#so i HAD to write this for valentina

[unicorn-academy-brainrot]

IsaVal Fan Fic Pt 1

SORRY i don't have an AO3 account yet but once I do I'll migrate it there instead. This is my first fic ever so I hope it's okay!!

Beep!  Beep!  Beep!

Isabel’s hand shot up out from under a coral blanket to slam the off button on her alarm clock.  She yawned and sat up, stretching her arms over her head.  Another day of being an ace unicorn rider!  She smirked as she spotted Layla, who was spread out on her bed, surrounded by open books, her reading light still dimly lit on her headboard.  Looks like Layla had fallen asleep while reading again, unsurprisingly.  Layla’s trusty notebook seemed to have some new notes frantically scribbled on the pages, the words denting the paper from too much pencil pressure.  

Isabel shuffled her way down the hall to the dorm bathroom, still sleepy-eyed but trying her best to wake up.  Once in the bathroom, she splashed water on her face, dried it with a face towel then studied her reflection.  Her blonde hair was tumbling out around her face, not yet in her signature ponytail, and she was wearing a jersey tank top and an old pair of basketball shorts as her PJs.  

“I am strong” she mumbled to herself.  “I am confident, and I’m a winner!  I trust in my abilities and I always come out on top!”  She flexed her biceps and smiled at herself in the mirror.  One of her favorite parts of the day was doing the affirmations her coach taught her and feeling like the day ahead was full of exciting possibilities.  Just as she finished up and went to grab her toothbrush, she heard the dorm bathroom door swing open.  She perked up, knowing it was Valentina, her favorite rival.  Her and Valentina were the only Sapphires to regularly wake up that early, Isabel for her training, and Valentina for her lengthy beauty routine and prep for the day’s classes.  Some mornings, Isabel could even goad Valentina into doing some laps of the unicorn track with her, provided Val was feeling especially competitive that day.  

“Morning Val!” Isabel chirped, grabbing her tube of toothpaste.  But instead of hearing Val’s usual grumpy morning groan, Isabel heard only silence and then a sniffle.  “You got a cold or something?” Isabel playfully joked.  

Isabel turned around to face Val, then her smile dropped.  Valentina looked…  Puffier than usual, especially around her eyes, not yet lined with her signature eyeliner.  Val’s hair, usually pulled neatly back in a silky night scrunchie, looked frazzled and out of place.  Her nose was red and slightly damp.  Valentina’s satin button-up pajama set was clinging in patches to her body, as if she had been sweating.  The two made eye contact, and Val quickly glanced away, trying to hide her face.  

“Everything okay, Valentina?” Isabel asked, stepping towards her.  Now that Isabel was closer, she could see tear stains on Val’s cheeks.  “Oh no, were you crying?  Aww, Sparky…”  Valentina sighed, her eyes beginning to water again. She finally allowed herself to return Isabel’s gaze, who was peering at her, worry furrowing her brow, green eyes wide with concern.

“I had a nightmare about Lazul,” Val admitted in hushed tones, her voice tight and strained.  “I heard so many stories about what he did to grandmama when I was younger, and now that I’ve seen him…”  Her voice quivered.  “I keep dreaming he’ll do to me what he did to her, or worse…”  She rubbed her eye, in a gesture that was protecting it as much as wiping away her tears.  

Isabel was stunned.  Valentina, always so fierce and fiery, seemed to be too sleepy and shaken to put up her usual walls.  It was disturbingly unlike her- Isabel had the fleeting thought that she didn’t know Furi’s were even capable of crying.  She had no idea that seeing Lazul had affected Val so deeply, especially since they had already defeated him.  Seeing the always-thorny Valentina so vulnerable put a pit in Isabel’s stomach, and she couldn’t help but feel protective of her.  Isabel swallowed and steeled herself, gently placing her hand on Valentina’s upper arm.  

“Val, you are the best unicorn rider around, besides me,” Isabel announced.  “You are strong and powerful, and if anyone around here was tough enough to defeat him again, it would be you!”  Valentina quietly let out an amused huff and gave Isabel a grateful half-smile through her tears.  

“Besides,” Isabel continued, “You’ve got me here to protect you, too.”  Isabel threw her arms around Val’s shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug.  Valentina inhaled sharply, surprised and embarrassed to be so close to Isabel.  She could feel her cheeks turning red.  Valentina went to pull herself away, but Isabel was still holding on tightly.  Val never got many hugs from her family, so the feeling was uncomfortable and part of her wanted it to stop, but it was also so comforting that she couldn’t help but enjoy it.  Val’s breath caught in her chest, still tight from crying, and she finally melted into Isabel’s embrace.  Valentina shyly leaned into the hug, letting out a few more stifled sobs.  Isabel patted her back, stroking her hair gently.  They held the embrace for what felt like forever, Isabel occasionally telling her it was okay, until Valentina’s shuddering breaths returned to normal.  

Isabel finally pulled back, hands on both of Valentina’s upper arms.  Isabel couldn’t help but notice Valentina’s cheeks were rosy, and Valentina couldn’t help but notice the intensity with which Isabel’s sparkling eyes were studying her face.  “Feeling better, dude?”  Isabel playfully asked.  Valentina’s eyes creased with a shy smile.  

“Ugh,” Valentina suddenly wrinkled her nose.  “Your breath stinks, Isabel!”  

Isabel chuckled, wrinkling her nose back.  “So does yours, Sparky!”

The two laughed, breaking apart.  “Up for a race around the track before breakfast?” Isabel asked excitedly, squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush.  

“As if you could beat me!” Valentina teased, words slightly slurred through a mouth full of toothpaste foam.  They finished brushing their teeth, and just as Isabel turned away to head towards the showers, Valentina grabbed her wrist.  

“Hmm?”  Isabel lifted a brow, tilting her head towards Val.  

“I-I, uh…” Valentina blinked quickly, pulling her hand back.  “Thank you, Isabel,” she said, glancing down at the floor before meeting Isabel’s gaze again.  

“All good, dude,” Isabel cheerfully replied.  She tucked a stray lock of hair behind a blushing Valentina’s ear and then set back off towards the showers.  “You can make it up to me today by LOSING at the track!”  

“Oh, please!” Valentina called after her, barely able to contain her grin.  Despite her awful nightmare, when Valentina glanced at her reflection in the mirror, it was the happiest she had seen herself look in a long time.  

[odetolovers]

it is absolutely wild the way i’ve allowed people to treat me

[thewildwaffle]

Friend Shaped

The professor clacked his beak sharply three times in the front of the room. The students, around 40 individuals, and many species from across the galactic arm hushed almost immediately. “Welcome back, class. The day for your first planet-side mission to Nemulon 3 is fast approaching, and we've still got a lot of safety training to cover, so let's get started.” The professor stepped aside to allow a projection to display against the board behind him. A picture of a blue, green, and gray planet shone brightly against the dark tapestry of space. Nemulon 3 had been discovered deca-orbits ago but offered a wide variety of biomes that were the perfect blend of challenging and safe to train new recruits to the Galactic Alliance’s Exploration Fleet. “Today we're covering some alien fauna you may encounter while conducting exploratories. Most are small enough that they won't pose much of an issue, but we do have a few category 5 lifeforms that you need to be aware of.” The display behind the professor changed from an image of Nemulon 3 from orbit to a chart topped by 5 images with their respective labels: karindru, oold, dini-dini, barintuna, and great lavalen. Before the professor could start in on the next part of his lecture, a voice spoke out from the middle of the classroom.“That looks like a dog.” The professor stood with his beak half open. He was certainly not used to being interrupted, let alone this early in the lesson. “A what?” He finally choked out. There was a pause as if the offending student was thinking better about drawing more attention to themselves before slowly putting their hand up in the air. It was a human. Cadet Valentina, if the attendance role had been accurate. “I said it… it looks like a dog.” Human Valentina inhaled as if gathering the courage to say more. “They're a carnivorous canine species on earth that humans domesticated thousands of cycles ago and selectively bred to be pets.” The professor’s beak closed with a snap and some of the features near the base of his neck ruffled slightly. “Nemulon 3 is 47 light years away from Earth. Any similarities between each planet’s fauna is purely coincidental, a product of parallel evolution.” The human bowed her head and said nothing else, so the professor continued. “Now, for many of you of larger stature, a single karindru might not pose much of a threat, but their real danger comes from their numbers. They live, travel, and hunt in packs. Thankfully, their method of communicating with each other in their packs are quite loud, so you will hear them long before you see them, and hopefully, before they see you. Typically you’ll hear anything from yipping, chirping, and howling.” “Kind of like coyotes.” The professor stopped and stared at the human again, feathers ruffling once again. “Another kind of canine species back home,” Valentina offered quietly. If the professor was capable of growling, he might have been tempted to at that moment. Instead, he sighed slowly. “I can assure you, trying to get close to these will likely end with your injury or death.” “Well, that's what ancient humans thought about wolves too, but then we bred them into dogs and now they’re our best friends.” “Karindru are not, nor are any native creatures on this planet, your friend. Not now, not ever.” The professor turned sharply back to the board. The entire class was dead silent. Few even dared to breathe. It was quiet enough, in fact, to hear the human mumble under their breath, “If not friend, then why friend-shaped?”

The human was promptly given detention and assigned extra homework of writing “I will not try to domesticate any native fauna on Nemulon 3” one hundred times by hand.

[writers-potion]

Hi! I would like to ask if you could possibly give any tips on how to properly manage to introduce characters ?

Techniques for Character Introduction

There are many things you can consider for an impactful character introduction:

The Point of View of your novel

Whether your character is a POV character or not

The tone of your novel

What your character is like

In-Medias-Res

Immediately show the character in the middle of action.

Character(s) come into the scene running, fighting, laughing - whatever it is.

Good for leaving an impression

Could be an in-medias-res hook in the very opening of your novel, to introduce the main character.

Choose an action that "defines" the character. Perhaps it's something they do repeatedly (going to the gym at 5am every morning) or that shows a key part of their personality (digging through a large pile of laundry because they cannot keep their room clean)

Dialogue - Voice First

The character makes a voice entrance before we "see" them physically appear.

It helps the readers define the relationship between the character being introduced and the character that we've been following.

From Dan Brown's <Digital Fortress>:

"David?" "It's Strathmore," the voice replied. Susan slumped. "Oh," She was unable to hide her disappointment. "Good afternoon, Commander." "Hoping for a younger man?" The voice chuckled. "No, sir," Susan said.

In these few lines, we already know (1) Strathmore is Susan's boss, (2) quite high-ranking in some military/governmental/secret agency (commander??) (3) is male (4) has a sense of humor (5) seems to be quite friendly with his employees, etc.

By using phone conversations, you can also show how the POV/main character truly feels about the character on the phone - there's no need to make appearances. Perhaps they frown, or attempt to throw their phone on the wall in frustration while the other talks.

Via Another Character

This is where characters in the story talk about the characters even before they are introduced.

Often used with villains/characters with popularity in the story world.

Example: "You've heard of Joe, of course."/ "I'm sorry, who?" /"The president of Book Club? Red hair, freckles?"

Simple Intro with direct characterization

Sometimes, just writing a brief description about the character can be effective, especially if you have some backstory that really, really need to be there before the readers start following the character.

Here's a passage from Leigh Bardugo's <The Familiar>:

"Dona Valentina had been raised by two cold, distracted parents who felt little towards her beyond a vague sense of disappointment in her tepid beauty and the unlikelihood that she would make a good match. She hadn't. Don Marius Ordono possessed a dwindling fortune..."

The key here: provide interesting detail. There's no fun in saying, "Dona Valentina wasn't too pretty, so she had to marry Don Marius Ordono with little wealth." An image of a girl neglected by her parents and bartered for wealth is much more captivating.

Slow & Mysterious Setup

This one is harder to execute than the others on this list, but when done properly, it can produce a beautiful effect where the readers know who you're talking about without you ever having to name them.

An excellent example of this is how Marcus Zusak introduces Death (with capital D, who's the narrator of the story):

"I could introduce myself properly, but it's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables."

"Your soul will be in my arms." "I will carry you gently away."

Death continues to talk about his "job" like the above until it becomes enough for the reader to catch on.

Drop enough hints for your readers to recognize the character

Works best with an archetypal character - devil, vampire, demon, angels...some figure with distinct features that even when described mysteriously, will be noticeable.

Showing Attitude - For POV characters

Present a peculiar line of thought or show some attitude that makes the character immediately interesting.

This works wonderfully with POV characters - by giving the reader a crucial piece of the POV character's mindset to set the overall tone of the novel.

From Rick Riordan's <Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief>:

"Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advise is: close this book right now."

Percy (the POV character) goes on a bit like this before we get his name, etc. in the subsequent section.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! Also, join my Tumblr writing community for some more fun.

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2 

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

*with my hands held together like a prayer* Oh great one may I request the bayverse boys reacting to feeling their pregnant s/o’s baby bump and feeling the baby kick?? I’m in a fluffy mood rn and your writing is as sweet as honey 

When They Feel Baby Kick For The First Time (Fluff)

Bayverse!Turtles x reader

A/N: The Great One has heard your prayers of baby kicks and sweet honey. Though the Great One does not hold powers over honey, they can give you kicks of baby feet. Enjoy in the name of the Great One!💚

Warnings: None💚

Leonardo:

During each and every one of your pregnancies, Leo always seemed somewhat shocked whenever he felt the babies’ first kicks from your belly, like he wasn’t prepared, as if he hadn’t experienced it with all of your other pregnancies.

Whether it be during a cuddle, while Leo put a hand on your stomach as he passed by you in the kitchen, or when he was resting his head beside your belly, talking to your growing child only to get a firm kick in his head, Leo seemed surprised each and every time, staring at you like it had never happened before.

Your husband would get emotional each time, hugging you tightly while stroking your pregnant belly, mumbling sweet words of how excited he was, while showering your face with kisses.

At a point during your pregnancy, Leo would grow familiar with your babies’ punch and kicks, predicting them as they came. Although nothing could have prepared either you or him for the strength of Valentina’s legs and what a punch they pulled. And you thought Marcello was the worst kicker for them all. You thought wrong.

Raphael:

Have you ever seen a man play soft boxing with a woman’s pregnant stomach? No? Well, I don’t blame you. It does sound very wrong and dangerous. But I can assure you, it’s not as bad as you may think.

Raph took up the habit of lightly punching his knuckles against your stomach when he felt your child kick, back when you were pregnant with Joan. It was like a soft knock, asking if anybody was in there.

Much to Raph’s joy, there was an answer, a small pair of feet kicking back against his hand, much harder than he had done it, letting him know that there in fact was someone on there. That made Raph happy and emotional, before continuing his little way of communication with your still unborn child.

He would continue to do it during your other pregnancies, softly and playfully knock his knuckles against your stomach, even before your belly had taken form. At this point he was just so excited for when the next pair of feet would kick out at him.

And when Minerva and then later on Ragnar would kick out against his hands, answering his small knocks, Raph was excited, fist pumping the air like he had won a marathon.

Donatello:

Donnie was very much a mindless belly stroker. Whenever you were around with your pregnant stomach, large or not, Donnei would stroke it absentmindedly, while continuing working with whatever he was working on at the time. It was soothing for the both of you, almost stress relieving at times. And well, also quite adorable.

It was during one of the absentminded soft strokes of your belly, that Galileo gave Donnie’s hand a hard firm kick, seeming to wake Donnie up from whatever work trance he had found himself in, staring directly at your stomach with wide eyes, his mouth open in shock and surprise. The expression on your face let him know that you had felt it too. Well, of course you had, it was from inside your stomach.

After this Donnie started taking much more joy in stroking your belly throughout the day, even speaking to your belly, no matter if Galileo decided to kick or not. But oftentimes he did, bringing a big smile fond to Donnie’s lips, his face lighting up in pure joy, at times even happy unstoppable laughter.

