#the place he decided were getting dinner from was chosen by my brother

[boycritter]

sometimes it feels like my dad forgets he has two kids.

[venuslarkspur]

Teen Hero Shenanigans

Part 1

Jon My Love, There’s A New Batgirl.

Summary: Your Damian’s Twin Sister, after arriving 3 years after your brother so you never excepted to take the Robin mantle, until your brother runs away and you volunteer to take his place. Damian eventually returns and you are discharged from the role, after bottling up your anger you decide to go solo by running away and stealing the Batgirl. But your not alone, your sort of boyfriend joins you. The main problem is the boyfriend in question is your brother’s best friend, Jon Kent.

Pairing: Just Jon Kent x Batsis!Reader on this one. Mentions of platonic Jason and reader.

Notes: it’s not proofread so I’m so sorry if there’s any mistakes 😭 - Please read the prologue if you haven’t already <3

Warnings: Undertones of Misogyny, mentions of Talia being overprotective, Teen Runaways.

Words: 1.4k

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You weren’t sure if you had heard your father right, all you knew right now is that you had to get as far away as possible. You ignored your father calling out to you and ran out that office, you felt your dinner coming up. You clenched your stomach and your mind relapsed. It brought back bad memories from your time with your grandfather, being pinned against Damian and being chosen as the inferior twin. That’s why you weren’t the heir, that’s why you weren’t Robin first. And that’s why your currently sprinting you way through the house, Cass had called out to you and you felt dreadful for ignoring her but you couldn’t take this right now. You were displaced, again.

Yet one thing led to another, and suddenly you were stood in the bat cave, staring at all the costumes behind the glass. There were so many, but only one caught your eye. Barbara’s purple and yellow Batgirl costume. Maybe it was the Lazarus Pit trauma talking but suddenly your picking up the nearest object and smashing the glass, suddenly your putting the costume on and grabbing your phone from your room. Suddenly you’re jumping out your window and hopping the fence; you wished you’d had at least told Jason or even Cass what your game was, but it’s not like there would be much explain; your instinct just acted for you. And it felt good to hop over buildings in costume and punching a few noses on the way, as of right now you were snapping off your boyfriend’s window lock, and your feet hit the ground with a creak. Jon wasn’t there but you looked at the time on your phone which read 18:05, he must of still been having dinner. So you waited for 5 minutes and in true Wayne family fashion sat there on his bed, reading one of his textbooks; until you heard footsteps outside the door but continued on reading.

The door opened and you sat up straight and met eyes with the person you’d hoped to see, “Y/n? Is that you?” Jon eyes widened, many questions floating around his head. You slipped the mask off and got up and met him, “We need to whisper, and shut the door please.” You tried to say as politely as possible, he got the message and gently shut the door. “I heard…so it’s true that Damian’s back.” He inferred as you led him to sit down with you on the bed, you sat down and took his hands in yours. “I was happy but judging by this costume, did Batman fire you?” You nodded at him and looked down in shame, but he quickly brought your chin back up. “He told me I was discharged, but I’m sure that’s just a gentler term for fired.” You sighed, and as mad as you felt you saw this as an opportunity to join his lips to yours for what might be the last time. You slowly moved in and connected your lips to his, he sensed the urgency and moved in as well but didn’t quite understand the rush.

You stayed that way for a while, but slowly moved away as he popped another question. “What’s actually wrong?” He asked and you felt bad because right now he looked like a sad puppy, but you couldn’t drag him down with you. Not to mention you had to be more careful with Damian’s return. “I’m sorry but I think I’m gonna tough it out on my own for a while.” You took your hands away from his and instantly missed the warmth. He looked at you as if you’d just told him his whole family died. “You’ve actually lost it if you think I’m letting you go off on your own.” He took his hands back into yours. “If think you need to do this- I’m not gonna act like I’m not happy about it but if I can’t stop you I’m gonna join you.” You both stay that way for a while, and reality sinks in at last. “I can’t let you, your parents won’t forgive me not to mention Damian will feel so betrayed I’m just not sure..” you whisper as if not wanting anything to change but it’s already too late, everything’s changed.

“Sorry Batgirl you can’t stop me, I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you, not to mention the wrath of your brothers, jeez..” He blushes and on a more serious note you accept his proposal. “Okay we can set up base at the outskirts I think, I know a place.” You stand up and reapply your mask, he follows and asks “Are you nervous?” You grin and if you could look at yourself right now you’d probably remind yourself of your twin brother. “Nope, nobody’s taking us down and if they try they won’t try and come back for another round.” You give him one last peck before sliding past the window sill again. “Gather what you need, speak to who you need, I’ll be on the rooftop when you’re ready.” You smile at each other before slipping onto the roof without a sound.

You made a point to ignore the countless notifications on your phone, only messaging Damian with an unhelpful “Im okay.”

————————

You knew just where you both wouldn’t be found, it probably would of been ideal to just ask to make your team but not only would that expose your relationship, it would also make family reunions really awkward. You weren’t really thinking at all, you knew a warehouse you could operate from for the time being. It was where you and Jason trained for a bit, you had fond memories of being taken for ice cream afterwards and a ride on the back of his bike. It was nice to have someone look out for you, so much effort went into training Damian when you were young children, your grandfather tried to believe in you but knew ultimately Damian would be the heir. Which created so many insecurities, well right now you weren’t much better running off with his friend but as you saw it you needed to pave your way as well.

Talia hadn’t even wanted you to leave, you had to run away to escape your overly pampered life; and it took Bruce insisting you stay to get her to return home; but she still promised you’d eventually return to her. As much as you had wanted to lecture her on her overly protective behaviour you also wanted her approval. Sure she would be happy you were rebelling against your father, but would she approve of you doing it this way? Would she approve of Jon? Who was currently flying you both to the warehouse. You wanted to be validated, and that you hated the most.

You didn’t feel like being alone tonight either, you knew there was an abandoned flat above the warehouse, but you and Jason had never gone up there. But you didn’t mind if it was a 1 bed situation, if anything it would help to have someone to hold. Worse case scenario you’re both found sharing a bed and your brothers will lose their shit. As long as you both are fully clothed at the time, nothing too bad should happen.

And it felt like the most natural thing ever, patrolling together, the thugs being confused and wondering when you two became an item. Turning them into the nearby police station, avoiding cctv and returning to your new makeshift home as if it was the most normal thing ever. You had set up your own mini crime alert on Jon’s laptop and found ways to charge your devices. You even managed to spruce up the warehouse and upstairs apartment a bit, thank goodness Jon was raised normally and knew how to cook because you couldn’t cook to save your life.

But naturally your respective families began to put the pieces together, and soon enough Oracle was watching.

Taglist: @waterwyne @venusmorning

(If you want to be added please let me know <3)

(Part 2 is out.)

[vanteguccir]

── ୨୧ !　𝗧𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗗

　　　　　　　　　𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 x reader

SUMMARY: Where Y/N and the triplets decide to go out for dinner at a pizzeria, but Y/N is cold and Chris becomes her personal heater.

REQUESTED?: Yes, from anon.

WARNING: None.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

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"Forget about it!" Chris's voice sounded in a ridiculous Italian accent, catching Y/N's attention, who was a little away from the triplets as she looked at the pizzeria's sign.

The girl turned around, seeing Nick holding the camera with both hands, the lens focusing on Matt and Chris, her own silhouette probably appearing in the background.

Y/N smiled at the brothers' banter as she rubbed her hands together, trying to extract some heat from the friction as she mentally cursed herself for her chosen outfit option.

When the boys came up with the idea of ​​trying a different Texas-style pizzeria that had good reviews online, she felt super excited. Her biggest hobby was discovering new restaurants, so much so that in LA, she took the boys with her at least once a week to have dinner out.

But she completely forgot that she wasn't in LA and that the cold in Texas was intense, reaching 2°C. And that was precisely why she was so angry with herself, having chosen a short dress with a long sleeve that did nothing to warm her arms and left her collarbone exposed, a pair of pantyhose too thin to even be felt against her skin and a pair of high-heeled, short-cut boots that didn't even reach past her heels.

Y/N pressed her legs together as she crossed her arms tightly around her own waist, white smoke leaving her lips with each deep breath. She just hoped the pizzeria had a good heater.

"Yeah, so we're eating pizza..." Nick turned the camera so that the lens framed him too, starting to explain what they were going to do.

Chris turned towards the entrance of the restaurant as he looked for his girlfriend, missing her presence by his side. His eyes found her quickly, a smile stretching across his face, but that was soon replaced by furrowed eyebrows upon seeing her condition.

He walked away from his brothers and took quick steps towards Y/N, placing his hands on her shoulders, feeling the tension in the area, probably due to the cold.

"Shit, you're freezing, baby. I told you to change your clothes." Chris murmured, his voice sounding panickly as he ran his hands up and down the girl's arms, trying to warm her up with the friction between his hands and the thin fabric of her dress sleeve.

Even though his words were scolding, his voice sounded like a wave of heat through Y/N's body. She just shook her head, a whine escaping her throat.

"I forgot it was 2°C." She responded in a weak voice, her teeth chattering as she tried to run her hot tongue over her lips, wanting to warm them up, but to no avail.

"Look, we have a penguin with us today." Nick's voice sounded close to the couple in a playful tone, his hand still holding the camera on as a laugh escaped his lips, the lens catching the two of them and Matt, who was looking at them with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed, probably worried about Y/N's situation.

"Texas is so cold." The girl complained, getting closer to Chris looking for more human warmth.

The boy hugged her tightly, the momentary heat penetrating Y/N's sore muscles, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

"Thanks." Her voice was muffled, her face pressed completely against Chris' covered chest.

His arms wrapped around her shoulders so perfectly that their bodies looked like a two-piece puzzle. The human heat that surrounded Chris's body embraced Y/N's one, creating a bubble around the two. A sound of appreciation escaped Chris' lips at the closeness, his hands caressing his girlfriend's cold back.

The boy bent down slightly, bringing his face closer to Y/N's, sealing his lips momentarily on her forehead before running his nose lightly over the sensitive skin, a shiver running through the girl's spine due to the coldness of the tip of his nose.

A few seconds later, Chris realized that his girlfriend was still shivering, slightly moving her away from his body, receiving a sound of complaint in response.

Chris just raised his right hand, silently asking her to wait. He brought his hands to the hem of his black hoodie, pulling it up and removing the piece from his body, the beanie falling from his head with the movement.

Matt bent down, retrieving the beanie as a smile stretched across his face.

"Chris is a true gentleman, guys." Nick started from behind the camera, a smile in his voice. "Don't accept anything less than that." He continued, adjusting the camera's zoom so that it focused on Chris, who was holding the hoodie in his hands. His body now only covered by his baggy jeans and two layers of black turtleneck sweater.

The youngest of the triplets completely ignored him, approaching Y/N, who was watching his movements with wide eyes.

"Babe, no! You'll be cold." She exclaimed, raising her hands trying to stop him.

"My priority is your comfort, gorgeous." Chris returned it, arranging the hoodie in his hands so that he could slip the piece over his girlfriend's head, being careful with her makeup, knowing that if he messed it up, she would be mad.

The boy helped her pass her arms through the respective holes, pulling the hem down and pressing the fabric against her body, trying to warm her up more quickly.

"I loved the style, very aesthetic." Matt commented from the couple's side, letting out a laugh. Chris smiled as he rolled his eyes, wrapping his right arm around Y/N's shoulder, pulling her close, her arms wrapping around his waist.

"Can we eat now? Please?" Nick asked, his voice sounding desperate. He was eager to try the meatballs he'd seen so much of in the reviews.

"This is literally the only time you'll ever see me with chapped lips, I'm in the fucking Tundra right now." Matt spoke quickly as he looked at the camera, his icy hand passing over his lips.

Y/N opened her black purse - which only had a lip gloss and a watermelon Space Camp lip balm - and took out the lip balm, handing it to Matt, who jokingly celebrated before thanking her, opening the package and passing it across his lips.

"Free advertising." Chris's sentence was the last thing the camera captured, besides the others' laughter and the little "go buy Space Camp" comment made by Y/N, before Nick turned it off and they finally entered the pizzeria.

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extra - comments:

"Chris taking off his hoodie and giving it to Y/N because she was cold 😭"

"it's exactly because of Y/N and Chris that my standards are so high"

"yes Nick, we all know that Chris is a true gentleman 😔"

"can we take a few seconds to admire Y/N's beauty in that outfit? WHAT A WOMAN"

"Matt picking up Chris's beanie off the floor 😭"

"Chris hugging Y/N all worried and shit because she was shivering from the cold 🥺"

"Y/N lending her Space Camp to Matt after he complained about his chapped lips: the biggest advertisement you can have"

"Nick hire Y/N to advertise your brand right now!!!"

