#the mean girls from high school who became nurses

[ellapastoral]

have y'all ever wondered what it's like in the world of nursing? well here y'all go with this keep dive.

[tropes-and-tales]

Kind of a Sh*thead

(Rhett Abbott x F!Reader)

CW:  Angst; family-type healing; allusions to and threat of violence; bit of fluff at the end.

Word Count: 5256

AN:  This was originally requested by @elegantmusicdragon from a long-ago Christmas prompt list: "trying to hide their sadness during the christmas celebration" from the sad christmas prompts? Definitely angst...maybe with a little hope at the end?"

AN: This is the next piece in the "Mending Fences" miniseries, found here.

It will shame Rhett in the future, how long it takes for him to realize what has happened. 

That night at the bar, he sat waiting for you:  nursing a beer, his eyes on the door, ready to get a little loose with you and maybe head out to the open range and fool around. 

Then Maria appeared in front of him.  Like magic.  Like an angel spirited back to Wabang and right in front of him.  It threw him off completely, his world tilting sideways  He found himself dazzled by the fact that the girl he pined over for years was suddenly in front of him, smiling, laughing, touching his arm and squeezing his bicep while he subtly flexed it under her fingers.

It wasn’t until last call that Rhett surfaced for a moment, the spell lifting for long enough to remember he was supposed to meet you, yet you were nowhere to be found.

She must have been held over late at work, he reasoned, and even as he thought it, he knew it was a lie. 

It will shame Rhett in the future, but it will take months before he really feels that shame.  He’ll find out you left early for school, but by then, he will be entirely wrapped in the magic of Maria, dumb with lust and love that he thinks is finally reciprocated.  He'll send you a handful of texts, bland little things that you read but don’t respond to. 

Months later, when Wabang is sliding fast to a cold winter and Maria is gone again, disappeared as quickly as she appeared, Rhett will feel shame.

And you’ll be long gone.

*****

Wyatt wishes he knew what he was doing.  Hell, he’d be happy for an inkling.

When his sister and brother-in-law died, he didn’t even hesitate to step up and take his niece in.  No brainer.  Blood is blood, but Wyatt loved his sister something fierce, and taking you in was like holding on to a part of her even if she was gone. 

Didn’t hurt that Wyatt loved you for you.  That he had loved you from the first time his sister set you in his arms, a bundle only a few days old.  You’d set your wide eyes on him and blinked sleepily, then puked up a torrent of milk on him that reeked something fierce.

Love at first sight, it was.

But hell, love wasn’t enough, was it?  What did he know about raising a little girl?  What did he know of walking that tricky line between being overprotective and being too blasé, of giving you space but making you feel safe? 

Cecilia had stopped over a lot in the beginning, had soothed his fears.  Had reassured him that love was enough, that he was doing a good job.  He was kind and well-meaning, and you had been a smart kid who became a smart woman, and on the balance, he would have agreed with Cecilia and said he did alright.

Nothing about this feels alright, though.

Wyatt always guessed it was Rhett Abbott who left you stranded at that hotel when you were a senior in high school.  Little fucker skulked around that entire summer, scampered away like a cat with a lit tail when he saw Wyatt coming.  Something had happened between the two of you.

When you came back to Wabang finally, you took up with the little fucker again, and Wyatt thought maybe he had been unkind.  Ungenerous.  He tried to be nicer to Rhett, but the kid barely ever met his eyeline.

What the hell, Wyatt thought.  The Abbotts can be a squirrelly bunch.  As long as he doesn’t hurt her.

All those years ago at the hotel, Wyatt was never sure who it was that left you stranded and tear-streaked.  This time, though?

You confirmed it that evening when you got home, eyes unseeing as you charged past him, thundered up the stairs, started packing.  When he confronted you, you burst into tears and spilled the entire sorry affair.

You and Rhett, hanging out all summer.  You in love, and Rhett…not.  Not with you, anyway. 

Wyatt wasn’t stupid.  When you said hanging out, he could guess what you meant.

Seeing his niece hurt like that made him see red, but he has a modicum of maturity, which means he bides his time in most things. 

*****

Maria’s been gone for months.

You’ve been gone for longer.

Winter in Wyoming is no joke.  Wabang gets less snow than other parts, but the wind cuts marrow-deep, and the days are short, grey affairs.  The holidays could be a break from the doldrums, but Royal has been on a tear lately, lighting into Rhett for every little thing, so Thanksgiving, then Christmas are tense and joyless.

For the first time in his life, Rhett truly considers his future.  What his life may look like in five, ten, twenty years.  Will he always wake to grey mornings that sit on his chest like a stone?  Will he become bitter and mean, the way his father has despite having a wife and sons and a granddaughter? 

He sends you texts.  Little one-liners, asking how you are, saying he misses you.  He tries to feel you out, but you leave him on read and never respond.

Once, he gets blisteringly drunk and tries to call.  You don’t pick up, and he doesn’t leave a message.

By now, the shame has settled into him and made itself at home. 

He can guess that you came by the bar that night.  He can guess that you saw him and Maria, and that’s what caused you to flee.  Layered on top of the shame is an annoyance with you and your knack for running.  He may be an asshole but you’re a child to run and hide when shit gets tough.

Then, on top of the annoyance, another layer of shame.  Of course you run.  The death of your parents left you with that wound, the inability to handle hurt in a healthy way.  You flee and tuck yourself in a corner, tend your wounds alone.  It’s a flaw, but it’s understandable why you do it.

Rhett had been your best friend, and for the briefest summer, he was your lover too.  He should have been the one person to help you work through that fear.  Instead, he only cemented it further.

*****

March.  The leaden skies start to take on some blue, high up in the atmosphere.  The sun burns a little warmer.  The barnyard thaws into a swamp, and Wyatt has to handle the anxious animals, pawing and snorting and half-mad from a winter of cabin fever.

March is a tough month, though, because you call and tell him you aren’t coming back to Wabang for the summer.  You got a coveted internship with a specialty vet hospital in the city, and while Wyatt knows it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you, it’s far easier to blame that fucking asshole Abbott boy.

It’s easy to blame Rhett when Wyatt eats dinner alone each night.  When he runs a vacuum over the floor of your bedroom, keeps it dust free like you may turn up any day and take your place back on the family ranch.  When he studies the row of family photos on the mantle, sees his sister’s face and feels like he’s failed her in the care of her daughter.

He’s not irrational about it.  He knows he has to let you fly and trust you’ll return.  Vet training is a long process—it’s not like you went off to Cheyenne for a handful of bookkeeping courses.  He knows, deep-down, you would have always left for your schooling.

Still, that fucking Abbott boy has built up a tab, in Wyatt’s eyes.  March is when that tab comes due.

-----

He knows the boy drinks at the Double Deuces.  It’s common gossip how he overdoes it and either gets ornery with the Tillerson’s or pukes himself silly in the parking lot.  There’s whispers of the fights between Royal and the boy, how the elder Abbott is tired of bailing out his youngest son, though no one would ever accuse Royal of having any patience, especially where Rhett is concerned.

If it were anyone else—any other dickhead young buck—Wyatt would chuckle in sympathy.  He used to do the same when he was younger.  He knows what the Wabang drunk tank looks like.  Hell, maybe his name is still there—he scratched it into the pea-green paint of the wall decades back to commemorate his first overnight stay.

But Wyatt doesn’t confront Rhett at the Double Deuces.  He doesn’t seek him out at all.

Rhett comes to him.

It’s a Saturday night, and Wyatt is lazing in front of the TV, watching the recaps of the week’s basketball games.  He’s half-asleep when he hears the heavy, scuffing tread of boots on his porch, then a thumping fist at the door.

When he peeks out of the window to see who it is, it’s the fucking asshole.  Rhett sways unsteady on his feet.  Wyatt opens the door, and he can smell the reek of cheap beer and brown liquor.  When he peers out farther, he can see where the fucking asshole parked his truck, half in the driveway and half in the yard, the tires sunk deep in the soft spring turf.

“You drive here like that?” Wyatt asks, though it’s obvious.

The kid nods.

Wyatt sighs, scrubs his hand over his jaw.  “Tell me you came from next door.  Tell me you were drinking at home and not out on the roads fucking loaded.”

Rhett stares at him, his eyes bleary and blood-shot, his blinks slow and deliberate.  “Came from t’bar,” he slurs.

“Fucking prick.”  Wyatt breathes it out. 

His vision wavers for a moment, the rage that courses through him is so hot and sudden.  He moves towards the kid just as Rhett sways towards him, and in a blink, Wyatt finds his hands on him, his sweat-dampened t-shirt twisted in his fists.  This close, the beer fumes make his eyes water, and when Wyatt studies the kid’s face, he sees blank stupefaction. 

“You fucking little prick.”  He pivots, turns, hauls Rhett away from the front door, down off the porch.  He half-drags, half-carries him, and once they are on the soft grass of the front yard, Wyatt shoves him away.

“Stupid, selfish.  So fucking selfish.”  The rage feels good, like a narcotic in his veins.  “You could have killed someone, driving like this.”

“I didn’t…”  Rhett sways on his feet, struggles to get his balance.  “Didn’t—”

“Didn’t what?”

“Didn’t t-think—”

Wyatt is on him again, his hands firm on Rhett’s chest as he shoves him in earnest, sends the kid stumbling back on his ass.  “You never fucking think, do you?  Jesus fucking Christ, my sister…her husband…they were killed by a fucking drunk driver, and you have the fucking balls to…you asshole…you fucking piece of shit.  You—”

But he can’t even finish.  His sister and brother-in-law, your parents.  Years ago now, but the pain is still fresh, a keen edge of a knife blade that takes his breath away.  It was after a rodeo, a random Saturday.  One stupid fucking decision and Wyatt lost his family, you lost your parents, and the rest of the world had the bad taste to keep on going. 

There’s a roadside memorial on the road out of Wabang that marks the site of the crash.  It makes that knife blade of grief twist in Wyatt’s gut every time he sees it.

Anger—rage—is such a close neighbor to grief.  Grief is something one has to feel, but anger?  That’s something to embrace, to lean into.  To do.

Wyatt advances on Rhett, his big fists opening and closing as the kid struggles to get back on his feet.  Wyatt wants to beat the shit out of him, wants to see him bruised and bloodied on the ground:  for hurting you years ago, for hurting you more recently, and now this.  For taking his life and the life of anyone else on the road into his own stupid, selfish hands.

Rhett manages to find his knees, and he kneels in the grass but can seem to get no further.  Wyatt towers over him.

“Get up,” he orders.  His voice is low, deadly, and his tone must penetrate the booze-fog because the kid tilts his head up and looks at him. 

“Get up,” he repeats.  “Get up and face it like a man.”

Rhett only manages a dumbfounded, “huh?”

“You wanna drive a big truck like a big man?  Drink at the Double D’s like a big fucking man?  You wanna fuck around with my niece and break her fucking heart like a big man?  So stand up and take what’s coming to you like a man.”

The kid seems to track Wyatt’s meaning.  His bleary eyes clear a fraction and fix on where Wyatt’s fists wait, eager to offer some payback for his sins.  Rhett nods, as if to himself, and he takes a deep breath.  Closes his eyes, opens them.  He struggles to stand, staggers a little, but eventually finds his feet.

“Make it her.”  It comes out one slurred word, makeither, and Wyatt’s anger cools by the barest degree.  He unclenches his fists, holds them looser.

“What the fuck you trying to say?”

Rhett coughs, sways.  Coughs again, then enunciates, clarifies.

“Make it hurt.  Make sh…sure.  Make sure it hurts.”

Wyatt’s fists uncurl more.  “Now what are you—”

“Am.  Piece of shit.  I am.”  The kid sways more but takes a wide step, braces his legs wide to keep himself upright.  “Y’right.  Imma piece a’shit.”

As quickly as Wyatt’s rage came on him, it flees him just as fast.  He sees it just as clear as day, how Rhett Abbott ain’t a man.  He’s just a boy playing at it, fucking up as he goes.  Wyatt knows as well as anyone the sort of father the kid has, Royal Abbott is no model of what a man should be. 

The kid standing in front of him is just a hurt animal:  hurt by his own father, hurt by his own behavior because he has no idea how to not take out his hurt on others.

He waves his hand at the kid, a dismissive gesture, and he starts to turn away.  He is halfway back to the house when he hears the kid coming for him, feels the weak glancing blow of the punch that has no aim or power because the kid is too drunk.

He wants to be punished, he thinks as he turns back around to face Rhett.  He knows Royal is hard on his youngest son, can guess that the kid’s been knocked around plenty.  His own father…well, he keeps that buried in the past, but sometimes it pops up like a bad penny.  Like now. 

He wants to be hurt because it’s the only thing he knows, he thinks.  Like I used to.

Maybe Wyatt only fell into fatherhood because of a tragedy, but he gets more of it right than he will ever give himself credit for.  He faces the kid, and when the kid comes swinging at him again, spoiling for a beat-down Wyatt will never deliver after all, Wyatt only opens his arms and lets Rhett step into them.  The kid struggles for a beat but he’s drunk, and he seems tired down to his soul.

It only takes a moment for the kid to stop struggling in Wyatt’s bear-hug, then sag against him in exhaustion, then weep in dry, barking sobs that feel like they’ve been building up for his entire life.  And Wyatt knows exactly what sort of pain the kid is bleeding out because it was his pain, and his sister’s too, until they both fled their unhappy childhood home and made a happier one here on this ranch.

“Christ almighty,” Wyatt says after the kid calms.  He doesn’t let him go—he only gets an arm around his shoulders, and he leads him inside. 

No sense sending him home to his father.  He’s here now, so he might as well sleep it off on the couch.

-----

It’s less than a month before Rhett returns.  Maybe a handful of weeks later, the kid turns up on Wyatt’s step, sheepish.  Looking small.

Wyatt will never be clear exactly why Rhett and Royal fall out so terrifically.  Who can say?  The Abbotts can be squirrelly fucking assholes, back to Royal’s father and probably even further back, but Rhett finds himself kicked out with nowhere to go.

He takes the couch for a night, but the next day, Wyatt thrusts some fresh sheets in the kid’s arms and directs him to the guest room down the hall.  Past your bedroom.

“Might sleep better in an actual bed,” he tells the kid, his voice gruff.

“I’ll be out as soon as I can.”  Rhett’s ears burn red in shame.  “Just gotta line up a place.”

“No rush.”

“Seriously, I’ll—”

“I got plenty of room.  You ain’t putting me out.”

-----

Wyatt is never sure the right way to tell you that Rhett Abbott is currently crashing with him.  A month passes and then another, and he starts to feel guilty that the kid who broke your heart has been living down the hall from your childhood bedroom, sitting at your kitchen table.  That he parks his truck beside yours, and that he’s caught the kid—more than once—lingering by your bedroom door, lingering by your truck, like your ghost might manifest if he stands still enough.

Every time you call.  Each Facetime.  Wyatt wants to say something and doesn’t.

Wyatt ends up taking the coward’s way out:  he sends you an email.  Keeps it short and sweet, apologizes for not saying anything sooner.  He alludes to the situation between father and son, but clarifies that Rhett is in no way forgiven for how he treated you.  It’s just that the kid needed a soft place to land, and he had the ability to help, so he felt it was his God-given duty to do so.

But I can ask him to leave, if you want, he writes.  If it makes you uncomfortable.  You’ll always be my first and top priority, kiddo.

It takes you two days to reply, but that means nothing.  You have a brutal schedule and often go radio silent for stretches of time.  When you do reply, it makes Wyatt smile.

I can’t be mad about it, you write back.  How many times did you look the other way when I brought a stray home?  I guess you deserve a stray of your own.  Might want to take him in for his shots though. :-) 

Wyatt grins when he reads your email, then glances over at where Rhett is sitting on the couch, watching TV.  The kid does act like a stray; he cringes the barest bit if Wyatt moves too suddenly or too close to him, but like a stray, he relishes the comfort of a warm home, food in his belly, and even the tamest praise.

You got a heart of gold, kiddo, Wyatt texts you, and your response is immediate.

Got it from my uncle.

-----

Through the summer and autumn, the two men fall into a rhythm.  It isn’t so bad living with the kid, once he starts to get his sea-legs under him.  Once he starts to feel like the bottom won’t drop out.  Rhett puts in an honest day’s work on the ranch, and Wyatt pays him.  The first time he presses money on the kid, he tries to push it away, embarrassed at what he thinks is more charity on top of the charity of room and board…

“You work for me, you work for me,” Wyatt said, blunt.  “Means you get paid by me.  Take it or leave.”

Wyatt won’t know it until years from now, when he’s an old man and Rhett has grey in his own hair, but this stretch of time—the two men working and living together—is when Rhett starts to learn how to be a man.  That Wyatt is the gruff but kind, slightly awkward father-figure Rhett always needed.

There are lessons embedded in their days working the ranch.  The lessons ease Rhett out of the fog of his life, the strange liminal space of being in his early twenties but still just a kid.

When Rhett royally fucks up a stretch of fencing, ruins a day of work.  Wyatt only grunts, shakes his head, then claps Rhett on the back.

“You can either take the time to plan out a job, or plan on doing the job twice,” is all he says, and he guesses that Royal would have belted his son into the dirt for such an error.

When Wyatt tasks Rhett with a simple rewiring job in the barn, replacing some light fixtures, and the kid has no idea where to even start.  He spends half the day sweating about it, a sick feeling churning in his stomach, until he decides to throw up the white flag and admit he has no experience working with electrical fixtures.

“Well, hell, kid.  Why didn’t you say something?”  Wyatt jerks his chin towards the barn.  “C’mon, I’ll show you.”

When at the rodeo, Rhett is tossed from the bull within seconds, a humiliating display.  Afterwards, his body bruised but his ego far worse off, Wyatt only chuckles at him, says life will throw you off like that sometimes and it’s the getting back up that shows character.

“You got back up,” he tells Rhett.  “That means something.”

“Means I didn’t want to get trampled,” he grumbles.

“Still means something.”

-----

Always, though, there’s the specter of you.

Wyatt catches the kid standing in the doorway of your bedroom sometimes still.  Peering in at the time capsule of your stuff:  the clothes you’ve left behind, the framed photos, the beat-to-shit stuffed bear on your bed. 

Wyatt mentions you in passing, but he never brings up that long-ago night at the hotel or your sudden flight from Wabang the summer before.  He guesses Rhett already feels terrible all the time, so why bother bringing it up and making it worse?

The kid eventually broaches the subject all on his own, just as winter descends on Wabang again.  It’s been over a year since either of them have seen you in person, though Wyatt Facetimes you at least once a week.

Rhett makes himself scarce during those calls, but Wyatt’s always had the impression he’s not far off, maybe straining to make out your voice through the wall.