This act of rubbing and stroking your stomach would continue during your pregnancy with the twins, with Donnie even showing Gali how he could “talk” with his sisters. It was adorable to watch.

Michelangelo:

Having heard about the joy of feeling their child kick against their hands, from the inside of their partners, by his brothers, Mikey was more than excited to feel your baby kick. Especially after how hard the two of you had worked to get you pregnant.

Even before your belly had even taken form, Mikey would walk day in and day out, with his hands on your stomach, ready to feel your child’s first kicks. He wouldn’t miss it for the word, almost making it a personal mission of his, to be there when your child would do their first kick.

And Mikey’s determination proved it’s worth, as one evening as you and Mikey was about to calm down for the night, cuddling up in bed and waiting for sleep to take over the two of you, when suddenly you and Mikey felt the unmistakable kick from inside your pregnant belly. At that point you and Mikey threw all plans of sleeping out of the window, staying up to feel more kicks.

At that point Mikey also decided to destroy everyone's plans in the lair of sleeping, as he started to do happy runs around the living area, hands in the air, yelling and screaming in happiness.

And with your second pregnancy only three years later, the whole history repeated itself, with Mikey wanting to feel Luis’ first kicks like he had done with Sunny. And just like the night he had felt Sunny kick, Mikey was out running rounds in the lair, waking everybody up to the sound of his happy yells.

[lucy-shining-star]

Okay so I'm probably based cause Mateo is my favourite character, so that might turn to defensive but I have to say something about some things from this:

...Though first o all I agree about that blabbing in Rita arc and I must say I'm dissapointed there was never some onscreen reaction to him almost letting her in that room (I don't reember how it's called) or him admitting to that onscreen. Like did it it ever happpen. I'm assuming it did but I can't be sure and this is so annoying damn it.

About Isabel I don't think it's comparable to anyone else cause it was more Elena being mother-figure to her younger sister than anything else? She was angry cause someone who she wants to protect the most put themselves in danger when she said to them to not do that.

About 'Movin on up' vs 'The Last Laugh' ...I don't think either of these episodes was about them wanting free time? 'Movin on up' was about Mateo moving in the palace, so he wouldn't have to take long time to go to palace from home and other way around. ...And about Naomi wasn't that more about Elena being jelaous of Veronica 'stealing' Naomi from her and work was just excuse to not let her? Or did I read to much of elena x naomi interpretations of this episode but like I still think it works with friendships

Hi! I just read your post about Mateo recently. If I may, can you give me any specific instances in the narrative of the show where Mateo isn’t called out as heavily as they should have? I’m just curious?

During the Shuriki returns arc in particular, Mateo makes some pretty glaring mistakes that I feel like he should've gotten much more flack for (and based on what we see elsewhere in canon, I feel pretty confident that if Gabe, Naomi, Isa, or Esteban at least --and possibly even Elena-- had made these mistakes, they wouldn't have been swept under the rug nearly as quickly as they were for Mateo).

While it's unfair to completely blame Mateo for Carla's manipulating him during the "Rita" arc, I feel like it's reasonable to hold him a *bit* accountable. He did after all blab highly confidential information (on more than one occasion) to try and impress a pretty girl with how clever and important he was. (Something tells me that if any of the others had done likewise, they would've been called out for it. But because it's "beloved" Mateo, we don't even get "wait, you told Rita how to get into your workshop? And you've known her for only a few weeks? What were you thinking, Mateo?") Moreover, he never even apologizes for this or promises to do better/be more careful with such important, sensitive information in the future.

Even more aggravating is his behavior in "The Scepter of Night." Mateo is so eager to play the hero and claim all the glory for himself that he twice (!) disobeys a direct order/abandons the plan and goes looking for the scepter piece on his own. This directly leads to Fiero and Victor finding the scepter piece and (temporarily) stealing it. And it's really only due to luck and very conveniently-timed infighting amongst Shuriki's allies that Elena and co. are able to get the scepter piece back. While Mateo does receive some (brief) criticism, it's nowhere near the level that it should be.

Also noteworthy Elena doesn't really get particularly "mad" at him (especially considering how angry we see her get at other characters even for more minor things) . She's not truly, actually angry at Mateo (and Gabe and Naomi are only a bit angrier); she's just a little frustrated and disappointed at him in the moment. And apart from a (very short) little "do better next time" speech, Mateo doesn't face any real consequences or lingering resentment unlike other characters who do.

When Isa obeys direct orders in "Sister of Invention," she has to face consequences (Elena grounding her). Similarly, Elena holds a grudge against Esteban for days (if not weeks) after he interfered with the Feast of Friendship (a much lower stakes mistake than Mateo's imo). Moreover, it's possible to interpret Esteban's staying behind in Avalor when the others go to see the Norberg Lights as a punishment (either self-inflicted or imposed by Elena) for his actions in the previous episode.

In contrast, Mateo just gets a brief "I expected better from you" speech from Elena and Gabe jokingly assigning him push-ups as punishment (which he immediately takes back when Mateo tries to do them). I'll give Mateo a little bit of credit for actually apologizing this time (which he doesn't always do). But it's still frustrating that everyone is so ready to forgive and forget Mateo's missteps immediately while this same courtesy is seldom shown to others.

I think it's worth directly comparing a few Mateo-centric episodes with a few more similar ones that focus on other characters so that we can see how there does seem to be a noted narrative bias in his favor compared to the others.

Let's start with two "feeling kind of insecure" episodes: "Spellbound" for Mateo vs. "Naomi Knows Best" for Naomi. In the former, Mateo expresses doubt that he's capable of rising to the occasion as royal wizard. No one (except Gabe and he gets over it by the end of the episode) blames him for not having reached his full level of confidence and potential right away and not being able to immediately solve the problem. And Elena in particular (and by extension the narrative) gives him so much validation and support. Whereas in "Naomi Knows Best" (and to a lesser extent "Finders Leapers" and the "Carla-as-Rita" arc as well) the narrative "punishes" Naomi for her feelings of self-doubt. We're told that *if only* Naomi had trusted her gut instincts and stood her ground right away, Elena and co would not fallen right into the trap and that Naomi needs to screw her head back on straight and embrace confidence ASAP to fix her mistake.

When Mateo feels insecure, the narrative gives him every reassurance about how capable and special he is, that he can learn at his own pace, and his insecurity isn't really such a problem after all. When Naomi feels insecure, the narrative encourages her to get over her doubts as quickly as possible because unlike with Mateo, there's "no time" for her to wallow in self-doubt and actually the fact that she even had said doubt in the first place is what "caused" the disaster.

On a slightly different note, Naomi is also called out for taking a little free, fun time for herself in "The Last Laugh" when the group needs her, and yet somehow I have a feeling that Mateo would've been allowed to take a day off if he wanted without any protest. He complains about long hours in "Movin' on Up" and Elena gives him the big royal wizard's chambers for him to relax and unwind in. Naomi asks for one (1) day off to spend with her childhood friend for her birthday , and suddenly it's big drama. (And at the time, Naomi asked for said day off, all Elena needed from her was help doing paperwork. The Team Ash stuff came up unexpectedly.)

Similarly whenever Gabe and Mateo get their little rivalry on ("Spellbound," "Party of a Lifetime," "Captain Mateo" and a few other examples) , the narrative either presents them as equally at fault or Mateo as the only one in the right.

When Gabe brings in Bronzino to train the Royal Guards in magic, it's specifically because Mateo failed to explain how and why he was training the guards in the way he was. If he'd just explained how they were going apply the seemingly basic exercise they were doing to real magic, Gabe likely would've allowed Mateo to continue the training at his own pace.

(Also like. it's super hypocritical imo for Mateo to get annoyed at Gabe feeling impatient/impulsive about their apparent-lack-of progress when Mateo himself is easily the second most impulsive character in the show after Elena.) Mateo feels entitled to keep important information to himself (or blab it to a cute girl he barely knows) even when its no one else's best interest. He's only okay with being "cautious and patient" when he specifically is the one setting the pace. And yet, Gabe is the only one who is called out for his behavior in this episode--even though he might not have acted as he did if only Mateo had trusted him and the guards with an explanation in the first place.

And then there's just a few other "dude not cool" little moments that never really get acknowledged/Mateo never apologizes for. For instance, there a two low-key terrifying Mateo moments in "Captain Mateo" that are not only not acknowledged but are also framed in context as Mateo being just "so funny and quirky". Near the end of "Should be in Charge," Mateo magically gags Gabe so he can't protest anymore about Mateo taking over as leader of the mission. And this is after having already enchanted one of the stationary suits of armor to come to life and fight Gabe. (Gabe admittedly does lightly shove Mateo out of the way during his parts of the song, but that's still a far cry from literally drawing a sword on Mateo as Mateo does via magic to Gabe.)

It's played for laughs (The Grand Council is just smiling happily in the background throughout the scene which is so yikes), so it's easy to overlook what's actually happening. Frankly, it's pretty horrifying that Mateo's natural instinct upon his experience/authority being questioned is to literally attack and then silence. (And attack and silence someone who is supposed to be one of his best friends and closest allies at that!)

Rather than the narrative acknowledging that maybe it's a bad idea to immediately grant power to someone to someone who is so retaliatory against fairly minor criticism, the Grand Council just gives Mateo exactly what he wants and doesn't even offer a "maybe next time, let's not gag or attack our friends, okay?" alongside it. I mean sure Mateo does step down as captain at the end of the episode, but it's very specifically presented as his and Gabe's voluntary choice and not an order from Elena/the Council.

[randomshyperson]

I Wanna Be Yours - Heart Shaped Series

Chapter Summary: Once again separated, Wanda calls and brings news that changes everything, whether for better or for worse, it's still too early to say.

Warnings: (+18), making out, shapeshifting smut, intimate and unprotected s*x, creampie, fingering (both), slightly power dynamics, fluff and mild angst, avengers fighting like a family, brief mention of violence and injuries, some humor. | Words: 7.087k

A/N-> Am I getting too addicted to writing Shapeshifter Reader? Maybe. What can I do, it's so fun. Also, this is kinda late 'cause I spend the whole weekend watching Orphan Black (it's amazing). I hope you all like this, it took me some time, good reading!

General Masterlist | Wattpad | AO3 | Series Masterlist

-&-

Limping and bleeding, you kept moving. The suspenders of your uniform were unbuttoned and hanging around your waist, and you grunted in pain as you leaned against the wall of the secure apartment, needing a moment to overcome your fatigue to open the door.

Cleaning the wound in silence was the worst part; your powers were messed up by the whole thing, and even though you tried to change, the blood kept coming out and you were forced to find a sewing kit and solve the problem.

Half an hour later, on the living room carpet still trying to stop shaking, your cell phone rang.

You thought it was Valentina, wanting to know if the whole thing had worked out. You almost cursed under your breath, this checking habit of hers always irritated you; the jobs always worked out, especially if the payment was made in advance. You were a professional, and the attitude carried an insinuation that you would fail, and if Valentina continued with it, perhaps it would be better for her to find someone else for the job. 

But in a way, you knew that all this lack of patience had other reasons: with every stray bullet, every insult, and more difficult fight, you wondered what was the point of it all. You remembered Wanda Maximoff smiling at you, kissing you, and started to wonder if taking all that risk was worth anything, especially when crime made it so difficult to have moments with that witch who wouldn't leave your thoughts.

And as if guessing, it was Wanda calling. You smiled immediately, feeling a little excited for the first time that morning.

It had been so long since you heard her voice. After everything that unfolded with the Avengers splitting up and being chased, and this latest intense mission which, despite being very well paid, made it practically impossible for you to visit her. At last, Wanda was calling.

"Little witch." You greeted as soon as you picked up, only to hear a heavy sigh on the other end that made you frown in confusion. "Wanda?"

She sniffled, and you ignored the pain in your body to sit up straight. "I have to tell you something."

"Is everything all right? Are you hurt? Are you with your friends?"

"Detka, please." She interrupts you. "Just listen, okay?"

"Wanda, you're scaring me."

"I'm all right." She assures you straight away. "I'm safe, I promise. But I have... to tell you something. And I need you not to freak out, because I'm scared and if you get scared too, I don't think I can manage."

You sigh uncertainly, but end up agreeing. "I'm listening."

It takes Wanda a whole moment where the only sound is her breathing on the line. Until finally; "I think I'm pregnant." Your immediate reaction is to frown in a mixture of confusion and surprise. You don't say anything because you don't know what to say, and your silence makes Wanda sniffle again. "You have to say something."

You open your mouth, only to let out a short, nervous laugh. "I know, I just... I don't know what."

Wanda sighs, looking like she's trying to control her emotions. "Okay, I didn't expect, well I don't know what I expected. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, we, I can take care of this and then-"

"Wait, what?" you interrupt. "Wanda, take a deep breath, okay? Just give me a second to think." You struggle to get to your feet, and with the injury, let out an involuntary grunt of pain. 

Wanda grips the phone tightly. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"

You chuckle weakly. "It's nothing, I've taken care of it." 

"Detka..."

"No, that's kind of funny actually." You continue, stumbling around the apartment after your suitcase. "And I don't say this to worry you, love, but I've barely made it out of this mission. I'm losing my touch, I guess, or maybe I just don't want this anymore. And when I was shot, I just had this really sad thought that if I died on that island, no one would care. The shooter would probably be very glad, and my boss would be annoyed at losing money but would surely find someone else for the job. What I'm trying to say is that I had no reason to get up, but then I thought, if I die here, my little witch will see my picture in the news and I don't want to go without saying goodbye. Wanda deserves at least a goodbye. So I got up, shot a few more assholes, and managed to escape to this dingy apartment and sewed myself back together, all the while wondering if this is what I really want to do with my life. The answer is no, Wanda. I don't want to have hundreds of people targeting me and risk my safety for a handful of jewels or whatever other shit I have to steal from narcissistic billionaires scattered around the world. I just want to lie next to you, and watch you laugh at some joke on TV, or have meals next to you and kiss you, you know? And now you call me, to give me the best news in the world over the goddam phone. That's not how it should be." You zipper up a suitcase with a few changes of clothes safely inside. "My only purpose is to be with you, Wanda Maximoff. I don't want to have this conversation miles away from you, so just hold on. I’ll come to you.”

This time, you know she's crying with happiness. She laughs tearfully as she says, "I'll be waiting, detka. Don't be long."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Not surprisingly, the hardest part was getting to Wanda. Being a fugitive in the majority of nations has its disadvantages. It took almost two whole weeks for you to finally arrive at the address Wanda texted you, and unfortunately, you were late.

Only a very angry black widow was there to welcome you.

"I'm going to kill that girl." Nat declared as soon as she laid eyes on you. You tried to wave but ended up jumping in fright when a man's hand touched your shoulder. 

Steve Rogers and his nomad beard chuckled at your reaction. "You shouldn't be here, kid."

Recovering from the shock, you grimaced and pushed his hand away with a pat. "Don't kid me, Mr. America. And this is a free country, I can be wherever I want."

Nat chuckled, a hologram coming out from her watch reflecting brightly in the dimly lit room. The Avengers needed better safe houses, not even in your first years of crime did you stay in such a crappy loft. 

"That's a great one coming from an Interpol fugitive." He sneers back, but you lift your chin proudly.

"And what's it like being in this position? Have you come down off the moral high ground or do you still think you're better than the rest of us, Rogers?" You challenge, and although you sigh, Steve surprises you. 

He chuckles, shaking his head. "She's just like Wanda." He says to Nat from across the room, who clicks her tongue. 

"Yep, same punk-ass attitude." Grumbles the widow, but despite the grimace, it sounds more like a compliment than a curse. "I can't believe Wanda thought it was acceptable for her to share the location with anyone."

You snort incredulously. "I'm not 'anyone', Romanoff! I'm her…girlfriend!"

Nat rolls her eyes, ignoring your protest and Steve steps out of the doorway to approach his friend. "So Nat, is the place clean?"

