#teddy get a new phone challenge

[sabrinasprincess]

bob & teddy legit have the funniest arguments

[softdoctorreid]

warm hugs | spencer reid

summary: another agent makes a comment about spencer’s ‘dad-bod’, but how can he want to change that when being a dad is his favorite thing? anon requested platonic dad-bod spence whose kid says he’s comfy like a teddy bear 🥺🧸

• mentions of body image, food

+++     +++     +++

When your name lit up on his phone, it was a welcome sight in the midst of a day that had Spencer feeling down. “Spence, I’m so sorry,” you said. “I’m gonna be stuck at work a little later today. Could you pick Lily up from school?”

“Of course. Is everything okay?” he asked, leaning back against the wall of the empty office he’d taken refuge in.

“Yeah, just a last-minute meeting, it’s all good. How about I pick up some dinner and dessert on the way home as a treat?” He hesitated, and while he was the profiler in the relationship, you’d gotten good at reading him over the years. “Babe, is everything okay with you? You’ve never thought about turning down something sweet before.”

“No, it’s fine,” he said, trying to backpedal. “I don’t know, it was just a stupid comment another agent made.”

“What did they say?”

“Just pointing out that I don’t look the way I did a few years ago. Something about domesticity and putting on weight.”

Agent Hill had once been an assistant agent around the BAU bullpen until his transfer up to the New York Office. A training seminar had him back in the area for the first time in years, and he’d popped by Quantico to make a round of reunions. While he was chatting with everyone and making quips, he’d locked eyes on Spencer. “SSA Reid,” he’d said. “Haven’t seen you in a while! Looks like there’s a little more of you to see, huh? Domestic life must be treating you well.”

Spencer knew it was meant to be some sort of joke, but it didn’t lessen the way he felt suddenly too much, too conscious of the little extra weight he’d been carrying around his midsection since their daughter Lily had been a baby. It wasn’t something that normally bothered him, but then again it wasn’t something other people normally commented on, outside of you resting your head on his tummy and waxing poetic about how comfortable he was.

Spencer pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he drove to the school. Lily was always a welcome distraction from whatever he was ruminating on, but the way the four-year old was frowning in the backseat demanded particular attention. Her answers about her day were short and vague, unlike her usual cheerful self. It wasn’t until they got home that he finally got her to admit what was on her mind.

“I just wanted to finish my book during nap time, but Teacher got mad at me and she said I wasn’t allowed. The she took it for the rest of the day. It wasn’t fair,” she grumbled. “I just wanted to read my book!”

Spencer would talk to her later about rules, and maybe try to get permission from her teacher to let her read instead, but that could wait. Right now he just needed to get his little girl out of this funk.

“So you had a bad day, huh? And you’ve got some bad feelings now?”

Lily nodded, sticking out her lip in a perfect pout.

“Then I guess it’s up to me to turn that frown…” - he snatched her up in his arms, maneuvering her over his shoulder - “upside down!” Holding tight to her he spun them around until she was giggling, her little feet flailing, hands clutching at his sweater.

The moment he dropped her back onto the couch he began to tickle her, ensuring her laughter had no chance to subside. When she seemed to have tired herself out from laughing he finally let up. “That’s much better, isn’t it?” he asked. “I like seeing your smile. So tell me, what would help make these bad feelings go away?”

Lily thought for a moment, pressing her lips together in a thin line the exact way her father did when he was deep in concentration. “Can we make brownies? And maybe watch the Elsa movie?”

“Of course we can.” Both tasks had once been a challenge for him, but he’d learned to make a box mix without burning the house down over the years, and had long since surrendered to the fact that he could not escape the endless loop of children’s movies. While Frozen was ingrained in his memory after the first watch, he learned to tolerate the repeat watches and soundtrack plays for the joy it brought to his daughter. She in fact treated him to her own rendition of the songs while they stirred the brownie mix, her energetic demeanor returning as he probed her with questions about the movie’s characters and what was happening in her favorite books. Just before he placed them in the oven, she insisted on adding handfuls of brightly colored sprinkles into the mix, saying it was a magic ingredient.

Lily insisted on changing into a pair of pajamas with Anna and Elsa on them while Spencer set up a cozy nest of blankets and pillows on the living room couch. He started the movie while the brownies baked, slipping away to take them out of the oven while Anna sang about the impending coronation. With one brownie on a plate and two cups of hot cocoa, he returned to her side on the couch. “Here you are, princess,” he said with a small bow, placing the plate in front of her.

“Where’s yours?” Lily asked.

“Oh, I’ll have one later,” he lied. “After all, princesses have first dibs.” The truth was he hadn’t stopped thinking about Agent Hill’s comment. Maybe it was time to get back in shape, shed the new-dad weight he’d never quite lost. That would mean cutting back on sugar - his favorite of the food groups - and the time he spent lying on the couch instead of hitting the gym.

Lily inched close to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, her head resting on the top of his tummy. Spencer pulled the blanket up over her and draped an arm around her. It was his job to make her feel better, but cuddling with her on the couch was helping to dispel his own sour mood as well.

 “I think Olaf would like your hugs, Papa,” she told him. “You give the best hugs.”

“Is that right?” he asked.

She nodded, the movement tugging his shirt. “Yeah. I like hugging you. You’re soft.” That kernel of shame swelled up again at the comment only a child could make with such innocent bluntness. “And warm. Good for snuggling. You’re like a teddy bear! I love teddies, but I love you better, Papa.” As if for emphasis, she squeezed him in a tighter hug.

That bit of shame immediately began to melt at her words. Lily continued, her eyes never leaving the screen. “Cuz you can do all the things a teddy can’t, and you make brownies with me and you carry me when I’m tired and you’re the most comfy ever. That’s why your hugs are magic.”

They sat on the couch, Lily enraptured by the movie on the screen, and Spencer ruminating over her words. Warm, soft, good for snuggling. Wasn’t that what you were always saying too?

“Papa, are you going to eat a brownie?” Lily asked. “I put the sprinkles in so they’d be extra good!” The puppy dog-eyed pout was another expression she’d picked up from him, and he just couldn’t resist this time. Maybe he didn’t need to. He ventured back into the kitchen, returning with three brownies on the plate. She watched as he took the first bite.

“You’re right!” he told her. “These are the best brownies I’ve ever had!” And they certainly were when saying so produced such a huge smile on Lily’s face. She returned to her position snuggling up with him and he was content to indulge in the sweet treats before them. So maybe it wouldn’t help with the problem of his tummy, but maybe it wasn’t such a problem after all. How could it be when that softness was something his daughter and partner found endearing? If his hugs could make Lily happier and eating desserts was a moment he could share with her, why would he want to change that?

His body was proof of the thing he was proudest of in his life - being a dad. A dad who was always there, who loved lazy weekends snuggled up with his family and treating Lily to sweets she always offered to share with him. He loved that he was someone his daughter felt safe with, that his arms could offer comfort on the bad days and the good days and all the days in-between. 

When you returned home, you found them like that on the couch watching the end of the movie, Spencer caught red-handed with a brownie in his hand. Lily rushed over to greet you with a hug, happily babbling about her day as Spencer quickly finished the brownie before walking over to join you.

Distracted by the closing credits, Lily wandered back to the couch to sing along while Spencer welcomed you home with a kiss.

“Mm, you taste like chocolate. So you’re not still upset about that comment today?” you asked.

Spencer shrugged. “I don’t want to cut out the things that make life sweeter. Lily says my tummy makes me good to hug. Like a teddy bear. How could I give that up?”

You smiled. “She’s right, of course. I mean, I liked hugging you even when you were practically a bean pole. But you are much more comfortable with a little extra padding.” You gave his belly an encouraging pat. “And it’s nice to have more of you to hold onto.”

So his cardigans were a size larger these days, and he had to buckle his belts a couple notches looser than he had before. But those were signs his life had changed, his world had grown, filled by the presence of so much love and sweetness. Maybe there was a little more of him now, but he didn’t care so long as he had a little more to love in his life.

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tell me what you think here!

[fluentmoviequoter]

for the valentines prompts i feel like “could you have found a bigger teddy bear?!” and “i don’t know what kind of wine you’re meant to have with takeout, so i got both.” gives me such big tim vibes like it’s the first valentines as a married couple (or just couple in general) and tim ends up having to work a little bit of overtime causing him to be late so the teddy bear with wine and takeout is his way of apologizing

You're so right, those absolutely have Tim vibes. He'd be so apologetic and sweet about it! This is the first Valentine's Day as a couple in general. I hope you enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!🤍

Warnings: alcohol (mentions wine and glasses), brief angst, lots of fluff!! 1.4k+ words

The First (of Many?)

The first Valentine’s Day is special and stressful in a whirlwind of love, fear that something will go wrong, and your valentine. So, when Tim offered to take care of everything for your first Valentine’s Day, promising to make it perfect, you agreed.

“I really don’t mind doing something, if you need me to. I know you’re busy,” you offer.

He looks into your eyes, laying his hands on your shoulders. “I just need you to be there. I promise to make it special. I’m hoping it’ll be the first of many.”

You smile up at him and reply, “I am too.”

✯✯✯✯✯

When you return home on February 13th, Tim is waiting for you. He has to work on Valentine’s Day, but he has the night planned from the moment he gets off work. 

“Hi,” you greet quietly.

Tim stands, pulling you into a hug. “Hey.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I can’t visit now?” Tim raises his brows, a faux challenge.

“I suppose,” you hum, clutching his shirt. “But it’s a good thing I like seeing you.”

“That is a good thing.”

You lead Tim inside, and he lingers by the doorway to talk while you change and wash your face.

“What happened?” you ask.

“Why did something have to happen?”

You lean out of the bathroom doorway, your face soapy as you look at him.

“I just- I hate that I don’t get to see you until tomorrow night,” Tim replies.

“Tim, you’ve done so much to make the night perfect. I love seeing you, too, but the time that we do get is what matters.”

“You start writing cards for Hallmark?” Tim teases.

You shake your head, trying to move around Tim as you exit the bathroom. He grabs your waist, tugging you against him.

“I love you,” he says.

“I love you. And now you have a lot to make up for.”

Tim laughs, moving his arms around your waist to kiss you.

✯✯✯✯✯

While Tim finishes working on the 14th, you spend some time cleaning his house for him. Last night, Tim offered to let you get ready at his place to relax for the afternoon before he picks you up, and you accepted but wanted to do something nice for him. As it gets later, closer to the time Tim is supposed to be home, you get ready. Dressed in a beautiful new outfit that makes you feel amazing, your hair styled perfectly, and a smile as you anticipate your first Valentine’s Day with Tim, you grab his gift and sit at the table. Waiting for him to get home quickly becomes your least favorite part of the day.

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim is about to leave the station when he gets a call. As his phone rings, the radio on his desk crackles with static before the line clears. He wants to see you and spend the evening with you. All he wants to do is change and drive to his house, but he has to answer this call first.

“Calling all available units to Redondo Boulevard and Washington Boulevard. 7-Adam-15 requesting backup; shots fired.”

Being the good cop that he is, Tim responds to the call. He wishes he had enough time to call you and let you know he will be a few minutes late. Or, at least, he hopes it will only be a few minutes.

✯✯✯✯✯

You have no calls or texts from Tim, but it’s an hour after he was supposed to be here. You stand from the table and walk toward his spare bedroom, sighing as you pull your bag toward you and reapply your lips gloss, hoping that he’ll be home soon.

✯✯✯✯✯

Two hours of overtime later, Tim finally gets in his truck to go home. He grabs his phone to call you, but it’s dead. Tim tosses it in the passenger seat and hits the steering wheel. His apology needs to be good; he promised a perfect night, and there’s only a slim chance of saving it. Maybe Tim can save Valentine’s Day and make it a special night, even if it’s not the night he originally planned to have with you.

Driving to your favorite restaurant for takeout, he stops in a small 24-hour store and hesitates as he walks down the wine aisle. After picking two bottles, with no clue about what he’s doing, he gets distracted by what seems to be a life-sized teddy bear. 

“Can’t hurt,” he mumbles, pulling it over his shoulder to carry it.

✯✯✯✯✯

Your Valentine’s Day has turned into more of a self-care day. You’ve ditched your new shoes, stowed them in your bag, and are now sitting on the couch. A cheesy romcom is playing on Tim’s television while you try to forget about Tim. Unable to decide if you should worry about or be mad at him, you’ve chosen indifference until you hear from him and can decide how to react based on his explanation for leaving you alone on Valentine’s Day.

Just as the male lead in the movie proclaims his undying love, Tim’s front door opens roughly, hitting the wall behind it as you look over. Tim enters with several items in his arms, and you can’t choose what to look at first. An oversized teddy bear is hanging on the floor as it slips from his grasp, and two bottles of wine and a bag of takeout are balanced skillfully in his hands.

“I’m so sorry,” he says, nudging the door closed as his eyes stay trained on you. “I’m sorry; there was a call for backup, and it ended up taking longer than I expected, and then my phone died. So, I got you food, even though it’s not the reservation I had or anything. I went shopping too. I don’t know what kind of wine you’re meant to have with takeout, so I got both,” he rambles.

You stand, rounding the couch as he explains himself. You pull the wine and the food from his hands, setting them on the table as he quiets. Watching you, he waits for a reaction.

“I think as long as the wine isn’t in a box, it’s okay,” you say softly.

“You’re not mad?” Tim asks, his eyebrows pinched as you step toward him.

“Depends,” you hum. “Could you have found a bigger teddy bear?!”

Tim sighs at your pleased tone, and when you grab one of the teddy bear’s paws, he says, “If you’re mad, yes, I can find a bigger teddy bear.”

You chuckle, pulling it out of his arms. It’s nearly as big as you, and you hug it quickly.

“Thank you,” you tell Tim, over the bear’s fur.

“Could I- could I maybe get a turn?”

Laughing, you toss the bear onto the couch and pull Tim close. He hugs you tightly, whispering another apology in your ear.

“Stop apologizing. You had to work; I get it.”

“We’re redoing Valentine’s Day.”

“Tim, we don’t have to. Every moment with you is special.”

Tim nods before kissing your forehead.

“You got my favorite takeout,” you realize.

“Of course. Least I could do after making you wait. Although now that I see how amazing you look, I think we should go out anyway.”

“No, it’s perfect,” you reply. “And I can wear this any time.”

“All the time?”

Pushing Tim toward the table, you sit beside him and enjoy your unconventional Valentine’s Day dinner.

“Thank you,” you say again.

“I am so sorry.”

“I know, and I forgive you, even though there’s no reason to be sorry.”

“Sorry,” Tim whispers.

“If you apologize one more time, I will be cuddling that bear instead of you tonight,” you say, pointing your fork at Tim.

“I deserve that,” Tim responds, failing to hide his smile.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Tim.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

He pulls a box of chocolates and a gift bag from his side, setting them on the table beside you. You smile, sliding a gift box to him as well.

“I also got all of this,” Tim adds, lifting a bag of candy onto the table. “It was already on sale.”

The gifts are forgotten as you each take a few pieces of candy and chocolate, joking about what (and who) is sweeter.

You stand to take the empty containers and wine glasses to the kitchen. When Tim joins you, grabbing your hips and pressing his chest to your back, you say, “If you were wondering, this is absolutely going to be the first of many.”

Tim smiles, though you don’t have time to enjoy it as he turns you around and kisses you, tasting like chocolate, love, and many more special days to come.

[nina-renmen]

Yandere Pickle x Black reader pt.2

Reader is described as a female as well as taller than the average woman. Mentions of reader having braids

Part 1. Part 3

Pickle growled at the small man, Tokugawa looked up at Pickle. An annoyed glint in his eye. “ Maybe he’s attracted to her.” Tokugawa reasoned. The doctor beside him only shook his head. “ He has to be more than just attracted to the young woman.” He started, “ He was attracted to that reporter, physical attraction…that’s all it was. But with y/n there seems to be something else, maybe emotional?”

Pickle growled even louder, the primitive man had gone to sleep. His arms circled around you as if you were a teddy bear. He’d only rested his eyes for a few minutes, maybe an hour? However long it was the man woke up to find you gone. Only faint traces of your scent clinging to his body.

But now that scent was gone, the only thing left was his memory of your face. It’s been two days since he’d last seen you. The only other person visiting him was that strange man with the braid that challenged him.

Pickle grew anxious, did you leave him? Where were you?! Pickle opened his mouth letting out a loud roar as he yelled in frustration. “ Is he throwing a…Tantrum?” Tokugawa deadpanned. “ Yes…yes I believe so. It seems y/n’s absence is stressful on him.”

Tokugawa sighed fishing his phone from his pocket, “ I’ll give her a call.”

Y/n groaned as her alarm rang, her scalp felt tight to the point where it was almost uncomfortable. Ignoring the feeling y/n turned around and turned off the alarm on her phone. She didn’t have to work today at the dojo since it was Saturday. Y/n smiled to herself as she unplugged her phone before turning back around and nestling further into her blanket.

Just as y/n finally got comfortable her phone rang. ‘Tokugawa? What does he want?’ Y/n mentally groaned as she answered the call. The more the conversation went on the more y/n realized that she would not be spending her Saturday sleeping all day.

“ This better be good, I haven’t gotten a decent amount of sleep all week.” Y/n groaned as she walked through the same entrance as she did two days ago. Pickles yells could be heard but once your voice reached his ears he stopped, his yells silencing. Turning around he met your unamused figure. Y/n crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto one leg, she was very, very unamused.

“ Really?” She asked looking up at him. Pickles eyes widened. His golden orbs sparkling with life as he looked down at her. But when y/n hadn’t shown her teeth back he frowned. Bending down, the primitive man was now on his knees so he could get a better look at you. Tilting his head to the side, confusion ran through him. Were you upset? Why? You did look tired.

Pickle looked up and noticed your hair. A new smell coming from it. Small accessories implanted inside making his face noticeably show curiosity. Lifting up his hand, he reached out to grab one of your many braids. But the harsh contact against his skin made him feel his hand back. A whine erupting from him.

“ No! You’ve been a very bad boy.” Y/n scolded, placing a hand on her hip. “ Why did I get a call from Tokugawa saying you were throwing a Tantrum? That is not acceptable behavior!” Y/n reprimanded the much larger man.

Pickle only let out a whine in response, his face morphing into a frown. Once y/n was finished she took one more look at him. Did she feel bad? No, she could be sleeping right now. But did she think his puppy eyes were absolutely adorable? Yes, yes she did.

Y/n raised a hand, her hand coming down lightly onto of Pickles head. “ All I’m saying is that you can’t act like that.” She said softly, her hands raking through his hair. The sad expression seemed to disappear immediately as Pickle tilted his head to the side like a cat, leaning into her touch. His chest rumbled, a purr emitting from him.

“ Hey!” Y/n called out, tilting her head up to the top of the stadium. Tokugawa and the doctor sat there amazed by how calm Pickle was. “ Why is he…like this anyway? I thought he was aggressive?”

The two men didn’t have a concrete answer. They could only make out guesses as to why Pickle was like this. Only pickle knew why he truely craved for your attention, your touch and your scent. But it was a shame he would never tell anyone.

[heyidkyay]

And I'm petrified of being alone, now |

Part Twelve

Matty Healy x reader

Summary: She’s just trying to get by, really. What with being a single parent to her four year old son whilst simultaneously trying to kick start a successful career as a radio presenter. She’s got everything she’s ever wanted though, friends close by, a mum who’s merely a phone call away, and of course her baby boy. What else is there to wish for? But then, it’s not long before her relatively normal life gets upended and turned on its head, and she’s suddenly forced to deal with situations she’s never even thought to imagine.

What happens when one mention of a certain controversial singer on her show sends a flood of unexpected challenges her way? 

Authors Note: This part took way too long to write. Had a bit of writers block ngl, but I managed to get it done last night when I couldn't sleep. Be prepared for a load of fluff but also some surprises. It's a good chapter, I enjoyed writing it once I finally got into it! But I'm also sorry for long wait! Hopefully the next will be along soon.

> Just a reminder! We left off on the red carpet with Mouse and Matty:) You can look back here if you'd like!

Masterlist

Mouse Updates! @/MOAMupdates 22m ago GFC Charity Event! The gals are currently live and interviewing The 1975! So far we’ve had Jamie Bell, Peter Capaldi, Dylan and Jordan Banjo! 2TIME @/user1 WHAT was that? 102 @/user2  chemistrychemistrychemistry Ugh! @/user3 SHE COOKED FOR HIM?? Soloveme? @/user4 What’s going on at this event?? It’s all over my feed😭 MILK @/user5 Screaming this is honestly all so mental Parisin75 @/user6 Wait so they’re friends now? Or is something else happening?? > Too_shy @/user7 Last time I checked but he seemed so happy on the carpet, and he wouldn’t look into the lens at all. His eyes were always focused just above it, either on Adi or Mouse! >> Drumonmepls @/user8 Couldn’t have been Adi!! She was to the left of Ross on and off screen!

***

It was days after the event that things seemed to finally settle again. For Matty, at least. Me? I was still getting the odd DM and tweet here and there, but I couldn’t complain, not with how it had been at the very start. Hordes upon hordes of people had come to make their opinions known on the stance of Matty and I’s ‘sudden’ friendship; fans had taken to both Twitter and Instagram, they’d called into the show, and a few had even turned up outside of the studio.

Matty had been helpful throughout it all though, mainly just finding ways to take my mind off of it and sending security down to the building just to ‘be on the safe side’. It’d been a nice gesture, sweet even. But had also meant that his management team had cracked down on him and the band, cooping the lot of them up in a recording studio and pressing them to finish up the album they were currently working on.

That in itself hadn’t affected me much, the whole Matty being distracted by work thing, because it had happened around about the same time that prep work for the Christmas period had kicked in. Which was basically a time where Adi and I focused on pre recording a few shows so that we could sail smoothly into the new year.

This year it had been hectic, to say the very least, but Finn had been a Godsend. Offering to pick up Teddy from nursery on the days when we were filming late and even keeping him occupied on the one weekend that we’d lost the previous day's audio- which had been a fucking nightmare.

Today though, was finally a day where I got some time to myself. Well, myself and Teddy, seeing as I’d completely and utterly missed him even with only having been gone a few extra hours in the day than usual. Still, the kid was my little ball of light and without him I’d be utterly lost.

“Alright there, Teds, what’re you drawing?”

It was a Sunday, the 17th to be precise, and so we only had a week and a bit left in the lead up to Christmas. I’d spent the morning wrapping most of Teddy’s presents before he’d woken and demanded sustenance- which, fair enough. But he was always a little moody whenever he first woke up. Bit like me, I suppose. And so, whilst I’d started cooking him his breakfast, I’d settled him down at the table with some paper and pens to keep him distracted, an old album by The Cranberries playing.

“Plane.” The toddler retorted easily enough, tongue poking out one side of his mouth in utmost concentration.

Grinning at the small action, I settled a cup of juice before him and then stroked a hand through his unruly hair. “Is that for mémé then?”

Teddy hummed, nodding his head at the odd angle it was resting at. I chuckled, always enamoured by his every little thing.

“That’s brilliant, bubs! I’m sure she’ll love it.” I assured him softly, trailing my fingers through his hair one last time before withdrawing to finish up with cooking.

“How many days?” Teddy asked once I’d plated everything up and taken my seat beside him at the table, immediately I knew what he was on about- seeing as he’d only asked the same question a dozen times a day since the last time we’d phoned my mum.

I pretended to think about it long and hard. “Um… about this many days.” I said, holding up six fingers.