In early December, you break the news that you aren’t coming home for the holiday break.  Wyatt would suspect that Rhett might be the reason, but your eyes practically glitter with excitement as you talk about a massive stray animal sweep you’ve helped plan, a Christmas-into-New Years take-to-the-streets movement to find and rescue as many street dogs and cats as you can.  You’ve been working with local Girl Scouts to build feral cat cold-weather shelters, and you’ve been raising money and donations, and you’ve built a strong foster network, and local clinics are ready to spay and neuter and administer vaccines—

Heart of gold, indeed.  It makes Wyatt tear up, first from so much pride it feels like his chest might burst, then from that knife edge of grief that his sister isn’t here to see what a force for good her daughter turned into.

When Wyatt breaks the news to Rhett later, though, the kid sorta deflates, and that’s when he brings it up himself.

“It’s my fault,” he mumbles.  “She’ll never come back if I’m here.”

“Not true.”  Wyatt goes to the refrigerator and snags two bottles of beer, then hands one off to Rhett.  He settles in his easy chair and studies the kid.  “You know she loves animals.  She’ll come back eventually.”

“She hates me.”

“Nah.  I don’t know if hate is something she can even feel.  Dislike, maybe.  Disappointment.  Not hate.” 

“She should hate me.  I deserve it.”

And then it spills out, one clipped sentence at a time.  The entire history of you two, from best friends in childhood to passing acquaintances to an awkward moment in a hotel that Wyatt now knows was not actual sex but just some fooling around that ended in cruel words.  When Rhett gets to the part of the story about your summer together, Wyatt holds up a palm, says, “yeah, don’t want the details at all,” and Rhett slouches against the couch and sighs.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her, you know.  Sounds fucking stupid, but at the time, I didn’t even realize what I was doing to her.”  Rhett glances over at the man, fixes his eyes back on the floor.  “Looking back, it felt like I was sleepwalking through that summer, and now I’m awake and see all the damage I did.”

Wyatt chuckles sadly.  He knows the feeling.  He has his own hurt women in his past, experienced the same sort of heartless sleepwalking. 

The kid shakes his head and continues.  “Wasn’t worth it.  Maria, I mean.  I don’t even know what I saw in her. 

“You were thinking with the wrong brain,” he tells Rhett.  Wyatt may have no lost love for Maria Olivaries, but he’d admit she was a pretty gal.  He could see why the boys went a little stupid around her. 

“Wasn’t thinkin’ at all.”  Rhett says your name, a sigh in his mouth, then adds, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Look.”  Wyatt sets his empty beer bottle aside, leans forward.  “You gotta try to make it right with her.  How you square it up is up to you.  Maybe she’ll forgive you, maybe she won’t, but you gotta make an honest try at it.”

“How?”

“Damned if I know.  But take it from me, kid.  I had a girl when I was your age, and I fucked it up completely.  Even once I realized how badly I fucked up, I was too proud to try and set it right.  Now it’s been years and it’s far too late.  So you gotta try, so even if she never forgives you, it’ll set right in your chest that you did everything you could.”

Rhett stares at him for a long beat, then nods.  Then there’s a beat of glassiness in his eyes, near-tears, that Rhett blinks away almost angrily before he turns and clears his throat.

“I don’t mean to, you know.  I don’t mean to be a piece of shit,” he says, his voice rough-edged.

“Aw hell, kid.”  Wyatt heaves himself out of his chair and starts to make his way back to the kitchen for another beer.  He stops in front of where Rhett sits, slouched over, and he lays a hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t think you’re a piece of shit,” he tells him.  “I just think you’re kind of a shithead.”

Rhett snorts.  “What’s the difference?”

“First one is a lost cause,” Wyatt says.  “Second one is just an idiot trying to do his best.  Like most of us.”

*****

Christmas day at a bachelor’s ranch is not as sad as it might seem.

Wyatt brings in a tree but they only throw some lights on it to give it a bit of cheer.  They build a fire in the fireplace, exchange no gifts, settle in and watch the football games.

Christmas dinner is a pot of Wyatt’s ulcer-inducing chili and a pan of cornbread.  Cecelia drops by in the morning with a plate of cookies and a handful of gifts for Rhett, but it’s just the two guys for most of the day.

Until you call to Facetime your uncle.

You take Rhett unawares; you call off-schedule.  You usually call in the evening but this is the afternoon, and Wyatt mutes the football game and take the call from the couch.  Rhett starts to stand up, but the man waves him to sit back down.  No need to hide out like he usually does.

So Rhett gets a full accounting of your life from you directly.  He can hear your voice, and you sound like you have a sore throat.  You tell your uncle about your big rescue mission, how it’s bitterly cold in the city but how you’ve saved so many dogs, so many cats, and how you can’t wait to head back out after you warm up a bit.

“I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas,” you tell Wyatt.  “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”

Your uncle glances over at Rhett, nods in his direction.  “We’re doing okay for a couple of guys.”

“You decorate a tree?”

“Just string lights.”

“The prettiest part of a tree anyway.  What about dinner?”

“Chili.”

You laugh, and the sound makes Rhett smile – when was the last time he heard it? 

“Happy Birthday, Jesus.  Here’s some indigestion,” you joke.

“Good thing the kid went to Costco and got a gallon bucket of Pepto,” Wyatt jokes back.

It draws another laugh, which makes Rhett laugh, which makes you stop and ask your uncle if Rhett is there too.

“He is,” Wyatt admits.  “We’re watching the football game.”

There’s a beat of silence from you that seems to stretch out forever but is probably only a second or two. 

“Merry Christmas, Rhett,” you say, and Wyatt hesitates, then tilts the screen so Rhett can see you and you can see him.  He almost doesn’t want to look but he can’t help himself.

You’re smiling at him.  Not as broadly as you usually smile when you’re delighted in something or someone, but it’s a medium-sized one that touches the corners of your eyes. 

It’s genuine.

It’s a place to start.  It’s a sliver of hope.  It’s not a door slamming shut in his face but a door left ajar by a fraction, and maybe Rhett can toe it open if he can just find the right way to try and square things up with you.  It’s confirmation that he’s not a piece of shit, just kind of a shithead, and if he tries his best, maybe that will be enough.

“Merry Christmas,” he replies, and if you notice the gruffness in his voice, you don’t react.

“Thanks.” 

Wyatt holds his phone there a moment, starts to turn it back to him, but Rhett blurts out, “be careful out there, okay?” so Wyatt turns it back.

Your smile grows the barest bit.  “Will do.”  A pause.  “Don’t let my uncle work you too hard.”

A toe in the door.  A sliver of hope.  The fire snaps in the fireplace and the string lights twinkle on the tree, and Rhett may be an idiot just trying his best, but maybe that’s enough.

“I barely work at all,” he jokes.  “Gotta leave plenty of work for you when you come back.”

It makes you chuckle.  It’s not a laugh, but it’s something.

“In that case, Uncle Wyatt, work him into the ground,” you joke back, and Wyatt turns his phone back to him this time, and Rhett is left with perhaps a bit more than a sliver of hope.  He leans back against the couch and thinks that yes, maybe he can salvage this after all. 

Maybe trying his best will be enough.

[just-a-girl-who-wrytes]

Omg I just accidently found your blog and I'm so freaking happy, cause there are not enough writer who writes for Deacon 😭 unfortunately I'm super obsessed with him, with an unhealthy amount of fic ideas in my brain xD so I give it a try and send you one of those, hopefully jot annoying you with this (or with my shitty English, it's not my first language, so I'm sorry).

Well buckle up for my request:

Reader is a new Swat member and instantly everybody loves her, with her bubbly friendly self. She's bonding great with her teammates and especially her and Deacon grow super close (they develop feelings for each other but don't want to tell the each other afraid to ruin their friendship, so their feelings stay hidden). When one day a case goes sideways and it leaves her injured (maybe a concussion or something like that) Deacon blames himself for her injury and the next days he distances himself from her, cause he thinks that it is unhealthy for him to have such deep feelings for her and him constantly worrying for her wellbeing. She notices his change of behavior and she's super sad. He starts to being unfriendly to her and being a little bit of an ass?! Even alerting the other members with his behavior. The whole situation is taking a toll on her and she is starting to effecting not only her poor heart but also her health. (so maybe she falls sick, but keep it from her teammates especially Deacon, cause she thinks that after her injury during a case he thinks of her as not capable or something like that). That is until one day she doesn't show up to work which very uncommon for her, cause she's always on time and the first one at the station. They're all worrried and Hondo tells Deacon that he has to drive to her apartment. Well he tries to refuse and send Stress but Hondo insists, so Deacon drives to her apartment. He finds her suffering from a very high fever..... So maybe with a happy ending like Deacon regrets his shitty behavior, she instantly cries when she recognizes him in her feverish state, asking him why he hates her suddenly, which is now breaking his heart. He cares for her and nurses her back to health, or at first tries to bring her fever down. Later he confesses why he was an asshole.

Soooorry it's so long. There's so pressure for you to write this. Maybe you just want to use some ideas? Well I would be so happy.

Please take care lovely

Here you go, hope you enjoy!

“Nice!” Luca exclaimed as the team watched you send rounds down range from your firearm.

With the increase in officer related shootings, LAPD had decided to provide each team a SWAT medic and you were the newest member of 20 squad. 

“Who knew girls can shoot?” You heard Deacon asked. You turned to playfully scowl at him and noticed him wink at you. 

“Better watch it, Kay, or I’ll show you just how good I really am.” 

You had been a part of the team for just over two months and they were the best guys you had ever worked with in your career. You truly became a part of their family – you had their backs and they had yours. There was one that was different though. 

David Kay. 

You had noticed him watching you on more than one occasion, stealing winks from you, sharing small, flirtatious smiles. You weren’t sure if your attraction to him was mutual or not, but if you had to guess, you would say yes. However, you didn’t want to complicate anything by dating one of your teammates and you didn’t want to ruin the friendship you had developed with Deacon. You assumed Deacon adopted the same mindset because he never brought it up either. 

However, that didn’t mean your flirting with each other fell on blind eyes. 

The entire team noticed it and often gave you both shit over it. 

You both were in the middle of denying another teasing round of friends with benefits accusations from your teammates when you were dispatched to a school shooting. 

The mood immediately sobered up as all of you put on your gear and grabbed your bags and firearms. The ride to the school in Black Betty was quiet minus updates from Hondo. 

“Stay liquid, guys,” He told the team as you pulled up on scene. 

There were multiple reports of injured children inside of the school. 

This call was all yours. 

It was going to be your job to go inside and assess each injured child to see how critically injured they were. It was your team’s job to protect you while you did that. You were going in without any knowledge of where the shooter was, but you knew if you had children, you would want someone to go in and save your baby. You swallowed your fear and prepared to do your job. 

You got out of the armored truck and took your spot in the middle of your team. You slowed your breathing down to get your heart rate under control and keep your emotions in check. 

Deacon made sure that he stayed close to you as you entered the school. He knew his teammates would have your back too, but he felt… differently about you. He cared about you a lot. He had quickly fallen for your smile and your personality. You didn’t let the team’s banter intimidate you one bit from the start. You were quick and witty with your playfulness with them. You were smart as hell when it came to medicine and you had proven to be a solid member of the SWAT team in training exercises and on calls you had run together. He wanted so badly to ask you out to dinner, but he wasn’t willing to change the dynamic of the team by adding a relationship to the mix. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t be protective over you – whether you noticed it or not. 

That was why Deacon had taken it so personally when you were knelt down, applying a tourniquet to a fourth-grade student’s leg and got shot by the hidden gunman. His team covered him while he immediately turned to you to make sure you were okay. The round had struck your vest, but you knew it had broken ribs. The pain you felt in your side was unmistakable. Regardless, you threw your body over the child’s to protect her from the gunfire that ensued. Deacon and Luca dragged you both behind a desk behind a wall in a classroom. 

“Are you okay?” Deacon asked without taking his aim from the door way. 

“We’ve got to get her out of here.” You ignored his question as you continued to try and stop the little girl’s bleeding. 

Your voice was forced and you were breathy. 

“I asked if you were okay,” Deacon said angrily. 

“I’m fine.” You retorted. 

You soon heard Tan’s voice over the radio that the shooter had been neutralized. You didn’t know if there was more than one shooter, but didn’t see any signs of one so far. When you got the clear from Hondo, you radioed for another team to come in and get the girl out and get her to a hospital. Once she was safely removed, you resumed your formation in the middle of the team to continue to clear the school building. Deacon could tell you were injured because you didn’t shoulder your firearm correctly, but he didn’t see any blood so he let it go. He was pissed off at you for not stopping and going to get help yourself, but he was even more pissed off at himself for not seeing the gunman before he shot at you. 

It took two hours to clear the rest of the school and stabilize the remaining children. By the time you were done, you were visibly diaphoretic and short of breath. You could hardly manage three words without stopping to catch your breath. 

“20-David to command,” Deacon radioed, “We need an EMS unit to our location, we have a team member who needs to be checked out.” 

You were in pain, you couldn’t breathe, and you were pissed off that Deacon asked for EMS without consulting you first. 

“Why did you do that?!” You managed to asked through clenched teeth. “These children need those paramedics.” You took a few shallow breaths, “Not me! Cancel. Them.” 

If looks could kill, your sergeant would be the one who needed a medic unit, not you.

“Officer,” Deacon said sternly, “You look like hell and you cannot breathe.”

You started to open your mouth to cut him off, but he started speaking loudly again.

“Now, I suggest you shut up and listen to your sergeant. I am not the one who takes orders from you.” 

His harsh words hit you harder than the bullet hit your ballistic vest and left you just as speechless. David had never been so disrespectful to you. If the paramedics hadn’t arrived to assess you, you would have turned in your badge right there. You knew the rest of the team had noticed as well because they were all silent which pissed you off even more. Where was your support?

The paramedics tried helping you onto the stretcher, but you refused it. Despite not being able to speak for being short of breath. You held onto the stretcher for support and walked to the ambulance. By the time you finally made it outside to the ambulance, you were physically unable to get into the ambulance because you were hurting so bad and so short of breath. The EMS providers finally convinced you to get onto the stretcher and they were able to load you into the truck. 

When you arrived to the ER, you were taken to a trauma room due to the fact that you had technically been shot. Your chest x-ray revealed a collapsed lung due to the broken ribs. 

The rest of the team finished debriefing before being cleared to leave for the day. Hondo met Deacon in the quiet locker rooms since most of everyone else had already left. 

“Deac…” Hondo paused, knowing he needed to tread carefully, “What was up back at the school? I have never heard you speak to anyone like that – especially one of our teammates.” 

Deacon slammed his locker shut. 

“Hondo, now ain’t the time, brother.”

The lieutenant raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, I won’t press, but I do ask that you consider an apology. It was unwarranted today. We all performed immaculately given the circumstances.”

“No, Hondo. No. We did not all perform immaculately.” His tone was biting. 

Deacon walked passed Hondo and left the locker rooms. He left the station and threw his duffel bag in the backseat of his truck. He climbed in, started it, and drove to a nearby lake that off the road and would likely be deserted after dark on a week night. He parked in the dark and slammed his fists against the steering wheel in frustration. 

Tears filled his eyes as he mentally kicked himself in the ass for missing the shooter that injured you today. He didn’t fight the tears as they spilled down his cheeks. What had gotten into him? Why were you different? Why was he so upset? Why did you getting injured bother him so badly? You were okay and you were expected to make a full recovery according to Hicks. Where along the line had he developed feelings and why was he so afraid of talking to you about them?

You spent 6 days in the hospital, 4 of those with a chest tube before being discharged home. During your entire hospital stay, Deacon had not been by to see you once despite daily visits from the rest of your teammates. It made you mad, but most of all, it hurt your feelings. You really liked you sergeant – or you thought that you did. His actions since you had been injured spoke louder than any words that could have been said. 

Luca and Chris were there to take you home and help you get settled. They carried your bags in and Chris helped you unpack your things while Luca cooked supper for the three of you. Chris helped you remove your bra so you could put on a loose, comfy t-shirt. Being the only females on the squad left you two comfortable around each other. 

“That is one hell of a bruise, babe.” She said as she looked at your black and purple side. 

You had to agree – the entire left side of your torso was bruised. It looked awful. Thankfully, the doctors had been able to help manage your pain with narcotics. 

“I’m glad it finally looks worse than it feels… Which is saying a lot because it still hurts like hell.” 

You slipped on a pair of sleep shorts and made your way back into your kitchen with Chris. 

You took a pain pill and joined your teammates in your living room to eat the spaghetti that Luca made. 

“Thank you so much for taking care of me guys,” You said several hours later as you walked Luca and Chris to your door. 

“That’s what we’re here for, love,” Luca said, pulling you into a gentle hug. 

You kissed his cheek, “Supper was delicious, Dom. Thank you times a million.” 

He returned the kiss to your cheek and Chris pulled you in for a hug. 

“Call us if you need anything?” 

You smiled at her after the hug, “You know I will.” 

You settled onto your couch with a glass of wine. You knew the alcohol and narcotic wasn’t the smartest elixir, however, you needed to mask more than your physical pain. 

You couldn’t get Deacon off your mind and your heart had yet to stop hurting. Your emotional pain screamed much louder than your physical pain. 

“Dammit!” You heard through clouded consciousness. “What the fuck?” 

You felt yourself being picked up and carried to your bed. You recognized a familiar cologne but quickly disregarded the scent and winced at the pain in your ribs before drifting back off to sleep. 

You woke up the next morning nearly in tears again as you entered a coughing spell. You managed to get out of bed and make your way to the kitchen where your pain pills were, but you were scared shitless by a man sitting at your kitchen table. As soon as your heart began racing with fear, the fear subsided, realizing that it was Deacon sitting inside of your home. 

“Jesus Christ! What the fuck, David?” You held your chest with one hand and braced your broken ribs with the other. 

He didn’t answer you. 

You ignored his silence and took your morning pain medication. 

“Ya know… I said the same thing last night when I came over and found you unconscious on your couch. So, I can also say, what the fuck? What were you thinking?” Deacon’s voice grew steadily louder as he stood up and turned to you. “Pain pills and alcohol?”

You were angry. “Something to make this shit stop hurting,” You spat as you snatched up the side of your shirt to reveal your black and blue torso. 

You could tell the extent of your injuries caught Deacon off guard. His facial expression softened and he didn’t respond. 

You let go of your shirt, letting it fall back down to your waist and continued fixing yourself a glass of water to take your pain pill with. You took your medicine and continued to ignore your sergeant as you turned your back to him to get the milk out of your refrigerator to fix yourself a bowl of cereal. His hand stopped yours mid-air reaching for your cabinet. He gently held your wrist with one hand and you felt the edge of your shirt being lifted again. He let go of your hand, staring at the bruising that covered you. You could sense his demeanor soften. 

There was a long silence as he took in your injuries. 

“I’m so sorry…” He whispered. 

The tone in his voice felt like a hug to your soul. 

“Deacon-” You turned around to face him. 

“No, listen to me,” he interrupted you. “This…” He grazed his fingertip down your side, “is all my fault.”

The confusion was written all over your face. 

“I should have seen that bastard before he ever had a chance at you.” 

You began shaking your head but you weren’t quite sure what to say. 