The widow forces a smile. "Apart from the shapeshifter intruder, yes. We've left no clues behind. And considering the agent's new agenda, we're going to have a peaceful few weeks for the time being. Wilson and Maximoff can stop moving for a while."

"Good news at last." Steve commented, but you cleared your throat.

"Any chance of me catching a ride to the place Wanda won't have to flee from?" You ask, and their expression doesn't give you any more confidence. "Okay, I'll wait for her to give me the address and I'll go by myself."

Nat chuckles incredulously, taking a step forward. "It's astonishing how irresponsible you two are." She says. "I know it must be hard for you to think of anyone but yourself, but you need to stop putting her at risk."

You snort. "The only astonishing thing here is your judgment, Romanoff. Acting like you were born a hero. Have you forgotten everything you did before the Avengers or Shield?" You retort. "You're no better than me."

But Nat snorts, nodding. "The difference is that I never had a choice. I was trained from birth for it, I didn't know any other life until Barton and Fury gave me a chance. You revel in chaos."

You don't lose posture, even as emotion begins to rise in your chest. "You know nothing about me."

"But we know about Wanda." Steve interrupts the conversation, as accusatory as the widow. "After everything that happened in Sokovia, she's our responsibility. Our family. It's not something anyone who isn't an Avenger can understand. And I know that she was vulnerable with the loss of her brother and that you took advantage of it."

You take a step forward, shocked by such a low accusation. "Take that back! I would never-"

"Oh, cut it out." Steve insists. "We all know about the kind of work you do, manipulation and lies are your specialties. Your signature is to deceive." He accuses, and for the first time, Nat flinches. Because the whole conversation could easily be handed back to her, and perhaps already has been by other people. "What's all this about? What do you want from Wanda?"

"Not everything is about work. Maybe I just fucking love her!"

Steve laughs incredulously. "Oh please-" But Nat interrupts the whole thing with an annoyed snort.

"That's enough, both of you."

The captain looks at her with some surprise. "Come on Natasha, you don't really believe she's serious." He is careful to lower his tone, like a private conversation between the two of them, an almost silent agreement about letting you go or not. Still, in that empty place, it's easy to hear what they're saying. "Weren't you the one who always says that love is for children?"

The joke is not well received. Natasha takes on a hard expression as she faces Steve. "Do you really want to discuss this, Rogers? When we're all risking our necks over your feelings for Barnes?"

Steve steps away dumbfounded. "It's not like that! We're freeing someone innocent! The right thing-"

"Would be to bring him to justice." Natasha interrupts without losing her tone. "The morally and legally right thing would be to bring the person responsible for 100 years of crimes to justice. There's no other answer, no other way around it. But he's family, and you're family. And that's why I'm here, and all the others who will stand by your side and go against the law and risk their necks, jobs, and safety. Things aren't as black and white as this right and wrong discourse and by now I'd hoped you'd be able to recognize that better, Steve."

He looks away, embarrassed and thoughtful. Nat sighs and takes the opportunity to approach you again.

"I can give you a ride. Just don't make me regret it, okay?"

For the moment, that's all Natasha offers in solidarity with you. It's the kindest thing an Avenger - excluding Wanda of course - has ever given you. It instantly makes Nat your favorite.

Steve doesn't accompany you two to the safe place. He says he needs time to think, and from the looks he exchanges with Nat, it's not hard to deduce that he's going after the Winter Soldier. You don't know where Sergeant Barnes is, but you have the impression that they do. It's not your place to question or monitor Steve Rogers' movements, so you just respond to the polite nod of farewell he gives you.

He takes the stolen airship, which is a shame because you love riding in those - Valentina's vehicles were never that sophisticated, but you've already managed to steal one of those from Shield and the ride was a lot of fun until you had to dispose of the aircraft in the Caribbean. 

Natasha gets a truck, which makes you assume that the location can't be that far away. It's an incorrect conclusion because she comments on buying train tickets.

You fall asleep in your seat. That must win you some points with Nat, who is surprised that you trust her enough to sleep because when you wake up from a very nice dream with Wanda, she starts small talk.

Accords, favorite crimes, and the morally superior attitude of some agents. Natasha giggles at one of your stories - about getting compromising items from government leaders - and you consider it a personal victory. She herself has stories about missions from her time as Black Widow which, if you don't consider the horror of her childhood, were kind of amusing. It's probably that you're the only person Nat can tell these things to without any kind of judgment. Equal to equal.

She's almost at the nearest station when, at the signal, she surprises you completely.

"I know about the baby."

You blink at her surprised eyes. "Did she tell you?"

But Nat denies it, without taking her gaze off the road now that the two of you are reaching a busier area. Even with the different appearance, the blonde hair being something to get used to, she has to be careful.

"They ran tests before admitting her to the raft. With all of us that they managed to capture at the airport, in fact." says the widow. "It was to categorize skills, check for injuries, but they ended up finding something else."

You sigh, also paying attention to the surroundings and any curious civilians who risk looking inside the vehicle. Everyone seems busy with their own problems, but you also check the streetlights for surveillance cameras.

"She must have been so scared." You whisper, and the guilt surprises Nat. You swallow dry before adding: "I should have been with her."

"What happened, happened. It wasn't really an outsider's fault."

You smile sadly, it's not exactly reassuring, Natasha doesn't seem to be very good at these things, but she's kind enough. She means that the Avengers' fight was something between them and that it wouldn't make sense for you to blame yourself for Wanda's imprisonment. Even so, you feel you could have prevented it if you'd convinced her to run away with you. But again, how different would the life you could offer her would be?

"When I heard about the Raft, she was already gone." You say. "I guess I should thank you for being so fast in getting her out."

Nat chuckles briefly, turning the steering wheel towards the streets beyond the parking lot. This car will probably be abandoned there.

"It wasn't me who got her out, so no." Retorts the widow. "You must have seen the fight on television, the way we were divided." She waited for you to nod in agreement before continuing. "The team that was left standing, Tony’s side I suppose, helped capture the others. Fighting with Steve. But when the tests were done,  General Ross got very nervous. He was afraid the story would leak, and the image of a young terrorist that the media had planted would turn against him, now that it was a pregnant woman being beaten and handcuffed in front of the cameras. His anxiety alerted the others, and well, Stark may be many things, but as soon as he knew the truth, he got her out of there. Vision confirmed the whole thing, he's got some scanning abilities or something. And I think they come up with some story and Vision was supposed to chase her after the vehicle she was in left the route, but Wanda was never found by Ross again. I know Vision and Tony help her. And then she was the first of us to catch up with Steve."

Natasha parks the car. She almost thinks you're busy absorbing the story when you pull something out of your pocket and hold it out to her.

"It was sent to me while I was in Greece. I guess this is my way of making us even." In your hand is the file of a job you rejected a few weeks ago. To track and recover a package of stolen vials, of a defector last seen in Morocco. Unknown contractor, but payment of half a million dollars in advance. 

"You should have taken it, the money was good." Nat commented as she grabbed the photo of the vials attached to a small one of her face with her hair still red, carrying market bags somewhere in Norway, the place where the last trace and possible suspect was seen.

You gave her a short smile, now that Nat had parked the car, she busied herself flipping through the old file. 

"I missed my chance." You mutter. "What about you, Romanoff? Did you miss yours?"

She mimics your smile, shaking her head. "No. This time, I finished off the bastards." She assures you, nodding. "I didn't get the chance to kill Dreykov myself, but someone who deserved it more did it for me."

You nod, respecting Natasha's choice not to delve deeper into that painful subject. You know just enough about the Red Room, and one of the few things is that General Dreykov was the leader and that Romanoff should have killed him years before. If she did it now, the mission must have been to put an end to the whole thing. 

"I kept monitoring Ross, after everything that happened. I heard you made a fool of him when you ran off alone from the team he set up for you."

She shrugged, a smile hiding the pride of her own abilities. From the car, you took only a backpack that she had prepared, and you weren't surprised to see Natasha take out a lighter and burn the files before throwing them in the nearest garbage can. 

Side by side and with your heads down, you walked to the station.

-&-

Wanda has a bit of a meltdown. It's the hormones, you're sure of it.

She jumps on your neck, expelling a sort of magical wave of excitement that makes you almost too cocky to recognize how happy she is to see you.

Natasha gets worried because the windows rattle and the last thing anyone needs is to draw more attention to themselves. She and Sam exchange a quick nod, and the widow mumbles something about the two of them heading out to restock supplies and you know it's a favor so you and Wanda have time to talk alone. The Falcon is confused by the whole thing, and you hear some distant questions along the lines of "Since when do we call the bad guys to the team" before Natasha closes the door.

Not that Sam Wilson's opinions are worth anything when Wanda pulls your face to hers and kisses you with all the longing she's been feeling.

It's passionate and intense and makes your heart soar. You break into a dopey smile like hers, nearly dizzy with love to the point of not being able to say anything. Wanda, as close as humanly possible, speaks first in a husky tone:

"You took your time."

The teasing makes you smile, and without stopping smiling, you start playing with the loops of her jeans. 

"Sorry, darling, you changed your address too quickly. You're getting good at this fugitive life, aren't you, Maximoff?" Your question almost goes unanswered when you decide to make a path of chaste kisses from her cheeks to jaw and to her neck. Wanda sighs affectedly, trying to keep her eyes open.

One of her hands goes to your hair, and she giggles when she feels it grow a few centimeters between her fingers. You nibble her ear before looking her in the eye and are greeted by dilated, curious pupils. 

"Why have you changed?" she asks quietly, her fingers still assessing the new length of your hair.

You scrunch up your nose, a gesture that has become habitual with the witch snuggled up to you. "I'm just following your friend's safety tips." You explain casually. "All I need is a cap and sunglasses and my Avenger disguise is complete."

Wanda snorts good-naturedly, knowing full well that you're making fun of the bad disguise she was wearing when you two first met. To be fair, Natasha has always believed that the simplest is the most effective, and so far, most Avengers have managed to go unnoticed with just glasses and a cap, no matter how ridiculous it may seem.

"Maybe I should follow her example." Wanda then comments, and although she seems to be focused on what she's saying, you're surprised to realize that her hands have reached down to remove your belt. "What if I get some blue highlights?"

Your laugh is a little hoarse and distracted because Wanda has thrown the belt into some corner of the apartment and is pulling you both backward, probably to where her bedroom should be. 

"I guess you either go big or go home."

She hums thoughtfully, perhaps making some mental note of the matter. You're more focused on the way she slips her hands inside your blouse and scratches your stomach, biting her lip as she feels your muscles twitch. 

Wanda closes the bedroom door with her foot, and you don't put up any resistance to feeling her lips on yours, hungry and impatient this time.

The kisses are too hot for you to think coherently, but you hear the last remnants of reason to hold a half-naked Wanda by the waist.

She, as breathless as you, looks at you with some concern and confusion at the interruption.

"Is something wrong?" Wanda asks hoarsely.

You swallow dry, your hands on her waist. "It's okay, it's just..." And suddenly, you seem very shy. You can feel your cheeks flushing, and maybe you should force your body not to have this kind of reaction, but you never do that with Wanda. You don't have to hide things from her. She looks at you expectantly, her hands caressing your shoulders as a way of reassuring you. "Hm, I was wondering, are we supposed to be doing this when you're...." And you looked down a little, at her belly, until Wanda understood.

She broke into a shy giggle, then looked up at you. "Oh, darling, you're so adorable." She declares, stealing a kiss before tenderly explaining; "It's still early, very early. I imagine it's only going to start being a problem towards the end, and well, I'm going to be a nervous, angry, horny mess by then and I think you'd better not dare deny me that kind of relief!"

You nod foolishly, panting that you will certainly do whatever she wants. Wanda's face takes on a new color, and she bites back a smile, her eyes darkening.

"Whatever I want? I like the sound of that." She retorts, leaning in to break the distance again. The next kiss is almost a shut-up, charged with naughty intentions. She sucks on your tongue and you practically whimper. It's such a submissive sound that it surprises you both for a moment. "Oh, moya lyubov (my love), parenthood has turned you into a whiny mess..."

You groan in a mixture of embarrassment and arousal, turning your face away. "And it made you quite mean, apparently." 

She doesn't allow you to be grumpy. She grabs your chin and pulls off your pout with a kiss that's dirtier than the last. You can only moan in response, and when Wanda determinedly gropes her way into your pants, not bothering with foreplay, and is greeted by a dampness so massive it could be embarrassing, it's she who breaks into a moan.

"Fuck, I almost forgot how damn hot you feel on my fingers." You even try to regain some control of the kiss, to get that cocky attitude out of your girlfriend, but there's no way to do it when Wanda sinks two fingers inside you, as deep as the position allows. All that rips through your lips is a throaty moan. Wanda giggles mischievously at your reactions. "I really can't choose, baby. Having you squeezing my fingers or buried inside me. If you can keep up the pace, do you think we could try the second one later?"

It wasn't really a difficult request to comply with - until it was, because Wanda was more insatiable than usual. The first orgasm on the armchair was not even close to being enough for her. Neither for you, to be fair.

Wanda seemed to have discovered something new - a dominant attitude that you both hadn't yet explored. As far as you're concerned, whatever Wanda wishes will work for you. You're there to please her, simple as that.

She seems to have no restrictions on the ways this can happen. With her fingers deep inside you, her tongue swirling across your clit or changing positions, and sitting on your face and coming messily until she's squirming all over the sheets.

She already came four times when you sense a change of attitude, and the connection between you and her is so intimate, that Wanda has barely adjusted herself on the bed and you're already hugging her from behind, your arms around her and your mouth busy marking her neck. She gives you a sleepy smile, looking truly ruined for the first time all night. It suddenly occurs to you that she'll tire more easily now.

You kiss behind her ear and adjust your hips. Wanda sighs as she feels the familiar hardness rubbing up against her ass.

"Don't tell me you don't have some energy saved up for your own challenge?" You tease next to her ear, grinding gently into her. The friction elicits heavy sighs from both of you, and Wanda grabs your hand that rests on her belly before entwining your fingers together.

“Just one more, dorogoy (sweetheart).” She whispers as she guides your hands into her chest. Your free one helps yourself fit into her, and the same moment you grope her naked breast, playing with the hard nipple, you bury your cock inside her. Wanda lets out a sinful moan, her velvet walls welcoming you with a breathtaking heat. You nearly came with the mere state of being inside her - the way she squeezes you takes you off orbit for a moment.

You wanna be gentle, she’s a pregnant lady for god’s sake. But it seems that Wanda expects just the opposite the second you move - She takes the lead of the movements, your hips serving as a lever for her to rock back into your cock. You have to bite her shoulder to keep yourself from coming, and her response is to hold your hand thingly against her breasts, a single request for you to keep stimulating her nipples. 

There’s no way to keep this peace for long - Wanda herself feels her body betraying her a short moment after, the deep strokes of your cock taking her to blinding pleasure now for her to do more than drool into her pillow. You found a sweet spot and she arches her back, a new wave of arousal dripping down her thighs. 

She struggles to catch a breath - trying to tell you she's close. There’s no need, really. You can feel the tightness increasing, and it’s impossible for you to hold it when Wanda finally comes. She cries out your name and her body goes stiff the next second. Your cum stays inside her, just like your cock. 

“That was… fuck…” She tries to form a thought, all tingly, with numb, tingling legs. You kiss her shoulder, slowly rocking your hips only to hear her soft protest. “Too much, babe.”

After so many orgasms, that’s not a surprise. But Wanda feels so tender, it’s so addictive. You move a hand down, to play with her clit between her fingers and she can’t help but whine.

“Who’s the whiny mess, now?” You tease and Wanda's attempt at response turns into a deep groan when you thrust into her powerfully, enough to shake the bed. She chokes into a moan next when you start to catch a rhythm. Your fingers, toying with her neglected clit almost bring her to insanity. 