"MY PARENTS 😭🧎‍♀️"

[jocelynscrazyideas]

I think of you, always || Quinn Hughes x Fem!Reader

inspired by the song affection by cigarettes after sex

Summary: After bit being able to tell the family if your bf, you meet his ex at a Christmas dinner. Getting jealous is super easy after hearing her get called pretty, you finish dinner and storm off.

Warnings: NOT PROOF READ!!! Smut, unprotected, language, harsh words towards someone.

『 °*• ❀ •*°』『 °*• ❀ •*°』 『 °*• ❀ •*°』

Meeting the family is difficult, meeting the friends is awkward. Have you thought about meeting the family when you’ve broken up a million thousand times?

Or worse, maybe the thought of being a very close family friend that is now dating one of three brothers, and now you have to “meet the family.”

Sounds easy, but once you realize the family wanted you to end up with the other brother, maybe it’s different.

Ellen and Jim, the Hughes parents, have always seen me with Luke, even Trevor. Trevor zegras is one of Jack’s hot friends that I can’t call hot. I’m 22. Fairly young. It’s forbidden to date older men, especially people the Hughes know.

The only reason why I have been chosen to have a future with the younger brother is because I’ve hung out with him more. I’ve always seen Quinn as another parent. He’s always watching out for me, he’s like another source of parenting. I didn’t hangout with him very much, until he had gotten into Michigan.

I graduated years earlier than I should have. My parents were moving to somewhere in Europe, but they were going to travel the world before they settled into the new home. So in order for me to move with them, I went homeschooled.

I got into Michigan, and I only applied to American schools, because being in Switzerland, and traveling to Monaco back in forth wasn’t fun.

Europe was only cool until my parents got a divorce. My dad also was moving to Italy after selling his home in Switzerland. Which kind of made me excited to see him. Italy is the place the Hughes spend some summers in.

~

The Hughes have been to my Monaco and newly Italian home several times. They love it there, but I get tired of it. My French is terrible, but Jack always tells me that I have an accent when I talk now because I’ve spent over half of my life in Europe. Apparently, I have a thick accent. Most of it is Italian, and a quarter of it is French, the rest is terrible English. “Say something in Spanish.” Luke mocks me.

For some reason they don’t believe me when I say I can speak four languages, “I told you, I speak French, Spanish, German, and Italian.” I roll my eyes and place the mashed potatoes onto the well decorated table.

Quinn touched my wrist, he sees that I have his very expensive watch on. I push my legging hugged ass back into his hips, he pushes back into me until Jim walks into the kitchen.

It’s an amazing Christmas break, the Devils have Christmas break at the same time as The Canucks, so everyone decided to come to Michigan and celebrate. Luke and I went down to Target to grab some cranberries for Ellen.

“I dunno why she always makes these, you hate them!” Luke laughs. He purchased the cranberry jar and stuffs it into a bag. I laugh and run my fingers through my cold brittle snowflake filled hair. “She likes them, she’s the cook, I don’t need to ask questions about her highness Hughes.” I bow and joked.

The thing about Luke, is he’s always laughing, he always understands me. Maybe that’s why Jim and Ellen love him for me? I’m not sure but I’m basically like their daughter. Somehow the boys were never my “brothers.”

I moved into their house for a year in Toronto because of my parents divorce. Jack was always at hockey, Luke never left my side and Quinn never hung out with me.

As soon as we got to the house I jumped out, and ran inside. I had the bag in my hand, Jack’s stupid shoes were sitting in the middle of the entry way.

I slipped and fell. I got up right away. The cranberries had spilled all over me from the jar. Glass crushed my hand. I don’t feel the pain, but as soon as Ellen comes rushing over from the kitchen I feel sharp tense pain in my wrist, and ass.

Luke runs in after me as he locks the car. He holds me up. He goes to grab the bandage kit they store in a closet. Ellen goes to grab the broom, and Quinn runs over to me to clean me up. Jim and Jack run out to get more cranberry jars for tonight’s big dinner.

I don’t question to holding onto Q for support, he brings me upstairs to his room. He sits me onto his bathroom counter and I feel my now bruised ass press agisnt the cold counter top.

Luke left us some bandages for Quinn to use on me. Luke left to go help his mother clean. Quinn and I are left alone.

~

It’s been 2 months of Quinn and I’s relationship. We haven’t told anybody, but it’s Halloween and I wnat a couple costume. Obviously I want to post the costumes for this year, so I’m left to wear something by myself.

~

Quinn kissed my cold cheek leaving a warm impression on my flushed face. He wraps my hand in pink bandage, and he helps me take my shoes and leggings off. Quinn changes me into some of his sweatpants, and a large shirt he has.

“Do you what them to know?” I ask.

Quinn pulled me into a warm hug. “Not yet, I’m not sure if my dad would be happy I’m the one you chose.” He rested his chin on top of my head.

“Well they will know because I have your clothes on, and they reek of your strong cologne.” I laugh. He holds my head as if i have a terrible headache.

He kissed my lips and carried me out of his personal bathroom. I walk to my room, and change into this gorgeous red dress, nice and lacy. I grab an ugly sweater and pull it over my head. Quinn changed into fancy- casual clothing to match my outfit.

We walk downstairs into a beautiful dining room, with a large Christmas tree that hangs fabulous ornaments that hold pictures of our childhood pictures. I notice that Ellen has labeled our sitting spots at the table.

I’m next to Jack, Luke next to my left, and quinn across from me. Ellen faces Jack, while Jim is sitting at the head, and the table is pressed up to the wall. So no one is sitting at the opposite side of Jim. There is an empty seat, I thought it was weird- Ellen never has an empty chair for family gatherings.

We stay eating, we pass peas, toast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cheese on a stick. Then we hear the door bell ring.

I thought, “Christmas carolers.”

no

“Mom?” Quinn gets up quickly. Ellen has been outside for a few minutes. She finally comes in. She grunts in frustration.”hey Quinn.” One of many the pretty girls Quinn has had a relationship with says. She walks up to him, hugs him and sets her bags down.

“You can sit here, and I’ll take Quinn’s seat.” Ellen nods,

“Mom! You knew about this?” Quinn drags her over to the Christmas tree. He lowered his voice.

Am I nervous that Quinn’s ex-girlfriend is here- while we just kissed upstairs, and to mention… He’s my boyfriend.

yes. Yes I’m petrified.

“Of course I did Quinn. She loves you still. I’m your mother. Switch seats with me.” Ellen walks him back to the table, straightening his ugly sweater on him.

“No. I like where I am.” Quinn sits down at his original seat. He places his foot on mine, letting me know he’s with me.

“Pretty.” I mouth to Quinn. He nods his head in agreement. He winks at me and he starts playing footsie with me. My dress folds right at the cut of my hip and thighs. Very short dress for a winter party.

Classical winter music continues over our dinner. Jim laughs at everything Jack says, Luke looks at me when I eat. I look at Luke when he eats. It’s just as if we’re still little and we fling Mac and cheese at eachother.

“Grub bub.” Luke laughs while drinking his apple cider. I laugh so hard I snort, Quinn starts laughing at me. Jack holds me in and sways me around. Yep, he’s drunk.

Ellen noticed the few glances Quinn and I make.

~

“Why don’t you help me clean up?” Jim waves Ellen up. We dismiss ourselves and we go back to our rooms. Quinn, well he takes his ex’s bags up to the guest room.

While they walk up here, “oh. I love that room, may I stay in it?” She walks into my room, and lays on the bed. “Comfy!” She giggles. I walk out if my closet, I suck my teeth this selfish bitch is in my bed.

“what. the. fuck.” I laugh in a rude manner. I see Quinn astonished, his mouth open. And so were her legs.

I push quinn out. I yell in his face, “get her up, or I’ll handle it myself.”

You could say I get jealous, but why did he seemed to enjoy it?

Ellen came running upstairs, “oh my!” Ellen grabs the girl out from her arm. She takes her bags and leads her to the basement guest room.

I was angry, I walking away. I had on a lacy black thong, and a navy blue spaghetti strap tank top, and some white sweat shorts on. The thong sits on my hips, and the shorts sit right on my pelvis bone. Most of my underwear was out. I ddint give a fuck. I had no bra on- “wow” Jack says while he walks his way to his own room.

“Nice one” Jack laughs at Quinn. Quinn watches me sit down in the living room couch, I turn the TV on. He comes running down to sit with me.

“Baby, come on. What was I supposed to do?” He whines.

I roll my eyes, “uh, I’m not sure- not let her walk into a room?! Im even more mad by the fact she had her legs spread open for you, and her boobs- Her Boobs! They were just out, it wasn’t her underboob or sideboob- I saw nips.” I yell out in frustration.

I get up and slide slippers on.

I get my keys and run out the door. I go for a drive, “wait no!” Quinn runs after me. I have slammed the door on his face.

~

After awhile- no phone, no internet, no way to find me, Quinn pulls his car right up next to me. Jack sits passenger. “What the hell?!” Quinn knocks on my window.

“Oh goodness! Thought you were a murderire!” I gasp.

“No. You don’t get to do that.” He yells- flailing his arms around. I see his breathe in the air. Quinn knocks on the door.

I roll down the window. Quinn bends down to see me. He kissed my face.

“I told Jack about us. Luke is pampering my “ psychotic bitchy ex” and my mom is waiting for us with hot chocolate.”

“What about-“

“Dad? Yeah no he’s gone. He’s sleeping away from his drunkness. And Jack can drive home because I sobered him up with the news about us.” Quinn rushes over the empty parking lot towards to Jack.

“Go. I’ll talk her back home.” Quinn whispered and nods his head at me. Jack crawls to the driver seat.

“You know her well Quinn! The only way to get back home is to hit 3rd base!” Jack yells out the window while pulling away. Quinn sits in the passenger seat of my car.

We’re alone in a parking lot inside a freezing car because my heater broke, and it’s the middle of winter with tons of axe murderres.

“He’s not wrong.” I look at Quinn.

Quinn mumbles, “mhm. I know.” He slides his hand onto my thigh.

I crawl to the backseat. My back hits the cold interior of the car. Quinn climbs ontop of me. He slides my tank top up, seeing my bare hard niopples. “Oh baby.” Quinn starts sucking on one. He slides a hand into my shorts.

I feel his warm but very cold hand touch my sensitive bud. He starts rubbing into my clit, he moans while he sticks one finger into my hole. He came up from my chest- he starts aggressively kissing me.

My tounge hitting his throat, his cum covered finger slides into my mouth. I suck onto my pussy juiced cover finger and Quinn unbuttons his dress pants. I feel his hard groin hit my bare torso. He’s hard- for me.

“Quinn-“ he holds my hands up with one of his own hand. He pulls off my shorts, he sees my new thong. “Impressive.” He moans. I sit up against the door. The windows are white, but not from the frost- but from our hard breathing.

Quinn stuffs his face into my pussy as if he’s still hungry from dinner. I start to cum, but Quinn pulls away from me. He holds my hand as I start rubbing myself. With his other hand, Quinn jerks iff to start some lubricant.

He starts rocking his hips into mine. I feel his cold tip touch what feels like my lungs. He holds my legs up. I know the car is rocking a ton. But I love it.

~

Quinn slaps my ass while I’m in doggy style. He fucks me hard, and he gets tired after a good 47 minutes.

~

I hope I get to finish him. I start sucking off his cum and playing with his sensitive balls. He leans his head back, letting me crawl up onto his chest. His phone rings.

“Hey dad? Whats wrong?”

“Where are you? Is y/n coming back?” Jim yells through the phone. I can hear the worry in his voice.

“Dad. Y/n. She’s fine.” I cut him off by kissing him. I turn our camera on and see Jim. Ellen is in the corner of the camera and screams. She jumps up and down.

“I knew you’d end up with one of my boys!” She smiled. She runs up to Jack and he twirls her around. Luke winks at us through the camera.

~

Quinn cuddles me in bed and warms my back up. I feel his warmth and love, I wish we announced our relationship before the dinner.

[quintessenceofdust88]

Fuck it Friday

I was tagged by the amazings @typicalopposite @unhingedangstaddict and @laundryandtaxesworld, so I decided to take a break from my break hehe, and post the complete first scene of Flaming Delights (a.k.a my Hallmark Christmas movie fanfic) Hope you guys enjoy it! 🎄🎄🎄

It was a snowy day in Flame Pine, and Buck had finally flipped the sign of his bakery, Flaming Delights (no one had ever accused him of much creativity), to closed. There had been a bustle of activity from tourists and towners alike during the day, but now, the only people left were his parents, Bobby and Athena, and Hen and Karen. They were tucked in a corner, enjoying some of the pastries Buck hadn't sold during the day and fresh cups of hot chocolate while he wiped the counter clean and flipped the chairs. He hadn’t turned off the speakers yet, so the soft Christmas playlist he had chosen was still playing in a low tune.

