throwing it to the side, ghosting your lips against his before slipping your hand beneath the waistband, finding his hard cock in an instant. You couldn’t see it, but the outline didn’t prepare you for the thickness and length that you were palming at the moment. Precum was already dripping from the head of his penis as you started stroking, spreading the warm stickiness along the shaft. Now, just like you, he was taking in short breaths, the rhythm of his fingers being thrown off at the touch of your hand.

“Do I need a c-condom?” He asked, already thinking ahead so there was no delay once all the layers were off.

“I…Implant.” You shuddered, trying to speak without your words getting caught in your throat, “Got it r-replaced a month ago.” His lips met the marked flesh of your breast, giving light kisses on the area.

“You want me to fill you with my cum? You wanna be leaking me all day long? Hm?” His voice vibrated against your skin, his mouth leaving another purpled bruise over your breast. The sheer thought caused your walls to flutter around his fingers, which encouraged him to continue his quickened pace. You could feel yourself getting to the point where your legs were beginning to twitch from the sensation he was causing you, your orgasm building inside your velvety walls. Bjorn took the opportunity and added another finger into you, stretching you out as much as possible, the sudden intrusion making your back arch into him. He took advantage of the moment of weakness and flipped you over, so now you were at his mercy, a yelp escaping your throat at the newfound pressure of his body on yours.

“Tell me what you want….” He said, his breath hitting the shell of your ear, his full puffy lips ghosting the skin so delicately. His body shuddered as you began to stroke him with a little more roughness

“I want…You.” Your voice was hoarse, almost cracking at the desperation, as your free hand took his bandana off his head, throwing it to the side so his hair could fall in front of his face. He hummed, pumping his fingers in and out a few more times before removing them, bringing his glistening digits up to his lips, sucking the juices off them like it was honey.

“You taste so sweet…S-so delicious.” He murmured, getting every last drop before moving off of you, your grip leaving his hardened member. He grabbed the blanket placing it at his waist before beckoning you to come join him under the covers. You removed your underwear, watching him shuffle beneath the blanket, assuming that he was removing his shorts, the last thing that was hindering the finality of what the both of you were going to do. You knew things were going to change after this, there was no denying that, and it was slowly dawning on you that you didn’t know how you were going to handle this in the morning. Are you and Bjorn going to suddenly become friendly, and allow the people around you to catch wind of what happened? Or are you going to keep it your little secret? You had no clue, and it currently wasn’t the right time to ask, so once again, you pushed the thoughts away, settling in under the covers with him, his skin touching yours, setting the area ablaze, as the electric heat rushed up your body.

You turned onto your side, mirroring the position he was in, allowing yourself to look at him, allowing the silence to come between the two of you. A small smile appeared on his lips, his hand reaching out to push a piece of hair out of your face. The two of you took a moment to breathe, almost like you were trying to emotionally sync together. He could sense you were thinking too hard, the cogs in your brain turning about what was going to happen after this, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment to have a long conversation about the future, it wasn’t the right time.

His hand caressed your cheek, as you brought your leg over his hip to close the small space you mindfully left between the two of you.

“Are you sure you want this?” Bjorn blurted out, he could see your eyes widen slightly, “I mean…I just don’t want you to wake up tomorrow morning hating me even more because we did this. I also don’t want to take advantage of our heart to heart…I just want to make sure…” He trailed off, looking at your lips turning up into a soft smile, your head shaking.

“I want this.” You replied, “And you’re not taking advantage of me, and I won’t hate you even more when we wake up.” You added, hoping that those confirmations were enough to give him the go ahead. He nodded, before his arm slid around your waist to pull you closer to him, planting a gentle kiss onto your lips, placing his weight forward so he can have you laying on your back.

He settled between your legs, holding your neck with his hand, giving it a taunting squeeze, as he adjusted to the position on top of you, feeling the wetness between your legs against him. He pulled back, letting his free hand grab his cock, giving it a few strokes to spread the precum over the length. You watched him do this with your lip caught between your teeth in anticipation, his body leaning closer to you to let the tip drag down your folds to find your entrance. His eyes met yours, wanting to look into them as he slowly thrusted into you. Your mouth dropped open, as his lips met yours to swallow the gasp that almost made its escape.

The warmth surrounded him, your walls taking him in willingly, the stretch making you breathless, and leaving you feeling full, even though he wasn’t close to bottoming out. His breath was heavy as he continued to push, feeling his hips buckle slightly from the pure heat that was running through him, that held him. He squeezed your neck gently, pulling back from your mouth, a small whimper leaving your throat, desperately wanting his lips to be back on yours.

”Y-You feel so good Bjorn.” You managed to say quietly, your voice sounding like you were on the brink of tears, your hands sliding up from his chest, all the way up his neck, to now lace through his hair, as you continued to feel him push into you gasping when he bottomed out right against your cervix, his hips meeting yours. The hand that was on your neck slid to your cheek.

”You need to try to be quiet.” He said, knowing that it might be no use, even he was struggling to hold back at this point. You nodded, pulling him back down so your lips can crash against his again, the sloppy wetness distracting you for a moment, as he pulled out, so just the tip remained in you, before burying himself into you again, your moans vibrating between the two of you, trying to keep the volume down as much as possible. Slowly Bjorn found his rhythm, allowing you to adjust fully to his size before he picked up the movements. His lips pulled away from yours, as he moved to the side of your neck, peppering wet kissing against the sensitive flesh, before blowing on the damp spots, the cooling sensation sending shivers up your spine.

”B-Bjorn…I-I…” You couldn’t get any words out, the way his hips continued to meet yours in an agonizing roughness was too much for you to even think. The pleasure coiled inside you with each movement, and it left you breathless, as Bjorn pulled back to look into your dazed eyes. He felt pride knowing how speechless you were, watching you gasp as he teasingly pulled out to the tip only for him to push harder back into you, letting himself graze your cervix to add to the pressure that was building inside you. Your walls fluttered around him, as your nails dragged down his back, causing him to shudder.

”You feel so good…So fucking good.” He breathed, moving back a little so he was sitting up slightly, to watch himself go in and out of you, his mouth forming an ‘o’ as his head tilted back, eyes closing. “If only you could see how good your pussy looks when it’s taking my cock. It’s like a fucking dream…You’re a fucking dream.” His hands dug into the skin of your hips, as he pushed himself in harder, the sound of skin slapping on skin now echoing through the small room. The back of your head pressed into the pillow, your back arching up, breasts perking, as your body began to grind into his thrusts, adding additional pressure against your g-spot. The slight shift in position allows you to feel the veins of his cock drag against your walls, leaving you breathless.

“Jesus Christ Bjorn, please…Harder.” You begged quietly, feeling the coil in your core begin to burn, the tension building with each movement he made. His eyes roamed over your body, as his hands brought your legs up onto his shoulders, a loud gasp escaping your throat.

“I want you to come on me. I want to feel your sweet little cunt tighten around my cock.” He stated, kissing your calf, as his fingers intertwined with yours, pushing your hands down to pin them on either side of your head. You writhed under him as his thrusts became sloppier, his hips grinding against yours as the both of you chased the release you craved. His right hand released yours as he wrapped it around your neck, digging gently into your pulse points adding just enough pressure to make you lightheaded, your hand coming up to hold his wrist. The tension finally snapped inside you as you cried out, your walls clenching around him, your body shuddering at the ecstacy that flowed through you. Your hooded eyes looked up at him, pleading, feeling him slide your legs off his shoulders so he can press his body against yours craving the intimacy of the position.

“Please Bjorn. Please cum in me.” You begged, his lips ghosting yours, his head nodding, as his hard thrusts began to falter, slowing slightly until he pushed deeper into you, the tip of his cock pressing right up against your cervix as he filled you up with his hot seed, a soft ‘ahh’ escaping his throat, his hips bucking against yours as he rode out his high. His cock twitched against your overly stimulated walls, making sure every last drop of his cum had settled into you before pulling out, and letting go of your neck with a sigh. He pressed a soft, satisfying kiss against your lips, rolling off of you soon after, landing on his back. You pulled the blanket up over your chest, looking down at the marks that he had left on the tops of your breasts, then looking at him, seeing the spent look on his face, a small smile painted on his reddened lips.

”That…That was fucking amazing.” He said, his hand reaching over to interlace your fingers together, head tilting to meet your eyes.

“We should get into fights more often.” You commented, causing the both of you to laugh.

“Maybe we could arrange that.”

[cmdrfupa]

Constant

6th and final installment of Upheaval

cw: all content warning and chapters can be found here

an: heeeeey.. So here we are. I will admit, I rewrote this ample times mostly because I didn't want this to end and any words felt wrong lol. But this feels good, an ending that I can smile about. Thank you for every rb, comment, share and blurb conversation we've had about this series. My first, albeit short, multichapter.

Thank you to @ambiguouslady42 for yapping with me about this series and for your major contributions to songs that fit this work! You are a gift and I love you dearly.

Muchos besitos! Thank you for reading <3

"We work on ourselves first. It's the only way things will begin to make sense in the long run."

07:43am

  Hot. Too hot for this early in the fall and too hot for you. You watched the peachy, yellow hues in the sky shift as you speedily made your way into the school.

  The hallways were warm, the early morning light slowly danced across the walls and splayed in from the high framed windows. The natural light had been your favorite attribute of the Kyoto school. The open display of appreciating nature, the traditional architecture that felt timeless. It unfortunately began to feel like home a little too late in the game for you.

  The call of your name pulled you from the reflective mood. You turned, Utahime coming into your sights as she walked toward you.

  “There you are!” A smile she always said was reserved for only Shoko now brightened the hallway, wrapping an arm around your neck to hug you. “I just finished setting up for our new student breakfast. Fresh onigiri, some sandwiches, fresh pastries, juice and probably the freshest mackerel I’ve ever seen this school put money towards.”

  Shaking your head, you hugged back, the familiar tenderness enveloping you, as if it knew you needed this comfort.

  “Thank you again for coming in so early on an off day. I know it isn’t ideal for your off day—”

  Utahime squinted, almost offended at you thinking she wouldn’t show. “We’re starting off this trimester with you leading us to the promised land. I was coming in even if I was bedridden.”

  You felt that her confidence in you was incredibly misplaced. This was just filling in for you. Gakuganji was on sabbatical and the school can’t run itself. So why not send the second most qualified to run things for a few months?

  For now, you felt it was unfortunate that it was you.

  Utahime walked beside you down the corridor in a brief silence before clearing her throat.

  “Yes?” You could here the question before it even had the chance to fumble from her lips.

  With a far from graceful stammer, Utahime finally got it out. “How’re things with Nanami. Things okay?”

The question was going to come up eventually. And it was either going to be now or when Gojo rubbed it in that he knew before everyone else.

  “He’s back in Denmark with his mother.” Cut dry and to the point. You stopped in front of the auditorium, a smile to hide the fleeting feelings of loneliness you’d been feeling the last 2 months. “Yuji made it back from his visit with Nanami I believe last night if you want to get any updates from him.”

  The overwhelming sensation made your chest practically constrict as Utahime lightly rubbed your arm. “Terrible attempt at hiding your feelings.”

  You choked out a laugh that closely followed behind the tears that rolled down your left cheek. “I don’t know why I cant talk about this without crying like a baby.”

  Every single day since Kento went home, you’d found that hollowness that Ooitaishi swore would go away on its own knocking at your door, unrelenting and all consuming.

  Utahime pulled you into the teachers lounge, sitting you down and immediately putting on the kettle for tea. “When did you last talk to him?”

  The air conditioner kicked in as your thoughts arranged themselves in your mind. “Three weeks ago? He’d just made it to his family home and was settling in to rest while I was getting ready for the day.” A slow exhale soothed your thumping heart for a moment.

  The low whistle of the kettle filled the small room and Utahime wasted no time pouring the steaming water over the small sachet of apple tea, slowly walking it over to you with a small plate of sugar cubes in the other hand.

“How is this feeling for you? Have you talked to that therapist since he left?”

  “Once. And thank you,” you graciously took the cup from her hand and smiled. “It was a virtual session. Just needed to express my frustrations as he was making preparations for the move.”

  One to never back away from expressing how she really felt, Utahime, almost growling, sat next to you. “Do you want to talk about it now? Or do you want me to shut up? I’m only good at one of those but I’ll try my best to be shut my mouth.”

  Your lips curled into an almost innocent smile and you both quietly laughed. That familiar feeling of comfort finding you again for the first time in almost a month. “Need some time before I talk about it.”

  “I’m gonna go finish setting up. Finish your tea and take some time to breathe. I’ll be in the main gathering room if you need me, okay?”

  With a comforting side hug and squeeze, Utahime left you alone in the cold room. Your thoughts whirling into another storm too cataclysmic that not even tea could keep at bay.

____

The hum of cicadas filled the Kyoto air as you leaned back into the lounge chair, your book readers screen being the only beacon of light as you swiped to the next page.

It was your new normal to end the day outside under the moon. It felt as if the illuminating surface was cleansing you; washing you anew and rendering the day as part of the past. Making you feel a little less lonely under the guise of night.

Your phone buzzed and you answered without looking at the screen. It was late—later than you'd realized—but you still answered without hesitation.

"Hello?"

"I didn’t wake you, did I?" Nanami’s voice came through the receiver as clear as day. You sat up, looking up from your reader, blinking as if he’d appear at the balcony railing with each bat of your eyes while you focused them.

"No, I uh-. just finishing my reading for the night."

There was a pause, the kind that stretched just long enough to mean something. Then, he exhaled. "I’m at mother’s for supper tonight. Thought I’d call."

You nodded to yourself, picturing him sitting in that neatly arranged house, sleeves rolled up, rubbing at his temple the way he always did when he had too many thoughts at once.

"How is she?"

"She asked about you," he admitted. "More than once."

Your fingers tightened around the phone. His mother had always been kind to you, always warm despite her son’s restrained nature. The day she called you her daughter?

You almost fainted.

"I should visit soon." the nape of your neck turned warm as you looked out at the moon. “Would be good to see her.”

"She’d like that," he said, and though his voice was careful, there was something else there—something just shy of hope.

Before either of you could say anything more, his mother’s voice floated through the background. "Tell her I say hello—and that she still owes me a lunch date!"

A small smile pulled at your lips. "Tell her I haven't forgotten."

"I will," he said softly. And for a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence between you no longer heavy, just... existing. Then, his voice lowered slightly. "Did you get everything with the house sorted? I’m sorry I left that for you to do.”

You sucked your teeth, humming. “No apology necessary. But I did get it all sorted. Should be receiving the final offer in a matter of two weeks if that young couple from Milan are the buyers.”

“Good good. I’ll be sure to have my accountant send over your percentage the moment it clears.”

Nanami cleared his throat. You could hear the soft chime of his mothers wind chimes serenading you from afar. With a sigh, he closed the call.

“Take care of yourself, alright?"

"You too, Kento."

“I love you.” he softly admitted before ending the call.

Leaving the night air a little colder than before, you leaned back, exhausted and heart shattering.

The teahouse was nearly empty, tucked into a quiet city alleyway like it wanted to be forgotten.

Steam curled from your cup as the scent of roasted barley floated lazily between you and Utahime. Rain tapped the windows in a soft, rhythmic hush.

You sat with one leg tucked beneath you, staring into your tea like it held the answer to a question you hadn’t dared ask.

Utahime took a sip, watching you over the rim of her cup. "You're quieter than usual. That mission didn’t go badly, did it?"

You shook your head. "No. Just tired."

A beat passed. Then she said, gently, "That kind of tired doesn’t come from cursed spirits."

You let out a low exhale, lips tugging into the smallest of smiles. Of course she’d see through it.

"It’s Nanami," you admitted. "Or rather... the absence of him."

Utahime nodded slowly, setting her cup down. "Still no word?"