Teddy’s brow instantly furrowed as he set about leaning as close as he could get over the tabletop to point towards each of my fingers. “One, two, three…”

“Six!”

I beamed once he’d finally got it, clapping along with him. “So good, you clever boy! Six- six days til mémé gets here!”

Teddy repeated the words in a breathy murmur, grinning gummily back at me as he wiggled in his chair. Then it was just “six” over and over again for a short while.

I tittered faintly to myself, shaking my head before we went about the rest of our breakfast in much the same manner.

It was almost ten to eleven when the doorbell went and I frowned at the thought of who it could possibly be.

“Mum, door.” Teddy informed me, still so invested in his colouring. I hummed softly in turn, wiping my hands before getting up to go answer it.

“Remember to put the lids back on.” I reminded him about the pens, tucking his hair behind his ear as I rounded his seat, “I’ll just be a sec, okay?”

“‘Kay.”

I smiled softly at his monosyllabic reply, listening to him mumble to himself as I padded my way into the hallway. From here I could just make out the darkened shadow standing on the other side of the door’s paned glass and flicked through a mental list of who it could possibly be, wondering if I'd forgotten anything that was supposed to be happening today. But I reckoned it could just as easily have been Finn dropping by for an impromptu visit, or Adi even.

Flicking the latch and pressing down on the handle, I opened it up only to blink at the figure that stood before me. They gifted me an impish grin as they pushed away from the door’s stoop and onto steady feet.

“Figured I’d just pop by, say hello.” Matty mentioned by way of hello, fiddling with an unlit cigarette he held between his fingers whilst I continued to stare back in surprise, “Studio’s been booked for the day, so I managed an easy escape.” He added when I made no move to reply, “Thought we could grab a coffee or something- if you ain't busy, that is.”

He tacked that last bit on in a rush, as though he was beginning to understand why I was so silent. He’d really, really caught me off guard here.

“Er, I mean it’s a bit out of the blue and that. Should've really texted, I know. But I figured I'd try my luck.” He blundered again, shifting awkwardly on my front step now, looking enough out of place for it to finally blink me out of my stupor.

“I-” I went to say but was ultimately interrupted by another voice from further inside the flat, one that was approaching on toddling feet all too fast for me to react to its sudden presence.

Matty’s eyes bulged a tad at the little face that poked its way out from behind my knees, and mine followed when it finally hit me what was actually happening. 

“God, sorry! You just- it’s- I just wasn’t expecting you.” I fumbled, arms reaching down on impulse to pick up the toddler by my feet. I forced out a heavy breath before plastering on a big smile for Teddy, who only seemed to have eyes for the curly haired man staring back at him. “Um, you wanting to come in then? I can do tea, I think. Coffee, even.”

I didn’t really give Matty much of a choice in the matter though, in truth, because I was sailing away to escape the sudden scenario that had started on my doorstep, simply so that I could wrap my head around it all. It was just as I made it back into the kitchen that I heard the door rattle close behind us though and then, as I'd perched Teddy back in his seat, I glanced up to find that Matty had in fact accepted the offer of a warm brew.

It was strange to watch it all fall into place for him, his eyes straying over toys that littered the livingroom floor, the tiny bike which sat in the corner, the star-chart that hung on the cupboard above the fridge, all of Teddy’s artwork and clothes that had been thrown about haphazardly over the last day or two.

I swallowed around my anxiety then, not really sure how I felt now that I knew that Matty finally knew. Because see, I had never really been sure. Teddy wasn’t much of a well kept secret amongst my longtime listeners but I didn’t go flaunting pictures around or mentioning him at every turn. For safety reasons and privacy’s sake. So I hadn't been too certain on whether Matty knew of him or not, having noticed that he’d failed to ever mention him in our texts or calls.

“Um, sorry for the mess. Work’s been a nightmare, and this is my first proper day off in weeks, you know? So." I shrugged a little helplessly, looking out at all of the chaos, then decided to pull on my big girl trousers and trek through this mess like I did everything else in life. “Tea, then? Or coffee?”

The small cough that escaped Matty’s throat echoed around the room once he’d found purchase in the kitchen’s entryway and his voice was tinged with a slight rasp when he finally spoke, “Yeah, uh yeah, please. Coffee.”

I smiled mostly to myself as I turned away to refill the kettle, my mind still whirling but finding relief in Matty’s obvious shock too. Whilst it began to boil though I had nothing much to occupy my mind with, so I decided to putter back on over to the table where Teds had started back up with his drawing and attempted to relax my shoulders. 

“Go on, sit down,” I said to Matty, pointing to a chair as I tried to steer us back into easier waters, “Feel lucky you just missed breakfast, this one tends to get it everywhere.” I chuckled lightly in hopes to fill the quiet I was met with.

Teddy glanced up at me then with a prominent pout, obviously not too pleased about my comment.  “No.” He argued and I heard Matty snort as he finally took a seat opposite, leaving Teddy to act as the buffer between us both.

“Uh, yes.” I fired back at the toddler, but little good it did me when Teddy only seemed to maintain his avid disagreement. 

“Uhuh. I eat it all today.” He reminded me, lips pushed out as his brows climbed higher up his forehead, leaning against the table’s edge again on his elbows. “See?” He added on, pointing a finger over towards where a sink full of soapy dishes now laid.

I smiled, unable to do anything but, though it was Matty who actually replied to him, which both surprised me and put me on immediate edge. “I mean, the little guys got a point. If you ate it all then there can’t be any mess, right?” He directed that last bit towards the little rugrat attempting to evade all guilt and I paused in wait to see how Teddy would respond.

Teddy appeared wary for a moment, blinking over at Matty in a startle, probably having not expected to be roped into a conversation, before his lips settled into something more like a grin. “Right!” He mimicked with a short nod of his head, his ‘r’ sounding more like a ‘w’.

Matty all but beamed at the sudden attention he’d drawn and continued to do so once Teddy started prattling away to him at a hundred miles an hour. I just left them to it, listening in as I padded back over to finish making the drinks. 

It was only after Matty had just about knocked back most of his coffee that Teddy grew tired of talking and asked if we could do something fun, eyes drifting over towards where we often kept his wellies. I knew just what fun he was looking to find.

I conceded easily enough, seeing as it was both his day as well as mine, and smiled with a gesture of my chin, “Go on then, but brush your teeth and find some proper clothes, then we can head on over. Alright?”

Teddy’s head shook up and down in rapid succession, already bolting up out of his seat to make a run for his bedroom. Matty wore an inquisitive look once it was just him and I, both of us sat on opposite sides of the table.

“The park.” I informed the singer, fiddling with the handle of my now empty mug whilst my eyes kept sliding back and forth from the counter to Matty himself.

The man simply hummed and leaned back in his seat, I was forced to watch on as he cast his eyes about the rest of my kitchen, taking his fill now that he had a moment to finally do so. I swallowed and struggled with the unforeseen worries of what he might see, what he might think of it all.

I wasn't well off, by any means. But I had a decent income, enough to provide for Teddy and I, as well as live comfortably. Though if the radio show suddenly dipped and we lost most of our viewing, then there’d be a whole different story to be told.

Even so, it was a much different life to the one Matty lived. That much I knew. So it wasn't too strange of me to wonder whether or not it met any of his standards. And how it alone made me feel.

“How old then?”

The question startled me somewhat, enough that I blinked and looked up at him without thought. My brows furrowed a tad and so he continued, “Teddy- was that it?” And at my nod of confirmation, he smiled at me for another answer, “How old is he?”

Caught off guard still, I gaped for a second and then forced myself to reply, “Um, four, he’ll be five soon enough.”

“Wow.” Was what Matty replied with in a soft murmur, his head moving in an ever so slight nod, “A good age though.” At my questioning look, he chuckled, “Or so I’ve been told.”

I hummed, mostly amused, then fiddled with one of the many pens Teddy had left behind at the table.

“They’ve all been good so far- the ages.” I said to him, rather stupidly, and grimaced around a low laugh at myself, “Just, I mean he’s a good kid, is all.”

Matty was smiling at me when I glanced back up, his eyes squinting with the strength of it. He knocked his fist on the table lightly, “Seems it. Just wish you’dve mentioned him sooner.”

I frowned at that, lips pursing as my nose wrinkled. I didn’t much like the way he’d phrased that last bit, because it’s not that I wasn’t proud of Teddy, I was always showing him off, constantly even. But I also didn’t feel as though everyone had the right to see to that. “Yeah, well he’s not a secret I’ve kept hidden. It’s just safer mostly.”

It was Matty’s turn to frown then, seemingly offended by the offhand remark. “What and that includes me, does it? You think that I’d be a danger to him?”

I stared back at him, brow dipped a tad, eyes squinted. Because I hadn’t meant to hurt him, far from, though could he really blame me for being cautious, for having wanted to keep Teddy away for as long as I had? 

“No,” I answered him, and it was an honest one, “But only now, after having known you as long as I have. I mean, you can’t really be surprised by the fact that I didn’t mention him in the beginning, Matty. I hardly knew you! I’d only ever had the picture that’d been painted of you in my head, I didn’t want that around him.”

He scoffed quietly at that and I heard the way his boot kicked out under the table as he shuffled further back in his chair to run a hand through his hair. “Yeah and what about now then?”

He had me there, I supposed. I sighed and raised a hand to rub at my tired eyes, this wasn't a conversation I had planned for yet, let alone on a morning like this.

“It’s hard, okay? It’s hard to know when to introduce him to new people, he’s only ever really known those closest to me, and after that it’s just been his nursery teacher and the handful of kids in his class.” I explained, watching Matty and hoping he heard the truth in my words, “And you’re this fucking celebrity people love, you’ve got places to be, fans to meet! I never once thought that you’d stick around, not for as long as you have at least. Or that you’d eventually pull me into your life.”

He looked up then, expression so carefully made. “And that’s a bad thing?”

I folded in on myself a little at his question. Unsure.

Matty rolled his lips together and dipped his chin in a slow nod, “Right.”

“Matty, it’s not like that.” I tried.

He was quick with his reply though, all but leaning into the table’s edge now, “Then what’s it like, Mouse?”

He hardly ever called me Mouse, from the day we’d met it had always been Squeaks.

I dragged a hand over my face and then into my hair, perhaps in hopes to bide my time, but mainly because I felt cornered. How was I supposed to tell Matty how much I valued him? His chaotic presence in my life, his texts and calls, his friendship. It was something I hadn’t known I’d needed, but he’d come along and surprised me. He had stuck around, even when I thought he wouldn’t, and he wasn’t asking for anything more than just my company. He didn’t have an ulterior motive, some trick up his sleeve. Or at least that’s what I believed.

“Does this change things, knowing I have a son?” I heard myself ask him, it was a genuine curiosity but I also had to know. I didn’t want to be strung along or let Matty into Teddy’s life like I had Finn and Adi, only for him to then up and leave when he finally grew bored of the normality of it all.

Matty simply stared back at me, those brown eyes of his narrowed as they flittered back and forth between my own, his lips parted slightly as he thought the question over.

“Do you want it to?”

And that hadn’t been the answer I was expecting.

Instantly I shook my head, dropping the pen so that my hands could fall limply into my lap. “Of course not, I like having you around, Matty. Me keeping Teddy from you has nothing to do with that.”

He continued to watch me.

Then finally he conceded with a prompt nod and I felt myself breathe in. “So, the park. Is there a spare invitation going?”

I let the air go in a stilted chuckle, smiling at the common ground he’d gifted us but also at the image of Matty messing about in a playground of all places. “Yes, yeah, ‘course.” I assured him, “Just, be prepared for any puddles, alright? He will soak you if you're within five feet of the splashzone.”

Matty finally laughed too, this soft thing I hadn’t really ever heard from him before, not in this way at least, and then grinned, whirling around in his seat when a stomping toddler came darting back into the room.

“Wellies ta!”

My eyes fell closed as I released another heavy sigh, “Please! Teds. Remember? Please, not ta.”

Teddy merely blinked back up at me and so I decided it would have to be a battle picked for yet another day. 

“Fine, go get them then.”

Matty snorted unhelpfully, which brought him to Teddy’s attention once more. “Need help with ‘em, little man?” He asked, raising a brow at me in hopes that it’d be okay.

I swallowed but ultimately nodded, I couldn’t not when Teddy’s curls started bouncing wildly with the nodding of his head at the question.

And so, I watched them go, Matty taking Teddy’s extended hand, praying that I hadn’t made a massive mistake here. Hoping that somehow Matty would prove me wrong and stay, for a little while.

–

The days after Matty’s impromptu visit came with little to no fuss, it was only when the man wasn’t in the studio that was on the phone to me- and by extension, Teddy as well, who’d taken quite the shine to him. Who could’ve known, hey?

Still, it was a massive change of pace. For me at least, I hadn’t managed to get a read on how Matty felt about it all, but I had yet to worry over it. Mostly because of the Christmas period and how stressed I’d been.

“Finn, I swear he’s driving me out of my mind!” I complained down the phone to my best mate, the thing was currently perched between my shoulder and ear whilst I attempted to throw my hair up into a half-arsed bun, if only to keep it out of my face. “The mess! I mean, it’s like a tornado’s gone and ripped its way through my flat!”

“He’s four, babe.” Came Finn’s unhelpful response. I huffed.

“Exactly! Four, how can someone so small create such a massive mess?” I stressed, trying to clear away as much of the clutter my living room was presently made up of as quickly as I could. “Mam’s gonna be here in,” I glanced hurriedly over at the clock on the far wall and felt my anxiety spike, “Just over an hour! I can’t let her walk into a bombsite!”

Finn laughed at that and so I scowled in retort, even if he couldn’t see me through the phone.

“Finn!” I admonished.

“Alright, sorry! It’s just, she’s your mum, babe. She won’t care what the flat looks like.” He tried to soothe me as he moved about on the other side, doing whatever it was that he was doing. “Why’s he made such a mess anyway?”

I gritted my teeth as I stepped on yet another rogue piece of Lego and just dropped down to start rounding everything and anything I could possibly see into a great big tub. 

“He’s excited, wanted to look nice for when mam shows up but also wanted to showcase to her all of his drawings and sculptures.” I told him, grimacing at the penstained action figure I picked up before tossing it amongst the heap too. “I’ve been in the kitchen mostly, cooking for when she arrives, so I didn’t really bear witness to the fact that he’d taken my permission and flipping run with it! You should see my front room, Finn.” I shook my head for the umpteenth time since I’d walked in and blinked at the chaos I’d been met with, “It’s a proper tip.”

I was given a resounding chuckle once more and simply decided to slump there on the floor, glad to note that most of everything had now been packed into the box. Out of sight, out of mind and all that.

“Finn, I don’t even want to go and see what his bedroom looks like as of right now. I can just picture how his wardrobe’s been overturned and all of his clothes have been tossed about the room.” 

I forced myself up onto my feet then, halfheartedly listening to Finn’s reply. I still needed to sort myself out before anything else and that thought alone stressed me out further.

And of course! Of course it would be in that exact moment that the doorbell went.

“Fuck.” I mumbled to myself, but found my feet already taking me towards the door. I paused only briefly by the mirror to catch sight of the mess my hair was in and tugged it free in hopes it’d help somewhat, “Listen babe, sorry for all my whinging but I’d best go. Door’s just gone and I’m guessing it’ll be that parcel I’ve been waiting on.”

“Cutting it pretty late there.” Finn said and I couldn’t agree more. It was the 23rd, Christmas was now only days away and still I’d yet to receive it- even after having ordered it well over three weeks ago!

“Fucking hell, tell me about it,” I groaned, opening the door up to be met with the sight of a big wrapped box blocking my vision. My forehead wrinkled in utter confusion, “Um, Finn? I really am going to have to call you back.”

“Why, what’s happened? Don’t leave me hanging! Who is it!”

The parcel dropped down an inch then to reveal a familiar grin and shining eyes. 

“Surprise?”

I hurriedly hung up the phone and shoved it into my back pocket, the feeling of bewilderment unable to override the instant worries that washed over me about what a state I must've looked. But I bullied those thoughts back down, ignoring the massive part of me that was currently screaming at the entire situation, for whatever reason I couldn’t even begin to really understand, cause it was just Matty, right? And instead propped myself up against the doorframe.

“What’s this then?” I asked, unable to help my smile when he was looking back at me seemingly so pleased with himself.

“Christmas, in’t it?” He replied all too easily, shaking the rather large present he held in his grasp to further the point.

“I can see that.” I chuckled, shaking my head a little at the picture he made, all bundled up on my front doorstep practically dwarfed by the box he’d brought along. “I just thought you were headed home today.”

He shrugged, an action that was made funnier by the large parcel, but continued smiling, “Meant to, just couldn’t leave without seeing you lot first.”

I blinked, startled by his words. But grinned when he merely widened both his eyes in exaggeration.

“It is fucking freezin’ out here, you know! Could invite a mate in.” Matty reminded me, so I hummed, mulling it over. But he wasn’t one to give up too easily and bribery appeared to be his best tactic here, “I’ve got presents. So open up or they’re going back.”

I narrowed my eyes in turn, “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, but darling I would.”

I found myself grinning at him again, something I tended to do whenever he was around it seemed. There was just something about him, I supposed. 

He went to take a step back then and I relented all too easily. “Alright.” I laughed, opening the door up wider to allow him in. Matty all but jumped over the threshold, bringing the cold in with him, and whilst he set about shaking off his coat I went to close the door behind him, only to be stopped by a bright red coat.

“Oh, thanks.” I said in surprise to the postie that managed to time his arrival so perfectly. “Thank you,” I repeated for good measure, shooting my head up from the packaged parcel he’d handed me, “Happy Holidays!” He grinned in return, already taking off back down the steps and parroting the same sentiment to me.

I finally managed to shut the door after that and was met with a ruddy-faced Matty, who was wrapped in a big jumper I was immediately jealous of.

“Last minute present?” He wondered with a smirk and I waved him off.

“Ordered it weeks ago, got here just in time.”

Matty hummed and turned back to glance down at the big box that now rested against my hallway radiator, level with my hip it seemed. “Where is the monster?” He asked me, using the name both he and Teddy had taken a liking to.

My brow furrowed slightly. “You really didn’t have to, Matty.” I said to him quietly, looking down at the present he’d gotten for my son. 

He was having none of it though, rolled his eyes in fact and hunched over to pick the box up again. “Shut up.”

I snorted and couldn’t help but bite back, “You shut up.”

“Real mature, sweetheart. Ain’t you parents meant to be all boring and nice?” Matty quipped as he wandered his way into my living room, I breathed in a sigh of relief when I followed behind and found that my efforts in cleaning hadn’t been in vain.

“Ha ha. Should’ve taken up comedy.” I retorted to him, fixing a few pillows that sat askew on the settee, something to which Matty also rolled his eyes at.

“Nah, band makes more money.” He answered easily, like he’d thought about it before, as he glanced about for the best place to put the box.

“By the tree if you want, or you can leave it next to the chair so he’ll see it when he barrels in.”

Matty laughed and went with the latter. “You been alright then?” He asked me, taking the time to glance at all the holiday cards that rested on the mantelpiece nearby.

“Yeah,” I sighed with a small smile, “Hectic but that’s expected, isn’t it?”

He shot me a warm grin, nodding. “Christmas, babe.” Was all he replied with, which was fair enough, then he went to reach out to pick up a picture frame of me and a very very tiny Teddy. “When was this?”

I stepped closer and smiled down at the photo, “I was still in hospital with him then, my midwife took it.”

Matty hummed, looking down at it with a soft smile. It was then that I heard a thump sound somewhere down the hall, so I released a weighted breath and forced myself to step away, “I’ve got to go check on Teddy, he wanted to dress himself this morning and he’s been way too quiet.”

With another laugh, Matty let me go, nosing through more of the photos and cards which sat along the shelf. Something I could understand, he’d only been here just twice before, but even still, he didn’t care for how blatant he was with his nosing. 

I took the parcel with me as I went, slipping into my bedroom to unwrap and grin down at it. It was Matty’s, which is why its arrival had been so perfect. I'd begun to think that I would have to give it to him the next time I saw him. But now was as good a time as ever.

In a rush, I pulled out a gift bag and some coloured tissue paper, having no time to actually wrap it, and plopped it in. Making my way into the next room to see where Teddy had gotten to.

When I pushed his door open further than it was, I was only slightly surprised by the state of it. The rugrat in question, though, was stood by his wardrobe door, pulling an array of funny faces in its mirror.

“Oi mister, what you been up to?”

Teddy startled slightly at my voice but was giggling when he spun around to spot me. “Got dressed myself.” He stated, pointing proudly at the t-shirt he’d managed to pull on.

“Hm, so you have!” Taking in the jeans and tee combo he’d picked, I then grinned over at him, “Looking good, boyo. Could be a little stylist when you’re older, you know!”

Teddy gave me one of his impish grins and then darted over towards me. “No!” He dragged out in reply, hands clutching at my legs now he was near, his sweet mischievous face staring up at me, “Gone be like you.”

I had to press my lips together then to keep the strength of my smile at bay, his words making my heart swell. “You little charmer.” I chuckled, running a hand through his unruly locks, “Come on though, you’ve got a visitor.”

His eyes widened as he jumped back to rock onto the balls of his feet. “Mémé?” He asked excitedly and I almost felt bad about it not being her, but I knew how much Teddy had also grown to like Matty in the recent days so I wasn't too fussed.

I shook my head, “Not yet, soon though. But somebody else came to see you.”

Teddy’s eyebrows rose as he thought about who it could be and so, knowing that we could possibly be here all day, I started to steer him out into the hallway.

“Finny?” He asked, then, “Santa?”

I snorted, then shook my head to both. “Nope and no. Why don’t we just go see, hey?”

And with that I pushed the door to the living room open wider and watched on as Teddy gasped at the sight of the curly haired frontman standing by our settee.

“Matty!” He all but squealed, practically catapulting himself across the room to make a dive for the man.

Matty laughed, though also seemed startled by the reaction he’d garnered. He swept Teddy up though, all the same, and jostled him around before settling the toddler on his hip, eyes bright with something when they glanced over at me. I smiled, a heavy feeling settling itself in my chest.

“Alright, mate? What you been up to?” Matty asked Teddy, falling back onto the cushions behind them and stationing the toddler next to him.

Teddy replied in earnest, excited to tell Matty all the tales he had stored away since the last time they’d spoken, which had been a few nights previous over a FaceTime call. 

I shook my head in amusement and trailed over towards the kitchen, silenting motioning to Matty to see if he wanted a drink. The answer, as always, was yes and so I set about brewing him his usual, along with my own, taking the time to clean myself up a bit too.

By the time I walked back in, Teddy had just about finished telling Matty all the details of his last day at nursery (they’d had a party), which I’m sure the man had already heard about, but who acted as though it was the most brilliant story he’d ever been told. 

“One coffee.” I said in greeting, placing the two mugs onto coasters before taking a perch on the armchair by them.

“Ta.” Matty replied, grinning madly when Teddy cackled gleefully and repeated the word over and over. I rolled my eyes at the pair of them and took a calming sip of tea, unaware of how much I’d been in dire need of it. Whoever claimed Sunday’s were a day of rest, were liars.

“He spotted it yet then?” I asked aloud, already knowing the answer seeing as how I didn’t currently have a bouncing Teddy on my hands.

The toddler’s face wrinkled in confusion and he shot his head over to see me, I grinned from behind my mug. “Huh?” He sounded.