"Do you want some help, kid?" His dad asked, halfway to getting up, and Buck waved him off.

"Nah, Dad, I'm good, you've worked all day. You're helping by taking care of the leftovers for me" Buck reassured him, and Bobby sat back down, his eyes still on his kid. Buck knew his parents thought he worked too much, and especially during the holidays, the conversation would soon turn to… 

“You know you’ve also worked all day, right, baby?” His mom told him, a sharp eyebrow raised at him, and Buck shrugged sheepishly. 

“Well, yeah, but I wasn’t chasing bad guys or putting out fires, Mom” He reminded her while wiping the counter, earning a laugh from Hen and Karen. 

“Oh, as if there are many bad guys for Athena to chase in Flame Pine” Karen says while stealing an eclair from Hen’s plate. Hen nodded enthusiastically, and even Athena was smirking a little. 

“Face it, Buckaroo, this town’s criminal activity is as dead as your love life” Hen said, and Buck playfully clutched his own chest.

“Ouch, Hen, rude” He told her. “I’ll have you know I went on a date just last week”

“Yeah, Buck, having dinner with Taylor every time she comes to town and taking her to your loft afterwards barely counts as a date” The very accurate description came from Bobby this time, and Buck desperately wished this town wasn’t so small for once.

Fortunately for him, Buck didn’t have to answer, because Jee and Maddie came in at that exact moment, letting in a rush of cold wind. As soon as they were inside, Jee made a beeline for Buck, who readily picked her up. 

“Hi, butterfly” He said, pressing a kiss to her cheek, and instead of giggling like she usually did, she hid her head on his shoulder with a small sigh. “Oh no, what happened, sweetheart?”

“She’s a little upset Angelica won’t be living with us anymore” Maddie explained while giving Bobby and Athena a hug (they weren’t her adoptive parents like they were Buck’s, but once she had come to live in Flame Pine, they might as well have been), and Buck rubbed her niece’s back comfortingly. 

“Oh, so her uncle finally managed to get here?” Athena asked, and Maddie nodded.

That had been the talk of the town for the last few weeks. When Elizabeth and Andrew Kinard had sadly passed away in a car accident, everyone had wondered what would happen to their little girl, Angelica, because they had no family in town, as far as anyone knew. Chim and Maddie had signed up as emergency foster parents, and the approval was probably helped by the fact Maddie was her teacher. 

As it turned out, Andrew’s brother, Tommy, had been named Angelica’s guardian in their will; the problem is that he was a pilot and was working on a remote location in South America by the time of their deaths. Andrew's attorney had managed to reach him out a little after the funerals, and said the guy was trying everything he could to get back to the US as soon as possible. Now, three weeks after their deaths, it seemed he had managed. 

“Yeah, he’s here,” Maddie told them. “He’s staying at Lizzie and Phil’s place, and Chim just took Angie over. We offered to stay with her until tomorrow, but he really wanted to see her”

Buck’s heart ached for this Tommy guy; he couldn’t even imagine how he was feeling right now, losing his brother and having to step up for his niece like that. 

“Anyway, I thought it’d cheer Jee up if she could see her favorite uncle and get some treats” Maddie finished, and Buck gently booped Jee’s nose, finally getting a small giggle for his efforts. 

“You just know all the treats are waiting for you, Jee-bug. Why don’t you go ask captain Bobby, sweetheart? He’ll show you where the good stuff is” Buck whispered conspiratorially in his niece’s ears, knowing his dad would be the best person to cheer Jee up. She adored her surrogate grandpa and the feeling was mutual. 

“Okay, uncle Buck!” She said, and he put her down, letting her rush to Bobby’s open arms. 

“What about you, Mads? Can I interest you in any leftovers or is baby Buckley-Han still not a fan of his uncle’s baking?” He asked his sister, and she sent him an apologetical glance, placing a hand on her slightly swollen bump. 

“Sorry, baby bro. I don’t know where they take it from; I love your baking, and Chimney definitely loves your baking. He told me to ask if there’s any hazelnut bread, by the way” She answered, and Buck fondly rolled his eyes. 

“Of course there is, let me get him a loaf” Buck said, going to the back, his eyes landing on the baskets that were used for care packages, and an idea popped into his mind. “Hey, Mads, are you passing by Lizzie’s place before going home?”

“Yeah, I promised Jee we would, and I want to see how Angie’s uncle is settling in” She told him, and frowned. “Why?”

“Can you wait a bit? I’ll send a care package over; there’s probably already too much in this guy’s mind without having to worry about dinner and breakfast tomorrow”

Even before Maddie answered, Buck had already set a basket apart, covering it with the red tissue paper he used for decoration during the holiday season. He looked around, mentally sorting through his leftovers, trying to decide what to send. Eventually he decided on two bread loaves, one sourdough and one regular, would be a safe bet. He also set apart some pieces of chocolate cake and a handful of cinnamon rolls, which he knew Angelica loved. 

As he tried to wrap a green satin ribbon to the plastic wrapping, Athena appeared on the kitchen door, leaning against it and looking at Buck with that fond but exasperated look of hers. Seeing him struggle with the bow, she firmly took it from his hands. 

“How you make a profit, I’ll never know, baby,” She told him appreciatively as she expertly made a beautiful bow with the ribbon, tying it neatly against the plastic and handing the basket to him. 

“That’s easy, mom”, he said, kissing her cheek in thanks. “I overprice the snobby tourists so I can keep giving free stuff to the people I care about”

She chuckles, but raises a shrewd eyebrow at him. “That I believe, but Andrew’s brother? You don’t even know him, Buck”

“Well, no, but…” He shrugged; even Buck himself wasn’t sure why he had impulsively decided to do this, but it felt right. “If you were in his situation, wouldn’t it be nice to get some kindness? If there’s one thing I learned from you and Dad is that showing someone you care can make all the difference”

Athena smiled at him, taking his face in her soft hand and caressing his cheek just like he used to do when he had just been adopted, at the tender age of five. The gesture never failed to make Buck feel cherished. 

“You have a heart too big for this world, baby, and I hope someday you’ll find someone who deserves it,” she said, kissing his forehead and going back to the public area of the bakery to join his Dad.

As he followed her, Buck internally hoped his mom was right. Shaking the thought away, he handed the gift basket to Maddie so she could deliver it to Tommy Kinard. It wasn’t much, but Buck hoped it’d help him feel better.

Np tagging @bidisasterevankinard @30somethingautisticteacher @desert--moonchild and whoever else wants to join in! Happy weekend you guys ♥

[readyplayerhobi]

Because, I Love You | 12

; Genre: Fluff, angst

; Word Count: 5.1k

; Warnings: Fatphobia, ageism, mentions of miscarriage

; Synopsis: According to society, Jeon Jungkook should not be with you. He should   be with a younger, hotter and thinner girl instead of wasting his time   on you. It’s a good thing Jungkook doesn’t care what society thinks   then.

; A/N: Soo...you’ve been waiting for this one for like...a week now. And it’s here...the reason why Jungkook disowns his own mum! If you enjoyed this, please reblog so it can get on other people’s screens and I’d love to hear your thoughts in a comment or an ask - either one is great for me and let’s me know you like this fic still! Your feedback keeps encouraging me to write after all this time.

; Masterlist

-

"You're totally gonna cry." Jimin teases, though he sounds happy and not malicious. His words are lightened even more by the broad grin he's wearing as he smoothes out Jungkook's lapel once more.

"Fuck yeah, I am. I cry at anything, seeing the love of my life in her wedding dress walking down the aisle towards me? If I'm not blubbing like a two-year-old who's had candy taken from them then punch me till I am." Jungkook is rambling, and he can tell. But he's so damn nervous and excited. Nervited. Excous. Whole new words.

Junghyun, his older brother, laughs loudly and pats Jungkook on the shoulder. Well, it feels more like he's punching him but Jungkook will just consider it a pat as it's done in good faith. Jimin was his best man, but Junghyun had agreed to be a groomsman.

The two of you had decided on a smaller wedding, to save money and make it more intimate. So you only had two bridesmaids and two groomsmen. Momo, your best friend who'd moved back in the last year, was your maid of honour while Hana, another close friend, was a bridesmaid. Thankfully, your friends had been understanding as to why they weren't all invited to be in the bridal party - because Jungkook wanted his brother and best friend, so logically you needed two to match - and were now sitting comfortably in the chairs that had been placed out for the day.

You'd also decided that you didn't want your bridesmaids to walk down the aisle, do they were already waiting for you. The whole day was planned to be simple, fun and intimate. You'd both chosen a beautiful hotel as your venue and were marrying in the gardens, with the dinner and reception later to be half in the other part of the gardens and the hall that had been rented.

Chewing on his lip ring, he looks towards the door that'll you'll be coming through for perhaps the millionth time and he jumps on the spot for a moment. He's got too many feelings, too much energy. He just wants you to turn up so he can marry you.

"Calm down, you're gonna be napping like a toddler if you keep moving around." Jimin chuckles, pressing down on Jungkook's shoulders to get the younger man to stop moving. It works to stop him from hopping, but his fingers are tapping on his thigh instead now.

"He doesn't need to move to nap, you know that." Junghyun snorts in amusement, but it's cut short by the sudden start of the music.

For a second, it doesn't register in Jungkook's head but then he realises - it's your music, the music for you to walk down the aisle.

"She's coming!" He squeaks, and if he didn't have a million thoughts in his head then he'd be embarrassed at how pitched his voice had gone. But he couldn't care now, not when you were coming! 

The music soars, and he recognises it as from your favourite video game. You hadn't let him hear it beforehand, had just let him know that he'll recognise it and…he did. It makes him laugh it registers.

You really picked An End Once And For All from the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack. It was your favourite game, and he knew that some would be a little confused at the unusual choice but he loved it. You'd opted for it to be played solely on piano, and he eyes the piano player for a second.

Great, now he was going to forever cry when he heard this song.

The door opens and it's like time stands still for a moment. You're standing there on your own for a moment, having decided that you were a modern woman and didn't want anyone to walk you down the aisle. The bouquet in your hands is held tightly, a deep purple ribbon that matches the colour scheme of the wedding trailing down.

Slowly, you start to walk towards him, passing row after row of your friends and family. Your dress is beautiful - folds of soft ivory silk with delicate lace patterns overlaying it, the lace trailing up over your bodice and shoulders before twirling down your arms. Each movement has the dress kicking out slightly, and he notes the tiny glimmers of crystals that have been carefully woven into the material. 

If an angel got married, Jungkook is pretty sure she'd look like you.

Finally, you're standing next to him as you hand off your bouquet to Momo and smile brightly at him. He tries to smile back, but he's been crying so damn hard that all he manages is for his lips to quiver pathetically. Sniffling, he wipes at his eyes frantically.

"Sorry," He mumbles, "You're so beautiful, I love you."

That sets him off again, and you laugh softly before reaching up to wipe away his tears. You're looking at him so fondly, he can't even bring himself to care that he's currently bawling his eyes out. At least Jimin doesn't need to hit him.

"I love you, too." Gently, you clean his face while quiet snickers rumble through the guests at his crying. Nothing malicious, just amused and cooing over how soft he is for you.

"Are you both ready?" The officiant asks, raising a brow at you both as he tries to hide his smile. Jungkook guesses he must see this all the time, and surely it's a good sign for a wedding if the guy cries, right?

Both of you nod at him, and Jungkook takes your hand and squeezes. He's actually getting married, he's going to have a wife in a few minutes. You're going to be his wife.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope everyone's excited for today, which sees us witnessing the union of Mr Jeon and Miss Y/L/N for love." Jungkook zones out as the officiant gets through the legal talk and starts to say something about the love between the two in front of him. Ironic, given Jungkook only met the guy yesterday.

But he's too busy staring at you in simultaneous amazement and love. You're here, you're marrying him. You'll be Mrs Jeon, his wife. You're so damn beautiful.

"If there is any person here present who knows of any lawful impediment to this marriage, then they should declare it now."

He's busy smiling at you, so busy that he doesn't even register the words spoken out loud. Not until he notices the way the space has become quiet, the silence deafening suddenly.

Frowning, he looks at the officiant who looks both shocked and confused. Then he looks at you, who mirrors the emotions, though there's also some horror in there too.