"He called last night," you said, voice careful, like saying it too freely might make it less real. "He was at his mother’s and he has asked about an update on the house. It wasn’t—dramatic, just… there. Like we were holding a thread and neither of us knew whether to pull or let it go."

Her gaze softened. "You still love him."

You didn’t answer right away. The tea had gone lukewarm.

"I don’t know what love is supposed to feel like anymore," you said eventually, fingers tightening around the ceramic. "There’s distance, but not emptiness. Anger, but not resentment. It’s like… we cracked but didn’t shatter to hell. And I don’t know if that means we’re fixable or just broken in a cleaner way."

Utahime sat back, crossing her arms. "He was always more structured than spontaneous. Maybe he’s still trying to build a perfect solution for post sabbatical instead of just… reaching for you."

You huffed a laugh, dry and small. "He probably drafted a reconciliation and recess schedule."

"With bullet points," Utahime added, cracking a grin. Then, quieter, "You don’t have to wait for him to make the first move, you know."

"I’m not sure I know what I want to move toward."

The honesty left your mouth before you could dress it in something neater and delicate. It hung in the space between you, raw and unembellished.

Utahime didn’t try to fix it. She just nodded, like she understood.

"You don’t have to know right now," she said. "Just don’t pretend it doesn’t matter to you. That will be what makes this feel like a doomed ending. That kind of pretending will rot you from the inside."

You looked at her then, really looked—and realized that maybe she knew more about holding herself together than she ever let on.

"Thanks," you murmured.

She raised her teacup in a half-toast. "Anytime."

And for a little while, the silence between you wasn’t heavy. Just shared.

The last nail went in with a firm, final click. Nanami stepped back, brushing the sawdust from his hands. The aging railing was now sturdier than it was over 30 years ago—no more screeching, no more wobbling. Just smooth, sturdy function.

He straightened, flexing the stiffness out of his shoulder, then turned toward the kitchen where the soft golden light from the kitchen spilled onto the wooden floors as he went to clean off his hands.

A few minutes later, he joined his mother on the porch, side by side on the long wooden bench that overlooked the small garden she'd maintained since before Nanami was even a thought. Dusk was settling, and the sky was painted with long strokes of orange and fading indigo. A breeze whispered through the lavender stalks by the fence.

His mother sipped from her tea, her knitting bag settled by her feet, half-finished socks peeking out like little ghosts.

She was aging, but gracefully. Silver had threaded into her hair waist length blonde hair, and her hands had thinned, but her posture remained proud and steady.

"That railing was long overdue," she said, knitting needles clacking gently beside her. "I kept asking the neighbor boy to do it, but he’s more interested in his girlfriend than a hammer these days."

Nanami gave a small smile, slow and tired. "You shouldn’t be climbing stairs anyway."

"I’m older, not ancient, dear. If I waited on you every time something needed doing, I’d have to fall down the stairs to get your attention."

He sighed through his nose, but the faintest huff of amusement escaped him.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while. His mother worked her needles with practiced ease—click, slide, loop—while the sky deepened into indigo. A breeze stirred the trees and brought with it the smell of sweet grass and evening earth.

Then, without looking at him, she asked, "So. When are you going to stop pretending you're just visiting?"

Nanami blinked, slow. "I didn’t say I was staying."

"No, you never do. But the way you fixed my railing, re-organized the pantry, and stocked my freezer says otherwise."

He didn’t reply right away. He reached down and picked a stray thread of wool from the porch, toying with it out of distraction.

His mother paused in her knitting, but still didn’t look at him. Her voice softened. "Have you spoken to her?"

That thread between his fingers was wound tight before he noticed he was even doing it.

"I called last night."

"How did that go?"

He shook his head. "It was fine. Polite. Like we were tiptoeing across thin ice."

"But there was ice. Not nothing."

Nanami let out a quiet breath. Contemplating on if should disclose some of his own shortcomings and therapy progress. "We did the couples counseling thing. Went regularly. Practiced some of what we learned at home. We really tried."

"Trying doesn’t always mean fixing, Ken."

He glanced over at her. "I know that."

His mother gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "So what does this mean, then? You’re waiting to feel ready? Or you’re hoping she’ll do the hard part first?"

"I'm not hoping for anything," he said, too quickly. Then, quieter, "I'm… trying to understand what comes next."

"That's not the same as leaving, Kento."

He looked out at the yard, the patchy grass and the line of fireflies beginning to spark along the edge of the garden. His voice was low. "She asked me once what our ‘new normal’ would look like. After everything. After our work, the losses, the weight we both carried into bed every night."

He paused, his throat working.

"I told her I’d figure it out and come back when I had an answer."

His mother finally turned to look at him, eyes kind and unblinking. "And?"

He shook his head slightly, jaw clenched. "I don't know if there's an answer. Just… more questions. Can we be what we were? Should we be? Am I the man she married anymore, or just a shape wearing his skin?"

"No one is who they were before the world chewed them up," she said gently. "You don’t go back. You find each other in who you’ve become. Or you don’t."

He swallowed, the quiet around them thickening.

She reached over, laying a hand over his. Her fingers were light, a little cool, but steady.

"I watched her hold you together more than once, even when you thought you were hiding it well. You can’t fake that kind of care. And she didn’t stay through the counseling just to be polite."

He didn’t respond, but his thumb brushed the back of her hand in a silent acknowledgment.

"If she’s waiting, Kento, it’s not because she’s lost. It’s because she’s trying to be kind. She knows you're still carrying something too heavy to put down."

"She deserves more than this," he said quietly.

"Maybe she doesn’t want ‘more.’ Maybe she wants you. But she won’t beg. You taught her better than that."

The knitting resumed beside him. Slow, steady.

Nanami sat there for a long time, eyes fixed on the horizon, the twilight deepening around him. He thought about the call. About the pause in your voice when you said his name. About the weight that hadn’t lifted—but had shifted, somehow.

"She said she might visit," he murmured.

His mother smiled. "Then we’ll make the tea strong, and sweep the porch. She likes when it smells like lemongrass."

He glanced at her, a ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips. "You remember everything."

"Mothers do," she said. "Especially the things their children try to forget."

The sun finally vanished below the hills, and the night took its place. But it was a gentle kind of darkness. One that felt a little less lonely.

Your phone buzzed just a little past lunch time—an unexpected call, but not unwelcome.

“Mama Nana” read the screen.

You smiled faintly and answered, tucking the phone between your ear and shoulder as you stirred a pot on the stove.

"Hello?"

"There you are," came her familiar, lilting voice, touched with Åstrup gentleness. "I was hoping you weren’t off wrestling with your work or wrangling something worse."

"Only wrangling lunch today."

"Ah, good. Even warriors need to eat properly."

You chuckled and leaned against the counter. "It’s good to hear from you."

"Likewise, dear. I just wanted to say thank you again—for the tea you sent. I’ve already hoarded the best sachets and told Kento he’s not allowed to touch them."

"That sounds like you."

"I have to maintain order in this house somehow," she replied with mock seriousness.

The two of you fell into light conversation—she mentioned some gossip from her knitting club ("Did you know Miyako’s eldest finally proposed to that poor girl after six years? Six! I told her if he didn’t do it soon, she should’ve married his father out of spite."), and you told her about a recent mission that left your uniform scorched and your pride only slightly bruised.

Then her voice softened, slowing a little.

"He’s been here a few weeks, you know. Kento."

You paused, the spoon in your hand hovering over the pot.

"He mentioned he’d be there for awhile during his travels. Said something about helping you fix up the house?" you said carefully.

"Mm," she hummed, but didn’t push. "He fixed the railing, organized my pantry, restocked the freezer—looks at me like I might break if I breathe too deeply."

You chuckled, "That sounds like him."

"It does."

There was a beat of quiet—comfortable, but threaded with something unspoken.

Then she said it. Indirect but clear to you, "He talks in pieces. Always has. But he’s been quieter than usual. Still, I think he’s beginning to put his pieces back where they belong."

You didn’t answer right away, your fingers curling slightly against the countertop.

"He told me about the… distance. The silence that sits between two people when neither wants to be the first to speak. He didn’t say much more. But he didn’t have to."

She let that sit for a moment, then added gently:

"He always did need time to make decisions, even as a young boy. Taking 10 minutes to decide on which candy bar he’d buy at the market.” The older woman laughed softly in nostalgia. “But when he makes them—he makes them fully. Clean. Decisive. You remember."

Your heart beat a little slower, a little heavier.

"I do," you said softly.

"Well," she continued, her tone now shifting—lighter, almost playful—"I won't spoil anything. But if a certain someone gets the idea to bring you here for a little getaway, I already have your favorite rice vinegar stocked. And I might have taken your wedding photo out of the drawer and set it back on the shelf. Just for the energy of the thing."

You exhaled a soft, laughing breath. "That’s very subtle of you."

"I’m a master of restraint."

She paused again, voice turning quiet but full of emotion.

"I don’t know what the two of you will decide. That’s your path to walk. But… whatever comes next, you will always be my daughter-in-law. That part doesn’t change—not in my heart."

It hit you deeper than expected—so gently spoken, but unwavering.

You swallowed the lump forming in your throat. "Thank you. That means more than I can say."

"Then don’t say it. Just come visit soon. My garden’s a mess, and I need another set of hands I can boss around."

"I’ll bring gloves."

"You bring yourself. That’ll be enough."

As the call ended, you stood there for a moment in the quiet hum of your kitchen, the words echoing soft and warm in your chest.

Something was shifting. Not fully returned, not fully repaired—but real.

And maybe, just maybe, the silence between you and Kento wasn’t so quiet anymore.

The sun was setting behind the temple roofs, casting Kyoto in that rare kind of golden hour that made even concrete feel sacred. You stood at the edge of the rooftop, arms crossed, the wind teasing at your sleeves. The city below murmured quietly, a world still moving while yours paused, just for this.

You heard the soft tap of heels before you saw her out of your peripheral.

"Everyone always seems to like the view from up here," Mei Mei said, stepping into the light like she belonged to it. "Something about feeling above it all, wasn't it?"

You didn’t turn to her. Not yet.

"It’s quiet," you said. "Helps me think."

"Ah, dangerous habit, thinking."

She came to stand beside you, not too close, but close enough that her perfume lingered. Cool jasmine, silk, and sharp steel underneath.

Silence stretched between you, taut with memory.

Then she spoke again, her tone smooth but deliberate.

"I suppose this is the part where I say something like... 'I'm sorry if my actions caused you discomfort.'"

You finally looked at her, expression unreadable.

"Discomfort?" you repeated, tone flat.

Her mouth quirked, faintly amused by your directness.

“Fine. I’ll drop the formality." She shifted her weight, folding her arms. "What I did wasn’t exactly tactful. I was a support system to your husband when he should’ve been leaning on you—or, better yet, learning how to stand on his own."

You said nothing, letting the words land.

"It wasn’t physical," she added, tone light but honest. "But it was emotional. And I knew what I was doing. I just told myself I was helping."

You looked out at the city again. "Helping who?"

A pause.

"Him. Maybe myself."

"Not me."

"No. Not you."

The wind moved between you again. She didn’t flinch from the weight of your silence.

"As his long term friend and support, you let him fall into your space when he was trying to run from mine."

"I didn’t pull him," she said. "But I didn’t push him back either."

Another long moment. She watched your profile—calm, but lit with something fierce behind the eyes.

"I didn’t think you’d forgive me," she said after a moment, softer than usual.

"I’m not here to forgive you."

You turned to face her fully now, steady and still.

"But I needed to hear you say it. That you knew. That you saw what you were doing. That it wasn’t just… 'circumstance' or 'professional closeness' or whatever excuse would’ve made it easier."

Mei Mei held your gaze.

"I did. I do."

A breath passed between you.

You nodded, once.

"I’m not your enemy," she said, and for once, there was no lilt of performance in her voice.

"Maybe not," you replied. "But you’re not a lifeline either."

That landed. And Mei Mei didn’t argue it. She instead smiled, coming to stand next to you, facing the landscape of the city.

She inclined her head slightly, in a gesture that might have been respect. Might have even been peace.

"You’re stronger than him, you know."

"That’s why I waited."

A flicker of something moved across her face—admiration, maybe. Or regret. She didn’t say.

Instead, she turned slightly, hair catching the wind.

"Whatever happens," she said, "know that my respect for you comes with one favor. Cash in on it when it’s dire. My name holds weight you know."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

And then, with her usual fluid grace, she moved toward the stairwell, heels tapping once, twice, and then fading.

You stood there alone again, the air cooler now, the weight in your chest a little lighter.

No illusions. No apologies left to wait for.

Just your own path forward.

_______________

You didn’t leave in a rush.

The day had come to as best of an end that it could: Gakuganji coming back just to retire, Kusakabe took the role of Principal which took everyone, including him, by surprise. He immediately went to asking Utahime what he should do for the Kyoto branch.

You filed your final report at Tokyo High with careful precision, left your office cleaner than you’d found it, and gave Yaga the respect of a quiet thank-you while Gojo gave you all the fanfare that was to be expected.

Utahime embraced you tighter than expected when you said your goodbyes.

"You’re not running,” She spoke fiercely, as if preparing you for a war that only you could win.“You’re choosing." "Exactly."

The house you’d once shared with Nanami sold quickly. You left behind the kitchen he had loved—always spotless, always organized—and the garden you had struggled to keep alive, the empty bed that had held more silence than sleep in the last year.

Each room was stripped of memory with quiet reverence, like a body prepared for burial. You didn’t cry. You didn’t even feel relief. Just… stillness. A readiness.

You took only what mattered: your weapons, your clothes, your grandmother’s tea set, the books on your family lineage and the crystal Nanami hadn’t asked for back. All other furnishings were left behind and part of your home being sold.

When the contract finalized and the keys were handed over, you walked away not as a teacher, not as a wife—just as a sorcerer, self-bound and unmoored. That felt honest.

And then: Denmark. To see your mother in law before going back to your clan.

The right decision.

  When you stepped off the plane in Denmark, the cold was bracing. Familiar, in a strange way. Like a place you'd once been happy in and was happy to feel that way again.

Kento's mother met you just outside the terminal, her coat buttoned, a bright scarf wrapped around her neck in a loose, artful knot.

"You look like you haven’t slept," she said immediately, disapproving. "You look perfect as always."

She waved away the compliment with a warm smile and pulled you into a hug before you could dodge it.

"How’s your Danish? Improved?" she asked, as she attempted to take your bag, placing her hand on her hip as you beat her to putting it in the trunk of her SUV. "Still atrocious." “Perfektionere. velkommen tilbage, dejlige"

she kissed your cheek as if a mother was welcoming back her child and got in the drivers seat, watching you buckle up and slowly peeling off onto the rainy road ahead.

The drive to her home was quiet, blanketed in a northern hush. She made light chatter—updates about her garden, her neighbors, the recent snowstorm that nearly collapsed her greenhouse. But she didn’t mention him. Not once.

That, more than anything, told you something was coming.

As the car pulled into the familiar gravel drive, you saw it: the house just as you remembered it. Two story family home, dusty salmon-painted brick with ivy curled stubbornly around the lower windows. The air was crisp, the light pale and slanting through bare trees.

And there he was. Sitting on the porch steps waiting for you.

Hands loosely clasped, elbows on knees, hair just a little longer than before falling long enough to be tucked behind his ear.

No suit. Just a soft wool sweater, dark slacks, and the quiet kind of stillness only he could wear without looking uncertain.

Your heart didn’t race. It settled.

Kento looked up the moment the car came to a stop.

He didn’t smile. But his eyes said enough.

You stepped out slowly, the cold biting gently at your cheeks, your breath visible in the air, instinctively taking a deep breath to take in the fragrant scent of the salty sea that was only a 10 minute walk away.

His mother didn’t rush. She lifted your bag from the trunk, with the smile of a Cheshire cat, with all the time in the world and muttered something about needing to check the tea.