The next climax comes faster than the last, and it’s harder. You have your face buried in her neck, your bodies entangled together as you move inside her. Wanda presses her face into her pillow when she comes, pleasure tears wetting the bed like her squirt. You groan against her skin when you fill her up this time, balls deep into her.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Your rusky moans in her ear prolong her climax - she can feel herself squeezing the emptiness when you pull out. A mess of white cum coming out from both of you. It’s such a dirty sexual act to stroke yourself a little longer, to spread out every drop of your pleasure into her skin. 

Everything, every drop, belongs to Wanda. It’s all hers, because of her. 

Suddenly, she wishes she could do the same. Fill you up too, and own every version of your pleasure. This thought is written into her brain and pushed away so she can call your name. Your warm arms are around her before she can miss them.

“I should get you clean up.” You whisper and she holds closer.

“Later.” It’s all she whispers back, being defeated by her exhaustion next. 

You kiss the top of her forehead once she falls asleep, a smile on your lips before you allow yourself to give up on the tiredness as well.

-&-

If it hadn't been for the memories of last night and the sweet scent you knew, your natural reaction would have been to jump away in alarm at the soft caress in her hair. But you knew it was Wanda, and instead of running away, you sank your face against her neck and felt her giggle slightly, her heart racing before settling down.

She adjusted a little a minute later, and with a husky voice in your ear, whispered; "You have to get up, darling. We should talk."

Despite the soft tension that rose in your shoulders, Wanda's request was really just that. As a matter of course, it made you almost displeased that she would hold something like that back so as not to bother you. 

You hummed in agreement and placed a chaste kiss on her neck before pulling away. Wanda watched you expectantly, but you just stretched and pulled the covers off as if nothing important needed to be discussed.

She couldn't contain her own anxiety. "Are we going to talk now?"

You chuckled briefly, glancing at her for a second before looking around the room for your clothes. "I think we need to eat something first."

"Y/N..."

"I'm not avoiding the conversation." You interrupt her sincerely, to reassure the fears she can't hide from her eyes. You offer her a smile, your hands clutching the pants you've just found. "I'm just hungry. And I know you are too. This isn't an unpleasant topic, Wanda, it's just going to be difficult. For obvious reasons." You gesture softly, signaling to the hideaway room, so different from the fancy one she lived in in the tower. By instinct or not, once your pants are on, you also gently stroke the knife scar on your abdomen. Wanda knows exactly what you mean. "I think we're going to need a real plan. But I really don't want to come up with one on an empty stomach."

She nods, trying to smile but almost grimacing. Wanda is so nervous. All the passion of last night and the excitement of meeting you again are now calming down, and reality is coming back to her. You finish dressing and offer one last smile of reassurance before leaving the room in search of something to eat, and Wanda's immediate reaction is to put a hand over her belly.

She gasps softly. Her magic is able to feel life growing there. Her eyes fill with tears. 

Looking around, she spots some mold on the walls. She notices some of Natasha's stolen surveillance equipment tucked away in a corner so they can track the agents and breaks down a sob.

How could she let this happen? How could she be so irresponsible as to think of having children in such a condition? Even before, she no longer had a home. Living with the Avengers was almost a favor, an employment contract. And what kind of mother could she be in a superhero routine anyway?

And on top of everything, her child won't be able to meet her uncle either, buried in a land she once called home.

Wanda only realizes she's in the middle of an anxious thoughts spiral because suddenly a voice is calling her name. Your face comes into focus again, and she realizes that you're trying to help her breathe.

Great, a panic attack was all she needed.

"Hey, baby, it's okay, I'm here with you. Just breathe, okay?" you guided, gesturing for her to imitate your breathing. In a corner of the room, a breakfast tray smelled very good. Wanda tried to follow your lead, naming five objects she could see. She could see eggs, bacon, waffles, and orange juice. She could see a shiny chain with a small ring around your neck.

"Where did you get this?" She asks breathlessly about the item, and you smile pleased to see that she is coming to her senses.

"China, three years ago. I was working at the time, and I had a bad habit of keeping souvenirs." You say, stroking her hair. "It was in my pocket, and I put it back while I was in the kitchen. That's why you didn't get a chance to see it last night. Do you like it?"

She hums in agreement, having to close her eyes for a moment. You wait, wiping away her tears until Wanda has calmed down completely.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She starts as soon as she can speak without crying. You mumble that it's okay, but Wanda keeps talking. "I just started thinking about how we're going to do this. How are we going to raise a child in this kind of life? We don't even have a home, let alone money. What if I end up in prison again, and they want to take my baby away and-"

"Wanda, calm down, nothing like that is going to happen." You interrupt but she shakes her head.

Just a second later, she breaks into a sob. "I'm so scared." She confesses tearfully.

You look into her eyes.“I’m scared too.” You confess in the same, a relief laugh escaping your lips now that you’re both being honest with each other for good. “I’m nearly petrified, to be fair. But it’s alright, Wanda. It is. Because for the first time in my life, I am not alone. I have you and you have me, and as luck would have it, a bunch of grumpy superheroes as well. We don’t have to be so scared, we got this. I’m here for you, sweetheart.”

She sniffles, getting shy all of a sudden. Her gaze goes to her lap before she finds your eyes again. And then she whispers: “I love you.”

You blink widened eyes at her, caught off guard. Wanda swallows, but then she smiles. She never needed words anyway; Your actions towards each other were always more than enough, not only for her but for the whole world to see exactly how much you cared for one another. 

“You don't have to say anything-”

“I love you too.” You cut her out, a bit out of breath. Wanda can feel her cheeks growing pink and it doesn’t help that yours are doing the same. But you giggle shyly then, letting her go to cover your red face for a moment. “Shit, why does that feel so weird? My chest is so warm…” Your reaction elicits a hearty chuckle from her.

“Perhaps you’re allergic to love confessions.” She teases, receiving a playful warning stare before you bring your arms around her once more, to pull her closer and on your lap. Wanda doesn’t waste time in pressing her lips to yours, smiling into the kiss like yourself.

You break apart to tell her: “Don’t get so cocky, but you’re the first person I said that to.” She hums contently, her fingers playing with the hair on your nape. You stare at her eyes for a moment, just memorizing every aspect of her face as if she would ever leave your mind, until both of you are scrunching up your noses, making funny faces at each other and breaking into shared giggles the next. 

You could marry her, right now at that second. Instead of asking, you just let out a deep breath and hug her again. The atmosphere of the room changed to a comfortable so intimate that for a second, you could believe that dirty hideout room was actually a home.

"We’re gonna be alright, Wanda." You whisper next. “I won’t let anything bad ever happen to you again.”

She sighs, breaking the hug to look at you. Her soft hands caressing your cheeks. “You can’t promise that, and it’s okay. Because I love you and I can do anything with you here.”

You kiss her briefly. “I can promise. I just did, the universe can fuck off, I’ll stand by my girl.” It’s your stubborn response before you break the distance again to kiss her.

For the first time in a long while, Wanda doesn’t feel so scared. She trusts you entirely, even if your promise is impossible and the future holds a nearly dangerous uncertainty. You’ll take care of her and she’ll do the same for you. 

She allows herself to push away real life, at least during breakfast. Sharing food in bed, giggling like two love-stuck teenagers. Making love in her bed all day, whispering sweet nothing to each other.

Until it’s time to get up and face reality.

Despite the evidence of your previous activities - matching set of hickeys and borrowed clothes - none of the Avengers pay any mind to that. Sam is clearly getting used to your presence, but he offers a grin at Wanda’s state before focusing on Natasha’s repeating security tips for him.

The widow is about to ask you and Wanda for a chat, you both can see in her expression that she wants to know how the whole baby thing will work out from now on when her cell phone rings. She steps out for a moment, muttering to whoever is on the other side - Wilson tells Wanda that’s probably Steve wanting to share locations and wondering if everything is alright. But when Natasha comes back to the room, she’s tense and serious.

She takes a deep breath and looks at Wanda.

“Clint decided to make a deal. For his family.” She says. Doesn’t take much explanation for you or Sam to understand that the Feds got him and instead of going back to the raft, he got himself some special conditions considering his service history. Wanda, out of surprise or denial, stares back at Nat with confused eyes. The widow sighs. “He’s not coming back.”

You don’t know everything about the Avengers dynamics, but you know about Wanda. And how much she cared for Clint since the man was some sort of mentor for her. That and well, Pietro gave his life for him so that has to mean something. Clint was supposed to take care of Wanda, not just turn his back on her like that. She didn’t need to join the team or this fight, but she did, at his request, and now he didn’t even bother to look after her, to make sure she was safe and well before taking deals that wouldn’t allow them to see each other for quite some time.

The saddest part is that Wanda understands it. Family comes first, after all. So even though it made her sick to her stomach, she wasn’t his daughter. Not really.

“It’s okay.” She forces a smile, trying to look “okay” for Natasha’s pitiful eyes. “Seriously, Nat. It’s fine. I hope it was a good one. Maybe Sam should try it too, he has family as well.”

Wanda is clearly taking the focus out of her, and because you can see her shaking, you take her hand. She instinctively leans into you, finding some calming comfort in your heat.

Sam scratches behind his head, a little unsure of how he became the center of attention suddenly. “Hm, yeah, but… I should wait a little. I mean, my sister is fine. She has nothing to do with any of this, so I think she can manage to be without my help for a few more weeks.”

Natasha merely shakes her head in knowledge, her attention on the witch pretending everything was fine. “Sure thing Wilson.” She mutters. “Wanda, I know Clint wanted to say goodbye, but he just… needed to make a choice.”

Yep, that definitely didn’t help Wanda feel any better. You offer Nat a look, but the widow is almost too terrible at the whole consolation thing.

“What I mean-”

“He chose his family. I got it the first time, Nat, I didn’t need it to hear it twice.” Wanda cuts off, very harshly. Hurt. “Like I said, it’s fine. I’m not a fucking child, I can understand why he did it. He was three kids and Nathaniel is just a baby.”

You try to ease the tension on Wanda’s shoulders by kissing the exposed skin of her neck. She smiles sweetly, still upset but appreciative of your gesture. The scene seems to make Nat remember something very important.

“Well, speaking of babies…”

Turns out the other Avengers forgot to mention that to Sam. He got very loud and excited.

[fr3sh-tragedies]

Protective

[Inside Out 2] Valentina [Val] Ortiz x Female Reader

Summary: It's not common to see Val so defensive over someone, but she's growing increasingly protective of you.

Word Count: 2.63k Content + Warnings: Slightly OOC Val (I think?), Val punches someone and gets called a bitch for it, mentions of blood and a broken nose Category: Slight Angst + Heavy Fluff || One-shot

[A/N]: Like usual, this isn't proofread beyond brief skimming. Thanks to everyone who answered my poll for this story on my other account! This was really fun to write, especially because I got to write about Val punching someone lmao.

Enjoy!

Val has always been protective of her friends. The stronger the bond, the more defensive of them she could be. With her closest friends, however, she’d often lean more towards encouraging them, pushing them to stand up for themselves, knowing she can’t always be there for them. For some reason though, she had never really been that way with you. She knew you were perfectly capable of standing up for yourself, but in her eyes, she wanted to protect you at any given cost.

That feeling only grew stronger once you started dating her.

In the beginning of the relationship, her protective nature was far more subtle. She’d do things like keeping you close and wrapping her arm around your shoulders or waist whenever she could, especially when she could feel you getting uncomfortable. When things would start getting tedious in school, she’d take care of your chores around your shared apartment with her so you could relax after classes, worried you’d overwork yourself.

Even before moving in with her, she’d constantly check in with you to make sure you were okay. She would ask if you needed anything, if you wanted to get out of the house, or if you wanted to just spend some time together. You were never truly alone, she made sure.

She’d stand up for you whenever you needed it, though she’d also scold you here and there if you did something reckless, always apologizing afterwards and expressing how worried she was. She just wants to make sure you’re always safe and secure.

Over time, however, her defensiveness of you began to shine through brighter and brighter.

Occasionally, she found herself growing a little jealous of how much time you’d spend with others. She’d never voice it to you, knowing that your loyalty lies solely with her. She’d work through it on her own and quickly feel more at ease once she reminded herself that you love her and would do anything for her – and she was the same towards you.

When people would flirt with you, she’d grow more bold. Instead of just wrapping her arm around you, she’d either flirt shamelessly with you in front of whoever was doing the same to you, or she’d straight up pull you into a kiss, addressing you as one of her favorite nicknames right after and asking who’s talking to you.

Most people would get the hint and back off, though there were some people here and there who persisted, and usually she’d be just as stubborn until they left. She’d argue with them until they moved along with their day. Not once had Val’s friends seen her get physical with someone else. It’s why it was such a surprise when a boy ended up being shoved to the ground by her hands one day.

Classes had been over for a while that day, and you were waiting patiently for Val outside of the hockey stadium. Her practice would be over soon enough, but you were thankful to have one of your friends with you to kill the time and keep you company while you waited. Happily, you chatted away with her about a show you both liked, so absorbed in the conversation that you hadn’t even noticed a random boy walking your way. He was around your age, though you didn’t recognize him.

Mid-sentence, he leaned against the wall next to you and crossed his arms, a smirk toying on his lips as he eyed you up and down. “That’s my favorite show,” he blurted randomly. Startled by the sudden interruption, you turned to him quickly and furrowed your brows. “Uh,” you stammered out, “what?”

“The show you were just talking about. It’s my favorite.” Awkwardly, you gave him a forced smile and nodded, then turned back to your friend and ignored him in hopes he’d get the hint. He didn’t, unfortunately. “I didn’t know such a pretty girl would ever like what I do. You got any other shows you like?” You only nodded. “Hm, like what?” You gave a very short list of shows, your mind screaming at you to walk away. You would have, but you didn’t want to leave your friend alone with him. Something about him seemed off.

He grinned at you, nodding and stepping a bit closer, slipping his hands into his pockets once his arms uncrossed. “Maybe we should go back to my place and watch them together. You can fill me in on everything I need to know.” Shaking your head, you parted your lips, ready to tell him no. A hand slipped itself against the small of your back before moving to wrap around your waist, and you fell silent. Looking up, Val was standing beside you, glaring at the boy.

She smiled innocently, but you knew her better. You could read her like a book. Behind her forced relaxed posture and strained smile, you could both see and feel the fury and jealousy bubbling up beneath her skin and leaving behind a burning sensation. Subtly, she pulled you against her side.

“No. She and I will watch them together though,” she replied for you, tone dry and bothered. He chuckled and shook his head, pushing himself off the wall with ease and reaching forward, his fingers barely managing to graze your wrist before Val’s hand swept down and smacked his away. “C’mon,” he murmured, biting back a sneer at her actions. “You can both come back to my place with me, if you want. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

Again, his arm lurched forward to make another grab at you, This time, Val took hold of your opposite arm and tugged you behind her, shielding you with her body as she shoved him backwards. “Back off. You’re not going to lay your hands on her, and neither of us are going anywhere with you.” Now scowling, he crossed his arms. “Lay your hands on me again, I dare you,” he challenged, leaning his head back to glare down at her.

“I’d rather not. Just touching you makes me want to run my hands under boiling water.” He scoffed out a laugh, offering another shake of his head before tilting his head back down and taking a step closer. “Leave,” was the only warning Val gave. He earned another quick shove when he tried to reach over her. Visibly growing more and more furious at the denial of what he was after, he finally made a move to grab Val by the arm. Before he could pull her aside to get to you though, Val’s free hand balled itself into a fist, quickly driving up and forward until it met his nose.

He stumbled back, his hands clutching at his face and a snarl leaving his lips at the sight of blood coating his fingers. He couldn’t gain his bearings fast enough by the time Val stepped forward and shoved him yet again, this time hard enough to send him flying to the floor.

“I told you to back off,” she bellowed, wiping the backs of her knuckles against her shirt to rid them of his blood. “You bitch!” He hollered, groaning and rolling over onto his front. With one hand lifted to catch each drop of blood from his broken nose, his free hand planted itself beside his head. He propped himself up on his knees and clenched his eyes shut.