Finally, his brain catches up and he twists to stare at his mom. His mom, who had never liked you and who had pitched a fit when he'd announced his wedding. His mom, who had sworn she wouldn't come, only to turn up here anyway.

"What?" Jungkook asks, the confusion in his voice making him sound more like a child. This is what he feels because he can't understand why his mom is objecting. 

"I said, I object. I don't approve of my son marrying some old, fat woman. I've never approved of her, and I've tried repeatedly to bring him back but she's got her claws so deep into him. I don't want my son to marry a woman six years older than him, who's probably too old and fat to have children now. Not when my Jungkook deserves so much better. You should be marrying a doctor or a lawyer, not her. So I object, I don't want her in my family and I will never accept her as a daughter-in-law." His mom finishes her tirade, her cheeks red with anger and her face twisted with bitterness. He doesn't recognise her.

Jungkook was frozen in place, his eyes wide and jaw dropped as his mind blanked out. What had just happened? He didn't understand, he couldn't understand - this kind of stuff didn't happen in real life, right?

Yet here he stood, holding your hand tighter than he meant to as he stared in disbelief at his mom. The woman who'd raised him with so much love and affection, who was now unrecognisable to him. He wasn't the only one, his dad was also staring at her in horror whilst his grandparents looked shocked. And that was nothing compared to everyone else.

Jungkook was pretty sure that your parents were going to punch his mom, and frankly, he would let them. But that wasn't the important bit right now.

Turning to you, the love of his life wearing the most beautiful ivory dress and ready to legally tie yourself to him, he felt his heart break. Tears were banked in your eyes, and he saw the slightest quiver to your lips, the movement replicated by your fingers clasped in his own.

No, no. 

"Is there somewhere we can go for a few minutes? This won't affect anything, right? I just…I need to sort this out and I don't want Y/N to hear." He whispered to the officiant, who looked like he'd never seen this happen at a wedding before. Just what Jungkook wanted, for his wedding to be a fucking Reddit worthy story.

Still, the officiant nodded and reached out for you, carefully taking your hands from Jungkook. There's a brief moment where you fight, but Jungkook begs you quietly to go, that he'll be there as soon as he can and that he loves you, and most importantly…that he's so sorry.

Once you've disappeared through a door back into the hotel, he rounds with fury in his eyes. And god, he wishes he didn't cry when he was angry.

"What. The. Fuck." He spits, storming to the front row of his seats where his mom looks victorious and his dad looks sorrowful. It's only when she takes in the anger that practically vibrates in his body that she pauses. She loops her arm through his dad's for support, but his dad lets go and steps away with contempt in his eyes.

"I don't know why you're so surprised. You've known I don't approve of her for years now, and I've always let you know. You deserve so much better, someone who will give you beautiful babies and be on your level." There's a shout from your side that gets muffled quickly, and Jungkook notes that your mom is currently being dragged to the door you'd exited by your family. He wants to apologise, but he has to sort this out.

"Shut up, just SHUT UP. Why are you so fucking bitter? Y/N is perfect for me, I love her so much and you have no right to have any opinion here. None. It's my life, not yours. Fuck, I didn't even want you here. You're only here because Y/N wanted to give you another chance and you…you fucking…" He cracks then, swallowing hard as he finally starts to cry from embarrassment and hurt for you. 

Turning away for a moment, he presses his hand to his mouth hard as tears fall and he looks up at the beautiful sky. She'd made you cry, at your wedding ceremony. She'd insulted you on things that he knew you'd worked hard to overcome, yet deep inside you were still insecure about. In front of all your friends and family, along with his.

Letting out a shaky breath, he turns back around and lets his mom see his absolute devastation. She had no idea what you'd had to work through to learn to love yourself, or the way you'd made yourself vulnerable to him when letting him love you. She had no idea about the pain of the struggles you'd had to get pregnant or the fact that you'd now had two miscarriages. There was so much she didn't know because he'd known that she'd use it to hurt you. Yet she'd managed to use it anyway.

"Get out. I want you out." He says, his voice shaking and quiet but the words are like gunshots. His mom's eyes widen in shock, and he realises that she's genuinely surprised he's taken a stand. In her fantasy world, she'd speak her peace and he'd realise he was wrong and come back to the fold.

It makes him angry and he grits his teeth.

"Get. Out. Leave, go. I don't want you here, I don't fucking want you anywhere. This is it, I'm done. You want me to pick? Fine, I pick her. Get out of my wedding." He spits, pointing to the door that'll take her out of the wedding, and in a just world out of his life.

"Jungkook, you can't mean tha-"

"GET OUT. Dad, please. I can't…please." He begs his dad, knowing that his dad has always been kind to you and has tried to be the barrier between his mom and her horrible views. There's a second of hesitation before his dad nods, grasping his wife's arms firmly. She's started to rant at them both, jerking to get herself free.

Before he manages to push her into the aisle, his dad stops and gives him a tight smile.

"I'm so sorry, I really am. Please let Y/N know I'm so sorry about this, I think she'll be a great daughter-in-law to me." His compassionate words make Jungkook smile weakly as he nods, before moving to stand in front of everyone.

There's still shock and uncertainty on everyone's faces and he feels so embarrassed, so humiliated that they've all witnessed this. He can't even imagine how you feel.

"I'm sorry you've all had to see that. I, erm, I'm gonna go see Y/N…I don't know if the wedding will carry on. I don't know…it's up to Y/N. I'm sorry." He doesn't know what to say, and he hates how lost he feels.

"Tell her we're sorry too, and that we'd still love to see you both get married if she wants." Jimin says, his best man resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing reassuringly. There are murmurs of agreement from the crowd, and Jungkook wants to cry from the reassurance everyone gives.

Instead, he nods his head and hurries after you. He'd have been confused as to where you'd been taken if it wasn't for your dad standing outside another door. Jungkook feels about 10cm tall as he walks up to him, his shoulders hunching up to his ears as shame flushes through him. It wouldn't surprise him if your dad hit him, even if it had been his mom who'd said everything.

Stopping in front of him, Jungkook opens his mouth to apologise but he's cut off by strong arms pulling him into a hug. It's a little awkward, with Jungkook's hands dangling uselessly.

"I'm sorry." Your dad says, his tone full of compassion and it confuses him.

"Why are you apologising? I should be, I'm so sorry you had to hear that…I-I don't know what," Looking down, he frowns in frustration. "I've kicked her out…of my life too, hopefully."

"It's not your fault, a child isn't responsible for what their parents say, okay? You love my daughter, I know that. She's in with her mum," He states, nodding his head to the door. "I'm sorry this happened, you don't deserve it."

Jungkook's throat tightens, and all he can do is nod before going through the door. It's a small receiving room inside, with a fancy-looking couch taking up most of the space. He doesn't even understand the purpose of this room, but he doesn't care. Not when you're sat on the couch, your dress splayed out around you with your mom sitting beside you, her arm around your shoulders.

His heart breaks again when he sees the tears on your face, and he feels like shouting in anger at his mom once more. But he doesn't, because this isn't about her.

Glancing at your mom, he notes the upset and pain in her eyes and gives her a tiny smile. She stands, moving over and hugging him as well.

"I'm sorry about all this." He can tell there's more she wants to say, but she restrains herself with a glance back at you. Once she's left the room, Jungkook moves over to you and frowns, pressing his lips together before crouching next to you.

You stare blankly at your hands, tear after tear following well-laid tracks down your face. He knew that you'd opted for waterproof makeup, but even that wasn't able to keep up with the amount you were crying. Not to mention whenever you wiped them away.

"Y/N…" He whispered, feeling useless. It was his mom, and he hadn't seen you cry like this before. You'd cried in pain at the loss of your babies twice now, you'd cried at the fact that a year of passively trying had yielded only one miscarriage and nothing else, you'd occasionally cried when you'd got so overwhelmed from stress but never like this.

Never the quiet and defeated way you were crying now, the slump to your shoulders and the pained look in your eyes breaking his heart. He hated that he couldn't fix this immediately.

Kneeling on the floor - he didn't care if he got his rented tuxedo dirty - he reaches out and takes your hand. Your engagement ring is on your right hand for today, waiting for the wedding band that would be placed onto your left ring finger before joining it once more.

"I'm so sorry." He goes to say something else but surprises himself by breaking down. It annoys him that he's crying when you're the one who suffered such horrible insults, but his heart is aching for you and he's so confused and upset.

Pressing his face into the soft fabric of your dress, he lets out a quiet sob.

"Don't cry, please don't cry." You whisper, running your fingers through his hair in that soothing way he loves. He should be comforting you, and he feels annoyed at himself like he's letting his mom win by letting you baby him and comfort him.

"I should've known, I should've pushed back on inviting her. She's never gonna change, she's just so bitter and cruel. She's not the mom I knew." Jungkook says, sniffling as he looks up at you. At the woman he loves so much, he didn't even know it was possible to love like this.

"Maybe she's right," You whisper, your voice so thin and broken, and he doesn't get a chance to refute before you continue speaking. "I love you, and I've never loved someone so much but…I've never really felt worthy of you. I try to push those thoughts aside, but…you know what it's like. When those negative thoughts get in your head and it wiggles in. Sometimes I just look at you and wonder why you're here…why me? You're younger and ridiculously good-looking and in shape, with plenty of money and you're so damn kind and fun. Why me? I never really understood and you always showered me with love so I just ignored it but…everything she said is something I've already hurt myself with by saying before."

He stares at you in horror, and hatred for his mom swirls in his gut. All the shit she'd spouted had been stuff he'd heard before, and he knew that you'd asked yourself it sometimes. You'd even asked him outright on occasion, but hearing the defeated way you agree with his mom leaves him heartbroken.

"No, no don't listen to her. She's just a bitter and hateful woman because she can't control her son anymore and that I won't follow the life she thought I'd have. I don't care about what she said, she's wrong. You're the best thing to happen to me." He pleads, and he genuinely doesn't know how to resolve this. Fighting negative thoughts is a battle that many lose, and he's terrified that you're being forced to confront such awful ones on what should've been such a happy day.

"What if she is right? I mean…I'm already struggling to give you a baby and the problem is more likely to be me than you. You're young and in great shape, whereas I'm older and overweight. What if we can never have kids and it's all because of me? And she's right that you could be with someone younger and prettier, you get hit on all the time and like…what if one of those girls is who you're meant to be with? What if they could give you a baby immediately? You're so…perfect, and I'm not. I know that. People don't think I'm pretty, I'm fat, I don't like wearing makeup, I'm opinionated, I'm older than you, I don't shave all the time-" 

"Stop, stop, please stop," Jungkook begs, his voice breaking as tears fall so fast. "I don't care what my mom thinks, I don't. And I know that's a luxury you can't have, but please…stop telling me what I should think. I don't care what other people think, and I don't want you to put their opinions onto me. I love you, I love everything about you and I love all the bits you don't love. I think you're beautiful, and I genuinely don't care about your weight. If I did, I would've said something or just never approached you. I love that you have opinions and you're willing to say them, it's hot as fuck to me. I love that you're confident enough in yourself to not wear makeup and shave all the time, it doesn't bother me. I've always said that I love the confidence that you have that comes from being older, that you have your life put together and don't have to rely on me,"

"I love your smile, I love your hands, I love your face, I love your laugh, I love your jokes, I love you. And what if I'm the problem? What if I have slow swimmers, or not enough? What if they're weak? Maybe a younger girl would get pregnant instantly, but I don't want that. I want you. If I'm gonna have a baby, then I want it with you. If we never have babies, then as long I'm with you, then it's fine. I love you, and it's killing me that you have these thoughts and you're having to have them on today of all days. Today should be happy, and I'm so sorry that it's not. Please…believe me. I love you." He begs, kissing your fingers as if he's trying to press his feelings into you by force.

Silence falls, and he gets the sense that it's not a negative kind of quiet, but more a contemplative one as you think through what he's said. Being on his knees and begging you to believe his love wasn't what he expected on his wedding day, but then he also hadn't ever expected his mom to show how ugly she is.

Finally, you shift your hands in his until you can cup his cheek. Immediately, he presses into your touch like a sun-starved flower meeting the morning rays of light. He doesn't notice the small smile you give him, doesn't even realise he's closed his eyes at your touch until he hears the sharp exhale of your laugh.

Looking up at you - your dress looks even more beautiful on you this close - he takes in the way your tears have slowed. Taking in a deep breath, a little shakier than it would've been at any other time, you lean forward and lightly kiss him on the forehead.

Before he can even say anything, you're already rubbing away the lipstick mark that had been left and he feels hope spark in his chest once more. You've both been through a lot, and you've done it together. This was just another obstacle, right?