And just like that, she disappeared inside leaving the two of you on the doorstep to do literally anything.

You didn’t speak. Not yet.

You took him in, this man who had once walked away not out of malice—but out of not knowing how to stay.

Now, he stood. Not rushed. Not dramatic. He just rose to meet you.

"It’s good to see you," he said quietly.

You nodded, hands tucked into your coat pockets.

"Your mother wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Something about a greenhouse tragedy and needing a second set of hands."

A breath of a laugh escaped him—real, low, warm.

"She does know how to manipulate timing."

"She learned from the best."

The silence between you now was familiar, but different. Not icy. Just full. Full of things unspoken, but not unacknowledged.

"I’ve been here," he said. "Trying to build something again. I thought maybe you'd like to see what I made."

Your brows lifted slightly. "You’ve been fixing things again?"

He nodded. "This time, starting with myself."

The wind carried the faintest scent of lemongrass from the porch. You noticed, but didn’t comment. You just stepped closer.

Not into his arms. Just into his orbit.

"You know," you said softly, "if this is about a conversation… I didn’t bring a speech."

He met your gaze, steady, open.

"No speeches," he said. "Not anymore."

And for the first time in a long while, you let yourself believe there might be a future that wasn’t defined by the space between what was lost—and what remained.

“After dinner, I’d like to see what you’ve been working on.”

He led you into the familiar house, nodding as he held the door open. “I was hoping you’ d say that.”

__

The stars had come out in quiet defiance of the cold, pinpricks of light scattered above the sleepy Danish town. You walked beside him in the dark, the gravel crunching softly beneath your boots, the path winding away from his mother’s home and into the quieter stretch of road that was bordered with trees and lights that slowly flickered on as you walked.

"It’s not far," Kento had said. "Just a little up this way."

You didn’t ask where. You just followed.

He kept his hands in his coat pockets, shoulders squared, but his pace was slower than usual—like he didn’t want to get there too quickly. Like the walk itself was part of what needed to be said.

Then, the sight of a fish shaped mailbox made the route feel familiar in a way that made your chest ache.

And then you saw it.

The modest, two-story home with a worn stone path leading up to the front door sitting on your left. The shutters had been repaired. The siding scrubbed clean. Roof completely repaired. Warm yellow light spilled from inside, like someone had reached into the past and coaxed it back to life.

You stopped, staring for a moment.

"This is your grandfather’s house," you stated quietly.

Nanami nodded beside you. "It was nearly condemned when I got here. They’d been trying to get me and mother to sell it since he passed away.”

"But you’d never."

"No," he murmured. "Not this place."

He moved forward and opened the gate with a quiet click, holding it for you.

You stepped onto the property, feeling the past rustle under your feet. The first time you’d met his grandfather and mother. The instant feeling of family you received when they welcomed you with open arms.

It was fall of 2016 all over again.

Inside, the house was quiet, warm. The renovations weren’t flashy—everything was deliberate, chosen with care, keeping with traditional architecture. It was him. Wood floors that creaked gently with age, muted colors on the walls, framed black-and-white photographs—his family. His childhood. Pieces of his life you had only seen glimpses of and heard stories of now laid bare in quiet tribute.

He didn’t say much as he led you through the space. The living room being the calm respite you loved, full of signs of life. The kitchen large enough for the both of you with all his appliances neatly shelved. The small garden he'd cleared out in the back with a small, well lit pond in its center and the guest house tucked in the far right corner of the lot.

A study. Two bedrooms. It was a sanctuary. His sanctuary.

Finally, you made it back to the front room again. You stood in the center, and when you turned back toward him, he was already watching you.

No mask. No distance.

Just Kento.

"I’ve been rebuilding this house since I got here," he said softly, "while trying to figure out if I was even worthy of inviting you back into something again."

You didn’t interrupt. He wasn’t finished.

"I kept thinking that maybe if I fixed the structure, the foundation, the rooms… maybe I'd figure out how to fix myself, too. How to become the man I was supposed to be for you."

His eyes held yours, steady, open, but uncertain. That alone said more than anything else.

"Didn’t want something new. I wanted something worth saving."

He looked at you with a quiet calmness. Not tense. Not uncertain. Just… open.

"I didn’t want to bring you here until I knew what I wanted," he said. "I thought leaving would give me clarity. But clarity didn’t come from being apart from you. It came from realizing… I wanted to choose with you."

He took a step closer, his voice low, steady.

"I don’t want to go back to what we were. That version of us… it was good, until it wasn’t. It was built inside routines, roles, shared silences we didn’t know how to break."

Another breath.

"This is me asking you not to return, but to begin. Here. In this house. On our terms."

You stood motionless, heart tight in your chest.

"I’m not here to pretend everything will be perfect. I don’t want to erase what happened. We tried to fix what was broken before without asking what we actually needed. Counseling helped, but it didn’t fix us. Time helped, but it also scared me. I didn’t know how to come back to you without asking for more than I deserve."

He paused, voice low.

"So I rebuilt this place for us."

You blinked.

"Kento, this is so much. You did this for us?"

He stepped closer, something raw glinting in his voice now.

"It’s for us. Not because I expect you to say yes. Not because I think I’ve earned anything. But because I want to start from where we are now—not from where we were. I want us to write something new. No traditions. No expectations. Just… truth."

Then—he reached into his coat pocket.

And withdrew a small, green velvet box. Weathered. Not new. You recognized it.

The original ring.

When he opened it, the band was different. Not flashy, but altered. Refined. The same stone, but a setting that felt… evolved.

Kento lowered himself to both knees—not with drama, but with quiet purpose. His eyes never left yours.

"I don’t want to pick up where we left off. I want to ask you to marry me again. To renew what we lost—not because we have to, but because we choose to. And because this time, I know what I’m promising."

The silence around you wasn’t hollow. It was sacred.

"Live here with me. Let’s build what we couldn’t before. No facades. No pretending. Just you and me, and what we decide to become. A vow made now for who we are, not who we were."

His voice was steady. But you saw the flicker in his hands—the tension in his breath. This wasn’t a man trying to reclaim a past. This was a man offering you a future.

Your answer would define everything that came next.

EPILOGUE

[theloveoffootball10]

sᴛɪᴄᴋᴡɪᴛᴜ - ʙᴏɴᴜs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ

series masterlist / complete masterlist

ʙᴏɴᴜs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ

"Lando!" I shout from the bedroom hearing Lando in the kitchen "Lando!"

"What!" As Lando comes into the bedroom he takes one look at me sat on the floor and the confusion is instantly on his face "what the fuck are you doing on the floor?"

"I sat down to fold clothes and got stuck. Help me up please" holding my hands out I let Lando pull me to my feet "the floor seemed like the best place to fold clothes"

"Why at 8 months pregnant did you think sitting on the floor would be a good idea? You should be resting before the flight later" falling pregnant was a complete surprise to not only Lando but me as well.

Of course we've had conversations about having kids and we both knew we wanted to wait a few years but the universe had different plans for us. You could say we took celebrating Lando's birthday and WDC win too far but now we're so close to having our baby in our arms I wouldn't change a thing.

Today we're flying from Monaco back to England for the British Grand Prix, he never asked me to officially move in it just happened now most of my time is spent in Monaco. This weekend marks two years since we met and the whole time has been nothing short of a whirlwind. I debated not going to the race being so heavily pregnant but ultimately I want to be there and after being cleared fit to fly by a doctor I refuse to miss out.

"It made sense when I started okay? I don't need to rest, I'm pregnant not ill. I have everything packed and I've got an emergency hospital bag just in case baby decides to come this weekend"

"How do you feel about everyone finding out this weekend?" As Lando pulls me into his arms I look up at him fiddling with the necklace around his neck.

"I'm excited now it's here and also very proud of us for keeping this out of the press for this long. Especially you, we both know you can't keep your mouth shut" when we found out I was pregnant we told our family and friends, not so much a need to know basis but more of who we wanted to tell however to this day we haven't made a public post telling Lando's fans and the world. Finding out during winter break meant it was easy to keep out of the public eye and since the start of the season I've missed a lot of races due to work but when I have been at them, I've lay low.

"You have no idea how many times I've nearly slipped up when I've been interviewed or on stream with Max"

"I've noticed. A lot" I know Lando is desperate to scream the news from the rooftops but he's respected my decision. It's not that I've gone to extremes to hide but I have enjoyed being able to have this time with Lando to enjoy being pregnant privately.

"I'm excited Lucía, I just can't wait to be a dad to our baby. Knowing that he's half of you and half of me is the best feeling"

"Let's be honest he's going to mainly be you because I already know he's going to look like you"

"So he'll be cute just like his dad"

"Keep telling yourself that babe"

"We really need to agree on a name for him" for months now Lando and I have argued over baby's name. There's literally nothing we can both agree on. I didn't realise just how hard it would be to name a baby. It's such a big responsibility when they'll have the name for life.

"Can we please not have that argument now. It's such a big decision, I think we'll have to decide when he's here and look at him to see what name suits him"

"I understand you wanting his surname to be Norris Alonso and I’m all for it but he really needs a name I hate calling him just baby or him all of the time"

"We'll get there Lando. I'd rather just have him here safely over anything" We've already ruled out any name that is directly linked to anyone on the grid and anything that is utterly ridiculous. We can't even decide whether baby should have a middle name; Lando has grown up without one so doesn't see the need for four names where as I've grown up with four names so to me it's completely normal. The one thing we can agree on is following the Spanish tradition of baby having both mine and Lando's surname, I know he'll go by Norris for most of his life but I like knowing Alonso will still be there.

"That goes without saying baby. Do you want to go for food before we fly?" My face lights up at the thought of food. This baby has got me eating anything and everything I'm not surprised I'm so huge. I've always loved my food but my appetite from the day I fell pregnant has been astronomical.

I watch as Lando grabs our bags, not letting me get anything other than my handbag so we can make our way to the car. If being pregnant has done one thing, it's made me fall in love with Lando even more. He's always been amazing but seeing him prepare for this new chapter in our lives has shown me a completely different side to him. He's more loving and attentive than he's ever been, witnessing the way he's been with me over the course of my pregnancy I know he's going to be an amazing dad.

The next morning I wake up sweating, England is unnaturally warm and my pregnant self isn't coping at all. Dragging myself to sit up in bed I'm at the point where I have to do everything in stages. I can already tell today is going to be a good day, tough but good.

"You okay baby?" Looking up at Lando as he walks out of the bathroom I can't believe this man is mine.

"Yeah I'll be good in a minute. He's squashing my bladder I'm sure I've peed myself but he's sitting on my sciatic nerve again" for the last few weeks baby keeps positioning himself on a nerve leaving me in pain every time he does. I've never felt pain in my lower back or leg like it and if this just a taste of what's to come in labour I don't think I want to do it.

"I can help you into the shower to see if that helps"

"Give me a minute and I will. I need to just build up the courage to stand up" resting my hand on my bump I'll miss it when he's here but I'm just about done with being pregnant now "I love how you ignore the fact I've just said I think I've peed myself"

"It's not the first time" Lando says with a shrug as he starts getting dressed "and it's not like you can help it. You've got a baby either kicking or sitting on your bladder"

"You're amazing" pulling myself off the bed I make my way over to Lando standing behind him as I wrap my arms around his torso "I love you y'know"

"I love you too" as Lando turns in my arms I feel him place a soft kiss on my forehead "how do you feel now today's here?"

"I can't wait. I'm excited to walk through the paddock flaunting this massive bump with you by side" this baby may have been a surprise but from the moment we met, I knew Lando would be the only one I'd want to have a baby with.

"I guess it's one way to prove to everyone that Lando No-Rizz has actually got rizz"

"Don't ever say that again or you'll be single forever" I say with a laugh "I'm going to shower. Love you Lando"

As we arrive at the track the crowds are insane as always even for a media day. I know Lando is about to create a full on tornado, it's not unusual for me to be here or arriving with him but he hasn't warned anyone that I'm going to be arriving 8 months pregnant or that we're about to announce it to the world. Sophie's going to kill him and probably me but the man is stubborn. When he wants to do something his way and he's set on it, there's no changing his mind. When it comes to racing or sponsors he's a bit more flexible but when it comes to his personal life, his decision is final.

"Are you ready for this?" I love how Lando is always checking on me. It can get too much sometimes but I know it's only because he cares.

"Absolutely. It was nice knowing you though Norris"

"What do you mean?" Lando asks looking at me confused.

"You haven't warned your PR team about this. Sophie is going to kill you and probably me then Chelsea will join in as well"

"I like to keep things interesting"

"I noticed" rolling my eyes I hand Lando his phone "this is your time to shine, go for it" we agreed that Lando would share a post on instagram when we arrive at the track just before we get out of the car to face the media. This way his fans at home get to see the post from him rather than all of the media outlets.

"There's no going back now" as Lando clicks post I almost feel nervous even though I have no reason to. This is our lives and no matter what opinion people may have, it's irrelevant. We're happy. Our families are happy. Our friends are happy for us. We couldn't ask for more "I love you baby"

"I love you too" leaning over I kiss Lando softly knowing between us our phones are going crazy with notifications but I'm not really bothered by that, I have my fiancé by my side that's all I need "let's do this"

landonorris and esmelucia

Liked by flonorris, maxfewtrell, mclaren and 3.4m others

landonorris SURPRISE! we’ve been keeping a little secret 🤫 Baby Boy Norris Alonso coming very soon 👣 🩵

view all comments

user846 sobbing rn 😭

user977 you can tell he loves them both so much!

-> user205 the dream is to find someone who loves me as much as Lando loves Lucía!

fernandoalonso abuelo can’t wait to meet him

-> esmelucia te amo papá

user357 why Norris Alonso and not just Norris? Seems disrespectful to Lando

-> user825 she’s half Spanish, it’s tradition for baby to have mum and dads surname. Not disrespectful at all and Lando must have agreed 🤷🏼‍♀️

-> user296 baby is going to have one of the most iconic surnames ever!

livdavies Rafe can’t wait to meet his best friend!

-> landonorris double trouble! Pray for us all!

user185 Lando and Lucía having a baby wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card!

-> esmelucia it’s alright it wasn’t on our bingo card either 😅

Stepping out of the car I instantly hear the mumbling within the crowd. The news is travelling fast and we're met with a chorus of gasps, oh my gods thrown around and I'm positive I hear a few squeals of joy from some of the fans. It's comforting to know people are actually happy for us. Standing by Lando's side as he signs autographs for the waiting crowd I'm pulled into a few conversations congratulating us, people saying how happy they are for us and how exciting the next couple of months are going to be. I don't doubt that as we make our way to McLaren's hospitality where we're met with both Sophie and Chelsea.

"You two are a PR nightmare! A quick text with a warning would've been nice Norris!" Despite Sophie trying to act like she's annoyed I can see the smile creeping onto her face.

"Surprise?" Lando questions with a shrug.

"Never mind surprise! If it wasn't such good news to share I'd throttle the pair of you! I think you just like to make my job harder, even more so when you're together!" I know we probably should've told someone about the bomb we were about to drop but I can't help laugh.

"Sorry Soph I shouldn't laugh but your face is a picture. I wouldn't stress though, the media have the details they need to know. I'm not planning on going into full detail about my due date or anything like that. We all know baby is due at the beginning of summer break which is impeccable timing from us by the way but the media don't need to know any of that. I just hope he doesn't come the weekend of Hungary" I'm happy to share somethings with the world but the finer details I want to keep to myself.

"What's your thoughts on the media asking questions? It's going to be the main thing they want ask about today and I need to know where you stand. If you don't want to answer anything further we tell them to not even bring it up"

"Lando knows what I'm happy for them to know, we're okay with them asking some questions"

"Anything we don't want public I'll just say no comment" for someone who's so confident the thought of telling the world any kind of detail about my pregnancy terrified me at first, however Lando has made me feel so at ease despite us both having no idea what we've let ourselves in for.