“You’ve been an asshole to me ever since it happened, David, what the hell has changed now?” You were beginning to grow angry again. 

“Look, I am so, so sorry.” His voice was gentle. “I should have stopped that guy before he shot you. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like I did. I should have visited you in the hospital. You are a teammate and I failed you, but I really should have told you from the get-go that I have developed feelings for you.” He didn’t take a breath the entire time he spoke so you struggled to follow him, but his last sentence hit you like a ton of bricks. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Ever since you have been on the team with us, you have become more than just a teammate to me. Truthfully, I have liked you from the day that I met you and my attraction to you has only grown every single day. I like you so much more than just as a teammate. I would dare say that I am falling in love with you.” He slowly reached up to cradle your face with his hand, hesitant, wondering if you would allow him to touch you. 

You did. 

“I am so, so sorry that I have treated you so poorly this week – so wrong. It had nothing to do with you and everything to do with the fact that I hate myself for not being able to protect you like I should have. I’ve been so afraid to let you know how I feel about you. I’m sorry I was more afraid of affecting the team than I was giving you the honesty that you deserve. Please, please forgive me.” 

He looked into your eyes as he nervously chewed on his bottom lip. 

“Deacon…” You said quietly, leaning into his hand caressing your jaw. 

He took a deep breath and continued, “If you don’t feel the same way, I understand, but I came over here last night to apologize and tell you all of this. When I found you passed out on the couch, barely responsive, it frustrated me. So, I stayed here last night to make sure you were okay. Please don’t be mad.” 

Silence fell between you while you considered how to respond. Given the emotions that you had worked through over the past week, going from feelings for your partner, to physical and emotional hurt, to anger towards David for not visiting, texting or calling, resentment towards yourself for having feelings towards David despite how cruel he had been to you with his absence while you had been hospitalized, you struggled to find any words.

Deacon watched you suffer through a week’s worth of feelings as he watched your eyes. You took a deep breath. 

He decided that you were taken too long to respond and if he didn’t act now, he never would. 

He leaned down and softly pressed his lips on yours. 

You instinctively closed your eyes and allowed David to kiss you. When you didn’t pull away, he parted his lips just enough to run his tongue tenderly along your bottom lip. You opened your lips, allowing him to kiss you deeper. You began to return the kiss when David went to place his hands on your waist, forgetting about your injuries. You stopped kissing him and winced. 

“God, I’m so sorry,” he said.

“It’s okay.” You whispered, your voice shaky. 

Deacon noticed the tears that trickled down your cheeks. 

He wiped them away with his thumbs and began apologizing to you again. 

You interrupted him with another kiss. You reached up and intertwined your fingers behind his head, softly rubbing his neck with your fingertips. He moaned quietly into the kiss. He grabbed your arm and squeezed it, needing to touch you, but being mindful of your injuries. You enjoyed the feeling of his tall, muscular body, towering over yours. You felt protected. 

“Deacon?” 

He pressed his forehead to yours, brushing a stand of hair behind your ear, “Mmhmm?”

“I love you.” 

"I love you too."

[fbfh]

Hey! Then in hoo it is mentioned that Leo has dealt with a lot of bullies and horrible people since Esperanza died, I could ask for something like him and his s/o going to do something normal like shopping and end up running into one of these people And they keep making fun of Leo so his s/o defends him and comforts him or something like that(sorry if it seems confusing, English is not my first language haha)

first of all your english is great babes!! not confusing at all <33

ah yes. the bitchy girls. the asshole mean girls who have a fucking superpower for sniffing out adhd and autism and other neurodivergent traits like fucking blood hounds. the devils in lululemon leggings and nike sneakers who worship the ground hailey bieber walks on and keep their marc jacobs tote bags full of knives to stab anyone and everyone in the back with the moment the see an opportunity to.

those girls.

Leo's been able to avoid them for a while. Drew was the worst at camp, but she was a watered down version of them - Leo realized at some point that Drew adopting those traits was her own way of dealing with shit, and the more time she spent at camp since Piper became head of cabin, the more chilled out she's gotten.

There were barely any mean girls at MIT, none he had trouble avoiding at least. But now he's here, back in the real world, shopping for groceries for your little apartment you have together. And in the real world, fresh out of nursing school, is Emily. The exact same Emily from the school he went to before camp half blood. At 15, Leo went through a lot of shit. School was hell, his foster family was so bad he ran away enough to be sent to the wilderness school, and he was at one of the lowest points of his entire life.

You don't know who she is, but from the look on Leo's face, the sudden, sharp drop in his energy, the way he starts picking at his hands and gets all jittery. He hopes he can get away with it, hopes she won't even recognize him.

"Oh my god... Leo Valdez?"

you grimace at her voice, the way she mispronounces his last name, and your hackles rise. She looks at you in shock, seeming to hold back a laugh.

"Wait, is he your boyfriend?"

She says it like it's some joke, like this whole thing is hilarious.

"He used to be so awkward!" she giggles, "Wow, you look exactly the same."

Leo can read you like a book, and he knows you are SO pissed off for him.

"Yeah," You say with an equally sarcastic smile, "I had no idea you guys were the same age, you look so much older. I never would have known you guys were in the same class."

She blanches a little, and you double down.

"Leo actually just graduated top of his class at MIT. He has, like, a dozen job offers already." You smile at him proudly. "So how about you, are you... doing anything?"

"Mhm." She nods, the humor suddenly gone. "Nursing school. I just started."

"Oh," you nod, glancing over at Leo and sharing a subtle look with him, "well, we better get going, we have some open houses to get to."

As you walk away, still close enough for her to hear, you mutter to Leo, stifling a smile.

"Wow. The mean girl to nursing school pipeline is real." You chuckle, "And like, she does know it's not 2016 anymore, right? Cause her eyebrows don't seem to..."

He's so surprised that after an interaction with her, after all these years, he actually feels... okay. Outside the shithole of high school, with you by his side, she doesn't seem nearly as intimidating as she had. He's not sure how you got him to realize that so quickly, but he realizes that there's nothing that feels that intimidating when you're by his side. And you're right, her eyebrows are just as awful as her personality.

[vibingandsimping]

Would you be willing to write Astarion x a fem!reader (if it matters) where originally he’s slightly annoyed because she just seems like another goody two shoes hero, until she finally gets the chance to punish someone for their actions only to realize that she’s just as cruel and violent as he is, she just directs it at people who deserve it the most. I just wanna be bitchy and judgy with him

My character was an oathbreaker paladin and the best way i could describe her is that she became a paladin in the same way mean girls in high school became nurses, to basically bully people for a job which I thought was a ridiculously fun way to play a character and thought Astarion might approve of it too

DAMN IT. Now I have to make a human tav that’s Regina George and play the game as her. Curse you.

How in the hell was an Oathbreaker so good-natured? You went against your contract. You couldn’t be so heroic. He knew something was beyond the surface. It just pissed him off that you concealed that nature. He craved to see that part of you. Perhaps it was a fluke? A one-time deal that damned you? His snippy behavior towards you was bred from the fact he couldn’t figure you out. At least, he thought that, until you reached the Goblin Camp. Your demeanor was so much more aggressive. It was a delicious sight. It first started with you making a goblin kiss your feet. Gods, he loved that. He wished he were you in that position. Astarion simply clapped in amusement and praised you for the cruel behavior.

Who knew you had it in you, darling? From that on you were much more keen on acting such. Not towards the innocent, much to Astarions disappointment, but to those deserving. You’d bring down karma and justice onto those. Such as telling the goblin in the Shadowlands to fetch after dooming an animal to the shadows. Usually, when killing you were quick about it. Not one to make them suffer for long. He found it quite boring til you were faced with the option to murder someone thought evil. The way you drove your blade into their skin and charred their flesh with spells was violent and bloody. Their screams echoing as you slay them. He never thought you more beautiful, honestly, with the blood staining your face and hands. You two would gossip and chat during adventures. Remarking those you’d punished or killed. He’d snob with you about them. Anything to feed into this behavior he beloved. Watching you climb the ladder of power by evoking your justice onto those

Overall, he finds you quite interesting. He can’t wait til he can peel all the layers and get to know the true you. It’s almost like a challenge.

[nyubiecore]

Paris In The Rain ☆ kim sunwoo

a the boyz sunwoo oneshot

" walking down an empty street puddles underneath our feet "

kim sunwoo x fem reader

genre : fake relationship , frenemies to lovers , fluff , kiss

in which the fake relationship you both agreed upon started to feel too real to be fake in Paris , the City of Love

a beep noise came from your phone , notifying you of a new message

you reached for your phone beside you as you pressed the on button , now displaying a selfie of you and sunwoo that you guys took before taking off

you checked the message from sunwoo :

" wyd "

" taking a shit "

" why'd you even bring your phone w/ you to the toilet "

" jk " " just chilling at the balcony " " why? " seen by sunwoo

you only roll your eyes and enjoyed the view of Paris in the rain. you've heard from your mom that Paris looks the most beautiful when it rains . you smile to yourself as you take some pictures of the Eiffel Tower from your hotel room to show to your mom

your class had arranged a week trip to Paris in the holidays , you got to share rooms with your best friend , Yoora for the week

at first , you didn't want to go since it costs a hefty amount of money but since you figured it would be one of the last memories in high school so why not , since your apparent fake boyfriend offered to pay half of it that you thanked him for the thought but still pay all of them off yourself - with some help from your parents of course

" why why? is it sunwoo? " Yoora asked from inside the room where she sat on the bed

you looked over your shoulder , " yeah , but he put me on read " you said in your most annoyed tone

she smiled " this is good times , you should go on a date with him tomorrow since we're free anyways "

" i won't bother " you replied

she let out a huff in defeat " hey you guys are couples in love , we are in the city of love , do you see my point right here? "

you stopped on your track then moved to join her inside " does it look like that? do you really think he's in love with me? "

" are you a fucking fool? everyone could see that you moron "

" what do you mean? "

" ask any of our classmates who've never seen him staring at you hopelessly , and that one time you almost fainted in class that he escorted you to the nurse's office even if he knows he needs to pass that class " Yoora said half defeated " don't keep denying it Y/N , cut yourself some slack will you? just because of that jerk you saw last summer and it didn't work out make you think it'll never work out , okay? " she continues comforting your overthinking self

you were silenced

since you guys started this agreement just because of some petty ex-boyfriend of yours who's currently a psychopath that would chase you all the way down the worm's hole to get back with you

and his possessive fangirls who'd never shut up and chase him everywhere , there's not one person in your class that has found out about this agreement and only compliments about how cute you guys are

at some point , you yourself were confused about this. is it really fake? since the last 3 month you guys became the school's hottest ship , it would be a lie to say that you've never had a thought to actually put hope in this relationship and never fluttered upon his actions

like that one time you didn't answer his text because you were crying over the miserable life you were put in and he searched for you all over town until he found you , finally hiding at the playground all by yourself

but all of those thoughts didn't last long as you kept hearing voices about how he is bad news , that he's a big red flag and that one time he cheated on 3 girls at the same time

some oil were also poured into the flame by his fans who couldn't sit back and watch you guys happy and always , searched for any possible chances to judge you , trample you and gaslight you that sometimes you even felt so small that you were scared to even face them at some point

you snapped out of your thoughts when you felt your arms getting swayed by Yoora

" girl? Y/N? gosh stop with the daydreaming , the doorbell rang , go check it out will you? " she said

you blinked your eyes , coming back to your senses as you rush to the door

you pushed down the door knob , opening the door revealing sunwoo , in his comfortable hoodie over his head and a hot pink colored umbrella on his right hand

" wanna go for a night walk , princess? " he said in an attempt to charm you

sunwoo always likes to give you pet names but since last time you guys watched a classic movie about the royal family , he started to call you princess and couldn't stop talking about it

your heart fluttered a bit but you couldn't possibly show him that " in this weather? " you ask ridiculed

his brow hanged higher than the other as he showed off the umbrella on his hand

" in this? " you continued as you looked at yourself in a graphic pajama set

his lips corner curled up , " if you'd like to , i won't mind but i could wait here if you mind the cute fit " he chuckled to himself

you gave him an eye as you asked him to wait while you go put on a proper clothes for the ocassion as Yoora give you the eyes

by a few minutes , you came back out in a white sleeved crop top and black loose jeans

sunwoo stood on his feet as he checks you out

you roll your eyes " keep your eyes to yourself would you? "

he smirked " sorry to offend you princess "

you guys walked to the lobby and sunwoo leads you along the revolving door until you guys came outside the hotel , taking in the scent of the rain and the sound of Paris's bustling streets

walking on the sidewalks of the road , sunwoo opened the umbrella that mostly covered you

" what's with this hot pink umbrella? " you laugh

" shut up " he said as he roll his eyes

" hehe"

you wanted to say something about how his other hoodie side that were exposed to the rain were clearly wet but you knew he wouldn't bother.

while walking , you came over a wine shop

you look at sunwoo who were already looking at you as you smile cheekily

" can you read my mind? " you asked as you nudged sunwoo's side

" I can't read minds but I can see what's in front of us " he replied

you nudged harder to his side as you rushed to cross the streets

after a successful attempt of buying the cheapest wine , you guys were seated at one of the bench near the Eiffel Tower

you drank straight from the wine bottle and swallowed the berry flavor.

the rain had stopped raining by this time

sunwoo just looks at you

you took in the view of the big Eiffel Tower in front of you. far from what you expected , you couldn't actually hold your liquor as much as you thought you could.

you grunts as you leaned into the bench

" I'm so glad that I'm here now , right? " you turned your head towards sunwoo who were quietly looking at you

he smiled to himself as he nods softly " me too "

maybe it was the air , maybe it was the wine - it should be the wine - but you felt like you were free off pressures and your right mind because …

you smiled cheekily " did you know? that none of our classmates suspected our relationship? " you chuckled " I mean , it's such a sudden thing but how could they be so gullible , right? " you said as you chuckle

sunwoo stayed quiet - furious? - as he reached for the bottle of wine and took a sip of it

you watch him as he put the bottle down " oh? did we kiss just now? ommo ommo " you said as you laugh drunkenly

he only kept quiet as he avoids eye contact with you

" hey , I'm sad that you act so relaxed over my first kiss " you say making a sad expression

" princess , that's not a real kiss okay? it's just an indirect kiss " he said earning a nudge to his side

you look up at the Eiffel Tower , " did you know? I heard from that if you go to watch the Eiffel Tower in the rain with your lover , your love will last for a long long time " you said drunkenly

" who says that? " sunwoo asked

" me! " you said as you pointed to yourself and chuckle

" then, we're going to be lovers aren't we? "

" ey , how can the kim sunwoo of Daeryeon High date a nobody like me. you won't know how much it takes to date you even if it's fake " you let out a huff

" why is it hard? "

" your lover would have to see your table full of gifts from girls prettier than her everyday , don't even mention the judging eyes she'll get from your die hard fans too , oww even talking about it sends me shivers to the bone " you say hugging yourself on the bench

he stopped on his track. it's not like he never knew how bad girls who've had relationship with him got bashed. it's just , since you he started to feel eager to keep the relationship though he knows you're having a hard time , ofc he tries to protect you at all cost tho

" so you won't do the role? " he laughs

" do you want me to? " you jokingly say as you make eye contact with his sweet eyes

the sudden eye contact only triggered sunwoo and you didn't really mind it since you were drunk and everything

he looked away , his cheeks slightly tinted with pink blush " what if I say I want , then what will you do then? "

you stopped , " hek " you got hiccups. you embarrassingly cover your mouth and looked forward

he smiled looking at you " we should go now " he stands up as he wrapped his arms on your side holding you steady while you hold the wine bottle on your hand

maybe because of the late hours or the choice of way , the streets seems a bit more quiet not in a spooky way , just comfortable? or maybe it was because of your company? you didn't know anymore as the alcohol takes control of your brain

along the road , you saw a flower shop that were still open and many bouquet and varieties of flowers from the glass

" pretty tulips " you said drunkenly

he looked at the flower shop

" wait here " he said before abandoning you outside the flower shop

he ran back out in a few minutes with a few tulips wrapped in his hand then hands it to you

" what is it? oh! tulips! " you say as you clap repeatedly

he only smiled as you take the tulips from his hand

you guys continue the walk as it freshen you up

but the unstraight walk didn't go away

" princess , can't you walk straight? it's dangerous "

you only chuckled " hey do you like me? why do you call me princess all the time , it made me flutter.. " the last part was said in a lower voice

he only shake his head

you kept the unstraight walk until you wanted to cross the road that you almost did carelessly

when a bicycle almost hit you , that you felt a hand on your elbow pulling you back from the road , turning your body to the owner of the hand and sending your tulips to bounce to the sky

panicked sunwoo is now a few inches to your face , you could smell the light scent of wine from his breath that were fanning your face

" gosh you're so clumsy " he said but didn't break the close proximity

your eyes broke into an emotional eyes " hey , can you stop making my heart flutter? do you know how much I started to like you since 3 months ago? "

he was taken aback for a bit but the emotions left his eyes as it went to your lips

" what if I like you " he said

" don't make those kinds of jokes , it hurts "

you said before seeing your tulips that is now stuck on one of the tree branches

you point at it " my tulips "

sunwoo looked at the spot you pointed to , him being a few cm lower from the branch helped as he reached for it

it became a failed attempt , so he held the end of the branch and shake it lightly sending the tulips to almost reach the ground when you and sunwoo tried to prevent if from falling

reaching for it , both of you accidentally held hands - with tulips in it - and were faced in the same proximity from just now

you turned to face him , you scanned his delicate face

you never cared how sharp his nose and his jawline is - also the fact that he's much more handsome than you imagined , you were pretty much in awe

" your nose is so well sculptured "

" stop that , princess "

" stop that pet name "

" what if I like you that's why I give these pet names? "

you stopped on your track

" you're kidding "

" are you still drunk? "

you look at him ridiculously " umm.. no? "

" then I should prove it to you " he said before bringing his hand to both your jawline and pulled your face closer to his bringing your lips together

the kiss was slow but you can feel the adrenaline pumping in your brain and your heart rate soaring

sunwoo pulled away a few seconds after

you look at him , still ridiculed " what does that kiss mean? "

" I'm sorry for stealing away your first kiss , but I do actually like you and the reason all of our classmates didn't find out isn't because they're gullible but because I liked you for real and I show my gestures to you " he said

you could see his vulnerable gaze towards you , you could fall in love in that gaze every time and now , you're sure , you're in love with him

" can I kiss you back? " you asked

" if you kiss me now , it means you are my girlfriend , real girlfriend and I won't want to let you go anytime near " he said smiling

you smiled widely as you connected your lips with his into a kiss you knew you could never forget for a long time

the kiss was firm as he wrapped his arms around your body and your arms going to wrap his neck

you pulled away for air as you tasted the last remaining taste of wine lingering on your lips

" should we go now , princess? " he asked making you flutter

you got up and wrapped your arms on his neck , gave him a peck " we should , prince " you smirked as you walked along the empty lane with him

sneakily , he reached for your hand and held it

" I guess a walk in the rainy Paris actually helped huh? " he said

-end-

thank you for reading , i think this one is kind of awkward since i'm not really good at writing these types of things so please cut me some slack :>

[littlemspeachy]

I'll Sleep Later (Battinson x reader)

Summary: After the floods, you start taking care of people with your limited background in medicine. And one night Bruce walks in through your window.