"You're such a good man, Jungkook." You murmur, opening your arms slightly in invitation. He takes it immediately, rising to sit on the couch next to you. A yelp of surprise leaves you as he carefully lifts you onto his lap, a grunt leaving him with the effort and he feels fear flash through him. What if you thought he thought you were too heavy with that noise?

But you giggle, and the noise soothes his worries. 

Wrapping his arms around your waist, Jungkook hugs you as tightly as he can without ruining your dress and presses his head into the space between your neck and shoulder. Breathing in deeply, he takes in the soft scent of your favourite perfume and the lingering smell of your peach body wash, all with the unique smell underneath it all that was just you. 

"I'm not that good. You do complain at me for leaving the empty milk cartons in the fridge, and for not cleaning the sink after I brush my teeth, and for always eating the chips that you wanted, and-" You cut him off with a laugh, kissing him as he smiles at you happily.

"Shut up, you know what I meant." Jungkook grins before nodding, kissing your cheek and making a face at the gross taste of the makeup on it. He doesn't say anything, though, but he notes the way you smile and wipe his lips clean.

"I know, and I don't want you to like…idolise me. But I also don't want you to listen to my asshole of a mom. I kicked her out, by the way. My dad said sorry, I can imagine there's gonna be a big ass fight when they get home and I'm glad. She needs some reality." Pursing his lips, he half wishes he could see his mom get put in her place. At least, he hopes his dad does that.

"He doesn't need to apologise, it's not his fault. Same as it's not your fault." You muse, your gaze lifting before you begin to clean up his hair. He can only assume it's looking a bit rough right now, what with how much he was pulling it outside.

"Will you believe that, too?"

"Why wouldn't I? I invited her to try and build bridges between us both, but she's made her feelings clear. It annoys me that she's made me cry and humiliated us both, but that was what she wanted. So…I'm not over it, I'm definitely not over it. I still want to run away and curl up and cry. I've no doubt that I'm gonna have some depressive relapses now, which I'm totally looking forward to, but her need to be cruel is not my fault, or your fault, or your dad's." Jungkook wonders if it would be too much to fall to his knees and worship you right now.

He's always known that you were level-headed and confident, it was one of the reasons he fell for you. The age difference that sometimes worries you has let you wrangle your inner demons and learn to understand and love yourself, so it doesn't surprise him that you're bouncing back so quickly. It also isn't a shock that you're so pragmatic about your mental health, though he's fully prepared for the tears that will come.

But this level of reasoning, after such a shocking event, is surprising even to him. Your wedding was interrupted by his mom, who proceeded to personally insult you in front of those you love and here you are…less than half an hour later and already laughing with him.

God, if he hadn't loved you before…

"You're amazing, you know that?" Jungkook laughs, leaning back slightly and just marvelling at you. Your makeup is a little ruined, and your dress isn't nearly as neat and pristine as it had been, yet you've never been more beautiful to him.

"Is everyone still out there?" You ask, and he hears the soft tremor you try to keep out. As resilient as you are, you're still a person with feelings at the end of the day, and even he feels uncertain at the thought of going back out to friends and family who will be concerned and shocked.

"Yeah, they are. Or should be. I mean, it's up to you but…they've said they'd love to still see us get married. It's why they're all here, and they're not assholes like my mom. But if you don't feel up to it then…we could do the vows in here, or something? Or…well, we could postpone it, if you wanted." He really, really doesn't want to postpone it. Jungkook had woken up this morning excited to marry you, and the thought of going to bed without your ring on his finger made him feel sad.

Pushing up from his lap, you move over to the door and cross your arms whilst an outraged look paints your face.

"Are you kidding? I'm not postponing our wedding, not unless you want to. Your mom is a bitch, but not even she can make me willing to lose the thousands we've spent on this day. Plus, I really wanna marry you. We're not letting her win, okay? Fuck her." Lifting your chin, you get a distinctly obstinate look on your face and he can't help but laugh.

"Yeah, fuck her. I'll tell everyone and sort it out with the officiant. Do you want me to send Momo in, there's no mirror if you're wanting to touch up or anything." He asks, referring to your best friend and maid of honour who had recently moved closer. While your mascara and eyeliner have done a valiant job of holding up, it's still pretty obvious you've been crying and Jungkook doesn't know enough about makeup to help you fix it up.

Taking a deep breath for stability, you nod and smile at him.

"Yes, please. Give us five minutes or so, and say sorry to the officiant for me, too?"

Moving over to you, Jungkook grins and lightly cups your face in his hands. You smile back at him, and he knows that you'll probably both need to go through some therapy after today but taking control again feels good. Plus, as you said - he wasn't going to let his mom win.

"I love you." He states, before giving you a quick kiss.

"Love you, too. Let everyone know that if someone else does something to ruin today, then I will punch them. And I don't care if I don't know how to hit properly, I've reached the limit of shit I'll take today."

"It's okay, I do know how to hit properly so I'll do it for you."

[alwaysonthemend]

Good Girl | SFK

Author’s Note: Request from the lovely @bizzielisteningtogreta for some dom Sammy. Ask and you shall receive, my friend 🫡 This is unbeta’d so sorry for any mistakes. (I wrote this in one sitting so there’s probably a lot lmao)

Summary: After a night of relentless teasing, Sammy shows you who’s really in charge. 

Content Warnings: Cussing, talk of being drunk, edging, fingering (f. receiving), oral (m. and f. receiving), p in v sex, unprotected sex, dom Sam. 18+ MINORS DNI

Word Count: 3590

Preview: 

“Since you decided to act like a little brat all night, I’m going to treat you like one. And if you’re a good little girl for me, I’ll let you cum. Understood?” 

You nod quickly, excitement and adrenaline coursing through your body. 

“Words.” He says darkly, eyes filled with lust. 

“Yes sir.” You say meekly. 

“Good. Now go up to the bedroom, strip, and wait for me.” 

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

The thing is, you’d been asking for it all night. Sam was always so sweet to everyone, and he rarely got angry or upset – even when his brothers were being particularly annoying. Even in the bedroom, Sam is usually pretty soft – preferring to take his time and treat you “like the princess that you are,” as he often says. But there’s a darker streak in Sammy, brewing under the surface, waiting to be unleashed. And sometimes, you just can’t help but to provoke him in the hopes of getting to him. And tonight you needed it. 

You’d started off pretty simple. The two of you were headed to a dinner party – an important one, where lots of influential executives would be present. It was a fancy event, and so you’d chosen to slip into a little dress that you know always drives Sam crazy. It’s the dress that you had worn on your first date with him, and it definitely carried with it some… pleasant memories of your first night together. You stood in front of your floor length mirror, admiring the way the dress accentuated your curves. You felt beautiful. And Sam was quick to agree with you. 

“You look divine, y/n.” He’d said, slinking up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist. “You know I love this dress.” 

You turned your head and nuzzled into his cheek. 

“I know.” You said simply, before pulling away from him to grab your shoes. You made sure your back was to him as you leaned over, giving him a nice view of your ass. He hummed in approval before leaving to go and grab his keys. 

Your next opportunity arose during dinner. He was sitting next to you, his attention on some manager you didn’t know as the guy was sharing a very boring story about something or other. You reached your hand stealthily towards Sam, thankful that the tablecloth could cover what you were about to do, and placed your hand innocently on his thigh and squeezed. He turned to stare at you sharply, but you turned your head away – pretending not to notice as you asked Josh how his day had been. You couldn’t see Sam, but you could easily imagine the way his eyes were probably narrowing at you. 

Eventually, he looked away and you took the opportunity to slide your hand farther upwards, brushing your fingertips over his clothed dick. You felt him twitch in his pants and he slammed his knee into the underside of the table. You whipped your hand away as everyone turned to stare at him. 

“Sorry, guys.” He muttered, cheeks flaming.

You kept your eyes deliberately pointed away from him the rest of dinner, but you could practically feel the holes his eyes were burning into the side of your head. 

It didn’t take long for yet another chance to tease Sam arose. Danny had suggested that the band head out to a little bar down the road to spend some more relaxed quality time with each other. Life tended to get a little crazy for the boys, and they were often looking forward to getting to spend time with each other in places where things were a little more laid back. 

“Do you want to come with us?” He’d asked as you all rose from the table. 

“Only if you and the guys don’t mind. I wouldn’t want to intrude.” 

Sam smiled, the tension from earlier momentarily forgotten. 

“We’d love for you to come.” He grinned. 

He placed his large hands on your shoulders, sliding behind you to exit the cramped dining area. As he moved, you shifted your hips back into his, sliding your ass against his crotch. 

“Oh sorry, babe!” You said as he jerked back. “I didn’t realize you were trying to get around.” 

You turned from him quickly and began walking towards the door, glancing back for a moment to see him standing there, rooted in place with his jaw hanging open at you. 

“Coming?” You called. 

He shook his head and followed. 

The bar was a smaller place, far more intimate than the snooty restaurant where you’d eaten. It had a lounge area off to the side of the bar equipped with several tables and chairs and pool tables. Danny and Jake were quick to challenge each other to a round, and Josh declared he would play the winner. 

“Wanna play, y/n?” Sam asked, placing his drink down on the table. An idea – a terrible, wonderful idea began to take shape in your head. You slammed back the last of your drink before rising from your seat. 

“Sure! But I haven’t ever really learned how to play.” 

Sam grinned at you. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you.”

The two of you walked over to the other pool table and Sam pulled the triangle off its hook, placing it on the table and gathering up all the balls. You grabbed two sticks off their wrack on the wall and handed one to him. 

“First things first, someone has to break.” He said, rounding the corner of the table and settling into position. He struck the cue ball, sending all of the others rolling in different directions. A striped one sunk into the far right pocket. “And since I got a striped one in, I’ll be aiming for the striped ones for the rest of the game and you’ll be aiming for the solid ones.” 

He walked around the edge and lined his stick up again.

“If you make one in the pocket, you get to keep going until you miss.” 

You nodded, fighting to keep your face straight. 

“What about the black one?” You asked, cocking your head to the side and giving him your best innocent eyes. “Do you win if you get it in one of the pockets?” 

He hit the que again but none went in. 

“Not quite. You only try to sink the black one if you’ve gotten all of the others into a pocket. If you hit it in before that, you automatically lose.” He walked over to stand beside you. 

“Your turn.” 

You lowered yourself, purposefully getting too low and lifting the back end of the pool stick up high. 

“Like this?” 

“Not quite.” He laughed, coming up behind you and pushing the end of the stick down. “You wanna try and keep this as level as possible, otherwise you’ll hit too low on the ball and it won’t go straight.”

You nod and purposefully miss the que. 

“Fuck!” You exclaimed. “Sam, I don’t like this game at all!” You said, turning to face him with a laugh. 

“You’re just mad because you’re not automatically good at it.” He gave you a rueful smile. “Try again.” 

You got into position, again making sure to get too low towards the table. You drew back to try again but Sam stopped you with a hand on your elbow. 

“Wait. Try and straighten your posture a bit. That might help.” 

You shuffled your feet even closer to the table. 

“Like this?” 

“Like this” Sam said and he grabbed your waist and shifted you back slightly. You allowed him to maneuver your body into the proper position. He didn’t move away once you were settled and you took the opportunity to again shove your ass into his crotch, purposefully adding some force to it. Sam let out a choked groan as you struck the que, sinking one of the solids into the pocket. 

“Y/n…” Sam whispered dangerously in your ear, lips just barely grazing your skin. 

“I did it!” You cried, turning to face him in excitement, doing your best to act as though you had no idea what you had just done. Sam’s eyes met yours, ablaze with thinly concealed anger. You walked away from him, lining up to shoot again. You sunk two more balls in a row before missing the third. 

“You already knew how to play pool, didn’t you?” Sam asked, voice strained with frustration and annoyance. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You said as you breezed past him to grab a sip of your drink. 

The game continued on, and everytime it was your turn you made sure to stick your ass out, allowing your dress to ride up on your thighs. You won easily, completely outclassing your distraught boyfriend. 

The night drew to a close with Jake completely drunk off his ass and Josh quickly catching up to him. 

“I guess I should take these two home.” Danny said, coming up to sit beside you as you watched the twins playing a drunken game of pool where neither of them had any chance of actually hitting the cue. Sam was sitting to your left, cooly sipping his drink with his free hand clenched in his lap. 

“Need some help? Josh and Jake are a handful when they’re not totally hammered.”

“Nah, I got ‘em. You and Sam go enjoy a night off.”

“Thanks, Dan.” You say as you rise to give him a hug. “Call if they get too hard to handle.”

“I will.” He laughed before turning to Sam to say goodbye. 