A short while later Lando is ready for his first interviews of the day, I'm not involved in any of the interviews I wouldn't want to be but I've chosen to be here so I can hear what is said directly before any media outlets get the chance to alter Lando's words. I'm grateful one of Lando's first interviews is with Crofty, we've both known him for many years and I know he's never going to be there to judge us.

"Before we get started I just want to congratulate you both. You've both been around the paddock long enough for me to know that you're both good people and this couldn't be happening to two nicer people"

"Thank you, that means a lot" although I've been around Formula One for most of my life, I've never realised how many people have paid an interest in my life not just since I got with Lando but before that as well.

As the interview begins I can't help but smile at Lando smiling. Since we found out we are going to be parents he's smiled more, something I didn't think possible. When we'd spoken about kids I wanted to wait a few years but I think deep down Lando wanted kids sooner, especially since he watched Max become a dad and how much he's loved every moment since Rafe was born.

"Do you mind if I ask how Lucía told you she's pregnant? Did you expect it?" As Crofty asks the question both Lando and I burst out laughing.

"It wasn't all cute and sweet as you'd expect but it was a complete surprise for both of us. I told her to fuck off about five times because I thought she was winding me up. When I realised she was being serious I called her a knob only because she'd roped me into some couples challenge where I had to lift her off the ground and spin her round. Apparently she had to find an excuse to film something to get my reaction"

The day I told Lando about being pregnant is a day I'll never forget. I wanted to find a way to film his reaction without it being suspicious and after spending most of the morning scrolling tiktok that's when I got the idea to persuade him to try a couples challenge. Thankfully he agreed after a few eye rolls but it worked out perfectly. His reaction was exactly what I would have expected from either one of us.

Slowly making our way back to McLaren's hospitality after the interview we get stopped by so many people offering their congratulations. It's insane to me how much attention turns to you with the slightest announcement especially when a few people around the paddock already knew. Grabbing a decaf iced latte I find myself a seat outside in the sun where I'm joined by Lando and Chelsea.

"I can't breathe" letting out a deep breath I try to get my breath back.

"Are you okay baby?" Lando asks his voice laced with its usual concern.

"No your child is rearranging all of my internal organs one by one but I'll be fine. I'll be even better when he's here" I know Lando worries no matter how many times I tell him this is normal especially for someone 36 weeks pregnant.

"How does it feel knowing you're going to have a little human of your own in a matter of weeks?" Chelsea asks, she's one person I don't mind sharing details with.

"Fucking terrifying" I admit. I've told Lando multiple times that I'm nervous however that doesn't take away my excitement "I know we look after Rafe sometimes but it's completely different knowing this baby is a combination of us two and we can't just give him back when things get tough. We're going to be responsible for a whole human"

"You're going to be the best mum to him. He's going to be a mummy's boy and he's going to be obsessed with you just as much as I am" feeling Lando kiss me on the top of my head I lean into his touch. Every time I start to get nervous, he knows how to ease my fears "I have to go and do some filming but come and get me if you need anything" watching Lando rush off to where he needs to be late as always I smile at how attentive he is.

"He really is obsessed with you and it's only going to be worse once baby is here. I thought after you first met things would fizzle out and the two of you would clash being so similar but you're actually perfect for each other" looking at Chelsea I think about what she's saying. So many people thought me and Lando wouldn't last purely because of how we got together and the odds were probably stacked against us but I couldn't imagine my life without him. He's my voice of reason.

"I couldn't cope without him Chels. Don't get me wrong we do clash and argue but he keeps me sane and he keeps me calm. I think I met him at a perfect time" now I'm with Lando I couldn't ever imagine being with anyone else. I couldn't imagine starting a family with anyone else.

"You'll be pleased to know the fans are loving the announcement. I've seen a few comment how real you are for wearing crocs and walking around with your jeans open"

"Crocs are about the only things my feet fit into right now and the jeans are open because I've ate far too much and felt like I was being cut in two. They were a bad idea on my part however if I wanted them to know how real I am I'd tell them my body suit is also open because Lando wasn't around to fasten the poppers for me"

"Only you, Lucía" Chelsea says with a laugh "I need to get back to your dad but if you need anything like Lando said, come and find one of us"

The full weekend goes by in the blink of an eye. Lando has dominated all weekend and gets a clean sweep giving him back to back wins at Silverstone. Something I know means so much to him and as his fiancé I could not be prouder if I tried. Our visit to the UK is a flying one and before I know it we're back in Monaco. 

"Come here baby" Lando says as he opens his arms to me "you're exhausted aren't you" 

"Yeah I am" I don't even try to argue with Lando, the travel and back to back events of the weekend have completely taken it out of me "I have so much to do as well, I don't have time to be exhausted" 

"Don't worry about anything. We'll get sorted" 

"Lando you've sprung a house move on me and you're not even going to be here when we get the keys. We have a whole apartment to pack up and I don't start my maternity leave for nearly two weeks" In his wisdom, Lando decided we needed somewhere bigger for the three of us to live and now we don't get the keys for two weeks when I'll be 38 weeks pregnant and Lando will be getting ready to leave for Spa. 

"Baby don't stress. The apartment is practically move in ready"

"I am stressed though! You'll be in Hungary on my due date and Spa the week before. I'm so scared you're not going to be here and I'll have to do this on my own" Thinking about the next few weeks overwhelms me. There is so much going on and I don't know where to begin but the fact I’m not in complete control is what stresses me out the most. 

"Lu, you're never going to be on your own. Would I like to win back to back championships? Absolutely but the second there is anything happening with you or our baby that is all forgotten about. If I'm in Spa or Hungary I'll drop everything to come home to you, I've told McLaren I need a jet on stand by at all times. This is the reason we have a reserve driver. There is no one more important than you and our baby boy. I'm not missing his birth for anyone" 

"I'm not doubting that you'd be there, I know you'd come home for us the second I need you. I think I'm just scared now I know how close it is to our lives changing forever. We're never just going to be Lucía and Lando again" once this baby is here I know, regardless of what happens Lando and I are tied together for life. It's never going to just be us two again, we have a whole new purpose in life.  

"It is scary and it's a massive change for both of us but we have each other baby. If we have each other we can get through anything. You're still going to be you, no one especially me will see you as just a mum"

"I know you're right I just think I'm getting into my own head"

"It's been a long couple of days. Why don't we go to bed and tomorrow I'll handle some of the packing while you work? Let me take as much stress off you as I can"

"That's the best thing you've ever said to me. I can't believe how lucky I got with you" there's just something about Lando, no matter how stressed I am, he always know how to deal with me. I know every single day that I'm lucky to have Lando. My relationship with him was unexpected, I never would have planned to go to a race weekend with the intention of finding a boyfriend but I truly believe everything happens for a reason.

The next couple of weeks pass in a blur, I'm finally finished work for my maternity leave and the apartment move is in full swing. After the race in Spa, Lando made sure to come home the same night especially knowing my due date is so close and left it as late as he could before he left for Hungary. It's now Sunday after Lando has just won in Hungary and I know he'll be home soon. McLaren have stuck to their word and had a jet waiting for him to come home with today being my due date however this baby is showing no sign of moving any time soon.

While I wait for Lando to get home, I've made a start on baby's room. I know the apartment was move in ready but this is the one room I want to make changes to. In the time Lando has been away I've turned my hand to DIY and decided to paint the bedroom, I always thought nesting was a myth until it’s happened to me. I know baby won't be in this room for a long time but I still want him to have his own space. I was going to leave it until Lando got home after I built baby's pram but I'm itching to get everything done as soon as possible.

"Lucía I'm home" hearing Lando walk through the door I feel a relief I wasn't expecting. He's home for summer break and he's going to be here when baby is born.

"I'm in here!" Shouting to let Lando know where I am, I put the paint brush down.

"What the fuck are you doing up there! Are you insane! You're nine months pregnant Lucía!" Lando practically screams in panic when he realises I'm standing on a ladder, probably not my smartest idea but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

"I'm okay babe don't panic. I just couldn't settle until I got this room finished" walking towards Lando I wrap my arms around him the best I can with a bump in between us "congratulations on your win Lando. I'm so proud of you" kissing Lando I feel like I can truly enjoy the lead up to our baby's birth now he's home for just over three weeks.

"Thank you. It would have been better to have you there but it feels good knowing the next one I'll have a son to race for. The car feels so good this season"

"He'll be supporting his daddy every single race and it won't be long until he's in the back of the garage cheering you on" I already know this baby will be making his appearance at a race sooner rather than later, Lando doesn't know it yet but my plan is to try and go to Monza before the long haul races begin again later in the season but I want to keep it as a surprise.

"I can't wait until you're both there and he's wearing his LN4 merch but right now I need you to put the paint away because I want to take you for dinner to celebrate my win with the love of my life"

"It's late Lan, can we just order food in? I will put the paint away now you're home though" all I have to do in the bedroom now is decorate with accessories once the cot is in place. Lando has already said he wants to build the cot and I'm not going to stop him, however I know he's useless at painting which is one of the main reason why I did it while he's been away.

"If we're still celebrating I'm happy to order in. I'm not going to drag you out into the streets of Monaco if you want to stay home"

"I'm always going to celebrate you however my feet are so swollen and I can barely walk without being out of breath. That is a sight no one wants to see walking around Monaco" if Lando really wants to go out I'll go but at the minute the only thing I am close to comfortable is crocs and massively oversized t-shirts. I went through a stage of only wearing Lando's t-shirts however I'm too big for that now so I had to buy new ones.

"We can stay home, I want you to be comfortable over everything. I know how hard it's been these last few weeks but you've been mega" over the last few weeks I think Lando has realised and appreciated what I've put my body through. I can't complain about being pregnant, I've had it plain sailing until I've got towards the end but I'm really feeling how much it's taking its toll now.

Over the next few days Lando helps me get the nursery finished between midwife appointments to find out what's happening. Now I'm overdue there's talk of my labour being induced, something I'm on board with because I want Lando to get as much time as possible with baby before he has to leave for the Dutch Grand Prix. In our final appointment it's decided that I'll be taken into hospital Thursday with the aim of baby being born the Thursday or Friday at the latest. I'm happy with the decision and it means Lando will have the best part of three weeks with us.

As Thursday arrives along with my mum and Lando's parent my nerves are through the roof. Today is the day my life is going to change forever. Right now we're sat around waiting for the green light to go into hospital however after ringing them a couple of times throughout the day my time keeps being pushed back due to them being busy. The longer I wait, the more on edge I become.

"Do you think I could just turn up at hospital?" I ask my mum wondering what the hospital would do considering I've waited all day from 7am for the go ahead.

"Probably not they'd just send you home until they're ready for you especially with you not being in labour. Why don't you try and get some sleep?"

"I can't sleep mum I'm too nervous" I know Lando is also feeling the nerves which is why I sent him out with his dad for a while. I know he won't tell me how he's feeling to stop me worrying but I know he'll open up to his dad, something I know he needs.

"Lucía you need all the energy you can get, at least go and lie on the bed and rest until the hospital phone" I can't argue with my mum even now as an adult about to have her own baby so I make my way to the bedroom leaving my mum and Cisca to talk about their grandson, a first for them both.

Eventually I get the call I've waited all day for, the hospital want me to go in at midnight. It seems crazy to me that they want me to go at that time but I'm not going to turn them down. Once Lando and I arrive at hospital we're shown to a room where we're told we'll meet our midwife who will be looking after us.

"Can you believe this is happening?" Lando asks and I can see he's starting to get nervous despite trying to stay positive for me.

"Not at all. I've been scared this whole pregnancy about giving birth and the thought of it makes me feel sick" I've never hid how scared I am of actually having to push a baby out of my body and now it's here that fear is the worst it's ever been.

"I'm going to be by your side every step of the way baby. You're not doing this alone. You're going to have me here the whole time I'm not going anywhere and your mum will be here once you're in labour" there was never a question about Lando being by my side, however I decided I also want my mum to be here as well. I can only have two birthing partner or I would have also liked Cisca to be here as well but she's holding the fort at home.

As the night drags on I try to get as much sleep as I can while Lando tries to sleep in the chair next to my bed but being in hospital I only manage to sleep in short bursts at a time. After what feels like a lifetime, I finally get introduced to a midwife nearly seven hours after I first arrived. She talks Lando and I through the process of what is going to happen to induce labour and what options I have for pain medication. I already know I want it all, I want this experience to be as pain free as it can be.

Before this was happening to me I had no idea how painfully slow it would be for labour to start and it feels like it has taken an eternity for anything to progress however now it has I'm feeling pain like I've never felt before. Rocking on the birthing ball I can see the distress on Lando's face knowing he can't do anything for me other than try to offer words of comfort.

"You're doing amazing baby. How's the pain now?"

"I'm so tired Lan" the doctor has just given me a dose of diamorphine for the pain but now I feel like I'm slurring my words. They did warn it could slow down labour and make me feel more tired but I didn't think I'd feel this tired.

"I know the doctor said to stay on the ball if you can but why don't you try and sleep? You've barely slept since yesterday and you look like you’re about to pass out any minute" I know Lando is right and I need all the energy I can get to push this baby out so I let him help me into bed.

"Thank you for being here" holding Lando's hand I quickly fall into a deep sleep and know nothing until I wake up completely dazed to a room full of what looks like doctors with panicked looks on their faces "what's happening?"

"It's nothing to worry about Lucía we're just doing a check on baby" I hear someone tell me. I have no idea what time it is or anything, I have no sense of what is going on but I see Lando stood with my mum also looking worried.

"Lando what's happening?" I ask Lando because I know he'll be honest with me, I find doctors sometimes try to sugarcoat things but I need the truth.

"Baby's heart rate is a little bit low but they think you're ready to push"

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He will be. He's made of strong stuff like his mummy" dosing back off to sleep I don't take in the seriousness of what is being said but my mum is still calm and if she is calm I know things can't be that bad.

The rest of my labour is a complete blur. I register the midwife telling me I can push however due to the amount of pain relief I've been given I don't remember much of actually pushing. Before I know it I'm being handed a screaming baby and I burst into tears as my baby boy is placed on my chest for the first time.

"You did it baby. I'm so proud of you" as Lando kisses me I realise he has tears streaming down his face.

"I couldn't have done it without you. I love you so much Lando"

"I love you too my girl. I am in complete awe of what you have just done" as Lando looks down at our baby I can't believe we've created this little human "he's absolutely perfect"

"He really is. Our perfect little boy"

"Congratulations you two. I'm so unbelievably proud of you both" my mum says hugging me and Lando as she tries to stop her tears "I have the most perfect grandson in the world. I take back everything I ever said about being too young to be a nana"

"You'll be the best nana to him mum" as a nurse takes our baby to clean him up I look at Lando in complete shock "oh my god we're actually parents"

"We are and I can't wait for us to do this together" as Lando kisses me again I wipe his tears before telling the nurse to hand our baby to him. From the day I found out I was pregnant this is what I've waited for the most. The moment I get to see Lando holding our baby in his arms.

"Lucía we're having a problem with your placenta delivering. Are you okay if we get on of the doctors to try and pull it out while another tries to push it from your stomach?" A nurse asks me and I have no idea what this means. I know my placenta needs to come out but I had no idea there could be an issue with that.

"Yeah do what you need to do" I agree with the nurse but little did I know it would be the most painful thing I've ever experienced. I feel everything that is happening and the tears roll down my face in pain.

"You need to stop you're hurting her" hearing Lando trying to stop the doctors I realise how bad this must be for him.

"Lando calm down. They need to do it or she'll end up seriously poorly" as my mum tries to calm Lando, I scream at the doctors to stop. The pain is unbearable.

"I can't do it. That hurts too much" crying in pain I know I can't go on. I don't know what my options are but there has to be something else the doctors can try.