Note: There's mentions of the reader wearing a bonnet and putting her braids into a ponytail, but outside of that reader looks is not mentioned. Also, sorry if this is a bit heavy, but it's Gotham and a massive flood occurred in a densely populated city.

Warnings: Medical Knowledge acquired from Greys Anatomy and Google. Arguing about the ethics of killing, cursing, mentions of drug overdoses, mentions of human trafficking, melatonin usage, mentions of bullet wounds and internal bleeding, drinking, mentions of people dying or dead.

Word Count: 3.8K

-------

You never knew why he came to you. You were no one, a nobody another working class body in a city where ultra rich people got wealthier. A part of you wished they got wealthier by just basic corporate exploitation. Underpaying workers and jacking up the prices of essential needs to rise profit margins. But nooo, it was through means of human trafficking and heavy drugs.

You lost your roommate due to those drugs. She was a dancer at one of the local clubs. It was good money, you used to bartend at the same place. Ran a token system so the men couldn't outright give girls drinks. They could claim it after their shift or just take the money if they didn't want the drinks. Unfortunately, a lot of men complained, and your job was gone.  

A part of you believed in the Riddler and what he was doing. They deserved to pay. Pay for their crimes and not just the monetary. But wiping out the city? Letting the disabled, elderly, and poor just be swept away into the rivers. Forcing the poor and working class to pay the already high insurance deductions to clean up his mess. If he was smart enough, he would've just assassinated those who he knew was responsible. But noo he had to think he was some sort of God bringing in the next big flood. Stupid. Your neighborhood was destroyed. Because you knew emergency medicine from training as a nurse before dropping out due to the rising cost of med school, you brought people in your home and became a small clinic. Stole from the local convenience stores and other houses that were abandoned for medical supplies and food. 

You took in small cats and dogs that came by your house. Young boys occasionally dropped someone off with medical supplied in exchange for some food. You barely got any sleep, making sure no one died. And luckily no one has. This was you and your life now. 

Which is why you were confused when he came through your window one night. You were attempting to get in a small nap before doing rounds on your patients. 

You stared at him and turned on a small light. Most of the water had receded but with you being so central the streets were still cold and wet. A foot of water still in the streets. Luckily the backup generators were held on the third floor, so two weeks after the flood you were able to use the electricity. But depending on the usage it goes out fast. Small lamp meant less electricity.

You internalized his helmet and ripped cape. "What do you want?" You asked cooly. 

"I need help." He whispered before beginning to fall sluggishly.  

You rushed towards him eyes wide. The last thing you wanted and needed was to operate on this man in your bed. Clean water was hard to come by in your part of time and the last thing you needed was dirty sheets. 

You dragged him carefully through your halls and into the guest room. Your last patient just left that morning, so the room was empty.

You internally cringed but turned on the main light so that you could see better. 

Blood pooling in his undershirt, making the black look wet and darker than usual. 

You took in a deep breath stilling yourself before walking over to your assorted medical cabinet and a cabinet full of vodka. You pulled a liter bottle of vodka and some gloves and scissors. 

A question on the tip of your tongue being cut off by the sound of a walkie-talkie. "Ayo (Y/N) we got an injury here should we bring them up?" A young male voice asked through a walkie talkie situated on a three-tier rolling cabinet next to the floor cabinets. 

You took a glance at the man on your bed before grabbing the walkie with your ungloved hand. "What the situation looking like?" 

"We got a potential drug overdose, a shallow breather, and one whose got a nasty wound." 

"Administer Naloxone to the drug overdose and bring in the nasty wound. Pick up any more supplies that you can find and ring the bell when you get in, we got a patient." 

"But what about the shallow breather." 

You let out a deep sigh. "It'll take around 20-30 minutes to bring anyone in unless your right at my door. They ain't gonna make it kid. I don't know what to tell you anymore." 

The line stayed quiet. You and the boy on the other line knew it was impossible to save everyone. Some days were better than others but, as time went on you knew you could only try to save those with the highest chance of living. And at the moment you didn't have any help. 

"Understood. We'll be back in 3o mins." 

You nodded in silent confirmation and sat the walkie down before going back to the situation at hand. 

"Ay, I need you to stay awake as long as physically possible." You said tapping his helmet lightly. 

You cut open the shirt too see three bullet holes and crazy bruising. Internal bleeding.

You laid your hands on his body and looked up at the ceiling before getting to work. You ran to your cupboards and pulled out some medical kits. A perk of the flooding was that the national guard was in and so your kids managed to steal medical supplies at night and at really busy times. 

You pulled out a tongue dampener and a numbing spray before walking over to the man. 

You pulled off a glove before taking off your bonnet and wrapping a braid around the rest to make a makeshift and tight ponytail before putting the glove back on. 

You grimaced slightly realizing what was about to occur. "Sorry, this isn't the most sanitary place. But based off of where the bruises and the bullets are you have some internal bleeding. I'm going to have to flip you slightly to make sure they didn't go through." You said softly, adrenaline kicking in. 

After loud groan and cutting through the rest of his shirt you noticed that the bullets didn't get through and that there were only punch marks on the back. You laid him back down and pushed him up enough to drink a shot. 

He looked at you, pupils blood shot and black surrounding his eyes slowly fading to reveal the white skin underneath. 

"Listen this is about to hurt, and alcohol works as a depressant." He nodded silently before you poured him a drink from an unmarked bottle. 

You passed him a shot glass before grabbing the tongue dampener and you bit back a small laugh while you watched the man almost throw up the liquid. 

You shrugged as his gave you a glare. "I'm sorry, that was moonshine. Not vodka." 

He laid back down and you sprayed the numbing spray on the first bullet before making a small cross over the first bullet and grabbing a pair of clamps to dig around and find the small piece of metal. Luckily that one wasn't that deep. Which was good for you but that means another one broke into something causing the bleed. 

You slowly took it out and dropped it into the trash before grabbing a suturing kit and sewing it shut. You ignored his groans and muffled screams while rolling your wrist and starting again. 

 You moved on to the next bullet and repeated the same steps. Spray,Cut, pull, sew. Unfortunately, like the other bullet, it was lodged right under the skin. Meaning the third one was deeper and lodged into something that was going to require much faster movements and quicker thinking. 

You let out a deep sigh before throwing down your supplies and ripping off your gloves. If the internal bleeding was due to it being lodged in the small intestine, then as soon as you cut it open blood was going to pour, and because you weren't an actual hospital you had no suction. So, the next best things were some tampons, a syringe, and some extra lap pads. You also dragged over a floor lamp with an LED light that you had before the flood for extra lighting. 

You sat the supplies down on him lap, before grabbing a new pair of gloves. "This is gonna hurt. I am so sorry but you're going to get lead poisoning if I leave this in you." 

He stared at you with blank eyes before nodding and grasping the side of the bed. You touched the massive bruise gently just to confirm that there was bleeding and when he let out a loud groan you knew you had to act fast. 

And acting fast you did. Stuffed in the lap pads and sucked all the lose blood that you could. Cursed to high hell and managed to do the best you could do with internal sutures and a tampon, closing him up and throwing your gloves and the bullet into the trash. 

You wiped the sweat off your head before roughly grabbing the bottle of moonshine and taking a deep swig. You collapsed in a corner trying to control your heartbeat before getting up and grabbing a big bandage and putting it on him. 

You took one last glance of him before leaving and going into the living room to deal with the people the young man over the walkie talkie picked up. 

The next time he came to you he wasn't injured, just with supplies. A lot of supplies. 

"What is this?" You asked watching him walk around your guest room and gently put away supplies. 

He stayed silence and brush past you on the way to your living room and to the kitchen before walking out of your house. 

A part of you wished he stayed, you could've asked him what he's doing here, how he's healing. But instead, it's just short words and more action. 

And that's how it was, for a while. Silent dropping of supplies and leaving without a word. A small note about updates on repairs. 

A part of you was deeply thankful, but another part was curious, almost too curious. So, you set up a small trap. Well not really a trap, you were just going to sit in your living room until he came. And come he did. 

He came in again, 4.30 am sharp. Bags of an assortment of things. He acknowledged you sitting on the couch and headed towards your guest room. 

"You can't go in there, someone there's some people grieving, and I want to leave them alone." You said to his back.  

He paused hand inches away from the door handle before dropping it back to his side. Silence filling the apartment before bootsteps made their way into your kitchen. 

"You need to get sleep, there's people out there that might need your help." He stated deadpanned. His voice rough and raspy sounding like it was the first time he used it all day. 

"Why did you come here that night. You're a hero to Gotham. You could've gone to anyone." You asked, eyes never moving from his dark figure. 

"I've listened to your conversations with the boy, Pedro, I knew you wouldn't ask questions. I know you still don't." He said still busying himself with the mix of supplies he brought. 

"I could've killed you." 

"Yet you didn't, you saved me. I healed. You have good hands; the scars are almost fully healed." He said voice softer. 

"You know some think it's your fault," You stated plainly. "Some think you caused it. You were working with the Riddler to get a name out for yourself." 

He stopped his movements and stared at you. He grit his teeth causing his jaw to flare but remained silent. "Do you believe that?" 

"No. But I do think you're hiding. No one around here has enough money to be walking around with that kind of armor. Because why would a crazy man be so obsessed over you? As far as I'm concern you've done no wrong. Except for not killing him." 

"Killing him and anyone else is not my job. It's not my position to do so." He responded.

"Oh, but he's in the position to do so. Why because he's angry at a couple of some dead rich couple?" You argued back, walking towards the bar counter in your kitchen. 

"He's mentally deranged, but ultimately he should be tried. It is not my judgement to decided that." 

"Oh, the same judges that have been bought out by the same fuckers in drug pushing and human trafficking. Get the fuck out of here." You said angrily. A part of you was happy that there was a kitchen island separating you two. 

"So do you agree with him?" He said slamming down a can of corn. His voice stayed even but the slam said otherwise. 

"No, I think he's some deranged lunatic white boy, who just like you are playing God, the only difference is one person is stupid enough to think that killing everyone was a great fucking solution and the other being some rich white boy believing in a system that put us in this situation in the first place! Do you know how many people have died in this house? That guest room belonged to my best friend that was killed because someone thought it would be funny to slip drugs into her drink. And now I-" You stopped quickly, your breath coming out in shudders and tears threatening to fall. 

You looked up at the ceiling to attempt to make the tears not fall. "She died due to the floods. We couldn't get to the Narcan in time, and she stopped breathing. We couldn't get her upstairs fast enough and I couldn't carry her and by the time I managed to get back downstairs her body was already under the water. We were supposed to make it, she was dancing to pay her way through nursing school. The only good thing about Gotham is the hospital, but it takes the most expensive schooling to get there. So no, I do wish that you killed him, I wished that you forced him to see all the suffering then forced him to drown the way many others did. You don't get to decide to kill hundreds if not thousands then get to see justice." You spat before angrily wiping the tears that came down your face. 

He stayed and stared at you before walking around the corner and doing something even unfamiliar to him and hugged you. It wasn't tight, it wasn't loose, but it was just enough. He gently grabbed a walkie talkie and a random bottle you had sitting by the door before leading you outside your apartment and up the stairs. A part of you wanted to protest but another part just didn't care anymore. So, you followed him up to the rooftop. The two of you walked to the center of the roof before sitting down. 

The brisk air filling your lungs and bones, the odd dark blue lighting up the sky and prepping for the day. 

Brue took off his cap and sat it on your shoulders before handing you the bottle.  You took it and glanced sideways at the man. 

"I can't I have people to deal with. Care never ends." You said shaking your head and placing the bottle down beside you. 

"You need to rest (Y/N). No one can heal that many people and stay sane or healthy." He said softly looking at you. Blue eyes somehow brighter in the light of the early morning. 

"And do you rest? Mr. Super-Hero," You asked back looking into his eyes, a battle of who would look away first commencing. "I see your eye bags, your bruises that have been there for weeks. You know if you rested properly, you would be able to heal faster." 

He continued looking into your eyes before breaking away. "Gotham never sleeps and neither do I." 

"Welp, I guess that makes two of us. Sick people don't stop being sick, and violence doesn't stop either." You said sarcastically. 

"It's not the violence anymore, it's just getting people to safety. The national guard has been clearing people out in dangerous areas. You would be a good help to them." He stated softly, his voice was so rough it dropped in and out of being a whisper. 

You shook your head in disagreement. "The national guard is just evacuating people. I help the people who can't access help. By the time the national guard rolls in, they would be dead." 

The two of you at in silence, the only thing heard is the gentle blowing of the early morning wind. 

Bruce pondered what to say to you. You were safe with your crew of rag tag teens running the streets and picking them up. Moving you, or recommending you move to the manor didn't make sense. He knew you would argue. You would've liked Celina he thinks. You were both strong, angry at the world. He was stupid to not see this all going on. What was the point of all this money, all the donations. Wasn't there someone in charge, someone to- Yes there was someone in charge. Him. He was Bruce Wayne. The last living Wayne member, if he cared this much, he could've checked and made sure everything was running smoothly. She was right. He was just another white guy that believed that the system could change, believed in the same systems that made Gotham this way. 

"I'm sorry." He admitted suddenly. Shocking the both of them. 

You frowned and looked over. "Sorry about what? What did you do." 

He let out a deep breath, a strange weight being lifted off his shoulders, a weird lightness in his heart he hadn't felt in years. 

"Do you really think I should've killed him." 

You moved your eyes to the sky. Thoughts swirling through your mind. You mouth opening and closing again. "No. I-" 

You chuckled at the strangeness of it all. "I would've probably beat the shit out of him. But you're not... You have a slight point. As angry as I am at all this, The guilt of knowing I have blood on my hands, that I'm no better. Not saying that killing can't be justified it very much can be. It's sometimes the only right thing you can do. But.. Killing some guy that honestly had nothing to do with her death. I wouldn't know what to do with myself." 

You stated to the sky. Your ego too high to look at him. 

"I don't sleep." 

You raised a brow at the admission not shocked at all. 

"I lied. I can't fall asleep. All I hear is crying and people looking for loved ones. I.. I only get a few hours a night. I haven't slept for more than 5 hours since the floods." 

"To be fair I usually pass out, I try to get sleep but it's never any good, too on guard." You admitted grabbing the bottle of vodka and twisting the cap off the bottle and taking a swig before passing it. 

He hesitated before taking several swallows. You looked at him amused. "Drink up babes, I got more than enough to go around." 

He winced and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. 

"I give you the supplies because I feel guilty. For so long I just assumed that everything was fine, and that this city was a dump because that's just what it was. But it's... everywhere.. And it's not just petty crime. It's everywhere." He gasped, a lump evident in his voice. 

You stared at him. Everything clicking into place. Bruce Wayne is Batman. huh.

"I wouldn't take Brue Wayne to be an optimist." You stated. 

He quickly whipped his head around, shock evident in his eyes. 

"I'm not stupid, who else would have enough money to be stomping around in that costume. Plus, all the wealthy people in Gotham are old. And you're obviously not. Plus, your parents got shot when you were younger and now you go around saving people." You said with a shrug. 

Bruce stared at you in pure shock and watched you roll your eyes. 

"I won't tell anyone. Not that anyone would believe me."  You said before chuckling and grabbing the bottle. 

"Stay," You whispered after two minutes of sitting in silence. "Just for the day. Eat something and I'll get some sleep meds for you, and you sleep. Take a shower and go sleep." 

"You need sleep, you actually care for people. You sleep, I can take care of people." 

"You can't take care of people looking like that." 

"Sleep with me." 

You stared at him with wide open eyes. Shock very evident. 

"I mean. In the sense that. I trust you, and I need someone I trust around me to feel comfortable sleeping. So, sleep with me. And before you argue, I've seen the streets before I came in, there's nothing going on out there, that Pedro can't handle." 

You closed and opened your mouth a couple times before his ask started to make sense. He was right, the walkie that he brought with him has stayed silent.

You nodded your head. "Sleep.. OK." 

You shrugged off his cape and stood up with a groan. Your legs cramped from siting on the cold concreate for so long. 

He followed your actions and headed back into the building. The heating warming up the building slightly. Bruce helped your guest bring their now deceased friend to Pedro before telling the young boy that you weren't taking anyone today and giving him the address for the coroner. The two of you watched the truck drive off before heading back inside. 

You gave him one of your oversized sweaters and a pair of pants that belonged to your father that you meant to tailor but never got around to before sending off to the shower.  Hotdogs, eggs, toast and a random fruit that hadn't gone bad was cooked. More food than usual but he was a grown man and you guessed he hadn't eaten in a white. You ate in silence before putting down two melatonin gummies in front of the man and going to take a shower. 

You locked your doors and turned down the volume of your walkie before slipping into bed next to him.

"Thank you." The two of you said at the same time before heading off to sleep. 

Anger and healing are non-linear and painful. But with goodnights sleep and a friend you trust, it's a bit easier. 

[bluetorchsky]

What are some ideas or backstory about Violin and Accordion you have but haven’t had a chance to share yet?

I mean, there's a lot that I haven't really talked about, just with the lack of time and motivation. While I'm worried I won't be able to get through it all, let me list off some bullet points for each of them before doing combined stuff.

Accordion (Oliver)

His life before his mom's personality and attitude changed, and his dad's condition worsened and he was stigmatized because of it

His interactions with Nico, the family butler that was fired when Oliver was thirteen years old. Nico was Oliver's confidant until the teen made friends with Trent. The firing was unjust but Nico couldn't fight back against his mother (that and because he couldn't use his powers to defend himself from being fired)

How Oliver got his fear of snakes and was saved by his mother before getting bitten by a snake

The small moments and memories of Oliver and his dad spending time together, after the abuse started and got worse over time, and how his father tried to help him as much as possible

How Oliver started getting interested in Drag and dressing femininely at times, and finding out he liked both girls and boys, mostly boys, which then led to his love of art and just observing everything around him.

How he learned how to sneak around everyone, even with his great height and weight, growing up.

Violin (Trent)

How his family once helped him become active and gave him his love for physical activities, indoor and outdoor

How he and his sister, Ortensia, had a great relationship until the abuse started getting bad when Trent was around ten years old and wanting to transition, and how Trent pretty much cut off ties with Ortensia once she joined the Government

How Trent and his grandmother, Roxanne, got along and how she always tried to help heal him whenever he was hurt by his parents. He still resents her for not doing anything more to stop the abuse, especially since her son was the one who inflicted more of the abuse.

