#so that’s good I guess. still concerning that I had to correct her.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Actually I need to tell you guys the funniest ongoing thing for me rn. So I’ve been going and speaking to a few professionals about uh… brain stuff and one of them brought up the possibility I might be autistic and just really good at masking. Tbh I doubt it, but she said it was worth checking out and made a note to get me tested.

Ever since then, I’ve mentioned it offhandedly to the other professionals and without fail, every time they pause, lean in and peer at me like they are trying to derive the location of the autism. I mean I guess they’re paying more close attention to whether I can make eye contact or whatever but we’ve already been sitting and talking for the past twenty minutes??? You’re not going to suddenly see it (especially if the whole point is that I’m good at masking) that’s not how that works??? Whdnxbxbx

Like as somebody in the psych field it is so disheartening to see how stereotyped people’s knowledge is of a very common kind of neurodivergence, but also I think this is about the funniest thing I’ve had happen to me in awhile. They are literally looking for my autistic eyes.

[gh0stsp1d3r]

Not under my roof pt 2

Pt 1

As you entered Tannyhill with red, teary eyes, Ward and rose sat down anxiously waiting.

“Are you okay?” Rose asked concerned.

“I’m-“

“She’s fine. Go to the room and get some sleep. Please.” He looked at you, you just wordlessly dragged yourself to his room.

He sat down with Ward and Rose outside, and Wheezie snuck her way into Rafe’s room, where you were currently putting down all the clothes you grabbed.

You turned back, not expecting to see Wheezie.

“Hey, wheeze.” You told her with a small smile, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Hi.” She sat down next to you, you sniffling and wiping your nose. “Guessing it didn’t go so good?” She asked, making you laugh and shake your head.

“No.”

“I’m sorry. That… that must suck.” She said with a frown on her face.

“It does. But…” you sighed. “I’ll be fine. How’d your dad and rose react?”

“They were mad at first, not at you. But now i think they’re more happy about it. They said ‘at least it was with you and not some random girl.’”

You laughed again, her smiling at the smile you had.

“He stopped hooking up with other girls once he started dating you though. Obviously.” She corrected.

“Would hope so.”

You both sat in a comfortable silence, before she stood up in front of the bed.

“I’m gonna go try to listen in on them.” She said with a smile.

“Let me know what they say.” You whispered to her with a small smile back, she nodded and gently shut the door.

You sighed, falling back onto the bed. You just curled up and fell asleep for hours.

——

“She’s asleep right now.” You heard a whispered voice at the door.

“Well, she needs to eat. She’s been sleeping all day.” You heard another voice say.

Rafe took the plate, mumbling a small thanks and closing the door. He watched as you stirred in the bed, stretching when you sat up. He put the plate on your legs.

“Morning, sunshine.” He said, teasing you and sitting down on the chair he had set up at his desk, turning it to you.

“Hi.” You mumbled sleepily. “What time is it?” You asked him.

“Like… 9.” He shrugged. “Rose brought some food.” He motioned to the plate on your lap. “They also wanna talk to you tomorrow.”

You stared down at it, swallowing the lump that formed in your throat.

“You alright?” He questioned, watching the way your face looked.

He then saw the little tear drops that hit that plate as you continued to stare. He furrowed his eyebrows, getting up and into the bed next to you.

“Hey, what the fucks wrong?” He asked, his hand ghosting over your back. You pressed your face into his shoulder, and he just sat and rubbed your back, still a little confused.

“I’m sorry.” You sniffled when you stopped crying, wiping your eyes and the tears.

“It’s alright, but what the fuck was that for?”

“I don’t know.. probably my hormones or something.” You mumbled. “Its just…”

You started crying again, he sighed and wrapped his arm around you.

“I don’t know, it feels so nice. Your parents are happy, and I can’t get that, I’m never gonna go see them again. I’m never gonna see Kie!” You rambled on. “And they even cooked for me and shit. That’s just… so sweet!” You sobbed, Rafe had a small smile on his face at that last sentence.

“You’re good. You’re fine.” He mumbled, not really knowing how to deal with any of this.

“Hey, listen to me mamas.” He told you quietly, your sobs quieting down.

“I mean, sure they’re pissed now, but they’ll come around when they see him.”

“Who said it was gonna be a him?” You asked him with a nasally laugh.

“Well, whatever it is. They’ll love h- them. And you think my parents weren’t pissed? I told Ward and he was ready to punch me. He wasn’t even mad at you! He fuckin’ adores you.” He said, smiling when you laughed at his words.

“And don’t even get me started on Rose, she went straight to the liquor cabinet. She told me she’s too young to be a grandma. I mean, she married an ancient man, shoulda expected it.”

Once more, you found yourself laughing at him, and his smile grew even wider.

“-And wheeze, oh my god, wheeze, she fucking-“ he started laughing now, covering his mouth, “She told me that she had been waiting forever for this, and she’s just mad it didn’t happen sooner.”

You both laughed together, all your worries slowly disappearing with his words.

“We’re gonna be fine. Promise.” He told you when he laughter died down. “Now can you please eat without slobbering on my bed?” He said in a teasing tone, making you roll your eyes and pick up your fork.

[ducktoo]

Drunken Oopsie

Kang Hyewon x M!Reader

Note: damn haven't been paying attention to Kwangbae for a hot minute. I missed the good ol' Kangbi and Hyeyul man TT

Also double upload ha! Little treat for many supports from yall!

It was supposed to be a quiet Friday night. A ramen-and-rom-com kind of evening where the biggest decision you had to make was whether or not to eat the ice cream sitting in your freezer. But as usual, life—or more specifically, Kang Hyewon—had other plans for you.

The sharp buzz of your phone against the coffee table shattered the serenity of your apartment. You glanced at the screen and frowned.

Kwon Eunbi.

That wasn’t a call you got often, and definitely not at this time of night.

“Hello?” you answered, the faintest edge of concern creeping into your voice. "Noona?"

“Y/n!” Eunbi’s exasperated tone hit you immediately. “Hyewon’s drunk. Again. And guess what? She’s been saying your name like a damn spell!”

Your stomach dropped. “She’s what?”

“Saying. Your. Name,” Eunbi groaned, clearly annoyed. “It’s been going on for twenty minutes, and honestly, I’m over it. You need to come get her before I leave her here to fend for herself.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose, already feeling the familiar mix of frustration and worry building in your chest. “Where is she?”

“Blue Haven Bar,” Eunbi said. “And hurry up. She’s one terrible karaoke attempt away from getting kicked out.”

“She promised me she’d cut back,” you muttered under your breath, already grabbing your jacket.

“Yeah, well, her promises seem to expire after happy hour,” Eunbi snapped. “Just get here.”

She hung up before you could respond, leaving you to stare at your phone in disbelief. A long sigh escaped your lips. You weren’t even mad at Eunbi for being snippy—dealing with a drunk Kang Hyewon would test anyone’s patience.

Abandoning your half-eaten ramen and the rom-com still playing on the TV, you grabbed your keys and stormed out.

-

The scene at Blue Haven Bar was exactly what you’d expected. The place was packed, the music loud enough to make your head ache, and the air thick with the smell of alcohol and desperation.

You spotted Eunbi immediately. She stood near the bar, arms crossed and looking like she was ready to murder someone. Next to her, perched precariously on a stool, was Kang Hyewon.

Hyewon was a mess. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks flushed, and she was swaying slightly to music that wasn’t even playing.

“There you are,” Eunbi said, relief and irritation warring in her voice as you approached. “Took you long enough.”

“I came as fast as I could,” you shot back, your eyes narrowing as they landed on Hyewon.

“Y/n-ahh!” Hyewon exclaimed, her face lighting up the moment she saw you. She attempted to stand, only to stumble and nearly fall.

You rushed forward, grabbing her arm to steady her. “Hyewon, what the hell?”

She blinked up at you, her lips curling into a goofy smile. “You caaame,” she slurred, leaning heavily against you.

“Of course, I came,” you said, exasperation creeping into your voice. “What were you thinking? Drinking this much again? You promised me—”

“Promises, shmomises,” she interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. “I missed you, so I drank.”

You stared at her, your jaw tightening. “That makes zero sense.”

“Welcome to my world,” Eunbi muttered. “She’s been like this all night. Good luck getting anything rational out of her.”

Hyewon’s eyes darted to Eunbi, and she pouted. “Eunnie, you’re so mean. Y/n’s nicer. That’s why they came.”

“I came because you’re a frigging mess,” you corrected, the irritation bubbling just beneath the surface. “Not because I’m nice.”

She gasped dramatically, clutching her chest like you’d just insulted her entire existence. “You don’t mean that!”

You groaned, rubbing your temple. “Okay, that’s enough. We’re leaving. Now.”

“Finally,” Eunbi said, throwing her hands in the air. “She’s all yours. Don’t let her puke in your car.”

Hyewon clung to you as you guided her toward the exit, her legs wobbling like a newborn deer. “Y/n’s the best,” she declared loudly, earning a few amused glances from nearby patrons.

“Yeah, yeah,” you muttered, feeling your face heat up. “Let’s just get out of here.”

-

The walk to the taxi stand was slow and frustrating. Hyewon alternated between dragging her feet and stumbling forward, forcing you to practically carry her.

“You’re mad,” she said suddenly, her voice soft and almost childlike.

“You think?” you snapped, not even bothering to hide your irritation. “You promised me you’d stop drinking like this. Do you know how worried I was when Eunbi called?”

She frowned, her lips trembling slightly. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“Then why do you keep doing this?” you demanded, stopping to look at her. “Why can’t you just call me when you’re upset instead of drowning your problems in alcohol?”

Her gaze dropped to the ground, and for a moment, she looked genuinely remorseful. “I… I didn’t want to bother you,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

You stared at her, your frustration momentarily giving way to disbelief.

“Bother me? Hyewon, you could never bother me.”

She glanced up at you, her expression unreadable. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” you said, sighing. “But this? Making me come pick you up every time you drink yourself into oblivion? This is what bothers me.”

Her bottom lip quivered, and she nodded slowly. “I’m sorry.”

You exhaled sharply, the tension in your chest easing ever so slightly. “Let’s just get you home.”

As you flagged down a taxi, Hyewon leaned against you, her head resting on your shoulder. “You smell nice,” she mumbled, her voice muffled by the fabric of your jacket.

You rolled your eyes, trying to ignore the warmth spreading across your cheeks. “Don’t try to butter me up, Kang Hyewon. You’re still in trouble.”

She giggled softly, her breath warm against your neck. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

“I’m not mad,” you lied, though the tightness in your voice betrayed you.

“Liar,” she whispered, her tone teasing despite the exhaustion lacing her words.

You sighed, already dreading the conversation you knew you’d be having with her later.

-

The taxi pulled up in front of your apartment complex, and Hyewon, who had fallen silent for most of the ride, suddenly perked up.

“This isn’t my house,” she mumbled, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings.

“You’re in no shape to go home alone,” you replied, stepping out and helping her stumble out of the car. “You’re staying at my place tonight.”

She didn’t protest, but as you guided her to your apartment, she kept muttering under her breath, her words slurred and barely coherent.

“Y/n is so nice… always taking care of me… but also so mean…”

“What was that?” you asked, shooting her a side-eye as you unlocked the door.

“Nothing!” she chirped, then giggled like she’d just gotten away with the world’s greatest secret.

Once inside, you helped her settle on the couch. She slumped against the cushions, her head lolling back as she sighed dramatically.

“Water,” you said, placing a glass in her hand. “Drink all of it.”

She obeyed, though with the coordination of a toddler, spilling a little on her shirt. She looked down at the wet spot and pouted.

“Awwww” she whined, her voice dragging out your name. “You’re so bossy.”

“You’re so irresponsible,” you shot back, folding your arms.

Her pout deepened, and for a moment, she looked like a chastised puppy. Then she burst into laughter, completely ignoring your frustration.

“What’s so funny?”

“You,” she said, grinning up at you. “You’re always so serious. It’s cute.”

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Ya, Kang Hyewon, I don’t think you understand how worried I was tonight.”

Her smile faltered, and she sat up slightly, tilting her head. “You were worried?”

“Of course I was worried!” you snapped, the frustration you’d been holding back spilling out. “You promised you’d slow down, Hyewon. You promised! And instead, I get a call from Eunbi saying you’re drunk out of your mind and repeating my name in some bar!”

“I didn’t mean to…” she mumbled, her voice small.

“You never mean to,” you said, softer now but still firm. “But you can’t keep doing this. It’s not fair to me—or to yourself.”

She blinked at you, her expression unreadable. Then, out of nowhere, she started laughing again, the sound bright and disarming.

“Hyewon,” you said, your tone a warning. “This isn’t funny.”

“I know,” she said between giggles. “I know it’s not funny. But you’re just… you’re so…”

“So what?” you asked, exasperated.

“So perfect,” she blurted out, then slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as if she’d just revealed the world’s biggest secret.

“What?”

Her cheeks turned crimson, the blush creeping all the way to her ears. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“Hyewon,” you said, stepping closer, “what did you mean by that?”

“I meant what I said,” she mumbled, looking anywhere but at you. “You’re perfect. You always take care of me. You always show up when I need you. You… you’re everything I could ever want.”

Your heart stopped.

She looked up at you then, her eyes glassy but filled with a sincerity that cut through the fog of her drunkenness. “I like you, Y/n. I’ve liked you for a long time. And I’m tired of pretending I don’t.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and electric.

“Hyewon…” you began, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Wait!” she said, holding up a finger. “Don’t say anything yet. I… I know I’m drunk, and maybe I’ll regret this tomorrow, but right now… I just needed you to know.”

She slumped back against the couch, her eyes fluttering closed. “I’m sorry if this ruins everything,” she murmured, her voice fading. “But at least now you know.”

You stood there, frozen, watching her as she drifted off to sleep. The confession echoed in your mind, over and over, until you finally let out a shaky breath.

“Kwangbae…” you whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You’re an idiot. But I like you too.”

-

The next morning, Hyewon woke up to the smell of coffee and a pounding headache.

She groaned, sitting up slowly and clutching her head. “What happened last night?”

“You got drunk. Again,” you said, handing her a cup of coffee. “And you confessed.”

Her eyes snapped to yours, wide with panic. “I… I what?”

“You confessed,” you repeated, grinning from ear to ear. “Told me I’m perfect and everything you could ever want.”

Hyewon looked like she wanted the couch to swallow her whole. “Oh my god. Kill me now.”

“Not before I tell you I like you too,” you said, your tone light but your words serious.

She froze, her jaw dropping. “Wait. Are you serious?”

“Dead serious,” you said, sitting down next to her. “Now, are you going to let me take care of you properly, or are you going to keep being a mess?”

Her cheeks flushed, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “Only if you promise to not be bossy about it.”

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t help smiling back. “Hell no.”

The silence that followed was surprisingly comfortable. Hyewon sipped her coffee, her eyes darting to you every few seconds like she was still trying to process everything.

“So…” she started, breaking the quiet, “what now? Do we, like, plan a date or something? Or do we just sit here awkwardly pretending I didn’t embarrass myself last night?”

You smirked, leaning back against the couch. “Oh hell no, we’re absolutely never letting you forget last night.”

Hyewon groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Of course you wouldn’t.”

“Buuuuuutttt…” you added, your voice softening, “I think a date sounds nice.”