Matty hid his next snort well but then hummed too, pushing forward in his seat to grab at his coffee. “Oh his present, you mean?”

That had Teddy’s head spinning. “Where!”

“Manners, bubs.” I reminded, and Teddy nodded so quickly I was honestly a little worried about the whiplash he might face before his eyes were back on Matty.

“Please, present?” Teddy asked, pouting up at the curly haired man with a sudden urgency, his words butchered by his missing bottom teeth.

Matty chuckled, glad for the fact that he’d put his coffee back down in the toddler's haste, and then gestured his head over to the right. “You mean that one?”

Teddy’s eyes, if even possible, widened further, eyebrows reaching the tips of his curls and mouth dropping open as he finally spotted it.

“For me?” He gasped in awe, shuffling down Matty’s leg to approach it, all of his movements now slow as if his shock was stopping him from reacting typically. 

I leaned forward to watch on and Matty did the same, obviously nervous for Teddy’s reaction.

“For you, mate. Was walking by this shop the other day and spotted it, thought of you.” Matty told him seriously, smiling too whilst he wrung his hands together, foot tapping anxiously away, though unaware of it.

Teddy looked back at him, chewing on his bottom lip carefully, taking two more steps before he was touching the wrapping. He oohed at it softly to himself but I caught the way Matty’s face brightened at the sound.

“‘pen now?” Teds asked, his eyes drifting away from the gift, towards me and Matty both.

Matty looked over at me then too, the same question echoed on his face. I nodded with a small smirk, “Go on.”

Teddy’s eyes lit up and he spun back around to marvel at it once more, “W’ats it?”

The snort that escaped me at his ask went unnoticed by the pair as Matty moved to join the toddler on the floor. “Gotta open it up and find out, I ‘spose.”

Teddy’s grin brightened and then he fell to his bum so that he could pull the present closer. “Help?”

Matty blinked at the request and I was witness to the way his throat bobbed before he nodded, “Yeah, sure mate. Here, pull this, alright?”

Teddy did as instructed, tugging on a small opening in the wrapping. 

I noted as he began to tear away at it, how oddly wrapped it really was, meaning that Matty had probably taken the time to wrap it himself. My chest tightened again at the thought.

“Box.” Teddy announced once all the wrapping paper had been discarded on the rug behind him, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from outright laughing at the befuddled expression he gave Matty.

The man had no qualms though, simply chuckled at the question and leaned in closer to force one side of the cardboard box up a little, “Gotta open up that too, monster.”

Teddy’s brows drew together in concentration as he followed Matty’s lead, forcing the lid open more before a loud gasp escaped him. Matty went back to wringing his hands, fiddling with the rings on his fingers whilst I moved over to the settee to get a look too.

My expression faltered at the sight of the beautiful gift Matty had given Teddy. Inside the box rested a guitar in an incredible shade of deep blue, it was small enough for Teddy to hold whilst also being big enough for him to grow with. Even with my obsessive love for music, not once had I ever really thought about buying Teddy such a thing, not one of this calibre at least. It must've cost a fortune.

“Matty.” I whispered, but the man didn’t even spare a look my way, eyes trained on my toddler, trying to garner his reaction.

“You know what it is, mate?” He asked after a moment and Teddy’s little head dipped in a slow nod. Because I knew he knew, he danced around constantly pretending to have one in his hands whenever we had the tele or radio on. Where there was music blaring, there would also be a Teddy playing air guitar.

“‘tar.” Teddy stated in a soft voice, both Matty and I smiled at the way he said it, but the former nodded, pulling the instrument out of the box so that Teddy could get a closer look.

“Cool right?”

Teddy nodded silently again, reaching out a hand to carefully touch the wooden neck, blinking and reeling back when a string strummed. Before he then giggled and reached out once more.

Matty seemed to slump in relief, evidently glad that Teddy liked it. But I’d go as far to even say he adored it, never had he ever been so gentle with anything.

“Have you got something to say to Matty, Teds?” I prompted, ignoring the way my throat caught at the emotion I felt. I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around it.

Teddy pulled his eyes away from the guitar to gaze up at Matty as though he was something other. I merely blinked at the reaction and before I knew it Teddy had thrown himself into Matty’s arms, startling the man a tad. Matty welcomed him after a second though, glancing over the toddler’s head to share a look with me.

“T’ank you.” I heard Teddy muffle into the collar of Matty’s jumper then, actually saying the words this time. It seemed Matty knew what that meant too, because he tightened his hold on Teddy’s waist a little.

“You’re welcome, mate.”

The rest of Matty’s visit was used to teach Teddy a bit about the basics of a guitar, managing to play an E minor and get started on an A chord. Teddy listened to Matty with rapt attention, barely sparing anything else a second glance, which was startling for a toddler, let alone Teddy who was constantly go, go, go.

Watching them was all too lovely as well. For someone with such a cool front, Matty seemed to melt around Teddy, succumbing to that of the boy’s charm and easy going nature. It was sweet to see, surprising but endlessly sweet. Had me losing track of time, in truth. Which is why I jumped and cursed the way I did when the door finally knocked. 

“Mémé!”

[kinardsevan]

30 day fluff prompt challenge: (welcome to) day four

"messing around in IKEA"

“Look, I just wanted the meatballs, we don’t actually have to stay.” 

Evan turns on his heel towards Tommy as they pass through a bedroom setup into a kitchen display.

“Last I checked, you said the walls are still pretty bare,” he replies. “And we still need to find an option for the kitchen cabinets.” 

Tommy chuckles at him, shakes his head. He’d been secretly putting this trip off for over two weeks because he knew that his husband would want to look at everything. As it was, between the two of them and their interest in building things with their hands, it was fairly unlikely that being in IKEA would do much more than just give them ideas on the build-out they were going to ultimately do themselves in their new house. 

“Babe,” Evan drawls, practically frothing at the mouth as he comes to stand in front of a cooktop. “It’s induction.” 

Tommy leans over, looking at the price tag attached to the appliance. “It’s also thirteen hundred dollars.” 

Evan glances over his shoulder at him, a smirk playing on his lips. “I could make that up in a month’s worth of cooking for our friends.” 

Tommy chuckles again, eyeing up the appliance a bit more. One thing he’s already planned to have extra spending money for is the cooking appliances for their kitchen. He’d never hold his husband back from being his best chef, especially when Tommy gets to reap the benefits. 

“So are we going to look at cabinets or not,” Tommy asks him after a beat. He draws his gaze away from the induction cooktop, expecting Evan to still be in front of him, only to find him standing in the next room over. It’s a bedroom set-up with a nursery tucked off to the side, and the way Evan is running his fingers over the side of the crib makes something in Tommy cause his heart to skip a beat. 

They’ve had a rough go of it lately. They’d had an easy time getting a surrogate—Kameron and Connor had been down to help without so much as a second thought, especially given how often they reminded Evan that they were grateful for their son. However, after trying to go the easy route of at-home insemination, they’d swung for IVF, which hadn’t been cheap for them either. 

They’d also been through three miscarriages. Two had taken place in the early weeks, one before there was even a measureable heartbeat. But the last one had been during the fourth month. They’d already started picking names, and Maddie had been starting the plans for a baby shower. Getting that phone call from Kameron had absolutely wrecked them. After that, Kameron had politely asked them if she could bow out, and neither of them held it against her for needing to. Those losses had been trauma for all four of them—Connor included. 

Initially, Tommy dismissed it to himself as bad DNA. Both he and Evan had contributed to the cause but made it clear to their doctor that they weren’t interested in knowing who the biological father was. He had assumed after the first loss that maybe it was his fault, given that Evan and Kameron had already produced a healthy pregnancy and a live birth. But then the second one happened, and he felt inclined to ask, at which point their doctor had confirmed that both men’s donations had each been given a shot, that it wasn’t either of them causing the issue, just a bad roll of the dice. And then the third pregnancy happened, and things were going well, and Tommy was pretty sure that the baby was probably biologically Evan’s, but he didn’t care because they finally had a baby with a heartbeat outside of the first trimester. 

At least, they had. 

He sighs and pushes their cart forward, across the space into the nursery area that Evan is standing in. 

“Where’s your head at,” he asks, sliding a hand around his husband’s waist, staring down into the empty crib. There’s a teddy bear tucked in the corner. 

“Baby kicks,” Evan replies, running his fingers over the enamel paint. 

Tommy gives a small smile, turning his head and kissing his husband’s birthmark. 

“I hope she has one right here, just like you,” he murmurs. Evan sighs, leaning into the gesture. 

“She’s not even mine biologically,” Evan replies when he pulls away, looks up at Tommy. 

Tommy raises an eyebrow at him for just a tick. “Only because genetic material shouldn’t be mixed between siblings.” 

Evan rolls his eyes and looks back down at the crib, a smile still playing on his features. 

“She’ll still be a Buckley,” he comments. “That’s all I care about.” 

“Mmm. Which means she could still have that birthmark.” 

After Kameron, Evan had been rudderless. They’d talked about adoption, had started the process for foster care and were meeting with some private agencies, but they both knew that even that was going to be a years-long process. Truth be told, Tommy wasn’t entirely sure what convinced him to think that calling Maddie was a good idea, but he’d been willing to do anything to help the situation after seeing the way his husband suffered in silence for months on end. 

At the time, he’d felt bad, mostly because he hadn’t asked Chimney if he’d be okay with the idea first. But Maddie had said yes without a second thought. Granted, there had been a brief period when, after he’d told Evan about Maddie agreeing to try, that Evan had mentioned the option for his sister to provide the other half of the baby’s DNA, given that they’d burned all their embryos with Kameron. That question had been a little out of left field for both Maddie and Chimney. For about thirty-six hours, Tommy had been convinced Maddie would end the entire conversation, not hold any interest at that point in helping. 

But then, by some miracle, she’d said yes. To all of it. 

That had been nearly six months ago. 

“Alright,” Tommy murmurs after a beat. “We still have a few weeks before the shower and we don’t have the time or money to put together an entire nursery right now when we need to make sure the rest of the house is in order in the next three months.” 

Evan lets out another sigh, this one far more contented. 

“Fine,” he murmurs. “But I want some of that chocolate cake they have in the restaurant. Plus, I promised Maddie I’d bring her the strawberry shortcake.” 

Tommy laughs, letting Evan pull him out of the room. 

“You Buckleys and your sugar intake,” he comments. “Here’s hoping Lucy gets my metabolism.” 

Evan turns on his heel, narrows his eyes at his husband. 

“Here’s hoping she doesn’t have your sass.” 

[midwestmade29]

Christian Cage Request 🥰

To anonymous: This was such a sweet idea! I hope what I wrote matches what you had in mind. Enjoy 🖤

Original Anonymous Request: "Can I request a Christian Cage x Female!Reader where the reader is Christian’s wife since he first started with WWE (Basically as if he married the reader when he did instead of his ex wife) and he comes home from being on the road with AEW to his wife, who’s heavily pregnant and has been having some slight complications, curled up in bed with their daughter, Isla, who’s cuddling with her mom because she knows she hasn’t been feeling the best and Christian can’t help but melt at the sight of his girls. He ends up taking a few weeks off to tend to his girls and make sure his love is okay?"

Disclaimers: None really! This story is fluff. It does cover pregnancy and high blood pressure but that’s it. Read at your own discretion.

Word count: 1,096

Divider by: @saradika-graphics

Braxton hicks: false contractions

Paternity leave: The time off a new father is given after the birth of his baby.

Your 20-year wedding anniversary was rapidly approaching, along with the birth of your 2nd child! A lot has happened during the last 20 years, first meeting Christian when he was working for WWE, getting married and eventually having your daughter Isla, and Christian being forced into retirement due to his injuries he sustained in the ring. Not every moment was good, but you worked together to get through the challenging times. Seeing Christian as a dad was the best thing in the world, Isla had him wrapped around her little finger! Ever since Isla could talk, she had always begged for a little brother or sister. Time marched on and she remained an only child- until now! When you and Christian saw the positive pregnancy test, both of you were shocked! Even though the timing is a little off since Isla is almost 10 years old now and with Christian officially coming out of retirement to wrestle again, you just knew everything would work out somehow!

Christian’s travel schedule with AEW was hard to adjust to at first since you and Isla were so used to having him home every day. He often missed out on the big and little things that were going on with you and Isla, which made being a part even more difficult. Phone calls, text messages and Facetime helped ease the sting of his absence, but nothing could compare to the feeling of being snuggled up with him in bed or the sound of laughter echoing through the house as him and Isla played together! Lately his popularity amongst the fans had skyrocketed which put him in high demand for being on TV more often. Christian was on the road more than he was at home now! The stress of being as pregnant are you are along with trying to take care of Isla on your own was starting to wear on you. At your most recent doctor’s appointment, your blood pressure was elevated and was most likely caused from the anxiety you were feeling about Christian leaving tomorrow for 2 weeks. On top of your high blood pressure, your anxiety made you as nauseous as you were during your first trimester! Your doctor informed you that she was going to be keeping a close eye on you, and if your blood pressure didn’t lower within the next week, you would be given medicine or placed on bed rest. You didn’t care for either of those options, so you promised her that you would do your best to lower your stress!

Isla was such a trooper while Christian was gone! She always helped around the house and very rarely complained about it. Her caring and nurturing soul shinned through every time she asked if there was something she could get you or do for you. She always tried to make you laugh or offer you a hug when she could tell you needed it the most. One of her favorite things to do at bedtime is to snuggle up next to you and rest her head on your belly. She loved feeling the baby move and kick! Isla kept one of your ultrasound pictures on her nightstand and you often caught her staring at it instead of trying to fall asleep. It made your heart happy seeing her so excited about the baby, and you just knew she was going to be the best big sister ever!

During your Facetime call with Christian, you informed him about the good report your doctor had given you earlier in the day! “She said that my blood pressure is exactly where it should be. No medicine or bed rest for me! I told the doctor that my nausea hasn’t been as frequent as it was, but she did give me some over the counter medicine suggestions in case it starts up again. All in all, the appointment went great, and mom and baby are healthy!” you explained. Christian’s smile was contagious, and his words were heartfelt when he spoke, “That’s wonderful news baby! I’m so glad that you’re feeling better. I miss you and Isla like crazy! Hopefully the rest of this road trip goes by quickly so I can come home to my girls!” What Christian didn’t tell you during your conversation was that Tony Kahn informed him that they had everything they needed from him so he could go home a few days early! The very next night when you had finished reading a book with Isla, both of you had fallen asleep in her bed. It had been a little bit of a rough day since your feet and ankles were swollen and you had a headache you just couldn’t shake. When Christian walked into Isla’s bedroom, he saw both of his girls snuggled up together in a sea of various stuffed animals. You still had the book open on your chest and Isla had her hand on your belly. He made sure to take a picture of the sweet moment before he woke both of you up and surprised you.

The next couple of weeks were filled with several ups and downs regarding your pregnancy. You had caught the flu leaving you dehydrated which led to you being admitted into the hospital for a couple of days. Thankfully you felt much better afterwards, but that good feeling didn’t last very long. You started having minor contractions late one night, so Christian called your doctor. She explained what to look for if they continued, but ultimately determined they were just Braxton hicks. Because you were so close to the end of your pregnancy, Christian started his paternity leave early! He took the next several weeks off so he could be home and make sure his girls were taken care of. He waited on you hand and foot and took care of everything around the house. Isla and Christian were the dream team whenever they worked together to complete a task, their love for each other made your heart swell! He embraced homework duty, went with you to all your remaining doctor appointments, ran all the errands, went out late at night to get you whatever you were craving, and even took care of everything during Isla’s sleepover she had with her friends. In the end, it was a good thing Christian had taken time off from AEW because your baby was born within the first week of him being home. Your beautiful and healthy baby boy was born on your 20th wedding anniversary, the perfect gift to celebrate such a milestone!

[sleepdeprivedsimp234]

~I present to you wonderful beings, (drumroll please 🥁🥁🥁) Louisiana doing the "Giving my bf my hand to see what he does" challenge with the Main 6 cuz I f*ckin’ love this ship~

(Or essentially just Loui being a blushy-flustered mess—)

=======================================================================

First up: Florida

Louisiana walked into the kitchen where Florida was leaning on the counter with his phone. He stood next to Florida and also leant on the counter, but he left enough space in between them so that he could put his hand out in the space between.

"Hey amor~" Florida said, looking down at Loui with a flirty/loving gaze that made the smaller blush a bit. He looked down at Loui’s hand, which was being held out in between them?? "What’re ya doin’ amor? My hand is right here silly." He said with a slight chuckle before holding up his own hand for the younger to see. When Loui didn’t react, he smirked, grabbed Loui’s hand, and spun him around before dipping him close to the ground. He laughed a bit at the smaller’s small squeak of surprise and kissed him on the cheek.

=======================================================================

Next up: Texas

Honestly Loui didn’t know what to expect when he decided to put his hand out for his taller bf to take. Would he be confused? Would he hold his hand? He didn’t know. What he most definitely did not expect, was for Texas to f*ckin’ grab his hand a place a gentle kiss on top of it.

Texas laughed when his smaller bf started blushing and smiling like a little dork. He picked him up for a second and gave him a quick peck on the lips, laughing again when Loui tried hiding his face in his chest.

=======================================================================

Third up: New York

Loui noticed that York had been acting a bit strange during the meeting earlier and decided to go check on him to make sure everything was alright. He managed to sneak past the rest of the NE to get to NY’s room, and was relieved to find his door unlocked. He quietly snuck in, closed the door behind him, and jumped onto York’s bed where the Empire State was laying completely zoned out.

And because he was zoned out, he definitely didn’t expect the Pelican State to jump on him, and nearly let out a small shriek when he did.

"Oop- sorry Cher, didn’t mean to scare ya." Loui said, though York could tell that Loui meant to scare him. The smaller just laid there with his head on the older’s torso and smiled at him sweetly.

"It’s fine I guess."

"Are ya aight doe? Ya looked a bit off at da meetin’ today."

"I’m fine Mags, the smoke has just been fogging up my mind and I’ve been zoning out a bit lately. Nothin’ to worry about."

"Are ya sure?"

"Yep."

"Okay den."

Loui crawled over to the taller and laid next to him, an arm wrapped around his waist and his chin on top of York’s hair. After a couple of minutes, he remembered the challenge thing he was trying out with his bf’s and put his hand out where York could clearly see it.

York looked a little confused at first, but after a few seconds he just grabbed Loui’s entire arm and cuddled it like a damn teddy bear. Loui barely managed to keep himself from squealing at the adorable-ness coming from the normally stoic Empire State.

=======================================================================

Number 4: California

California was sitting on the couch with his switch when Loui came into the living room and laid his head on the taller’s lap and smiled slightly at the taller.

"Pfft- Hello to you too Mags." chuckled the Golden State. He gently ran his thumb over the side of Loui’s face before turning back to his game. A few minutes later, he felt something on his shoulder. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the smaller’s hand resting palm-up on his shoulder. Cali snorted slightly before grabbing the younger’s hand, planting a gentle kiss on top of it, and holding it close as he continued playing his game.

And once again, Louisiana was left a blushing mess.

=======================================================================

And finally: Gov

It was around 3am, and Louisiana honestly didn’t feel like traumatizing the rest of the household that night, so he decided to accompany his workaholic of a boyfriend, who was still up doing work. He quietly sat next to where Gov worked and scrolled through his phone.

That’s when he decided to take this as the opportunity to put his hand right next Gov’s to see what he would do. He noted how the older jumped a little bit, but nearly melted when Gov grabbed his daintier hand and held it in his bigger/more-muscular hands and gently ran his thumb over his hand with a small smile.

=======================================================================

@simpyfrog hehe I did the thing >:D

[eadanga]

The Graduate Part 4

Summary: A year after graduating Chris and Laura begin planning their wedding what new challenges await them as the wedding draws near?

Chris frowns when he hears the name “What the fuck? That psycho Nathan is calling you?! Don’t answer him”

Laura sighs “Let me just see what he wants if it’s nothing important I’ll block the number”

“Ok but I’m gonna be right here in case of anything”

Laura nods as she presses 1 “Hello?”

“Hello Laura didn’t think you’ll answer”

Laura grinds her teeth as she hears Nathan’s voice “I actually just answered to tell you to go fuck yourself and now goodbye”

“Wait! Don’t hang up”

“Why not? You have no reason to be calling me and I have nothing to say to you asshole!”

Nathan sighs “I know you hate me”

“That’s an understatement”

“But I just needed to talk to you you think you can visit me?”

Chris takes the phone from her “You really think I’m gonna let my fiancé see you and your psychotic friends?!”

“Hell Chris good to hear from you”

“Well it’s not good to hear your ugly ass voice! Don’t ever call my fiancé again”

“You don’t have to worry about anything there’s guards everywhere nothing will happen”

“You really think I’ll trust you?! And why the hell do you even want to see her in the first place?!”

“The very sight of him makes me sick” Laura rolls her eyes “But I’m guessing he wants some closure”

“Oh the poor little rich boy is feeling guilty good so glad he can never live with himself”

“Me too look here Nathan you got what you deserved you’re where you need to be don’t ever call this number again you can rot in hell”

“But-”

Laura hangs up the phone “The nerve of him I’ll block him if he ever calls again”

“Good now forget him” Chris kisses her cheek “Let’s focus on us shall we?”

“Of course Chris”

Chris wraps his arms around her as she lean on his chest

****

Laura wakes up the next day to half the bed empty “I wonder where’s”

Chris enters the room with a tray of breakfast “Good morning beautiful”

“Chris when did I fall asleep?”

“During the movie you were so cute I didn’t want to wake you up so I carried you upstairs” He places the tray in her lap “Here’s your breakfast”

“Thank you Chris you’re sweet”

“Anything for my soon to be wife” He kisses her softly “I can’t wait for the future with you I love you so much Laura”

“I love you too Chris” She looks at the tray “This looks delicious”

“I’m glad you love it”

She digs into the food “So what’s on the agenda today?”

Chris smiles “Today’s agenda is to relax and enjoy ourselves we’ll get back to wedding planning tomorrow”

“You sure Chris?”

“Yeah I figured after last night you’ll need to relax and get your mind off it”

“Thanks Chris but at least we can go walking and get something to eat”

“Sounds amazing after you finish this breakfast”

Laura giggles as she continues to eat

****

Chris puts the leash on Teddy as Laura grabs Selina she strokes her fur as she purrs “Such a good kitty ready to go out?” Selina mews happily as Laura rubs her against her cheek “Cutie”

Teddy barks as he runs up to Laura she laughs as she reaches down to scratch his head “You’re cute too Ted”

“Ok let’s go babe” Laura nods and they walk together Chris wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her closer “Love walking with my beautiful fiancé”

“Aww me too Chris”

“And you were right this is what I needed”

“Yup no drama no evil assholes to deal with”

Laura laughs “Yes this is nice” She spots an ice cream cart “Oh Chris you want some”

“Yeah get me 2 scoops of chocolate and vanilla with sprinkles”

“Coming right up let’s go Selina”

Chris smiles as he watches her walk away then he pats Teddy head “I can’t wait to marry her bud” Teddy wags his tail and pants as Chris chuckles “I’m glad you agree”

“Chris?”

Chris eyes go wide as he hears a familiar voice “Oh God please don’t let this be” He turns around he frowns as he sees Nicole next to him “Great” He crosses his arms “What are you doing here?”

“I just”

“You have no reason to be even talking to me!”