"We can stop Lucía but you're losing a lot of blood. The only other thing we can do is take you into surgery" I don't really know what I'm agreeing to I feel so out of it but I realise I'm being taken out of the delivery room and moved into an operating theatre.

Stirring in bed I realise the lights are dimmed but I have no idea where I am. I can see Lando at my bedside holding our newborn close to his chest and my mum is sat at the other side of the room looking more stressed than I've ever seen her before.

"Hi baby how you feeling?" Lando asks when he realises I'm awake.

"Like I've been hit with a truck. What time is it?" It looks dark outside so I must have been out a while.

"Just after 9pm. Do you want to hold him?"

"Yeah please" nodding as Lando hands me our baby I look at him in awe, he's absolutely perfect "the last I remember it was around 4pm"

"I'm not surprised, you've had a tough time of it Luc. You had us worried for a moment"

"What happened?" I have no clue what has happened to me in the last few hours.

"You ended up losing a litre and a half of blood so they took you into surgery to remove all of your placenta because it wouldn't come out. They've had to give you a blood transfusion but they said you should make a full recovery" as my mum explains what has gone on I realise how serious the situation was "I'll go and phone your dad so he knows your awake. He's beside himself with worry" as my mum leaves Lando and I alone I try to let it sink in. 

“I’m sorry I worried you” I can see in Lando’s face just how stressed he’s been, that’s one thing about him; no matter what his face gives him away especially his eyes.

“Don’t you dare apologise. This wasn’t your fault I’m just relieved you’re going to be okay. I was so scared I was going to lose you”

“I’m not going anywhere other than home with my two boys” after the day we’ve have I want nothing more than to get home to my own bed. You’d think by now they’d learn to make hospital beds more comfortable than they are.

“They think you’ll be able to leave tomorrow they just need to do blood tests first”

“It can’t come quick enough. Have you thought about any names for him while I’ve been out cold?” I know we’ve been putting this off but now I have my baby in my arms I know we need to come to a decision about his name.

“I have actually. I’ve looked through loads of names and I quite like Rubén and there’s a Spanish spelling so we’re not ignoring your roots but if you hate it we can look again”

“Rubén” looking down at our baby I actually think it suits him “Rubén Norris has a ring to it. I like it”

“Do you actually?” Lando sounds surprised that I’ve actually agreed with him on a name out of the thousands we’ve looked at.

“I really like it and I like the fact you’ve brought my Spanish side into it. That’s really thoughtful” the fact Lando has covered all bases is really touching and in my state of heightened emotion I find myself crying again.

“Don’t cry baby” as Lando rests his forehead again mine I kiss him softly “I love you my girl. I didn’t think I could love you anymore than I did until I’ve just witnessed what I have today”

“I love you Lando. Me and Rubén couldn’t have don’t this without you”

“Does that mean you want to call him Rubén?”

“I do. The more I look at him the more I think the name suits him and then we he’s older I can’t wait to tell him that it was his daddy who picked his name” looking at our baby I can’t believe he’s here. I can’t believe he’s ours. I may be biased but together we’ve created the most beautiful baby I’ve ever laid eyes on.

esmelucia and landonorris

Liked by carlossainz55, lewishamilton, livdavies and 3.6m others

esmelucia our baby boy finally made his dramatic entrance into the world on Friday 7th August. Rubén Jack you are everything we dreamed of and more 🩵.

landonorris I could not have done any of this without you by my side. You have been my rock from day one and we both love you endlessly. No words will ever be enough to express how grateful I am for you.

View all comments

maxfewtrell congratulations again and welcome to the best club. Rafe cant wait to meet him

-> esmelucia you’re all welcome to come over any time

landonorris I love you both so much my girl

-> esmelucia 🤍🥹

user931 McLaren’s 2044 rookie has arrived

user583 literally the cutest baby I’ve ever seen

-> user525 it’s like Lando has cloned himself

-> esmelucia no denying who his dad is 😅

• • •

So when I originally wrote this story there was never any kind of plan to write more and especially something as long as this has turned out to be but I just can’t let these two go 🥹. Hope you all love this as much as I did writing it 🤍

[meimeislibray]

𝙲𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚎𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚗,𝚂𝚊𝚖

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°

Sam ♪

It has been a year since you and Sam got together and now you were in his room his hands beside your head,his chain dangling cause he is leaned down.His shirt was off and only his sommer shorts and boxers were on.Sams eyes were filled with desires and yours are too you both need this.He breaks the silence with a Passionate Kiss and the rest of his and your close find the Floor.You’re legs were spread and he kisses the inner flesh of your thigh.He reaches to his drawer and retrieves a Condom.And finally both your burning desires are met.As he glides in you moan his name a bit louder which earns you glance from your Boyfriend,his family is home so you two need to do this with as little noise as possible.But with the connection of your Hips with his and how hard his motion was you couldn’t,he felt so good like he was meant for you.Like Puzzle pieces that fit perfectly.Your Hands find his lower back and your Nails dig into the soft flesh of his ass as you hold him in place.Sam places his forehead against your own this moment was perfect.Was cause a Gasp brings you two out of the sexual Romantic moment.Vincent his brother stands in the doorway of his room.”Sam…Stop your hurting the farmer don’t you hear shes in pain” the Child says.But as Sam opens his mouth his mother enters the room.”Whats going o-for the love of Joba-Vincent get to bed NOW” she pulls the Child out of the room and then comes in again.“You two….next time do it at the Farm or be quiet-and use Protection you too are too young” she then walks out.”We are mom i am responsible” Sam yells as shes almost out.After Jodi leaves you laugh.”Its funny to you hm is it Love” he says and shuts you with a hard thrust and you grip harder,leaving marks at his back and ass.Despite the interruption you both are close to finishing and with some more motion you two cum.

After you two cleaned up the mess you made Sam gets you a snack and some water.And after you are done drinking he holds you.Only the Monn Light shines into his room.”Next time we do it at the Farm” you say sleepy.”Good Idea i think Vince has a Trauma now” Sam chuckles and kisses the Top of your head.

Sebastian ☆

The evening had first started with you two making out on his couch but now you are between his legs.“Yes Darling take me good“he says as his Tip kisses the back of your troath and small tears roll down your cheek.As you retreat from his Hard Cock you wipe some precum off your lips and take a moment to get your body to function again.”Was i too rough Darling you know only a pat of my thigh and we stop” he says as he wipes off your tears.You only nod and support yourself on his tigh.He helps you up and you two get onto the bed,his kisses are gentle and soft.You two slowly undress and he takes care of the protection.He spoons you from behind and takes your leg into his hand.His other hand guides his Cock to your Wet Entrance and he waits for your okay to go further.”Are you ready should we stop my Darling tell me” he whispers and burries his nose in your neck.With a quiet yes you grant him permission and he slowly slides into you which makes you both groan.He fucks you slowly but hard,his kisses are still soft and he leaves some marks on your skin.As he picks up his motion you moan out his name a bit louder and you two don’t pay mind to it.His room is in the basement nobody hears.How wrong you are.Just as you two are close to Cumming a knock was heard and then the door opens.Its Maru she just looks at you two in this position.”Uhh-seb have you seen my Wrench——“ she says and looks away her cheeks faintly pink.”No but you can use mine in my tool box in the garage” he says a bit breathless and just as Maru wants to leave his mom stands now there too.Maru hurries up the stairs as Robin stands there in shook.”Seb-i-okay-i will leave you to it” she says but before she closes the door she says “Just tell me when you need a Crib in the farmhouse” and with that she goes upstairs.”Does she think i am that impulsive” he says and looks down at you.He kisses your neck softly and you turn around to kiss him.He continues with the abuse of your wet Pussy and some time later you both finish.

You collapse beside him and Seb gets out of bed to get you some water and then assist you to the bathroom.As you both snuggle skin to skin in his bed Demetrius come into the room.Seb and you just looks at him he doesn’t seem amused.”Maru is too young to see filthy stiff like that-“ behind him comes up a furious Maru.”Dad i am 20 and i have a Boyfriend don’t picture me as a Saint”. Demetrius just stands there and is shooked.A few seconds later Robin comes in and ushers them out of the room to leave you two some privacy.”God i just want to move out” Seb groans.”Move into the Farm then we can fuck every Time of the day on every surface” you say sleepy and snuggle into his naked chest even more.”You swear ever surface” he chuckles.”Pinky Promise” you say and he just chuckles.

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°

[granolawriting]

"To make you forget."ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

pairing: no breakout!Joel x fem reader

Summary: The day after having your long term boyfriend put an end to your relationship, you find yourself in a complicated relationship with Joel, a friends family friend. He invites you out for a drink after a shotty first impression, and the rest is history. sequel to a change in fate

Content warning: 18+ NSFW, age gap, you're 21 and Joel is mid 30s to early 40s. Enemies to lovers, unprotected piv, praise kink, strong Joel carries you multiple places, pet names (princess, darling, doll, sweetheart), oral (f!receiving), fucking in his clothes, drinking, drunk secret kisses, sleepy kisses, aftercare, spooning.

word count: 5.2k

A/N: Thank you for all the love on the last one <33 please send me requests if you have any idea for what I could write next! enjoy ;)

“No. Fucking. Way.” 

… … … 

You sit across from your friend once more at the same table that held a much more, comfortable conversation the night prior. Eyes catch hers, and an agape mouth is what greets the information just relayed to her over morning coffee.

“No, no okay I must be thinking of the wrong one.” 

“Your dad only has one friend named Joel I thin-” 

“I KNOW!!!” 

… 

“It’s just. I’ve known him since I was a little girl. It's just a little, crazy, is all, that you’re now going on a date with him.” 

“It's not a date-” 

“It so is.” 

You scoff at her implication. 

“You know, there's a thing called ‘southern hospitality’. And he's not wrong about me needing a drink after everything I’ve been through. Maybe he's just good at reading people, trying to get back on how he treated me the other night now that I’m someone he has to be nice to.” 

Your friend purses her lips, trying to think of a counter but coming up short. You were right, there wasn't anything inherently odd about going out for drinks with someone. Especially when you’ve earned it. 

“Though I can't deny, he is kind of cute. For an old guy.” 

And the tower comes crumbling down. 

At the sound of your confession your friend goes into a fit, a groan followed by very exaggerated, nonexistent tears that whine into the floor that her head now faces along the lines of complaint of his age, and the jeans that predate your birth. 

your hand touches her hair, stroking it as to try and ease her out of some melodramatic stupor, telling her that it'dve been bound to happen the moment she tried to push her old guy agenda on you. Kindly telling her that perhaps, she's just a little upset you got one before her. In the process however, admitting that a part of you feels as if you’ve got him-- but pay that no mind of course. It's purely for the joke, to antagonize her. There's no means for you to feel as though you’ve won anything out of a simple night out with a guy who, in the right clothes and lighting, looks kind of okay. 

---------------------

A clock glares at you at a 6:30 timestamp as you stand in your bathroom. There's an array of clothing sprawled across the counter as the attempt to multitask becomes futile in the face of your absolute cluelessness on how to dress to get drinks with a 40 year old man. Was he 40? Who knows, maybe it's stress. Regardless, jeans of all cut from short shorts to flairs stare back at you, and patterns of all sizes leave you helpless. You spit out a bit of toothpaste in your mouth, and as you feel stumped looking at the clothes before you, you can't help but be slightly grateful that your hair and makeup were finished before you had to get dressed. Otherwise, you wouldn't make it out the door til 8. At least. 

Though as you look upon your options an idea sticks to you; some odd desire to dress, a little western. Perhaps not the full hat and spurs, but what could a little plaid hurt? And as you piece together an outfit consisting of low-cut frayed shorts, some simple boots, and a front-tied plaid button-up, you felt ready to perhaps line dance. I mean, who fucking cares anymore. Otherwise, you’d still be stuck in limbo. Better this than nothing. 

Putting on your first earring, a clock now showing 6:43, you hear a knock at the door, followed by said knock being answered by none other than your friend. Curious and afraid of who it may be, but unable to really go down and check as you hinged on being late as is, your questions are solemnly answered at the shrill “UNCLE JOEL!!!!” bounce upon the walls of the house as though she hadn't just seen him the day before. 

The indistinct conversation is held downstairs as you feel horrifically embarrassed to not remember that most gentlemen, arrive 10-15 minutes early. And you, haven't experienced anything but a 10 after honk outside your house your entire life.

As you hurry to dress, the low pitch of his voice, the drawl of his words that you can barely discern from the distance between you two but is still everpresent leaves you with a pit in your stomach of unprecedented anxiety. You had been trying so hard to convince yourself that this was normal, casual, to you, but internally you knew it was nothing but that to you. And that scared you shitless. You've failed to go on a date with anyone else since maybe, 8th grade? The graduation dance? Your whole life you remember one man, and now another seems to blow him out of the water, with unbelievable ease. You worried you wouldn't impress him, that this was your only opportunity to seemingly get something good, that he secretly still has disdain for you after what happened to you two the night before, that he- 

“HEYY!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU COMING DOWN OR WHAT! DON'T KEEP HIM WAITING!!!!” 

You witch. 

Secondhand embarrassment overwhelms any other emotion you had at that moment as a means to get you out the door, as soon as possible. Hurried steps fall down the stairs as you finish putting on your jewelry on the go, holding some within your pocket to finish up in Joel’s car. 

“Hi- oh, I'm sorry I didn't think you’d be here early uh,” 

Eyes lock on a vase of flowers new to the living room, that had not been there when you had last descended the stairs. 

“Well, I didn't want ta’ show up empty-handed. Though it nice ta’ get somethin small for the pretty ladies.” 

A shy smile creeps on his face as he explains the origin of the plants in the house, and a ring of surprise leaves you speechless for a moment. your friend pipes up;

“Isn't that so nice? Well, y'all better have a good time tonight. And don't bring her home too drunk Joel, then she’ll start telling me all her secrets, and I definitely don't want to hear that.” 

A smile and nudge hits him as she finishes her statement. 

Does she always have to be so corny? 

You look him up and down. He wore a faded blue button-up top, with the top few trailing down his chest being unbuttoned. What fell on top of that was a faded brown jacket, a darkened collar, and a sturdy material as its makeup. Jeans that seemed omnipresent on his body, but instead of working boots did he wear what seemed to be brown boots underneath the cuff of his jeans. You could tell he tried a bit with his appearance, seeing traces of gel lining his hair that fell aside his face, and a scent of cologne softly present but still enough to put on an air of intention to impress. 

Joel leads you to his truck, and as you enter it you realize just how much it smells like him. You smell sawdust and gas, with hints of his cologne. It was an old car, but with those scents combined it makes perfect sense to you. You took in the small things as he drove, anticipation welling in your body made everything seem so much more noticeable and intense, every sense in your body heightened at the sight of an unsuspecting Joel sitting to the left of you.

You notice as he bites his fingernails as though it's a habit, a strain upon his fingers down to the very skin of them that coats every finger on both of his hands. 

Both hands fall upon the wheel as he turns into the bar. 

“Finally here. Feelsa lot longer than it did when I was younger, funny thinkin of cause’ when I was ‘bout your age, you couldn’t pull me outta this place.” 

Hahaha when I was about your age. Damn you old man. 

“That mean I’m gonna have to pull you out of here tonight?” 

You look at him with a little smile, but he seems to begin getting out of the car before you can give him a direct look in the eyes. However when he goes around to your side to open your door, as you step out of it with a small jump onto the loose gravel of the parking lot, his eyes trace your body with noticeable intent. He looks at you for just a moment though, and as his eyes turn to meet your own, he just smiles and says; 

“Don't worry sweetheart, I can take my liquor nowadays. ‘Spose that cant be said fer you though, your little friend told me ‘bout yer habits when you drink.”

A satisfied chuckle leaves him that lands you in a pit of fear. What did she tell him. 