After spotting a few teachers making their way over to the scene, Val sighed and stepped back, pulling you behind her again until she was sure it was safe otherwise.

As one of the teachers moved to lift the guy up and keep him back, the other two turned to Val, immediately asking what happened. Eerily calm, she explained the situation, stressing the fact that he had repeatedly tried to lay his hands on you before ultimately grabbing her. They listened intently. Once her side was heard, they turned to the boy, ready to question him next. They both stopped, puzzled, upon seeing his face. Even though his features were distorted with pain caused by his broken nose, they could tell something wasn’t right.

“You aren’t a student here, young man. What do you think you’re doing here?” One teacher questioned. He groaned, lifting the collar of his shirt and wiping away the blood pooling down. He stuttered for a bit, unable to come up with a reasonable answer that wouldn’t throw him further into trouble.

The coach, who had grabbed the boy and helped him up, let out a heavy, tired sigh and shook his head. He yanked the boy roughly to the nearest exit, tugging him outside to scold him loudly. It seemed that, once getting a better look at his face, he recognized him. The two teachers left behind quickly thanked Val for telling them what happened, promising they’d talk more about it the next day in the counselor’s office before they rushed off to try and deescalate the bickering just outside.

Once she was sure it was safe to do so, Val turned around and gently took hold of your hands, her eyes skimming over every inch of skin she could see on your body to ensure you were okay. “Are you alright?” She asked, her voice now soft and laced with concern. You met her eye, noticing how her brows pinched themselves together and her lips pulled backwards into a worried frown. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

It took you a moment to fully process her words. You were still so shaken up and confused by the whole situation. Eventually, you managed to blink enough to focus on her gaze, a small smile painting your lips as you shook your head. “No, I’m fine. You got to me before he could do anything.” Sighing, she nodded as well. “You’d let me know if he did something, right?” “Of course.” “Okay, good.”

“Thank you, by the way,” you mumbled, squeezing her hands reassuringly in your own. “For protecting me.” She finally let herself smile, a hum sounding behind her lips as she nodded. “You don’t have to thank me. He should’ve left you alone the moment you ignored him.”

You shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t think I even want to imagine what he could’ve done if you hadn’t been here.” Shuddering, Val shook her head. “Neither do I.”

Briefly, she squeezed your shoulder, then turned away to face your friend. “Are you alright? Did he lay his hands on you or anything?” Smiling at her concern, your friend shook her head. “No, not at all. I’m okay.” Val dipped her head quickly in acknowledgement. “Do you need a ride home?” “No, but could you guys walk me to my car? I have to walk past him and the teachers out there to get to the parking lot.”

“Of course we don’t mind,” you answered immediately, motioning for her to follow as you took Val’s hand and led her down the hall towards the door. “We should go now though. I’m sure someone called the cops or security or something, and I really don’t want any of us to get caught up in that if we don’t have to.”

Once making it outside, you both led your friend over to her car, watching her get in and making sure she left without problems before sneaking around the building to Val’s own car. After slipping into your respective seats, she started the engine and shifted into drive, eagerly leaving the school grounds and having to resist the urge to speed home. Shortly after making it away, you let your hand drive over to take hold of hers, lacing your fingers together and giving a small squeeze. She beamed brightly at you and lifted your interlocked hands to press a chaste kiss to your knuckles.

Thankfully, the drive home was short, and you were soon making your way upstairs with her trailing right behind you until you ultimately made it to your door. She fished the keys out of her bag and easily unlocked it, pushing it open and holding it until you made it inside. She followed immediately after and locked the door once it clicked closed.

After dropping your bags by the entrance, you practically fell down to sit on the sofa, instantly curling up against the headrest and closing your eyes with a sigh of relief at the comfort it provided. You could feel Val sit down by your feet, and when you opened your eyes to look at her, you found her staring back with a soft smile gracing her features. “You okay?” She asked quietly. You nodded, rolling onto your back and running your hands down your face, exasperated. “Yeah, that whole thing was just draining.”

She kicked off her shoes as you spoke, laughing and humming in agreement. You lifted your hands from your face and looked down at the feeling of her head falling to rest against your chest, relaxing her weight comfortably on top of you as her arms snaked their way around your torso to ground herself in place. “Are you okay?” You asked, hands immediately dropping to toy with her hair. “Yeah, why?” “I’ve never seen you get that aggressive with someone before.”

Lifting her head, she glanced up at you. “I didn’t scare you, did I?” You chuckled, shaking your head. “No, no, not at all. Quite the opposite, actually.”

Another hum was your response. She turned her head to its original position and closed her eyes, letting a yawn roll off her tongue. “What about your hand? Is it okay?” You continued. “Why wouldn’t it be? It was just a punch. It’s been through worse.” “There was blood though.” She couldn’t help but snicker at that. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t mine.”

Lovingly, you ducked your head far enough to press a kiss against the top of her head. After doing so, you reached back to the small table standing by the couch, your hand searching momentarily for the blanket you were looking for. After finding it, you tugged it back over your head and shook it to unfold it, draping it over yours and Val’s bodies.

Your arms wrapped themselves around her and tugged her closer to you. “Wanna watch something?” You asked, already reaching back to the table for the remote. She gave a small shrug. “Sure. I might crash, though. I haven’t gotten that upset in a while.”

“I’ll just put something on as background noise.” All you were given in response was a nod, barely noticeable with how small it was. It was clear she was already dozing off, though you weren’t going to complain. There were very few instances where you were given the opportunity to protect her rather than the other way around, and oftentimes, it was those moments where her body gave out for the day and she fell asleep.

There, though, she put every single ounce of her trust in you. In your arms each night, she felt safe, like she could let her guard down. The feeling of your nails raking through her hair and your chest rising and falling beneath her head made every concern in her mind melt away. She’d zone in on your heartbeat every time, content to know it was beating away safely behind your ribs. That sound brought her the most comfort anytime she could hear it. Your heartbeat was her white noise.

She would do anything, including laying down her life, in order to make sure that heart of yours could beat safe and sound for as long as possible. You were everything to her, and she was determined to make sure everyone knew, no matter what risks she had to take. Until her dying breath, she’d protect you.

[sebstanaddict]

Dressing Up

Bucky Barnes x Avenger Reader Story

A/N : Seb's look in that Thom Browne suit earlier this week made me want to write something with that look in mind. So, based on one of your requests, here it is. Hope you guys enjoy it :)

Summary: Bucky and Y/n are both Avengers on an undercover mission to infiltrate a gala hosted by Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Bucky was not used to wearing a formal suit and so Y/n helps him get ready. But their closeness during the preparation lead to something more.

Pairings : Bucky Barnes x Avenger Reader

Warning : none I think, let me know if you find any

Word count : 1.3k words

Read more Bucky one shots here

---

Dressing Up

Bucky stood in the suite of the five star hotel, adjusting the position of the waistband of his black trousers as he glanced nervously at the formal three-piece suit hanging nearby. He wasn’t used to this kind of thing—suits, ties, dressing up for high-society events. He was much more comfortable in tactical gear or his leather jackets, ready for action. But tonight, appearances mattered. They had a mission to infiltrate a gala hosted by Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and the evening called for sophistication, not combat gear.

Just then, Y/n stepped into the room, and his breath caught. She wore a sleek black dress that hugged her in all the right places, accentuating her curves and radiating an elegance that left him speechless. He’d always admired her confidence on the field, but seeing her like this—composed, graceful, and utterly captivating—did something to him he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Oh… wow,” he managed to say, his voice nearly a whisper. She smiled, clearly catching his reaction, a blush tinting her cheeks. 

"Thanks. You’re looking a bit unprepared, though," she teased, glancing at his half-dressed state, he was only wearing the black trousers and white undershirt. 

“Come on, let’s get you into this suit,” she added with a playful smirk, holding up the white dress shirt she’d picked out for him. “Arms up.”

Bucky chuckled, holding up his vibranium arm slightly. “Just might need a little extra help getting this in."

She nodded, feeling a flicker of nervousness as she stepped close to him. Sliding his flesh hand through the sleeve was effortless, but guiding the vibranium arm was another story. The shirt clung stubbornly to the plates and ridges of the arm, and it took a couple of tries for her to adjust the fabric and ease the sleeve up over the hard, cool vibranium.

“Almost got it…” she murmured, concentrating as she gave the sleeve one last gentle tug, and finally, it slipped into place.

Bucky let out a relieved sigh. “You’ve got the touch,” he said with a soft grin, glancing down at her. She caught his eyes for a second longer than she meant to, suddenly hyper-aware of the space—or lack thereof—between them.

Trying to steady herself, she focused on buttoning his shirt, her fingers brushing his chest as she moved down, fastening each button slowly. The warmth of his skin contrasted with the coolness of the vibranium, and she found herself acutely aware of the solid muscle beneath her hands.

She bit her lip, willing herself to focus, but each button she fastened only brought her closer to him, her fingers brushing against his collarbone, his chest. Her cheeks flushed, and she tried not to think about the warmth radiating from him or the way he looked at her with those intense blue eyes.

“You know,” she said, trying to maintain her composure, “this shirt is almost too good for you.”

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Almost?”

Her heart skipped at his playful tone, and she shot him a coy smile. “Alright, more than good,” she admitted, her voice softening. “Perfect, actually.”

He smiled as he heard her. “Glad to know that.” 

After fastening the last button, she helped him tuck the shirt into the waistband of his trousers, their hands brushed as she worked and she felt a tingling sensation as they touched. She paused for a moment, looking up at him and noticed his cheeks were pink and she stepped back.

“Umm.. I think you can handle it yourself.” She murmured, feeling her cheeks warm.

He cleared his throat and started adjusting the shirt himself. “Yeah..”

Once he was done she turned and reached for the black cashmere vest sliding it over his shoulders and smoothing the fabric across his chest. Her fingers moved down his torso as she fastened each button, her pulse racing as she took in how effortlessly the suit framed his figure. The warmth of his body seeped through the fabric, making her hands tremble slightly. She swallowed, glancing up to find his gaze on her, his eyes darker than usual, and the intensity made her breath catch.

“Now for the tie,” she murmured, picking up the silk tie she’d chosen, a black one. She looped it around his neck, and as she leaned closer, their faces were just inches apart. She could feel his breath warm against her skin, the faint scent of mint teasing her senses. Her hands shook as she tightened the knot, and she forced herself to focus on the silk in her hands instead of the temptation to simply close the distance between them.

She managed to steady her breathing, but the moment her hands brushed his neck as she tightened the tie, he leaned in a fraction closer, a smirk pulling at his lips. “You’re pretty good at this,” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly.

She caught herself staring at his mouth for a moment, her cheeks burning. “Guess I’m just a fan of a man in a suit,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze drifted over his face, down the sharp line of his jaw, and she could feel her resolve weakening with every second.

After a heartbeat, she stepped back slightly, needing the distance to regain some composure, but her eyes lingered on the dresser where a bottle of cologne sat. She picked it up without thinking, holding it out to him. “One last touch. Just… a little cologne,” she murmured, almost nervous.

Bucky smiled, taking the bottle, his eyes never leaving hers as he sprayed a bit onto his wrists and neck. The smoky cedarwood scent filled the air, mixing with the warmth of his skin, and it was almost intoxicating. She felt herself getting lost in it, the scent wrapping around her and drawing her closer to him. Her heart raced, her mind spinning with thoughts she usually kept buried.

“You, uh… smell good,” she managed, feeling her cheeks grow hotter. He smiled softly, his expression turning serious as he took a step closer, his gaze trailing over her from head to toe.

“So do you,” he murmured, his voice filled with something deep and unguarded. His gaze traveled over the curve of her waist, the way her dress hugged her body, and he swallowed. “You look… stunning, Y/n.”

Her heart skipped, and she felt a warmth flood through her at the way he said her name. She was used to his protectiveness, his strength, but this side of him—the vulnerable softness in his voice, the admiration in his eyes—felt different. It stirred something inside her, something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel before. And suddenly, the mission was the last thing on her mind.

He stepped closer, just a whisper between them now, his eyes searching hers. “You know,” he began, his voice soft, “I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much I admire you.”

Her breath caught as his hand brushed against hers, and she felt a thrill she couldn’t ignore. His gaze dropped to her lips, and for a moment, she thought he might close the distance.

Instead, he pulled back slightly, his voice lower, almost hesitant. “Maybe after this… we could go out sometime?” He looked at her with a cautious, hopeful expression, and she felt a rush of warmth at his vulnerability, at the fact that he was letting her in.

A smile broke across her face, and she nodded, her voice soft but sure. “I’d like that.”

The electricity in the air felt almost tangible as they lingered, each savoring the moment, until finally, she tore her gaze away with a gentle laugh. “Come on, Soldier. We’ve got a mission to get to.”

He chuckled, looking a little more confident as he slipped into his jacket. “Right. But just know,” he added with a wink, “I’m already looking forward to our date.”

She laughed, the sound carrying a lightness that hadn’t been there before, and as they headed out the door, they both knew something had changed. Beyond the mission, beyond the gala—they had something to look forward to.

[stargirl-in-dilfspace]

Look After You (Christmas Fic) - Francisco “Catfish” Morales x Reader

[moodboard for moodboard’s sake]

Summary: It’s the first time you’ve had Frankie home for the entire month of December, and you have some exciting news for him.

content/warnings: fluff, established relationship, reader & frankie are married, they have a daughter, girl dad frankie, classic christmas (no sad beige bullshit here), reader is pregnant, pregnancy announcement, their daughter is rambunctious & sweet, daughter is named Valentina (Val for short), Santiago appearance, alcohol mention (santi and frank have a beer lol), these two are so sweet you wanna throw up [2k-ish words]

a/n: okay first fic on tumblr, this feels weird. and yeah it’s wayyyy too early for Christmas but i hate that it’s snowing where i am and im pretending im happy about it (aka writing fics about Christmas) let me know what you think!!! <3

Christmas had stopped being a time to relax a long time ago. Even more so once you had your daughter. And your husband. But, Frankie was plenty of help, this evening, among many others, he’d offered to completely take over the bedtime duties for Valentina, that you normally split 50/50, so you could have some time to yourself, which you opted to wrap gifts.

It was the 23rd, and the wrapping was a little late admittedly. He’d offered everything under the sun, a hot bath, a home cooked meal, etc. You’d chosen to wrap gifts. This was the first year you got to spend the entire month with him. And Val was three. You settled down on your bed, with a bunch of gift bags, wrapping paper and a few bows. The gifts you planned for your daughter on your left, and a few for your husband on the right.

By 7 o’clock, you’d wrapped everything. Gift tags were what you had left. In your hand writing, you started to write your first name. On your daughter’s gift. You silently laughed at yourself, trying again, with a different tag, addressing it to Val, from Mama.

You’d never get used to it in the best of ways.

You smiled at the tag, feeling stupid. Stupidly happy. The amount of joy that children got out of Christmas, would last forever, and seeing the joy from your daughter made all the work worth it.

Then you got down to your husband’s little stack. A few useful items he’d asked for, a book he’d wanted, and a framed photo of the two of you. One from the day you told him you were pregnant with Val. Taken on a digital camera, he’s smiling wide, genuinely, while you press a kiss to his cheek. He had been trying to find time to get all the photos printed off the camera and frame some, specifically that one to put on his nightstand. You wrapped that last.

Cause that wasn’t the only part of the gift. You had a letter, and more importantly, a pregnancy test.

A positive pregnancy test.

You looked at it for a moment, you only found out a few days ago, and decided you’d surprise him on Christmas Eve, with the photo.

A swift knock was put on the bedroom door, to which you hid everything at your side, throwing your sweater over it. “Francisco Morales if you walk in here you may not live to see Christmas Day.” You call out, in a joking tone, as the door cracked open.