She peeked at you through her fingers, her expression cautious but hopeful. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you said, nudging her shoulder gently. “Though, if you pull another stunt like last night, I might have to reconsider.”

“I won’t,” she said quickly, sitting up straighter. “I promise. No more drunk Hyewon.”

You raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

“…fine, no more out of control drunk Hyewon,” she amended, grinning sheepishly.

“Yeah, sounds better alright.” you said with a chuckle.

The two of you sat there for a while, sipping coffee and letting the morning sunlight stream in through the windows. It felt… easy, like a puzzle piece finally clicking into place.

“Ya…” Hyewon said suddenly, breaking the quiet.

“Yeah?”

She hesitated, biting her lip before meeting your gaze. “Thanks for always taking care of me. Even when I don’t deserve it.”

“You always deserve it, Hyewon,” you said, your tone firm. “But you’re welcome.”

Her cheeks flushed again, and she looked down at her coffee, a shy smile playing on her lips.

“So, about that date…” she said, her voice teasing now. “I’m free tonight. You?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “You just want to make sure I don’t ditch you after last night, don’t you?”

“Maybe,” she said, grinning.

“Well,” you said, leaning closer, “lucky for you, I’m free too.”

Her grin widened, and for the first time in a long time, you felt like everything was exactly how it should be. And maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something worth every bit of chaos Kang Hyewon brought into your life.

[imnotditzy]

Captain Marvel doesn’t know what a normal death is

(TW: mentions of death, brief mentions of murder gang violence)

No but really if you ask a street rat, literal living lighting, a bunch of ancient immortal people and a really wise king from a bajillion years ago, why would a reasonable answer be an option?

Like Billy thinks that if you’re 60 one of your feet are in the grave. Why? Because that was the life expectancy in the 50s. He's also homeless so he’s already more exposed to crime anyway, I wouldn’t doubt he thinks death by “minding someone else’s business” is common enough to be recorded as such in its own category and not murder. Also, he literally fights supervillains who try to kill him everyday? His view is skewed so much, that the damage might be irreversible. 😭

Moving on, Marvel is literally sentient magic. They can’t die, and if they can it’s not a thing that’s very easy to come by. The amount of work it takes to even do the equivalent of a paper cut is excessive, the concept of them dying would take a lot to set in. And they are a lost cause when it comes to knowing what a normal death is. The only “normal” deaths they’ve really paid attention to are the deaths of the Champions…and none of them had anything close to a normal death. (One of them literally gets hacked in two 💀)

The acronym; do I even have to explain? All of them besides Solomon, Heracles and Achilles literally haven’t died. And literally no hero in Greek mythology dies normally. Solomon is the only one who’s died of natural and normal causes, but he was alive in the BCE. That is a long time ago.

Now, Combine all of them together and what do you get? Captain Marvel: someone who does not have a correct interpretation of typical death!

This would probably concern others around them. Especially the JL, because I feel like Captain would mention this randomly.

—

(Green Lantern [Hal] and Captain Marvel were sent to investigate a crime scene together and they stumble upon the body.)

Captain Marvel: Aw…seems like their time came. (Captain’s got a sympathetic but large smile.)

Green Lantern (looking down at the stabbed body): Um, Cap?

Captain: It’s a shame. But I guess nothing could be done…

Lantern: Captain, they were stabbed???

Captain: Oh, I know. Happens to the best of people, right?

Lantern: Uh —No? Captain this is…worrying??

Captain: They’re in a better place now. Maybe.. ☺️

—

(They’re now back at the watchtower for a debrief, but it somehow turned into Batman questioning Captain Marvel.)

Batman: Captain can you explain why the body was not concerning to you?

(Batman’s staring at Captain intensely.)

Captain (confused smiling): …because there was nothing to worry about?

Batman (raising an eyebrow): Why?

Captain (hesitant): Because there’s probably not a serial killer or whatever running around? They killed an insider, it was gang violence.

Batman: How were you sure?

(Captain looks up to the side like their remembering before shrugging)

Captain: …Oh, I’ve seen similar bodies like that before.

—

(This occurrence is reason #5738 on why Captain Marvel cannot interact with civilians. But in Captain’s defense, how was Billy supposed to know lifespans updated?)

Captain Marvel (pointing at an “old” lady): Oh, she’s 62?

Citizen: Yeah?

Captain (sympathetic): Oh. It’s good she’s still on her feet though.

Citizen: What?

Captain: She’s thriving for her age, right?

Citizen: C—Captain Marvel, she’s 60 not 99. She just retired.

Captain (confused): Really? Why would they have her working so long if she’s nearing the end? (The lady turns around with this expression on her face: 😟)

Citizen: Because she wanted to?? Captain are you ageist?

Captain (never heard that word a day in his life): Uh, I don’t think so? What does that even mean??

(The media later somehow gets ahold of the footage and it becomes such a scandal it reaches the JL; Captain Marvel is then forced to have a public statement. At the giant press conference, Mary and Freddy are there standing next to him and laughing.)

Captain Marvel (whispering): Shut up, it’s not like you thought any different.

Miss Marvel (also whispering): Yeah but we’re not stupid enough to say it to their face, Captain.

Captain Marvel (still whispering): It’s not like you guys would have any less scandals than I do if you were in the media as much as I am.

Reporter (impatiently): Ahem. Marvels?

(Both siblings look like deer in headlights while Freddy laughs at them. They both apologize in unison.)

(Captain then clears their throat, they look like they’re dreading this.)

Captain Marvel: I am terribly sorry for what I said about [62yo citizen]. I hadn’t intended to be rude, but I seemed as such because I had a gap in my…

Solomon (telling him what to say): …Knowledge. I was under the assumption that the average lifespan wasn’t much longer than a person’s 60s…

Captain (repeating what Solomon’s saying): I now know that, while once true, that information is outdated.

(Billy went on for three more minutes, only stopping because the DTC got too bored and people were starting to give him funny looks.)

[jaikuoo]

CHERRY LIPGLOSS SUCKS

Part 1 | Part 2

Summary: You and Regina have a long-standing history together, and now, with your exes pairing up in a new relationship, you are reluctantly forced to work together to win them back. Will the familiarity bring you closer, or will old habits resurface, leading to further tensions?

Warnings: manipulative regina, profanity, beginner fanfic writer:so mid writing, mentions of weed and mozzarella sticks

Words:1.3k

A/N:Thank you so much for all the support on Part 1, especially to that one user who reblogged and said "go read or u suck" I LOVE U.

Regina's words echoed in my mind like a stuck record."

"Ill see you tomorrow, after school, underneath the bleache-"

"Dude!" Mae jolted me out of my thoughts, snapping. My brain instantly refocused on the present moment.

The final class had just 5 minutes left, and I had to meet Regina. I hadn't had a genuine and meaningful conversation with Regina in a while. Our last talk had taken place years ago, and it didn't exactly conclude on the best terms.

-

"Did You really have to be that honest?!"

-

"Y-Yeah?" I stammered as I shook my head, desperately trying to clear my mind.

"Are you even paying attention?" she asked with an eye roll.

Trying to cover up my shit, I responded with a snort, "Of course!" hoping she would buy my lie.

Unconvinced, she asked, "So, when is Anders' soccer game?"

Ander plays soccer?

I gulped, "Tomorrow?" I replied, my voice smaller.

"Ander has asthma, dumbass." She pointed out

My shoulders sagged as I let out a resigned sigh, muttering under my breath, "fuck you, reverse psychology."

"You good?"

I attempted to brush off Mae's concern, replying, "It's nothing."

She gave me a skeptical look, countering, "Bullshit. You didn't even touch those mozzarella sticks I brought you. You love mozzarella sticks."

"I was full," I argued lamely, attempting to defend myself.

Mae raised a skeptical eyebrow, reminding me, "You guzzle down a Red Bull every morning for breakfast. Your 'full' card doesn't fly, genius."

"I'm just not in the mood today, okay?" I reasoned again

"Fine," Mae conceded, slightly annoyed. "I'm going to go help Brynn roll some. Want to join?"

I shook my head, declining her offer.

"Nah, I have something to do," I responded, already turning to leave the classroom.

Mae looked at me suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "Okay..." she replied, still doubting my excuse.

I was growing increasingly annoyed as I waited for Regina under the stinking bleachers. The place absolutely reeked, and I had been tapping my foot in irritation for far too long.

"I'm a bit surprised you actually showed up."

Regina stated as she approached me with a confident stride.

I responded in a sarcastic tone, rolling my eyes, "Yeah, blackmailing me about my friends really works wonders."

I glanced around, surprised not to see Gretchen and Karen accompanying her, as usual.

I couldn't help but comment, "Where are your backscratching bootlickers?" I raised an eyebrow.

With a slight tilt of her head she responded with a snarky remark, "Your mouth is still as vulgar as ever, i guess some things never change."

"As if you're any better." I mumbled under my breath, too low for her to hear

"Woah woah, dating!?" I replied, thoroughly taken aback. "No way am i going to be your girlfriend!"

Regina quickly corrected me, "Pretend." She rolled her eyes, growing impatient with me. "Do you want Tina back?" She asked, her annoyance clear. "Then there's no question about it.

I wrestled with the idea, questioning if it was even worth the effort.

My face twisted in doubt as I questioned her plan. "How do you even know this will work?"

Regina's voice took on a venomous tone as she snapped, "Can you just shut up and trust me?"

My scoff turned into a mocking laugh. "Trust you, Regina?" I taunted

-

I sat alone in my darkened room, tears streaming down my face as I clutched my teddy bear tightly for comfort. My room looked like a cyclone had gone through it; pillows and blankets scattered every which way, and pieces of paper and pictures torn up. I could hear my mother's concerned voice outside my door, saying Regina wanted to talk to me. I shouted back, my voice shaking with anger, "Tell her to fuck off!"

-

I scoffed in disbelief. "Right, because the last time I trusted you really worked out well for me." The memory of her betrayal still stung.

"Can we not discuss that right now?" Regina replied sharply, but my anger remained.

The audacity of this bitch is terrifying!

"We're going to have to work together, so if you keep bringing it up, you're just making this more uncomfortable than it already is."

My anger gradually faded, replaced by a begrudging acceptance. I hated to admit it, but she was right

— we I couldn't keep dwelling on the past if we were going to make this plan work.

I reluctantly agreed, "Fine," Part of me yearned for an acknowledgement, for her to address the past, but her lack of response just left me feeling disappointed.

Regina sneered disdainfully, her gaze traveling along my entire body, her eyes judging me. "What the fuck are you wearing?" she taunted, as if I had committed a fashion felony.

I looked down at my clothes, feeling a bit self-conscious. "What?" I replied defensively, unsure of the issue.

Regina abruptly grabbed my wrist, her touch surprisingly warm. Without a word, she began pulling me towards her red Jeep.

"where are you tak—" I started, but she quickly cut me off, her words laced with annoyance.

"I am not going to be seen with an outdated loser," she retorted, her grip not relenting as we approached her vehicle.

I stumbled slightly as she practically dragged me along, trying to protest, "It's just a band tee!"

My wrist felt the absence of her touch as Regina turned to open the driver's door of her Jeep.

As she settled into the driver's seat I glanced back at the passenger and the back seat, debating where to sit.

Opting for the safer choice, I reached out for the back door handle before Regina interrupted me.

"Sit in the passenger seat, idiot," she ordered, her tone cutting through the air.

Reluctantly, I opened the passenger door and slid into the seat beside Regina, sitting a slight distance away from her. As she started the jeep and began driving, I turned my gaze towards the window.

I tried once more to get an answer, my eyes still glued to the outside world.

"Seriously," I persisted, "where are we going?"

Regina's response was brief, "Shopping," she replied. "If I'm going to pretend to date you, you at least need some proper clothes."

The cafeteria felt oddly silent as a murmur of whispers surrounded me. I couldn't tell if it was my anxiety playing tricks on me, but the atmosphere felt eerily hushed.

"I hate this," I muttered under my breath, feeling the weight of everyone's gazes upon me. Wearing the clothes Regina had deemed socially acceptable yesterday made me feel even more out of place right now.

My train of thought came to a halt as my phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from Regina: "Stop standing there like a statue. Come sit with us."

I glanced at my phone, finding a flurry of messages from my friends group chat. "Where are you?" and "What the hell are you wearing" filled the screen. I reluctantly raised my gaze to our usual table, only to see my friends staring at me, bewildered. Swiftly muting my phone, I headed towards the plastics table.

'Took you long enough,' she muttered, as I approached, her eyes glued to her phone, no doubt scrolling through Instagram.

Gretchen, a hint of false enthusiasm in her expression, looks up from her phone. "Why's she here?" she asks, peering at Regina through raised eyebrows.

Regina retorts with a deadpan tone, rolling her eyes slightly, "To sit with us.”

Gretchen, her voice rising in pitch, exclaims, "What?! She can't-" only to be cut off by Regina's firm interject.

"Sit," Regina says, her inflection leaving no room for argument.

I hesitantly moved to sit across them.

"Hey, sorry- uh," I greet, looking between Karen and Gretchen with a mix of confusion and frustration. "Why am I sitting here? This is not part of the plan!" I whisper-yelled at Regina, leaning in closer to avoid being overheard.

With a roll of her eyes, Regina replied, "Just go with it." She set her phone down, adding, "Tina's watching".

I glanced around the cafeteria, spotting Tina seated with her clique, watching me intently. In that moment, our eyes met, confirming that the first step of Regina's plan had been successfully executed.

Step one:Complete

A/N: next part is cadys arrival😱🥶

[pickingupmymercedes]

Ways to say "I love you" part 2 - Lewis Hamilton

I think we all deserve a little something after the horror we went through in today's race ❤️

warnings: mentions of blood, accidents and bit of angst

wordcount: +2k

important: again, each drabble was writen as a snippet into different moments with Lewis. Special thank you for my 💗 anon for helping with some of the ideas

As always, my asks are open for corrections, ideas and just to chat too!

Over a cup of tea

“We need to talk this through, before it blows in our faces, Lewis” Serious expression on your face as you handed him the cup of tea on the balcony of your apartment overlooking London.

“Mhmm, we do?” He questioned confused.

“Yes…what exactly are we?” You couldn’t look him in the eye as you questioned him, too embarrassed you weren’t sure if what you felt the night before was real, even if come the morning he was still there, as he had been for the past two months.

“Those words last night meant nothing to you?”

“They meant the world, actually”

“But you don’t feel the same?” The confusion now passed on to him, forehead scrunching as he questioned if he hadn’t read your relationship right, and your body responding before your head could think it through as you reached for the hand he willingly let you take.

“I… I need to feel safe to say it back.” You responded after a few awkward seconds of silence as he waited for your response.      

“I want you, if you’ll have me. I really do love you. And you don’t need to say it back now, just let me know if this relationship is for real, because I want it to be.” He said looking into your eyes, anxiously waiting until you lifted your head to give you a smile.

“Thank you for understanding” You said buried into his neck as you took the tea away from his hands and brought him closer.    

Over a bottle of wine

“Found board games!” You excitedly exclaimed as you walked back into the house. Tiny feet stomping away and reaching you in seconds.

“Is there Monopoly? Uncle Lew said we could be here for daayssss” Willow was the first one to start taking the boxes as you handled her and Kaiden the pile you had just borrowed from the nearest neighbor

“Are they still stuck in New York?” You asked Lewis just as he set his phone down.