“Hey! Thing 1 and Thing 2!” You call, walking over to the pool table. “Me and Sammy are headed out!” 

Josh and Jake both turn to you, both voicing their disappointment at your departure. 

“Lame. The both of you.” Jake says, capturing you in a side hug. “You guys be good.” 

“Or be good at it.” Josh says, wrapping you in a goodbye hug of his own. He’s always a touchy drunk, and you allow the hug to go on longer than is usually deemed normal. You give him one last squeeze before extracting yourself from his grip. You turn away, only to be met with the angry face of Sam Kiszka. He strides over to you, eyes blazing, and grabs your wrist tightly. 

“Let’s go.” You comply, allowing him to drag you out the door. 

The car ride home is completely silent. Sam stares resolutely ahead, jaw clenched and his grip on the wheel tight. You stare at him a moment, admiring the way his hair frames his face. The moonlight accentuates his jaw, highlighting its sharpness. You look away, clenching your thighs together in anticipation of what’s to come. 

Sam pulls the car into the driveway of the house, and you exit the vehicle quickly. You unlock the door and step inside. As soon as the door closes behind you, Sam slams your back into the wall. You drop the keys and they make a loud clatter that seems deafening in the silence. 

“What in the fuck is wrong with you?” Sam asks through clenched teeth, leaning in close. You can feel his breath on you, he’s so close. 

“What do you mean?” You ask, the tremble in your voice betraying how excited you are.  

“You know exactly what I mean, y/n.” He says, reaching a hand up to rest on your throat. He doesn’t squeeze, but the threat is there if you misbehave even more.  

“First, you wear this damn dress,” he says, eyes raking up your body. “Then, you purposely embarrass me at dinner by pulling that little stunt under the table cloth. A dinner, I might add, that had a lot of very important people.” You whimper as he leans down, pressing his lips to your ear. “And then, you grind your ass into me not once, but twice!” He bites your earlobe lightly, the sting making even more wetness flood between your thighs. “Then,” he says, barely above a whisper, “you and I both know that you lied about not knowing how to play pool. Just so you could tease me even more.” 

“Sammy…” You whimper, your cunt throbbing with need. 

“Don’t “Sammy” me.” He growls, twisting you around and pressing you face first into the wall. “You don’t get to say anything – especially since you decided to top all this off by getting all touchy feely with my brother.” 

You whimper, pushing your hips back into him. You can feel his cock, hard and straining, through the fabric of his pants. 

“Nope.” He says, pulling away from you completely. “Since you decided to act like a little brat all night, I’m going to treat you like one. Then, if – and only if, you’re a good little girl for me, will I let you cum. Understood?” 

You nodded quickly, excitement and adrenaline coursing through your body. 

“Words.” He says darkly, eyes filled with lust. 

“Yes sir.” You say meekly. 

“Good. Now go up to the bedroom, strip, and wait for me.” 

You hastily clammer away from him, taking the stairs quickly up to your shared bedroom. You rip your clothes off before taking a seat on the bed. You wait. You can’t hear anything from downstairs and you wonder what he’s doing. You reposition, lying back against the headboard. Still, he doesn’t come up. You reach your hand between your thighs, seeking to soothe your aching pussy. You circle your clit a few times, eyes closing at the relief. 

“Did I say you could touch yourself?” 

Your eyes snap open and you rip your hand away from yourself. 

“No.” 

He raises an eyebrow at you. 

“No, sir.” 

He walks to the middle of the room and stops. He’s not taken any of his clothes off yet, and you can’t help but wish you could see more of him. He watches you for a moment, drinking in the sight of you all wet and needy. 

“Come here.” 

You rise, and pad over to him softly. 

“On your knees.” 

You do so, chest heaving with anticipation. You look up at him expectantly, but he says nothing. There’s a challenge in his eyes – a look that you rarely get to see on him. He’s waiting to see if you’ll take the bait. You have half a mind to say nothing. But you need him too badly to mess around anymore. 

“Need it, sir.” You say quietly, eyes begging. “Need you to fuck my mouth.” 

Sam smiles wickedly. 

“Well, do it then.” 

You nod and reach your hands up to his zipper slowly. You pull it down and unbutton his pants, sliding them down to his thighs. His cock is tenting his underwear, and you palm it, relishing the heat radiating off him. You slide his underwear down as well, just enough so that his cock springs free. He’s hard as a rock. You wrap your lips around him, sinking down on him as far you can go. Tears spring to your eyes but you don’t pull back. You use your hand to wrap around the base and begin bobbing your head. He groans, throwing his head back in pleasure. Sam reaches down and tangles his hand in your hair – the sting a welcome sensation. He starts off slow, little thrusts of his hips into your mouth. You groan, and the vibrations make him moan loudly. 

“So needy for it, aren’t you?” He asks. “So needy for my cock.” 

He begins to fuck into your mouth fully and your jaw aches with the effort. You flatten your tongue, allowing him to nudge the back of your throat. You swallow around him and he moans your name. 

“Oh fuck.” He says lowly, before pulling his cock from your mouth with a pop, a string of saliva connected his tip to your lips. 

“Get on the bed and spread your legs for me, baby.” He says, pulling his pants and underwear back up. You comply, laying on your back and allowing your knees to fall open. He climbs onto the foot of the bed and sits on his knees between yours. You feel so exposed like this, completely naked while he still has all of his clothes on. But, you would be lying if you said that there wasn’t a part of you that enjoyed feeling so vulnerable. 

“You don’t get to cum unless I say so, y/n.” 

“Yes, Sam.” 

He dives between your thighs, licking a stripe up your pussy, just barely grazing your clit, He presses a heavy arm over your belly, keeping you pinned to the bed. He suckles on your clit, the pleasure so intense it almost hurts. You bite your lip, trying to stifle the moan that wants to rip itself from your throat.

“Don’t hold back, baby. I want to hear all those filthy little noises fall from your mouth.” 

He swirls his tongue expertly around your swollen clit, before plunging it into you. You moan loudly, toes curling in pleasure. You feel your orgasm quickly approaching and you’re tempted to not say a word. But his warning from earlier plays through your mind so you reach down and thread your fingers through his hair. 

“Sammy, stop. I’m gonna cum.” You whine, throwing your head back in agony as he pulls his mouth from you. 

“Good girl.” He says, wiping his mouth. “Deciding to not be a brat for the first time tonight.” He chuckles before swiping his fingers through your folds. 

“You’re so wet, y/n. And all for me.” He brings his finger to his mouth and sucks on it, savoring your sweet taste. 

“Only for you.” You say breathlessly, looking at him nestled between your thighs. 

Without warning, Sam sinks his middle finger into you, the burn quickly turning to pleasure as he pumps in and out of you. Before long, his index finger joins and he brushes your inner walls, finding that sweet spot that always drives you mad. Mewls and whines fall from your lips like prayers. Normally, you might be embarrassed by how desperate you sound, but your need to cum overrides any other thoughts you might have. He brings you to the edge once again, this time sensing it on his own and pulling back. Over and over again, he edges you – bringing you so close before pulling away completely. Your pussy clenches around nothing and you want to sob. You lose count of how many times he brings you to the precipice of falling apart. Tears run down your cheeks and your pussy is throbbing with the need to cum. 

“You’re doing so good for me, y/n. So good. Do you think you deserve to cum yet?” 

“Yes! Please, Sammy. Please.” You moan, hands clenching the sheets at your sides. 

“Ask nicely.” He tells you, his voice thick with his own desire. 

“Please, Sammy. Sir. Please let me cum.” 

“As you wish.” He says, and you could sob with relief. “But you’re gonna cum on my cock. And only after I do.” 

You nod vigorously as he undresses, tossing his clothes onto the floor. His dick is red and pearly drops of precum fall from the head. He slides the blunt tip of his cock through your folds, gathering the wetness there before plunging deep into you. You both moan as he bottoms out. 

“Fuck, you’re so tight, baby. Feels so good around my cock.” 

“Move, Sammy.” You groan, “Please.”

Sam pulls almost completely from you before slamming his hips back into you. He sets a brutal pace, the power of his thrusts pushing you upwards each time. You wrap your legs around him, digging your heels into his back to pull him even closer. His face is flushed and  little breathy moans fall from his lips. You’re completely gone, cock drunk and desperate. Sam’s thrusts grow erratic and sloppy as he pounds into you. Your mind is empty of thoughts other than Sam’s name and desperate little pleas fall from your mouth with every thrust. His brows are clenched together in concentration, cock sliding in and out of you at a relentless pace and you need to cum so bad you want to scream. Sam’s eyes move from your face contorted in pleasure to your sopping cunt. The sight of his cock sliding in and out of you coupled with the desperate whines falling from your lips brings him to the edge. He moans as he finally cums, painting your walls with thick ropes of cum. 

“Fuck. Shit.” He whines and your own orgasm tears through you. You let out a pornographic wail of his name as the pleasure courses through you. You clench around him, causing him to whimper as you milk him for every drop. 

The both of you just lie there for a moment, catching your breath. You’re both sticky with sweat and your releases. 

“You okay, baby?” He asks, slipping out of your abused cunt. “You did so good.” He brings your lips together in a sweet kiss. 

“Holy fuck, yeah.” You say breathlessly.

“Let me go get a towel to clean you up.” He says, rising from the bed. “Can I bring you anything? Food? Water?” 

“Nah, Just come cuddle.” 

He laughs and nods his head before heading into the master bathroom. He emerges a moment later with a damp washcloth and carefully cleans you up. 

“Are you sure I didn’t go too hard?” He says with concern, tossing the washcloth into the hamper. 

You grab his shoulders and pull him towards you, giving him another kiss. 

“I’m sure. Besides, I asked for it.” 

“You could’ve just told me that you wanted it like that, you know. Instead of messing with me all night.” He says, settling into bed beside you. 

“I could’ve.” You said, rolling on your side to face him. You tucked some of his sweaty hair behind his ear. “But where’s the fun in that?”

Sam laughs and shakes his head. 

“You’re a mess, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know. But you love it.”

He smiles softly. 

“Yeah. I do.” 

[nhl-stories]

. – Quinn Hughes

Summary: Ignoring the pain of a break up is a lot easier when you're not best friend's with your ex's brother

Author’s Note: A song title being a period is very annoying for writing, prepare for angst below

Word Count: 4.4k​

Album Series Masterlist

It's been so hard Ever since you broke my heart But I'll never tell Honey, I'm not doing so well

It’s like a rite of passage to get a crush on your friend’s older sibling. There’s some sort of forbidden love chemical that goes off in your brain and you just can’t help it.

You never expect anything to happen with it, maybe some embarrassing moments of staring or a few ridiculous confessions in a diary, but nothing more.

Lux wishes her crush could have been more aptly named, and the puppy love had been squashed before anything actually happened.

“Can I get into my house and wash the car off of me before you start bothering me,” Lux tries to sidestep Jack who’s sitting on her porch.

After a five-hour drive, the last thing she needs is to deal with a needy Jack. She’s physically exhausted and doesn’t feel like becoming emotionally exhausted on top of it.

“No, you ignored my texts.”

“Gee, I wonder why,” she rolls her eyes.

She tries using her suitcase to box him out and make it to the door, but of course he’s faster than her and grabs her ankle pulling her down onto the porch into a heap. She sits up with a huff, but can’t help but notice how serious Jack looks.

“Are you gonna ignore me all summer? Because you graduate next year and you may never get a summer off again!”

“You can’t expect me to just happily go hang out at the lake all summer.”

“She’s only gonna be there for like two weeks, she has a job to go back to,” he says it like it’s a selling point.

“You know it’s not just about her, but since I can already see you’re not going to stop unless I say yes, I’ll see you in two weeks,” she tries to escape again, but Jack grabs her wrist.

“Luxy, please come to the party this weekend, my mom would love to see you,” she wants to kick him for playing the mom card, “and I’ll even drive you home so you don’t have to spend the night.”

She narrows her eyes, “Yeah right, you’ll get drunk and then I’ll be held captive in the house of testosterone.”

Jack’s eyes dart around because he can’t deny the possibility of that happening.

“Don’t let Quinn ruin our summer fun,” he settles on that dagger.

“Fine,” she caves and Jack does a fist pump in response, “but you have to stay here for dinner because my mom keeps peeking through the curtain and she’ll be pissed if you leave.”

Lux wouldn’t be in the position if she had never befriended Jack in the first place. Or as she usually referred to it, Jack begrudgingly endeared himself to her.

It had started in middle school, when Jack had chosen drama class as his art elective and of course Lux had gotten assigned as his scene partner for the semester. It was the classic partnering of the ‘class disruption’ with the ‘class delight’ in hopes they’d balance each other out.