“Hey there, Mrs. Catfish.” You place the voice immediately. Santiago. “Heard you were wrapping gifts in here?”

“Yeah, you’re safe.” You chuckle lightly, standing up off the bed to hug him as he stepped in to greet you. “What’re you doing here?” You wrap your arms around him with a smile on your face.

“Holy…shit.” You furrow your brows, hearing his tone as you pull back, following his gaze. Fuck. “Looks like it’s Mama Fish of two.” He chuckled, looking back at you with a smile before you shushed him quickly.

He got a kick out of the nickname he’d come up with when he’d found out about Val.

“Yeah, looks like it.” You smile, the reality kicking in a little. “Frankie’s supposed to find out Christmas Eve so keep it zipped.” He chuckles again, taking it to heart.

“How far along?” He asks as you made an effort to finish putting everything neatly into its little box, and labeling it with his name.

“Four weeks. Only found out on the 19th.” You say quietly, stuffing presents into the closet, behind some storage boxes, stacking a few spare blankets over it for good measure.

“Damn.”

“Don’t even do the math, Santiago.” You warn with a fake scowl.

“Guess me taking Val for the weekend paid off.” He jokes as you shoot him a look, opening the door and leading him back out into the hall to the living room to find Frankie.

The Christmas lights on the tree were plugged in, blues, red, purples, oranges, greens, yellows…you’d refused to give in to the sad beige trends, you wanted your daughter to have the Christmas you did. Full of life and color, and strange ornaments with memories and crafts and photos. Frankie was in the kitchen in the fridge, digging for drinks.

“You found her?” He calls to Santi, to which he replies with a simple “yep.” “Either of you want a beer?” He asks, Santi gave you a look to which you held up a finger in warning.

“No, honey, just water for me.” You reply, and he came into the living room a few moments later, two beers and a water. You thanked him and smiled, sitting down next to him on the couch while Santiago sat in one of your armchairs.

You spent the rest of the evening talking, catching up and laughing. Your daughter slept like a rock, and eventually you checked on her, making sure she actually was asleep. She was the spitting image of both of you, snoring softly. Your pride and joy, you never thought any man would ever make you feel safe and loved enough to have a child, a home.

The last two weeks, you’d been watching Christmas movies with Val and Frankie, curled up on the couch, as she got all excited about Christmas, and winter, and presents.

Last night, she’d begged to make cookies she’d found in an old cookbook of yours. Gingerbread cookies the three of you decorated to look like each other, accompanying the little house she decorated. She passed out from a sugar high on the couch between you and Frankie at only 6 in the evening. A miracle, for a girl like her. He’d talked to you about how much he loved the two of you, quietly playing with your hair, for almost an hour before you both fell asleep.

By the time Santiago left, you both were tired, like average toddler parents were. You drag a blanket from the back of the couch, pulling it up and over the two of you, curling up with him for a minute.

“Good day?” Frankie asks, like clockwork each night he wanted to hear what you had to say. His eyes reflect the Christmas lights, and somehow every ounce of admiration and love he held for you.

“Good day. Got all the presents wrapped.”

“I’m glad, all ready for Christmas?” He rubbs your arm, pulling you closer.

“Very. You?” You look up at him, hand finding his soft brown curls, you see him wear more frequently now. Standard Oil practically owned his head of hair until you came along and convinced him the curls and little grays were perfect to you.

“I think so. Wrapped your gifts last week.” He grins down at you, hand falling at your waist, fingertips grazing your back and pulling you just a bit closer. You smile at him, God, you love him. His eyes shine a little more in the light of the tree, pulling you up to kiss him sweetly, your hand pressed gently to the side of his face.

“I love you.” You murmur, reaching just a bit farther up to press a kiss to the tip his nose, one of many things you adore about him.

“I love you, hun.” He kisses your cheek in return, letting you rest on his shoulder, just against his neck. You play with the hem of his shirt, yawning slightly. “How’s a hot shower and bed sound?” He asks with a slight chuckle, you can feel it deep in his chest, with his heartbeat. The one he knows beats just for you.

By the next evening, dinner is served, chicken (considering your daughter won’t touch turkey), mashed potatoes (her favorite), and green beans (cause somebody needed her greens.)

“Mama, do we get to open presents tonight?” Your daughter asks, her spoon spinning around in her potatoes.

“Only one, since Santa hasn’t come yet, sweetheart.” You grin, watching her take another bite, smiling at you and Frankie.

“Do you think I’ll be able to hear the reindeer? When he’s on the roof? Cause I can’t see Santa?” Val asks, pulling her hair out of the little ponytail done by Frankie from earlier when she’d “helped” him outside shovel the snow on the sidewalk, messy from her little hat.

“I don’t know about that…but I heard Santa has been leaving behind something extra special if we leave him some milk and cookies tonight.” Frankie smiles, explaining to his daughter what she could expect if she tried to stay in her bed and sleep.

“Hmm…I think we should get to bed soon, Val cause Uncle Santi called before dinner and told me Santa had already come to his house.” You hum like it's nothing, and your daughter shoots up, finishing the remainder of her plate, and Frankie smiles at you.

“Can we go get my pjs? And brush my teeth? I wanna go to bed!” Val forgets she could even have one present tonight.

She takes Frankie’s hand, tugging it a little, watching you for approval. She drags both of you, through her bedtime routine like you usually have to do for her. You kiss her goodnight, and tell her Christmas will be there the sooner she goes to sleep, and that you love her. You lean on the doorframe, watching Frankie talk to her, telling her goodnight and that he loves her.

Your hand finds your abdomen without really thinking. Jesus Christ do you love him, and God are you glad to be the one having his children.

You quickly tuck both hands in the pockets of your jeans as he turns to you, walking out with you. He takes your hand, leading you back to the living room.

“I’ve got something for you.” You say softly, he presses a kiss to your head. You reach under the couch, as you’d hidden it earlier in the day, and he chuckles a little. You hand him the box and settle with your legs over his lap, he brushes your knees with his free hand. He looks at you to see if it’s okay to open, his hands making the box look much smaller than it was. You nod, encouraging him a little, a small smile on your lips.

He shakes off the top, pushing back the wrapping and looking at you, a large grin on his face, taking up the photo frame, setting the box beside him. He pulls you in tightly, still holding the framed photo. “I’ve been meaning to do this, this is amazing, thank you-”

“Frankie, I’d take another look in the box before you thank me, honey.” You joke slightly, he lets go of you, giving you a confused look, taking the box back up, taking back some more of the wrapping, he looks back up at you, his eyes wide, and you don’t even know how his smile got better. He wraps you up in his arms again, pulling you up to hold you as close as he can.

You’re every good piece of him, you’re the one thing he could ever dream to have.

“We’re having another baby!” He’s impossibly happy, excited and holding you tight, kissing you repeatedly before you can even say another word. “I’m a dad, again…” He lets you go a little to look at you, glancing down at your stomach, and back to your eyes. “Thank you…”

Those big, brown eyes and that smile, that got you here in the first place.

You’re smiling, blushing with how excited he is. He pulls you back in, once again, elated, with little tears at the corner of his eye, holding you close. The only place he wants to be.

“I- I’m only four weeks. Only found out a few days ago, just wanted to surprise you.” You stumble over your words, and he kisses the side of your face, still holding you but loose, so you could breathe, and he could look at you.

“It’s amazing. It’s more than amazing, it’s the best fucking Christmas gift.” He grins at you, hands rubbing your arms up and down as if to warm you. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Francisco.” You just about melt into his arms, his comfort the same as a blanket while it snowed outside.

He made you happier than you could’ve ever believed you deserved, let alone believed you would find. And yet, he reminded you somehow everyday of how much he didn’t deserve you.

[afterglowsainz]

fortnight | julian alvarez

summary: you have to leave england in fifteen days for your dream job but then you met julian at a party

warnings: mentions of alcohol and being drunk

word count: 1,4k

a/n: this is my first attempt writing a one shot with low inspo so is not great but is kinda cute (also english is not my first language so there might be mistakes, sorry!)

you had managed to secure your dream job in barcelona fc and even though it was what you always wanted since you started your college path all those years ago, it also made you a bit sad that you were leaving england. chelsea has been your home for the past years, working with their male football club and making so many friends, including one enzo fernandez. he was probably your closest friend in the whole club since he was one of the very few that speak spanish so you both connected immediately. when you told him the news that you were moving he was incredibly proud of you and supportive, which made you feel grateful for having him as your friend.

“you know, we should celebrate that you got your dream job.” he said over lunch.

it was the first week of international break, where the guys would take a few weeks from playing in the european leagues and instead, they would be playing for their home countries.

“what do you suggest?” you asked. “hit a club with the guys?”

you and enzo were still in england since the argentina club was playing on chelsea for their first international match and you had to leave for barcelona in fifteen days.

“we could definitely do that.” he nodded with his signature smile. “i was also having some of the guys from the club over tonight, wanna come?”

“i thought most of them left already.” you frowned.

“from argentina.” he clarified. “most of them are here already so i was thinking of a chill reunion.” he smiled through his glass of water while you arch a brow.

“since when are your reunions chill?” you asked, skeptical. enzo just laughed. “is valentina gonna be there?” you smiled with anticipation. enzo’s girlfriend has lately become a very close friend of yours as well.

“yes, she’ll be there.” he rolled his eyes with a smile. he would joke saying that you were his friend first but it was valentina whom you had a stronger bond with.

“then of course i’ll go!” you said with enthusiasm, as if your mind wasn’t already set the moment he mentioned it.

if there was something about enzo, he knew how to party.

—

you knocked on enzo’s apartment door with a bottle of tequila on your hands that you knew for a fact was gonna be empty in an hour. he opened the door and greeted you with a smile, hugging you and inviting you to come in.

“everyone’s in the living room” the said while guiding you.

you arrived a bit later than he asked you to so you were convinced all of his friends were already there. you heard the noise of glasses clinking and voices laughing before you saw the group of people seated around the room. the apartment looked almost too small for the amount of people reunited at the same place. you recognized some of them from previous games, but you couldn’t place all of the guys. you assumed the women there were probably their girlfriends or wifes.

“y/n!” valentina jumped out of the couch were she was speaking to a gorgeous brunette to hug you.

“hey, you.” you smiled, hugging her back.

“guys this is y/n.” since everyone’s eyes were on you after valentina called your name, enzo introduced you. “she’s my friend.”

“hi.” you said, a slight shy smile on your face.

“come, sit down.” valentina guide you to the only place on the couch that was free, next to a guy about your age that you didn’t recognize. she sat down where she previously was and introduced you to the brunette girl and the guy next to her while everyone else went back to their conversations. “this is oriana and her boyfriend paulo.”

“nice to meet you.” you said, recognizing the guy from an italian club.

the three of them start making conversation with you, asking you questions about yourself and your job to get to know you a bit better. valentina told them about your friendship with her and enzo and your new job at barcelona.

“barcelona, that’s so cool!” oriana said with a spark on her eyes and she seemed genuinely happy for you.

“thank you!” you answered, equally excited. “it’s been my dream since forever.”

“when do you start?” paulo asked.

“oh i have to be there in two weeks.”

enzo interrupted your chat to ask you what you wanted to drink. you had to turn to your left to see him and finally locked eyes with the guy sitting at your side this whole time. he had chocolate eyes and was talking to the guy sitting next to him, but he was now looking at you. instead of answering enzo's question, you smiled at him.  

“what are you drinking?” he lifted his beer.

“heineken.” he answered somewhat shy and you nodded. your cheeks blushed a little at the sound of his voice.

“is it good?” you asked stupidly, wanting to hear his voice again. he smiled.

“yeah, it’s good.” you imitate him and looked at enzo.

“a heineken i guess.”

“i though you wanted some of the tequila you brought?” he asked instead.

“oh!” valentina interjected. “i make some killer margaritas.” she looked at you with big pleading eyes. you chuckled and instead of answering her, you turned to the guy on your left again.

“should we try them?”

“oh for sure.” he said convinced. “i’ve tried them before, they’re great.”

“margaritas then.” you smiled at valentina and she went straight to the kitchen with enzo. you looked back at him, finding his eyes on you already. “what is your name?”

“julian.” he said, drinking the last bit of his beer. “you’re y/n, no?” you nodded. “how do you know enzo?”

you went on to explain the story of how you meet and then julian told you his. the conversation with him flowed easily, he was a bit shy at first but once he let loose he was really funny, you found yourself laughing at all of his jokes and fixing your hair more times than usual. and you really, really liked the sound of his voice. is this what having a crush feels like? you haven’t had one in so long you actually might’ve forgotten.

“margaritas for two.” the sound of valentina’s voice interrupted your talk as she handed you your drink.

“thank you.” you said taking a sip. it was rather strong, but just as good as both valentina and julian had promised. “this is very good.” you complimented and your friend smiled, satisfied.

in no time, the one margarita became two and then three and julian and you were definitely tipsy. not drunk enough to be embarrassing but definitely enough to lose all shame.

“you have a beautiful smile.” he said suddenly. you smiled unconsciously. “sorry if it’s too straightforward, i’ve wanted to say that since i saw you.” you shook your head.

“no, it’s fine, thank you.” you felt your cheeks blush a little and thanked enzo internally for keeping the lights dim on the apartment.

“can i confess something else now that i’m a little drunk?” you were a bit surprised to see what a couple of margaritas could do to get rid of his shyness, but you couldn’t complain.

“please.” you encouraged him.

“i hate that i just met you and now you’re leaving to spain.” he said. “i wish i met you sooner.” he took a sip from his third margarita and you did the same.

“you know, i still have two weeks here.” you gave him a knowing look and he returned it. “when are you free?”

“tomorrow.” he answered a bit too fast and you smiled the way he liked. he composed himself and clear his throat. “i mean, yeah, any time until the game, which is in four days.” you nodded while drinking again. “which you should come to, but the way.”

“enzo invited me to the game.“ you said because you forgot to tell him sooner.

“oh, then i guess i can see you the whole week.” this time you laughed and he smiled a little.

the feeling was a bit strange because you’ve know julian for about three hours now, but you felt like you’ve know him for years and you wanted to hang out with him as much as he wanted to hang out with you. he was interesting and smart and funny and, fortunately for you, incredibly handsome.

“deal.” you said, finishing your margarita.

[archangeldyke-all]

hi pookie, im finna post a soft sev fic, but i'm here to say....three things

for sev calling her sub mommy: "how are my girls today, mommy?"

qotd this or that edition: decorating cookies or decorating gingerbread men

i have finally finished my theme for my page (had a coloring issue that i had to fix) and i now have one fic up for all of my masterlists, i'm so happy to be writing again omds

love you, angel. eat well, sleep well, hydrate, and most of all do something that makes you happy today <3

YOUR FIC WAS SOOOOO SWEET AND CUTEEEEEE i was blushing and giggling and kicking my feet the whole time i was reading it istg. i love u too shnookums <333333

men and minors dni

no 'cause sevika calling your tits 'her girls'? WAHHH. or sevika going down on you and talking to your cunt?

"hi, pretty thing." she grunts.

"who are you talking to?" you ask as sevika traces kisses up your thigh.

"your cunt, honey. gotta ask her how her day was before i kiss 'er."

she'd also totally name your tits/ass/cunt lmaooo. you catch her flipping through a baby name book and you're like ??????? do you have something you need to tell me?

she just laughs.

"i'm trying to find a name for your pussy. somethin' that captures her spirit. do you think she's more of a valentina or a lilith?" she asks.

you scoff and smack her in the face with a pillow.

taglist!