“Earliest forecast is tomorrow night, possibly” a concerned look to him as his mom and sisters got stuck in a snow storm on their way from England to Colorado.

“Guess we have these two to ourselves then”  

“Granny said it’d be good practice for you to take care of us” Kaiden chirped in but not fully aware of the shock in Lewis’ face at the remark.

“It’ll be fun when there’s two more girls to play with” This time Willow getting you to choke on the water you were drinking.

“Why two girls?” Lewis amusedly asked, aware you were still trying to hold the laughter in the kitchen

“Dunno” She simply shrugged as she helped her brother set up the game.

“Two girls, huh?! You know people say I’m a girl dad…” He brought back the subject as he picked up the mess left in the living room, a glass of wine open on the kitchen counter and two glasses already in your hands as you approached him after putting the kids to bed.  

“I think I’d be happy with that” Your soft smile easing the tension you felt in him as he mentioned kids with you for the first time, handing him his glass and dragging him to sit down on the sofa for a bit.

“I think I’d prefer a boy then a girl, you know, so he could be there for her.” He said after a bit of silence, almost as if he was pondering what would be best order, and you could feel the yearning to have kids of his own in his voice.  

“I agree with the internet people on that one, you’re too much of a girl dad, babe” You set your drink on the side table, cuddling closer to his chest as he pondered on his glass.

“Doesn’t really matter, honestly, just one would be more than enough. As long as I got you too”

As an apology

“What the hell was THAT for?” You threw your handbag and phone all the way across the kitchen island as you looked at Lewis standing at the door, an annoyed look to him.

“That guy shouldn’t have approached you” His mind still on the tall blue-eyed dude that tried to buy you a drink at the club.

“I can handle myself you know?! Never had the need for a knight in shining armor…” all your anger gone as you realized how absurd that sounded when said to your knighted boyfriend, a smile cracking the tough face you were fighting hard to keep.

“I love you, okay?! You may not need to be saved from a monster but you’re gonna have a knight by your side regardless.”

Taking the cue, he reached for you and brought you close by your waist, tucking one side of your hair behind your ear while using his other one to caress your check.

“Yes sir.” His sweet eyes turning into dark one as he heard you whisper the title and felt your hands rummage through his back. 

As a hello

You smelt his cologne before he walked back into the room from the bathroom, woody and citric tones overcoming your senses as a light tug at your exposed breasts demanded your attention back.

“Hey darling, you done there? Sure you don’t anymore?” The little fingers of your month-old baby girl clutching your fingers as you softly redirected her small mouth back to the spot her eyes wildly looked for.

“Gosh, I love you two so much” His remark a common occurrence in your daily routine in the bubble of nappies, changes and feeds your lives had turned into those past weeks, in the dead of the cold but sunny winter in Monaco.

“Hello to you too, hot stuff” he smiled back as you checked his toned abs adorned by the towel in his waist, sitting by your side in the headboard of your bed, hands caressing your thighs.

“You sure you’re going to be okay here this weekend?” Concern written all over his features as he stroked your daughter’s tiny legs.

“Your mom’s here, my mom’s here, we’re gonna be just fine Lew.” His eyes searching for any doubts in your mind.   

“I’m only a call away, okay?!” He whispered as he kissed your head, enjoying the last moments he would have with his little family for a few days before yet another season began. 

With a shuddering gasp

It’s funny how time really is relative, you thought as you slowly watched four cars pile onto each other in a traffic jam that had just about three other cars in front already. You weren’t even paying attention to the road before, only really looking up from your phone when your car suddenly swerved right and hit the grass on the side of the road.

“Are you okay y/n?” His whole body hovering over yours, hands already unbuckling your seatbelt as Lewis tried to grab your attention.

“C’mom babe, we need to get you out of the car, now” He tried again but you couldn’t respond back, still in shock from the near miss, your hands a wobbly mess as he squeezed it.

“I’m carrying you outside, okay?!” He didn’t even wait for a reply before lifting you like you weighed nothing, examining you in the process to check for anything hurt while he carried you to the rest of people waiting by the road.

It took a while, more than a few minutes for your eyes to start focusing back on your surroundings. He was knelt right in front of you, worry all over as he asked again and again if you were hurt.

“You saved us” You gasped quietly as your eyes finally reached his, his hands cupping your face the second he heard you, your lips already on his as you felt his arms taking you into his body.

In a letter

You’d been, since the beginning, the one he wanted, comings and goings through the years hadn’t been able to diminish the electric pull he felt whenever he saw your smile light up the room, even from afar. But as if the universe liked having a laugh at their expenses, time and time again you’d both find your lives going in complete opposite directions. So, as he sat in his desk writing his vows, he could only be amazed that by some miracle he had found his way into your life and into your heart.

“ … So, I vow to be your lover, companion, partner and ally. Through what may I promise to always be there. I might not have the answers or tools but I’ll walk with you, through the darkest of valleys or at the summit of our dreams.

I love you for you, because you give me the chance to be my truest self, because when you’re around I know we’ll find our way through. I love you, and from the moment I learned that, I’ve been giving it my all to be worthy of you.”

When the broken glass litters the floor

“Fuck, why did I do that?” Your exclamation coming out a bit louder than expected as your eyes started to water from the sharp pain in your hand, blood already dripping from the gush on the palm as you looked to the pieces of the glass on the floor.

“Babe? What’s happened, what was that noise?” His voice coming from just outside the bathroom door, fidgeting with the lock to try and get in.

“Please, let it be a good timing” Was all you could whisper to yourself, the knot in your throat almost suffocating you, the reality of it all too much to comprehend or process, your feet automatically swerving the glass and blood on the floor to get to the door.

“I hope you don’t have anything important going on in the next months” you said just as his eyes tried to scan you and the bathroom. His features with confusion all over as you handled him the stick with the 2 lines on them.

“What’s… but the doctor said…really?” You watched as all types of emotion tumbled across his eyes, overwhelmed an understatement to what you both felt at that moment.

You nodded just slightly after a few moments of his eyes questioning yours, the start of a smile forming on his lips as his arms reached you and engulfed you in a hug, crashing your injured hand in the process.

“Ouch, hand” He froze as you winced, putting two and two together, looking to the blood and the remains of the glass and seeing the injure on your palm for the first time.

“I do hope this kid takes after you and isn’t as clumsy” You pointed as he sat you down at the tub to check the cut. His smile reaching all the way to his eyes as he chuckled and looked at you.

“Nah, I hope this kid is every bit just like you.”

With no space left between us

You could feel his movements as he opened the parachute and brought you two back down to safe land, but nothing managed to tear your eyes from the immensity of the sky. There was infinity as long as your eyes could see and you were nothing in comparison, your thoughts long lost to the smallness of human race.

“You were awfully quiet up there, you good?” His voice a bit dry from the wind, your bodies tightened together as the guys got you both out of the mess of ropes.

“I think I’m still processing how small we really are” You answered almost to yourself, still trying to comprehend what you had just experienced.

“Another go at tandem is due then?” You saw the smirk in his face as you turned to look at him, his arms still very much wrapped around you and his fingers circling in your forearm.

“Thank you for dragging me out here, but how did you know I’d like skydiving?!” You reached back to his arms while they strapped you out of the seat, holding him closer, still with the ghost feeling of the wind around.

“I love you… that’s how I knew you’d love it.” He said to your hair as he held you to him, smug face as he reveled in the feeling of you.  

From very far away

The speakers blasted the victory song as each of the three drivers on the podium sprayed champagne around, everyone drenched and smiles thrown left and right, laughs being heard all the way around the Monza podium.  

As Lewis stood by the edge of the platform, he lifted his trophy at the sea of Tifosi, as a way to show appreciation for the support so far on the season and at his new home race, dedicating his win to them.

Turning to the pitlane he also pointed his trophy to the Ferrari team, scanning the crowd he found you at, just by Fred and Anthony, tears flowing down and a gleaming smile that could light up his entire soul. You tried mouthing something to him but he couldn’t quite make it out in the overwhelming state you were all in.

“I love you” he said to you, from the top of the podium, knowing that whatever it was you were saying, and whatever it was that happened, could be answered and resolved with those three words.

[sugar-soda]

How to care for your Human

Masterlist

“You have been crewmates with a human before, correct?”

Q'rell paused with her food halfway in her mouth, giving her cousin a confused look, “Yeah, I shared a workspace with two of them on the last ship I was on. Why?”

Dezen’s scales flared and he shifted awkwardly on his stool, which groaned in protest. The station they were on was an older one and nowhere showed it better than the tiny restaurant they agreed to meet in. The tables were sticky, the stools were uneven, the robotic server was unable to hold conversation, and the menu was unsafe for more than half the recognized sentient species in the galaxy.

 Both of their ships were docked for inspection and refueling, giving the two Kaxians some brief leave from their duties. When Q’rell learned Dezen’s ship would be docked at the same place at the same time, she insisted they meet and catch up. She had not seen her younger cousin in cycles and was eager for updates to tell their older family members, who complained of his lack of holochats.

Dezen took a sip of his drink before answering, his scales settling again. “One moved into the quarters next to mine eight cycles ago. She works in communications, I believe.”

“Aaaaand?” Q’rell drew out, digging for more. 

“I wanted to know how you feel about them, that is all.” 

She didn’t quite believe he was telling her everything, but answered anyway. “The two I shared a workspace with were nice. They got their jobs done, but were very boisterous and loud when off duty. They made a point to include me in their activities, which I appreciated, even if I didn’t always join. I still holochat with them sometimes.”

“Would you say you know a lot about humans?” Dezen asked. 

Q’rell tapped a claw against the table, trying to guess what he was avoiding telling her. “I would say so. Why? Is yours causing problems? You should talk to your captain if she is, I’m sure she could be reassigned, since you have seniority.” 

“No, no, no,” Dezen shook his head and flicked his tail in assurance. “She has not done anything bad. We have just spent a lot of time together outside of the group bonding activities our captain insists on, that is all. She has made human foods that are safe to share with me and insists on having ‘movie night’ and ‘game night’ quite often. She even learned how to greet me like a fellow Kaxian would. I would consider her a very good friend.”

Q’rell processed his words. Dezen had never been without friends, but he never had a good friend. No one was ever cruel to her cousin, nor was he to them, but she doubted any of them have contacted him since they have reached adulthood. He never was the last picked for Nakiball, their planet’s favorite sport, but he was certainly never first. When studies required younglings to split into groups, he would fit in fine when there were groups of three or four, but was left without a partner when there were teams of two. He never spoke of any friends or their antics at meal times. Their family could never understand why. 

To hear him talk about anyone outside of their family with such fondness was great news, and would certainly calm the fears of their family. She rested her face on her palms; a teasing expression on her face. “Just a good friend, huh?”

Dezen’s scales flared in embarrassment once again. “Yes, a good friend,” he hissed.

“Then what is the problem?”

“It is just that I am…concerned.”

“Concerned?” she asked, not believing him entirely, but indulging her little cousin.

“Yes. I have noticed certain things that worry me, but I would hate to offend her by pointing out something that is considered unremarkable or taboo by her standards. She seems to already know so much about Kaxian culture, I would seem ignorant and rude if I were to do that.”

“So you came to me?” Q’rell guessed that made sense. She was the only one in their family who had met a human before. Dezen and herself were the only ones in their family who didn’t stay on their home planet after they came of age. The first paint of adulthood had not even fully dried on her face before she had hopped on the first ship off world. Dezen had followed in her footsteps about five cycles later, purple paint now complementing his gray scales. 

“I tried to research on my own, but all of the information available conflicts with each other and I have no way to verify what is true and what is not,” he rested his head on the table in defeat, much like a youngling. “I know you have first hand experience with them, so I figured it was the next best step.”

Q’rell took a giant bite that cleaned her plate. “Sure. I’ll help you with your human,” she agreed. While she loved to tease, she didn’t want him to be ignorant.

Dezen brightened and reached over to hug her tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He hugged her so tight, he nearly knocked them both off their already precarious stools. 

“Careful! If I fall down, you’re buying dessert!” She pulled away and pushed the button for the server to get them dessert. When both of them had some sort of fried cake, she took a bite, then asked, “So, what makes you so concerned about your human?”

Sitting up properly, Dezen answered, “The patch of fur on top of her head, for one thing.”

“Her hair?”

“Yes, that. When she first joined the ship, it was a neon green, then it faded. Then when she came back after a refuel, it was a bold red, but then that faded. After that, it was a bright blue, but now that has faded as well, and I don’t know what that means.”

Q’rell remembered the color of one of her crewmate’s hair that darkened the longer they were in space, going from a light brown to almost black. “That’s easy,” she said, “Your human needs more sun.”

Dezen cocked his head, “Sun?”

“Yes, sun. Humans need lots of sun, that’s why their planet is so close to one. If they don’t get enough, their hair changes color and then they get sick. If it changes so often, she is definitely not getting enough,” Q’rell said sagely.

Dezen nodded solemnly, “I see. I shall invite her to an outdoor activity the next time we have shore leave,” he paused, then continued, “Are their claws the same? Hers are so short and dull, but they change in color more frequently than her hair.”

Both of her crewmates' nails changed color, but they had explained it was a form of expression. 

“Human’s claws are called nails, and the color isn’t connected to their health, it is connected to their emotions. When a human experiences a great heavy emotion, the chemicals that make that emotion can’t fit their brain, so they flood the bloodstream and eventually get to their nails and stain them. Since different emotions are made of different chemicals, different emotions make different colors.”

Dezen’s jaw dropped in surprise, “But they change so often!”

Q’rell shrugged, smiled, and took a drink. “Humans are very emotional creatures. It would be more worrisome if hers did not change.”

Dezen then leaned closer again. Q’rell leaned back in anticipation of the possible hug she would receive. Luckily, he didn’t and she was safe from being knocked off her stool. Instead, he asked, “Do you know which color means what?”

“Of course not. Why would I?”

“Because you are supposed to be the human expert!” Dezen whined. He laid against the table once more. Nearly knocking over their drinks. If Q’rell wasn’t used to the dramatics of younger family members, she would assume he was drunk.

“Is that all you were worried about?”

“No. Sometimes, she wears a sort of…face paint, during important meetings. It isn’t like ours. It covers her whole face, but it doesn’t hide her features but makes them-” Dezen paused, trying to find the proper words to describe it, “-sharper. More noticeable. Her eyes look bigger and her lips more plump. But I worry that it may be harmful, human skin is so soft and squishy compared to us. Surely it is painful for her?”

Both of Q’rell’s crewmates wore similar face paint. When she had asked one about it, she had told her about how she started wearing it in her youth and of how her father had told her she was too young to wear it, only for her aunt to teach her. The other told her that his grandmother had taught him how to do it and had bought him a vanity when he first moved out. While the family anecdotes had warmed Q’rell’s heart with thoughts of her own, they didn’t answer why the face paint was worn, so she had to do her own research on it.

“It is an ancient human tradition.” Q’rell said. “Humans originally wore it to harden their skin during battle. Like you said, they are so soft and squishy, so they needed protection if they wanted to survive. The very best paint gave their skin a similar strength to our scales, so that no blade could pierce them. Overtime, more embellishments were added and it became a sign of adulthood. Humans wear it now during important events to declare their independence and strength as an adult. Does she wear it all the time, or just on occasion?”