How Trent found solace in boxing, thanks to his boxing instructor, Justin Woods, a former Wall employee and currently doubling as a Drag Queen in the city's local bars

How Trent met an Earth Elemental tribe as a young boy, trying to run away from his abusive household, and the tribe's unspoken promise to keep him safe from wherever they were

How he had dated a couple of boys before dating Oliver, with his last boyfriend embarrassing him in front of his whole high school because of being a trans male.

Accordion and Violin (Oliver and Trent)

How Oliver and Trent met as teens and started dating when they were both sixteen years old, usually spending time together as they didn't have many friends growing up

How both Oliver and Trent moved to another city to escape their abusive family when they were 18-19 years old (not before killing a couple of people who would have been obstacles in their move)

How Oliver and Trent survived their apartment burning down and got their Music Magic, ensuring their survival. This was also how the Music Dragons Clan would find them and nurse them back to health.

How Oliver and Trent became fast learners to their new craft of Music Magic, and managed to synchronize their Music Magic together, creating a Harmonious Melody between them in the first couple of years they were with the MD Clans (this is how they can communicate to each other without using a lot of words and understand each other through subtle movements, as well as feel each other's emotions or see what the other is seeing when they're far apart)

How Oliver and Trent made friends with the members in their Music Dragons Clan, and how Frankie and Gherry became their new father figures (Frankie for Oliver, and Gherry for Trent). As well as form brotherly bonds with Alexander Springcurl, Eric Crescent, Jerry Allwork and Mason Eden (last two belonging to @capturecharlesau )

The before and aftermath of their wedding, how Oliver received his prosthetics from Shane, Manuel and Damien ( @dark-twist-fairytales character), and the deal that Frankie and Gherry made with Sir Wilford the IV, based on a future vision Frankie had seen after the chaos of the wedding

How Oliver and Trent were forced into hiding when Galeforce invaded their camp and wiped out the Music Dragons Clan, but not getting them and some survivors, and the two years they spent hiding from the Government, the Wall and the CCC before they could locate the Toppats to join them, getting them the nicknames they have now, Accordion and Violin.

I honestly might be missing something here, and there is some stuff I've mentioned in the past but never really expanded upon. But I would like to expand on these at some point in the future. When I'm not perpetually tired that is, ha.

[kinzis-writing]

Only Exception Pt. 4 | Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd

Summary: After almost two years of being together, Y/N had only met Bob’s family once. Turns out the next holiday her boyfriend had off was Christmas and it just so happens that he has an important question to ask the Mitchell girl and the girl has a surprise for him.

Warning(s): mentions of marriage, mentions of pregnancy, maybe a few cuss words, mentions of alcohol, spending time with in-laws (not really a warning but sometimes it should be.), Mentions of sexual activities, mentions of clingy ex.

Series Masterlist: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four 

*Not Edited!* 

*Not my Gif! sorry if I wasn’t suppose to use it.* *Also I got the names of Bob’s family from another post I saw on Tumblr. I am not trying to copy and I would definitely give the person credit if I remembered their name!* 

It had been almost two years since the mission that had Y/N on the highest dose of anxiety medication. Since then, Bob hadn’t been on too many suicide missions. That didn’t mean that he got any free time off work, but neither did Y/N. The Mitchell girl had worked at the base for six months and decided not to renew her contract with the navy. She had actually packed up and moved wherever Bob went. That is why she became a travel nurse; the pay was slightly better than a stationed nurse and she had a contract that allowed her to follow her boyfriend around whenever he had to be stationed all over the country. 

“Good morning.” Y/N mumbled as she looked up and noticed Bob checking his phone. The couple knew that they had a flight to catch in order to make it home for Bob’s family’s Christmas. 

“Good morning.” Bob replied sitting his phone down and turning his attention towards his girlfriend. “How’d you sleep?” he asked softly as his hand rubbed up and down y/n’s arm. 

“Amazing.” She mumbled as she sat up slightly to lean over his body, the sheet going with her to keep her naked body hidden from the morning air. “I needed all of that last night.” she mumbled as she leaned closer to his lips. “The shared bath, the massage, the orgasms, just being with you.” she murmured before gently pressing her lips to her boyfriend’s. 

“I’m glad I could help you relax.” He whispered once the two pulled out of their kiss. “We have to get ready if we’re going to make it to the airport on time.” he mumbled. 

Y/N nodded before sitting up fully and getting out of bed. She grabbed her clothes that she laid out the previous night and headed towards the shared bathroom. She would never admit it, but she was nervous. It had been forever since she met his family, and she wasn’t sure if they liked her or not. Given, it was a short visit so his family didn’t really get to know her as in depth as they would have liked. This time the couple would be spending a full week with the Floyd family and that was why she was so anxious. She didn’t have to try to impress them the last time she saw them, now she had to make sure that she didn’t do anything to make his family hate her. 

“Baby, we have to leave in ten minutes.” Bob called out from the bedroom. The man knew that it would be Y/N’s first time not spending Christmas with her father, she had expressed how she was fine with going to visit his family instead of the pair spending the holiday with Penny and Pete. 

“I’m done.” Y/N spoke as she walked out of the bathroom. “so, for anxiety reasons, who all am I going to have to impress?” 

Bob let out a small laugh before racking his brain for everyone that is going to be there for Christmas. “My mom and dad, obviously.” he stated as he was silently making a list. “My sister, My brother, My aunt and uncles, and My sister might let Elaine come.” Bob stated before walking over to his girlfriend and letting a small smile grace his face. “I just want to tell you before we get home, that Elaine and I have some history. It’s nothing serious... but she seems to keep holding on to what happened in high school before I joined the Navy. I gave my sister specific instructions to keep her away the first time you met them because you are important to me.” 

Y/N nodded taking everything he said in, “So what’s different about now?” The Mitchell girl asked as she raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. 

“The difference is that I know for a fact that nothing can come between us now, I was still a bit insecure in our relationship back then.” He mumbled causing Y/N to smile bigger than she had during the whole conversation. 

“Were you scared to lose me, LT. Floyd?” She teased before kissing his cheek and walking around him to pack her toothbrush that she had just used in the bathroom. 

“Actually, I was.” He admitted before grabbing their bags and heading out to the vehicle. 

** 

The flight was not as long as Y/N expected, and they were in Bob’s hometown. The first time the girl had met his family, she was shocked to know that Bob was a bit country. His family lived on a ranch, and she thought it was beautiful. It seemed so peaceful and quiet, having all that land to do whatever you wanted with. 

“I love this place,” Y/N spoke out as their rental car arrived at the ranch. There were already quite a few cars in the driveway of the house. “It seems so peaceful to be surrounded by nature.” 

Bob was over-the-moon about how well his girlfriend liked where he came from. Given, he knew that she liked nature and there was plenty of it on their property Once the car was in the park, the couple got out and grabbed their items from the trunk. Y/N let Bob walk in front of her because of it being his house and she didn’t feel comfortable just walking in. “Mom, Dad?” Bob yelled once he opened the door and came in without knocking. The chattering in the kitchen halted upon hearing Bob’s voice and the sound of footsteps heading towards the beginning of the room couldn’t be missed. 

“Robby!” A high-pitched voice squealed as Bob got tackled in a hug. That made him have to regain his balance. The strong smell of cotton candy wafted over to Y/N which caused her to crinkle up her nose.

“Elaine, what did I tell you?” Bob’s sister spoke up as she got in sight of what was happening. “He has a girlfriend, if you’re going to act like that just go home.” She spoke up again while rolling her eyes. The younger girl gave Y/N a small apologetic smile before yanking her best friend off her older brother.

“It’s good to see you Bub,” Reagan spoke as she walked up to her older brother and pulled him into a hug. “Nice to see you again, Y/N.” She added as she pulled the girl into a hug. “Ignore Elaine, she’s had her mind set on marrying Robert since they dated in high school.” she whispered before pulling away and giving the couple a smile. 

“Good to have you back, little brother.” Bob’s older brother Sean spoke pulling Bob into a hug and nodding at Y/N with a smile on his face. “Nice to see you again, Y/N. We’ll get to know more about each other during your stay.” He added before heading back into 

“I’ll take our bags to my old room.” Bob spoke as he picked up all the bags. “where’s mom and dad?” he asked his sister as he passed her.

“They went to the store for last minute items that mom forgot she needed.” Reagan spoke as she followed behind Bob but turned into the kitchen instead of going to his old bedroom.

“So your Y/N? The girl that everyone talks so highly about?” Elaine asked like she was trying to size the girl up.

“I guess so.” The Mitchell girl replied before heading in the direction where Bob went.

“Don’t be fooled,” Elaine started causing Y/N to roll her eyes but she stopped to face the desperate girl anyway. “Bob promised me a future too.” She stated before prancing off into the kitchen.

Y/N walked into Bob’s old room where he was putting his clothes away in his old closet. The younger girl was rubbing her temples before plopping down on her boyfriend’s bed. “What’s up?” Bob sighed as he stopped what he was doing and joined his girl on the bed.

“You really did a number on Elaine, huh?” Y/N muttered while she laid her head over on Bob’s shoulder. The jet lag was starting to set in, and the annoying voice of the girl downstairs was making the girl have a headache.

“Believe it or not we weren’t that serious. We dated for like four months and then I graduated and decided to go to the navy. She begged for me to marry her so she could say she was married to someone in the military.” Bob explained as he laid his head over on hers. “I didn’t see a point in marriage. I tried to love her but I couldn’t.”

“What about now?” Y/N asked quietly as her nerves set in. The couple hadn’t really talked much about marriage, but they had painted a picture of their future together. “Your view on marriage, I mean.” She whispered.

“I see us getting married.” He answered softly as his hand grabbed hers “I’ve never loved someone as deeply as I love you. Even if we broke up now, you’ve already ruined me, Y/N.”

Y/N let out a small huff and snort mix, “yeah right, bobby.” she muttered as she glanced up at him and noticed his blue eyes staring a hole through her. “I promise you that I am not that special, there are millions of girls out there better than me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” The wso replied as he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his girl’s lips. The couple heard the door open, and voices pick up. The shuffling around and sound of grocery bags were enough to make Bob grab Y/N’s hand and head out of his room 

“We noticed the car in the driveway, did Bob and Y/N get here?” A sweet lady’s voice asked as Bob’s siblings started talking amongst themselves.

“We made it about 30 minutes ago.” Bob spoke up as he walked into the kitchen with the Mitchell girl’s hand intertwined with his. Irene and Joe walked over to hug their son before Irene pulled Y/N into her embrace. 

“It’s so great to see you, honey.” Irene smiled as she pulled away from the hug she started. “I hope my son’s been treating you right.” She stated with a knowing look. Some how her statement sounded like a question in a way. 

“He’s been great, perfect, really.” the Mitchell girl spoke as her cheeks got a bit red. She never liked being put on the spot and knowing that this Christmas will determine if Bob’s family likes her was enough to make her double check herself. 

The rest of the evening was spent with Bob and his family catching up. Irene getting to know Y/N before the girl excused herself after dinner and headed to bed. Claiming the Jet lag had gotten ahold of her but she’d be up for more bonding time tomorrow. 

“I can come with you.” Bob offered starting to stand up before she ushered him to sit back down. 

“No, spend time with your family.” Y/N insisted. “You can come to bed later. I’m just going to call my dad and tell him that I made it, before going to sleep.” She assured. 

That’s what the girl did, she went to Bob’s old room and called Pete so he wouldn’t worry from not hearing from the girl. After talking to her father she had laid in bed and slowly drifted off to sleep. Bob had come to bed around 10 pm and carefully climbed in his bed to not wake up his girl. 

*2 Days Later*

Over the last two days the Floyd household had gotten pretty full. It was now Christmas Eve and everyone was getting ready for the evening dinner and then the first round of presents. The second round of presents would come tomorrow morning, something that Bob’s aunt and uncles came up with to encourage their kids to go to bed early. 

“Mrs. Floyd, I can help you if you want to go open presents with your kids.” Y/N offered as she stepped into the kitchen. Bob’s aunt and uncle were trying to settle everyone down. “I can hold the food down until you get done.” she explained a bit better as she walked over to where she was fixing a pre-dinner. Something that Y/N didn’t know about, the fact that they have a big dinner on Christmas and a medium dinner the night before. She wasn’t used to big dinners, honestly. 

“No, Hunny, they can wait. You have to open your presents too.” Bob’s mom told the younger girl as she started on her potatoes. “and please, call me Irene.” 

Y/N was confused about why she would have presents under the tree. She had only met Bob’s family once before this and they only stayed for a day. No one really got to meet her and get to know her. “Bob and I aren’t exchanging gifts until in the morning. So I can really take it off your hands.” She offered again softly. 

Irene gave the girl a smile. “Did you know that you are the first girl that Robert has ever brought home since he joined the navy? He’s told us about a few girlfriends but later he ended up telling us that he didn’t see a future with them.” Y/N’s shocked expression stayed on her face for a moment before she came to her senses. “That tells me that you’re important to my son and so Joe and I bought you a few presents too. We never like anyone to feel left out.” 

The Mitchell girl felt herself blush before glancing through the door into the living room. Bob was in there playing with some of the kids that had showed up this morning. They were his cousins and she heard him apologize not knowing that his entire family would be here and not just the usual. Y/N understood, he was home from the Navy and that wasn’t a common thing. “I love him, a lot.” She spoke up as Bob met her eyes and gave her a smile. She finally turned around towards her boyfriend’s mom again and let Bob go back to what he was doing. “I hate to ask and I trust Bob completely, but what’s the story behind Elaine?” She whispered so no one would risk hearing her. 

Irene huffed a bit before thinking about the problematic girl that Reagan had brought to Christmas this year. The older woman knew that Elaine never stood a chance when Bob was bringing Y/N around his family. Not that she stood a chance anyway. “I don’t even know why Robby dated her in the first place, he wasn’t interested in her. Maybe he just wanted to have some experience before he went out in the world.” Irene huffed making Y/N cringe at the news that those two were probably each other’s first. “They broke up when he joined the navy, she kept on pushing for them to get married since he would be away all the time. He kept telling her that he didn’t want to settle down at that young age. I mean he was freshly 18. He hadn’t really got to experience other relationships.” 

“Was she in love with him or just obsessed?” Y/N asked softly as she helped the older woman put all the food in the rightful place. Dinner was basically done now and they just needed to get the plates and silverware out. 

“Both, i guess. I’m not clear on that.” Irene answered before she turned to the younger girl that she knew held her son’s heart. “He loves you, Y/N. so so much. I can tell by the way he acts around you.” 

Y/N went to answer before a voice interrupted their conversation, “What are you two talking about?” Bob asked softly as he entered the kitchen and went over to his mother and girlfriend. 

Irene sent a wink to the Mitchell girl before leaving the kitchen to go get the rest of the family. Bob raised his eyebrow at his girlfriend as he waited for her to talk. “You need a hair cut, ya know.” Y/N stated as a smile grew on her face. 

“You aren’t going to tell me?” Bob asked before he kissed her cheek. 

“Not a chance, Lt.” The girl laughed as the family started gathering in the kitchen to get ready to eat. 

* 

“I’m sorry my family went all out on those gifts,” Bob sighed as he ran a hand over his face. “I didn’t tell them what you liked so if you don’t like them, then we can do something.” 

“Babe, it’s the thought that counts. But they were lovely.” Y/N honestly wasn’t expecting to receive what she did from the Floyd family. You could tell that they spent the same money on you as they did Bob, which was crazy since he was their son. “I love you, you know.” She told him even though she knew that he knew how she felt.

“I love you.” Bob mumbled before pressing his lips to hers.

**

The couple woke up to the smell of lunch already cooking. Y/N could smell the ham and turkey baking as she looked over at the clock on bobs nightstand. 10:49 lit up in big red letters causing the girl to furrow her eyebrows at how she slept so long. “Bobby.” She whispered as she turned around in his arms so she was facing him. “Babe.” She mumbled again.

“Mhm?” He questioned as he stretched. The sheet falling down his shirtless chest, evidence of their previous activities. “Is it really 10:52?” He asked as his eyes caught the clock.

“That’s why I was trying to wake you.” Y/N mumbled as she got out of bed and put her undergarments back on and grabbed her outfit for Christmas out of her bag. “I have to put on light makeup, I’ll be down in a minute.”

Bob got ready and headed down to his family that was waiting in the kitchen and living room. Y/N quickly put her makeup on and did her hair so she looked decent and left the room. Y/N knew that she needed to talk to Reagan before everyone started opening gifts. Mainly because she needed to know if what she felt was true was accurate.

*

Two pink lines popped up instantly on the test that Y/N was holding. Reagan had taken the girl to the store with a few questions asked along the way. Turns out Irene had forgotten a condiment from the store and needed that as well.

“So?” Reagan mumbled from outside her private bathroom. She had noticed what the Mitchell girls bag held and immediately wanted to know if she was going to be an aunt or not.

Y/N walked out of the bathroom with her hands trembling, “it’s positive.” She spoke, the words sounding foreign to her. She carefully handed the test over to Reagan.

Before either of the girls could say anything else, the Floyd girls bedroom door opened and Sean walked in with Elaine behind him. “Mom’s been looking for you two.” Sean spoke up before looking down in his sisters hand. “Is that?” He asked looking between the two girls.

Reagan and Y/N looked at each other as the Mitchell girl was pleading with her eyes to take the fall. Reagan understood that the other wanted to tell her brother before the rest of his siblings or family. “It’s mine.” Reagan spoke up. “It’s negative.” She added before walking in her bathroom and throwing it away. “Those one night stands getcha sometimes.” She added as she ushered everyone out of the room.

“Thank you.” Y/N whispered as she passed her boyfriends sister.

The four joined the family down in the kitchen. The kids were already eating and other family members had started a line around the kitchen. Bob was nowhere to be found in the kitchen, which made Y/N sneak away from the rest of his family and wonder off to his bedroom.

“No, Natasha. I can’t talk right now.” Bob was whispering when Y/N quietly entered the room. You could tell that he didn’t hear his girlfriend come in. “she doesn’t know, and rooster can’t know either. why? because he’ll kill me.” Bob mumbled. “If either of them knew what we have been doing this last year, rooster would kill me, and I don’t even want to know Y/N’s reaction would be.” the slightly younger girl felt tears well in her eyes. Of course, it was partly her pregnancy maybe, but the fact that Bob sounded suspicious had her worried. She never once doubted him, not in slightest, so why did this all sound like cheating to her. 

“Babe,” Y/N called making herself known. She was hoping that she was masking the worriedness and sadness on her face. “Your mom is wanting us.” 

“Listen, I have to go. Talk to you later.” Bob hung up the phone and walked towards his girlfriend. “Sorry, Bradley called. Apparently, them two are having some troubles.” 

If there was one thing that Y/N Mitchell picked up from Pete, it was how to hide emotions. Something that he had been good at since Goose’s death. “I hope they work it out.” She mumbled as Bob intertwined their hands together before they left his room. 

After everyone ate it was time for presents and that is when Bob and Sean took the gator to go check on some animals. Y/N sat alone in the corner until she was joined by Elaine. The Mitchell girl dreaded what was to come, but she knew that she wouldn’t make a scene. It was Christmas after all. 