“Chris please don’t be mad I just want to talk”

“About what? I have nothing to say to your ass and the fact that you are here” He looks past her and sees a group of girls “With your little posse sickens me”

“Chris please don’t be like that just listen”

“No you listen!” His tone makes her step back “You broke up with shattered my heart and think hey I’m just gonna talk to him and everything will be ok”

“I’m sorry Chris I didn’t mean to hurt you and I feel so bad about it and over time I realized” She fidgets “I still love you and it was wrong to break up with you maybe you can give me a second chance”

“So glad you think that after you hurt me the way you didn’t I would go back to dating you and even if I wanted to you’re too late I’m engaged”

“You’re getting married? To who?”

“Me” Chris turns and smiles as Laura comes up behind him with the ice cream “Here you go baby”

“Thanks babe” He takes the ice cream from her “This lovely woman is gonna be my wife nothing is stopping me from marrying her she’s the best thing that ever happened to me and I’m not letting a girl like this go”

Nicole looks at the ground biting her lip “Oh congratulations I hope she makes you happy Chris”

“She does”

“I’m glad well see you” Nicole leaves in tears and runs past her friends who go after her

Laura turns to Chris “You had that handled babe I was wondering when to jump in”

“I know I said everything that was on my mind to her maybe I was harsh but she caused me pain”

“I’m proud of you Chris”

“Thanks baby”

Tags: @mfackenthal @indiacater @the-soot-sprite @jared2612 @darley1101

[pophypnosis]

The Night Shift At Teddy's | Spooky Hypnosis for Resilience and Navigating the Unexpected

Watch the Ad-Free Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/night-shift-at-114392797

Who needs a haunted house when you've got hypnosis? Also, I heard somewhere that you are more than you think you are capable of.

Disclaimer: This will play with tropes from the "jump scare" horror genre . If you’re not all that comfortable with that genre, please read the description to decide if this is something you should listen to.

New to this channel or hypnosis? Check out the guidelines first and if you haven’t already:    • Pop #Hypnosis Guidelines: Start Your ...  

It is also recommended to listen to the Ultimate Countdown Game Show Trance at least once. Doing so will make some of the triggers in all other Pop Hypnosis videos more effective:    • The Ultimate Countdown Game Show Tran...  

WARNING: All videos on this page contain whirling moving images. They may contain flashing lights and other luminous stimulations. Please do not watch if you’re sensitive to this type of media. All content on this page is considered recreational. The hypnosis is real, but the purpose of all themes, scenarios and imagery in my files are to activate the imagination. Please consult a professional if you are having mental health challenges.

~ Labels ~

Experience: Familiar or very familiar with hypnosis (but beginners can try it out too!)

Pop theme: "Jump scare" horror

Intention: This file will relax you during some parts, but you might be startled out of trance by abrupt sounds, imitating the experience of going into a haunted house during Halloween. If that doesn't sound like a good time (or you have health conditions that would make being suddenly startled not a good idea), DO NOT LISTEN. By the end, the listener will feel energized and resilient, having gone through a rollercoaster of an experience!

Affirmations/Suggestions: A post-hypnotic suggestion to relax & remain calm after every startling or surprising moment of the next scary movie the listener decides to watch. To get to know that part of yourself that is strong and resilient. To breathe deeply through fear. To relax after every startling moment throughout the hypnotic experience. To connect to an inner sense of calm when faced with an unexpected situation in life.

Hypnotic Features: Fractionation (often coming out of trance after an abrupt sound), pattern interruption (surprises), progressive relaxation, visualization

Content Warnings: THIS FEATURES VERY STARTLING SOUNDS (hence the theme). It's also kind of creepy. Do not listen if that's not your jam.

To learn more about these labels, visit: https://linktr.ee/pophypnosis.

Please give me label suggestions if you have any in general or for any video.

A full description about this file is after the break!

~ Full Description ~

Stop here if you don’t want major spoilers about the trance! You may scroll past this section for more channel information, but otherwise, If you like being a bit surprised, it’s time to go on your adventure. If you want to know more about what is in this trance before trying it out, keep reading.

The listener has accepted a security job, the night shift, at an old abandoned pizzeria called "Teddy's." Their colleague gives them the scoop over the phone - people have been reporting disturbances there. Oh, and also there's no cell reception and the lights don't work. Lovely.

The listener enters the abandoned building and settles into the security room where there are camera monitors. It takes a bit of effort to get the monitors to work, but the listener figures it out. On the first night, not a lot happens. In fact, the listener ends up sleeping a bit, and is reminded about their inner strength and resilience. The next night, the listener is disturbed by what seems like one of the animatronics moving. Plus, the lights are going on and off on their own...it's really weird. The third night, one of the animatronics moves again - completely off the stage. But by the time the listener investigates, the machine is right back where it belongs. Even weirder. The fourth night is off the wall - with all the animatronics turning up missing on the monitor and one starts banging on the security door! Scary stuff. But the listener is brave and figures out that the animatronic really isn't out to get them. It caused a lot of unnecessary noise that brought the listener in and out of hypnosis, however, and as a result, the listener has a new sense of resilience in the face of the unexpected!

~ Page Information ~

100% SFW (but not necessarily made for kids). New videos every other week (or at least, that’s the plan). Each hypnotic adventure will be labeled and the descriptions will be detailed. Hypnosis is NOT one size fits all. Sometimes going into hypnosis takes practice. Keep in mind, these files can reinforce positive affirmations in a fun way, but if you want to seriously explore an issue in your life, look for a trained hypnotherapist in your area.

~ Credits ~

Illustration & Animation: @lakshan619 and @freelancerbijoy on Fiverr Music & Sounds: SoundTrap

[starshine-hockey-girl]

The Serpent Strikes- Magical Mystery Ride Chapter Twenty Seven

Summary- This a continuation of the last chapter- The Dove and The Serpent. We go back in time a little bit and see things from Chaz's perspective. I confess that I went FULL ON drama and it gets dark.

Warnings- verbal/physical violence, voyeurism, domestic violence

@pattiemac1 @penstxgal1968 @juuuuuse @hockeykittee @sugakookie9 @cellythefloshie @laurenairay

Previous Chapter- https://www.tumblr.com/starshine-hockey-girl/703003404083068928/the-dove-and-the-serpent-magical-mystery-ride?source=share&_branch_match_id=link-1154860346251412887

Tuesday- January 8th-Chaz’s office-Downtown Philadelphia

Chaz opened Instagram as he sat down to eat his lunch. He checked out his usual people before logging in under his burner account. He loved to keep tabs on his Dovey. It had been almost five years since he had been in her physical presence. He had gladly taken the pile of cash her father had offered in reward for leaving her in peace. She had worn out her usefulness to him and he had grown bored that she no longer posed a challenge. She had not even fought back the last time. She had laid there like a limp ragdoll. Even the sight of the emerging bruises and bloody cuts no longer thrilled him. 

Still he could not control the urge to follow her movements. It had been a troubling development when she had revealed her relationship with Seguin on Instagram in the fall. He had been forced to follow the NHL star to see the complete picture of their relationship. Two things were abundantly clear-she was happy and in love and Seguin was completely whipped.

His eyes widened when he saw her latest post. He couldn't believe it at first. His Dovey was coming to Philadelphia. He had procured tickets to the game already with the purpose of sizing the new man in Dovey's life. He was curious however about the choice of games on her part. January in Pennsylvania seemed to be an odd choice. He looked at the date of the game again, January 10, 2019. He smiled to himself- five years to the date. "How perfect Dovey- come to me, my little. Dovey," he thought to himself. He couldn't be completely shocked that she was coming to Philadelphia in time for Seguin's game given that date fell on their “anniversary”. As much as she pretended that he no longer existed, Chaz knew that she was still controlled by the fear of him. 

He scowled and picked up the phone and dialed Chelsea, his new girlfriend. The fact that she was part of the Philadelphia Flyers social media team was about to come in very handy. When she picked up, his voice became warm and cozy- warm enough to melt butter. 

Chaz: Hello Chels

Chelsea: Hey babe

Chaz: I need a favor. I used to hang out with Tyler Seguin back when I lived in Dallas. I would love to surprise him at his hotel to say hello. Do you know where they stay?

Chelsea: You hung out with Seggy?

Chaz: Yeah, back in my wilder days

Chelsea: I am glad those days are over. Seggy is a manwhore. I will find out and let you know..

Chaz: Thanks, Chels

He picked up the phone and called his buddy, Chandler. They worked together briefly at Chaz’s first job in Philly but stayed in touch after Chaz was fired for taking a swing at a female co-worker who challenged him during a meeting. 

Chaz: Yo Chandler-What’s up?

Chandler: Nothing much. Just watching Harper in her bounce swing.

Chaz: Do you still have that Teddy Bear with the nanny cam?

Chandler: Yeah, we don’t use it anymore. What’s up?

Chaz: Long story- but I need to catch someone being naughty. Can I borrow it? 

Chandler: Sure, want to meet up for a couple of beers tonight?

Chaz: Nah, I’ll swing by and get it

He hung up the phone and saw the text notification from Chelsea and texted her back

Late Wednesday morning- Westin Hotel- Philadelphia

“Excuse me?” Chaz said impatiently as stood behind the tall brunette having a conversation at the concierge desk, “Are you going to be done soon?”

Jamie Benn turned around slowly and raised an eyebrow, “You got a problem?”

Chaz backed down immediately when confronted, “No, no problem. I just need to get this bear delivered and be on my way.”

The concierge cleared his throat, “Sir, I do have that reservation made for you for this evening at Club Risque for the VIP table. Is there anything else you need?”

“Nah, I am good,” he said as he went to walk away to where the guys stood. “All set for tonight.  Now let’s get breakfast. I am starving”

Chaz stepped up to the counter, “Hey, I need to deliver this to Flynn Rider.”

“Certainly Sir,” the concierge checked the room listing, “I see him here in a room. I will get it delivered right away.”

ONE HOUR LATER- hall leading to Tyler’s hotel room

“Come on Seggy,” Benn pleaded as they walked back from breakfast, “If you go, then everyone else will.”

Tyler slid his key over the door lock and laughed, “No.”

They walked into his room and Benn continued to plead his case, “Come on Seggy. It will be fun.” 

Tyler shook his head, “Teddy will be here in a few hours. The last thing I am going to do is to leave her alone in a hotel so I can go to a strip club. Why would I do that?”

Benn made his final plea, “It will be a team bonding thing.”

“You bond with the team. I will bond with Teddy’s boobs instead,” Tyler joked.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tyler noticed the bear sitting on the bed. “What the fuck?”, he muttered and walked over. He picked up the card and read it to himself. He didn’t notice the camera located in the eye of the bear. 

In Chaz’s office, the nanny cam notification alerted Chaz and he picked up the phone to observe. 

“The bear is for you?” Benn scoffed, “I saw it dropped earlier. Delivery guy was totally sketch. Who had a bear delivered to you?” Tyler handed him the card to read. “Aww, it’s from Teddy?” Benn read, “Why is she coming up again?”

Tyler took the card back from Benn, “Tomorrow is the anniversary of something bad happening to her. I invited her to come so she wouldn’t be alone.”

“Something bad happened?” Benn questioned, “To Teddy?” 

Tyler hesitated. Although there had been a thaw in Teddy and Benn’s feud, Tyler didn’t want to divulge too much. 

“She had a creepy boyfriend, Chaz,” Tyler finally spoke, “That’s all I can really say.”

“And he hurt her?” Benn said quietly, trying to read between the lines. 

“Yeah,” Tyler replied, “Pretty bad.”

“You should stick with her tonight. Maybe take her to some fancy place for dinner? Girls like that shit,” Benn tried to suggest in order to get out of the conversation. 

“Reservation has already been made,” Tyler smiled, “Now I gotta go get Teddy from the airport.” Tyler looked over at the large bear and had an idea. He picked it up and started out of the room with Benn following behind him. They waited at the elevator and when it dinged Tyler said, “See ya later. Don’t let Hitch catch you and the boys at a strip club tonight.”

“You underestimate my sneakiness, Seggy,” he laughed as Tyler entered the elevator. He turned to walk to his room but turned back before the elevator door closed. “I am sorry to hear about Teddy. You have to be a really twisted fuck to hurt someone as sweet as her.”

Chaz stared at the video on his phone, “Oh you have not idea how twisted I can be, you dumb fuck.” 

He sat the phone down and listened for more notifications. He was pulled into a meeting and put the phone in his pocket. He felt the vibrations of the notifications that buzzed in his pocket. After the meeting, he raced back to his office and shut the door. 

On the camera feed, Teddy stood across the room with her arms wrapped around Tyler’s waist. Chaz leaned forward and zoomed the camera in to examine her face. She smiled easily and her voice sounded different in some way. He zoomed out again and watched as Tyler walked them over to the bed. Chaz felt the anger rise in him as they embraced and Tyler spoke tenderly to Teddy. When Tyler pulled her down onto the bed and she straddled his waist, Chaz tilted his head. There was a confidence in her that he had never seen before. When Tyler pulled up her skirt to reveal she had no panties on, Chaz’s mouth dropped. 

This wasn’t his Dovey. This wasn’t the Dovey who flinched every time he touched her. His Dovey didn’t like sex, not that it mattered much to him anyway. He used her body for his own pleasure with no thought to what she wanted. His eyes were transfixed on Teddy’s body as she took the lead. “She’s enjoying it,” he thought to himself in disbelief, “fucking slut.” 

His breath catched when Tyler approached the bear and turned it around. His view was now of the wall, but he could still hear every moan and sigh. Chaz closed his eyes and listened. His mind raced with undeniable arousal at the sound of her voice to white hot rage at the realization that she had denied him this. Sex with Teddy was quiet and only done on Teddy’s part out of obligation and fear. “This- this” he thought to himself, “I deserved this.” His body responded to the sounds and his arousal became too much to ignore. He stroked himself and imagined how she would feel as a willing and active participant. The moans got louder and the cries more intense. “Yes, yes, yes” she urged Tyler, "fuck Tyler- I'm almost there." Chaz imagined it was him and it fueled the intensity of his strokes. He climaxed just before Teddy. The sounds of her orgasm hung in the air. 

When she sighed, “Oh Tyler, you fuck me so good”, Chaz’s fists balled up. 

“You fucking slut,” he seethed, “You goddamn whore.”

“I love you Sweet One,” she breathed happily, “You are the best thing to ever happen to me.” 

Chaz screamed and punched the desk. The rage took control. “So you can be a slut, just not for me,” he hissed as swept the contents of his desk on the floor. “You denied me, Dovey,” he grunted as he picked up a stapler and threw it across the room, “I got the cold fish and he gets this?” His mind raced. His initial plan to simply spy on her and plant seeds of doubt in her head changed. “Oh no, Dovey” he said to himself as he trashed his office. “Oh no,” he exclaimed, “You owe me and I am going to take it whether you like it or not. You will be mine again.”

He disconnected the nanny cam app and looked around his office. “Let housekeeping clean the mess,” as he gathered his things. “Dovey,” he said to himself, “I’m coming for ya.”

TWO HOURS LATER- WESTIN HOTEL 

Chaz had no immediate plans as he walked toward the hotel entrance. The rage had dissipated and turned into cold calculation. She was somewhere in this hotel and he was going to find her. His head was down to escape the cold, bitter wind as he approached the door. The collision with the taller brunette didn't faze him as he continued his walk. However it was the voice that drew his attention back. Tyler called out, “Hey, watch where you are going,” and Chaz froze. He turned slowly to see Tyler staring at him. 

His eyes scanned the area. He saw her red curls as she faced away from him. It was clear that they were going out. In a nano-second, he assessed the situation. “Sorry Seggy,” he called out before turning back to enter the hotel. Teddy’s head turned at the sound of Chaz’s voice. Her eyes searched the area but saw no sign of the voice. She shook her head and turned around. 

Inside the hotel, Chaz stood by the window and stared as they entered. His eyes narrowed as Teddy leaned over to Tyler to kiss him softly. “Think Chaz-think,” his brain willed him to think. They were dressed up so probably going to a nice dinner. “What a waste of money,” he continued to think to himself. Nice dinners at expensive restaurants were not a regular occurrence when he was with Teddy. He preferred to keep her at home. Besides, Teddy could always stand to lose a few pounds. “Where would Seggy take her?” he thought to himself. His mind replayed the memory of Jamie Benn from this morning getting reservations from the concierge. “Of course,” he smiled and started toward the concierge desk. 

The concierge looked up with a tired expression. It was the end of a long shift and the only thing on his mind was a nice glass of wine at home. Chaz approached him with a smile, “Excuse me, I am supposed to meet my friend, Flynn Rider, for dinner. I got tied up in a meeting. Can you tell me where the reservation is set?”

The concierge looked at Chaz in exhaustion. He seemed vaguely familiar. Perhaps he had seen him with Mr. Rider/Seguin earlier in the day. He looked down at his notes. “The reservation is for seven pm at Alpen Rose. He selected the private dining room. Would you like me to arrange transportation?”

“No, no thank you” Chaz smiled, “I’ve got it.” He walked away and the concierge put up the closed sign at the desk. Chaz selected a seat in the lobby with a view of the front door. As he waited, his mind ran through multiple scenarios to achieve his goal. He had to get her alone-, that much he knew, but how. When would be a time she would be separated from the pretty boy? He thought for a moment. “During the game,” he smiled and concocted a plan to get Teddy to him. The plan started to take shape. “I’ll need Chelsea’s help,” he thought to himself, “She will do it if she knows what’s good for her.”

He was almost lost in his thoughts when he saw Tyler enter the hotel with Teddy following behind. Chaz stood up and followed them from a distance. He couldn’t resist the urge to toy with her one more time. He called out to her as they waited by the elevator, “Dovey, Lovey Dovey- come here Lovey Dovey.” She turned to search for the voice. The fear was evident all over her face. He smiled and said, “Not yet, Dovey, not yet.” Her knees buckled and Pretty Boy raced to her. He couldn’t hear what was being said so he edged closer. Teddy kissed Tyler’s cheek as the elevator doors opened. Chaz took another step closer. “Let her get a good look,” he smiled to himself, “Let her know that I am coming to get her.” 

The elevator door opened up and they stepped inside. Pretty Boy walked backwards to lean against the elevator wall. Teddy stepped towards him and he pulled her in tight. "Are you sure I can't convince you not to sleep right away?" he whispered when Chaz came into his view. Tyler looked into his eyes as he lifted his foot to hit the door close button. "Sorry, man- I am going to do unmentionable things to her in this elevator," Tyler smiled as Teddy's hand reached down and palmed his crotch. The bearded man with dark eyes and curly hair blinked and took a step toward the door before it closed. 

Chaz stood and stared at the elevator doors. She was going to give him another taste of it tonight, he thought to himself. Frigid bitch never offered it up to him period, much less more than once in a day. He started to fume when his phone rang. 

Chelsea: Hey where are you?”

Chaz: I got caught up with something. Why?

Chelsea: I made these cookies that you wanted me to make. Are you sure that this recipe is right? It seems like too much salt to me. 

Chaz: Oh, it’s just right. Seggy will love them. I’m on my way to your place. Be ready

Chelsea: I didn’t realize you wanted to do that. You know since we…… last night.

Chaz: What? A guy can’t want to fuck his girl two nights in a row? Do you want to deny me?

Chelsea blinked at the subtle change in Chaz’s tone. 

Chelsea: No, no…. 

She said quickly to keep the peace

Chaz: I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Be ready.

Chelsea: Yes, Chaz 

Chelsea's bedroom

The headboard knocked against the wall. Chelsea's face was buried into the pillow to muffle the sounds. Chaz's hands gripped her hips as he thrust deep into her. His head was thrown back and his eyes remained closed.  In his mind, it was Teddy taking it from him. Her sounds from earlier replayed in his mind.

Chelsea whimpered as he took his aggression out on her body. "That's it. Take it like the little slut you've become," he urged. Chaz's hand reached down to grab Chelsea's hair and pull her to his chest. "I don't want you quiet," he hissed, "I want to moan for me like you did for Pretty Boy. Call me Sweet One. Say it."

 Chelsea's eyes grew wide at his words. "Chaz, you are scaring me. Who is Pretty Boy? Who is Sweet One?”,Chelsea pleaded with him. All of it made no sense to her- his words, the sudden aggression and the new intensity. He fucked like a man posessed. He pulled her hair tighter, "Don't argue with me. Just fucking do it." He pushed her back down and continued. 

Chelsea spoke tentatively at first, unsure what to say. "Yes, Sweet One,yes," she started, "fuck me hard." She gulped, 'Fuck your little slut, Sweet One. Give it to me Chaz. It's all yours. All of it belongs to you."

"Louder, say it louder," he instructed as he bent down, turned her head and kissed her.  The angle changed just enough to hit her magic spot- a first. 

"That's it, Chaz," she moaned, "it's so good." It was a new type of sex and Chelsea wasn't sure how she felt about it. Previously, he had not produced anything that felt this good. Nothing that approached this level of pleasure. She hoped that she was about to experience her first orgasm. She let go of the questions in her mind and enjoyed the ride. Pretty soon, the physiology of it took over and her body responded. Then her voice joined, becoming louder with each thrust until she exploded with screams of pleasure. 

Chaz followed with impassioned pleas. "Yes- Yes, my Dovey, that's how it should be. That's how it should have always been."

Chelsea stiffened slightly at the name, Dovey. He had never called her that before. "And what was this insistence that she call him Sweet One?" she thought to herself. All of it swirled in her mind as he kissed her neck tenderly. She sighed softly and enjoyed the moment. It was a nice departure from his usual “wham bam, no thank you ma’am” style  and if the new names were part of the game, she was willing to play along with it.

He pulled her to him and spoke softly, "Hey, I have another favor to ask."

"What's that?" She yawned as her body basked in the post orgasm glow. Finally all of the hype about sex made sense to her. This might actually make all the other shit tolerable. 

"Can you take the cookies into the arena tomorrow and get them to Seggy? To the locker room?" He asked expectantly. He focused on keeping his voice calm and neutral.

"Why didn't you give it to him tonight?" she asked innocently, “That’s where you right? At the hotel?”

“He wasn’t there,” he said as he began to spin his lie, “I got there and waited there. I finally checked with the concierge who told me that the team went to Club Risque.”

“Wait, the entire team went to Club Risque tonight?”, she said in surprise. 

“Yeah, you know those hockey guys. Nothing but trouble, right?”, he smiled. 

Chelsea flinched. Chaz’s distaste for the Flyers players had been a great source of tension between them. The memory of his first backhand slap entered her mind. Chaz had thought Claude Giroux, of all people, flirted with her. Since then she had been careful to limit any interaction to purely professional circumstances. “Yeah,” she finally said, “nothing but trouble.” 

“So will you do it, my Birdie?”, he questioned. 

“Sure, Chaz, anything for you,” she smiled. 

Wells Fargo Center- near the visiting team locker room

Chelsea looked around nervously. The pass around her neck provided her all access to the arena as part of her social media job with the Flyers. However, there was no real reason for her to be near the visitor locker room, especially not to deliver a tin of cookies. 

She had scoffed earlier that morning when Chaz put the tin of cookies in her hand. “Really?” she asked, “I can’t believe you actually want me to deliver a tin of cookies to him? I don’t get it.”

He pulled her into a hug, “It’s an inside joke. Don’t overthink it, Chels.” He flashed her a smile and felt the urge to question him dissipate. 

“Hey, can I help you?”,the Stars equipment manager called from inside the room as he readied the team’s equipment before the morning skate. 