Dezen took a bite. “No, she does not. When working, her face is bare,” he said with a mouthful of food.

“That just means she trusts you, or at least the crew as a whole. She does not need to harden her skin because she feels safe.”

“So it does not harm her?”

“It shouldn’t.”

Dezen was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Is there anything else you know about humans you can tell me?”

Q’rell racked her brain for anything she learned from her crewmates that could help her cousin. “Humans value the exchanging gifts with each other. You said she made food for you to share before? You must do the same if you wish for your human to remain friendly.”

“What!” Dezen exclaimed, “But I do not know how to make human food! I can barely make Kaxian food. I just eat from the dispenser, like everyone else on the ship. She is the only one who actually uses the kitchen.”

“And the rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves.” scolded Q’rell, flicking him across the nose. “Your friend has put in hard work and time to share her culture with you and you don’t return the favor! Did our family teach you no manners? If you cannot cook, you can at least create. Sew, knit, write, something! And if you cannot create, there are others back home who do. Either learn from them or purchase something from them to share with her. Even if it is terrible, a kind, bad gift is better than no gift at all!”

Dezen rubbed his nose, trying to soothe it. “But it seems very…transactional to build relationships like that.”

“It is not,” Q’rell said. “She is not expecting you to give her something. But if you don’t show appreciation for her efforts somehow but continue to benefit from them, she will eventually feel used. At best, she will stop. At worst, your friendship will turn to resentment, she’ll transfer to a different ship, and you will never see or hear of her again.”

Dezen jaw dropped, "Really? It’s that important to them?”

“Yes. Have you at least spent time with her? Verbally said ‘thank you’ for her kindness?”

“Yes!” Dezen said, scales flaring up again. At this point, they were going to get stuck like that. “I’m not heartless. I do appreciate her friendship, otherwise I would not have addressed my concerns for her to you.”

“I know you care, but does she know?” Q’rell grabbed the edge of the table as she leaned over. Now she was invading Dezen’s personal space. Just as she did before, he leaned back as she stared through him. “So, are you going to get her a gift?”

“Yes! Yes, I will get her a gift, just stop staring at me like that!” Dezen pleaded, pushing Q’rell away as she cackled at his discomfort. 

Her laughter died down and they ate in comfortable silence for a while. Q’rell wondered what her cousin would get his human. A dish from back home? Depending on the dish, he would have to change some of the ingredients for safety, but she was sure that there would be reasonable substitutes available. Humans were adventurous with their food anyway. Maybe a blanket? Space travel could get very cold. Oh! A plant would be a good idea! Humans must like plants, their planet was covered in them.

“I think I will make her some of our face paint,” Dezen said, breaking the silence. Q’rell startled out of her thoughts, which Dezen took for confusion. “It will not harden her skin like her own does, but she could use it for accents and embellishment.”

Q’rell hummed, pleased, “Yes, that is a good gift. It pertains to her interests, and is something new for her to try. I think that will be a very good gift.”

The rest of their meal was spent idly chatting about other matters in their lives. By the time they left, Dezen had to go back to his ship. Q’rell insisted on walking with him to the dock. The docks themselves were already packed with his crewmates, who were waiting for permission to get back on the ship. 

“Dezen! Over here!” a new voice yelled out.

Closer to the jetway, a human was jumping up and down and waving an arm, trying to catch her cousin’s attention. Vivid purple hair was bouncing up and down with each jump.

“Come on. I want to introduce you.” Dragging her forward, Q’rell found herself in front of the human, who had stopped jumping at their approach. 

“Did you enjoy your leave?” Dezen asked the human, “I did not see you walking around anywhere.”

“I did. I was just glad they had a salon here,” she answered before turning to Q’rell. “Well who’s your friend?”

“This is my cousin, Q’rell. Q’rell, this is the friend I told you about.”

Q’rell waved her hand in the way humans do, “It is wonderful to meet you. I like your hair.”

The human waved back with one hand while fluffing her vibrant locks with her other. “Thanks. I was a bit nervous about it , so I’m glad it looks good.” 

As the human asked Dezen about his day, Q’rell quietly laughed to herself as she noticed something.

The human’s hair matched Dezen’s face paint.

[warnersister]

Tom Riddle x Reader

Tom Riddle x Pregnant! Reader

Warnings + Summary: Tom being a nicer version of Tom, old fashioned views, non-con pregnancy, teen pregnancy, arranged marriages, dom / sub dynamic, controlling / possessive Tom, toxic Tom

Fucked. That’s the only word you could use to describe the situation you were in - you were totally and utterly fucked. Whatever were you going to do? You paced back and forth in your dormitory as the thoughts and questions weaved and wrapped around the many veins of your brain which were now becoming apparent to you that they were useless in their entirety. How could you be so stupid? So reckless? You bit your nails anxiously - walking in your room for a good twenty minutes still unable to come to an educated conclusion.

You were pregnant and you had no fucking clue about what to do about it.

You’re a seventh year, potentially your most significant point of wizarding school. But you’re seventeen, a year off of being an adult. And unmarried adult - what would your parents think? A child outside of wedlock would be blasphemous! They’d disown you! And Tom - oh Merlin, what about Tom?

You and Tom had a rocky relationship as it is. He’s too domineering and charming and you’re too conforming and feisty to say no go him. It was like cat and mouse if the mouse laid down in the cats dinner plate and handed it cutlery. Tom rules your life by his own means and you felt it was okay to let him, after all what harm could come by it?

This. This harm. Tom had told you of his plans to rule the wizarding world and you had just nodded along, not thinking anything of it. But a child? He’d kill if! He’d kill you. You were going to die. Oh dear god you’ll be dead my morning if you told him.

“Hey- hey! Are you alright?” Your dorm mate asked. You hadn’t even heard her enter your shared room, but as soon as you heard her soothing and concerned tone you broke down into her arms crying. “I’m pregnant, Darla.” You told her between sobs and she reassured you as he caressed your back gently. “Is it Riddles?” She asks when your tears dry and you nod into her shoulder. “He’s no father. He’s hardly a partner. I allow him to control me but there is no way I’d allow him anywhere near a baby, regardless of whether or not it was his.” You say, angrily. “And I’m guessing he is unaware?” She asked and you nod. “Only just found out.” She understood but explained to you how you’d have to tell him. It was ethically and morally correct to inform the father of a child of his position and future.

You’d avoided Tom and his ominous stares for a few days now. But you could feel his eyes baring into your skull, reading your mind. You knew he was eyeing you and your untouched plate of food at breakfast and unusual concoctions that were boarder line criminal at dinner. You knew you were unable to avoid him forever, after all he had made it clear that he was in charge.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” A voice asked, pushing you against the cold stone wall of an empty corridor. You looked into those death grey eyes and said nothing, attempting to wriggle out of his hold. “Stay still. Don’t you dare try to run away from me.” He threatened. “Fuck off, Tom.” You say, fighting back and you could’ve sworn he’d given you a shocked smirk. “Excuse me? Who do you think you’re talking to? Need I remind you that I own you, princess.” He hissed into your ear as he leans down to your height.

Tears begin to form in your eyes and he surveys your face without any changing emotion. “Talk to me. Now.” You inhaled deeply before glancing between the floor and his eyes. “I’m pregnant.” You say, voice barely above a whisper and it feels as if the world stops - you are shaking, body shutting down as it prepares for all the ungodly torturous and murderous spells you had seen him unleash on his other victims, it was only a matter of time until you became one, also.

Yet he smiled. Thomas Marvolo Riddle smiled. Something you had never seen before. Everything was going according to plan, he thought. He’d spent many sunrises and sunsets trying to convince you to be by his side while he brought his fascist views into this land and ruled all by any means necessary. Your reluctance was infuriating, to say the least and he had found the only plausible solution was to impregnate you with his offspring. Afterall, a poor defenceless girl like yourself needed protecting. Now with a foetus in your womb? He’d put you in lockdown, a dungeon, a high tower with no doors. He would make you his queen whether you would give him your hand or he’d have to cut it off and take it by force.

“Tom, why are you smiling?” You ask yet his expression didn’t drop. “Don’t you see? Silly girl. This baby is what we needed. Just you, I and our child. We shall bring uprising to the world with you by my side and a child on your hip. We shall be indestructible.” You thought for a minute before the cogs ticked into place. “You did this on purpose.” You spoke breathlessly, lurching away from him in disgust.

“Now, now. That is no way to speak to your future husband. You will learn your place the easy way or the hard way.” He’d even spoken to your parents of whom had a strong pureblood line since Merlin’s time and they were more than happy to offer your hand. “Come along now, you must plan the wedding and pick out baby items - I shall plan our takeover.” And with a flick of his wand, you were out cold on the floor, easy to pick up your sleeping figure and take you back go his chambers, where you would stay.

[daintyys]

cowboy like me

fem!reader x billy the kid, 2k words, slight violence (gunfight), slight gore (nothing major), mentions of blood, mentions of death, swearing (like once), fluff, intentional lowercase

ever since you could remember, you loved adventure. growing up on the family farm, your mother had to sometimes lock you in your room to deter you from climbing trees, or trying to wrangle one of the cows. that didn't stop you, obviously. you learned to be careful, and though it did come with a few scraped knees and broken windows, you always managed to stay safe.

it was just your safety that worried your parents when they broke the news to you. "y/n, darling," your father sighed one evening, sitting you down at the kitchen table. you furrowed your brows, bracing for the seemingly bad news that was about to be shared. you could see your mother had tears in her eyes. "yes, pa?" you hesitated, clutching your skirt anxiously. "your grandfather passed, and your mother and i gotta go to santa fe for the funeral." sighed your father, gazing down at the floor.

you'd only met your father's father once, and your mother's parents had never been in the picture, so this news didn't particularly rattle you. "i'm sorry, pa." you soothed, rubbing your father's arm sympathetically. you looked up and saw your mother pacing the dining room, arms crossed over her chest. "i'm going to stay here, correct?" you guessed, seeing as your father didn't say anything about you tagging along on the trip. "correct..." your mother whispered, clenching her jaw.

"what's going on, ma?" you stood up, crossing the room to your mother. upon closer inspection, you could see tears running down her face. "ma!" you gasped, pulling her into a hug. "we're just worried to leave you, with all the violence going on around here..." she sniffled, smoothing down your hair. "oh dear, there's nothing to be worried about! that's why we have billy coming." your father croaked, stress clearly on his mind.

you paused, pulling away from the hug with your mother. "billy?" you questioned. you'd heard of him around town, and from your parents. he was infamous for his various crimes across the area. "billy bonney... aint he a murderer?" you questioned, an uneasy feeling in your stomach. "you could say that, or you could say he's looking out for the good of lincoln." your father admitted, rubbing your back gently. "you're leaving me with him? i reckon that won't look too good on us." you simply could not believe your parents would leave you with a delinquent.

"trust us, y/n. he's helped us out plenty. he's a good boy, probably the only boy i trust around you." your father groaned. he had a point, billy had returned a few of your family's horses back from thieves a few weeks ago. "i dunno, darling, i'm still weary about this..." your mother drawled. she had always been worried about your safety. "i'll be okay, ma." you took your mother in your arms once more, and felt slightly less concerned than before.

your parents left before you had woken up the next morning, and once you were awake, you dreaded going downstairs. you could hear his footsteps, his humming, the smell of a cigar, his presence. billy the kid, in your home. you finally stood up, being careful to avoid any squeaky floorboards in your room. you got yourself ready, and quietly opened your nightstand drawer to retrieve your pistol. you could never be too careful, especially with an outlaw.

you tucked your pistol into the pocket of your jacket, and made your way downstairs. it was like your heart was in your chest. you could have sworn you were going to have a heart attack. slowly, you rounded the corner of the hall and entered the kitchen, and chills went up your spine when you saw him.

he didn't seem all too scary in the flesh. he was tall, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, and he was sat at your kitchen table, reading the daily paper. he was handsome. you cleared your throat quietly, and he put the paper down. "hey there." billy hummed, standing up to shake your hand. he looked down towards your pocket, noticing your pistol. "you won't need to use that on me. promise." he chuckled, reaching out to shake your hand. reluctantly, you took it and greeted him.

"i made some eggs, if you want some." billy muttered, running a hand through his hair. "i heard." you murmured, fixing yourself a plate. "was i really that loud?" the man grinned, pulling a chair out for you to sit in. nodding, you sat, and ate your breakfast. billy sat in front of you, resuming his newspaper. the room was tense, and it sure as hell wasn't 'about to shoot your head off' tension.

finally, after what seemed like months, billy spoke up again. "so, you're how old? 16? 17?" you couldn't help but snicker. "19." billy put down his paper again, a shocked look on his face. "what's a girl your age doing unmarried?" he questioned. you were taken aback. "that's not old at all, mr. bonney." you retorted. "well sure, but haven't you got your sights on a husband?" you couldn't believe him. how dare he ask such bold questions when he just met you?

you scoffed, cleaning up your dish. "didn't mean any harm, miss. y/l/n. just curious. "you turned around to face him, and took a second to admire his handsome features. he simply had the most likable face, and you couldn't help but smile when you made eye contact with him. "please, call me y/n, mr. bonney." billy smirked, standing once more. "then i ask you call me billy." you nodded, and made your way to the front door.

"where ya' going?" billy questioned, following behind you. "for a ride." you said as you left the house. "mind if i join?" asked billy, jogging to walk beside you. you shrugged, looking up at him to see he was already looking at you. the two of you quickly turned away from each other awkwardly. "sure..." you groaned, not sure what the uncomfortable tension was between you two.

you made your way to the barn, and you began to tack up your horse. you could feel billy's eyes boring into you, studying your every move as you went through the steps of preparing your steed. as you reached for your saddle, billy ran up next to you, trying to take it from your hands.

"let me get that for you." he insisted. you pulled the saddle back into your arms, shrugging him off. "i've got it. done this a million times." you grunted, throwing the saddle onto the back of your horse, and then adjusted the girth and stirrups. billy prepared his own horse, and then leaned against the wall to watch you. petting your horse, you gave her an apple. "what's her name," billy asked. "shes gorgeous." you grinned, kissing her muzzle. "it's dolly." billy chuckled. "a doll riding a horse named dolly." you blushed, face growing hot.

once you were ready to mount, billy was right at your side again. "let me help you." he declared. with your nodding approval, he placed his strong hands on your hips and lifted you onto the saddle. your blush grew even stronger, and you could swear you even saw a hint of redness on billy's face.

"ready?" you giggled, turning to billy. "ready." he coaxed, a fiery look in his eyes. you flashed him a smile, dug your heel into your horse, and you were off. it was glorious. you loved this feeling. freedom. if you got to choose what heaven would look like, it would be just this. wide, open fields, wind in your hair, your horse, and maybe even a certain boy. billy caught up with you, laughing thunderously. "i thought this was casual, not a racetrack!" you shook your head. "nothin's casual with me, bonney."

you sped up once more, a grin plastered across your face. turning to your left, you noticed a few men on horses in the distance. your smile faded immediately. "hey bil-" you began, but were cut off by the ringing of a gunshot. you heard a whiz coming toward you, and then a searing pain shot through your hip. you yelled out in pain, looking around frantically for billy. you could feel hot blood pouring out of your side, running down your body. then you spotted him, racing around you, gun drawn.