“What’s wrong?” Elaine asked softly. The annoying sound in her voice completely gone. “I know, I was bitch earlier... I just wanted to see if Robert was serious. I am sorry for how I acted.” She apologized making Y/N give her a small smile. 

“Even though I probably shouldn’t trust you, I heard a strange conversation between Bobby and a mutual friend of ours. It honestly sounded like they had been cheating on me and my brother with each other.” Y/N mumbled as she watched the kids go crazy over their gifts. 

“The positive pregnancy test in Reagan’s trash can has nothing to do with your feelings?” Elaine asked softly and quietly. Y/N’s eyes widen slightly as she turned away from the girl. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” 

“Reagan told you it was hers.” Y/N stated as she felt the nerves act up and her hands get clammy. 

“I have been out with Reagan everywhere; we are best friends after all. She hasn’t hooked up since her ex-boyfriend. That was way too long for her to want to take a test.” the younger girl explained. 

“I haven’t told him yet.” Y/N mumbled as she played with her fingers. 

“I know. If it helps, Robert is head over heels for you. Whatever you heard had to be a mistake. He’s always been loyal to everyone, even if he wasn’t happy.” She whispered as the two boys entered the room. 

The two girls gave each other a smile as Sean asked to speak with Elaine for a moment. Bob had joined his girlfriend in the spot that his ex-girlfriend had left. 

“What was that about?” Bob asked softly as he grabbed your hand. 

“She was apologizing.” Y/N said before turning towards Bob. “We need to talk.” 

Bob nodded before he stood up and offered his hand for Y/N. She grabbed his hand and stood up. “I want to take you somewhere.” With that the couple made their way out of the house and to Joe’s gator that was sitting outside. “I know you said that you love how peaceful it is here, so I want to show you around for a bit.” Bob said as he helped her up in the UTV. 

The couple made their way away from the ranch house. Y/n honestly thought that he would stop and show all of the animals that he took care of as a kid and so on. That’s not what he was doing at all, and she realized it once they passed all the animals and headed towards a trail in the wood lining. She figured now was as good as any to ease into the natasha talk. She didn’t want to come straight out and accuse him of cheating, it wouldn’t be like either of them. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” she asked softly as she took in the beautiful scenery. 

“what is?” Bob asked softly as he drove carefully on the trail. 

“How we’ve been together for so long.” Y/N stated as she looked down at her freshly polished finger nails. “I almost figured you and Natasha would have eventually ended up together.” she whispered but loud enough for Bob to hear her. 

The Floyd boy let out a laugh, “She’s like another sister. I am head over heels in love with you, Y/N/N. I already told you that you have ruined me and i meant that.” 

Y/N felt a bit at ease, but she knew that her worry would still be there until she figured out why he was calling Natasha in secret. It was still a bit of an uneasy feeling. “I have something I really need to tell you-” Y/N started only to cut herself off when the trail ended at what seemed to be a hunting cabin. The cabin had lights hung up around it and the porch was decorated beautifully. 

“I want to give you a tour and then you can let me know if you’d like to stay out here tonight.” Bob spoke before getting out of the gator and then heading towards the other side to help his girl out. ‘I thought we could use some alone time.” 

Y/n gave her boyfriend a smile before waiting for him to open the cabin door. It wasn’t very big, but you could tell that it was made for a hunting party or maybe even birthday parties for the Floyd’s. 

“This is the living room space, it isn’t much but the couch does pull out into a bed.” He explained. “Then the kitchen is over here, it isn’t anything fancy, but I already stocked it up with your favorite snacks.” He blushed a bit making y/n squeeze his hand. “In this room is an extra bathroom and this one is the extra bedroom. bunk beds. And then the master bedroom.” He stated as Y/n felt his hands start to sweat a bit. “Open it.” he urged softly. 

Y/N gave him a look before grabbing the door handle and twisting the doorknob. Pushing the door open, a small gasp left her lips as her hand came to cover her mouth. She felt her eyes watering up as Bob stepped in front of her slightly. The room was covered in rose peddles, had blackout curtains hung up so the candles and fairy lights were the only lights in the room. Mini letter lights spelled out “Marry Me?” on the bedside table. 

“Y/N, I have loved you since you took notice of me in the hard deck. I thought you were beautiful when you came over to greet Bradley and I wasn’t expecting this to go anywhere because you are way out of my league. How i managed to get you and keep you is out of my knowledge. I love you so much and i know that I want to be with you forever. Will you please do me the honor of marrying me?” Bob asked. 

Y/N could sense his nerves and she knew there was a lot more that he wanted to say. She knew what her answer was even if he didn’t get everything he wanted to say out in the open. “of course, Bobby.” She mumbled as tears came down her face. Bob slipped the shiny diamond ring on her finger before standing up and pulling her in for a kiss. “I love you so much.” 

“You still have a few more presents at the house, so we should probably get going.” Bob mentioned after he placed another kiss on his fiancee’s lips. 

“Were you serious about staying here tonight?” She asked bob as he nodded, ‘because I would love to celebrate alone with you tonight.” she mumbled. 

The ride back to the ranch house was silent. The two were just enjoying each other’s peaceful company before the Floyd household would start celebrating. Y/N had no idea that one of Bob’s Christmas presents were waiting for her back at the ranch house to congratulate her. Of course, Bob asked Maverick for permission before he proposed. He asked him months before he even asked, he wanted the time to be perfect and he knew the Floyd hunting cabin would be the perfect place. That’s when he knew it would be around Christmas time.

“I’m ready to go spend the night with you.” Y/N whined slightly as her left hand made its way to the back of Bob’s head as they pulled up to the house.

“You can in about three hours.” Bob mumbled. He then grabbed her hand and gave it a kiss before getting out and helping her out of the gator. “Your next present is right through that door.” He mumbled kissing her head.

Y/N gave her fiancé a small smile while shaking her head. “You’re something else, Floyd.” She stated as she walked into the house first. The multiple shouts of “congratulations!” And balloons flying everywhere made the girl jump. Before she noticed what bob was talking about.

“Congratulations, sweetheart.” The older man said as he opened his arms for his daughter to come give him a welcoming hug. “How did my little girl get grown up so fast.?” He mumbled with his voice growing in sadness.

“Time flies.” Y/N mumbled pulling away from Maverick. “I’ll always be your little girl.” She added as she wiped the tears from her face and her father did the same. Maverick never liked showing emotion in front of anyone and over the years he had slowly been okay with showing emotion in front of Penny, Y/N, and Bradley.

“I know you will.” He nodded before Bradley pulled the girl into a hug.

“Brownie, don’t mess up the hair.” Y/N groaned as she shoved her brother figure off of her playfully.

“Here I thought I’d be married before you.” He shook his head.

“Grow a pair and maybe you still can.” Y/N winked as she playfully hit him. The girl then looked over and saw Natasha beside Bradley wearing a smile on her face. She nodded at the girl, still feeling uneasy about the situation earlier. She quickly turned around and wrapped her arms around bob. “Thank you so much. It means a lot that you’d ask my dad and brother to fly out here.”

“Anything for you.” He mumbled before pulling her into a kiss. “I love you so much.”

*a few hours later*

After opening presents from everyone, the families all made their way to bed. Bradley, Natasha, and Maverick was staying in a guest loft inside an extra barn that the Floyd’s had used for their stable men. With Joe being retired, they didn’t need to hire anyone to help with animals anymore so the loft was left unused and was cleaned up for Y/N’s family to come stay in.

Y/N and bob had made their way to the cabin about 30 minutes ago, where Bob had immediately drawn the couple a bath to unwind. That’s where they were, in a soaker tub (which was a new upgrade) and relaxing against one another. The bubbles covered their bodies as Y/N’s back laid against Bob’s chest.

“So, did you propose to me in the room you lost your virginity in? Cause if so, very classy Lt. Floyd.” Y/N joked with a laugh and intertwined her left hand with his hand. His fingers playing with the ring on her finger.

“No, you were actually only the third.” He admitted honestly. Most people had the talk before getting engaged but it didn’t bother the couple. They knew that they were each other’s forever and that’s what mattered.

“Elaine?” She asked expectantly.

“Never did.” Bob spoke softly. “I wasn’t very popular and I wasn’t the one that people went for. One night stands were never my thing. I was 21 when it happened. It was with someone I thought I loved, but now I know that I didn’t know what love was. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, that’s how I know you’re my forever.”

Y/N turned her face up so she could look at her handsome man. “I lost mine at 18.” She mumbled before placing a kiss on his jaw. “It was someone I almost married, he was in the army, turns out he knocked up another girl while I was engaged to him so, that’s why that ended.”

Bob’s hand came up and rubbed over her jaw line as he lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “That’ll never happen with me.” He promised.

“I have to ask you something,” y/N whispered so she wouldn’t cause tension. “I heard you on the phone with Natasha, earlier and you lied to me and said it was Bradley.” she started. She could see bob’s gears shifting in his head, trying to see where this was going. “You said that Bradley would kill you and that you wouldn’t wanna see my reaction if I found out what you two were doing.”

“Did you think I was cheating on you?” He asked carefully as he noticed panic in Y/N’s eyes. “Baby, it was Natasha helping me buy things for the proposal and ring. I told her not to tell Bradley that I asked for her help instead of his for ring shopping. I also didn’t wanna see your reaction if you found the ring before I was ready because I really wanted it to be special.”

Y/N gave him a small smile, “it was my anxiety, it wasn’t me in general. I know you’d never do that.”

The two carried on with conversation before getting out of the bath and headed towards the shower to clean themselves. After finishing showering the two went to their bags that were placed on the king bed in the cabin.

“Bobby,” y/n called as she tucked her towel so it would stay up on its own. “I have one more present for you, I just didn’t want to give it to you in front of everyone.”

Bob gave his girl a look before carefully grabbing the gift box out of her hand. It wasn’t too big but it wasn’t super small either. It was neatly decorated with his name scribbled on top. “You didn’t have to get me anything else.”

“Just open it.��� She urged with a smile. She could feel the tears coming while she waited for him.

He sat down on the end of the bed with y/n standing beside of him. He carefully opened the box and read the top before his eyes widen and he noticed tue white stick with a blue lid. A red plus sign on a test, and pink two lines on the other stick. The box contained a letter board reading “I can’t wait to meet you daddy.” And the lid of the box, which he read first said, “to the best daddy ever.”

Y/N wanted to get a pair of booties or a onesie to put in their but she didn’t get a chance too. She wanted to wait and make it special but today was special just as well. “Are you serious?” Bob asked with tears in his eyes. “Am I gonna be a dad?”

Y/N nodded as her own tears started spilling, “you’re gonna be a daddy.” She whispered as Bob stood up and pulled her into a hug. “I just found out today and the only one that knows is Reagan. I thought we could wait and tell everyone after our first ultrasound to make sure everything is okay.”

“Baby, you’ve just given the best gift ever.” He mumbled as he rocked the couple back and forth.

“I love you forever, Robert Floyd.”

“I love you, Y/N Floyd, forever and always.”

| The last part! It took so long because I had so many other problems but it’s all good. I have a Jake “Hangman” series coming so… if you like him then you can check my profile because it should be up in the next few days! It could have ended better but it is what it is.|

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Laphonza Romanique Butler

On October 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom chose well-known labor organizer and political strategist Laphonza Butler to be the next US Senator from California, following the death of long-serving Senator Dianne Feinstein on September 29, 2023. Butler, who was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris at the US Capitol on October 3, 2023, is the first openly LGBT Senator from California, the first Black lesbian in the US Senate, and the second Black woman to represent California in the Senate, following Vice President Kamala Harris. California must hold two concurrent Senate elections in March 2024: a special election to fill out the rest of Feinstein’s term in spite of there being an appointed Senator, and another election for the full six-year term beginning in January 2025.

Senator Butler’s career path includes labor, corporate, academic, and political engagement. Social justice has been her focus within these varied endeavors. Born in Magnolia, Mississippi, in 1979, Butler comes from a working-class family. Her father was a small business owner who died of a terminal illness when Butler was in high school. She saw her mother become the household’s sole provider for three children, working as a classroom aide, a home care provider, a security guard, and a bookkeeper.

Butler earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Jackson State University in 2001. After graduation she began a career as a labor organizer in several states, working with nurses, custodians, and hospital workers. In accepting her appointment, Butler said that she would strive to honor Feinstein’s legacy by “committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California.” Her previous job as President of Emily’s List, which helps elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, means it is likely abortion rights will be an important part of the Democrats’ election strategy in 2024.

In 2009 Butler moved to California where she organized nurses as well as in-home caregivers, and became President of SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Local 2015 of United Long Term Care Workers; she also served as President of the SEIU State Council. Butler has served on the board of the Children’s Defense Fund, the political action committee BlackPAC, and the Bay Area Economic Council Institute think tank. In addition, she is the former director of the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve System, and a former Regent of the University of California.

Butler is married to Neneki Lee. The couple has an 8-year-old daughter. Lee is the National Division Director for Public Services at SEIU. When she became President of Emily’s list in 2021, Butler and her family moved to Maryland while maintaining their home in Los Angeles. As of October, 2023, they have re-domiciled to Los Angeles and Butler has re-registered to vote in California.

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/laphonza-romanique-butler-1979/

[milekael]

I want to know more about Nour, she's so miserable (affectionate) ❤️ 💔🍓🚨

OH HELL YEA LETS GO MY WET SAD KICKED ANGRY CAT LOL She IS miserable!! And terrible and I love her <3

❤️ - Who is the most important person to your character? To what lengths would they go to protect this person?

Nour is weird in this aspect because the people she cared about left her, letting her relationships wither as she became more and more resentful, to the point really all that she has left is her job.

Now there, she is very protective of those under her command- I mean, it is HER job! And she knows her captain is too self-centered in her little close-knit group she made for herself to the point of not caring for other officers, so FINE! She'll do it herself then. She is very close to Sergio for this reason, as being the youngest and most inexperienced one, normally gets on trouble. She also has a soft-spot for Lydia, but can do very little to help her as she is under Finn's command.

I will say that during the story however, she and Tania do become really close, so at least there is that!

💔 - Who has your character hurt most? Physically or emotionally? How did it feel? Do they regret it?

OUGH the thing about Nour is that she was the perfect girl for a long time. She peaked in highschool which included bullying the "weird" kids, then, without a lot of prospects of what to do apart from marriage, became a cop because the position of power over others just Fit Her LOL So one can get an idea she has hurt a lot of people through her life and she hasn't really done any work to unpack that- Instead she is in a role that encourages this attitude.

However and what I think is important to note that Nour has been hurt A LOT. This has led her also to think any pain she inflicts on others is justified. She is still terrible but she has basically has sunk down to the spiral of "I am awful towards others, which makes them awful to me, which means I have to respond the same way". It is still a position she put herself into and it doesn't take away her flaws but... well, circumstances define people, there is some complexity in why she acts this way that is based a lot on what has been expected of her.

🍓 - Does your oc believe in anything? Are they superstitious? Religious? Atheistic? Has anything in their past made them this way?

OH YEA! She is highly devout to the main religion of this place (Which- A little behind the curtain, I still need to worldbuild a bit LOL) and tries to live her life based on the perception of what the "Norm" should be. This is why she is deeeeeep in the closet LOL why she tried to get married fresh out of high school and why it didn't work out. Basically she had her whole life the idea of what an idea woman should be, chased it and failed and now she is here. She is still devout to her religion and in a way she hopes one day karma or god will reward her for all this hardship- But also, deep down, she does feel a sense of resentment, hasn't she suffered enough already?!

🚨 - What’s your character’s relationship with the law? Have they ever been arrested? What for? What are their opinions on law enforcement?

She is a cop! And one that has no particular hard feelings over her role- If anything, she enjoys it! She choose this instead of taking the time to become a nurse of something so lol She is the kind of person to believe that "Actually maybe people need MORE policing!". This mindset is the reason why Belen has pushed her away from her group and neglected her, and Nour doesn't understand why because??? She is doing her job???? U know, not to be that guy but to be in a place full of hypocrites who think themselves to be better than her for Well at least I see the problems which make me GOOD, having someone who is just very honest with believing in the bad system is kind of jarring lol.

Anyways. She likes her role and takes pride in her job as a police officer, and mostly is just mad at her boss for being a lying liar who neglects her and others in favor of her special little boy who acts like he isn't getting some special treatment.

[theladycarpathia]

Everything was different this year.

“Let’s go, Harrington,” Billy crows, slinging an arm around Steve’s shoulders. Ahead of them the house is lit up with strings of lights and gaudy cackling Halloween decorations. Steve eyes a skeleton dressed in a top hat and wonders if he’s made the right decision. Robin and Vickie are watching A Nightmare on Elm Street in Vickie’s basement and he’s starting to think that maybe they had the right idea. 

“I’m not carrying you home if you get drunk,” Steve promises, and Billy gives him a flash of teeth. It’s surprisingly fitting - with the shaggy headdress, wolf ears and tight jeans, Billy’s an odd sort of werewolf but it works. His eyes are just the right shade of bright blue, the lean, tanned stomach that is only just made decent by the denim, the glittering pendant hanging against his bare chest. It’s designed to draw attention. 

“Sick from doing that last year?” he asks, and Steve bristles. But before he can point out that he didn’t carry Nancy home, Billy has dragged him through the front door, and is relieving a vacant looking basketball player of a few beers out of a cooler.

“Have a drink and lighten up,” Billy says, pressing a cold bottle into Steve’s hand. Condensation drips against Steve’s fingers, wet and sharp.

“No kegs this year?” Steve asks pointedly. Billy is already unscrewing the cap and tipping the bottle back, the long lines of his throat rippling as he swallows.

“Not yet,” Billy says, licking foam off his lips. He always gets oddly manic on nights like this, like he has something to prove. Steve hates it. Hates this. “But the night is young.”

A few cheerleaders wander by, teetering along in their high heels. They haven’t put much effort into their costumes, all three clad in identical crisp white dresses, little nurses’ caps pinned into their hair. Billy grins at them as they wander by, relishing in how their eyes drift to his bare chest.

“Tramp,” Steve mutters around his beer. He mostly means Billy, who never seems to mind being objectified. 

“Try and have some fun, Stevie,” Billy says, his arm like a weight around Steve’s neck. The fake wolf fur is tickling Steve’s nose, smelling faintly of must and wet dog. He should probably be glad that Billy’s not wearing a tail. “You used to love this shit.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t anymore,” Steve mutters. Billy purses his lips.

“Right, well you loved this shit with Wheeler,” he says pointedly, Nancy’s name falling off his tongue like a curse. Steve winces. He hadn’t meant it to sound like that. But of course, Billy would think that Nancy was special, that she’d been able to have more influence over Steve than he has.

“I was different when I was dating Nancy,” he tries to explain, but Billy has already slipped away, beer bottle held aloft. Steve watches him go, wondering when watching movies at home became more fun than dancing in a room with dozens of other heaving, sweating bodies, people that he barely likes.