Story upon story of less-than-elegant scenes of your drunken stupor flash within your mind before the need to shake them off is immanent as he follows up; 

“Now no sense lookin like that hon, she aint tell me nothin too bad. Should she have? ‘Spose they’ve got virgin drinks now that this place got all prettied up since I last saw it. Just don't want ya pukin in my truck alright?” 

“Oh don't worry, I’ll be fine. I doubt I'll drink all too much anyways.” 

------------------

“ I doubt I'll drink all too much anyways “

That's all that's able to ring through your head as you demand another shot at the counter. Sure, you drank but, 

"you hold it well!"

Or so you thought. But you never really noticed until now how badly you were hurt by what happened to you in the past few days. And when you lose someone you’ve known for 3 years, the inclination to drink past your limit grows ever stronger with every downing of liquor that's not on your tab. And as that realization becomes tucked into the back of your mind with every glass, more does an unfamiliar part of you comes out. One of loud unruliness, in the face of a man you otherwise strived to impress to the greatest degree.

 At this point in the night, he’s had what, 2 beers? The first already probably already having worn off. He was a smart drinker, and you could tell he stayed under the threshold where he couldn't drive anymore, as a means to stay safe for you. And as the drinks poured you made it evident to him how much you appreciated that. Many many times. He wasn't like any man you’d ever been out with anymore. He didn't judge you, or make fun of you. He endorsed whatever made you happy.

Until, of course, a woman comes out of the bathroom to inform him the lady he came with has been nauseous near the toilet bearing on ten minutes. 

“Alright doll, we’ve got to get you home.” 

Drunken slurs of disapproval at that notion dispel from you in the way of elongated “no’s” and “please’s” fill the bar as Joel felt within himself the karma of every man who had needed to do this to him, now having to do this for you. 

“C’mon you know fightin me wont work, I'm much stronger than you darlin’.” 

And with flailed arms still being swung in the general direction of him, he finds this means to deal with you the old-fashioned way.

That being, just picking you up and taking you home that way. And thus, with one fail swoop of an arm and shoulder, you were slung over him in a fireman's carry. Too flushed and furious for a reason you can't quite discern, you throw weak jabs into his back as he takes you out of the bar as though you were nothing but a small child; treating you as though you were no weight at all upon a back hardened by muscle and grit. But even as he brings you to his truck, he lowers you into its passenger seat with nothing less than utter precaution. As though you were a porcelain doll that could break at any sight of rough handling. 

“Alright princess, in you go.” 

Is what’s mumbled under the breath of this gruff and barely buzzed man, now taking care of you as though you were a princess. At least you felt like it, as his arms wrapped around you with ease to shift you into a bridal carry that was a better means of getting you inside with. 

All you can do is say indiscernible things towards him as he says that to you. Not being able to process, at least in the moment, how softly he treated you. And as he closed the door on your side, and opened his own side to drive, you found yourself slowly drifting into a sleep wedged between the truck door and its window. Quite a comfortable situation for the moment, it seemed. 

What awoke you briefly was the feeling of his warm body against yours as he carried you out of his truck once more. This time taking you inside somewhere comfortably warm, inside home. He lays you on a couch that finds much greater comfort than the previous sleeping arrangement. As you lay down there, more than ready for rest he comes by once more to lift your head, a pillow to meet your head as you lay back down. And a blanket to cover you evermore, he made sure your body was tilted sideways. With that, you drift into sleep once more. 

-------------

You wake up, checking a phone clock that shines at you 3:04am against the darkness of the house. Looking around, you quickly notice that, this isn't your house. This is absolutely unfamiliar, from the kitchen to the furniture to especially, the man who slept across from you in a cushioned chair. With strained eyes and a brief flash of your flashlight, it becomes evident that it's Joel. hands crossed across his chest and a slight snore leaving his person with every breath, a pang to your head reminds you of the night you allowed go to waste in the face of drowning your problems. Cursing to yourself the lost potential of a night like this, you also thank whomever above that he chose to take you to his home instead.

 However, the liquor still seemed to have a hold on you as you looked across the living room at the dimly illuminated face of Joel through the moonlight that shone through the window. 

You approached him, slowly. A wobble in every step that when paired with unfamiliar territory meant a lot of close calls on your part, but nonetheless you walked the few feet with no major issue. And there you stood, just inches away from him. His chest rises up and down to the rhythm of his body and the peaceful eyes of a man whose body soaks in any moment of rest it can muster. His mouth was slightly open as he slept, you studied it. Slightly parted were two brightly colored lips that were covered on its top by the growth of his mustache, and its bottom being overgrown by a quarter-inch beard that coats the lower half of his face.

You lean in closer, something overtaking you that can only be explained by drunken lust. So close in fact, that you can feel the heat of his breath upon yours. It's intoxicating. You haven't felt this kind of feeling in your heart for years, this desire to do something you didn't know the consequences of. The excitement of something new overtook you. Without any more thought, you close the gap. Feeling his lips against yours as he’s non the wiser, all but a simple kiss against his lips is all you needed to satiate this urge you’d had bubbled within yourself since you first heard his voice downstairs while you got ready. 

At least, you thought. But as you tasted the liquor on his lips and smelled the remnants of cologne on his neck you couldn't help yourself. One kiss became two, to three, to fo- 

A mumble stopped you in your tracks. You shot up what seemed like 10 feet, stumbling far enough away to absolve suspicion from your highly odd acts, to say the least. 

His eyes slowly flutter open, followed by a groan and a stretch of his arms and legs wakes him up enough to address you. With fingers rubbing his eyes, he asks; 

“Hey, are’ya finally up?” 

Groggy, raspy, deep, whatever the fuck you want to say. It was everything. A just woken Texan man with the rasp and the drawl all together could finish you off right then and there. 

You search for words, excuses, anything to respond to him with. Panicked, you say the first thing that comes to your mind. 

“Oh yeah, I uh. I wanted to ask if I could take a shower maybe? Soak off the rest of this drunk. Is that, would that be alright?” 

You look for his eyes in the dark of night, and as they meet yours he forms a reply, 

“Course ya’ can. It's uh, just down there to the left. In my room.” 

“Thank you” 

Making your way down the dark corridors you find his room, and an entrance envelopes you in a part of his life. You see the things that he values enough to keep within his room, the set of sheets he sleeps on every night. The mementos that make his life fleshed out before you. And of course, the guitars. Of course, he plays the guitar, I mean what the hell else is he supposed to do. 

You stumble into the bathroom, impressively kept for only housing a single man. Within there do you mindlessly strip your clothes, opting to shower as soon as possible just to not make him any more suspicious of the things you’re doing in his own home. 

---------

Stepping out, however, having used his shampoo and body wash in an oddly exciting experience of smelling exactly like him, do you grapple with the uncomfortable realization you have no clothes to wear after you do all of this. You step out of the water, turning it off, and grabbing a towel to wrap around you a few things pass through your mind. Whether you go, and ask him for clothes. Or, if you just take them for yourself. Both have quite interesting endings to them, however, the latter seems to be more enticing. And you begin to realize perhaps it isn't the liquor that’s making you act like this, it's pure unadulterated lust. 

Walking into his room once more do you rummage through drawers and closets looking for something wearable. And within it do you find an insanely dated rock shirt, and a pair of his boxers to suit your desired amount of cover. 

You walk into the living room once more, a new wardrobe adorning you, you notice that the light is now turned on; he’s stayed awake. With a bit more caution in your step you watch as you round the corner of the living room he’s stood in the kitchen, cooking some sort of tea. Wearing little else than a pair of plaid pants to sleep in. 

“Ah he-” 

Turning to face you does he stop in his tracks as he observes you. Smelling like him, dressed in his attire, you realize that there's no man alive who could properly see that and act normal about that. Even the southern gentleman stood before you. He places the container of honey he held for his recipe down on the counter and approaches you slightly; 

“I see you’ve found some clothes then? Was thinkin a’ bringin some of Sarah's stuff in fer ya, but I’ve got to say that this is a bit better of a sight.” 

A smirk grows on his lips as he looks at you, a sense of desire that he had previously covered came to the surface as he saw you within his clothes. Assuming that was the only reason as to why.  

Walking towards you does he move a stray piece of hair from your face to the back of your ears, looking at you from above he speaks again in a deeper, more domineering voice; 

“Now I won't play stupid with you sweetheart. I felt all that stuff you were doing ta’ me, didn't think it’d be the first thing you’d do wakin up in a stranger's house. But can't say I'm all too mad at it.” 

He cups your face with his palms and lifts your chin to look up at him. 

“And now yer standing here in all my clothes, covered in me. Wasn't plannin on saying anything ‘bout it til you walked in here lookin like that. Now I don't think I can rightly resist darlin’.” 

Before you can let out a word edgewise, he takes you into a kiss of his own, making sure to taste every part of you as you did him, down to the back of your neck where his tongue quickly traveled where traces of your night still burned your taste buds.

You let a moan escape, purely out of shock are you so vocal. Closing your eyes, you let the brush of his beard on your face, and the rough kiss of his lips guide you to wherever he’d want you to go. 

After a few more moments of this, he lets up. For breath, but also to talk to you for a moment. His hands still cupped to your face, some of his fingers tracing their steps from the roots of your hair he had been grabbing just a moment prior.

“You wear all that pretty getup, and then you get all drunk on me. Spewin ‘bout how great I am, how kind I am. How you’ve never been shown anything like me. But let me tell you, sweetheart, I’ll make sure to show ya how a real man treats a woman like you.” 

He grabs you by your thighs, lifting you up in the air to wrap your legs around his waist. He walks you over to the room you’d just left moments prior and doesn't fail to kiss you every moment he can in the small walk to his bedroom. Kicking open the door cracked open, he’s finally able to dump you onto his bed as he crawls on top of you. 

“Spread yer fuckin’ legs, baby” 

You listen intently. Doing just what he asks, do they fall to the side of you with as far apart as you can make them. Feeling his calloused hands as they trace your waist from beneath his shirt, until he slowly teases the waistband of his boxers. Pulling them down slowly reveals only your naked body beneath them. 

“Such a pretty sight aren't ya? And so much for me already, what a good girl.” 

He wastes no time to dip his face within your heat. Sopping up every drip that seeped from you from the moment you’d first kissed him. Feeling his tongue venture to every crevice, every fold inside of you makes your hands grip onto his sheets as a means to hold yourself down at the feeling of his tongue all around you. 

Moaning filled his room as he pleased you, an empty house allowing the echo of your sound to make the neediness of his tongue on you to sound even greater. 

He grips onto your thighs a bit harder as he lets up for a moment. 

“Now listen, I'm gonna need ya’ to stay still alright darlin’? I'm gonna change it up a bit for ya.” 

Going back in, you feel his tongue enter you entirely. Inside of you, up and down did he hit every part of you that made you weak and spazzed under his grip. The shake of your legs was only stopped by the iron grip he kept on them to make sure they stayed open no matter how badly you wanted them closed instinctively. The feeling of him inside of you sent shocks like lightning across your body at every flick of his tongue, at every hum to your clit while he relished in your stomach growing concave and your breath hitching and whining at every slight moment he made towards you. 

“Joel- fuck. Fuck I feel like I'm going to cum.” 

You plead for him not to stop. To never stop to please you to climax. 

And he does exactly that. He toys with you and fucks you until you’re nothing but a screaming mess with him inside of you. Grabbing onto his hair, to the sheets, everything you can as your body convulses entirely by the work of his mouth alone. 

He slowly lets up, not forgetting to tease your sensitive clit for a moment longer before going to look at you. A face coated in your juices, he looks upon you with a toothy grin and a sense of satisfaction upon his face. 

“Been a while since I've done all that. Glad ta know I’ve still got it in me, sweetheart.” 

He stands up, and what greets you is a bulge that comes purely from his adoration for being able to please you as he just did. He loved watching you like that, losing yourself at his touch, being able to do nothing but scream his name until your brain went numb to anything but the thought of him. 

Out of breath with beads of sweat covering your face, you sit yourself up to better face his heat. Palming it with his hands before he could say another word, you watch his head buck up to reveal a neck and shoulders coated with tense muscle at the feeling of your hand on him. 

“Fuck darlin;. Been a while since I’ve felt any a’ that either” 

A voice interrupted by the pitch shifts of a man insanely desperate for your touch makes you well aware of what you need more than anything else. 

You continued to paw at his bulge, feeling out how big he was just by the crease of his pants beneath your hand as you toyed with it, up and down. Slowly stroking it and toying with its base. His head, and watching as each motion elicited a harsh breath to escape him as he bucked his knees ever so slightly as you continued. 

He looks down at you, and as he watches your eyes look up at him from his waist, he takes you into his arms once more. Lifting you to turn you on your back, does he lay right on top of you as your stomach lays on the bed and his body atop of yours. 

You feel his bulge between your ass, and ass he makes quick of removing all other layers, you feel how solid he is right against your back. Heavy breath met in your ear before he did anything else. 

“I’m going to make you forget feelin’ any other kind of way. The only thing you’re ever gonna remember after tonight is my cock, alright princess?” 

He takes that as a means to move it to right between your thighs, right outside your entrance do a few strokes to feel how wet you are, giving way to his tip right on your clit, up and down. That alone could finish you for a second time, but as his cock entered you you saw as his eyes rolled in the back of his eyes at the feeling of being inside of you. 

He was big, almost too big. You felt as though he was almost ripping you apart, in the best way possible. It felt so fucking good to have him slowly go into you. Feeling as with every inch closer to completely inside of you it got harder and harder for him to keep a steady pace with how badly he wanted to fuck you. 

“Fuck you don't know how badly I’ve wanted this darlin’. Can’t have even imagined how tight you’d be. You’re perfect for me.” 

As he got completely inside of you, you felt him curl over you and use one of his arms to grip your upper body as a means of support. When he went in and out of you, curling you upwards to arch your back and feel completely every thrust he put into you. 

He couldn't control himself anymore. The kind gentleman you had let open the door for you when you entered the car now dripped beads of sweat upon your naked body as he fucked you like a toy. Grunts and moans fill the room to complement the incessant moans that you scream at the feeling of him inside of you. Using you and fucking wrecking you. You felt yourself getting close again at the feeling of his cock inside of you, until you felt his free hand make its way down to your clit to please you even while he fucked you. 

“I want to make you cum again. Feel how tight you fuckin get on my cock. Think you can do that for me baby?” 

That was more than enough for you. Only after a few strokes were you a shaking mess on top of his cock, just like he commanded of you. At the feeling of your climax wrapped around his cock, he quickened his pace until he pulled out just in time to cum all over your back. Feeling it drip down every crevice of your body as the feeling of his cum shooting on you seemed to go on forever. 

Jagged breath from both you and him is all that fills the silence of the room as you two were both too tired to even speak for a moment. 

“‘Supose I’ll go clean ya up. Least I can do darlin’. You just stay right there, and I’ll get you all cleaned up.” 

And there he goes, into his bathroom. And so you let yourself lay there for a moment, dripping in your own cum as well as his. As you hear him come out from the bathroom you feel the grist of a towel meet your backside as he makes sure to take care of every spot that has him on it with much care as to not leave you uncomfortable. The doting, loving Joel came back the moment it was all over. You could feel it in the soft stroke of the towel upon your bare skin, and the quick tonal shift in his voice as he offered to get that for you in the first place.

“Sure you need these too.” 

He hands you his boxers, and as you put them on he continues. 

"You can sleep in my bed fer tonight, think that’ll be alright. Though, might have’ta join ya, the chair aint all that comfortable. If, ‘course that's alright with you.” 

He just fucked you and is asking if it’s okay to sleep in the same bed. …

All you can muster is a pat on the side of the bed next to you, at which he greatly obliged and meets you beneath the greeting sheets upon his bed. 

And as you drift into sleep once more, mumbling compliments and thanks within his ear as you grow conscious enough again to speak, he greets you in kind with sweet kisses over your face, and eventually, a big spoon to hold you until night's end. 