"off the horse- shit, you're shot?!" he yelled out, noticing the dark red stain on your dress. you nodded, biting your lip to cope with the pain. "i'll take care of this. get off the damn horse and hide behind those bushes." he motioned towards a patch of woods, and gunfire began to ring out again. you hopped off dolly, whimpering at the pain that was shooting through your body. grabbing your horse’s reins, you limped off towards the trees, hand clutching your side.

you couldn't believe this. not even 24 hours after your parents had left, and you were shot, maybe even dying. you slumped against a boulder, leaving a trail of blood behind you. you could hear an explosion of gunfire, but didn't dare to look. you were already in enough trouble, and you sure didn't want to see any dead bodies.

almost as soon as it had started, the gunfire died down. you held your breath. was billy dead? was someone going to be coming for you? what would happen now? footsteps began to trudge through the grass, and you clutched your pistol in your pocket. as the unknown person approached, you whipped around, pointing your gun at them.

billy, stood, raising both his pistol-holding hands. he had blood splattered across his face, and just when you thought he couldn't get more sexy. "easy cowgirl." he panted, quickly kneeling down to tend to you. you dropped your arms, taking a sigh of relief. "may i?" billy questioned, motioning towards your wound. you nodded, and shut your eyes tight. you didn't want to see anything too gorey.

billy gently retrieved a knife from his pocket, and cut your skirt to get a better look at your wound. he winced, inspecting the severity of it. "doesn't look awful, basically just a graze. didn't hit anything major. bleeding isn't too bad." he concluded. "you reckon i'll need surgery?" you groaned, putting pressure on your side. "nah, i can probably stitch you up myself." nodding, you began to stand. "woah woah woah. hold on now." billy bantered, covering you up with your skirt. he then scooped you up, gently putting you on his horse.

billy rode back with you to the farm, pulling dolly along as well. you looked up at him, taking in his scent, the feeling of him, the closeness. his jaw clenched with every contact your bodies made, and you could hear his heart racing in his chest.

billy carried you back inside, clearing the kitchen table to create a makeshift surgical bed. "billy, this isn't necessary at all, i know how to-" "i'm taking care of you, y/n. that's what i promised your folks i would do." billy affirmed, placing you upright on the table. you sighed, groaning at the pain. "there's a needle and some thread in my nightstand, and some towels in the washroom." billy nodded, and ran off to gather the supplies.

once he was back, he carefully began to clean your wound. you watched as his eyes darted from your gash to your bare thighs, and you couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside his head. with steady hands, billy began to sew up your wound. "shit." you hissed, gripping onto his shoulder. "that's not very ladylike." billy chuckled. "hush." you tittered, not able to hide your amusement.

after finishing with your wound, billy looked up at you. his face reddened, and the lack of contact between the two of you was almost unbearable. "y/n..." he whispered. "billy." you breathed, cupping his face. "have you ever met someone, and they're just so damn magnetic? like, immediately, you feel drawn to them?" he purred, kissing your hand. you nodded. "i have felt that way, billy." he smiled. "even if you don't really know 'em all that well?" grinning, you brought your face closer to his, lips barely touching. "yes, billy."

asks 🩷

an: hii i'm back... this is prob cheeks, it's been a while and i need to rewatch billy the kid desperately. also wanted to write this so i could show off that i did horseback riding for like 6 yrs. yes i'm reposting this so sorry if you've already seen it... i made the mistake of posting it at like 1 am so ofc nobody saw it 😣. i kinda wanna make this a series, so pls pls pls lmk if you think i should, i rlly need some active moots/followers opinions to keep me motivated😭

[itsyagurlchip]

Hihi! ^w^ saw your requests were open annnd i was wondering if you could do a husk x reader [romantic + established relationship] where reader is his lucky charm. Like he just has such good luck when they’re around him (especially when he’s gambling). Just make it super cute n fluffy :3

☀︎⋆.ೃ࿔*:･The Best Gamble Love Can Give☀︎⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

ᯓᡣ𐭩 warnings: super fluff attack(!) cussing(!) gambling/alcohol addiction(!) wife-coded reader(!)

ᯓᡣ𐭩Guys I swear to God if y'all don't correct my grammar imma find y'all houses and eat your waffle fries/j. This one is super cute anon! Thank you for requesting <33 I want to make some hearts explode with this one. Would you be fine if I made you Husk's spouse? (tehe)

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Even if he didn't win, he still has you. And that's more than luck could ever grant.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 !!For those who don't play, Speed is a game where you have 20 cards to discard, and two discard piles. You have to place down each card (one by one) as fast as you can, in order, and whoever runs out of cards first wins. If there are no more cards to place, you grab from the piles on the sides to continue the game. All while keeping 5 cards in your hand at a time. While you don't need to know this in order to read the story- it will be helpful to know bc I'm not that good at explaining card games.!!

Husk kept on losing, and it was starting to piss him off. Today's redemption exercise was to practice to eliminate the need for gambling; ironically, Husk was chosen to lead the rounds of games. The current game was Speed, with Hellish versions of playing cards.

And he was losing. So. Bad.

Everyone was sitting in the main area, with the usual furniture switched out for tables and chairs. Husk growled, but kept his composure.

"Where's the serenity at, dear Husker? Getting 'chaff' now are we? I guess the cat does lose it's skill, after getting too curious of course." Alastor said, antagonizing him further. Husk banged his fist on the table, making the sinner in front of him jump a bit.

"Fuck!" He grumbles out. The first 5 were won easily, but for some reason these past 30 something games have been no luck.

At first, the goal of the exercise was to play a few games, and quit. You know, to discourage bad behavior but still have fun. But right now, even without a genuine bet, he was setting a bad example. He knows. The sinner in front of him was playing swiftly and skillfully. His wing twitched and he grimaced as his mind stuttered.

But he just had to win. He has to keep going.

Charlie was getting concerned, but he waved her off. Everyone else was finished with their rounds of games, it was time for a new activity. But Husk wasn't gonna allow himself to lose like this.

Not to a damned practice game.

Then you walked next to him. One by one, he rapidly placed down cards in order. His partner did as well, speed was the game afterall. His ear twitched as your heels softly clacked against the floor.

"Hey Husk, baby. You doin' any good?" You said, your voice dripping like honey over his ears. But then he remembered the game. You were worried, Vaggie told you he's been going on like this for hours non-stop. It's almost nighttime.

"Yea, don' worry. Imma win this game in just a minute." He responded, gruffly as he missed the chance to place his ace. He put down a 4 over the five in the second discard pile then. 2 cards left in his deck, but none that followed the order of the discard pile. Fuck.

His partner had 1 card left, probably a king considering the cards that were already placed down.

You kissed his fluffy forehead, relishing in the near silent purr he let out.

"Alright sweetheart, finish up the game so everyone can go to sleep." You fidgeted with his ears in your hands for a bit, before letting go and sitting at the bar.

Watching from afar, you saw that he won. But he wanted to play again. This time though, you didn't allow it. Vaggie saw that you had it handled, so she went up to the elevator. Probably to her room with Charlie, you guessed.

You stood up, walking towards him again with a glass of whiskey, swished with chocolate hints. You placed it in front of him while he was shuffling the cards, not before taking a sip.

The affectionate way it is then.

"Hey, you." You said, slowly rubbing up and down on his fur. You could feel it bristle in shivers before relaxing. Your chin rested on top of his head, lifting a bit to see what he was doing.

"Hey? You just talked to me a few minutes ago." He began to set the cards up, so you pluck them up and stacked them away into a withered box. His wing flapped in annoyance.

"I know," you chuckled. "I just knew you wouldn't last long without a drink. Nothin' too sweet of course." You finished, pushing the drink towards him.

While you couldn't eliminate his addictions, you could switch them for others in small amounts, enough to distract him to bed. You can't fix him, he can only help himself when he chooses to. You both know that.

"You know me too well, Sugarpie." Husk smiled, before talking a gulp of the glass you gave him. Half of it was gone. "No cherry?"

You laughed a bit, placing the box in your pocket to put away later. No one was in the room, no one you could see anyway.

"Naw." You rested your chin back down on his head, wrapping your arms around him neck a bit. "You would just swing it away. No appreciation for its flavor-" You scoffed amusedly at the thought.

He was now distracted away from the cards and now on you, good. You could hear Alastor snicker before walking away.

"Ready to go to bed?"

ᯓᡣ𐭩

In the dark room, you slept. Husk didn't.

He was wide awake, in a way that still made him feel tired, but not sleep. On his back, he looked up at the ceiling in mindless thought.

Husk didn't mind though, as long as it didn't affect your sleep. He looked at you. Your breaths were soft, and slow. His eyes dilated, though one could never really prove it.

Grabbing onto your waist, he cuddles into your side just a bit more, and relaxes with a deep sigh.

You, in your half asleep state, reach for him. In which you succeed, running your fingers through the tuffs of his ears in an unknown rhythm. Husk purred freely now, he loved it when this happened.

How lucky was he, of all people in this shitty hell, to still have his wife in the afterlife? Sure, you may not have done great things, but he was afraid that the two of you would forever be separated by heaven.

How lucky was he, in all of his shitty problems and mental shit, to be able to still have you around? To have you want him around?

That thought had brought a soft smile to his face. In all of his gambles, this was the best one he's ever made.

I think I remember who asked this, but then again I'm answering this one late. soooo, if I tag you incorrectly I'm so sorry (@kltira )

I think imma call this place the "debriefing space" bc I always wanna ramble, but I'm never sure where. Also, so people won't have to read this before the oneshot/fic. Nothing here will be specific, maybe things I'm thinking while writing, or things that I sorta wanna discuss.

Rather than being a lucky charm, I was thinking reader to be more of a saving grace for Husk. Which he already finds lucky enough. While you are motivation to win, it doesn't always secure his place for it.

I know this trope is kinds overused, but you and Husk were married during life (yippee!!). You guys are just two old people who want to spend time with each other lmao. I sorta headcannon that when he starts to get too into his addiction, you kind of save him (BUT NOT FROM ALASTOR LMAO/hj) and that was one of the reasons why he married you. Not only to keep himself in control, but to see you guys thrive together <33

you are quite literally his only silence from this hellhole.

{Can we just talk about how when Angel Dust nonconsensually touches Husk ppl call it "cute" and "aww", but when Valentino nonconsensually touches Angel it's now bad? likkke. we love the show but we gotta get some new writers for season 2 and fans who don't mischaracterize everything they see.

I'm now only really starting to think about this- and the double standard is starting to be more noticeable to me. Like when Sir Pentious was saying "no" but those demons still dragged him into the sex room. But that scene was used for entertainment rather than "Hey this is a serious moment" like Valentino was.

I'm all for HuskerDust, but you gotta realize when a character does something bad and does nothing to redeem from it, no matter if they're a part of the main cast or not. (isn't that what the show is supposed to be about- redemption? y'all do understand how destructive this behavior is and how it can easily make HuskerDust toxic right?). }

we need the option for another 'keep reading' thingy bc I talk too much. ignore my yapping.

૮₍˶• .•⑅₎ა tags: @kittykittyanon @bonefanatic @oleander-nin @towomatos @thealphagirl

૮₍˶• .•⑅₎ა@ziipzeepzop-eez @wheezdostuff @spongejuice @cyb3r-st4r @matteo-hamato

@clown-froggi

if you would like to be added, check my blog. if you would like to be added, check my blog. SEE? I SAID IT TWICE!!

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Outbreak Pt 3 (LU in Healthcare)

(Content warning, this is a plague fic, it will likely hit close to home, and there’s dark humor and character death in this part)

It started off as a whisper, but the whisper became a chatter, a groan, constant and disturbing and growing ever closer.

Cases were on the rise in the city, though the surrounding area seemed unaffected still, for now. City officials were growing concerned, and restrictions were starting to be enacted. People were asked to stay home, if possible. As for the hospital and squads…

Hyrule squinted at his email. "Wait. Didn't... didn't they say we could use alcohol wipes to clean the equipment?"

"Yeah," Mo called from the kitchenette in the station.

"Now it says we can only use bleach wipes."

Mo groaned. "Isn't that like the third policy change this week?"

"I'm still trying to figure out if we're doing a specific isolation truck or not anymore," Aurora mumbled. "Like we just had one truck dedicated to the high risk iso cases, and now we're getting so many calls for it that it's a moot point anyway."

"I think the last email said put plastic over everything for Arfy patients and then wipe everything down that you use," Mo replied.

"Wait, which email?"

Hyrule sighed. This was getting ridiculous. And he was getting just a little nervous. “When in doubt, just bleach everything, I guess.”

Aurora huffed. “Did you see the email about the respirators?”

“Which email?” Mo threw his hands in the air, exasperated. “I’ve got twenty new emails!”

“I suppose that means you’ll actually have to read them now,” Aurora noted with a snort.

“Do you all think it’ll get worse before it gets better?” Dawn asked, wringing her hands worriedly. “The OMD made it sound like that would be the case.”

“Our medical director knows more than I do,” Hyrule shrugged. “If he says it’s going to get worse—”

“No, he didn’t just say that, he said ‘it’s not a matter of if the wave hits us, but when,’” Aurora quoted, standing. “He scared the hell out of Dawn.”

“They’re pretty foreboding words,” Hyrule commented darkly, looking away. It was the main reason he was getting nervous. But he was also steeling himself. If they were in for a fight, he would face it head on.

“Okay, but what does any of this have to do with the email about the respirators?” Mo asked as he scrolled frantically through his email.

“Oh, we’re supposed to wear N95s now,” Aurora answered with a wave of her hand.

Hyrule blinked. “Wait. Aren’t—aren’t we supposed to get fit tested for those?”

“Oh, yeah,” Aurora nodded, rolling her eyes. “Here’s your official fit test: pick a mask that fits.”

“We’re all going to die, aren’t we?” Dawn questioned worriedly, hugging herself.

“Nobody’s died from Arfy yet, I don’t think,” Mo noted. “At least not here.”

“People have died,” Aurora corrected.

“Well, maybe we’ll die, then,” Mo amended.

Hyrule laughed while Aurora swatted his partner. Well… at least they’d die fighting. But he really hoped it wouldn’t get to that point.

While the rescue squads struggled to keep up with policies and slapped shoddy safety regulations into place, the hospital clamped down even further. Visitor policies had officially been revoked as of today, and it made all the providers somewhat uneasy.

In some aspects, it was helpful. In others, it made things that much harder.

Arfy patients were medical patients. Which meant the medical floor and ICU was quickly filling up while other parts of the hospital either maintained their quota or decreased as people stayed home. More and more, Four found himself floating to his friend’s ICU, and he felt fairly out of his depths about it. The one good thing was that he got to spend time with Dot. But as cases rose, so did the stress, the worry, and the heartache.

The ICU felt less like a unit where critically ill people got better and more like a place to go to die.

Four and Dot had the same patient assignment for four days in a row. It was the same assignment because nothing had changed with the patients. Intubated, sedated, paralyzed, some proned. The amount of sedation required to keep their patients under was far more than Four was used to, and it was insane how little it would take for their oxygen saturation to drop. Any semblance of activity in the body increased oxygen demand, and the instant oxygen demand increased, no amount of intervention from the ventilator seemed to help. ECMO was a word Four had hardly heard in his trauma ICU, but he heard it on a near daily basis now, being considered at rounds, being initiated with someone else’s patient.