No, actually, he knows when. But Billy still loves this, still thrives on arriving late to a party like the King of Hawkins High. It’s a rush that Steve’s forgotten all about.

Sighing, Steve dumps his bottle onto the nearest counter and makes for the punch. Time to pull a Nancy.

The punch is overly sweet and smells of strawberries but has a kick that burns the whole way down Steve’s throat. Steve drinks until the unease in his belly has settled and the party has settled into a more palatable haze. 

He wants to go home. He doesn’t belong here anymore. But this is Billy’s last Halloween party of high school and he knows what it’ll look like if he vanishes now. There’s no way Billy won’t take it as a snub. 

Billy would almost certainly take it as a rejection.

“Steve!” The girl who appears at his elbow has had far too much alcohol for her tiny frame. It takes a minute for Steve to recognise her under the frothing white dress and the voluminous curls.

“Hey, Amy,” he says fondly, slinging an arm around her bare shoulders, grateful to see a friendly face. She’s an adorable, totally wasted Madonna, little white gloves and all. The remains of the wine bottle slosh as she flings an arm around his waist, settling easily around his hips. Steve eyes the bottle warily, wondering if Tina’s parents are going to miss that.

“Having fun?” Amy chirrups, seeming to not notice or mind that she’s basically using him to hold herself upright. Steve knocks back the last of his punch and grimaces.

“No,” he says, crumpling up the cup and dropping it onto the counter. “Got any of that wine left?” She passes him the bottle and he tries to ignore the smear of lipstick at the rim.

“But it’s a party?” she says, with a careful blink of her dark, slightly smudged eyes. “You used to like parties.”

Yeah, he had. He’d be enjoying this one if he could be with Billy. But he’s vanished into the heaving crowds, without a single look back. Steve gets that it’s only out of hurt and jealousy that Billy’s ditched him but still. It doesn’t make it any better.

“Not enjoying this one,” Steve says miserably. He’s deeply fond of Amy - a cute little cheerleader he made out with once, before he started dating Nancy - but he’s not about to spill his guts. He’s not that stupid. Billy still has months left before he’s free of Neil.

“Wanna make out?” Amy asks, all too easily, and it’s a good offer. An offer Steve would have taken. Should take, because clearly he’s not gonna kiss anyone else this evening. Some horrible bitter part of him considers it, tilting Amy’s chin up and kissing her until everyone notices. He wants to be noticed.

But then the poison drains away, and he gently pats Amy’s cheek.

“Thanks,” he says, because that’s not the warm body he wants. “But not tonight.” 

All too soon, the bottle is gone and they stumble outside, Amy tipping her head back to inhale the sharp night air. The party has spilled out here too - more lights wound between the trees, skeletons hanging from the gazebo, a few messily carved Jack-O-Lanterns glowing from the patio. Some of Amy’s fellow cheerleaders wave to her from the deck chairs but she stays where she is, clearly clinging to Steve’s warmth. There’s loud cheers and shouting from a group crowded around something - someone - and Steve cranes his head to see what’s going on.

It’s Billy, tipped over head first into Tina’s hot tub and Steve would panic if he hadn’t spotted the bobbing little red jewels gleaming on the water. Someone has tipped apples into the still water of the tub, and typically Billy is here, making a show of it as he tries to bite down on an apple.

There’s a spray of water as he emerges from the tub, water dripping obscenely down his chest, soaking the fur of his costume and his prize clenched between his teeth. There’s howls of delight, Tommy and a few others slapping Billy on the back, king once more. Billy reaches up for the apple and bites down on it, gleefully ripping into the tender red skin.

Halloween is a time for putting on masks and acting the part and no one does it better than William Hargrove.

Steve knew this going in. He’s always known, and he can’t deny he didn’t. The terminator costume, the keg, the attitude. Billy came in last year, meaning to make an impression. Put Billy on a stage and does he perform.

But the problem with that? Steve doesn’t like that Billy. That’s not the Billy he wants. He wants the Billy who paints his nails with polish pilfered from Mrs Harrington’s dresser. The Billy who traces words in the bare flesh of Steve’s leg late at night. The Billy who knows the names of stars and bakes sugar cookies and shares lazy, heated breaths with Steve. 

He doesn’t know this Billy.

Which is why his stomach curdles when Billy swaggers over, dripping wet, apple clutched in his fist like a trophy. His eyes turn cold when he spots Steve, his arm still slung around Amy.

“Harrington,” he says cooly, eyes flicking disdainfully to Amy’s fishnets, the smeared lipstick on her mouth. 

“Hey,” Steve says, because this is his fucking boyfriend and he’s not playing this game. He had that with Nancy, bullshit and bullshit, and he won’t be sucked into that again. “You remember Amy?” Billy nods and Amy is too drunk to notice much of a snub. Instead, she pecks Steve gracefully on the cheek.

“Thanks for keeping me company,” she says, releasing her grip on him and immediately wobbling. Steve rushes to hold out a hand to steady her. 

They watch her stumble off to join the other cheerleaders, a drunken, perfumed collection of Madonna’s, bunnies and corpse brides. 

“Cute date,” Billy jabs, fingers twitching in the way that they do when he wants a smoke. Steve rolls his eyes.

“We’re friends,” he retorts. “And she’s so pissed she can barely stand up.”

“I noticed,” Billy says, a touch too jovially. There’s a glitter in his eyes, something visible in the flickering candlelight. Steve feels a jolt of satisfaction. Billy’s jealous after all.

“I’m having fun,” he says, wishing dearly that he had another drink. He can’t take the burning in Billy’s eyes. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yeah,” Billy says, lobbing the half eaten apple into the trees. Behind them, someone else has taken up the game, and the cheering makes for an odd backdrop for their fight. “Bullshit, Harrington.”

A knife would have been easier than that word.

“Fuck off,” Steve says in a low voice. This one hurts just as badly and he wonders if he’s not meant to last a Halloween party as a boyfriend. So much for things being different. 

Maybe the problem is Steve.

“I won’t,” Billy says and he crowds into Steve’s space, so close that Steve can smell the apple and beer on his breath. “And you are. You’re not fucking having fun, Steve. Not unless drinking bad punch and hanging off some girl you almost definitely ate out counts as fun.” Steve takes a deep breath and tries to remember that this isn’t Billy. Just the monster that lives in his skin.

“I never had sex with Amy,” he says, in the most even tone he can manage because all he wants right now is to shove Billy’s head underwater until he drowns on old water and apple pips. “She’s a friend. Don’t be an asshole.”

Billy purses his lips, something bitter and rueful. For a minute there’s the flash of the real Billy, before it’s wiped clean. 

“Thought you knew that about me, Harrington?” he says, in a voice that Steve just doesn’t quite believe.

“Yeah,” Steve says, jamming his hands into his pockets. Back in the house there’s a crash as someone drops a bottle and Steve feels like he can relate to being shattered. “I do. Just never thought you’d be like that with me.”

“Bet you thought that about Wheeler too, huh?” Billy says quietly, and Steve’s not quite sure what game he’s playing here. All he knows is that he’s tired of whatever Billy is trying to prove. 

“Are you trying to prove you are like Nancy?” he says, pointedly. Because as much as Billy hates it, there’s similarities there, always has been. “Because well done. You’re dumping me at a Halloween party. Feels pretty fucking similar to me.” Billy’s eyes widen.

“I’m not…” he starts, before remembering where they are. There’s a beat in the pulse at his neck, the same spot that Steve’s kissed so many times. 

“Well, it feels like you are,” Steve mutters darkly. He turns his head away  “I get that you don't like Nancy. You really don’t like that I was in love with her. Just stop…fucking acting like her.”

Dylan from the basketball team stumbles over, and clearly misses the razor thin tension, because he slings an arm around Billy’s neck. Judging by the water dripping down his neck, he’s also been bobbing for apples. While Billy looks good with the damp softening his curls and pooling in the curve of his collarbone, Dylan just looks like a drowned rat.

“Hey, Harrington,” he slurs, rubbing at his damp mouth with an equally damp hand. His demon horns are lopsided on his head, the cheap plastic of a last minute store bought outfit. “You gonna play?”

Steve looks at Billy but can’t see anything past the mask that has slid back into place. It’s not something he understands and maybe it’s from having Neil as a dad. Maybe if you have to wear a mask all the time to hide every real, true part of you, then it becomes second nature to wear that mask. Maybe Steve’s been shitting himself to think that he was special. Like Billy Hargrove was going to love him.

“No,” Steve says briefly. He wonders if there’s something in that punch that rots the insides of every person he’s ever loved. He shifts his feet and turns away, pretending that he doesn’t see the flicker of guilt in Billy’s eyes. “I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?” Dylan asks, sounding confused. Billy’s face is hollow like he was expecting this. Like this is what he was always expecting to happen. “Mate, you can’t go. It’s fucking Halloween.”

“Yeah, well, not having fun,” Steve says, still waiting. But if he’s hoping for Billy to say anything, then he has better chances of Amy being able to do algebra in her current state. Billy will choke on his words, regardless of whether they’re poison or not. “Going home.”

Dylan flicks his eyes over Billy and then to Steve. He almost suspects something has happened but he’s too drunk to really put the pieces together. 

“Alright,” he says slowly. “See you around.” Steve nods and turns, but stops just before he walks away, out of Tina’s house and down the street to his empty home, where he can examine the torn pieces of his heart.

“No one’s home,” he adds, unable to close that door entirely. It’s pathetic and he hates it. It’s the cloying smell of roses rotting in his backseat all over again. “Just gonna…watch films.”

Dylan’s face says that he clearly didn’t ask but Billy finally looks up to meet Steve’s gaze head on for the first time since he called bullshit. Steve holds it for a moment, wondering if when this night is over, if Billy will stumble up the pathway and through his patio doors. If he’ll climb into Steve’s bed, with cold skin that smells of apples, and murmur apologies into Steve’s mouth.

He hopes so, and he tries to fool himself that he’ll be fine if Billy doesn’t. But it’s for the best. He’s tired of begging people to love him. It didn’t work with Nancy, and it won’t work here. 

He slips back through Tina’s house, ducking past the merry revelers, the James Deans, the Bowies, the Cindy Laupers. He supposes that this time at least he doesn’t have to worry about Billy going home with another guy. He’s also been wrong before. 

The house is still when Steve lets himself in through the backdoor, his parents not due home until sometime in November. Steve wearily flings his jacket down, and turns the oven on, rummaging in the freezer for a pizza. He doesn’t have the energy for anything else and when the cheese is bubbling away, he steals one of his dad’s beers and drops onto the couch.

It’s fine. It’s fine, it’s all fine. 

He eats his pizza on autopilot, licking grease stains from his fingers. He half absorbs some shitty horror film, and he pretends that he doesn’t jump at every little sound outside, hoping that it’s Billy. 

He can’t fix Billy anymore than Billy can fix him. So when the early hours of the morning creep in, Steve clears away his plate and empty cans and climbs the stairs to his room, prepared to spend the night alone.

He nearly jumps out of his skin when he flicks on the light and finds a werewolf on the bed.

“What the fuck, Billy?” Steve hisses, holding onto the doorframe. But then he takes in Billy’s red eyes and the gooseflesh on his bare skin. “How long have you been here?”

“A while,” Billy says quietly. His wolf ears and headdress lie abandoned on a nearby chair, Billy’s costume stripped down bare. Steve closes the door behind him, feeling adrift. 

“Why didn’t you come downstairs?” Steve asks, his eyes flicking to the window. It has a dodgy latch and it’s not too hard to climb over from the roof below. But Billy knew that the backdoor would be open, that the spare key lies under his mom’s stupid garden gnome. Billy once slipped out of the sliding patio doors while Steve’s parents were still sleeping. 

“Thought you wouldn’t want to see me,” Billy says, jaw tense, and Steve recognises the self-deprecation in his tone. 

“That depends on whether you’re an ex-boyfriend or not,” Steve says curtly, because he’s really fucking tired and heart-sore and he loves this badly broken boy curled up on his bed in jeans and a stolen sweatshirt. 

Billy immediately looks stricken. 

“I don’t want…” Billy says, and then stops suddenly, mouth twisting in pain. It’s barely an admission but it’s closer than Steve’s ever gotten before. So he sits down on the bed next to Billy, reaching over to wind his fingers around Billy’s. His heart starts again at that simple touch and Steve was so numb that he hadn’t even realized that it had stopped.

“I need you to stop pushing me away,” Steve says bluntly, because someone has to say it. “It’s not fair.” Billy licks his lips and nods. His fingers are warm in Steve’s and it makes him wonder how little time passed between Steve leaving Tina’s and Billy following. Little Red being followed through the woods by the big bad wolf. 

“I don’t know how to do anything else,” Billy confesses, his eyes fixed very firmly on the delicate link of their fingers. Steve aches. 

“It’s bullshit,” he says and Billy looks up. He looks his age for once, dirty blonde hair clinging to his cheeks, red rimmed and bloodshot eyes, his mouth soft and pink.

“I know,” Billy says softly and when he leans in to kiss Steve, it feels like a fresh start.

[xsylcuenco]

MERROCK TASK #9

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND...

Sylvia Ingrid Cuenco-Burke

—

Playing Next: 🎶

Crazy Kids by Kesha [x]

Buzzin by shwayze [x]

About Us by Brooke Hogan [x]

tw: drug abuse

Sylvia was the first character I created for this group. If you’ve known me for a long time, you know that I’ve used Vanessa as an FC for almost 15 years, so it started with an FC choice. I then built the character around that selection. Sylvia is very loosely inspired by Vanessa’s character Candy in Spring Breakers. You know, minus the homicidal tendencies. More just the party girl who can’t turn down trouble aspect. I wanted Sylvia to have had a, albeit much scaled down, history of getting into trouble.

Sylvia quickly became someone who was desperate to get her life together, though notorious for getting in her own way. A college drop out with a history of legal trouble and in need of a stint or two in rehab, nothing screamed middle child more. That was when her family was built around her. Something about Sylvia becoming the middle child later in life, simply clicked for me. That was how she ended up with her older brother being close in age but her younger sister being a near decade younger. Then came her parents, a well respected teacher and nurse respectively. It made sense that her parents had to be at least well-liked enough to get her out of trouble countless times over in Merrock for Sylvia to make it to UCLA, only for that move across the country to become an even more disastrous life decision. It would be after her return to her hometown, years into trying her damnest to become the responsible adult her parents wanted her to be, even if it were in her own way, that we would meet her. An additional influence to the development of her family was the fact that Vanessa is Filipino and I personally spent a substantial part of my life living with my Filipino relatives, just making it easier to relate to Sylvia’s upbringing to an extent.

As far as Sylvia’s interests go, I borrowed Vanessa’s love of all things spooky, horror, and Halloween. I too love the darker side of life and it just made sense for the girl who loves transforming others to love a holiday all about becoming someone else for a night. And may or may not be a witch. Her entire gothic home aesthetic is just my dream home.

Another large part of Sylvia’s story is her sexuality. This was largely inspired by my high school experience watching one of my closest friends be the only out bisexual, at the time where everyone simply regarded it as experimentation on your way back to heterosexuality. I, in modern day, choose not to label my sexuality, though back then and to this day I admire my friend’s confidence being publicly out and proud in the social environment of 2006. As far as her love life goes, Sylvia is quick to fall easily leading to relationships crashing and burning. Currently, it is for the first time in her life that she is making a conscious effort to allow herself time to get to know someone before falling in love. This has led to jokes and complaints here and there about loneliness as it is the longest time since teenhood she hasn’t been attached to someone. Though she knows that her attempt is in an effort to find a healthy relationship for once, she definitely isn’t opposed to a fun time in the meantime.

Additional inspiration was the late 2000s myspace scene queen wannabes that I grew up with. Let’s be real, if any of my characters can still recite crunkcore songs word for word it’s this bitch. And I mean that lovingly. I had plenty of friends to pull inspo from in this regard as the crowd I ran with in at that time was pretty much a bunch of Sylvias. Think somewhere between Snooki and Melissa Marie from the Millionaires. Who more appropriate to be the one who’s bedroom everyone got their hair bleached at at 15?

Following that idea, opening her hair salon was to be Sylvia’s saving grace, keeping her busy enough to stay out of trouble for the time being. However, she lives in the shadow of being the family disappointment and it’s never too far of a memory that the self sabotaging behavior creeps up from time to time, always lurking just under the surface.

[inochinoyomikata]

Inochi no Tabekata 2 ch 1-4 Translation

1-4 Asamiya Shinobu– Pursuit of Happiness Worldview

Why can’t we meet? I can’t even see her face. With that in mind, Asamiya Shinobu visited the hospital where Takatomo Miyuki was hospitalized.

He had nothing else to do. After class was over, he tried to talk to Otogiri, but he seemed to have something to do. For some reason, Otogiri must’ve been worried about Shiratama Ryuuko. There was also the idea that if Otogiri went to the infirmary to check on her, he would go with him. But he might get in the way so he can’t. He didn’t think it’d be a good idea for two guys to rush into the infirmary where a sick girl was resting. In general, he was not particularly close with Otogiri.

Takatomo was still in the intensive care unit. Of course, he would not be allowed in the ICU, and visitors who were not family had no way of knowing the patient’s condition. Takatomo’s mother was on the third floor of the main building where the ICU was located. Asamiya had long been called “Shinobu-kun” by her because her house was nearby. She told Asamiya about her daughter. She also had hopeful news.

“You know, Shinobu-kun, Miyu, she might be able to move from the ICU to the general ward. It won’t be long, but she might be able to get off the ventilator.”

“Is that so? That’s good for her. Um, is she conscious…?”

When Asamiya timidly asked, Takatomo’s mother’s eyes suddenly clouded over, becoming like old lenses that didn’t reflect anything. She shook her head.

After that, they talked for another fifteen minutes or so, but Asamiya mostly just answered what he was asked. They talked about things like school and Asamiya’s family.

When he was about to leave, Takatomo’s mother pleaded with him “Please, take care of yourself, Shinobu-kun.” No matter how careful you are, bad things will still happen. Of course, he can’t say such mean words. Asamiya just replied, “I’ll be careful.”

When he got home, as usual, no one was there. Asamiya had an older brother, but he entered a private university in Tokyo two years ago. In addition to his house loan, his brother’s school fees and remittances seemed to make it difficult for his family, and his parents were working hard. Both of them leave in the early morning and come home relatively late. Their small, two-story built-for-sale house was cluttered everywhere and had an indescribable peculiar smell.

Asamiya had decided that he would work part-time when he entered high school. He didn’t like studying, and he wasn’t suited for it, so it was unlikely he would go to a prestigious university like his brother. He got into a decent university, and he’d get a decent job. He was told if he somehow talked with his mother about that on New Year’s, he wouldn’t have to think about it from now on.