@lesbeaniegreenie @fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @ellabslut @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @love-sugarr @chuucanchuucan @222danielaa

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Hi there! Sorry, I just discovered your blog and gosh I love knowing there are more people like you out there who LOVE the 2014 Ninja Turtles, so I was wondering if I could request something

I love your bayverse kids series, So could you write about Leonardo's children? Where on a patrol Romeo and Marcello argue about something while Gerardo tries to stop them to avoid drawing attention, but the two of them They ignore him and continue fighting, which causes Foot Clan soldiers to discover them and Gerardo ends up very badly injured And take him back to the sewers 👀

What would Leo say in this situation? Seeing one of his sons in such a bad state and how would this affect Romeo and Marcello knowing that Gerardo ended up injured by their fight? Would this finally be Marcello's breaking point and he would realize That he needs to make peace with Romeo?

In The Crossfire (Angst)

Children Series

Bayverse!Leonardo x reader

A/N: This comes after the NYPD Special Task Force, Team 2, which comes after Romeo’s First Patrol, so if you haven’t read those, I’ll recommend that you read them first. Anyway, hope this lives up to the wait and what you were looking for! Hope you’ll enjoy💙

Ages: Romeo - 24. Marcello - 21. Gerardo - 18. Valentina - 8.

Warnings: Marcello saying Romeo has an odachi up his butt, cursing, threats with knives, description of falling from a roof and injury, fear of a family member getting hurt.

“You know, when dad said “watch out for any suspicious activities”, I don’t think he meant “watch every passing stranger like a privacy hating hawk”, Marcello said, mocking his older brother, who sat perched on the edge of the building, watching the human and cars pas on the street below. This made Gerardo let out a stifled chuckle as Romeo shot his brother a glaring look.

“You know exactly what dad meant. Purple Dragons and Foot members have been spotted not too far away, meaning that any person walking down there could be one of them”, Romeo said. “Now, be useful and help me show Gerardo how a patrol actually works.

Marcello let out an annoyed sound, rolling his eyes, before giving Gerardo a well known look. The kind of look Marcello would give his younger brother, to let him know that he found that their brother was acting bitchy. The same look that would make Gerardo smile and chuckle.

Today was a somewhat special day for Gerardo. Having turned 18 not many days ago, today was Gerardo’s first time being on patrol with his brother. Yesterday he had half a patrol with his father and uncles, getting a feel for the radios, the codes and the police radio. He even got to meet the chief inspector. But with that meeting also came some interesting news. With the addition of Gerardo and his cousin Luis, the NYPD Special Task Force, Team 2 was disbanded. Instead there would be three smaller teams; Team Green, being Joan, Galileo and Minerva, Team Small Orange, being Sunny and Luis, who would be tasked with smaller special tasks, and Team Blue, with Romeo, Marcello and Gerardo. The idea was that once their youngest siblings was old enough, Team Green could be split into Red and Purple, making it much easier to cover ground throughout New York City.

That news had been taken differently by the cousins. Joan and Sunny were excited to be leading their own teams, with even Galileo looking forward to the day his sisters were old enough to patrol. Romeo didn’t seem to have anything against it. His position as a team leader didn’t change much, and now he would have a smaller team to look out for, making things much easier. Or so he thought. Because not much to anybody’s surprise, Marcello wasn’t too happy about the news. Sure he had found his brother annoying while he was a leader of Team 2, but at least he had his cousins around to keep them company. But now, he was stuck with both of his brothers for several hours on end. And he would make it absolutely clear how he felt about that.

Reluctantly, Marcello got up from the roof, before taking a seat on the roof edge, in an exaggerated perched position, obviously making fun of Romeo. Gerardo, who had been following, stopped in his tracks when he saw this, staying a few steps away, as he knew exactly what was about to happen. Having lived 18 years with these two, nothing they said or did came as a surprise to Gerardo anymore. But he knew better than get in the way when his older brothers were having a hissy fit.

“Now, watch this Gerardo and listen to your elders as they always know better. Because this is the only way to do a patrol, and if anybody is telling you otherwise, they’re wrong. No debate, just wrong”, Marcello said in a mockingly loud voice, obviously trying to mimic how Romeo spoke when he was “leading”. Of course this got a side eye from Romeo, who knew exactly what Marcello was trying to do. But as Romeo always did, he liked to believe that his annoyance and anger wouldn’t get the better of him, and that he would let Marcello’s words fly with the wind. But somehow, Marcello always managed to say something that would push Romeo’s buttons, just the way Marcello had wanted it to happen.

“You sit like this, feet together, on your toes, ass never touching the seat. We like to say it’s so that we can jump into action immediately when that guy down on the street, suddenly starts throwing people around, yelling that he is in fact a member of the Purple Dragons. In actuality it’s because Romeo can’t sit on his own ass, due to his odachi being rammed so far up his-!”

“Will you shut it and focus for once?!”, Romeo snapped, removing his attention from the street. He heard a small slap, undoubtedly from Gerardo facepalming himself. He just went right into whatever trap Marcello had for him, didn’t he? Not that it mattered much now. Romeo was annoyed and was not willing to let Marcello make a fool of him during Gerardo’s first full patrol.

“I don’t know, ‘Meo, can I?”, Marcello asked, finally sitting fully down on the roof edge. “Or did I touch on something with that odachi? Tell me, how far up does it have to go for you to stay so stuck up all the time? Do you still have part of it in there?”

“Can you just shut up?”, Romeo asked, fighting the urge to push his brother backward and further onto the roof, just to push him. “We have a job to do!”

“We do? I didn’t realize Romeo! I thought we just hung around on a roof in the middle of the night for the fun of it. I wonder what I’ve been doing for the past three years! I thought we were looking at clouds!”

“You are so childish”.

“Me childish?! You are the one that keeps following around dads heels like you’re still four!”

As his brothers continued arguing, Gerardo sighed loudly. He kind of knew this would happen, but he had sort of hoped that they would keep it together, at least for the night. Playful teasing was always fun, but Marcello did have a talent for pushing it too far, and Romeo had still not learned to just let go of what Marcello would say to him.

With his brothers bickering now becoming loud background noise, Gerardo started wandering the rooftop, watching the street below, every once in a while throwing glances up and across the rooftops around them. That was when he spotted something moving a few buildings away. Something - or quite a few of that something - jumping across the roofs like… like ninjas. Ah crap.

“Guys…”, Gerardo called out, not taking his eyes from the black shapes jumping over the roofs, getting closer and closer to them. And the closer they got, the more sure Gerardo was of who they were.

But Gerardo’s brothers did not answer him. At this point their arguing had turned into full all yelling and name calling, only a short distance away from them actually jumping on one another.

Gerardo pulled out his kodachi swords, once he realised that the figures were in fact who he feared them to be - Foot members. “Guys!”

“If you weren’t so annoying all the time, then maybe dad would actually give you some of the responsibility you want so badly!”, Romeo yelled, anger burning within him.

“Or you could stop being such a smart ass and know it all and give some of us a chance every once in a while! But you don’t! Attention hoarder! You can’t take the thought of dad praising someone other than you!”, Marcello yelled, taking a threatening step closer to his older brother.

“That’s not true!”, Romeo yelled, doing the most childish thing he had done in a long time - pushing his brother. Marcello was quick to regain his balance, taking a step further in on the roof.

“You bitch! You just fucking pushed me! And you call me fucking childish!”

“Mind your own fucking business and don’t get in my face!”

“That makes no fucking sense, you fucking-!”

“GUYS!!”, Gerardo yelled, this time cutting directly through his brothers arguing, drawing their attention in his direction. The sight that meet them was shocking. Before them stood a crowd of Foot Ninjas, taking up half of the roof. And before them stood Gerardo with a knife to his throat, his own kodachi swords scattered on the roof, his arms held behind his back, by a person, who’s eyes - the only feature of their face that wasn’t covered by a mask - seemed strangely familiar to the two brothers. Eyes that Marcello recognized instantly. Eyes that had made him stay awake at night with a strange feeling in his stomach. Eyes that had made Romeo rage ever since his first patrol.

“You!”, Romeo exclaimed, reaching for his odachi, only to stop when the woman before then tucked at Gerardo’s arms.

“I wouldn’t do that if I was you”, she said, that familiar voice once again evoking that strange feeling in Marcello’s insides. “I didn’t know you two had another brother. Makes one wonder how many of you are hiding out there”.

“Let him go”, Marcello said, making sure to stare her directly into her eyes, feeling the tension as she stared back.

“You and what army?”, she asked. “Last time I checked it was only the two of you, too busy arguing like children, to notice any of us”.

“What do you want?”, Romeo asked, his mind racing to find a solution to the pickle they found themself in. How on earth was he going to save his brother?

“From you? Not much”, she said. “Just for you guys to look away while we pass through”.

“We can’t do that”, Romeo said.

“That’s not going to board great for your brother”, the woman said, nodding towards the terrorfied Gerardo. “Let us pass through, or he gets the knife”.

“You won’t do that”, Marcello suddenly said, ignoring Romeo’s calls for him to shut up. “Kill him and you will have all of us on your heels”. The woman didn’t answer, however her eyes stayed on Marcello, her hand and knife unmoving. “You know who our father and uncles are, don’t you? As a member of the Foot, you know about the time our family kicked your masters ass, don’t you? You know, before an alien tricked him. Same alien our family also kicked out of the dimension”.

“Shut up”, she snared, her hand shaking ever so slightly, and for the first time ever, Marcello saw something in her eyes. Unsurity. This even seemed to surprise Romeo.

“But you know I’m right. Hollow threats won’t get you far. So let our brother go, and you save yourself a lot of trouble”.

For a moment, the woman fell silent. Marcello was right and she knew it. He and his brothers just seemed to get more and more annoying whenever she ran into them, and it was slowly becoming a thorn in her side.

“You’re right, I can’t kill your brother”, she said, dropping the knife, letting it fall to the surface beneath them, letting Gerardo draw a small sigh of relief. “But I can do this”.

It happened so fast. So fast that neither Romeo or Marcello could react before it happened. The woman and a few of the Foot Ninjas grabbed a hold of Gerardo, before launching him off of the side of the roof, sending him in a fast fall towards the alleyway beneath with a loud scream of terror.

The two brothers let out a row of nos, calling for their brother as they ran to the side of the roof, making their way down to the alleyway in a hurry, giving the Foot Ninjas the free passage they were looking for, as they disappeared over the roofs.

In the alleyway they would Gerardo motionless in a pile of discarded trash bags, that had only provided him with very little cushioning from the fall. Romeo and Marcello were on him in a hurry, calling out his name, only getting small sounds of pain as answers.

“Call dad!”, Romeo yelled as he held Gerardo’s head against him, using his legs to slide under him, in order to prop him up a little. “Call uncle Donnie!” And Marcello did, faster than he had ever done anything else.

—

The tension was thick in the lair, as Romeo and Marcello sat on the couch in silence, head in hands and knees bouncing, as they waited for you, Leo and Donnie to come and tell them how Gerardo was doing. If he was going to make it. The absolute terror on Leo’s face when he and the others came to find Romeo and Marcello holding onto their brother in the trash, and your screams of “what happened?! What happened?!”, was echoing through their heads.

Splinter, their now very old grandfather sat with them in their silence. Though the tension was thick, he was somehow a calming presence in their life. One they very much needed right now. The only thing that could be heard was 8 year old Valentina’s voice in the kitchen, every once in a while asking Raph and Mikey what was going on. Both Romeo and Marcello almost broke down when they heard her ask them what had happened.

Their cousins had retreated with their mothers, giving Leo’s children the space they needed through this horrible waiting time.

It felt like an eternity, before Leo finally came out of the needle room. Romeo and Marcello stood up immediately, watching their father with wide eyes, trying to read his expression as he walked towards them.

“How is he?”, Romeo asked, Marcello almost holding his breath as they waited for an answer.

“He’s okay”, Leo said, his sons immediately deflating onto the couch in relief. “He had a pretty bad head injury along with a few broken bones. Your mother is probably going to stay with him most of the night. She’s pretty shaken up”.

“Is he awake?”, Marcello asked.

“No, he’s pretty exhausted. He was already sleeping when I left”, Leo said, before turning his attention towards his father. “Dad, will you tell Valentina her brother is going to be okay? I… need to talk to my sons”.

Splinter gave his oldest son an understanding smile, before getting up from his seat and making his way towards the kitchen. Leo took a seat on the couch, where he began to rub the bridge of his snout, seeming tired and stressed, as his two oldest sons watched him in silence.

“This has been going on for years”, Leo sighed. “You’re grown men now, but this is still happening. Why do you continue to do these kinds of things?” Marcello and Romeo continued to sit in silence, letting Leo’s words settle in. “You two have always fought, and I’m sorry if I have done something that made you feel unequal, but it cannot continue like this. Your brother just got gravely injured, even after he tried to warn you. A warning you didn’t hear, because you two decided to argue, instead of helping your brother on his first patrol”.

“We’re sorry”, Romeo said, both he and his brother avoiding Leo’s eyes out of shame.

“I know you are”, Leo said. “But this has happened before. I need to be sure that you two can keep it professional out on patrol, and if not for just the two of you, then for your brother. And your sister as well. In 10 years she will be out there with you. And I need you two to look out for them”. The dread of silence fell over Marcello and Romeo once more, letting Leo’s words work on them, just like they were supposed to. And so, Leo decided it would be a good idea to leave his sons for a moment to think and feel. “I’m going to check on your mother and your brother, and when I come back, I hope we are at an agreement to do better”. And so he stood up, before making his way back to the needle room, leaving Romeo and Marcello in thick silence.

The brothers sat on the couch, side by side, neither looking at the other, chewing the insides of their cheeks. It was like being a child again, having been scolded after fighting on the lair floor.

“He’s right, you know”, Romeo’s voice suddenly sounded. “We have to find out a way to make this work”, Romeo said, finally looking his brother’s way. “If not for us, then for Gerardo. He doesn't deserve that kind of stuff to happen to him”.

Marcello bit his lips, staring down on the floor with his arms crossed. He felt horrible. He felt horrible for the things he had said to Romeo, and he felt horrible for the position he had put Gerardo in. He felt horrible for making his mother so scared, and he felt horrible for making his father so disappointed. Though Leo never said those words, it didn’t take much to read it off of his face. Leo was disappointed with both of them. Not just Marcello, but Romeo as well. And worst of all, Marcello still felt horrible for letting that woman’s eyes have such an effect on him. It would undoubtedly bite him in the ass one day.

“You’re right”, Marcello finally sighed, looking Romeo’s way. “We have to do better for him”.

[miumura]

i saw your other moot game, you're so sweet! :( your friends must love you so much. i'd like to give you another moot game: your moots as songs and why?

HI ANON !! awh tysm 😖 !! i love my friends veryvery much ♡ with another game,, more moots this time !! so doe those who i have missed, it’s truly not on purpose as this was a little bit harder to be able to find the songs i thought would best suit you … so there might not be much because of that :’(

@macapunoz — dandelion by grentperez ; BECAUSE GRENT>>>> anddd other than the upbeat (?) energy this song brings, i also chose this for this lyric: “if i could choose anywhere to be, i’d wanna be with you”! i believe it very much describes me with rhin🤞!! because no matter where i’m at, with rhin, nothing else matters than her presence 🫶 (pftbz together forever and ever 🤍)

@juyeoz — tick tack by illit ; if i had to pick one song to associate and reserve to alya forever, it would be this one. it’s just a song that instantly gets you energetic and happy, which gives off her personality A LOT. and honestly, whenever i see a pic or vid of her smiling, this always plays in my head LIKE ITS ACTUALLY SO BEAUTIFUL 😊 so yes! tick tack! (pftbz together forever and ever 🤍)

@htaesan — serenade by boynextdoor ; now, what’s a soph moot game ( ik it’s only been two shush ) without mentioning or associating bonedo with my love lili??? ( my gongfourz ❤️‍🩹 ) like let’s look at the eng translation for one of the lyrics ( which i think it’s right? ) “i love you baby, baby, baby! i’ve been screaming the whole neighborhood knows (i like you)” … yeah that part & as well as the entire song, that’s pretty much how i act for lili on blr and insta because … that’s forever my bae !! 🤍 #willforeverserenadeher

@saemisic — candy crush by artms ; I FEEL LIKE THIS SUITS SAE SM??? like let’s go look at her navi rq and tell me it doesn’t SCREAM this song?? YOU HAVE TO GET MY VISIONNNN 🫣 it’s such a cutesy song w/ a sweet vibe that instantly makes you feel 10x better when listening to it ( which is happening rn as i write this HAHAH) and leads to my thought of believing this song matches her pretty well !!