… 

Epilouge ?

[bolilloquemado]

While talking with my dear friend @i-like-cats-and-stars36, he came with a crack idea. Damian's love language is free cats. If he likes you enough, or considers you as part of the family, he would gift you a cat that is personally selected.

I, cat lover, obviously said that yes, that's him. 100% Damian behavior. So when the question of what type of cats would Damian give to his family, I went a bit frantic to be honest 😔👊. And that ended in a list of cats that suddenly got to powerful and now we have, kind of, an Au for your entertainment.

We called it: Picking up Strays.

(This family has a problem, dear god)

So, buckle up Batfam lovers. I'm not kidding. (Btw, credits to all the lovely people who took pics of their cats and ended in pinterest, you're life saviors)

LET'S BEGIN (this is only pt 1, the rest of the family will come soon) (pt2 is up now!)

Dick

The first person I feel he would give a cat to is Dick, we all know why. Since Dick already has Haley and she is the precious energetic baby she is, I feel like Damian would give him a more relaxed cat. So maybe a 5 years old cat could fit, they're not as crazy as the young ones (my cat is nearly five years old and he only knows the activity of sleeping) and probably they could handle Haley without problems.

So I landed with this; a gray mixed between tabby and russian blue with blue eyes, obviously. Is a male and 5 years old. He fits the aesthetic.

Dick arrives at his loft in Bludhäven one night, probably after his shift, to find a cat calmly sleeping on his couch next to a, now awake, Haley. There's food, a bed, some toys, sand, and a note. Something something I know you would take good care of him something something.

Dick is clearly confused, "Damian, wtf are you doing in Blud?!", but upon seeing the cat on his couch (that now was looking at him) Dick just, well, he has a cat now.

He calls the cat Zbor (romani for fly or flying) and Dick's phone is full with how many photos and videos he takes of Zbor and Haley sleeping or hanging out. Zbor would occasionally smack Haley on the head while playing and Dick finds it utterly adorable. All his socials are full of Haley and Zbor.

Jason

Next is Jason. I'm a firm believer of the hc that Damian and Jason meet at the League, maybe they didn't bonded that much, but still knew eachother. So maybe Dami has a different kind of respect for Jason.

Jay ended with a cat by accident. Damian found this 1 month old baby, lost and hungry and probably hurt and Jason's place was the closest so he bringed the baby to him. At firts it was just for a few nights meanwhile Damian found her another place.

So this 1 month old moggies ends at the care of Jay. How many nights has to pass before Jason falls in love with her. Four? Six? A whole week? Wrong. Two nights. She yawns and falls asleep on top of Jason's jacket by accident and that's it.

Jay is a father now. Congratulations!

Later that week, when Damian goes for her Jason invents the most stupid reason for Damian to let her stay, surprisingly Dami doesn't insist, he's just like "Okay." The reality is that Damian's plan worked just fine.

He names her Cat. That's it. Cat. Everyone thinks he's pulling a Jonh Wick situation, and Jay rolls with it. Truth is (thanks Astro) that Cat is the short version for Catherine, as his mother. Jason never calls her Catherine when other people are around, but wait until he's alone in his room with Cat in his chest and Jason would scratch behind her ears while saying, "You're so beautiful, Catherine."

Cat, as she grows, becomes a chaotic good. I also feel like she would LOVE sleeping inside of Jason's shoes until she doesn't fit anymore. Lian and Cat would become best friends, and she would occasionally sleep on Lian's bed too.

Cass

Next is Cassandra. (This one is Astro's favorite). Cass comes back from a trip, probably, and the first thing Damian does is give her a black cat. Not any cat, a brainless stupid cat. Cass, eyes landing on yellow ones, and they have a connection.

Brainless eyes upon seeing Cass (with the tongue out): Mother.

Cass, looking at her cat: Stupid. No brain. Lover her.

Cass names her Blob. Is a british shorthair of 2 years old and likes to headbutt Cass. Have you seen those special bags for chihuahuas?, Cass gets one for Blob, to take her in all of her trips like the spoiled princess she is.

(Credits of the photos and fanart to Astro ♡)

Blob follows Cass blindly everywhere. This often ends with her getting lost on some street meowing loudly until Cass finds her and carries her home calling her stupid affectionally all the way.

Blob is probably the must unproblematic cat of all of them, but I don't recommend leaving her without supervision.

Bruce

When Bruce gets his cat, the rest of the family already has the idea of why Damian suddenly is giving cats to everyone. Dick cried for two hours knowing he was the first.

Anyway, with Bruce's cat is a bit more difficult. The grey turkish angora Damian gets to rescue has been a stray for a long long time. He's 6-7 years old and fights. He doesn't trust humans and Damian has a big scratch in the cheek to prove it with more adding up. No one understands why he brings him to the manor, but Damian is determined.

A few days passes and the old cat finally seems to settle, but he's still wary of them. Nevertheless, Damian claims that the cat is Bruce's. He argues, he doesn't want a cat, he doesn't need one. In the end, Bruce treats the cat carefully. He doesn't know how to handle him nor exactly what to do.

Slowly, the cat seems more at peace at Bruce's side. The kids starts pestering him with a name but Bruce doesn't know. He doesn't know how to name things, by god's sake he named the Batcomputer. Dick jokes about Batcat as a name, you know, for the aesthetic and the Theme. Bruce turns them down while everyone laughs at him.

The problem is that the cat needs a name, he can't keep calling him The Cat and is not like Damian's constant glares makes everything better. So, for now he would call the cat Batcat. Just for now. Until he finds a better name.

He doesn't.

He never finds a better name. And all his children laughs at him. It's Batcat now.

+ Bonus story of Bruce and Batcat

One night, after a rough patrol, Bruce's arrives at his room and nothing feels quite real. Sitting in his bed, maybe a panic attack starts. Everything is too much. Bruce tries to calm himself but he just can't. Hw breathing becomes labored. A warm, heavy and soft something places himself on his lap, and slowly starts purring, Bruce puts his hand on the cat, slowly petting him. And as the purring grows he can finally calm himself enough to come back.

[fictionfixations]

Shiguang Fluff Week 2025 (Sort Of, Not Really, Only Half is Fluff)

I'm an angst writer first and foremost so around half of these fics contain angst, whoops, at least half are entirely fluff. The rest are of varying degrees of sadness. I still count them for me because that was what they were intended before before they ended up being not that, I just won't add them to the collection. I'm also gonna separate the fluff ones from the angst ones in this post.

(FLUFF)

+ Day 1: Watch/Pet

pretty please? (focuses around two specific Link Click shorts.)

Cheng Xiaoshi had a miserable look on his face, looking like the epitome of utter devastation as he cried, “Lu Guang..!” “What.” He deadpanned. The other had been watching the spectacle he made. “Elizabeth doesn’t like me..!” He couldn’t believe it. The cat he’d brought in and she liked Lu Guang more than him! He’d even tried doing the things that Lu Guang did only for her to ignore him!! Gahh! “I’ll never get over it till the day I die,” he swore, “my heart will forever have this crack in the face of such utter rejection! Oh what can I do?” Lu Guang stared at him. He gave him sad puppy eyes. “Lu Guang…” --- OR, Cheng Xiaoshi dives into Lu Guang's body so he can finally experience Elizabeth (the cat)'s love. Then he realizes Lu Guang's pretty and he may have.. *Gasp* FEELINGS?

+ Day 2: Candles/Food/Family

a memory that belongs to us (ZZZ AU of Astralyn)

The other sighed, “Do you have any idea how much work you’re making me do, running off like this?” Cheng Xiaoshi sheepishly smiled, “Ahh, well you know me! I just can’t sit still! And isn’t it unbelievable that I can’t take a day off on my birthday!? No, no, I can’t sit back and relax, I have to go to events all overr… It’s so boring!” He held a finger over his mouth, “So won’t you please keep it a secret? If I’m gonna sing on my birthday.. I want to do it for the people, not those stuffy old farts! I don’t care if they’re sponsoring me or whatever, I first and foremost became a singer because I wanted to spread music to people. The kind that could change hearts.” Lu Guang stared at him, before sighing, and pulling him into a more secluded area. “Fine, but we’re getting you a new disguise. Who do you think you are? Superman? You’ll be seen through in a heartbeat.” Cheng Xiaoshi laughed as his bodyguard saw fit to drag him away, not caring about being careful or fragile with him as if he’d shatter in an instant or if he’d immediately reprimand someone for being too touchy. Ah.. Lu Guang..

+ Day 4: Camera/Promises

the one i speak of late at night (Neighbors AU)

His eyes opened to see dark-colored eyes, yet oh so very bright despite that, staring intently at him. “I really liked your playing.” “..It’s you.” The person at the other end of the hall who would wave or smile at him, despite them not talking ever. They were just neighbors. Familiar faces in a sea of those who would move for one reason or another. The black-haired teenager smiled sheepishly, “Mhm, it’s me! It feels a little funny when you think about how long we’ve seen each other and yet never went to learn each other’s names…” That blinding beam was shot straight at him. “I’m Cheng Xiaoshi! I heard your playing and wanted to see who it was. I thought it’d be such a shame if that person didn’t know how good it was, so here I am!” --- OR, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang meet for the first time on a rooftop, and since then continued meeting there late at night to get to know each other.

(ANGST)

I would say this is Lu Guang is suffering but never fear, Cheng Xiaoshi is here! Except for the very possible chance of he's just going to have to time travel again. Day 6 is definitely lighter than the rest in the angst pile.

+ Day 3: Secret

promise me we'll meet again (CXS tries getting it into LG's head how important he is to him.)

“You okay?” Lu Guang stared up at hazel eyes, breath caught in his throat at the person in front of his eyes. “You’re beautiful,” Cheng Xiaoshi blurted out. “I love you,” he said instead. In a world where you cannot lie to your soulmate, where you’re more inclined to say thoughts in your mind that you’d likely never share with anyone else… “Oh,” His other half gasped. “You..” --- OR, in a world where you can't lie to your soulmate, Lu Guang tells him the truth.

+ Day 5: Dream

you truly are my one and only (TGCF AU)

Cheng Xiaoshi first met him when they happened to cross paths. Hair as pale as snow swept past his vision, and he turned his head to catch sight of firm steel-colored eyes, painted with silent grief, like the world had ended. Why? He wanted to ask. What happened to you that made you feel so hopeless? The god turned around, and no one was there. Snowflakes slowly fell down. Was it a dream? Yet.. How could he dream up someone like that? Multiple feelings welled up inside of him. That person… I want to meet you again. He thought. --- Cheng Xiaoshi encounters someone he's never met before, yet feels so familiar to him. Have I met you before?

+ Day 6: Confession/Soulmate

to you who i see in my dreams (Link Click x MDZS / Past Lives AU)

Again, Again. Again and Again. Wei Ying. Cheng Xiaoshi. No matter how many lives, he wanted to save him no matter what. Lans love once, and it has only extended further each and every time. New names, new identities, new worlds, yet at its core is Wei Ying who cares so deeply for other people at the cost of his own expense. There are always some differences, little things and new sides to him that Lan Zhan is more than happy to explore. Lan Zhan just wished fate wasn't so cruel as to make him witness his love die over and over again. Yet in his hands lay the key to fix everything, if only he could get it just right. He wants to at least spend more time with this Wei Ying who will continue to forget the things they've already been through. Forget shared kisses and laughter and they will be strangers all over again. --- OR, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang were Wei Ying and Lan Zhan in their past life. This eventually leads to CXS thinking back on Ran Xi Chronicles and something LG said.

[gamerdog1]

Gangsta Anime Review

We all know the feeling of 'crunch'. Maybe its a school assignment that's due tomorrow, or a dinner that needs to be served in an hour. That feeling of dread, knowing that your creation needs more time and care, but won't get it because the clock is ticking, and a myriad of other factors. And in the end, the final product is okay, sure, but it could've been better, had it more time to flourish.

Gangsta, based on the manga of it's same name, is a 2015 anime by studio Manglobe, about a pair of mercenaries in a city of crime and debauchery, who clean up the messes that others can't handle. While the series has lofty expectations for itself, by the end of it's 12 episode run, it's clear that the anime could've been something special, if it wasn't such a rush job.

Gangsta's first and most glaring issue is it's desire to cram as much as it can into it's runtime. Like some other anime I've written about before, the series has an extensive lore, which it struggles to fit into such a short series in a meaningful way. At first, it seems pretty normal, but with side-plots about an amnesiac sex worker, a kid who works as a doctor, four warring crime families and their internal dramas, serial killers, and superhumans, it starts to get really crowded real fast.

That's not to say the story is by any means bad. In fact, many of the sub-plots and themes this anime touches on are quite interesting, like PTSD and xenophobia. The issue lies in it all happening at once, leaving little time for audiences like me to breathe, to understand what's going on, but most importantly, to care.

Any caring that audiences like me could be having is spread so thinly between the hundreds of characters and goings-on, that it's easy to just check out. I found myself doing other things while watching this anime,( which isn't very often, since I like to focus fully on the shows I'm watching), putting it on in the background while I knit or draw. The whole time, hoping that there'd be some big revelation that would shock me back into paying full attention, but it never came.

Its a shame, because the characters in this series are probably the best part of it. Worick and Nicolas, the main duo, have a fun dynamic, one that initially drew me into this series. They share a bond that goes deeper than the current plot, which gets revealed over the course of the series, and helps them feel like they actually want to work together.

There's also Alex, a sex worker whose boss is killed by the main duo, and works for them for the rest of the series. Most of the time, she feels like a bystander to the plot, only coming in to get endangered and needing saving, but her own conflicts give her a bit more time to develop. Still, what few connections she has to the plot never allow her to solve them, either being taken care of by the main characters, or never resolved at all. There was potential, to make her as important to the plot and involved in it as her male friends, but it seems this series was more concerned with jokes about her breasts than character development.

Where Alex fails as a compelling female character, there's Loretta, the teenage leader of a local mob family. Her story of inheriting her father's role, (while it is about as developed as nearly every other side story in this show), intrigued me, and makes me wish she had her own separate story. In a city of nightclubs and scantily-dressed women, she commands respect in a masculine way, taking charge over men who would otherwise belittle her, simply because of her gender. She is probably my favorite character.

Beyond characters, this anime is notable because of it's portrayal of disability. The main duo, Worick and Nicolas, are both disabled, (one having only one working eye, the other is deaf). In a setting as gritty as this, one might think that they'd be treated as lesser, but they're probably the most competent guys around. Most characters are pretty accommodating, and the series talks a lot about how disability affects the main duo.

The series never tries to 'fix' them in any way (like some others might), but instead shows how they (though far moreso Nicolas than Worick) deal with their disability. Nicolas uses Japanese Sign Language throughout the series, something which is taken in stride by his cohorts without many questions. Worick's missing eye is barely mentioned by other characters, but ties in heavily with his backstory, as well as Nicolas'. The duo's disabilities a part of them, but rarely hinder them, showing a surprisingly good portrayal for a series this intent on being gritty.

But in the end, this series is still a cramped story with way too much going on in way too short of a runtime. Maybe if Manglobe hadn't gone bankrupt, there would be a multi-season run of this anime, with enough time to fully explore it's characters and conflicts. With such a positive portrayal of deafness, its a shame that it never got it's time to fully bloom.