She mustered up her courage, “Yeah, can you put this in Seguin’s locker?” 

He looked up and stared at the tin. A smile of recognition spread across his face. He recognized the tin from the multiple times that Teddy had sent Tyler into practice and/or a road trip armed with her infamous cookies. “Sure,” he walked over and grabbed them. “Did Teddy send them through you? I heard she came in yesterday.” he mentioned casually. 

Chelsea blinked and questioned how to answer. “Umm, sure,” she finally. She hoped that it would allow her to extricate herself from the situation as soon as possible. She turned to leave and was halfway down the hall when a loud voice called out to her, “Hey Teddy- what are you doing here?” Chelsea turned around to see Jamie Benn walking toward her with a smile on his face. 

“Oh, you aren’t Teddy,” he said quickly, “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. It’s the second time I’ve heard the name Teddy in the last three minutes,” she smiled as he approached her, “Who is this infamous Teddy?”

“It’s Seggy’s girlfriend,” he said as he got closer. He picked up her access badge and read it. “Chelsea, you look a lot like her. Sorry for the confusion. What are doing down in this area? Did they send you in to spy on us?” He laughed softly. 

“Yep, it’s all part of the Flyers plan on beating you guys,” she responded with a touch more flirtation than intended. 

“Oh, that plan is brilliant,” he took a step towards her. 

Alarms bells began to ring loudly in her mind. “Danger, danger, danger,” she thought to herself. “Well, it was lovely to meet you….,” she paused for an answer, “Mr. Benn. I have to get back to the winner’s side of the arena now.” 

Benn started to give a smart ass answer but Chelsea took off in a practical sprint back to her office. She closed the door and rested against the door. So many thoughts swirled in her mind. “Who was this Teddy? More importantly, what did it have to do with Chaz?” she thought. She sat down to start doing some investigation. First she pulled up Tyler’s instagram. There were at least a dozen posts featuring Teddy. She blinked at the uncanny resemblance. 

Still, what did this have to do with Chaz? His strange, albeit pleasant, behavior last night was odd. The more she thought about it, the more questions she had. “If Chaz really hung out with Seguin in Dallas, why didn’t he have his phone number? Why did he need me to get the info for him?” she thought to herself. She searched Tyler’s followers. Chaz was not listed. She searched Chaz’s page to see who he followed. He did not follow Tyler. She went back to Tyler’s page and looked at the posts about Teddy. She paused at the post from Tyler in November. In Teddy’s reply, she used the hashtag #mysweetone. “Sweet One,” she thought to herself, “That’s the name Chaz wanted me to call him.” 

She kept scrolling through Tyler’s feed. Then she clicked on Teddy’s profile. It was set to private. She went back to Chaz’s profile and checked. He did not follow Teddy. The investigation was creating more questions than answering them. One there was clear- Chaz had a fascination with Tyler Seguin and his girlfriend, Teddy. The only question that remained unanswered was why. 

FOUR HOURS LATER- CHELSEA’S OFFICE- WELL FARGO ARENA

Chaz knocked softly on Chelsea’s door. Chelsea stared at her screen and tried to put the pieces together. Something wasn’t right and she couldn't put her finger on it. When Chaz didn’t get an answer, he cursed silently and knocked louder. Chelsea looked up, “Come in.” 

Chaz walked in carrying takeout from his favorite sushi place. He smiled and held it out as a treat for Chelsea. She looked up and then back to the screen without acknowledging it. She wasn’t a fan of sushi and he knew it. Chaz walked over to the desk and sat on the edge. His hand went to her face and turned it to him. “Birdie…..” he said in a tone that contained the slightest of edges. “What’s so fascinating that you can’t acknowledge me?” he asked. She quickly switched tabs to the Flyers instagram page. 

She turned to him and examined his face. He raised an eyebrow in question. 

“Who is Teddy?” she asked firmly. 

“Who is who?” Chaz replied. 

“Who is Teddy?” she repeated just as firmly. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about Birdie and I really don’t like your tone,” he replied neutrally. Inwardly, his heart raced. He needed Chelsea. He needed Chelsea in order to get to Teddy. 

“Fine, ignore the question,” she spit out, “Do you really know Tyler Seguin?”

“Of course, I do,” Chaz scoffed, “We go way back to when he was traded to Dallas.”

“Why did you need me to get you the hotel information, Chaz?” she quizzed, “Why not ask him yourself?”

“Because it was supposed to be a fucking surprise,” he hissed.

“So you are such good friends with Seguin that you don’t follow him on instagram and he doesn’t follow you?” she continued. Chaz blinked. He knew that he couldn’t take the chance to follow Seguin under his main account so he used his burner account, but he couldn’t explain that to Chelsea without explaining Teddy. “You know I looked at Seguin’s Instagram today. Did you know that he has a girlfriend named Teddy? She looks a lot like me too,” she prodded. “You know what else?” she asked, “Apparently her nickname for Tyler is Sweet One. Now where have I heard that before? Huh Chaz?”

Chaz froze. She stood and walked to the other side of the desk, instinctively putting a distance between her and her boyfriend who was prone to lose his temper when challenged. “Tell me who Teddy is to you and why you seem to be obsessed with her.” 

Chaz smiled, “I am not obsessed with her Birdie. That’s all you need to know.”

“Fuck that, Chaz,” she answered defiantly. 

His hand flew up in a swinging motion but he caught it. Chelsea saw it and took a step backwards. 

“Tell me the truth, Chaz,” she ordered, “Tell me the truth or get out!”

“Okay, okay,” Chaz spoke urgently, “Teddy is my ex. Teddy is my ex-girlfriend.”

 “Was all of this a ruse? A ruse to get to Teddy?” she gasped, “Why do you want to get to Teddy so badly?”

“I need to…. I need to make amends,” Chaz lied as he walked around the desk, “I need to see her so I can apologize to her.”

“Why?” she stepped back, “Why do you need to apologize to her?”

“You know me, sometimes I can lose my temper,” he stepped towards, “I want her to know that I’ve changed. I have a good woman and have changed.”

“So you are totally over her? Why did you want me to cosplay her last night?” she held out her hand, “You weren’t fucking me last night. You were fucking her.” The reality sank in and she screamed, “Get out! Get the fuck out!” She turned to open the door and Chaz slammed it shut. 

“Birdie,I am not going anywhere,” he whispered in her ear, “I am not going anywhere until you bring me Teddy.”

“Why the fuck would I do that, Chaz? Why would I bring her to you? What do you want?” she said half-defiantly and half-fearfully.

“It doesn’t matter what I want, Birdie,” he said menacingly, “Bring her to me or pay the consequences.” Her eyes flashed up at him. “That’s right. You remember what happens when you don’t obey me.” The implied threat sank into her soul. 

“Please Chaz,” she begged, “Please don’t make me do this.”

“Don’t make me ask again.” he placed his hands on her arms and squeezed tight. He pulled her forward and slammed her back against the door. “Don’t make me ask again, Birdie. I’ll have to clip your wings.”

“No, please don’t hurt me, Chaz. I’ll do it,” she said as her eyes filled with tears, “What do you need me to do?”

“Just get her to the concourse. I will take it from there,” he answered as it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

“And you will leave me alone after that?” she asked quietly. 

Chaz opened the door, “It will be my pleasure. You were beginning to bore me anyway.” 

Outside in the hallway, Flyers captain Claude Giroux stood and watched as Chaz walked away. He heard the tears and sniffles coming from Chelsea’s office. He knocked softly. “Go away, Chaz,” she cried, “I’ll do it. You don’t have to browbeat me anymore.”

“It’s not Chaz,” the captain answered, “Can I come in?”

Chelsea opened the door and stepped aside. Her head was down and she stared at the floor. “How can I help you?” she asked quietly. 

Claude looked at her tear stained face and frowned. His eyes did a quick scan of her body. They stopped at the red handprints on her arms. “I heard crying and wanted to check on you. You know, see if you needed anything,” he said gently. 

“It’s just a silly fight with my boyfriend,” she said quickly. The thought of Claude or anyone else on the team knowing the reality of her situation filled her with shame. 

Claude nodded to her arms, “Did he do that?”

Chelsea took in a ragged breath, “It’s no big deal. I’ll be fine.”

“Look at me,” Claude said firmly. He quickly added in a softer tone, “Please.”

She raised her eyes to his and waited. She waited for the admonishment. She waited for him to blame her for being involved with someone who treated her so badly. Instead his eyes were soft and she wasn’t sure if his pity was better or worse. 

“I want you to know that the team cares about you. I care about you. If you need anything else, just say the word,” he explained. She nodded her head. “You don’t deserve to be treated that way, Chelsea. Don’t let him make you think otherwise.”

“Thank you,” she said before her voice cracked, “That- that means a lot.”

“I have to go get ready for the game. I’ll see you before we hit the ice, eh?” 

Chelsea forced a smile, “yeah, I’ll be over there soon.”

“Keep your chin up,” he smiled back, “You got the Broadstreet Bullies at your back. You’re one of us. If he messes with you, then he messes with us.”

Wells Fargo Arena- Concourse

Inside the arena, Teddy and Trish made their way down to the rink for warm-ups. With the spotty service, both were oblivious to their phones blowing up. Trish glanced around the lower bowl of seats for any sign of Chaz. There were none. "Incoming," Trish whispered as a red-head approached Teddy. “Excuse me, aren’t you Teddy Baxter?” she said brightly. 

“That’s me,” Teddy answered warily. 

The red head flashed her badge to Teddy and Trish. “I’m Chelsea with the Flyers social media team. Can you come with me to do a quick bit for Instagram?” she asked. 

Teddy tilted her head in confusion, “Why would the Flyers want to do a bit with me? My boyfriend is the star of the opposing team.”

"We try to get an Instagram influencer to participate when they are at games. It can be a great way to build your following," she said cheerfully. Chelsea glanced up at the concourse, “Come on, it will be fun. We can get the Stars in on it too,” 

"Oh, I would have to run it by my brand team first," Teddy shook her head no, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Chelsea pleaded, “Please? I really need you to do this for me.” 

Teddy turned and focused her attention onto Tyler who smiled and took a running leap into the boards right in front of her. Then he turned with a dramatic flair, placed his hands on his heart and blew her a hiss. Teddy smiled and giggled. 

Chelsea slowly walked up the stairs with a sense of dread filling her. At the top of the stairs, a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. “I thought I was clear in my instructions, Birdie,” Chaz hissed, “You were supposed to get the bitch up to me.”

Chelsea turned to him and cried, “Chaz, I tried. I really tried but she wouldn’t come. Please don’t hurt me.”

FIRST PERIOD

Teddy tried to focus on the game, but her mind wouldn't let her. She knew that there were enough eyes focused on her and not the game for there not to be a chance of Chaz suddenly appearing. Besides, it wasn't his style to do things publicly. No, he would want to get her alone. 

Then her mind drifted back to her conversation with Chelsea. It had been so odd and confusing. She pulled out her phone to search Instagram for her. There was no signal. Teddy shook her head, got up and started up the stairs. Trish followed her, "Teddy, what's up? You have to give me some warning." 

"Don't you think that whole thing with the Flyers media girl was odd?" She answered and continued up the stairs. They had both barely reached the top of the stairs when Teddy felt a hand grab her arm tightly and start to pull her. She instinctively pulled against it until she looked up to see her father. From a secluded spot, Chaz watched and plotted. Getting close to his Dovey was getting infinitely more difficult.

Suddenly, the arena erupted as the Flyers scored their second goal of the period. In the pandemonium, Chaz lost sight of the trio as Robert guided Teddy to the supply closet the Baxter security team had commandeered for the night. Once the door was shut, Teddy looked around the room. "What happened?" she said quickly as she observed the team's faces.

Steve stepped forward. "Remember the tin Tyler carried back from morning practice,? Turns out they were sent by Chaz as a message."

"A message? What sort of message?" she asked quickly when the more important question hit her, "How did he get it there?"

"You're getting good at this, Teddy," Steve answered, "Chaz is in a relationship with someone in the Flyers organization. She delivered the cookies to the locker room."

"She?" Teddy asked. Her mind went back to Chelsea. There was something about her desperation to get her to film something. Her desperation to get Teddy alone. It was only now that she recognized the terror in her eyes. Instantly she knew the source of the terror. "Chelsea, it's her. Isn't it?" Steve looked back in confusion. "She tried to get me to go with her to film an Instagram thing for the Flyers. It didn't make sense to me so I told her no. She practically begged me to help her. Oh God, I told her no." 

"Exactly what you should have done," Robert interjected, "Good instincts."

"There's more," Steved added. "There was a flower delivery to the conference room with a message. Chaz knows we are here."

"How would he know that?" Teddy questioned.

"The bear," Steve answered.

"The Teddy bear?" She answered, confused, "I don't understand. How could the bear tell him anything?"

"It is a nanny cam. When we brought it to the conference room and he saw everything," Steve explained, "We are leaving now."

"Now?" Teddy questioned, "What about Tyler? He will be worried if he doesn't see me in my seat."

"Then let him fucking worry," Robert yelled.

Teddy turned to him, "Don't yell at me."

"I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe," he yelled back.

Teddy steeled her spine, "You know what doesn't make sense to me, Daddio? How did nobody know that Chaz was in Philly? He has been here long enough to have a damn relationship. Why didn't anyone know about that? You told me that I didn't have to worry about Chaz, Daddio. I trusted you and yet here we are."

He stepped back with a wounded look on his face. "Daddio, I am sorry. I take it back."

Steve interjected, "Teddy, I will get word to Tyler. He will understand. Your safety is the most important thing to us."

"Give me a damn second," Teddy walked to the corner of the room. She closed her eyes and tried to process the information- the nearness of Chaz, the Teddy bear, the cookies as some sort of message, the flowers with a definite message, and finally Chelsea." 

She paced and remembered the look in her eyes. Chaz had involved her in whatever plan he had. There would be consequences for her failure. Teddy closed her eyes and imagined just how violent Chaz could and would get. She shook her head.

She couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something obvious. "Tell me about the cookies," she asked.

Robert sighed and punched the wall. Teddy glanced then focused her attention on Steve. "The cookies were bad-full of salt, inedible," he explained.

"He tried to hurt Tyler," she said plainly.

"And the flowers. Tell me about the flowers," she continued.

Steve described the large bouquet of white gladiolus and carnations and the contents of the card. "Funeral flowers," Teddy stepped back, "that was his message to me." Everyone turned with a question in their eyes. "I hate those flowers because you only see them at funerals. He knows I would think of that. He wants to kill me."

"Which is exactly why we need to get you out of here!" Robert screamed again.

"Then what?" Teddy questioned, "do you think that he will just say 'oh well' after all this? If he doesn't get me, then what?" She stared at the group, "then what? He already went after Tyler, in this arena. You think he can't get to him again?"

Steve and the team exchanged looks. "And what about Chelsea? Do you think he is just going to do nothing? He tried to use her to get to me, with the clear goal of death. You think she won't be a price for that?"

"What are you saying?" Steve asked.

"I am not going anywhere until we come up with a plan to protect her. I had no one to protect me back then. I am not going to allow the same thing to happen to her. Now let's think." Teddy said with authority.

"You heard Teddy. We have twenty minutes to come up with a plan," Steve barked out, "Someone get me the head of arena security."

Outside on the concourse, Chaz searched the crowd. "Where did that bitch and Dovey sneak off to?" he thought to himself. Shortly before the end of the first intermission, he saw Trish and Teddy leave a concession stand with popcorn and sodas. They laughed and joked as they walked back to their seats. When warm-ups started, Tyler skated to where Teddy stood by the glass. His hand went to glass and he called out, "where did you go?"

 She smiled, "a chat with Steve and team."

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me," she smiled, "I am in capable hands. Focus on scoring."

"Okay, bossy butt," he laughed and skated away. He turned around and blew her a kiss.

On the concourse, Chaz seethed. When Chelsea put her hand on his arm, he jumped. "It's just me," she said quickly, "good news. She wants me to come talk to her during the third. We have another shot."

Chaz looked at her with a question. "What had changed? he thought so himself, "You know what? I don't fucking care." He forced a smile, "Good for you, Birdie. Good for you."

His eyes were focused on Chelsea as she went to Teddy's seat. Chelsea had received a simple DM on Instagram during the first intermission that read "Come see me about your idea during the third. Maybe we can work something out." 

When Chelsea arrived at the seat, Trish got up and walked up the stairs, per the plan. Chelsea sat next to her and looked nervously. "So, when is the first time he hit you?" Teddy said without making eye contact. Chelsea gasped. "What? He told you that had never happened before, right? That it was whatever you did made him do it," Teddy continued, "It's all your fault."

"It was after the first time we…." Chelsea started.

"At least he is consistent," Teddy laughed, "So what does he want?" 

"He wants to apologize," she whispered. 

"You believe that?" Teddy asked.

"No," she answered.

"Good, at least you are not totally blind," Teddy said, "So we have a plan. I am going to need you to trust me." Chelsea looked back nervously. "Don't do that," Teddy urged, "He will get suspicious."

"We?" Chelsea asked.

"Security team. I will explain it one day," Teddy, "Tell him that it has to be right before the end of the game otherwise Tyler will get suspicious. Got it?"

"Okay," Chelsea answered got up to head towards the stairs.

Teddy turned as she started up, "He won't hurt us. He won't hurt us again. Just follow my lead."

Trish returned to the seats and slipped a tracker into Teddy's hand, "They will be able to track you and hear you, but you won't hear them. Test it out."

Teddy smiled, "Steve, how it's going out there? So much for that plan on beer and cheesesteaks? When we get out of here in one piece we'll grab one of the way to the airport, okay?"

Trish pressed on the ear piece, "Stick to the plan and we'll be fine."

END OF THE THIRD

Teddy used Benn's goal in the third period to escape to the concourse. As she ascended the stairs, she spoke "Heads up boys. The show is about to begin." Chelsea waited for her on the concourse. They stared at each other momentarily, then nodded in solidarity.

Teddy saw the fear in Chelsea's eyes. Chelsea looked around as she started to lead them to the stairs that led down to the bowels of the arena. Chelsea said quietly, "Why are you doing this? You could have just escaped."

"And what? Let you pay the consequences of his hate for me? No, we are not going to let that fucker win." She leaned forward and grabbed her face, "You can do this. I can do this. We will do this together."

Chelsea whimpered and Teddy felt Chaz's presence before he grabbed her arm. She turned and gasped, "Chaz!"

"Quit the act, Dovey," Chaz hissed.

Her eyes filled with tears, "Suspecting that you are watching me, knowing that you are and you grabbing me are very different things. The last time you surprised me, I ended up in the hospital. It's not an act."

 "I know that you have eyes on you-at least for now." He insisted, "Don't worry, we will lose them soon.

"You don't have to do this, you know," Teddy replied, "Just let us go. No harm, no foul."

Chaz twisted Teddy's arm behind her back, "Now where would the fun be in that, huh?" He glanced back at Trish who was told to keep a respectful distance in the planning session. Her gut was telling her otherwise. Chaz glanced at the clock. They had about thirty seconds before the arena would erupt in celebration of the Flyers 2-1 victory over the Stars.

On the bench, Tyler's eyes searched Teddy's section for a sign of her and saw nothing. Benn leaned over and asked, "What's wrong?" 

Tyler turned "I think that Teddy's intuition that Chaz was following her was right. She isn't where she is supposed to be."

They both looked at the section again with no sign. Benn tried to encourage Tyler, "She probably headed down early to beat the crowd. You know how these Flyer fans get."

The horn sounded and throngs of people swarmed the concourse. Chaz yelled, "Birdie, get us to our final destination or pay the consequences." Chelsea grabbed Teddy's free hand and pulled her through the throng of people. Chaz followed behind with her arm twisted behind her back. With each step the pain increased and Teddy whimpered.

"Where are we going?" Teddy cried. She knew that her team would lose visual contact in the crowd and hoped to provide any clues that she could. The confidence that she had in abundance while they planned began to fade. It was one thing to put herself in the line of Chaz's wrath but it was entirely another thing to include Chelsea.

When they began their descent into the bowels of the arena, she narrated their travels. "Why are we going down here, Chaz? Where are you taking me? Have you thought about how you are going to leave this arena alive?"

"Shut up Teddy. Shut your fucking whore mouth," Chaz hissed. He grabbed her hair and snapped her head back, "Does your Daddio know what a whore you've turned into? You were so innocent with me." He pushed both of the women as they traveled along the dark hallway. "Maybe it's time to show Pretty Boy how it's done."

In the makeshift war room, Steve barked out orders. "Get the lower exits sealed. Do it now!" He yelled. 

The head of arena scanned the possible routes. He picked up the radio, "Secure the locker rooms. Shut them down."

Inside both team locker rooms, players looked up in surprise as the doors leading out to the arena with sudden force. A chorus of "What the fuck?" echoed in each room. Tyler looked at the door and got up from the bench, half-dressed. "What's going on?" he asked urgently. In his gut, he knew. Something was wrong and Teddy was in danger. 

The security guard refused to answer. Tyler asked again, his voice rising an octave. Benn got up and stood next to him. "Do you think it's Teddy?" 

On the radio, updates flowed. "Chaz has two hostages downstairs. They are heading to main hallway. Keep distance. Teddy seems to be in physical distress. Chelsea seems fine."

In the Flyers locker room, Giroux had take a spot next to the guard in order to relay information. "Chelsea…. Boys, he has Chelsea." 

"Our Chelsea?" TK Konecy asked. "What's happening?" Claude explained what he had overheard earlier. The entire team gathered to listen. "That punk ass bitch has been hitting her?" TK questioned, "You know what he have to do, G."

Meanwhile, a similar conversation took place in the Stars locker room. Tyler raced to get dressed. Benn went to him, "Where do you think you are going?"

"Chaz has Teddy who is under "some physical distress". Where the fuck do you think I am going?" Tyler hissed. 

"Hold on," Benn said, "I will create a distraction." Benn walked over and got in the guards face. "When are you letting us out of here? Look, I don't have time for lockdown practice. You are standing between me and a plane to take me home to my extremely hot woman." 

The guard tried to respond and Tyler slipped out the door. Once in the hallway, Tyler listened to get a clue which way to head. 

"Pretty Boy? Who is Pretty Boy? Is it Tyler?" Teddy's voice became clear. "Chelsea, is that where you are taking us? To Tyler?" Chelsea nodded her head. "Fuck," Teddy thought to herself. She could only hope that Steve would have planned for that scenario. "Chaz, you won't be able to get into a locker room. Even with Chelsea's credentials, they won't let you in there. Come on, you are not thinking clearly." 

Chelsea tried to think. Chaz relied on her to guide him to the locker room. He wouldn't notice if she directed toward the security office. She made the turn as Chaz dragged Teddy behind him. Steven and Robert Baxter stood in the hallway. Chaz screamed, "You stupid bitch. You stupid, stupid bitch" He let go of Teddy's arm and and reached for Chelsea. 

"Nooo," Teddy screamed and placed her body in front of Chelsea, "Run, Chelsea, run. You can make it. They will get out safely. RUN NOW"  

She took a step toward Chaz,  "I am the one you want. She is just doing what I told her to do. Blame me- blame me!" 

Chaz took his hand, swung it hard and slapped Teddy with his backhand. He grabbed her by the hair and forced her to face Robert. Her father's face contorted in anguish. Her face stung from the blow. "I'm okay Daddio. I am okay." Teddy tried to soothe.