@antoncyng — unplugged boy by tws ; NINI!!! okay my logic for choosing this song is that… it reminds me of big suki by &team ( ME AND NINI UNITE AS LUNES 🤞 ) ! this is because of her message / reaction to that song recc i put in the k-films song reccs channel 😊 !! SO THIS CONNECTION WAS MADE… THIS SONG IS REALLY GOOD and it’s quite upbeat which seems to suit nini’s character / personality when i’ve chatted with her so far !! #lookingforwardtowayyymore!!

@flwrstqr — washing machine by vanishing girl ; this song is so cutesy and like ??? okay that’s the epitome of dani ??? like whenever we’ve talked, she gives off that energy & her instagram reflects this song to me imo ?? this song has been on LOOP . it’s addicting just like her & her awesome works 💗

@ourhees — hold on by the internet or valentina by daniel caesar ; THERE’S TWO SONGS FOR SAV BECAUSE… i was a little conflicted and couldn’t stick to one !!! so !!! first off, hold on, because… the song has a soothing / calming vibe to it ?? and that feeling is always common with me when interacting with sav ^^ like the song itself is very alluring and i think that speaks for itself… AND THEN VALENTINA!!! similar to hold on, and was my original choice for this until hold on appeared in my liked songs & played… so i had to assign it to sav!! these songs just make sense to me in my head 🫠

THE END ♡ who knew choosing songs could be difficult.. i tried to match it accordingly !!

[reicraft]

Golden Mangos

Aphrodite!Fem!Reader x Travis Stoll

Summary: after a certain incident you can’t help but start liking mangos a bit more, and maybe a certain camper as well.

Contains: fluff, characters can be ooc, usual Stoll sibling antics, some swearing, kind of cringe lines ngl

A/N: I love this small prank the stolls pull on the Aphrodite cabin and it inspired me to write this fic. Hope you guys like it. Reqs are open <3. Also I hate mangos idk what demon possessed to write a character that loves them.

Word Count: 2.5k

If there is one thing your cabin mates knew about you, it is your strong affinity for mangos–or, as Drew likes to call it ‘an extreme obsession’. Another fact was that, for some odd reason, camp didn't have mangos. Well not least you bribed a Dementer kid to grow some or got a Hermes child to bring you one from the outside. Sometimes, you would even go back home during winter break just to be able to enjoy some sweet mangos, even if they weren’t in season. Your dad always spoiled you rotten with everything, from actual mangos to mango lip gloss. So, it came to your sibling's surprise that there you were eating half a mango for breakfast. Lost in your world without a care for the burning eyes watching you. 

“How exactly did you get that?” asked Piper, munching on  her bowl of strawberries, “One of the boys from cabin 4” You replied oh so casually.

 “Y/N, you can't just use your charmspeak casually,” complained Mitchell. Unlike Piper and Drew, you tended to use your charmspeak for more trivial things. If your mother gave you a gift, it was to be used, and maybe you did use it for small things like getting out of archery or another serving of strawberry shortcake. Maybe it wasn't the best use of such power, but it came in handy, overall being blessed with beauty had its perks. 

“It's fine I was just craving some. Plus the Hermes kids haven't made their trip yet, so something had to be done,” you said, cleaning off the dripping juice. It might have been the best mango you have eaten if it weren't for your siblings shooting daggers at you. “Well, at least I'm not using my charmspeak to manipulate a cabin,” you continued. 

“It's been months, let it go, please,” said Drew, now getting slightly annoyed by you. But who could blame you? You were slightly annoyed at this conversation yourself. Couldn't a girl enjoy her mango in peace?

“Anyways we have archery practice, so don't charmspeak your way out,” said Piper, looking directly at you.

“Hey, it was like three times, I was tired,” you defended yourself, putting your hands up. Despite the occasional squabbles, you did love all your siblings. Yes, maybe you had petty fights like Valentina stealing Drew's crop top or Mitchell using Noah’s cologne. But nothing extreme. At the end of the day, the power of gossip and love united, making you a happy little family. 

So as you all enjoyed your archery class led by Kayla from the Apollo cabin, playfully pointing arrows at each other and cheering Lacy on as she hit a bullseye, you failed (more like didn't expect) to notice two mops of curly brown ran past you, making a beeline for a certain pink cabin tip-toeing in and out, leaving the object in their hands giggling at their prank. 

So, as your cabin finished the lesson and made your way for a quick break, you didn't expect to see a golden mango with ‘for the hottest’ written on it.

“Aw, I love it when people leave things for me,” said Drew, picking up said mango ready to add it to her infinite collection of love letters 

“Well it doesn't say for who it is,” said Mitchell. 

“Maybe it's for me,” said another one of your siblings. 

“I'm the hottest I don't know what you're talking about” interjected your sister.

“I was told I rival my mom's beauty,” you added.

 “She's OUR mother too,” started Piper. 

Your banter slowly turned into actual fighting, screams echoing outside the cabin as glass bottles shattered. 

“That was my only bottle left, you bitch” screamed Drew as Valentina threw her perfume to the ground. It didn't stop there, as shoes and  clothes flew out the window, landing in the mud

 “Mom gave me that belt, Mitchell,” cried one of your brothers, as said belt was now covered in gross mud, lost forever.

 “Oh my gods, why could you cut up my Miu Miu sweater? that was expensive,” you sobbed as one of your sisters started cutting up clothes nearby. 

Safe to say, the cabin was no longer the organized place that always got a 5, it looked worse than the Hermes cabin, with tattered clothes mixed with spilled makeup and perfume covering the floor. 

“What in gods name is this?” You all looked like deers caught in headlights once Chiron stepped foot in the cabin.

 “They started it,” everyone said simultaneously, pointing in different directions.

“Actually, I believe I found the perpetrators outside. Still, kitchen duty for all,” he said, galloping outside as said perpetrators peeked into the cabin 

“We did well with this one, Trav,” said conner snickering. 

“You'll pay for this Stolls'' screeched Drew. Suddenly, seventeen angry children of Aphrodite ran towards the siblings. Yes they had pulled hair and spills all over their clothes, but they didn't care about appearances at the moment, especially you, who would waste such a good mango just like that, plus you were still mad about your sweater, you had planned on wearing it for the bonfire later.

 Fortunately, some form of revenge was taken as pasty white foundation appeared on Travis's face, making him look like a clown, and Connor’s clothes instantly shrunk two sizes smaller. You would say he was rocking the crop top, but it honestly just looked funny. 

All of the cabin stood there in a circle, scowls on their faces and some laughing at the sight, as you broke through your teared-up sweater still in hand.

 “Nemesis is a bitch I guess” said one of your sisters as you threw your sweater at Travis's face. “You're lucky we’re being nice to both of you,” you said, quickly storming off back to your cabin. Now who was going to clean all of this up?

It took most of the cabin all day until dinner to clean up all the broken glass and fabric left on the floor, as well as clean some of the muddy designer shoes. 

“I'm sorry Y/N. I know you loved that sweater,” said your sister. It was more than just an extremely expensive sweater to you, your father had gifted it to you as a birthday present. It wasn't often you got to see him only during winter break on occasion. It was a small piece that tied you back home, and now it was destroyed.  

“It's fine. Maybe I could get a new one” you lied through your teeth. Even a new sweater couldn't replace the damage done, and you swore upon your mother and Nemesis that you would get your revenge on the Stolls. Maybe you could make them fall in love with a frog or cause someone to break their heart. Anything at the moment seemed like a better revenge than their permanent makeup and clothing curse placed by your siblings. You were just so mad you couldn’t fathom it all. 

It all just got you in a terrible mood. You were sure your anger and bitterness could turn the campfire black. And there you were, getting ready for said campfire with no sweater on, and your favorite mango balm was also a small victim of your sibling's anger. You sat at dinner sulking, not speaking to anyone, trying to eat your mango, thinking it could cheer you up but it didn’t. It just made you angrier at the Stolls, especially Travis with his cheeky smile as you threw him your destroyed sweater. Granted, it might have been the clown makeup, but still. 

And you continued to sulk during the campfire, not singing along and sitting slightly apart from your siblings. Most of them had made amends at this point, but you just acted like it. Who could blame you for being petty? It was only justified. You were so entranced in your own emotions that you failed to see the person sitting next to you, yet the small gift placed on your lap didn’t go unnoticed.

 “I heard from Gwen about your sweater,” he said, looking down at the floor “I’m sorry about the whole ordeal, really.” 

You sighed as you looked towards him “Travis you know I can’t get that makeup off of you,” you said. You were sure whatever this gift was it was probably bribery, and your anger couldn’t let you see past that. 

“Maybe you should open it first. I kind of left camp for this and paid for it,” he said, finally looking back at you. You tried your best not to laugh at his face, but he did look ridiculous with the clown makeup.

 You opened the gift carefully, revealing a pink sweater almost exactly like the one you lost. You gasped as you looked back at Travis, “I know it’s not Moo Moo.” 

“Miu Miu,” you corrected. 

“Yeah that. But still I wanted to replace it. I know it doesn’t have the same meaning, I'm sorry, really,” his apology seemed sincere, and you couldn’t dictate lies between his words. 

“Thanks, but what about the rest of the things my siblings lost?” You weren’t wrong. If he wanted to apologize, he should’ve been replacing all the things lost in this ‘prank.’ 

“Well, it’s not like they like mangos,” he said ever so casually, confusing you.

“Excuse me?” 

“Yeah, you know there’s only one person in that cabin that likes mangos. It was a golden mango,” he got up and just left, winking at you as you stayed there processing his words. You would’ve laughed at his face, but even with the gods awful makeup, he looked cute, and you could almost feel your heart skip a beat as to what he was insinuating. But still, you didn’t understand what exactly he was trying to tell you. He left you there dumbfounded, trying to understand your feelings at that moment.

Being a daughter of Aphrodite, you could be pretty oblivious when it came to your feelings. You knew instantly if someone had a crush on another person, yet you couldn't understand why your heart beated so fast around the Hermes boy. You chalked it up to the ridiculous makeup he had, considering you found clowns creepy, but it still felt different. Suddenly, you didn't feel like skipping archery class anymore if it meant the Hermes cabin was going to be there, or putting a little bit more effort into your appearance each morning. You even wore your pink sweater religiously, as if it was the only item of clothing you owned. 

Your siblings were not as oblivious as you, they knew about the secret glances during breakfast or how your voice went up an octave when you spoke to him. But in true aphrodite cabin style, they watched from afar, seeing a love story form right before their eyes. And it wasn't hard to push you guys together, you seemed to always unconsciously follow him around, excusing it by saying you wanted to be more involved in camp. 

“Y/N could you take over arts and crafts for me today? I’m kind of busy with some other things,” asked Mitchell. He was free, but you did need to know that, and being the understanding sister that you were, you agreed. But your dear brother forgot to mention one slight detail: it was all the younger campers, which you couldn't stand sometimes, and that it was an arts and crafts session with the Hermes cabin.

 So, it came as a surprise to see a familiar mop of curls sitting at a separate table from the rest of the campers, making his own friendship bracelets. And it seemed to be a surprise to Travis too, fixing his hair and discreetly checking his breath once he caught a glimpse of you. 

“I thought Mitchell was helping today,” he said, pulling the chair next to him. You sat down fixing your hair too. 

“Actually, he is busy today, so I'm covering,” you explained, avoiding his eyes. His clown makeup long gone, you finally were able to appreciate his blue eyes and elvish features.

 “I’m glad you like the sweater,” he said, breaking the silence between you too. You had forgotten you were wearing it; it was muscle memory at this point. 

“Yeah, it's nice. Thank you so much,” you said, trying to hide the blush creeping on your face.

 “I'm glad you like it. I had to play poker with some of my siblings to buy it,” he said, and as your mouth dropped, Hermes boy’s were known for shoplifting once in a while, and you had assumed that was the case. But with the simple fact he went through all that trouble to get you a sweater made your heart flutter, you couldn't ignore it anymore: you had a crush on Travis Stoll and he had a crush on you. 

You kind of knew about the boy's feelings, being one of the many gifts blessed upon you by your mother. Yet for a whole month, you were in denial of your feelings. How could you like someone who played such a prank on you and your siblings? Or who always had a stupid smirk on his face to pair up with his cocky personality? Yet, you couldn't help it, your heart secretly longed for him. 

“You didn't have to go through so much trouble for a sweater, you know,” you said, grabbing some thread to make your bracelet.

“I know, but I wanted to make things right,” he said smiling at you. 

"You should've replaced Mitchells cologne, aren't you guys friends?” you said, not looking at how his smile slowly faded. 

“We are friends, but I wanted to make things right with you,” you couldn't help but smile at his words as butterflies started to form in your stomach.

“Why with me though?” Travis groaned, running his hand over his face. “I thought you were a daughter of Aphrodite” he said, with slight annoyance laced in his words 

“I am, but that still doesn't answer my question,” You finally looked up at him holding back from laughing in his face.

 “Because you're you, and I… don't you get it Y/N?” he said, stumbling over his words.

“Gods don't make me spell it out, this is so embarrassing,” the young campers long forgotten as they left both of you alone. “I like you. Gods, the mango was meant for you, there's only one person in that cabin that eats mangos like she can't live without them,” he spilled out, feeling a weight lift off his chest 

“I knew,” you said. You couldn't help but smile, it was only you ever wanted to hear from him, ever since he sat next you at that campfire.

“You knew!?” 

“Trav I can sense when someone has a crush, I just wanted you to say it,” now it was his time to blush at the sound of his name leaving your lips. 

“And I guess the feelings are reciprocated” you finished off, looking directly into his eyes. 

“So, will you go out on a date with me?” he asked, smiling so wide it hurt his cheeks. 

“If there's going to be mangos, then yes I would love to go on a date with you,” you responded. It felt like time stopped, and it was only you and Travis in that moment, looking at each other's eyes stuck in your bubble of love. 

[freakyficsforfuglyvillains]

Hey just wanted to say love your writing for Maxime le mal and Valentina! They're both so cute with how you write them honestly.

Anyways I had a thought about the scenario of different times where they shared their coat with you. Like you can't tell me that maxime’s coat isn't soft and warm. As the same goes with Valentina’s even if it has a more sharp look. I can see them helping out with any accessories if you need a second opinion on something.

⚜️🪳Maxime Le Mal🪳⚜️

&

🏆💖 Valentina 💖🏆

Relationship HC’s: Jackets

Credit: @taffyram

If there’s one thing Maxime and Valentina prioritise more than their status as supervillains, it’s keeping their appearances!

The world is their runway. What better way to leave an impression than by dressing to the nines?

They’re not just dressing to impress, they’re dressing for the security cameras. If their mugshots are going to be on news bulletins all over the country, they’ll make them mugshots worth remembering.

Maxime’s coat is custom-made. All those intricate designs were carefully hand-stitched by the best embroiderers money can buy. That’s right; Maxime actually paid for his coat. The same goes for Valentina’s trench coat. There are pockets sewn on the inside so she can keep treats in there for her dog.

Maxime wouldn’t hesitate to roach-ify someone if they so much as breathed on his jacket. But, for you, he’s made an exception. He never misses the opportunity to boast about how expensive his jacket is around you. When flaunting his wealth doesn’t work, he’ll just offer you his arm and insist that you feel it.

Valentina, ever the opportunist, would make you try on her jacket, then promptly take a picture. That picture is now her phone’s lock-screen. Of course, Maxime would find this hilarious and then demand that you wear his next.