6/10

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

tell me about your ocs 🫣🫣 i liste

thank you for unlocking my side quest. this is probably definitely going to be a very long post

okay, so i've got five time lord ocs, but the main one is Fox (short for foxilquinn, because of course i had to give him a weird time lord name)

so he kind of started out as the kid in a doctor/master child au type story, and hes not not that anymore, but also he's got much more lore than just that now

to start off at the beginning he was born (or loomed i should say) on earth during the third doctor's era. i still haven't figured out why or how they had a loom, but they had one. the unfortunate thing for fox is that this loom was mildly broken so that leads to some problems for him (mainly his hair color will stay the same across all regenerations (which isn't really a problem but whatever, and its also where he got his name since the hair color is about the same as the color of a red fox's coat), he doesn't have a typical injury/stress threshold for regeneration, he has to literally be dying or he can't regenerate (this ends up with him losing a leg and an eye during his first regeneration, but it doesn't kill him so he doesn't regenerate from it), and he's really time sensitive to the point that being near anything paradoxical or too out of sync with the time line just kind of makes him pass out)

(also side note, fox is trans, it isn't like a big part of anything but i just like making my characters trans)

anyway when he's like six the cia show up and are like 'hey we're going to take your kid and put him in the academy on gallifrey' and then basically kidnap him. and since he's still got two years before he's initiated into the academy they stick him in the care or brax because a) he's the doctor's brother and therefore closest available family member on gallifrey and b) i thought it would be funny to stick brax with a child, he does not seem qualified for that

fast forward a bit and he's at the academy doing academy stuff. this is mostly uneventful, he does some mischief, but nothing big happens here. he does end up being in like the same year/class as romana though because this is my story and i like romana so she can be in it if i want her to.

after graduating fox steals a tardis and runs away because hes seen what gallifreyan society is like compared to the rest of the universe and he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in that society not being able to do what he wants.

anyway he kind of just travels around for a while until he one day runs into the doctor and romana and him and romana have a fun little reunion and he travels with them for a while.

after romana returns to gallifrey fox starts sneaking in and out of gallifrey to see romana. this gets a cia agent assigned to his case because he's now a threat to security (he isn't really all that much, his main goals other than seeing romana are to not get arrested and being annoying to gallifreyan government officials that aren't romana). of course this cia agent is narvin because he's one of my favorite time lords so he goes in the story as well

anyway things happen, romana gets captured by the daleks and imprisoned on etra prime. fox goes looking for her, does not succeed but does get blown up and has a building fall on him, resulting in him losing most of his right leg and left eye (also he builds himself a futuristic prosthetic leg and also uses forearm crutches that can fold up really small (like fit in your pocket small) because that's something i desperately want to exist so i'm giving them to him and just calling it time lord technology instead of finding a way for it to make sense) (forearm crutches are so inconvenient to bring anywhere if you're not actively using them and also sometimes when you are)

after romana gets back she gets a bit concerned about fox just running around the universe and getting into dangerous situations because of the events mentioned in the previous paragraph and basically goes 'why don't you teach a class at the academy' so she can make sure hes not out there somewhere getting himself killed

he agrees and ends up teaching a small class of students that (maybe they know this through like matrix prediction or something idk) are all probably going to be renegades. the goal of this class is basically him teaching them how to not die out in the universe (the high council also make the rule that if he's going to be employed on gallifrey he needs to stay there and try to take his tardis from him, but he basically tries to fight them about it (i like to think he tries to bite one of them) and they let him keep his tardis as long as he doesn't go on any unplanned trips)

(there's other stuff about him, like he survives the time war because i don't want to kill him off and theres a few regenerations here and there, but i've already said so much about fox so i'm going to talk about my other ocs now)

the other four are all fox's students who i actually just made up to be placeholder characters for like a scene then i got attatched. they're Azdran, Ensil, Jerex, and Maxin

Az is probably the one i have the most stuff for, they're from the house of oakdown and their parents really want them to be like some kind of politician, but they just want to get off of gallifrey and live a normal life without the expectations of their house behind all their actions. they're nonverbal and use a data pad that they modified as an aac device, this data pad is pretty old and it's a miracle that it still works, but az manages to keep it functioning somehow. they're also the only one of the students that survives the time war, they fall through a rift in time and space opened by the war and end up on earth (something something that rift in cardif)

I honestly don't have much for ensil, hes arcalian (the others are all prydonian) and finds the whole time lord society thing stifling and wants to not deal with that for the rest of his life

Jerex was raised by tardis engineers and likes tardises more than people. he already is bonded to a tardis by the time he enters fox's class and would prefer to spend his days working on upgrading and fixing it rather than having to do classes. if it weren't for the time war getting in the way of things he probably would have just settled himself on a quiet planet with his tardis and helped with repairs on the tardises of renegades who stopped by. i think he still ends up as a tardis engineer/repairer during the war because its what he's good at, but he'd rather not be involved in the war

Last there's Maxin. she's the daughter of maxil and i honestly can't remember if she started out that way or if i made her design and then named her and went 'yeah that could make sense'. anyway because of that she often disregards a lot of rules because her father has like some power and can get her out of things. she also definitely breaks into his office and looks through things she shouldn't be. after the academy she ends up joining the military and pretty quickly climbs the ranks (all of them graduate pretty close to the start of the time war so the gallifreyan military is actually like a relevant thing that does stuff at this point). once the war actually starts though it doesn't take her long to figure out that she a) kind of hates rassilon and thinks he's just making everything worse in some sort of power play against the daleks and b) she can't actually do all that much of what she wants or thinks is best in the military both because of it's structure and because, even despite her rank, she isn't often taken seriously since shes pretty fresh out of the academy, so she defects and starts helping the resistance

[thetavolution]

ALLIE

Full name:  Aldona Lagorio Name meaning:  Aldona: old or noble; Lagorio: green lizard Pronouns:  She/Her  Race: Dragonborn Age: 30  Orientation: Bisexual Romance: Minthara Class: Barbarian Subclass: Berserker Origin: Criminal  Theme Song:  Seven Nation Army — SKÁLD / Chop Suey! — System Of A Down / Down With the Sickness — Disturbed / Shitlist — L7 / Familia — Anuel AA and Nicki Minaj

Personality Allie is a simple creature. She likes to beat people up, spit acid, and steal stuff. Allie is short tempered and a woman of few words. She’s the kind of person to shoot first and ask questions later. She’s also the least likely to plan things out and will act on impulse.

She’s slow to trust. You can count the amount of people she trusts with her life on one hand. If you aren’t on that list, keep an eye on her. She’ll betray most people in the blink of an eye. But if you are on that list, she will defend you with her dying breath and keep you close. It's like having a loyal Caucasian Shepherd by your side.

Background Allie was born into a typical Draconian family in Baldur's Gate. She’s one of five children, and she never quite fit in. Growing up, she was constantly getting into fights or stealing. It's thought that her aggression might have stemmed from a traumatic brain injury in her childhood, but it was never proven if the two events were related.

The rest of her siblings are far more docile and friendly. Her family was at their wits end until they kicked her out when she was a teenager. Disowned by her family, Allie lived on her own, surviving by robbing and stealing from people.

She’d go to jail after starting a bar fight and punching a Flaming Fist. They found stole goods on her and added that to her sentence after taking her in. She'd meet Lamia while she was in prison, immediately bonding with her and becoming her right-hand woman.

Likes: Her loved ones, money, fighting, training, spicy food, spiting acid on people, and eating

Dislikes: Crowds, sand, the cold, reading, and talking about her feelings

Fears: She tries to pretend like she’s fearless, but she mostly avoids thinking about the future because she’s afraid she doesn’t have one. It’s easy for her to live in the moment and avoid thinking about what comes next. Her long-term game plan is to die in battle before her actions can truly catch up to her.

She also tries not to think too much about the people in her life and how she has very few real friendships. She fears everyone leaving her, especially when she becomes a hero in Baldur's Gate. It’s like the Bojack Horseman quote, “One day you’re gonna look around and realize everybody loves you, but nobody likes you.” She fears that day is coming for her.

She doesn't want to actually hurt people she loves. Her aggression is very instinctual and not planned. When she hurts someone she didn't mean to, it scares her.

Quirks: She’s hyper aggressive, especially by most Dragonborn standards. She’s easy to anger and would love to just spit acid on her foes and be done with it.

She’s not particularly worried about hitting allies with her spit either. She only avoids it to keep them from turning on her, or if it's someone she deeply cares for. She's fiercely protective and will kill to protect people.

Mental Health:  As a child she suffered from a head injury that might be the source of her aggression. It's not clear if the two are actually related since a doctor or cleric never signed off on it. She’s not evil, but she isn’t the safest person to be around because of it. While she's okay with herself, she is terrified of hurting someone she loves.

Favorite Foods: Meat

Favorite Drinks: Beer

Favorite Flower: Gargantuan Starfish Flower

Height:  6’5”

Skin: She has copper scales.

Hair:  N/A

Eyes:  Flame Yellow

Color Scheme:  She usually wears simple browns, greens, and whites. She really doesn’t care about her outfits and buys whatever is the most simple.

Fashion Sense: She really just gets things for function over fashion. If it protects her in battle and it’s sturdy, she’ll buy it.

Family: 

Balasar Lagorio — 57. He is Allie’s father and a retired blacksmith. He passed the family business onto his son, Kriv. He is the one who kicked Allie out, but with the understanding that she would be welcome back if she got her shit together. He misses her.

Farideh Lagorio — 56. She’s Allie’s mother who works as a bookkeeper. She loves her daughter, but is so worn down by her attitude.

Torinn Lagorio — 35. He’s Allie’s older brother and a paladin who travels the country to protect the innocent and weak. He keeps an eye out for Allie and hopes she’ll come back into his life.

Kriv Lagorio — 32. He’s Allie’s older brother who works as a blacksmith.

Surina Lagorio — 29. She’s Allie’s younger sister who works as a fish merchant.

Korinn Lagorio — 26. She’s Allie’s younger sister. She's a bard in Baldur's Gate.

[lonely-shine]

Alnair 🌂🧠 Atlas 🍎🎯 Shell 🎓🍀 Ebis ✨🥊🎯 Marcus 🌂

Thanks for all the questions!! :D Let's see...

*Alnair

🌂 - What genre do they belong in? Fantasy! She's an Arcana game OC, so fantasy all the way in.

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC? They're the perfect mashup of self-insert to project into and character of its own to explore paths I myself would personally not walk through. I also love how she lets me rewrite canon events however I want xD

*Atlas

🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like? In short, pretty good! Atlas has two moms, Naith (they/them) and Irdred (she/her) (and the auntcle/biological father, Laith (she/he/they)) and loves them very much. Atlas picked many interests from them (art, gardening, etc), specially from Naith. And athough he travels far and often (he picked that from Laith), he still keeps in touch regularly and visits home once in a while.

...wow, me giving a character a perfectly healthy background/family. This is rare to happen. Quick, make a wish!

🎯 -What do they do best? All things plants. In magic? That means potions, charms, etc. In daily life? You got him gardening, cooking, brewing tea... If it involves working with plants one way or another, he has you covered.

*Shell

🎓 - How long have you had the OC? I wanna say May 2021? *goes check* Yeah, I posted about her in June 2021 for the first time, so maybe I had her for like. maybe a month before that. Which means I had her for almost three years already? And she's still so little developed? Gods. In my defence I don't choose what my brain fixates on and also my life went to shit in late 2021 and kept like that for two years, so yeah. I want to take better care of my OCs and stories now tho ^^

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC? At first I just needed someone to comfortably play Asra's and Julian's routes with because it didn't quite work with either Alnair nor Atlas. Then I started wondering if it was possible to have one character that fitted all six Arcana routes. So I gave her an angsty backstory by which her identity was stripped and to be reshaped by the route she takes, gave her the name 'Shell' solely so I could have the play on words "Shell is your name and that's what you shall become" as part of her 'curse', and ta-daa! Yet another OC for the collection was born xD

*Ebis

✨- How did you come up with the OC’s name? Okay, bear with me. Ebis is a Submachine OC, loosely based on the Player. And I say 'loosely' because there isn't really any information about Player to base Ebis on. Anyway, in one of the games you get out a padded room and there's the patient number 2183. Which, in digital clock numbers, if mirrored, kinda read like 'Ebis' if you squint hard enough. That's the logic Ebis follows to choose her name, since she wakes up without memories and it's easier to think of herself as 'Ebis' than a 4 digit number anyway.

Maybe it's a dumb way to decide for a name but if it works it works.

🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do? She loves tinkering away with computer software, which is good for her because she makes a job out of it post-canon (I have not written about that, but it exists in my head), and also numeric games for when she wants to scratch that brain itch without dealing with the inevitable bugs. She also loves gardening and not only that but needs to get her hands into the dirt and feel the sun on her face regularly for optimal mental stability. As for hating... I can only think of anything that would involve her going underground? Trauma related thing, after Submachine she's had enough underground for the rest of her life. Otherwise I don't know, I haven't given much thought to it. Oh! But she's incapable of sitting still and doing nothing, if that counts.

🎯 -What do they do best? She's very good at computers and programming... and the less socially accepted side of it as well (by which I mean she knows how to hack stuff, but she doesn't do that post-canon, and in-canon she does by necessity).

*Marcus

🌂 - What genre do they belong in? As the other Submachine OC I guess sci-fi/fantasy? Adventure? There's some post-apocalypse vibes to much of the game as well. Post-canon this would turn to the fluffy slice-of-life this poor tired man (and Ebis as well) deserves.

And that's all!! I believe I have talked enough for the day, thank you so much for the questions, they made my day :D

[theunicorncomic-blog]

@andromeda24601, so, I am not nearly as accomplished as Neil (who is?) but I am a published author and have been getting short stories published somewhat regularly since 2021. I’m in an awkward place where I’m not famous or invited to join anthologies or have novels out but I am building a fanbase in the indie horror community.

So, I’m just slightly ahead of where you are now. I was rejected 10 times before I got my first short story acceptance. I haven’t been counting how many rejections I’ve received over the course of the past 4 years, but it has to be well into the hundreds at this point. The trick is to keep writing and keep sending things out.

Here are a few things I do:

1. Don’t take the rejection personally. This is probably the hardest step, but it’s the most important. Short story anthologies, even small ones, receive hundreds of submissions in each open call. More often than not, it’s less about the quality of the story and more about what fits with the rest of the anthology. Most editors are also writers and they understand how discouraging a rejection can be.

2. Write as often as you can and set a specific goal. I’m ambitious, so my goal is 1,000 words a day but I have a family that is very supportive of my writing and willing to support me as I work on my craft. What works for me might not necessarily work for you and that’s okay, as long as you don’t give up completely.

3. Have a list of places to send to and use it to make a goal. Because of my preferred genre, I use The Horror Tree, which is a bit of a misnomer, because it also boosts calls for sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. I’m also subscribed to the Authors Publish newsletter. The Sinister Scoop is run by some friends of mine and is also helpful.

4. Prioritize the well-paying anthologies but cast a wide net. Unfortunately, you’re not likely to get accepted into a pro-rate paying anthology for your debut story. My first story paid me only $5 and a contributor’s copy. I’ve only been in a handful of anthologies that paid me more than $100 and none that have paid more than $500. The important thing is getting your name out there. That said, the money should flow to the author. Avoid calls that require you to pay to enter and publishers that expect you to pay them to publish your work.

5. If you’re trying to get published by one of the big five, get an agent, because editors are not likely to accept from the slush pile anymore. That said, starting small and building up a fanbase will likely be an effective strategy in general. Big five publishers often decide based on social media presence as much as they do the quality of a story.

This is what has worked for me, but all the advice basically boils down to what Neil said. Don’t give up. Things will get discouraging, but the ones who make it are the ones who keep going.

What advice would you give to young writers who were rejected a couple of times? Should they just give up or is there still a chance for them?

When I was a teenage writer I was told I would expect to paper the walls of my bedroom with rejection slips. That they were part of the journey: first “form” rejection slips, then rejection slips with handwritten notes on them, then, one day an actual acceptance note with a cheque. And then, in all probability, more rejection slips.

I have a folder filled with them somewhere. A rejection just means that someone didn’t like the story. Your job is to become a better writer.

The last rejection I got was a few years ago for a poem, solicited for a book of children’s bedtime poems. They said it was too scary, and probably not something that should be read to children late at night.

I kept writing.