"Not for long, Dovey, not for long," he hissed in her ear, "I am done with you by a long shot."

Teddy examined her surroundings. From what she could gather, there were four outlets on the main hall. Chaz would have to guess between the other three options. "Walk, Dovey- turn around and walk," he ordered. 

In the Stars locker room, the team had chattered away, assessing the situation. The consensus was that they were not going to allow an attack on Teddy unchallenged. It didn't take much effort to intimidate the security guard away from his post. When word came out that Teddy had been separated from Chelsea, the team stormed past into the hallway. They arrived at the same time as Chaz and Teddy.

"Where is he? Where in the fuck is Pretty Boy?" Chaz shouted as he scanned the team, "See Dovey, you need a real man. You need a real man to keep safe. Where in the fuck is he? " He whipped her body around and dragged her down the hall to the third outlet. The Flyers blocked it. 

Tyler had mistakenly taken a right turn and landed on the hall of the fourth outlet. Chaz's words echoed through the hall. Teddy’s cries pierced his heart. He ran and stood at the fourth and final outlet. He screamed, "Hey Chaz, are you looking for me?"

Chaz pushed Teddy forward to Tyler. She fell on her knees, looked up and saw his face. He never looked stronger. He took a step towards her and saw the mark on her face. "Pretty One," he said softly, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Chaz grabbed her by the hair again, pulling her to her feet again. "Oh Pretty Boy, don't worry about Dovey. She is used to a little discipline in her life. None of that Pretty One bullshit," Chaz taunted, "She needs it rough."

Tyler took a lunge at Chaz, who danced out of his grasp. "Let her go or I will fucking kill you," 

Chaz, "Oh Pretty Boy, you will stand there and watch. You can watch how a real man does it."

Something in Teddy snapped at Chaz's words. "Real man? She thought to herself, "No, her father was a real man- a man devoted to his family for almost thirty five years. Lex was a real man- a best friend who saw the good in her even when she couldn't. Finally, Tyler was a real man- a sweet soul who loved her without conditions or restraint." 

Teddy twisted her body around. Behind her she saw her father and Steve, poised to pounce. She turned to her side and saw the Flyers team standing together. The look in Claude's eyes was defiant, as if to dare Chaz to make a move. Her head swiveled to the Stars who waited patiently for a signal. Finally she turned to Tyler who watched with a pained expression on his face. She gave him a smile and felt her strength rise up within her. 

She thought about Chelsea. Teddy had been compelled to help Chelsea who did not have anyone else. Turns out that she was wrong. Chelsea did have an entire NHL team ready to go to blows for her. 

Then she turned her attention to Chaz. She saw him through a new set of eyes. He was so sure that he could control her and bend her to his will. She laughed as she thought to herself, "Fucker could not find a clit with a compass and a map. How the fuck is he going to hurt me?" 

The laughter became louder and Chaz pulled at her hair, "What the fuck are you laughing at Dovey?"

Teddy turned him and smiled, "You fell for it. You actually thought I was fucking scared of you. Oh Chaz, no one is actually afraid of you. You think you are real man because you hit me a couple thousand times? You are a little momma's boy trapped in a man's body. You only pick on people smaller than you- the ones that you think you can scare into submission. "

Teddy looked over at Tyler, "Say the words, Sweet One."

Tyler's eyes widened and he stared for a moment. She nodded in encouragement. "Who do I want, Pretty One?" Tyler said softly. He was confused by the request.

Teddy smiled, "Me and only me." She felt her soul rising up.

Chaz grabbed her face and pulled it to face him. "Shut the fuck up, Dovey," he seethed. He grasped at straws to keep some sort of control over her.

"Keep going," she pleaded with Tyler.

"Why do I want you?" He continued.

Teddy wretched her face from Chaz's grasp and turned to Tyler, "Because you love me and will never hurt me."

"Never, ever Pretty One," Tyler asked loudly, "Who is my lady?" 

Teddy smiled triumphantly, "Me and only fucking bad ass me." 

She turned to Chaz and spit in his face. "You just made a big mistake-huge." 

She picked her foot and stomped down onto with her stiletto heel. He doubled over in pain and shock. "I'm sorry- did that hurt?" She scoffed, "I wear real heels now that I don't have to make myself small for my man." 

She threw her favorite boxing combination of a jab, cross, hook, uppercut followed by another cross. The blows each landed with enough force to know Chaz back. She took a breath and repeated the combination as Chaz fell to his knees. "Oh, did you not know I take private boxing lessons three times a week? I probably should have told you. Oooops!"

Chaz covered his head with his arms as the blows rained down upon his body. "Wait," she laughed in his ear, "I thought you said you were going to show me how a real man does it. What happened- you pathetic piece of shit."

"Stop," Chaz's voice said weakly, "Please stop."

"Say it again," she screamed, "Say it again, you fucking.coward."

"Please stop. I am begging you," he pleaded for mercy.

Teddy grabbed his hair and pulled his face up to look at her, "Look at me. Look at my face and know that I am not afraid of you. I will never be afraid of you again." Chaz's eyes welled up with tears. "You know where you fucked up, Chaz? When you tried to hurt Tyler- that's…. that is when I decided to kick your ass. I would die before I allowed you to hurt him,” she declared.

"If you come for Chelsea again, I will beat your ass. If you come for him again, I will beat your ass. If you come for me again, I will put your ass in the damn morgue," she shouted as she stood up and walked away. She abruptly stopped and turned around, "Don't believe me? Just look at all the back up I have. Fuck around and find out."

In the span of time it took Teddy to make it five yards to Tyler, a team descended upon Chaz and restrained him. Teddy didn't look back and ran to Tyler. He swooped her into his arms and squeezed for dear life. "Pretty One," he whispered into her ear, "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," she cried, "don't say anything. Just hold me and don't let me go."

"Okay," he swayed back and forth. In the chaos that surrounded them, they clung to each other. Both were lost in their own thoughts. 

Teddy rested her ear against Tyler's chest and listened to his heartbeat. "Your heart is racing," Teddy said quietly.

"I  was scared to death. I was afraid to try to take him down. I should have… I should have saved you," he sighed.

"You did save me. Maybe not tonight, but you saved me with your love. It was your love that brought my strength to the surface. It was your love that reminds me every day that I can do the hard things. I can do them because I am not alone anymore," she encouraged.

"You give me too much credit, Pretty One," he kissed the top of her head. 

"You don't give yourself enough credit," she kissed his chest, "Do you need the words?" he whispered yes.

"Who do I want?",she asked.

"Me and only me," he answered

"Why do I want you?", she repeated their pattern.

"Because you love me more than anyone else in the world and you know I will never, ever hurt you,” he answered earnestly.

"Who is my REAL man?", she smiled up at him.

"Lucky me," he smiled back.

"I love you Sweet One," she whispered, "I have a feeling it's about to get crazy around here." She turned to look at the crowd around them. She looked back into his eyes with tears.

"It's a good thing I am certified in handling crazy," he wiped her tears, "I love you and you can do the hard things." He paused and corrected himself, "No, we can do the hard things together." 

[sacredjoanne]

Moon Sign Meaning & Personality Traits

The Moon Sign is basically where the Moon was chilling out in the sky when you popped into this world.

The Moon, being a speedy celestial body, does a quick lap around the Earth every 28 days and hops into a new zodiac nightclub every 2-3 days.

The Moon is the ultimate drama queen of change, personal growth, all things emotional, and of course, our primal instincts.

She’s the OG lady boss, embodying our deepest feminine vibes.

She’s also the fertility goddess in the sky, with her own VIP lounge in the celestial realm, and her changing moods decide if the tides will be chillin’ or spillin’.

Each zodiac sign is like a unique flavor in the cosmic ice cream shop, and your Moon sign is the one that gives your life that special zing.

So, understanding its qualities can give you the inside scoop (pun intended) on how to sprinkle some extra balance and happiness into your life sundae.

Ready for a wild ride through the lunar lanes to discover what your Moon sign spills about your emotional roller coaster?

I have detailed breakdowns for each of the 12 Moon Signs. Feel free to explore:

Aries Moon

Taurus Moon

Gemini Moon

Cancer Moon

Leo Moon

Virgo Moon

Libra Moon

Scorpio Moon

Sagittarius Moon

Capricorn Moon

Aquarius Moon

Pisces Moon

Aries Moon

These folks are buzzing with energy, shoot first and ask questions later, and always step up to the plate with the confidence of a lion walking onto a zebra farm.

Aries Moon folks have a fiery spirit and a compassionate heart, like a dragon who moonlights as a nurse.

They’re passionate, emotional, yet sensitive and empathetic.

Aries Moons are always the ones boldly making decisions like they’re on a game show and the clock’s ticking down.

Aries Moon signs are the life of the party, full of zest and pizzazz, living life large but also not feeling an ounce of guilt when they decide to hit the ‘pause’ button for some quality ‘me time’.

This is one of the most thrilling, fiery, and passionate signs of the zodiac.

They’re bossed around by Mars, the planet with the motivational speech on speed dial.

These guys have a ‘to achieve’ list that would make an overachieving beaver blush, and boy, do emotions fuel this ambition.

Now, if an Aries Moon hasn’t quite got a handle on their emotional rollercoaster, they can come off as a bit of a hothead.

Quick to frustration and anger, they can swing from ecstatic to cranky faster than a teen who’s just had their phone confiscated.

When they finally cool down, they’re more spent than a lottery winner in a Lamborghini dealership.

You wear your heart not just on your sleeve, but on your forehead, back, and probably your socks as well.

Sharing your intense feelings is second nature, even when it stings a bit.

So, if you’re the type who’d:

Leap off a cliff because you thought it might be fun.

Always first to dive headfirst into a project.

Believe that ‘impossible’ is just another word for ‘challenge’.

Well, my friend, you’re either an Aries moon or you’ve been drinking some serious Aries moon Kool-Aid.

Check my full Aries Moon breakdown here!

Taurus Moon

These folks are all about beauty, keeping their cool, chasing status, and enjoying life’s earthly delights.

Venus, the planet of love and ‘let’s chill’, has these folks under her thumb.

It’s as if they’ve swallowed a cosmic tranquilizer. They’re so subtle in expressing their feelings, they make Leos look like reality TV stars.

Imagine a mix of your favorite snuggly teddy bear and a dependable old St. Bernard, and you’ve got your typical Taurus Moon character.

They’re all warm and fuzzy on the inside, with an irresistible touch of sensuality.

They’re as devoted as a dog to a bone and as grounded as a potato on an Idaho farm.

These moon Taureans are dreamers with both feet on the ground, connoisseurs of beauty, and practical idealists.

They’re like those folks who fill their piggy banks with obsessive fervor, ready to spring into action when the rainy day arrives.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Taurus Moon signs can be a bit like a posh antique collector.

They’re old school, reserved, and can be a bit indecisive at times.

They’re as patient as a tortoise running a marathon and have a determination that would make a stubborn mule blush.

But hey, they’re not about to pull a rabbit out of a hat to impress you.

Nah, they’re too cool for that kind of show. Just sit back and enjoy their subtle, reliable charm!

Check my full Taurus Moon breakdown here!

Gemini Moon

On the surface, Gemini Moons are like air-filled beach balls – light, bubbly, and forever chatting.

But, peel back the layers and it’s like stepping into a Bermuda triangle of personality traits. Buckle up, it’s about to get wild.

Gemini, the celestial twins, embodies a freewheeling spirit, ever-changing moods, bright creativity, and sharp intellect.

Gemini Moons folks are like kids in a candy store of life – forever curious and always hunting for new adventures.

These folks have a Ph.D. in chitchat.

They’re like the Swiss Army knives of communication – they’ve got a tool, or rather, a word for every situation.

Nimble and resourceful, they dance through life’s curveballs like a pro ballerina in a mosh pit.

Got a problem? Dial-a-Gemini! They’ve got more solutions than a Sudoku champ.

With their smooth talk and innate diplomacy, they can talk their way out of a paper bag or even defuse a ticking time bomb of a situation.

Now, let’s talk about emotions.

As a Gemini Moon sign, you’re all about the feels.

You’re expressive, like a modern dancer on a caffeine binge. This makes you a catch in the love department.

But wait, there’s a catch.

You see, one moment you’re a sparkling firecracker, and the next, you’re as cold as Elsa in her ice castle.

This wild emotional switcheroo might send potential lovers running for the hills.

But hey, it’s all part of your charm! Embrace your emotional rollercoaster – it’s what makes you, well, you!

Check my full Gemini Moon breakdown here!

Cancer Moon

The Moon is the master of change, and Cancers are its faithful students, adapting faster than a chameleon on a rainbow.

Being water signs, Cancers enjoy sensual delights like a raccoon in a trash can full of gourmet leftovers.

Cancer Moons are all about the emotional deep dive.

They’re like the ultimate caregivers of the zodiac – nurturing, passionate, and so attuned to emotions, they probably cry at detergent commercials.

But hey, every coin has two sides, right? Cancer Moons can also come off as clingy, moody, and as demanding as a diva with a cold latte.

They feel things deeply and wear their emotions on their sleeve, their pants, and probably even their socks.

Cancer Moon signs are all heart. They ooze tenderness and compassion like a warm bowl of soup on a rainy day.

They’re hyper-aware of others’ emotions, like walking, talking empath detectors.

Born under this moon sign, folks tend to get lost in dreamy nostalgia and are forever on a quest for comfort and familiarity.

When the moon is chilling in Cancer, you could be moved to tears by a cute puppy video or a child’s innocent smile.

One day you’re all cuddles and giggles, the next, you’re as moody as a cat thrown in water.

Typically, these ambitious individuals feel a bit like a fish out of water under this sign, as their practical, goal-focused mindset does a 180, plunging headfirst into the pool of emotions.

It’s like asking a mathematician to write a love sonnet, but trust me, the result can be surprisingly beautiful!

Check my full Cancer Moon breakdown here!

Leo Moon

Welcome to the lair of the Leo Moon sign, the King and Queen of the zodiac jungle.

Their emotional rollercoaster ride often follows the “my way or the highway” route, and trust me, they are riding shotgun.

Leos strut around with self-confidence as if they’ve invented the concept.

These folks are more expressive than a mime on Broadway, bubbly as champagne, and are generally the life of the party.

Leo Moon ladies tend to be dramatic divas and experts in the art of flirting, while the gents can come off as more boastful than a peacock on a catwalk.

Leo Moon signs are like motivational powerhouses, radiating “We Can Do It” vibes.

Their unmatched zest and knack for self-expression make them the zodiac’s reigning champions.

Their emotional confidence, honed from their life successes, fuels their self-discipline, and they can hold onto money like a squirrel stocking up for winter.

With a vision clearer than an eagle’s and leadership skills rivaling those of the best generals, these lions can rally and inspire the troops with ease.

Their loyalty runs deep, and they stand by their loved ones like the best guard dogs.

They’ve got a sense of humor that can charm a hyena out of its laughter and a capacity for love that makes them the Casanovas and Cleopatras of the celestial kingdom.

With a Leo Moon sign, life is never a bore. It’s a wild, exciting jungle out there!

Check my full Leo Moon breakdown here!

Virgo Moon

We’re diving into the world of the Virgo Moon sign, the zodiac’s embodiment of perfection, purity, and “Hey, I just aced that!”.

Virgo moons don’t just feel emotions. They deep-dive into them like Olympic swimmers.

They’re more sensitive than a tooth with a cavity, but also more forgiving than a yoga instructor with a zen student who can’t touch his toes.

These folks work harder than ants at a picnic. They strive for perfection like it’s their morning coffee – essential and invigorating.

Practical and logical, they tackle life’s hiccups like a seasoned sudoku master cracking a puzzle.

Born under the Virgo Moon sign, you’re likely to be a cool-headed yet warm-hearted perfectionist.

You’re as reliable as a Swiss watch and more organized than Marie Kondo’s sock drawer.

The thing that gets your goat? When plans go haywire.

But people around you know they can count on you like a sturdy umbrella in a rainstorm.

Your creativity and detail-oriented nature are as appealing as a perfect cupcake, and beneath that, there’s a sense of humor that can lighten up any gloomy day.

Despite being reserved, perfectionistic, and more sensitive to criticism than a freshly peeled onion, Virgo moons always aim to please.

They might not make a grand show of affection in public, but behind closed doors, they’re all about heart-to-heart chats.

They’re the embodiment of ‘Still waters run deep.’

Check my full Virgo Moon breakdown here!

Libra Moon

Step into the world of Libra Moon sign, the zodiac’s love gurus. These folks don’t just trip and fall in love, they craft it like artisanal cheese.

When a Libra moon makes a move, it’s all about brewing something as harmonious and lasting as a classic Beatles tune.

Libra Moons are the zodiac’s diplomats, unrivaled in mood-reading skills.

If you’re having a worse hair day than a hedgehog in a windstorm, or being as passive-aggressive as a cat ignoring its owner, don’t expect them to stick around.

They can be as charming and sophisticated as a James Bond martini, yet as moody and indecisive as a toddler choosing ice cream flavors.

They’re tactful, refined, and their social radar beats any GPS. They might sometimes appear spineless or directionless, but hey, nobody’s perfect!

Libra Moons are as private as a hermit crab in its shell but their charm, sincerity, and romance shine brighter than a disco ball.

Equipped with a sixth sense for understanding human nature, they can read motivations and desires like a mind-reading magician.

They’re your friendly neighborhood social butterflies, and their genuine interest in people makes others spill their secrets as if they’ve unlocked the ‘share-all’ achievement.

The Libra Moon’s mantra? Embrace humanity, with all its flavors and quirks.

Check my full Libra Moon breakdown here!

Scorpio Moon

Welcome to the world of the Scorpio Moon sign, the zodiac’s real-life version of Sherlock Holmes with a dash of James Bond charm.

Notorious for their intense personality, these folks are as loyal as your favorite childhood teddy bear and as magnetic as a top-tier fridge magnet.

Scorpio Moons, true to their Scorpion spirit, have the fierceness of a hot chili pepper and the tenderness of a marshmallow.

They might be the Sherlock Holmes of the Zodiac, but they’ve got a horror movie monster’s fear of being alone.

They have a love language that’s about as conventional as hieroglyphics – you’ll find your surprise hidden in the depths of your sock drawer, or a secret note slipped in your lunchbox.

Occasionally, they might don a metaphorical mask, escaping reality for a bit like a hermit crab on a beach holiday.

Scorpios are as intense as a dramatic cliffhanger, as passionate as a Spanish telenovela, and as secretive as a ninja.

Their poker face can drive some folks up the wall, but if you can keep pace with their high-speed mystery train, you’re in for one thrilling ride!

The Scorpio Moon sign is a brave and ambitious daredevil with creativity as vivid as a surrealist painting.

They’re psychically tuned in, with dreams as prophetic as ancient oracles.

But beware, when they’re in a bad mood, they could make a honey badger seem cuddly.

Check my full Scorpio Moon breakdown here!

Sagittarius Moon

If you’re born with a Sagittarius Moon, you’re in for a wild ride! It’s like having an endless supply of solar panels powering up your personality.

You’re as outgoing as a door and see life through the most rose-tinted of glasses.

Your combo deal? Adventurous with a side of practicality. You can chitchat like a parrot and socialize like a high school prom king.

Sagittarius Moon folks are revolutionaries, aiming to smash the shackles of banal thinking.

Think William Wallace from Braveheart, but instead of fighting for Scotland, you’re battling for the freedom of thought!

You’re a self-improvement enthusiast, striving to upgrade yourself like a tech geek awaiting the latest iPhone release.

You attract freedom lovers like a magnet, that’s why you’ve got a fan club trailing behind you.

They’re explorers, travelers, and seekers of thrill.

They’re as passionate as Romeo and optimistic as a lottery ticket holder, but they can also be as self-absorbed and stubborn as a donkey refusing to budge.

With Sagittarius Moon, it’s all about finding meaning, about connecting, about philosophical deep dives.

Sagittarius Moon folks are social butterflies, spreading their infectious energy wherever they flutter.

They’re as open as a 24/7 convenience store, and as enthusiastic as a dog chasing a frisbee.

Check my full Sagittarius Moon breakdown here!

Capricorn Moon

When Capricorn Moon folks don’t feel secure, they become moodier than a teenager without WiFi, more pessimistic than a football fan down by four scores, and as paranoid as a cat at a dog show.

Their craving for emotional security makes them more materialistic than a magpie at a jewelry store.

The Capricorn Moon is like an odd blend of mermaid and mountain goat.

The result? Someone who feels things deep in their belly, but who never loses their footing.

These folks find their mojo, they cling onto it like a limpet to a rock, and boy do they know how to milk it for all its worth.

Once they commit, they’re as reliable as a Swiss watch.

Capricorn Moons are as practical as IKEA furniture, as solid as a rock, and as reliable as sunrise.

When something clicks in their head, they pursue it like a dog after a bone.

These are the people who make lists for their lists, who would have been hall monitors in another life.

They’re like worker ants, always striving towards their goals, their sense of duty putting superheroes to shame.

But don’t be fooled, Capricorn Moons are not all work and no play.

Capricorn Moon folks can seem colder than an ice cream in Antarctica and more stubborn than a mule, but that’s just them being shy.

Don’t worry, beneath the hard shell, they’re natural-born leaders and resourceful problem solvers.

Plus, their sense of responsibility is so strong, it could carry all your groceries up a hill.

The trade-off? They’d rather hug a cactus than navigate a crowd.

Check my full Capricorn Moon breakdown here!

Aquarius Moon

The Aquarius Moon sign is like the hipster of the zodiac – an advocate of progressive values, social justice warrior, and passionate humanitarian.

They’re as free-spirited as a bird let out of its cage, but with an intellect that could give Einstein a run for his money.

You’re as sensitive as an exposed nerve, but you’ve got this knack for reaching out to others with your unique gifts, kinda like a psychic Santa Claus.

And that quick wit of yours? It’s sharper than a tack.

I mean, come on, how many people can say their ideas might just be the next big scientific breakthrough?

They’re warm but often lose some heat in their quest to make everyone else happy.

Sure, they’ve got a short fuse and hold grudges longer than a dog holds a bone, and people often label them as eccentric and distant.

But hey, they’ve also got the ability to show compassion like nobody’s business.

Aquarius Moons can be as quiet as a mouse, but when they open their mouth, they’re straighter than an arrow and as critical as an old film critic.

They’re the perfect cocktail of philosophical, original, and innovative – perfect for careers in science, education, art, and research.

But don’t forget, they also come with a rich, emotional filling of anger, depression, anxiety, and jealousy, giving them a sensitivity that’s as complex as a 5,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Check my full Aquarius Moon breakdown here!

Pisces Moon

Their vibe? A creative cocktail of imagination, kindness, and a sixth sense, with a pinch of moodiness and a dash of shyness.

But the real magic happens when the Pisces Moon channels their inner Dumbledore and unites dreams and enlightenment with reality, transforming into a sort of mystical mind-merging maestro.

As a Pisces Moon, you’re like an emotional deep-sea diver.

Your feelings are as potent as a bucket of ghost peppers, and your bonds with others could outlast a Nokia 3310.

You’re sensitive, compassionate, and the type who’d willingly jump into shark-infested waters to rescue a kitten.

Now, as a water sign, you’re basically a human mood sponge, soaking up emotions like a chia pet absorbs water.

You love harmony, a calm vibe, and thrive in surroundings that are peaceful yet dynamic, like a Zen garden on a roller coaster.

Let’s be real, understanding a Pisces’ emotions is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.