Four was exhausted. His face was breaking out from wearing a respirator for twelve hours at a time. His feet and knees and hips hurt from standing in isolation rooms for three to four hours at a time trying to cluster all his care. And now, with the visitor restriction enacted…

Visitors were hit or miss, particularly in Four’s world. Trauma precipitated drama, and while family could be infinitely helpful and supportive, he’d also seen things go awry, had to deescalate fights or call security. In some aspects, he was thankful there were no visitors while all of this was happening; he was tired of having to explain that yes, you have to wear this gown and gloves and mask, no you can’t kiss your loved one while they’re intubated and sedated with a contagious disease… but still. He couldn’t imagine how hard it was on the family - the patients were sedated to the point that they shouldn’t be aware of anything, but the family had to agonize over the matter at home.

He didn’t like it. He understand the logic. But he didn’t like it.

And so here he sat, holding a patient’s hand while they withdrew care. Here he sat, being the only witness to someone’s last breaths while their family mourned from afar.

Four watched the heart rate steadily drop. He watched the oxygen saturation plummet. He muted the red alarms as the monitor screamed that his patient was dying, that something should be done, like an accusation and call to arms when Four knew this particular fight was over.

He wasn’t a particularly religious person, but he said a prayer for the patient and the family either way. He found himself praying a lot these days, honestly.

While the visitor policy took its toll inside the frame of work, the restrictions both inside and outside the hospital were causing further stress on everyone. Warriors had basically banned Wind from seeing him, opting to stay with Time and Malon instead, leaving the kid in the apartment. He brought food deliveries to the door, asked if Wind needed anything, but he always did so when Wind wasn’t awake - the teenager had swore up and down that if anybody got Arfy he’d take care of them, and Warriors was terrified of that promise as it was basically a threat. Time agreed that Wind didn’t need to get involved, much to the teenager’s chagrin, and Wind found himself already struggling from the loneliness and the frustration of trying to study for classes online when nobody knew what they were doing or how long this would last.

Meanwhile, Wild sat in his room, fingers aimlessly tracing over each other, the smell of bleach so fresh in his nose from scrubbing everything relentlessly for hours on end that he might as well have inhaled a bottle of it. His chest hurt. Not to mention that new disinfectant they were told to use made him cough a lot.

And he worried. Because… it had been a few days since he’d seen his father. Legend had given him updates through his sister (and made Wild swear not to tell anyone about her), and it had sounded like he was improving as expected. But now, he… the rest of the family…

It felt like a blessing and a curse. It was a guarantee that Wild couldn’t run into his mother or sister by accident, but it was also a situation that his mind screamed that he address.

He couldn’t just… he couldn’t just leave his father isolated and alone recovering in the hospital in the midst of an outbreak. He couldn’t.

But what if visiting him made things so much worse? What if it stressed his father’s recovering heart? What if it triggered more traumatic memories for Wild? He was terrified of getting anywhere near the man while he was awake, but his heart screamed that he go to him.

Wild refused to be a coward. And he refused to be heartless, despite how anxious this entire situation made him, despite how his mind screamed he keep away. So that night, when he got on to work, he took a delivery to the cardiovascular ICU and paused in front of a doorway, looking hopefully for a familiar nurse.

“Link? Wild?”

Jumping, Wild turned around to see the nurse in question, watching him scrutinously. She smiled (or at least, he assumed she did, based on how her eye crinkled above her mask) in recognition. “I thought it was you. You here to see your dad?”

Wild swallowed and nodded.

“Good, because the drama I’ve been trying to avoid has been driving me insane,” Legend’s sister said lightheartedly, but despite the casualness of her tone, the words sank into Wild’s stomach like a stone.

“Drama?” He questioned quietly.

“Nothing like… bad, I suppose, but still,” the nurse explained. “I’d be in there taking care of him and overhear him talking to his wife and he’d mention that he swore he saw you. I’m not entirely sure she’s convinced. She seems hopeful, though. But I figured it was best not to bring it up myself since I, ah, don’t know what’s going on.”

Wild felt his blood freeze. His father remembered? And he’d told his mother?

Great. This was… this was just great.

“Go see him,” Legend’s sister prompted gently. “I can tell he loves you very much and just wants to know you’re ok.”

Wild’s eyes unexpectedly burned with tears in an instant, and he was grateful he was wearing a mask to hide his expression. He nodded, hesitantly making his way towards the room.

It all seemed so normal, seeing his father sitting in a recliner looking at his phone. Wild wasn’t even entirely sure he’d recovered memories of his father like that, but somehow it seemed familiar. Abel hadn’t noticed him yet, engrossed in whatever he was looking at, brow slightly furrowed. That expression drew memories, a familiar scrutiny that he would often give Wild himself or his sister, a quiet concern and sternness that made Wild want to stiffen up and simultaneously run to him.

Damn it all, he’d missed him.

Wild swallowed his fears and stepped forward, hoping that this wouldn’t be a disaster. He knocked on the door, initially so quietly that his father didn’t hear him over the chatter of the news on the television. He knocked again.

His father looked up. Stared a moment. Went a shade paler.

Wild hastily stepped forward. “W-wait, don’t get worked up—”

His father stood, seeming mostly steady on his feet, and tried to walk to him, heedless of the cords and oxygen tubing attached, and Wild hastily met him part of the way before he ripped everything out of the wall. Abel immediately pulled him to his chest in the tightest hug Wild had ever felt, and…

And Link sank into the embrace, crying.

[dfortrafalgar]

I'm Losing You

Having a family isn't always as easy as fairy tales make it seem.

Warnings: Read chapter 1 for warnings.

Additionally, I've been getting a lot of (understandable) messages concerned about the wellbeing of our lovely reader and Law, so I made a helpful little graph just to document the overall progression of the story and where you are so far as of this chapter :)

Do with this what you will <3

Taglist: @phsycochan | @mirillua | @augustanna | @chaixsherlock

Chapter 8

[Prev] [Next]

Law’s entire world was curled up on a hospital bed, an IV fluid drip in her hand and her eyes closed tightly shut, afraid that if they opened they’d have to relive the reality of the situation all over again.

You had continued bleeding throughout the car ride to the hospital, rendering the impromptu toilet paper pad completely ineffective.  Both what was left of that and your underwear were placed in a biohazard container, and you were placed in a fresh pair of hospital garments with a maxi pad that really operated similar to a diaper.  The bleeding also made you incredibly weak and lightheaded, leaving Law to sprint into the emergency room, grab a wheelchair, and bring you inside that way.

When he woke up this morning, he never would’ve guessed he would be seeing you in a hospital bed in the small emergency patient room.  You had showered and eaten breakfast, kissed him and pet Bepo.  Now you were actively expelling what was most definitely a miscarriage.

A gentle knock resounded outside the shut door.  You didn’t even move in reaction, staying inhumanly still with your eyes closed.  The door opened regardless however, and Law was met with the friendly, yet somber, face of your gynecologist.  Robin entered the room with a clipboard in her hand.  Law recognized her instantly, not as his wife’s gynecologist, but as a former classmate in medical school.  He never thought that she’d be the one taking care of this entire situation, and part of him was regretful that she had to see this side of him.

“Small world, huh?” Law asked, though his voice lacked any enthusiasm.

“Indeed it is, I was just reading the latest paper you published.  I was wondering how you were doing after residency,” the woman responded.

Law huffed with a minimal bounce of his shoulders.  “You could probably guess how I’m doing.  But, thank you for taking the time to drive here from downtown.”

“Of course, it was oddly good timing.  I have no patients at the clinic for the rest of the day.”  Robin’s lips pursed all of a sudden however, as she got down to business.  “I would like to talk to you privately, if that’s alright with you.”

The man’s eyes narrowed in concern.  “Why privately?”

Her voice lowered to a whisper.  “I’m not sure your wife is in a stable emotional state to hear what I have to say.”

With the way you hadn’t moved since you arrived, your IV drip slowly administering your fluids and a clip on your finger monitoring your pulse and oxygen levels, Law was starting to wonder if you had stressed yourself into a deep sleep.  He didn’t want to wake you to find out.  Instead, he quietly followed Robin out into the hallway, asking a nurse at the front desk to monitor your room for him.  He followed his former colleague into a small meeting room, where she shut the door behind the two of them for complete privacy.

“Law, I know you can handle the more… gritty side of things, so I’m going to be completely blunt with you,” she began, covering her clipboard of papers with her hands.  “I’m sure you’re already very aware, but your wife is currently undergoing an eight week miscarriage.  Her follow-up appointment from last week was supposed to be in two days, but clearly, we were correct in the possibility that she was seven weeks along when we couldn’t detect a heartbeat.”  It was then that she moved her hands, shuffling through the papers in her clipboard before producing a copy of your patient assessment and a small, enclosed envelope.  “Before I begin, I would like to ask you a few questions.  I was informed that you had blood work and a semen analysis done to confirm your fertility, correct?”

The non-professional side of Law felt slightly uncomfortable discussing the results of his semen analysis with his former residency colleague, but he knew this was crucial information.  He nodded, folding his tattooed hands above the table.  “Yes I did.  My hormone panel from the blood test came back completely normal without any anomalies, and the semen analysis showed a completely normal sperm count.”

Robin nodded, opening the envelope as she listened to him speak.  “Understood, so it’s safe to say you are fertile.”

“I would assume so,” he confirmed.

The black-haired woman produced a small set of photographs from the envelope.  “With that confirmed for me, I would like to show you these photos from your wife’s ultrasound last week.”  She laid out the small assortment of photographs, but held one down with her hand and used her pen to point out the barely-identifiable contents of the image.  (Which Law was grateful for, as he admittedly had no idea what he was looking at.  His brief rotation in gynecology did very little to cement the process of a uterine ultrasound.)

“This large black space is the amniotic fluid surrounding the embryo,” she described, moving the capped end of her pen around the space.  “This white blotch here is the embryo at around six weeks gestation, which I theorize is when it ceased development.  As you can see, it’s still attached to the wall of her uterus.”  Two taps of the pen against the image punctuated her statement.  “This area surrounding the amniotic fluid is the uterine tissue.”  Robin looked up at Law.  “Understood?”

It took a brief moment, but Law finally nodded his head.  “Yes.”

Silently, she moved the first image out of the way and replaced it with another one.  “Now I would like to draw your attention to this one.”

Law leaned forward in his seat, assessing the new image.  It looked completely different than the first, and he quietly waited for Robin to begin to describe what exactly he was supposed to be focusing on.

“This was taken at the beginning of the ultrasound.  My technician placed the transmitter on the left side of her abdomen before moving it toward the approximate location of the uterus to detect the fetus.  We were able to see a glimpse of her left ovary during this time.”  Once again, the pen tapped a specific area of the image.

Law’s heart rate increased.  “Please don’t tell me what I think you’re about to tell me.”

Robin shook her head.  “Not cancer,” she confirmed.  “However, do you see this patch of tissue right here?”  She circled the area.

He didn’t, really, but he nodded his head to urge her to continue.  

“It can’t be confirmed without surgery, but I have a strong suspicion that this is endometrial tissue.  I reviewed some of her patient notes and recalled certain appointments where she would inform me of abnormally heavy periods, but she never mentioned anything more specific, such as intense pain during menstruation, so it never seemed to affect her life outside of that.  But looking at her ultrasound images, I’m highly suspicious that she may have endometriosis, which can greatly negatively impact fertility.”

Law clenched his jaw.  “What kind of surgery is done to diagnose that?”

“We would confirm the diagnosis with a laparoscopy.  A small cut is made in the naval, and a thin instrument, similar to a camera, is inserted into the incision to scope out potential endometrial tissue.  In many circumstances, a similar laparoscopic method is used to surgically remove this endometrial tissue, however we would need a definitive diagnosis in order to perform this with confidence.”  Robin was stone-faced as she explained.

Law had a million questions racing through his mind.  He wished he could sit and ask all of them, but the most pressing one forced its way out of his mouth first.  “Will she ever be able to have children?”

“After a successful recovery from this miscarriage, and a successful recovery from laparoscopic surgery to remove endometrial tissue, if that is the case, then yes, her chances of becoming pregnant will remain.  However, women who experience at least one miscarriage have a higher likelihood of experiencing more, so you must take this into account if you decide to try for conception again.”

He nodded.  “I understand.”

Robin collected her paperwork, reviewing your patient chart once more.  “Other than the potential for endometriosis, her physical health is perfect.  There would be no other reason to me why she wouldn’t be able to have children, other than this one big issue.”

Law stayed silent as she explained.  He stood up as she did and followed her to the door, blindly keeping pace behind her as he was led back to your room.  The door was pushed open slowly so as to not potentially disturb you.  The nurse from prior stood from her seat, entering the hallway and quietly whispering to Law.

“She fell asleep, her vitals are good, however she should remain on fluids for a while longer.  Her blood pressure was lower than normal and her iron levels were reduced,” explained the nurse, who’s own eyes were creased with a sympathetic concern.

Law gave a curt nod.  “Thank you very much for staying there.”

“Of course, it’s my pleasure.  Come back to our desk if you need anything,” she replied before leaving to continue her work.

Robin held her clipboard under her arm.  “I’m going to return to my office and write a referral for a diagnostic laparoscopy, but I won’t make the official call until she gives me her full permission.  Does that sound good?”

Law nodded, rendered completely mute.

“Call my clinic if you need anything at all.  Tell them who you are, and I’ll make sure your calls get sent right to me.”  Robin was about to turn on her heel, but she looked back once more at the forlorn man.  “I don’t usually do that for my patients, but I know you, Law.  I know how genuine you are.  I can see how much you love your wife and how the both of you are eager for a successful pregnancy.  I want to do everything in my power to help you achieve that.”

Law inhaled a shuddering breath.  “Thank you, Robin, I… I appreciate that.”

She nodded her head, finally turning and pacing down the hallway.  Law entered your room once more and closed the door behind him.  He stood at the foot of your bed, following the hose from the IV bag down to where it was connected into the skin of your hand, taped in place to prevent its movement.  Your face was tucked into your arms, shielding your grief from the world.  The pulse monitor was moved from your index finger to your middle finger, constantly giving readings of your blood oxygen and iron count.

Law took his seat again, resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his head into his hands.  He only picked his head up to look at the digital clock on the wall.  It was already almost 5:00 PM.  He shoved his hand in his pants pocket and took out his phone, opening his text messages.

Hey, Shachi, can you or Penguin go to my apartment and feed Bepo?  If you could take him for a walk, too, that’d be really appreciated.

It didn’t take long for his phone to buzz with a response.

Dumb Orca

Yea of course. everything good????

Law sighed.

I’ll explain everything later, but we won’t be home for a little while.

Dumb Orca

Ight, bet. hope youre good

Law did really not want to explain the events of the day over text.  He placed his phone back in his pocket before eyeing your bag that was laying against the leg of his chair.  He reached down and fumbled quietly for your own phone, lifting it from your bag and illuminating your screen.  He input your passcode and glanced through your own texts.

Ika-chan

Hey girlie is everything alright???  Law came in to grab your bag

Ika-chan

Text me back as soon as you get this, i’m really worried!!!!!

Ika-chan

I love you boo xoxo

Nami Swan

Hey babes u left ur lunch in the kitchen fridge

Nami Swan

Where did u go???