Jack was loud and brash and loved to rile up Lux, making fun of the way her cheeks would burn red in exasperation. Lux was the quiet girl in class, but one on one she could hold her own with an acid tongue that could easily rattle Jack’s demeanor. Their teacher thought she couldn’t have made a better pair.

The first time Lux went to Hughes’ house to practice lines, she fell in love.

Quinn was only a couple years older but with her tween brain rotting with hormones; Lux thought she was seeing a man for the first time, when she was always surrounded by mere boys.

Lux decided being Jack’s friend was something she needed in her life, if only for the proximity to her new crush. And when Ellen learned Lux was good in science, she recruited her to tutor Jack and the girl became ingrained in the family’s life.

For Lux and Jack their friendship grew to be a nice escape from usual social circles; a comfortable space where there were no expectations to act or talk or think a certain way.

And Lux got the extra benefit of secretly glancing at Quinn. Sure, her mouth turned to sand when he would merely say hi, or her face cherry red when she had even the slightest physical contact with him. Even if was just ruffling her hair in an older brother sort of way. But it all felt worth it for those miniscule interactions.

It was the one thing Jack never made fun of her for, maybe he thought it would fade away over time, like all of his crushes. But it never fully disappeared, even when she dated boys in her own grade, her heart held a special place for Quinn.

And against the odds something happened.

Lux went to Michigan for a college visit and Quinn offered to show her around a little.

“I can even give you a non-parent approved tour,” he had joked.

It was the first time they had spent any time alone, and something just clicked. They laughed at the same jokes, especially at Jack’s expense, talked about their futures even when Quinn’s was clearly more set in stone than Lux’s. By the end of the visit, they didn’t want to stop talking. So, they didn’t.

Texting went from occasionally, to daily. Texting turned to phone calls. Phone calls turned into visits to Quinn’s dorm to hang out and help him study.

Neither made a move for a long time. Lux, because she was worried that she might be reading too much into it. Quinn because she was still in high school and one of Jack’s friends.

Nothing happened until Jack’s graduation party. Jack was preoccupied with his other friends from hockey as they talked about the upcoming draft. And Lux was about to duck out to go to another friend’s party after she finished a piece of cake.

“Congrats valedictorian,” Quinn says, of course, while Lux has a mouthful of cake.

“Congrats on dropping out of college,” she laughs, hoping her wit covers up her nerves.

“Ouch.”

“Sorry, I spend too much time with Jack and that means keeping his ego in check.”

“The world thanks you for that,” they both laugh.

There’s a long silence, Lux fills it with finishing her cake before she gathers some courage.

“I was going to head out to another party, want to come with?”

They never made it to the party; they ended up pulling into a parking lot and making out. It was a start of a summer romance, something to enjoy before Quinn went to Vancouver and Lux to Northwestern. It was a bonus making Jack constantly annoyed by their PDA.

The summer ended and they didn’t, a long distant relationship tided over by games in Chicago, spring breaks, and summers off.

Things were great. And then they weren’t. And then they were over.

It’s been months since the breakup, but the wound is still fresh for Lux. Her grades started slipping in the last semester, she began losing weight in the bad kind of way, she stopped going out with her friends as much.

Lux wishes she was doing better. Not to show Quinn, who already had a new girlfriend, up.  Rather, to prove to him (or maybe herself) that her world didn’t end when he ended things. Most days it felt like it had.

She checks her rearview mirror for the thousandth time to make sure she looks well-rested and her eyes aren’t puffy and red from crying on the way over.

“You can do this, there will be other people and you don’t have to talk to him more than hello,” she gives herself a pep talk.

After another deep breath she gets out of her car, grabbing her overnight bag because deep down she knows she’ll end up staying.

She lets herself into the house like normal, and is surprised by how quiet it is. She walks further into the house and finds Ellen in the kitchen chopping fruit.

“Lux, it’s so good to see you!” She puts down the knife and engulfs the girl in hug, “I’m glad someone’s here to help keep them out of trouble.”

Lux follows her eyes to where a group of man-children are outside.

“That’s a lot to ask of one person,” she chuckles before meandering around the kitchen island to avoid going outside, “do you need any help?”

Ellen’s eyes soften giving Lux a sad smile before pulling her into another hug.

“I know it’s hard sweetie, but it’s going to be okay,” she squeezes her once more, “and there’s some veggies you can cut.”

Lux can’t help but notice how at home she feels here, she knows where everything is like it’s her own place, which last summer it sort of had been. She had helped the boys move in and decorate and organize.

“How’s school? Your mom tells me you’re taking the MCATs next?”

“I’m taking them, but I don’t know if I want medical school or grad school or what,” she doesn’t mention that her breakup with Quinn has her second guessing every life choice.

 “My dad thinks I should take a year off to figure it out."

"That’s not a terrible idea, you work too hard.”

“Luxy!”

“Lukey!” She laughs at the lanky teen and pulls him into a hug, “Do they feed not feed you at college? You’re all bones.”

She thinks she hears Luke mumble under his breath, “I could say the same about you,” but Ellen speaks up before she can dwell.

“He’s like a bottomless pit, we’re banishing him to Jack and Quinn’s cause he’s eating us out of house and home,” Ellen laughs from the counter.

“Good call, they got that NHL money now.”

“Why didn’t you come out and say hi?” Jack calls out when he and the boys start entering the house.

“Because I’m a polite house guest and I'm helping your mom with food,” she stabs the knife in the air to make her point.

Jack comes over and gives her a hug and a spin.

“Glad you actually came,” he whispers as he sets her down.

Some of the other boys from the National program come and give her hugs, they were never close friends but friends by proximity.

The back door opens again and Quinn comes in, hair wet from the lake and leading an equally wet girl by the waist. She knew she would see them but it doesn’t stop her heart from deflating a bit.

Lux can already picture how Quinn picked her up and jumped in the lake with her, then kissing her when they resurfaced until she wasn't mad anymore. Maybe they'd gotten more handsy under the water, until one of the guys called them out and they separated a little flustered but not enough to completely detach.

Lux knows from experience.

She feels a pinch on her side removing her from conjuring her own nightmares, “Lux, I said why didn’t I see you at my last game in Chicago?”

She looks over and blushes, embarrassed she’s been caught, she tries to pull it together before she gets any sad eyes. She’s sick of the pity everyone has been giving her.

“I had finals Z,” she rolls her eyes at Trevor.

Lux knows Z only invites her with hopes she’ll bring a cute friend with her.

“And this goes for all of you stop giving me tickets to Chicago games, I don’t care about hockey or you guys enough to go every time. I barely want to go see Jack and he only plays the Hawks like twice a year.”

She tries to ignore the fact that Quinn is standing by the island now, wrapping a towel around the new girl's shoulders while looking towards Lux.

“What about me? We went to prom together!” Cole says with fake offense.

“You only asked me because I make you look tall!”

She hates how comfortable she feels, laughing with the boys and making fun of them. Then she makes the mistake of making eye contact with Quinn’s new girl.

“Hi we haven’t met, I’m Samantha. I’m Quinn’s girlfriend,” she gives a shy wave.

To everyone’s credit they act remarkably chill about the moment, pretending there’s nothing out of the ordinary.

“I’m Lux.”

“Oh, you’re Jack’s girlfriend, he won’t shut up about you,” she smiles brightly.

Lux and Jack can’t help but let out loud, awkward laughs at the same time. Nothing has ever sounded more ridiculous.

“Jack and Lux no way,” Trevor starts to open his big mouth, “it’s Lux and–“

Lux elbows him in the ribs.

“It’s Lux and me all the way,” he puts an arm around her shoulder, “Or at least it will be when she moves to LA.”

“LA?” Quinn speaks up for the first time.

“I looked at some schools down there, it’s a maybe.”

She shrugs like it’s no big deal but feels a little smug that Quinn is so curious.

“I’m still lobbying for Princeton or Columbia,” Jack says.

“Just what Lux needs, you within driving distance all year round,” Ellen chides her middle son, “Quinn why don’t you start grilling the hamburgers.”

Quinn and Ellen head outside carrying some food supplies. Samantha thinks about staying for a second but everyone else must have a weird fake smile like Lux, because she mirrors the smile before following her boyfriend outside.

As soon as the door shuts behind her, Lux pinches Trevor on the shoulder where she can tell a sunburn is coming in.

“Ow fuck!”

“What the hell was that?”

“I wanted to help out, make Quinny jealous,” Lux furrows her brows at him, “It was working for a bit.”

“Did I ask for your help?”

“No, but you looked like you could use a win,” he shrugs.

She looks around at the other guys, they aren’t really making eye contact. She realizes she doesn’t just feel like a pathetic loser, she must look like one too.

She picks up the vegetables she sliced and carries them outside, determined to show them that she’s not broken. Even if that’s not true.

People start trickling in and it starts to become a real party. She mingles with some girls she’s met in previous summers who live in cabins nearby. She even talks to Samantha when she looks a little lost as people start interrogating Quinn about hockey.

In another life Lux and Samantha would be great friends. Lux hates her a little for that. And she drinks a little too much in response.

A haze fills her peripherals, she’s wobbly on her feet but not quite to the level of falling over or getting sick.

“Quinny!” Lux and Samantha say in the same tone when he comes by with a cup of water handing it over to his girlfriend like he used to do for Lux.

“Why didn’t you tell me how great Lux was?” Samantha says a bit too loud and too fast, “I would have made my plans to overlap with her more.”

Quinn awkwardly laughs and raises an eyebrow to Lux.

“What can I say? I’m very lovable. You know that Q,” she feels herself try to wink, but it’s not quite right.

“Luxy come be my pong partner, I need someone to drink for me,” Luke helps the girl out of the chair, he’s not allowed to heavily drink while his parents are around.

“I don’t think she needs to drink more,” Quinn warns.

“That’s none of your business anymore Quinn,” Lux says with a sharper tone than she realizes she’s capable of.

Luke is extra good at pong because he’s practically sober, while their opponents are on par with Lux. Which means there’s not much drinking to be done on Lux’s part. She can feel herself sobering up and she hates it. She hates it even more when she sees Quinn and Samantha making out by the fire pit.

“I don’t feel well,” she mumbles but Luke hears her.

“Want me to take you home?”

She looks over to see Jack didn’t hold up his end of the bargain and is too drunk to drive her home. She’s probably good to drive herself but she thinks she might drive herself into the lake on purpose.

“Um– no. I drove so it will be a whole thing with my car. I’m– I’ll just– I’ll find somewhere to lie down.”

“You can sleep in my room if you want.”

She’s silent for too long thinking about what to do, she should just go home. Ask Ellen for a ride. Anything to get away from here. She could just sleep in her car.

Instead of doing anything she pulls Luke into a hug, he wraps his arms around her. It’s like he’s holding her together.

“Whoa, are you trying to collect Hughes brothers?” Jack says loudly from across the lawn, he’s too drunk to realize it’s not exactly a funny joke.

Everyone knows what he means, Lux whips her head towards Quinn and Samantha.  She looks thoroughly clueless, but Quinn is fuming.

Lux runs into the house, she doesn’t care if she cockblocks Jack or makes him sleep on the couch, she takes his room and buries herself under the covers and sobs.

She didn’t prove to anyone that she’s doing well.

The next morning her head hurts and she can’t tell if it’s from drinking or crying too much. Jack is snoring in a makeshift bed he made on the floor, she thinks about kicking him in the ribs on her way out.

No one is up when she makes her getaway.

The next time she goes to the lake house is by accident.

She’s out with some friends from high school who go to Michigan. They start out with brunch and it spirals out of control from there.

They’re out getting pizza, all on wobbly, baby deer legs, and deciding where to go next when her friend Kylie’s fiancé comes to pick her up.

“Refueling for round two?” He laughs at the group and tries to gather Kylie.

“More like round three,” Kylie giggles and tries to plant a kiss and misses leaving a sloppy, wet kiss on his neck.

Lux and her other friends ‘aww’ at that even though it’s definitely not cute and more embarrassing.

“And you’re you sure you guys want to continue on?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Lux gives him a thumbs up.

She isn’t entirely wrong, they make it to the next bar with little issue, though maybe the bartender shouldn’t serve them at this point.

They’re talking about planning Kylie’s bachelorette party in the way drunk girls do, too elaborate to actually be executed.

The conversation switches to their current love lives, which is not exactly the topic Lux wants to broach. At least when it comes to herself. She tries to keep the spotlight off her and that works for the most part, it’s nice to hear about her friends falling in love and their bad hookups.

“What the fuck Lux? I’ve been waiting outside for 10 minutes.”