Sure, they’re unpredictable and occasionally fickle, but they’re always genuine and curious about others.

They’re dreamers, but their aversion to structure and responsibility rivals a cat’s disdain for water.

They’re more likely to commit to something when they feel backed into a corner.

But don’t underestimate the Pisces Moon!

They can channel their vivid dreams and escapist fantasies into a spiritual springboard and, like magicians, transform pie-in-the-sky dreams into reality.

It’s like they’ve got a fairy godmother on speed dial!

Check my full Pisces Moon breakdown here!

Official post by Joanne at Sacred Joanne

https://sacredjoanne.com/moon/

[duskys-dreams]

I was running some sort of evil empire in what appeared to be a type of video game. I was doing very well with it, travelling to other people’s places and taking their resources easily.

But eventually I had to leave, and discovered a new place. There were four trials, each representing a different element. Fire, water, earth, and air.

The fire trial started in some sort of giant basketball court, and I had to protect my friends from all the other people there.

After that, I went to the air trial. It was much more difficult.

I had my two friends, and we had to get on top of this ledge to progress. But the only way to do that was to use this air geyser given to us, and it was difficult. It was just too far away from the ledge, and there was a second complication.

On the first failed jump, a large door on the right wall would open, revealing these rails. On the second fail, a huge teddy bear in a huge minecart would appear, going in a straight line. If anyone was hit by the teddy bear, all of us would die and we’d have to start again. But after that, the teddy bear would disappear and the cycle would repeat.

I took the lead, trying to jump again and again. The air guardian, a young girl not much bigger than me, watched us while smiling smugly, offering us no help.

Eventually, I managed to make it onto the ledge. I then waited for my two companions, warning them not to get hit or else I would die too. We all made it, and together we walked toward the next challenge.

We had to hop across these small circles in the water, making sure not to touch the liquid. Easy enough, we all did it first try.

After that was a bit more challenging. We had to run through this long and dark tunnel filled with water and avoid the zombies that would come out of holes. It was terrifying and difficult, but we made it.

The end was kind of nice. We were at the surface again and there was this artificial island nearby, full of plants and very pretty. We left after that, annoyed at the air guardian for making such an absurd challenge.

I went to my mom, who was standing at the end of this huge line behind the elementary school. Apparently we needed to get some sort of papers checked, and it was a long wait.

I had to go find something, so I left my mom in the line and went inside the house. Inside, I asked my mom through those red headpieces she has (we both had a pair) if she remembered that old elf-on-the-shelf movie. She said she didn’t, so I went about describing it as I puttered around the front landing. I told her how it was about these two tiny elves-on-the-shelves, one wore white and green and the other just green (and very small). They were watching this one house, but the elf wearing white was accidentally touched by the kid and couldn’t go back to report to Santa. But with the help of the little green elf and the girl who accidentally touched him, he made it back to Santa.

During this explanation, I munched on these old Easter candies I found in the potted plant, and I couldn’t hear my mom afterward. So I went back outside and could see her lips moving, but I could only barely hear her through the headpieces. I asked her to fix it, and she agreed, but said she wasn’t the one eating while talking on the phone. I felt embarrassed.

We both had to go upstairs to talk to someone to fix the headpiece, but we needed someone to hold our spot. My brother and Xander were both there for some reason, so I ran up and called him Tobias, asking if he could hold mom’s spot. He said sure, looking confused. I ran off.

Everyone had to climb this steep hill, but it looked difficult. As I watched, some kids would lose their grip and slide all the way down. We had to go to the building on the right, so I considered trying to climb the much more jagged part of the hill on the right, but instead had a better idea. I went to the left and clung to the building as a climbed, using this small wooden ledge as a support to pull me up as I climbed.

The supervisor on the hill praised me for my ingenuity, saying that I even had a handhold.

I made it to the top of the hill (it was a struggle even with my strategy) and Mom and I went to the building on the left. I reflected on the nature of names during the walk, thinking about how Tobias’ name didn’t sound right and neither did mine.

We climbed the stairs and found a man sleeping in a bed, with his gorgeous tortoiseshell cat curled up next to him. Mom went past him and into the next room, looking for screws, and the man sleepily came to, saying “hey, dear.” He thought it was his girlfriend who was waking him up. It was not.

I paid more attention to the cat. She was very beautiful, and even had a pamphlet about her. It has basic instructions and trivia about cats, and in one part said “is it good if a cat slow blinks at you?” and then a picture of the cat’s face instead of an answer. Peering closer at the cat’s face, I saw it has the word YES written in white fur on its right cheek. It looked like it has been written with the numbers on a clock.

I asked the man if this happened naturally, and he seemed unsure, but said he was pretty sure the people at the pet store bleached the fur for the trivia. I was disappointed.

My mom found what she was looking for, so we left, bidding goodbye to the man and his cat. He seemed nice enough.

We slid down the hill easily, along with everyone else, and rejoined our spot with Tobias and Xander. There were more people behind us now.

I asked my brother if his name was actually Tobias or if I was losing it. He laughed and said I was losing it, his name was Marcel. I was confused, but it sounded right.

I abandoned my mom and Marcel and met up with my companions from before. It was getting dark, and we wanted to get revenge on that annoying air guardian.

We went inside her challenge again. It was dark this time, but the geyser still worked. The rails and teddy bear were nowhere to be found.

I managed to grab these water pipes that ran across the ceiling, which hadn’t been there before, and pulled myself on top of it. I then shimmied across it, dropping down on the ledge. This wasn’t the way we were supposed to do it, so it was exactly what we all did.

We ran down to the cushions in the water again, and I took the lead, hopping across but heading to the right instead of straight. It hadn’t been there before either, and it turned out to be a shortcut that led directly to the surface.

Once I was on the surface, I jumped around a lot, trying to make sure my new checkpoint was saved. I was on gravel, and my socks were getting wet, but I didn’t care much.

Granddad was watching me from across the street, and I waved at him. He said nothing, so I said nothing in return.

I saw two figures emerge from the darkness, one who was short with long hair, and another that was taller and had two bug-like eyes on top of her head. But they came closer, and it was just my companions. They asked what we should do now.

We went to the island and started messing around in the water. The physics were exactly like in Roblox, and we’d be forced to the surface at every opportunity.

We found more people during this, and they liked our plan. They joined us in our plan to mess with the air guardian.

We went back to the beginning, along with our new friends. But now, the teddy bear minecart was back. This time, however, the minecarts weren’t disappearing when the teddy bear did. We decided to activate it over and over to see if we could break it.

The minecarts piled up, and the teddy bear would keep colliding with it. Sometimes we would get stuck in the minecarts and have to hop out, which would delete that minecart.

Eventually we had a pile of minecarts. One companion said this probably wasn’t supposed to happen. I said that was a good thing, and we climbed up the pile easily.

We went through the circuit again and again, memorizing it and getting better each time. Eventually, we all met up at the end and went on the island.

I swam inside the island, which was hollow in the middle. We knew we had succeeded, and it was time for celebration.

My friends were on the outside, and I looked at them. We started a song as I opened the wheel-like door, as I would shout out lyrics and my friends would scream “SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!”

I changed the lyrics to something from Encanto, and everyone fell silent in confusion for the first line. But they got it after the second one.

After we got to the “READY? SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS-“ the island started flying into the air, higher and higher with each chant. At the final “SPOONGEBOB… SQUAREPAAAAAAAAAANTS-“ the island kept floating in the air, and I held onto it like a small Lego house until it ended.

After that, we all started to leave. Two people got in a boat, and one said to the other, “now who is going to be the princess, if not the air guardian?” The other said that Wheels was a good candidate. My name was Wheels.

[soundwave1982-blog]

Real Amazing Spider-Man #3

Stark villa 

A green portal opens, and a five-year-old Valeria Richards exits the portal dragging two suitcases to find Peter Parker and Mary Jane Parker cuddled together, watching a Netflix original film while Annie continues playing her Nintendo Switch. 

“Special delivery for My Best Science-buddy friend forever and her excellent mom, your luggage direct from Germany,” said Valeria 

“Thanks, Val,” said Annie as she ran over to Valeria, hugged her, collected her suitcase, and headed to her temporary bedroom. 

“Thanks, Val. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble,” asked Mary Jane Parker, 

“Not at all, Mrs Parker; it’s a pleasure for all the time you babysat me and  my dumb brother Franklin and lets us double mint chocolate chip ice cream,” said Mary Jane collecting her suitcase 

“So where is my suitcase,” asked Peter 

“Sorry, I only have two arms, Mister Parker. But, I have to keep my BSFF happy so we can get another A+ on our science projects, and MJ always lets me have an extra helping of double mints ice cream and is wicked when it comes to Pictionary game night,” said Valeria.

“No, seriously, where is my bag,” asked Peter as MJ took her suitcase to their temporary bedroom 

“I’ll go and get it for you, but the teleport device needs six to eight hours to recharge before I can sneak into the unclaimed baggage area,” said Valeria.

“six to eight hours you just wanted to hang out with your friend in Hawaii,” asked Peter 

“I have left a message for Uncle Johnny to tell him where I am; Mum said I could stay over at a friend’s house if I wanted as long as I told a responsible adult, seeing they left Uncle Johnny in charge, which I did I left him a note,” said Valeria.

“I think your mum meant to stay in New York with us, not while we are house-sitting in Hawaii,” said Peter.

“Technically, I am sure you could call Mum and Dad to come and get me, mister Parker, but they are doing something in the Negative Zone, so where is your phone,” asked Valeria.

“You knew my cellphone was in my bag, didn’t you? So you left it on purpose so you could work on a science project with Annie,” asked Peter 

“That’s the problem, mister Parker you can’t prove its word against mine; if you let me stay, I will upgrade your web shooters free of charge,” said Valeria 

“You are an evil mastermind who taught blackmail,” said Peter laughing

Annie then comes out of her bedroom carrying her teddy bear, Wolverine. 

“I thought I was never going mister whiskers again; I owe you one, Val,” said Annie. 

“Happy to help, my BSFF. Are you ready to work on our science project? I’m sure some tech we can borrow from Tony’s workshop,” asked Valeria. 

“Of course, I was already planning to sneak into Tony Stark workshop,” said Annie 

“What? You already cracked his workshop password; not fair. I’m the code breaker in this team,” said Valeria,

“Please, there’s no real challenge in hacking into Stark system; a one-year-old could do it,” said Annie

“So it’s IamIronman39 isn’t it,” said Valeria.

“No, it’s IamIronman08 this time. I tried a few other passcodes to access the workshop. I need some to upgrade my switch battery life from three to six with some junk from the workshop,” said Annie.

“We really need to talk about hacking into other people’s systems,” said Peter.

“Says the guy who went into the lab before me to borrow parts to create some web-shooters,” said Annie

I thought you had organic web shooters, Mister Parker,” asked Valeria. 

“I do these web-shooters to help focus my shots and to use impact webbing and some kinky stuff you do not need to know till you are in high school,” said Peter 

“Oh, he’s talking about Sex; I already had read six biology books before I was four, Uncle Peter. I know about the birds and bees and all the LGBT stuff that they are only two genders, XX and XY, no matter how deluded the biology teacher is with her saying they are 32 different genders crap,” said Valeria.

“Yeah, I gathered that, Val. I think dad trying to avoid have tell me where babies come from; he’s trying to convince me the stork brought me,” said Annie 

“Don’t you have a science project to work on,” asked Peter.

Annie and Valeria walk off towards Tony’s workshop. After they entered the workshop, they started work on their science project.

“So what are we doing for our science this time? Because I don’t know how we top the teleportation device we created last year,” asked Annie.

“I know those ungrateful science fair judges gave us a damn C I still can’t believe we lost to a baking soda volcano,” said Valeria 

“We are competing with other four-year-olds, but that was completely ridiculous. Mind you, we created a working teleporter out of a couple of radio and retro games consoles at four-year-old without adult help,” said Annie.

“Let’s just build a Lemon power clock or go with the classic Baking soda volcano, but we both know those are below our intelligence and a waste of time and effort. I got a wicked idea; not sure you would be a willing test subject,” said Valeria 

“Tell me your idea, first science buddy,” asked Annie   

“What about creating a device that allows a wearer to mimic the superpower of anyone who wears a similar pairing device,” replied Valeria 

“You just want to try web swing for yourself, don’t you,” asked Annie.

“What’s so wrong about a swing through the city without a care in the world,” said Valeria 

“Trust Val, it’s not all fun trying to wash your secret costume without mum or dad, who both have similar powers to finding out your powers are already activated and that you are sneaking out to fight criminals with a super genius tech support girl in the chair,” said Annie.

“Yeah, I know the feeling, Annie. When Mom, Dad, Uncle Johnny and Uncle Ben go on great adventures together and leave Dufus and me behind with Aunt Alice to babysit us. I’m sure she’s not blind. Sometimes she always catches trying to sneak out,” said Valeria 

“She must be a mutant with heightened senses,” said Annie.

“It’s not that; she’s just super wise to all tricks; so shall do that create a power friendship synch bracelets,” asked Valeria

“Okay, let’s do that, partner,” said Annie.

"right behind you BSFF," said Valeria

[heyidkyay]

And I'm petrified of being alone, now |

Part Eighteen

Matty Healy x reader

Summary: She’s just trying to get by, really. What with being a single parent to her four year old son whilst simultaneously trying to kick start a successful career as a radio presenter. She’s got everything she’s ever wanted though, friends close by, a mum who’s merely a phone call away, and of course her baby boy. What else is there to wish for? But then, it’s not long before her relatively normal life gets upended and turned on its head, and she’s suddenly forced to deal with situations she’s never even thought to imagine.

What happens when one mention of a certain controversial singer on her show sends a flood of unexpected challenges her way? 

Authors Note: Hey!! Finally here with another part! This one took a while to write but it's here now. Hoping you enjoy it:)

> Last update: look back here if you'd like!

Masterlist

He’d been pacing on the phone for quite a while now.

Back and forth up the long and narrow pavement sat outside of the small cafe we’d chosen just off the highstreet. His feet skimmed the curb every few steps, I noted, his brow furrowed and lips pursed too whenever he rattled something back to whoever it was on the other end.

“Eggy, mama?”

I blinked at the sudden voice, tearing my eyes away from the window and Matty, and back over to where my food-happy toddler sat in the adjoining highchair.

With a fond smile, I shook my head at his proffered bit of hard boiled egg. 

See, Matty had fancied a couple of soldiers when we’d first walked in, forgetting all about his earlier promises of bacon, and Teddy had unsurprisingly followed his lead. Looking down at his plate now, I was pleasantly pleased to find that he’d eaten the majority of it.

“I’m okay, Teds. Thank you though.” I told him, wiping a few breadcrumbs from his cheek with a napkin before tickling the underneath of his chin, “You’re such a sweet boy, you know?”

He bared his teeth at me in a giant grin, “Very much, ta.”

Chuckling lightly at his silly reply, I shook my head once more, “Back at it with the ta, are we?”

Teddy replied with only a stern nod and a wrinkle of his mouth, then dug back into his breakfast again, content to just watch Matty and the few cars that passed by the window.

It was a strange concept for me to wrap my head around- the whole Teddy and Matty thing, I mean. 

Teddy had always been an affectionate kid, a bit shy with newcomers and strangers at times, but his heart was huge and he had a lot of love to go around. Still, with that being said, the dynamic he’d struck up with the curly headed singer was unlike anything I’d ever witnessed from him before. 

With Adi, Teddy was always perfectly content to find new extremes and test them. Pushing boundaries and buttons simply because Ads was the biggest pushover known to man- at least when it came to him. 

Each moment Adi spent with Teddy she always ended up looking spent by the time she was about to head home, almost like he’d gone and dragged her through a circus tent full of performers and animals alike. 

Then there was Finn. Finn had been a constant presence in Teddy’s life since the day he was born, he was my best friend and was always there to lend a helping hand whenever I needed it. The two of them were close in their own way, Teds felt comfortable with Finn, he didn’t question his authority or throw a fit when the man put his foot down, but whenever I was around the pair of them together Teddy made it quite clear that Finn was the third wheel amongst the lot of us. 

Which was funny in its own way, I supposed, because I knew how Teddy looked at me. I was his mum, sure, but I was also his dad, too. Merely in the sense that Teds had never looked to anyone else to fill that role for him, I was what he had been given and I was all that he needed.

Yes, there had been the odd question or two when Teddy had finally started to understand films and tv shows, and again when he had started nursery school and seen all of the other kids with their mums and dads. But he had taken my honest answers on the chin and shrugged off any other prompts I’d had for him afterwards, as though he was perfectly untroubled by it all and the fact that he only had a single parent.

Then again, a few of the kids in his class faced similar problems.

Oliviette had only ever really known her dad, since her mum had sadly passed when she’d been too little to remember. Tury’s father worked in the military, or something of the sort, and was divorced from their other father. He went away for long stretches at a time and had only ever come to pick them up once in all the time that we’d been in attendance.

Zara was another young mum like me, we’d bonded over that fact a couple weeks into the school year when a few of the other parents had wondered over the whereabouts of our partners and then turned up their noses at us when they’d received their answer. 

Which led me straight back on over to my anxieties about Teddy, and how he might come to soon view Matty. As well as the question on whether Matty could even handle being seen in that sort of light, or if he’d run swiftly for the hills with his tail tucked between his legs.

These worries had started up quite quickly after seeing those articles we’d faced earlier in the week, which had only added fuel to the fire for me. Some of the headlines still haunted me and my waking thoughts, in truth. They flashed through my mind on a giant billboard sort of screen, visible for all to see.

JUNKIE ROCKSTAR TURNED FAMILY MAN!

A NEW LINE DRAWN FOR HEALY?

THE 1975 SINGER AND HIS HIDDEN FAMILY..

It was both a startling and terrifying experience to suddenly start considering the opinions and views of the entire world around you, which now appeared to be watching us under a microscope, reading into each and every move not just Matty and I made, but Teddy now too.

It was ultimately why I had run and hidden when it had all come out, choosing to avoid the whole situation at hand rather than face it head on and be met with a plethora of questions I hadn’t yet thought about.

But then Matty just had to have gone and sent me that fucking demo.

I’d been all but putty in his hands after that really. 

And the very thought of not just the previous night, but this morning too, had me flushing in the middle of the cafe Matty had taken us out to. ‘My treat,’ He’d said, and it had all felt so natural. Him being in my bed, in my shower, in my house, around my kid.

I heaved a heavy sigh before picking up my mug of tea, wrinkling my nose in distaste when I found it had gone cold. It made me wonder just how long I had been lost in thought.

That question was answered for me though when Matty came strolling back over, the crease in his brow there and then gone when he took to his seat once more and caught eyes with Teddy. He flashed the boy a bright smile, “Enjoyin’ that, monster?”

Grimly, Teddy opened his mouth up wide to show Matty just how much he had enjoyed his breakfast and laughed when Matty mimicked the expression, the man leaning in close enough that Teddy could only laugh giddily.

“Made a big enough mess of it.” I commented with a soft smile. 

Even with all my fretting I still couldn’t get over the way Matty treated my son and how Teddy responded to him in turn. It was incredibly surreal.

When I’d first gotten pregnant and decided to go it alone all those years ago, I thought that had been it for me. That there was no way any person, let alone anyone in Matty’s position, would just come along and be able to deal with the fact that I had a child. This whole other being that would always fall above everything else.

But here that somebody was.

Sat with my toddler, looking at him almost the exact same way I did. With such adoration and emotion. 

The sight made my heart both lurch and crumble all at once.

I pulled myself out of my head once more with that thought and tuned back in to find our waitress making her way over again. She was a sturdy looking woman, not much older than my mum if I had to guess, and had taken more than liking to the messy toddler she’d been shafted with early this morning, “Anything else I can get for you, lovelies?”

I opened my mouth to tell her that we were fine, seeing as though Teddy was all but finished, just chewing on a few pieces of buttered bread, and my sandwich was merely straggling bits of crust now. 

“Would be great if you could get us another round of drinks to go?” Matty piped up before I could answer her, circling a finger between the two of us. “Cheers.”

The waitress dipped her head at him and flashed a warm smile my way, “One tea and a strong flat white coming your way then.”

I was surprised that she’d recalled our order so easily, since I’d noted earlier that there were a few other patrons she’d been serving, and so I thanked her gratefully with another smile before she walked away, arms laden with a few of our used plates. 

“You didn’t have to,” I said to Matty shortly after, then dipped my chin down towards my remaining cup, “But thank you anyway, this had gone cold.”

Matty rolled his eyes, a gesture he was rather prone to using whenever he thought I was being unnecessary, but then shuffled over to settle more comfortably in the seat opposite me, leaving his phone to rest on the table between us.

“Sorry I was long, but after management, Jamie rang.” He confessed to me, and that scowl of his appeared for a split second or two before disappearing completely when he glanced back over at Teds, who was now playing with his food rather than eating it. 

It was almost automatic the way Matty moved to steal the backpack hanging off the arm of the chair perched beside him, pulling out a few of the baby wipes I usually kept there before beginning to clean up Teddy’s face and hands. 

I could only stare on in utter bewilderment, watching it all play out even whilst Matty continued to speak to me, clearly none the wiser to the way my brain had just short circuited at his actions.

“Anyway, they’re on it- or so they’ve said. But I know this whole thing is just a charade to them, yeah? Management, I mean. Not J. ‘Cause he’s already said that he’s trying to keep them from going too extreme with the whole clean up, claiming that they appeared to be warming up to the idea of me becomin’ this ‘changed man’ or some shite.” Matty scoffed with a roll of his eyes at the very thought, then pulled a face for Teddy who admonished him for his use of a ‘bad word’, and cleared away some of the mess that had been created whilst he’d been gone.

I swallowed thickly at the sight, thankful for the moment of reverie I was gifted when our waitress shuffled back on over, two to-go cups in hand as well as the bill.

“Ah, are we all clean then?” She cooed down at Teddy, moving to grab the last of what remained at our table to take back to the kitchen with her. 

Her expression brightened when Teddy not only shot her a mischievous grin, but also wiggled his fingers up to show her just how clean they were. Matty snorted.

The woman peered between the two of us afterwards, plates tucked into the crook of her elbow whilst both of our previous mugs sat cradled in the other. “You’re a lucky pair, he’s absolutely golden.”

My pulse spiked at her words, or rather what she’d interpreted our little excursion as, but before I could think to offer an explanation, or anything rather, she was already shuffling away again. Teddy batting a hand at her back in goodbye.

My gaze slowly drifted away from her retreating form and over to where Matty was now slouched, but he didn’t seem to have noticed her words, or perhaps he just didn’t care. Still, I blinked slowly at him, “Did you hear that? Did you hear what she just said?”

He pulled his eyes away from a now babbling Teddy and shrugged slowly, “Yeah?”

Yeah??

Sorry, come again? 

Had I actually heard him right?

I almost choked on the force of my next inhale. “That’s it? Just- yeah?”

Matty stared back at me, expression almost blank- calculating, in truth. As though he was trying to determine which of his next words had the ability to set me off even further. I sort of hated that.

“What do you want me to say?” He asked me slowly, elbows moving up onto the table’s top and pressing against it to lean in closer to me. 

His eyes never left my own, and it was then that I noticed the sturdy wall behind them that I thought had crumbled between us so long ago. He was wary now, building it back up again in hopes that I wouldn’t wound him- anymore than you already had, my mind unhelpfully supplied.

I licked at my lower lip, mostly in thought but also because my throat had suddenly gone dry at the very reminder.