Nami Swan

I’ll protect ur tupperware for 2day, but if u dont come back by 5 im letting usopp eat ur lunch

Nami Swan

U know how sanji feels abt wasting food

God Usopp

Hey can i have ur lunch

Boss-y

(2 Missed Calls)

Boss-y

(1 Voicemail)

Boss-y

Hey, your husband came in and picked up your bag.  He informed reception that he was taking you home, I hope everything’s alright.  Please call me back when you can, just so I know you’re alright.  If you need some time off, just feel free to let me know that as well so we can work around the project.  Don’t stress yourself out about coming back in too quickly, if something happened I want you to recover first and foremost.  Best wishes.

Law pressed the button on the side of your phone to set it to sleep mode before slipping it back into your bag.  He leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at your backside, curled away from him.

[cariantha]

Scored

Book: Open Heart, Book 2 Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: General Category: Fluff; Thanksgiving; Christmas Word count: 2.1K Prompt: From @jerzwriter, “Sawyer wants to get Ethan a very expensive Christmas gift that she can't afford. Then, she sees it's on sale on Black Friday at 50% off. Now - she's determined to get it for him, even though she's working that day. How does she get it done?”

Black Friday...

It had been over a month since the poison attack, and Sawyer returned to work just a week ago. Between her overprotective secret boyfriend, concerned roomies, and nosy coworkers, her every move was monitored as she walked the hospital halls. So when she reached for the handle of the supply closet, she looked to the right toward the nurses’ station. No one was paying her any attention. Then, to the left, finding the coast clear. 

As luck would have it, though, Bryce was paying attention. He leaned back from the nurses' station, catching her slip into the closet. He lingered for a few minutes to see if she would emerge with supplies or something worrisome like tears. 

In the small dark room, Sawyer leaned against the shelving and attempted to load the Williams Sonoma website. 

A couple of weeks ago, she searched online for top-of-the-line espresso makers. The search results left her feeling disappointed. The models were way out of her price range. But thanks to the Google ads tracking her browsing history, she was alerted to an almost-too-good-to-be-true Black Friday sale on the fancy coffee makers. 

“C’mon, c’mon,” Sawyer whispered as the website buffered. She should have guessed the network connection would be poor in this room made of concrete walls. 

The spinning circle on her screen showed no mercy. Defeated, she threw her head back and blew a frustrated breath toward the ceiling. 

Having allowed a reasonable amount of time to grab supplies, a concerned Bryce barged into the closet, witnessing her huff. “Brooksie? What’s wrong? Why are you hiding in the supply room?” 

Sawyer looked down at her phone and saw that the webpage finally loaded. “Of course,” she said to herself and sighed. “I’m okay, Bryce. I just needed a minute.” 

His pager buzzed, and he checked the message. “Shit, my patient is crashing. I gotta go. You sure you’re okay?” 

“Yep. Totally fine. Go,” she shooed him away.

Bryce tackled her with a quick hug. “I’ll catch up with you later,” he promised as he hurried out and down the hall. 

🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒

Figuring she could hide out for a few minutes under the guise of selecting a snack from the vending machine, Sawyer stood in the small alcove and tried to load the Williams Sonoma website again. 

Her heart fluttered with excitement as the page quickly loaded. She added the espresso machine to her virtual shopping cart and clicked the checkout button to finalize the purchase.

Excitement quickly turned to irritation when her PayPal password would not work. “Some of your info isn’t correct. Please try again.” The same message appeared after her second and third attempts. She would have to reset her password, which would mean checking her email and verifying her account. 

She groaned, leaned forward, and banged her head a couple of times against the glass of the vending machine.

“Brooks, is there a problem?” 

With her forehead still pressed against the glass, Sawyer swiveled her head to the side and saw Zaid Mirani facing her with his arms crossed over his chest. 

Though his tone and demeanor hid it well, the fact that he asked her a question rather than barked a demand hinted at his concern. She didn’t want to confess to the chief resident that she was doing something she shouldn’t be doing at work, nor did she want his pity, so she straightened and slapped a button on the vending machine. When nothing happened, she looked back at Zaid with a frown. “The machine ate my dollar.”

🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒

Sawyer sat at a table in the staff lounge on her lunch break, hoping the chrome contraption with confusing buttons and levers was still in stock. While the Georgian chicken leftovers Ethan made last night for their version of Thanksgiving dinner warmed in the microwave, she pulled out her phone, reset her PayPal password, and navigated back to the Williams Sonoma website.  

Because she had previously attempted to check out as a guest, the website didn’t save her previous shopping activity, and her cart was empty. On the home page, she was distracted by another gadget that would be a perfect gift for her dad. It was also on sale. Combined with the espresso machine, the total would qualify her for free shipping. Score! She added the item to her cart and returned to the Breville product page, where a warning glared in red font. Quantities are limited - Order soon! Sawyer cursed under her breath and quickly added the item to her cart. 

Just then, her pager rang out with an urgent message requesting backup in the ER. Leaning forward on the table, she buried her head into the crook of her elbow and whisper-screamed. 

Sienna, who received the same page, saw her friend’s display of distress as she walked past the lounge. Immediately concerned, she stepped backward until she stood in the lounge's doorway. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked as Sawyer stood and quickly repacked her lunch.

“Yeah. Just can’t seem to catch a break today.”

🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒

A couple of hours later, Ethan entered the reception area of the free clinic dressed casually—jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes. His jacket was open in the front as if he had been in a rush to leave home—and he had been after Sienna called to express concern that Sawyer was distressed. 

Despite his unusually casual appearance, the administrative assistant at the front desk recognized Dr. Ramsey immediately and buzzed him through the door that separated the reception area from the rest of the clinic.  

Sawyer said goodbye and followed her patient out of the exam room as Ethan rounded the corner and came into view. “Hi, what a nice surprise,” she greeted when he approached. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to check on you.” He looped an arm around her waist and ushered her toward an empty imaging room at the back of the clinic. 

Ethan closed the door, but Sawyer started speaking before he turned around to face her. “I’m fine, Ethan.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” she asked, confused. 

“Pretend.” He moved in front of her and reached for her hands. “You know you don’t have to pretend to be okay with me. If you’re having a bad day… if today has been too much, I’ll find someone to cover your second shift or do it myself. I know you’re trying to make up for your time away, but you’ve been through a lot. Everyone will understand if you need to pull back.”

Sawyer cupped his face with her hands and looked him in the eye. “I promise you, Ethan. I’m o-kay,” she emphasized. “Honestly. I haven’t thought about the attack stuff at all today.”

His eyes shifted back and forth between hers while she dropped her hands from his face to his shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. “I promise,” she repeated.

“Okay.”

“Did you really come in just to check on me?” she asked, lacing her fingers behind his neck. 

“Yeah.”

“Why did you think I was having a bad day?”

“Trinh called me.”

“Why?”

“I asked her to keep an eye on you,” Ethan explained. “It was the first day since you returned that I wouldn’t be around.”

“Ethan, I appreciate the concern, but…” she trailed off, racking her brain to think of anything she did or said that would have caused her roommate’s concern. She came up blank. “What made Sienna think I was having a bad day?”

“She said that you were crying in the breakroom and that Bryce found you hiding in a supply closet, and Zaid saw you headbutting a vending machine. She thought you were overwhelmed and was worried about you working another shift tonight.”

“Oh.”

When she didn’t elaborate, Ethan prodded further. “So, why were you crying and hiding in the supply closet?”

“I wasn’t. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Then what was it?” 

“It was noth-”

“Sawyer,” he admonished. “Talk to me.”

“Ethan, I wasn’t upset. I was just mildly frustrated about something. It’s not a big deal.”

“Frustrated about what?” 

“You should have become a detective, you know. You’re great at this interrogation stuff,” she huffed.

“And you’re avoiding the question…” he countered, tugging her close and squeezing her waist. “Frustrated about what?”

“Ugh!” she grunted, pressing her forehead against his shoulder to hide her face. “I was trying to score a Black Friday deal, okay!”

“What?” he asked with a surprised laugh.

“I was trying to buy something online but kept getting error messages or kicked off the internet. I tried again on my lunch break, but that got cut short when I was paged to the ER.”

“Were you eventually successful? Did you score the deal?”

“Nooo!” she fake cried, shaking her head against his shoulder. “I’m sure it’s the universe’s way of saying I shouldn’t have been shopping while working.” 

Ethan chuckled again.

She leaned back and flashed her get-out-jail smile that he could never resist. “Don’t tell my boss, okay?” 

He smacked her backside playfully. “Why can’t you ever just stay out of trouble? Huh?”

She shrugged.

“Have you eaten yet?” Ethan asked. When Sawyer shook her head no, he suggested they head to the cafeteria for a quick meal together before she started her second shift. 

After dropping their trays of food on the table, Ethan went to fill their drink cups, and Sawyer pulled out her phone. She opened the internet browser and refreshed the page. Her lips turned down in a frown when she saw the note on the page: "Out of Stock." Deciding the deal was, in fact, too good to be true, she pocketed her phone to focus on more important things like her dinner companion and her job.

🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒

On Monday morning, a loud snore woke Sawyer just as the sun began to rise. Ethan would usually stop snoring if she tugged him into a spooning position, and she could claim another coveted hour of sleep. But a thought occurred to her as she internally groaned that the weekend was officially over. Today was not just any Monday. It was Cyber Monday. With a glimmer of hope, she quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen. 

Perched on a stool at the island, Sawyer sipped on a glass of orange juice and pulled up the Williams Sonoma website on her phone. She nearly squealed when she saw that the fancy coffee maker was back in stock and on sale again. She quickly added the item to her cart, entered her payment information, and completed the purchase. She pumped her fists in the air when she got the confirmation email.

“What’s got you up early and so excited this morning?” Ethan asked in his gravely morning voice, hugging her from behind and pressing his lips to the top of her head.  

Sawyer quickly flipped her phone over so the screen was face down. “I was hoping some Black Friday deals would be offered again since it’s Cyber Monday. And they were. I was able to score the deal I wanted last week.”

“Mmm, good for you,” he murmured into her hair. “If you’re done, how about you come back to bed and let me score too.”

Christmas Day…

After working all day so that their colleagues could enjoy Christmas with their families, Sawyer accompanied Ethan back to his apartment so that they could spend the rest of the holiday together. 

The leftovers from the meal Ethan had prepared were now put away, and the couple relaxed in front of the roaring fireplace. Sitting up from where she had nestled against him, Sawyer asked, “Can I give you your present now?”

“I told you you didn’t need to get me anything…” 

She ignored him as she moved behind the couch to retrieve the large, heavy, neatly wrapped box she hauled into his apartment the night before. “And I told you I did anyway when you helped me carry it in last night. Here. Merry Christmas.”

As Ethan started to peel away the festive wrapping paper and got a peek at what it was, he paused and looked up at her with surprise. She was smiling so big and proud. He shook his head when he finished unwrapping it and read the details on the box. 

“I remembered you talking with the owner at Derry’s about wanting one and that this was a really good model.” 

“Sawyer, this is amazing… but I-I can’t accept this. I know what these machines cost. You shouldn’t have spent so much.”

“It’s okay. Seriously. I scored an amazing deal.”

“Was this what you were trying so hard to buy on Black Friday?” he wondered, flipping the box over to appreciate the different features. 

“Yes,” and she nodded affirmatively.

“Come here, Rookie.” Ethan set the box on the coffee table and pulled her into his lap, pressing a long but tender kiss to her lips. “Thank you for being so thoughtful and making such an effort.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I love… I love it. I can’t wait to try it out.” 

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @peonierose  @potionsprefect @trappedinfanfiction 

@jerzwriter @queencarb @coffeeheartaddict2 @quixoticdreamer16 @jamespotterthefirst 

@liaromancewriter @tveitertotwrites @tessa-liam @youlookappropriate @kyra75

@socalwriterbee @txemrn @midnightmelodiz @snoopdogcone

@rafasgirl23415

[yourstarvic]

Summary: Starting a new job is always exciting. Especially with it's taking care of four hungry Jackals. So, here you are, working your way with their crazy antics and filling in for an advertisement.

Pairing: MSBY Jackals x Manager!reader, no romantic pairs...(yet? Still thinking about it...Maybe do a poll? Let me know what ya'll think)

Prev - Masterlist - Next

Another day at work, another day that wasn’t your day off.

Standing far from the quiet wing spiker, watching as the makeup artist touch him up. You smiled as Sakusa did his best not to make a scowl, hating people close to him, especially his face. Tearing your eyes away, you looked around, seeing how everyone was running around, fixing the set, making sure the cameras were working and position correctly. Seeing as everyone was went around their business, you had one thought, “Why did I had fill the PR job!”

It’s wasn’t that you were complaining, it was an honest questions. You were new, little over a month to the job, and sure you have done PR jobs, being a volleyball manager in college, you know a bit. But why you? All you wanted was to sleep in and enjoy what was supposed to be your day off. But you had to admit, the set did look amazing. Shooting a cologne ad, the directors went in the direction of wanting to be sexy and seductive, while also staying classy. You didn’t know there was something this grand in Osaka. The grand staircase, the crystal chandelier, the decor, it felt you were on the set of the Phantom Of the Opera. 

Noticing the people around Sakusa have left, you saw an opening to go to the only person you know. You took a good look at him, the makeup did amazing on enchanting his feature, especially with a silk black button up, the top buttons open for his chest breath through, and paired perfectly with black slacks, you needed to remind yourself you have a boyfriend waiting for you at home. 

“Are you nervous?” You asked, approached him carefully, not wanting to ruin his mood more than it already was.

Clicking his tongue, his dark eyes stared down at you. You never know what he was thinking, always having a cold expression. “I should be asking you,” Sakusa voice had some concern, you think it did, laced in his voice. “You seem nervous.”

“I guess it’s a bit intimidating,” You hummed, looking around once more. 

“Sorry, that your were dragged into this.”

“Don’t worry about it,” You smiled at the spiker, noticing how his expression soften that you held no ill-temp of coming with him to the event. “This seems really cool, especially seeing the behind the scenes of an cologne ad. It would be fun being filmed.”

You giggled when Sakusa rolled his eyes, an annoyance painted his face as he crossed his arms, “Nothing fun about being filmed.”

“That bad?”

“The lighting make it hot and sweaty,” Sakusa listed, “having people close to me, telling me what to do, what to wear, how act. It’s annoying. I though you’ve done this before?”

“Not like this,” Looking around at the everyone. Seeing how much money was spent to create this ad. “The most I’ve done was help advertise the volleyball club durning my college years.”

“Some experience is still good experience.”

“Not in this case.”

“Sakusa Kiyoomi!” A man’s voice echoed throughout the hall. Turning behind you, you saw a man walking towards the two of you, dressed in a designer clothing, something you always thought a director would dress. You sniffle the giggle, seeing him fit the director stereotype. With open arms, he forcefully pulled Sakusa into a hug, making your face turned into concern as you saw the irradiated tick appearing on the poor spiker head. “So good to see you here! Happy they you are part of this! Big fan! Go Wolves!

“Jackals,” Sakusa corrected, final out of the mans arms and dusting himself off.

“Same thing,” the director waved off, “The model should be here getting ready, in the mean time-”

“Actually, sir,” you guessed it was his assistant, seeing how close and documents she had in her arms. “The model won’t be coming in.”