When he was taking in the laundry that had been hanging out to dry in their narrow garden, he suddenly became disgusted with everything. Asamiya stopped work halfway through and sat down at his living room table. His father often slept on the sofa, so he didn’t feel like sitting on it. He operated the remote to turn on the TV. He didn’t want to see it. He wanted it to make sound.

When he vaguely talked about his future on New Year’s Day, he was asked by his mother “is there anything you want to do?” and Asamiya immediately responded “Wha?” She laughed when he said, “Hurry up.” Asamiya thought about Miyu. What happened to Takatomo Miyuki?

If he remembered correctly, Takatomo used to say that she wanted to be an ice cream shop owner. For some reason, some girls wanted to be ice cream makers. She would change again when she became a junior high student. What was likely was a nurse or a childcare worker. Or a beautician. There was nothing for Asamiya. Each time something like a questionnaire was properly written and submitted. Manga artist. Employee. Athlete. It was all a lie. Asamiya has never thought of wanting to be something, or wanting to do something.

What about Takatomo? Something must have happened. Takatomo was a solid person, clearly she was, and she got along well with various types of men and women. Her grades were pretty good too. The exact opposite of Asamiya. Takatomo must have had a dream. But would she heal? Takatomo’s mother was hopeful that she would. She hoped she got better. Even Asamiya hoped so. To be honest, he didn’t believe that she would ever recover. Takatomo may not regain consciousness at this rate. Asamiya can’t help but wonder if he could not do something.

It was no use thinking about her.

He couldn’t do anything anyway.

He couldn’t do anything now, or in the future.

Asamiya turned off the TV with the remote. He would rather have sound than silence. He turned the TV on for it, but it was raspy and irritating.

He wanted to talk to someone. Anyone was fine. He wanted to be heard. To have no opposition. He had friends. Some people he had registered as friends in a game. However, with those friends, he could only talk about games and videos he was addicted to. Nine out of ten people got annoyed when he talked about anything else. He doesn't play games much these days. He couldn’t keep playing. There was no enjoyment. 

A smartphone notification sounded. Where did he put it? He found it on the edge of the table. Asamiya picked up the smartphone.

[You were invited to Hapieva. Let’s use a new SNS!] Such a notification was displayed on the screen.

“...Hapieva?”

Asamiya unlocked his smartphone. He found an unfamiliar icon. Hapieva. Had he installed such an app? He didn’t remember. 

“That’s kind of suspicious, but…”

When he launched it, he heard an explanation with an animation that Hapieva was an abbreviation for ‘Happy ever after,’ and that it was an SNS for many entertainers, artists, and streamers to participate anonymously. Photos that looked like celebrities flickered one after another. Among them were musicians and comedians that Asamiya knew, as well as streamers who were often the subject of internet news. Users could say anything. There was one caveat. Log in once every 24 hours. If you don’t log in, your account will be deleted, along with the log. Conversely, if you want to withdraw, you don’t have to log in.

“...That’s too much, isn’t that suspicious?”

When he unintentionally wryly smiled, the app instructed him to choose symbols. It seemed that the username was a combination of symbols, not letters. After randomly choosing four, another option appeared. Interests. Favorite things. He was not good at it. Good at this kind of thing. Don’t think too much, just answer appropriately. However, Asamiya’s hand stopped at the next question.

[Are you worried about something?

・Human relations, actually.

・Future things.

・About money.

・Love and affection.

・No dreams or hopes.

Choose as many as you’d like!]

“---No dreams or hopes, or something like that. Body and cover, also, right…”

It was terrible. Asamiya chose only [No dreams or hopes] and proceeded to the next step. As soon as the timeline screen was displayed, a message like [Welcome!] and [Nice to meet you~] popped up.

[Oh! Participant found! Nice to meet you!]

[Hope you’re comfortable~]

[People with no dreams or hopes, get along well.]

[Despair Alliance W]

[...I wonder if this is what you’re saying to me. It’s amazingly welcoming. Those who have no dreams or hopes, yes, but…]

The messages that flew to Asamiya eventually calmed down. But his timeline kept updating.

There were daily reports such as when people woke up, when they slept, what they ate, when something happened that made them feel uncomfortable, and that made them want to cry. There were also complaints. If someone laments, someone else will sympathize with them and encourage them to do their best.

It was a little strange. He didn’t see any objection that they didn’t want to hear complaints. Was everyone ignoring them? He wondered if Hapieva users didn’t think so. Was it an SNS used by open-minded people?

However, while skimming through messages such as [XXX’s Neapolitan is the best], [If XXX appears even for a moment, I will change the channel immediately], and [Tomorrow, I will go to XXX], Asamiya noticed it. This SNS seems to have a function to make some words obfuscated. Were they proper nouns? People’s names, places names, store names, etc.

“Is it that? Is it like privacy protection? It seems that people could be roughly identified by the name of the place or the name of the store. It seems that you couldn’t post images…”

Maybe negative remarks were filtered out and invisible. If that was the case, he wouldn’t even notice if someone scolded. If nobody noticed it, it was the same as not being condemned.

“...This is crap. It’s nothing but comfort.”

While thinking that, Asamiya couldn’t take his eyes off of Hapieva’s timeline. His fingers moved on their own.

It doesn’t matter what you spit out in a place like this.

If you feel empty, just stop.

[silver-rosetta]

Fuck it we ball.

FFXIV: Tsubaki (Aura Raen, she/her), Reese (Viera, he/they)

Runestone: Bryne (dragon, he/him), Leben (he/him), Ivy (she/her), Karasi (she/her)

✨ Names

- Tsubaki Ibara: Messed with the game's random generator for a bit. Found her last name first, then rolled until I liked the first name.

- Reese Thornberry: Fought tooth and nail not to call them Reese Witherspoon. Thornberry sounded cute and woodsy.

- Bryne: I was in middle school when Bryne happened, same as the other Runestone OCs. Bryne was meant to be a quirky spelling of 'Burn,' but was quickly replaced phonetically with 'Brin'

- Leben: Found his name in an ancient baby name book my parents gave to me. Book said it means 'Life', which seemed fitting for a character that started out as a nature warden. He's a healer now, and internal leader of the Runesquad, so it still fits.

- Ivy: Original design I adopted had a squiggle on her leg that looked like a plant vine. It's one of those that isn't 100% representative of the character today, but changing it feels weird. Maybe someday...?

- Kara: Originally "Trixie," changed bc it no longer felt fitting with the setting. Trixie, the middle school cat-phase oc, now exists as a separate entity.

💚 LGBTQ+ Identity

- Tsubaki: Grace, female (she/her)

- Reese: Pan, nonbinary (he/they)

- Bryne: Gay, cis or demimasculine (he/him)

- Leben: Bi, transmasc (he/him)

- Ivy: Questioning, Cis

- Kara: Lesbian, genderqueer

🌼 How Old?

- Tsubaki: 17-21 (from ARR -> Dawntrail)

For fun; she turns 18 early Heavensward (mere days after the banquet), 19 mid Stormblood, 20 towards Endwalker finale. Takes a year-long sabbatical before Wuk Lamat appears for Dawntrail.

- Reese: ~24; their story is less defined than Baki's, so I don't have a clear timeline for them.

- The Runesquad are all early 20s, with Bryne being the oldest and Ivy the youngest.

🌺 Love interests?

- Dating!: Bryne x Leben

- Yes, but hasn't confessed: Reese

- In the past, but not currently: Tsubaki, Ivy, Kara

- Exes who will kick each others' butts: Leben x Ivy

🍕Fav food?

- Tsubaki: Is everything an answer? Homegirl lived most her life in Sharlayan, her mind was blown the first time she ordered a meal abroad. She's particularly taken with Doman cuisine (reminds her of her mom's cooking, plus the variety!) and the curries from Radz. Has zero spice tolerance though, she nearly died in the EW post patches.

- Kara: Used to adore cookies as Trixie. This probably hasn't changed. Girl's hella sporty, she needs her carbs!

💼 Their jobs?

- Tsubaki: An adventurer, through and through! She's considering taking some extra time to get her Archon's mark. Or maybe she'll become a Gleaner? Perhaps? Probably not Wuk Lamat's advisor, as kind as the offer is. I don't think she can bear to serve in any political capacity post-Crystal Braves. That was always Alphinaud's thing.

- Reese: A proud member of the Rogue's guild in Limsa, though they've also been chosen as the successor of A-Towa-Cant. They have a complicated relationship to their white magics, despite being on par with the padjal siblings.

- Bryne: A musician with a day job working retail. At least before they became a Chosen One. Then he's a musician with a day job saving the world.

- Leben: Chosen One, will probably become a nurse or social worker in the epilogue.

- Ivy: Worked retail before being chosen, will likely continue studying the magical arts or enter politics in the epilogue.

- Karasi: College athlete + student, desperately trying to balance hero training with her gymnastics meets. I'm not sure what her epilogue holds.

🎹+🎯+🥊 Skills + hobbies

- Tsubaki: Spellcasting (Summoning, Pictomancy, Red Magic, Conjury), Archery, Performance (Bard + Dancer). Keen eyed, strong observation skills and attention to detail. Keeps a collection of journals with detailed notes of her discoveries throughout the game (from Ifrit to The First and Ultima Thule.)

- Reese: High charisma, just as comfortable sneaking in the shadows as in plain sight. Talented conjurer and White Mage. For how violent their line of work is, they have always excelled at taking care of other people. He is also an archer and Red Mage, and has crossed paths with Tsubaki as peers.

- Bryne: Good-humored and level-headed. Able to stay calm under duress, and take charge in scary situations. Bard, knowledgeable about music theory and local legends. Plays the violin, fiddle, and guitar.

- Leben: Intelligent, strong combatant who is adept at strategy and team management. Knowledgeable about the responsibilities and the history that comes with being "chosen." Eventually an unparalleled healer, but it takes some character development to get there.

- Ivy: Sociable and friendly, the face of the group when some cheer is needed. She took dance classes as a kid, I'm undecided if she still practices or if it's something she had to put behind her (possible chronic pain 😔). Can reliably cast 9th Level Fireball.

- Karasi: Gymnast and track star, she's easily the most active member of the group. Enjoys freerunning parkour, and finding hard-to-reach spots to hang out at. An artist specializing in wall art and graffiti.

🧊Are these their first designs?

- In short, no! Everybody's changed at some point, in some cases quite dramatocally.

- Tsubaki changed her hair color from blonde to orange pretty early. Though she changes haircuts often, her original haircut is too short and doesn't suit her. I often forget the ponytail wasn't what she actually started with.

- Reese went through ARR with the wrong face! I meant to use the one with cheek tattoos (face 2 i think?), but I ended up using... not that, accidentally. Currently my only WoL to use a fantasia.

- Bryne has probably been the most consistent, only losing a crook in his right horn and gaining a pair of ears. Next art reference will be the first time I include prosthetic wings, now that I've done my research.

- The rest of the runesquad started out as draw-to-adopt cats. They have broadly left those designs behind in favor of being human. Everyone, including Bryne, started getting human forms around the same time, but it took many years for me to figure out their designs.

- Leben has fluctuated between being a deerboy, a shapeshifter, and just a guy since then. I'm considering bringing back the deer ears and antlers.

- The adoptable that became Ivy wore a necklace that eventually inspired the Runestones.

☘️ What originally inspired the OC?

- Tsubaki: a joke that my friends' wols matched three of the power rangers (red, blue, green), and were missing yellow. I took this too seriously, and produced a girl that is orange.

- Reese: Gender™️

- Bryne: An attempt at using scratch dot mit to animate something. It was not good, but I grew fond of the dragon I created for it.

The rest of the Runestone characters started as adoptables, but beyond that...

- Leben: I wanted a nature character with strong healing powers. He's the only character who technically predated his adoptable, because his original design was Not Good. He became besties with Bryne, as my two oldest OCs on that account.

- Ivy: Her original personality came from Lenka's Everything at Once, which was a song on her contest project. She was a walking contradiction back then, desperate to stand apart from her many siblings. Over time, she gradually mellowed out into her current cheerful self, and took more inspiration from Light Academia aesthetics.

- Karasi: A fun adoptable design. Though she's a part of the original Scratch unit, I have always struggled to nail down her personality.

🌂 What genre do they belong in?

- Tsubaki: Coming of age + Murder mystery/ thriller. Heathers, basically.

- Reese: Noir spy film

- Bryne: Broadway musical, or a Mythology and urban legend podcast

- Leben: Spiritually an early 2010s Superhero film, but actually trapped in a sitcom.

- Ivy: YA Fantasy film (ie. Percy Jackson, The Sorcerer's Apprentice)

- Kara: Heist movie, or one of those Coming of age sports films.

🧠 What do you like most about your oc?

- Tsubaki: Her story came about so organically! I started with the idea that she's a former student of Sharlayan during the Alexanders, and managed to build out her character arc from there. I don't think I ever had to retcon anything for her, aside from rewriting portions of the MSQ to line up with her delayed DRK leveling.

- Reese: Reese was created to be a character who has So Much Gender for me, and by golly did I give them gender. Their story is basically me figuring shit out as somebody who struggles with eir gender identity and presentation. It's comforting to have an avatar who's likewise fluid and a bit of a mess.

- Bryne: My blorboooo Bryne is 100% my comfort character. He's like me in a lot of ways, not quite a self-insert but definitely possessing a lot of the same contradictions. He's my muse when I need some comfort or something silly.

- Leben: Conversely to Bryne, Leben's my emotional punching bag. Comes with the territory of being one of the OGs, I suppose. But the character arc that he goes through from it is what really makes Leb appealing to me. He gets repeatedly humbled by the narrative, and he eventually learns to be a kinder and more genuine person for it.

- Ivy: Another story favorite! Other ocs may have similar themes (especially in IGO, which would be its own post), but none of them approach it quite the same way she does.

- Kara: She's always been one of the best-looking characters in the lineup, 10/10 super fun to draw.

💎 Do you ever see yourself killing off your oc?

:)

🍩 Who is your OCs arch nemesis or rival?

- Tsubaki: Public Speaking

- Reese: Figuring his shit out

- Bryne: Chosen One Respnsibilities

- Leben: Bryne. Also probably his dad.

- Ivy: Casting anything besides 9th level fireball-

- Kara: Having a character arc

🎓🍥 How long have you had these characters?

Taubaki and Reese are about a year old, a bit after I began playing ffxiv. The Runestone characters are almost twelve now!

That makes me ~21 for the creation of the wols, and ~11 or 12 for the Runesquad.

Ask Game for someone’s OC(s)

✨- How did you come up with the OC’s name?

🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

🍕 - What is their favorite food?

💼 - What do they do for a living?

🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?

🎯 -What do they do best?

🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

✂️ - What is one of your OC’s worst memories?

🧊 - Is their current design the first one?

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?

🌂 - What genre do they belong in?

💚 - What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?

🙌 - How many sibling does your OC have?

🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like?

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?

✏️ - How often do you draw/write about the OC?

💎 - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

💀 - Does your OC have any phobias?

🍩 -Who is your OC’s arch-nemesis or rival?

🎓 - How long have you had the OC?

🍥 - What age were you when you created the OC?

[evelynstarshine]

. I’ve been doing this for 50yrs Believe me the ‘testo-fueled pederast’ has been thrown at Trans men throughout 1982 i first heard it when sacked (for being trans) from a project run by the Local council in church buildings. Sunday, my wife & project users demonstrated /2

2. … outside the church Congregants said they were told it was something “crminal to do with children” My wife put them right, & half the congregation left the church, project closed as no one was willing to take my job (even tho’ users were all unemployed) When I trained /3

3. … as a lawyer, I started to see trans people & give legal advice Repeatedly I heard the claims not just about children but any vulnerable people: eg A postman suspended who ‘might be molesting kids going to school on his rounds’ tho no complaint ever raised by anyone /3

3. The next was a TW, a nursing manager & head of a care home who was outed in the Daily Wail That turned into an internal witch-hunt accusing her of having the run of the place & able to assault any elderly person Investigation found no basis for the allegations /4

4. Then a TM Hospital porter went out with friends to Manchester’s Village. Accused of being gay, he told he was a TM He was then suspended when a Senior manager said these people are ‘known to be paedophiles’ Investigation found no evidence of allegation but no apology /5

5. Then an Indian Hijra, a Dr & Psychiatric consultant told she couldn’t be on the UK Drs Register & take up her post because of ‘risks to patients’. Had to be always supervised for 2 yrs before full registration. It’s all the same trope - the dangerous sex mad Trans person /6

6. Then a TM workin in care with adults with learning difficulties. Had time off for chest surgery On return to work, found HR had outed him Weeks later is sack led for “using his new penis to teach a male resident how to masturbate” This tale had so many ‘wrongs’ …/7

7. … it was laughable except having been sacked he couldn’t claim benefits & was close to destitution Wrong assumptions: 1st, that male residents didn’t have amy right to wank, not even in their own rooms with door closed 2nd that TM surgery always means phalloplasty /8

8. 3rd that TM phallo works the same way as a penis - it does & it doesn’t 4th that a long term carer would turn into a sex fiend after gender reassignment surgery In the end, employers paid out but it really destroyed him /9

9. Then with 14yrs of life together my wife was told by fertility clinic ethics Cttee that they (paraphrase) ‘wouldn’t consider her a good enough woman to become a potential mother whist she lived with a person like me ‘ After we challenged & started proceedings they ../10

10. … treated & we had 4 children 14yrs later when we we could marry & do a step parent adoption so I could be their legal dad, social workers insisted that we apply to the High Court at a cost of £625/child. They said “This is such a complex matter” “No it is not” /11

11. I had been saying ‘eat your breakfast for 14yrs. We had a 2 yr assessment by social services, with kids separately & independently interviewed Our kids knew why a man ‘had made a gift of sperm’ so they could be born, that I had been raised a girl & was l a trans man /12

12. But it was apparently ‘so difficult’ we should spend £2.5k in court for a proceeding that cost £112 at the local court. We refused, & went to the magistrates for a 5 minute hearing where they accepted Socisl services recommendation & I became Dad, in law … /13

14. The sex crazed trans rapist & paedophile is a myth with a long history Throughout the 50s-80s we were referred to as sex perverts in the media Though oestrogen thoroughly dampens libido TW are still sex crazed fetishisists about to jump any woman (man or child) /14

14. TM are out of control, pumped, sex maniacs as testosterone makes us mimic men’s bad behaviour (supposedly) Myths without any basis that cause irrevocable harm to lives of many members of the Trans community All communities have outliers, but trans have fewer than most /15

15. I know what it feels to be deemed dangerous. 2008 ex-lodger & employee (evicted & sacked coz of repeat theft) reported I had boasted at breakfast table of sexually abusing our kids.. /16

16. Not going to repeat nightmare of the next 12 months but suffice to say a breakfast table did not exist We recovered but only just These tropes hurt real people & those who love them as they try to get by Those are just a tiny number of stories in our archives /17

17. Trans people need to repeat we are worth more than this & must stand up & be counted in non- violent protest Even & ESPECIALLY when it means we are called shrill, mentally ill, aggressive violent TActivists Being as one will be our strength