It had been necessary, I told myself. Space and time, that was all that we had needed, and look at us now!

Look at us…

“I just,” I murmured, swallowing thickly whilst still staring into those hardened eyes which remained locked on mine, “It doesn’t bother you at all?”

That steely look softened when he snorted and the bricks in that wall of his began to chisel away at themselves once more. 

Matty slumped and I watched on as his gaze flickered back over to my son, who was now much more interested in the straps of his highchair rather than either of us. 

“Why would it?” 

Matty’s words were as gentle as his tone and his smile was just as sweet, and all I could think about in that moment was the abating panic I felt and the sudden need I had for him.

Shouldn’t it? I wanted to press, it would bother a hundred other men. What makes you so different?

He glanced back at me then with a languid turn of his head, “Guess it just makes me feel worth something, even if it’s a mistake on her part.”

Matty must’ve seen the way my face fell so quickly at his words because he chuckled lowly and then gifted me a small but pivotal smile. He reached out to toy with the hand I’d been resting on the table, fingertips trailing over whitened knuckles. 

“I’m just being honest, alright? He’s a good kid, anyone can see that. I mean she did, din’t she? And then, there’s you, Squeaks.” He dragged that last bit out, flipping my hand over so that he could trace the lines of my palm with the tips of his fingers. “You’re something else.”

I frowned slightly at his words, a little puzzled. Matty only laughed at the face I must’ve made before he finally took my hand wholly in his, thumb brushing over my ever rising pulse.

“If she reckons I could land someone like you long enough to have one of these little ones running round, well… Just makes me picture it, 'is all.”

I could feel the contents of my stomach whirl at his given answer and tightened my hold on Matty’s hand by a fraction, needing the certainty that he was in fact real. That what he had said was very much real too.

“Squeaks?” Matty pressed after a short while. I figured I must've been quiet too long for him to prompt an actual reaction from me. Either that, or he’d gotten bored of my gaping gob far too quickly.

I attempted to swallow around the hardened lump in my throat, but it was difficult. “Yeah, just-” I struggled to fathom the mere idea that he had thought about me in any scenario at all beyond the past six months we had shared. “You’ve actually thought about that?”

Matty rolled his eyes at me, and although his smile was warm, it held a fragment of uncertainty to it that told me all I needed to know.

“I’m getting old, darlin’. Normal to think about that kind of shit, ain’t it?”

That was a very Matty thing to say and my rapid pulse slowed a tad because of it, giving my poor pounding heart a break.

“Yeah, but with me, Matty.” I felt the need to stress, because it was only yesterday that everything had come to a head between us. It made me question how long he’d been holding off on me- had he been waiting, is that what this was? Had he been trying to get over whatever he felt for me? If so, what had changed his mind, or forced his hand?

He simply chuckled and shrugged, like it was no big deal.

“Yeah with you, Mouse.” Matty confirmed, squeezing my hand once more before letting go completely and swiftly getting up out of his seat to unclip Teddy from his highchair. “Wanna go pay with me then, little man?” He asked Teds and it was only when Teddy had been swept up into Matty’s awaiting arms and Matty had looked over at me to tell me he was going up to the till that I realised he had used my kid to escape the current conversation at hand.

I shook my head in disbelief and tried to steel myself into something a little more put together once he had left, instead of choosing the imminent breakdown my mind was rooting for. I couldn’t lose my shit with all these people around to bear witness. Because I could do that later, couldn’t I? In the comfort of my own home. Right now I just needed to…

Fuck, I could not actually believe that Matty had pictured a future with me. A. fucking. future. 

One that was ours.

The same stupid man that had told me time and time again that he would get headaches simply from thinking of the next few days to come, that he hadn't seen much of a life for himself the older he’d gotten. Even with all the money and the fame. 

My stomach was swarming again, just like it had done when I’d heard the demo for the first time.

I wondered, briefly, whether those butterflies of mine were instead moths merely looking for any source of warmth they could find, and if Matty could really be exactly that. My little bit of warmth.

“You coming then, Squeaks?”

I glanced up again to find Matty now grinning down at me, Teddy still bouncing happily on his hip and the spiderman backpack thrown halfheartedly over his right shoulder. 

I gaped for a split second at the picture they painted and then nodded, smiling up at this maddening man with all the warmth I could possibly muster. Hoping that somehow, someday, that little dream of his came true.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

–

It had probably been one of the most content mornings Matty had had in a long time.

He knew that for a fact, but still felt stunted by it all the same.

It had been years since he’d woken up without the immediate dread, or the itching need for a fix that even now sometimes still jilted him awake. And the night previous? Well, he’d gone to bed thinking of tomorrow, hadn't he? 

Stupidly, he wondered what his mum might make of that. If she’d be surprised, wary even. Or maybe just happy for him.

He’d been gifted some precious time and some precious people and he did not want to waste a single second of it. Although that could have hardly been avoided, what with the way management were constantly up his arse, hounding him incessantly about everything under the fucking sun.

The three of them had set off for food not long after he’d had a lapful of sleepy mouse first thing, they’d danced around one another whilst getting dressed, Matty watching as she brushed her hair and then catching her eye when he had attempted to wrangle an overenthusiastic toddler into his coat and boots. 

Matty had walked hand in hand with Teddy all the way to his car, letting the kid jump his way down the few short steps from the house and up into the car seat he’d borrowed from Adam a week or so after Christmas. Mouse had snorted at his shitty parking job, then granted them a full blown crackle when she’d torn a parking ticket from his front window screen only to have found a real unfortunate note from an unhappy neighbour beneath it.

Apparently Matty had to work on his spontaneity if he didn’t want to end up falling out with the bloke who lived two doors down from her. Even as he winced, he reckoned the guy was still a fucking nobhead.

He’d driven down a couple of backroads, letting the radio play and rolling his eyes fondly whenever Squeaks deigned it necessary to comment on his driving- “It needs work, Matty. I mean, you almost took out three of those bollards!” “Ah, a bus! Bus, Matty! Bus!” “Are you actually aiming to kill us, or do you just reckon you're the next 007?”

Matty had managed to get them all there in one piece, like he knew he would, and led the two of them all the way to this odd-spot cafe he’d found a couple months prior.

It was a simple dive, tucked quietly away amongst the noise of London, and was almost always chock-full of white haired pensioners or folk who didn’t much care to note who he was.

They’d sat down, Matty taking his first chance to ask for one of them highchairs he typically saw little kids sat in at restaurants, and then they’d ordered; Mouse getting what she deemed was her morning usual, whilst Teddy had mimicked his own request.

It had been cute, Matty had to admit. Especially when Squeaks had shot her son a dubious look, stating that he hadn’t tried it before, what with her being too scared she’d plague him with salmonella or something of the sort from how shoddy her attention was with the passing of time. Matty promised to teach her.

The little tyke seemed to have enjoyed it though, all but ravishing the yolks from their casing and munching on the sliced bread til it had either disappeared or simply gone soggy.

The only interruption they had faced was the unexpected call from his management team, and then Jamie’s which had followed not a minute after.

It had been a right nightmare. 

In fact, the whole of last week had been a total disaster. His team had been on his case the minute those articles had all been released, Twitter threads spiralling out of control and fans losing their minds over whether or not it was all fake or not.

And Matty, Matty had tried and failed not to let it get the best of him, but with that and the loss of Squeaks and Teddy, who had retreated almost entirely from his life. It had left him with a wound big enough for him to question everything. 

Matty shook his head then, a shit attempt at ridding himself free from his neverending train of thought, and looked up with a soft smile when Mouse wandered back into the living room and handed him a brew.

He’d never been overly gone on tea, to be honest- coffee worked wonders and with hours like his, it was now a necessity. But hers? He could never say no to, which was rapidly becoming a habit now. So much so, in fact, that he’d noticed himself wanting one at the oddest times of the day; down at the studio, in a meeting, the middle of the night…

Yeah that last one had been fucking strange. Half three in the morning and he’d been up puttering around his kitchen unable to sleep once the idea had taken root in his head and settled. Hadn’t been half as good as this though, Matty sighed thoughtfully as he sipped away. 

“So…”

His eyes immediately flickered back up to meet her, sitting all pretty on the end of the couch, an arms width away. “So.” Matty mimicked, raising his eyebrows then smirking at the way she shuffled in her seat and tried to hide her growing smile.

“We should talk.”

That smirk of his slipped right off.

He coughed slightly to clear his throat, but mostly to buy himself some more time, and then decided to get it on over with, pushing his brew onto the coffee table so that he could better face her. “Right, okay.”

She was chewing on her lip, a habit she seemed to have had ever since he’d first known her, but one which continued to drive him half mad. Even more so now that he knew what it fucking felt like to have her under him.

His tongue swiped his bottom lip instinctively at the reminder of it.

“You said it too,” Mouse reminded him, sounding almost accusatory. 

He had, but even so, it was still fucking awkward to just talk about shit. Couldn’t they skip to the good bit? Where he slowly took her apart piece by piece on the sofa she’d have to pass by day in and day out. A constant reminder of him even when he wasn't there.

“Matty.”

Matty blinked out of his daze at the call of his name and his eyes shot upwards to find her looking back at him with a furrowed brow.

“We don’t have to talk right this second, but I’d prefer if we did.” She told him with a slight shrug, eyes flickering away from him and across the room almost nervously. “‘Cause, at least I’d know where we stand, you know?”

Pursing his lips slightly, Matty tilted his head at her, “What’s that meant to mean?”

She shrugged again, sheepish almost, which wasn’t much like her. “Just, you’ve grown on me, Matty. I wouldn’t want to fuck up our.. friendship  over something like this.”

Matty knew what she was getting at there and it did hurt a little bit to think that she reckoned he’d fuck up what they’d built, what she’d given him, for a quick shag or whatever it was she’d filled her head with. 

But still, he gave her an impish grin once he’d shuffled his way a little closer, throwing an arm over the back of the settee. “Awh you finally admitting that we’re friends, Squeaks?” He teased and laughed when her foot flew out to toe his side.

“Bit more than that since yesterday.” Mouse murmured, giving him a snide smile before she released a heavy breath and settled her own mug down alongside his own on the tabletop. “But yes, we’re fucking friends, Matthew.”

Matty’s nose wrinkled but he didn’t comment on the use of his full name, instead stretching his fingers out to toy with the leg she had pressed against the back of the sofa. He lifted his eyes to watch her, saw how her own gaze rested on his hand and her knee.

“Good. Only took you, what? Six months.” He ragged but the smile he wore was pleased, dopey even. Stupid enough that he knew if one of his mates turned up and caught sight of it they’d probably rinse him to bits, claim he looked a right tit. But Matty couldn’t bring himself to care. Not then.

She rolled her eyes, but he noted how she was smiling now too.

“I’ve always thought you were fit, you know?”

A laugh escaped her then, brash and unforgiving. Matty would’ve been wounded had he not known her as well as he did. So instead he simply chose to flick her knee in harmless rebuke. “Don’t be a twat. You said you wanted to talk and I am. You’re fucking fit, Squeaks. Don’t let nobody tell you otherwise.”

She merely shook her head at him, the smallest smile limning that pretty mouth of hers.

“I’m being serious.” Matty tapped her knee twice with his fingertip, wanting her attention, “I wouldn’t lie to you, you know that.”

He recalled one of their earlier conversations and hoped that she somehow remembered, ‘I was raised by liars, can't stand lies.’ 

She licked at the corner of her mouth, eyes trained on him as though she was searching for something in his expression, but ultimately nodded when she didn’t appear to find it. 

“Anyway,” Matty smirked, leaning his head against his shoulder and continuing to hold her eyes, “Yeah, so I walked in expecting the usual. Some yappy older bird, who reckoned she was above me and all my fucking shit. Or maybe even someone who’d break and fall back on what they’d said once they were stood facing me. But nah, just you.”

“Just me.” She chuckled in that easy lilt of hers that he’d always found so soothing. In truth, he could actually recall asking her question after question in those first few weeks after they’d met just wanting to hear her talk.

Matty dragged out a hum, “You don’t even know. As soon as you walked out I was on you like a hawk, I swear. Just watching as you walked over, could hardly take my eyes off your legs.”

She snorted, “My legs?”

With a grin, Matty caught her ankle with his free hand and dragged her leg into his lap. “Fucking killer.” He told her honestly, letting himself have this moment to trail his fingertips up and over her thigh. “Then you looked at me with those eyes,” Matty’s own shot up to find them once more and shook his head slightly, “Made me dizzy having your full focus. Never seen a pair so intense, like they’d been struck by lighting or something.”

She rolled those pretty eyes of hers then and Matty pinched her leg, “I’m being serious, Squeaks. One of my favourite things about you.”

Thankfully she glanced back over at him then, her cheeks a tad bit pink but her smile bright. “I like yours too, you sap.” Matty's expression must’ve given way to how he felt about that because she was all too quick to add, “Don’t get cocky about it.”

He chuckled, liking the fact she knew him too well, and finally let his hand rest on her upper leg, though his thumb continued to rub gentle circles into the curve just above her knee. “I obviously felt something, Squeaks. Why the fuck else would I show up outside your studio only days later?”

“‘Cause you’re a stalker?” She teased but had relaxed further into the settee, stretching her other leg out to join the one he held. 

Matty ran his fingers up the underside of her foot in retaliation to that comment, “Brave.”

She snickered, “Thought you were just ‘in the area’?” 

Matty bit back a grin at her use of his earlier words, remembering how he’d been brimming with nerves whilst waiting outside for someone to show.

“I was,” He sniffed, and was pleased when she simply laughed. “But the truth? I couldn’t stop fucking thinking about you.”

Her cheeks hollowed themselves out as she tried to dampen the growing grin that threatened to overwhelm her face. It broke his heart a bit to know she struggled believing him, that no one else had ever gone far enough to drill the fact that she was fucking beautiful into that thick head of hers, but Matty was nothing if not stubborn and he’d strive to always tell her just how gorgeous he thought she was.

“What was it with that girl then?” She mentioned and Matty immediately frowned, confused as to what she was even going on about. “Your ex.”

Matty felt himself blink, mind reeling as he tried to remember what the hell she was referencing, but then it hit him. “Oh, ohh!” Then he chuckled, unable to help it really, and couldn’t seem to prevent the way it then dissolved into a slightly uncontrollable fit of laughter.

She levelled him with a hearty scowl and went to remove her legs from his lap, obviously none too pleased about being laughed at, but Matty stopped her just before she could.

“No, no, Squeaks. Babe, you’ve got it all wrong.” He attempted to console even with his still amused smile, leaning in closer now, his hands settled on her calves. “That was just for the press! Management team reckoned it would be good to rebuild my image, and I wasn't long out of rehab. She and I always looked good together but fought like fucking cat and-”

He stopped short and she snorted, “Mouse?”

Matty squinted his eyes mockingly, “Yes, dickhead. But no, it was all fake. Was only with her fifteen minutes before she swanned off to a photoshoot or something. Harldy even fucking remember it.” He paused then, “Hang on, is that- Is that why you went all quiet on me back then? That time before I ran into you at that bar?”

The way she evaded his gaze told him all he needed to know and then he was laughing again.

“Shut up, you absolute prick.” She huffed after a minute or so, having grown fed up with being his main source of amusement, and swatted him with her foot in hopes it would get him to follow the order. 

God, he’d never seen her look so embarrassed. 

“It’s not funny. You never mentioned it either, so what was I supposed to think!”

“Uh, not that?” He suggested, still chuckling away but actively trying to get it under control, sort of. “I’m sorry!” He laughed again when she kicked him, “Honest! But the thought didn’t even cross my mind. And we were hardly even mates then!”

She looked chastised, “We were mates!”

He levelled her with a look.

She held out for a bit before she finally huffed, “Fine, it was rocky but even so.”

Matty snorted, “No, you know what? I sort of like this side of you.” He teased, wrapping his hands around both her ankles and tugging. “Suits you.”

She sent him a well deserving glare, which was fair, before she dug her heel into his upper thigh, far too close to his dick for his liking, and sat herself back up again. “You’re such a twat.”

“So I've been told.” He sang, though he then rubbed at his tender leg with a wry grimace, “Shit, remind me not to actually piss you off.”

Squeaks shot him a grin and relaxed back into their earlier position. 

Her phone went off then and Matty watched on as she manoeuvred herself awkwardly around on the sofa to grab it from her back pocket without getting up. He raised a brow at her triumphant grin but she just looked down at the notification she’d gotten.

“Everything alright?”

She hummed, typing something off before looking back up at him and tucking the phone away again. “Just Finn, says he’s back home tomorrow and wants to see us.”

Right… the infamous Finn Matty had yet to actually meet.

“Where’s he been?” He asked, toying with the cuff of her jean leg.

“New York!” And the smile that she’d answered with told Matty a thousand things, “He had an auction up there or something, then ended up staying a few extra days to meet with this elusive client.”

“Shady.” He commented with a humoured smile, one he hoped would conceal his insecurities around the whole situation. 

He’d heard a lot about Mouse’s best mate, and these worries weren’t just down to the fact that he’d yet to meet the bloke, but also because Finn seemed to be such a big figure in not just hers, but Teddy’s lives. He’d been away a lot in recent months and Matty wondered over whether his presence would throw a spanner into the works once he was finally let back into the fold. 

“Very much so,” Mouse laughed, none the wiser to the chaos consuming his mind, “But I’m excited to see him, it’ll be good.”

Matty merely hummed.

She must’ve sensed some apprehension in it because she turned to tilt her head at him, playing with her fingers now. “Would-” She paused and Matty looked up to wait her out, she inhaled after a moment and then let the breath go, “Would you want to meet him? Or is that, I dunno, too fast?”

His forehead pinched and he shook his head. “No, not too fast.” He deemed, though he could’ve just lied and put off meeting the bloke for as long as he possibly could.

“I mean, we don’t have to put it in writing or anything.” Squeaks was quick to reply, “He’ll be around for a few weeks now, so we can just, I don’t know, work something out soon. Like meet at a cafe, a bar, the studio… here?”

She seemed to be spiralling a bit and although it was cute, Matty felt the need to save her, “Love, it’s fine. Whatever makes you comfortable. You’ve met the guys, and they love you, so-” He put his brave face on, “So I’m sure Finn will love me too. Yeah?”

He was met with a rapid nod, one that should’ve quelled his fears but only seemed to heighten them instead.

“So we’re doing this then?”

Matty blinked and lifted his chin to find her watching him again, that soft smile of hers back in its rightful place, looking pleased with how it had all turned out.

“What, meeting your mate?” He questioned her, having figured that much had been obvious, but then she was rolling her eyes at him again. 

“No, I meant- me and you.”

Oh.

Oh, he was grinning properly now. Like a massive twat, yeah, but how could he not? When she sat there looking all lovely and asking him if they could be something. 

“Me and you sounds good.” Matty murmured around the strength of his smile, fingertips diving beneath the hem of her jeans to tap the jut of her ankle bone.

He would've been embarrassed about it but he reckoned his grin was mimicked on her face and was all the more glad for it. Because he’d seen her smile and he’d seen laugh, but this grin. It was something else.

It wasn’t a difficult decision, his next move. Because before Matty could even contemplate it, he was all but throwing himself up the other end of the settee to cradle her head between his arms and catch her mouth with his.

She kissed him back with almost as much excitement, the pair of them smiling and laughing giddily at the stupidity and utter prospect of it all.

“Got you trapped now.” Matty breathed into the space between them not long after, eyes boring into her own. He hadn't been lying earlier when he’d claimed that they were one of his favourite things about her.

She barked out a laugh, hands falling away from where they’d been holding his neck to cover her face. “Was that a mouse joke?” She asked him through the gaps in her fingers, shaking her head at him.

Matty hadn’t really thought too much about his words, but thinking back he couldn’t stop himself from laughing too, bowing his shoulders to chuckle into the crook of her neck. “Fuck, I guess so.”

Her arms wrapped themselves around him again and so he nipped at the edge of her jaw, grinning like a fucking idiot.

[atlanticcanada]

Health firm says Nova Scotia patients wait the longest to see a doctor

A new report from a company that specializes in arranging medical appointments says Nova Scotia now leads the way with the longest wait times for walk-in clinics in the country.

The report from Medimap, says Nova Scotia patients wait an average of 83 minutes to see a physician at a walk in clinic -- 39 minutes longer than it was in 2021.

"So if you're a patient in Halifax or anywhere in Nova Scotia, you should unfortunately expect to wait a least an hour to see a doctor, which is really troubling," said Teddy Wickland, the company's VP of Operations.

The company is an online service that matches patients with clinics and other health-care professionals.

Frank MacNeil was attempting to see a doctor at a walk-in clinic in Hammonds Plains on Monday afternoon.

Although he has a doctor in Bridgewater, N.S., he wasn't prepared to wait two or three months for an appointment.

"So, now I'm trying to find a walk-in clinic for a simple ear infection, and it seems like they're either closed or the wait times are insane," MacNeil told CTV News. "I can't even get into the administration rooms."

Many walk-in clinics no longer accept walk-in patients: they're urged to book ahead and spots fill up quickly.

"We are very, very busy here. We typically open the phone lines at 8:45 a.m. We are usually booked for the day by about 9:10 a.m.," said Dr. Jennifer Burns-Lachance, a family doctor at the Hammonds Plains Family Practice and Walk-In Clinic.

"So, it's very quick."

Medimap says it works with 1,200 walk-in clinics in Canada, but none of them are in Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador or up North.

The data is extrapolated from the clinics it does worth with.

"We work with about 70 per cent of all the walk-in clinics in Canada," said Wickland.

"We don't have many partners in some of the smaller regions. So we are making an assumption to spread our data, that 70 per cent, across the whole country. I would say what we've heard anecdotally is that this is a national issue, and so even though we might not have the data from P.E.I. or New Brunswick, we expect the same sort of trends to exist there as well."

"It's a huge swath of data that we collect," said Wickland.

“In Halifax, I want to say we have ten to 15 clinics who submitted data over the last year. A lot of them, what we've seen is they've stopped submitting data, so that tells us two things -– either they reached capacity and they realized or felt we can't continue to publish our wait times online, we just need to say we're closed.”

"Or, unfortunately another possibility is that they closed entirely, is what we've heard anecdotally from some of our partners."

But the province disputes the conclusions.

In an emailed statement to CTV News, Department of Health and Wellness Communications and Media Relations Advisor Khalehla Perrault said, "Walk-in clinics are an important healthcare resource. However, they are businesses run by medical professionals that manage their own caseloads and acceptable wait times."

Perrault added there are other ways Nova Scotians can receive medical care, including VirtualCareNS, pharmacies, mobile clinics, urgent treatment centres and clinics.

"Just last week the province announced another service: the Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics program. Pharmacists in these clinics will have dedicated time to see patients with common illnesses. We are also working to add new collaborative care teams in 14 more communities across the province. We’re supporting the Dalhousie family medicine clinics, which will expand to more communities."

"We know access to primary health care is a challenge in Nova Scotia, and we are working on solutions. However, this study includes limited Nova Scotia data and was not completed by a neutral third party. In addition, it does not include all primary health-care avenues such as mobile health-care clinics and pharmacies. We recommend Nova Scotians consider this when assessing the value of this index," the statement concluded.

Frank MacNeil needed no convincing wait times are longer.

"I would believe it, honestly," he said.

"Knowing how many of my family and friends can't even get into walk-in clinics -- are just going straight to the ER and having to wait hours there."

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/P4wMJek