“What do you mean she isn’t coming it!”

“Something happened and-”

“You!” His finger now appeared in front of top you face, making you blinked at the suddenness of his voice. “You seem the same size as the model,” he then circled you, making you look at Sakusa in nervousness, shaking your head at him as you have a feeling you know what was going to happen. “Nice completion, hair could use a touch up, make up as well,” he snapped his finger, looking back at him as you rapidly shook your head no, “get her dressed up!”

“She doesn’t have any experience,” Sakusa countered, seeing the panic expression on your face as you were rushed to get dressed. “She’s just a manager, she doesn’t have what it takes to be on film, especially to replace a modal.”

Harsh, you thought, sending a glare at Sakusa, who only ignored your eyes. But the director did not care what words was said, telling those around him his vision of what the ad should be. Happy, that nothing will stop his effort of creating the greatest piece of his work.

You were soon standing in front of Sakusa, feeling the thing martial of the silk black dress that was held tightly by a corset, with the off the should sleeved loosely on your arms. You makeup was done and hair was done beautiful by the makeup artist. You only saw yourself when passed by a mirror, not able to appreciated how you look, but you had a feeling you looked amazing. A telling sign was those around you loudly whispered how beautiful you looked, making your cheeks heat up. 

Seeing his eyes widen at your appearance, you felt small. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you tried to lift the off the shoulder straps up to cover at lest your shoulders, but they only fell gracefully down. “Don’t look so surprise,” you mumbled, looking at everything but him.

“No, um,” He hesitated, looking away from your form for a bit before looking back at you. “You look good.”

“I knew it would fit,” the director gleefully came to you, looking at you with pride. “Now we film!”

Sakusa was right, filming was not fun. Not fun at all.

Having to retake the same gesture, walking, even a hand on on a shoulder, everything needed to be done until it was deem perfect by the director. You were exhausted. With the director issuing a five minutes break, you placed your hands on the railing, enjoying no one telling you what to do. 

“(L/n)-San,” your heard your name called out behind you. Answering with a hum, your head slowly perked at one of the makeup staff. With the brush and palate prepared in her hands, you turned your body with a sigh, smiling at her with a nod, understanding what was needed to do. Touching up your makeup for the majority of the time. When she finished, you thanked her before she walked off. 

“Still think this is fun?” Sakusa asked, walking up to you with a cocky smirk.

“Shut up,” You mumbled. Leaning your back against the cold railing, you placed your hand on either side of you. You ignored Sakusa chuckle, rolling your eyes, “Sorry for assuming this would be fun.”

Sakusa about to respond back, but before he could, the loud voice of the director boomed, causing you to quickly turned around, looking below to see what he was saying. “A vision!” He exclaimed, Placing his hand over his eyes as he woo over the idea he had. “I was blessed by an angel! I know the perfect scene to do! (L/n), Sakusa! All thanks to you! You are my inspiration! My muse! Quickly get everything ready! You two! Stay where you are!”

Everyone quickly buzzed around at his order, getting everything ready for the next scene. Glancing at Sakusa, next to you, you scrunched your face in confusion. Sakusa didn’t turned to look at you, rather he just clicked his tongue in annoyance as he glared at the director. Does he know something? You thought, blinking at his behavior as you looked down to the director as he quickly raced to the two of you. 

He quickly told you his vision that was graced to him by the angels above. Telling you what you need to do, need to feel, need to act, he described everything that was expected. With each word he describe to you, the warmer your face felt. Leaving right as he finished, you stood in shock, not knowing to express what to feel. Everything you done today was innocent, just a walk, maybe a small spin, a dance, a hand on the arm but this? This is madness.

Looking at the Jackal next to you, you knew what expression to feel: upset. There, written in his face was disgust. Scoffing at him, you started to get in the position the director wanted you to be. “You don’t have to look so disgust,” You spoke with a sneer, trying to hid your upset. “This isn’t ideal for me either.”

“I just don’t want to do it,” He mumbled, getting in position. “I’m tired of this."

There the two of you were, your back against the railing as Sakusa trapping you in. The director yelled a start to practice. Sakusa eyes bore into your as you only stared at him. Taking the lead, a hand gently touched your lower back, making you tense as it lightly grazed up your back. His face moved closer to yours, closing your eyes tightly shut, and slowly breathed to calm your frantic nerves. To others around you, it looked as if he was about to kiss your lips, but he then slowly titled his neck. Wanting to move his face into your neck, his lips accidentally graced your skin, making you open your eyes in shock with a sharp gasp, causing Sakusa to halt his movement, his eyes glancing back to your face, looking for any discomfort to-

“Why did you stop!” The director yelled in anger and disappointment. “It was perfect! The tension! It was erratic! It was sexy! It was perfect! Again! And this time we are filming! No way we’re missing this.”

Releasing a shaky breath, you placed a hand on your cheeks, feeling how hot your face become. You felt Sakusa eyes looking at you with a hint on concern, to which you only shook your head and let out a determined huff, “Let’s get this over with.”

Going back into position, the direction then yelled action. Trapping you between his arms, slowly trailing a hand from your lower back to your upper back. Closing in to your face and ducking into your neck. With his now moving to your shoulders, he lightly grazed his fingertip on your arms, goosebumps appearing in trails with his touch. With his fingers now having through yours, he slowly raising it closer to his face. Saying the phrase that was needed to him, he place a gently kiss on your pulse, making your breath hitched in your throat. Saying the catchline of the cologne, he then ducked his face and buried in your neck, having a tight hold on your wrist as-

“Cut!” The voice boomed with pride and excitement. With those words, you and Sakusa pushed away from each other, you feeling embarrassed about the whole situation while him, you assumed was the personal space. But why is there is tint of red on his cheeks? “Fantastic! Amazing! Now, do it again! But this time add-”

Never doing an advertisement again, you thought.

With filming finally over, your body felt tired from the embarrassment events from today. Now back in your regular clothing, you hold a garment bag close to you, at least finding something positive of the day, keeping the beautiful dress you wore. Sakusa, who was also back in his own clothing, also hold a garment bag filled with the clothing from the shoot, listening to what the director and producer were saying about the ad. You weren’t listening, it required to much of your energy, and it was something you were lacking of at the moment. And if there was a question regarding the shoot, you could always ask Sakusa about it when the moment arise.

A farewell broke you out of your tired trance, smiling as they left, the director swooning over the amazing shoot and the producer keeping a cool stance as they walked away, you breathed out in relief that the day was officially over. You turned to face Sakusa, about to mention how excited you were going home, but the moment his eyes looked at yours, you quickly tuned away. Thinking about the final scene in your head, you still felt the longing touch on your wrist and neck. Your face instantly started to heat up at the thought.

“Sakusa-San,” your voice cut through sharply. A sudden thought appeared to you. This ad will be seen by everyone. Given they told you in the beginning they will do their best not to show your face when publishing it, but the thought of the your team, family, and friends seeing it haunted you. “Tell anyone about this, and I’ll cough on you.”

“I-”

“Tell anyone that it was me,” You cut him off, sending him a warning look that made the tall man finch in fear, “I’ll sneeze on you.”

Sakusa only nodded at you, fear of saying anything to you would only increase the threats. Especially when you suddenly smiled at him and walked with a bounce on your step, him following you as you cheerfully said, “Now, let’s go home!”

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Notes: Hey! hope ya'll are enjoying it! I'm going to try and post once a week but if I don't please don't hate me <3 also 🫣 can you tell Sakusa is my favourite 🫣

Taglist: @usermins @walllflowerrrsss

[spectacled-renegade-writes]

Boyfriends... - Ben 10

Description: Something Ben did has Rook questioning human customs. So, he calls Gwen to ask if it's normal.

Relationships: Rook/Ben, Gwen/Kevin, Rook&Gwen

Tags: Humor, Fluff, Friendship

Ao3: Here

-

Rook could not conceivably believe that this was normal human behavior. So, in times such as these, he called Gwen – she was always a reliable source of information. After leaving Ben’s house for the day, Rook got into his Proto-Truk and dialed Gwen’s number while driving back to headquarters.

“Hello?” Gwen’s voice sounded through the cabin after three rings.

“Hello, Gwen.” Rook replied, focusing on the road. “Apologies if I have interrupted anything, but I have a question I need to ask you.”

Over the phone Rook could hear footsteps and a door closing, then Gwen said seriously, “You didn’t interrupt anything. Is everything okay?”

It had not been Rook’s intention to worry her, and it suddenly occurred to him that he had probably sounded very cryptic. “Everything is quite well,” he replied evenly. “I merely have a question regarding human behavior I was hoping you could answer.”

Gwen laughed over the phone. “And here I was stepping away because you sounded so serious.”

“I am sorry for the distress.”

“Misunderstanding, not distress,” Gwen corrected, amused. “What’s your question?”

Once again reminded about why he called, Rook grimaced. “Ben did something while we were at his house that perplexed me, and I was hoping you could tell me if this is normal.” Gwen remained silent, which prompted Rook to continue. “We decided to have a movie date at his house, and after the first movie ended he told me that I could choose the next one.”

“How is that weird?” Gwen asked.

“It is not,” Rook replied. “It is what happened after that I found weird. While I searched for a movie Ben got up from the couch and went to the kitchen.”

“Uh huh? And?”

“Well, when he returned, he held a plate that had a single pancake on it. He proceeded to sit back down and eat it in silence. When I went to the kitchen I found that there were no other pancakes, which means that Ben measured out the ingredients for a single pancake and did not offer to make me any.” Rook paused. “Perhaps I am overthinking this but it seemed very odd at the moment.”

“I swear, sometimes I think boyfriends aren’t worth the trouble,” Gwen sighed over the phone. She sounded rather exasperated in Rook’s option. “No, Rook, that is not normal human behavior at all.”

“That is a relief.” Rook smiled. “I was beginning to think I was overreacting.”

“I can assure you, you weren’t.” Gwen laughed. “You want to hear something Kevin did the other night?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“Get this,” Gwen began. “Like two nights ago I woke up to Kevin calling my name. When I opened my eyes, the clock on my nightstand read three in the morning!”

“Something must have been wrong.” Rook frowned.

“That’s what I thought too,” Gwen agreed. “But when I asked what was wrong he replied, ‘nothing. Here, babe. I brought you a rib’.”

Rook blinked. “Wait… what?”

“I had the same thought! Apparently Kevin was slow cooking some ribs and I guess they were done in the middle of the night. We ended up eating ribs in bed at three in the morning. It was the weirdest experience ever!”

Rook did not know what to say to that. It was indeed odd. So, he said the only thing he could think of. “Did they taste good?”

“They were delicious!” Gwen yelled. “But that’s not the point.”

“I agree,” Rook nodded. “Not the point.”

“You know, Rook. Sometimes I wonder if you didn’t get the idiot gene all boys have since you’re not human. Either that or you weren’t dropped on your head as a baby.”

“Ben and Kevin were dropped on their heads as babies?” Rook frowned. “That is much cause for concern. Do you know if they suffered any brain damage?”

“I don’t think they actually were,” Gwen smiled over the phone. “That’s just my working theory on why they can be such idiots sometimes.”

“Still,” Rook hummed. “We love them anyway.”

“Yeah,” Gwen agreed. “We do love them anyway.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Notes: If you know you know ;)

No but this literally came to me at 1 in the morning, and it is the dumbest thing I have ever written. Please, move forth with your night/day and think no more of this silly little one-shot

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

Mugwort_Dreams_Report_(1)

OK so firstly i think i took too much lol because it made me feel fucking HIGH i did not know this could HAPPEN !! i made it in a large cup of tea and used the amount i would use for sleepy time tea. It is also the worst tasting tea i ever tried lmao. shortly after chugging the whole cup, i started to notice this really drowsy/dizzy feeling, And when i finally was falling asleep, it felt like i had the spins, W/o the nausea. Wasn't expecting it at all & even this morning i still feel very dizzy, Unalert, Spaced out.

Good thing i looked it up online cus i found out you shouldnt drink it more than once or twice a week Due to the psychoactive property "Thujone" which can be hard on liver/kidneys. So i will wait A few days before trying again + Use a much smaller amount Necxt time ^_^;

My dreams were really LONG & winding it's actually hard for me To remember most of what happened because It felt like they went on for days & days. The first dream from before i woke up to pee is almost lost to me but i Do remember some crucial details.

Ok this is Not meant to be concerning It Is purely for context sake But i struggled a Lot with suicidal thoughts/urges This Is Not Anything New it's a lifelong thing but I guess LAtely it has been pretty Burdensome on my mind. And before I fell asleep i was sort of Having my usual spiral about it. Then,, in my dream, i was talking to this girl I Knew from tumblr but we haven't spoken At All in over 10 years Even on tumblr we were never close She's not someone i think about you know.

But i dreamt I was talking her down from killing herself. And i was saying like, Listen, I;m suicidal too, I totally get it, I understand, But we can't do this, we just have to keep going for now, We just have to, etc etc. And there was a man with blue skin watching over us smiling, i kept thinking, Omg it's Krishna !! Krishna is here !!! He was so comforting. OK idk why i just teared up typing this remembering how beautiful & serene he looked, & his presence. I can't remember what lead up to this in the dream. But when i woke up to pee i was still thinking omg, Krishna, Krishna...

That was probably the most important thing that happened all night

The second dream was EXTREMELY long, I can only remember bits and pieces, like in one part I was at A huge shopping mall i've been to before in other dreams, I was at a Used games store, And my worst ex from 2012/2013 was in there spying on me. Every time i would catch him staring i laughed in his face And made comments about how he doesn't scare me.

Then the part i remember most is that I was at this summer camp that was like, A square island in the middle of water, lined with bunk beds as if they were a fence, and there was one small Log cabin No one ever went inside. It was me and all these other people who looked to be in their older teens, We were all wearing grey sweatsuits, and we just lived in this barren dust square island, there was no plants or shelter or anything but no one cared. The water surrounding us was very dark and freezing but there were other islands in the distance w plenty of pine trees it looked like the Vancouver islands Area.

And all I really remember about this is that one girl had written a book about the history of tumblr (Fashion & trends & Stuff) Which she was really famous for & everyone would sit around reading the book & trying to recreate All the different hairstyles And they were all wrong LOL i was like Oh this girl is so young she has No idea what it really was like But i didn't say anything or try to correct her because i didn't really care + Everyone was having fun. At one point the girl who wrote the book decided to jump into the sea & try to swim away & i thought wow she is so brave i'm much too scared of The cold black water to try that.

Then i went to sleep in my bunk bed (bottom bunk) & watched myself sleeping in 3rd person & thought wow that mugwort really knocked me out I can't believe I can sleep so peacefully with all the people & commotion going on around me. (This part is funny to me now)

IDK at some point after this i woke up but it took forever for me to come out of the dream state Rly felt like i had to claw my way out. Like i said at the top of this post i still feel really dizzy And i could pass out again at a moment's notice lol. Yes next Time i will dose is out way more frugally.

Overall i'd say very interesting experience I wonder how the dream recall aspect of it is meant to work. My sister said the first time she tried it she didn't remember anything at all but the second and third time it started to work better. The dreams she told me about from when it really worked definitely feel similar to the length of my dreams last night and how it felt like Several days past.

That's all for now. PMD9