Jack is standing over the table trying his best to look mad, but having a hard time with the four girls staring up at him in a drunken stupor.

“This a is girls’ night, you’re not invited!” Lux slurs and takes a sip through her straw, going back to her friends.

“You texted me an SOS,” he thinks for a second, “or it seemed like it cause you texted me gibberish followed by your location pin, so I thought you needed rescuing.”

“Well, you can see I’m fine so see you later,” she waves him off and her friends laugh.

“Not happening, I haven’t seen you in weeks and I drove all the way here, you’re coming with me.”

He leans forward to grab her arm only to be assaulted by a chorus of ‘nos,’ so he backs off for a bit, reaching for his wallet and taking out a few bills.

“Next round is on me.”

“She’s all yours Jacky boy,” her friend Ashley winks and grabs the cash.

“Traitor,” Lux sticks out her tongue as Jack helps her out of the booth.

“If a Hughes is gonna take you home, we’re glad it’s him,” Ashley makes a stern face, “tell Q he sucks for us.”

“Quinn doesn’t suck,” Lux says protectively, like he’s hers to protect.

“I’ll happily tell him Ash,” Jack cuts in before anyone picks at that scab anymore, “C’mon Luxy I’ll buy you some pizza.”

She reluctantly goes, blowing kisses to her friends. Jack helps her get into the car and she splays out in her seat.

And that’s how she accidentally ends up at the lake house.

“This isn’t my house?” She mumbles through a mouthful of pizza that she snuck during the drive.

“Obviously, if I have to kidnap you to hang out,so be it.”

Lux rolls her eyes, she’s too hungry and getting too sleepy to argue so she just gets out of the car, carefully because she can’t lose any precious pizza.

“Pizza delivery!” Lux yells out and makes a beeline to the fridge taking out a drink.

“Should you really be drinking more?”

“My knight and shining armor brought me to safety,” she ungracefully rubs a hand across Jack’s face, “so I might as well stay this drunk until I fall asleep.”

Jack jokingly puts a hand on her face and grabs the drink out of her hand, “then let me catch up with you a bit first.”

That’s when Quinn and Luke come into the kitchen, with Jack and Lux awkwardly holding each other’s faces.

“Girls’ night?” Quinn smirks, having been on the other side of that hand many times.

“Oh, I thought Lux was settling for the worst Hughes brother,” Luke laughs and Quinn kicks his shin.

“Lux would be so lucky,” Jack grabs a piece of pizza.

“And there would be a murder-suicide,” Quinn rolls his eyes.

If Lux was sober, she would be able to appreciate the normalcy of this moment.

“Lux can hear you and Lux,” she forgets her point for a moment, ”Lux is drunk and over Hughes brothers. Do the Tkachuks need a new friend? They even have a sister it’d be a better fit.”

“I can put a good word in for you with Brady,” Quinn snickers at the drunken rambling.

Lux grins at him and even through her drunken haze her heart does a little flip, this is what it feels like to be with her Quinn.

“Let’s get you to bed before you really embarrass yourself.”

Jack hooks an arm around her shoulder. Lux is smart enough to know what he’s implying, that’s not her Quinn anymore and she’s inebriated enough to say something she regrets. Jack won’t let that happen on his watch.

“There’s even a guest room with your name on it.”

Jack gives her some clothes to wear and tucks her into her bed.

“I know I’m your favorite Hughes,” he kisses her forehead.

“Yeah, but don’t tell anyone, it’s really embarrassing.”

Lux wakes up an hour later desperately needing to pee, she scrambles out of bed only to realize she’s still heavily under the influence. She tries to wanders the hallway in the dark, pretty sure she’s familiar enough with the layout to find her way.

She’s wrong.

Opening a door she walks into Quinn’s room, who’s just walking out of his ensuite bathroom toweling his hair, naked.

“Oh god, I’m sorry,” she slaps a hand over her eyes, “I was looking for the bathroom and this is the one I’ve used the most.”

He lightly chuckles, “it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

“That’s true,” she opens a crack between her fingers and peeks through.

“That wasn’t an invitation to look Lux,” he tinges pink before thumbing towards the open door, “bathroom’s free.”

“Oh right, I’ll be a second then out of your hair.”

When she comes back out, Quinn is sitting on his bed, the side that used to be hers. She can feel hot tears boiling in her eyes and tries to make a quick exit.

She trips over nothing, her faculties still not her own, and finds herself flopping her legs out and leaning against his dresser. Admitting defeat and letting herself cry.

“You okay?” Quinn gets up and takes a seat on the floor next to her.

“I’m sorry.”

“For falling down?”

“No for us. I’m sorry I cut you out and didn’t tell you how I felt and was just a shitty girlfriend.”

“You weren’t a shitty girlfriend.”

He wraps an arm around her shoulder, Lux flinches at the contact before relaxing into the familiar warmth.

“I didn’t know what I wanted and I let get in the way of a good thing,” she kicks her legs like a kid having a tantrum.

“You’re 21, unlike the weirdo Hughes brothers it’s pretty normal to not know what you want Lux.”

He gives her a little squeeze, “I also think us not being in the same city or even country for almost our whole relationship didn’t really help either.”

They sit in silence after that, they’ve always been good at reveling in a quiet moment.

But his hand is so warm on her arm and Lux can’t revel, she can’t hope, she can’t pretend that there’s more to this than just Quinn being nice. And that means fighting her drunken thoughts that are telling her to kiss him or tell him she loves him.

“Samantha seems nice.”

“Yeah?” He looks towards her, trying to hold back a smile as they make eye contact for the first time.

“And it’s nice to see you so happy, I like happy Quinn.”

“I like happy Lux; I have a feeling she hasn’t been around much.”

“No,” she squeaks out, trying to keep the dam of tears together, it doesn’t work for long.

“I’m not dealing with the breakup as well as you.”

“It’s okay,” he pulls her into his chest and lets her cry.

“I’m dealing with it a lot better than I thought I would, and I’m the one who broke up with you,” his voice sounds pinched but Lux doesn’t dare look, “and you’re gonna be okay, I’m not that great.”

Lux gives him a little slap at that comment.

“When you do finally figure out what you want, there’s going to be no stopping you.”

Lux pulls back and kisses the corner of his mouth. There’s no romance in it; it’s a goodbye to what they were.

“I wish we could have worked out, but I guess I’m dodging a bullet by not becoming a Hughes,” she lets out a laugh.

“There’s the Lux, I know,” they’re both grinning like idiots.

He gives her hand one last squeeze as she leaves, hands slowly parting until they’re too far away to touch. It doesn’t fix everything, her heart isn’t completely welded back together, but it’s a start.

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

Sorry, Wrong Comms! : Hunter x Medic!Reader [Chapter 4]

Gif chosen for the bandages on his left shoulder just like in the fic, but he’d have to lose the top to be more fic-accurate lol

Warnings & Information: Intended audience is 13+ (18 if you squint.) Star Wars and real world swearing. More lighthearted chapter than 3. Tryin' real hard to avoid certain fanon characterizations of the Batchers. This whole series is absolutely RIFE with my personal headcanons. Chapter mentions use of "bastardized-Mando'a" for the purpose of having a secret conversation, but translatable words are used. References to medical paraphernalia: stitches, bacta, etcetera. Hunter is strongly implied to be shirtless for the whole chapter. References to medical and recreational drugs. [It took me an embarrassingly long time to finally understand what "spice" was often slang for. There's so much lore to keep track of lmao.] Medic!Reader is invited to have dinner with the Batchers. Hurt and comfort in various forms take place. Brief implications of Medic!Reader having her own bad memories of war and related injuries but it's kept vague. Brief, strong implications of the brothers' having PTSD tendencies. Chapter ends on a light note, I promise.

Word-count: 6,360

Fwreep! Fwreep! Fwre-

"Hush, you." [____] scolded her equipment, mashing the button to silence the alert. She was tired, the inevitable adrenaline crash had finally taken hold and she wanted to do little else than jump into a short shower cycle and then hit the spare cot for fifteen minutes or so in the cramped back room of her clinic that served as an office, chemical lab (and a panic room in the worst cases back when she dealt with the pirates). Hunter had been saved, scanned, sent home about three and a half hours ago, and put on a strict regimen of rest and a short course of antiemetics, painkillers and sleeping aids once the transfusion was completed and he'd had half a carton of jogan juice for his blood sugar levels. 

After they had gone home so Hunter could get some rest (and told he should have some type of lean red meat or eggs if he felt he could eat something), [____] had decided she might as well open the clinic to the public for the rest of the day, even as tired as she now was.

She just had to wait another minute for the analysis to finalize for an elderly Kel Dor client, and then she could have a half-hour on that thin, stiff mattress before she'd have the energy to make it through the last two hours of business and then make her way home. She'd wash up then, she told herself. Better water pressure and the perfect temperature settings waiting for her. Yeah… that sounded nice. Maker, she was so tired, but the energy spent to save Hunter had been well worth it. The analysis looked good enough and passable for the Kel Dor's health to visit their native planet, so she made a note to send a message in the morning, mind otherwise occupied with the events aboard the Marauder; she and the second skin of bacta she slathered on the sergeant had likely found everything. Hunter would be fine. His brothers and sister were going to take good care of him. 

She'd done a good job, ignoring the rookie mistakes. He was probably, hopefully resting now. She could probably do the same and allow herself to sleep were it not for a comlink and a single three-syllable chirp shortly after she hit the cot and closed her eyes, tugging a blanket just up to her shoulder. 

Oh, stars: that was Omega's calling-quirk. 

She sat up slightly, elbow bent at a lazy angle to prop herself up just enough to keep her head off the pillow. Keep herself from falling asleep. "Omega? What's the matter?" 

"Hunter recently woke up from his nap and won't take the medicine." 

Perhaps selfishly, [____] tried shifting the burden of help to someone else, not quite yet pulling the thin, scratchy blanket from around her body as she sat up a bit more. Maybe Omega was having a little difficulty doing this on her own and just called her on the comlink in a panic. "Can you get Tech to do it, hun?" Tech had it handled, she was sure. Maybe Omega just needed a little advice and then she could have a thirty minute snooze. No such luck.

"Tech already tried…" Omega's voice was in a high whine, unassured. "Hunter wouldn't listen to him."

The blanket was now off and she was fully upright. Would asking Crosshair and all his occasional stubbornness be worth stressing Hunter? No, not a good idea. Could Wrecker be persuaded to make a brief show of strength to encourage Hunter to take the medicine under his own power? Unlikely. Echo… well, she could hear the ARC's voice in a rumble of speech with or to Hunter, but couldn't pick out any words. He was probably trying to bargain with their leader, if [____] had to make a guess. Talk sense into him. Something. She didn't know why Hunter wasn't taking the medicine, she realized. And now it'd just be easier to go and see why for herself; her concern and curiosity and sense of duty to her profession was too high to ignore now. Maybe there was something she missed… something that was hurting Hunter that she hadn't yet treated? Some means of comfort she didn't yet provide?

"I'll be there soon." 

Memories of that night a week ago were coming back to her: Cross opened the blastdoor for her when she reached the stoop. She squeezed inside past him. He offered her a blue ration bar and glass of water (citing that Tech had taken notice of (and kindly cleaned up for her) the hastily abandoned stew, meaning she'd never finished lunch). He'd be waiting for her in the common room.

She made her way to the common room, uncertain what she would find.

Hunter was collapsed slightly spread-eagle into the furniture, half dressed, and looking clammy and miserable. The position could have been described as lordly if he didn't look so unwell. There was a faraway look in his eyes under bunched brows and the light rasp of his breath. The medicine she'd given him aboard the Marauder had likely begun to wear off (he likely metabolized it differently due to his genetic profile, something she hadn't gotten around to asking Tech about and merely theorized) and the now-late dosage of the prescribed coursework was set on the low table, waiting. He was probably beginning to feel the pain and didn't seem to realize she was there.

Omega rushed the medic in a flash from some unknown area of their housing, dashing across the room in great relief. "[____]! You're here!"

Wrapping her arms around the youngster, the urgent hug was returned with warmth and comfort. Reassurance. "Hey-hey, easy sweetie. It's okay. I'm here to help as long as Hunter needs me." 

"What about your clinic since you decided to open for a part of the day? These are still your standard hours of operation-" Tech checked his statement against information on his datapad, forgoing a greeting and expressing some of his concerns, which didn't bother the shared friend of the Batch, "- so do you have any kind of proper signage that you are not available to potential patients now that you're back on the planet?" 

"Heh… yes, Tech, I made sure to turn on my sign that I'm on a house-call. Don't worry. I didn't forget this time, so there won't be any negative reviews to scrub from the Holonet tonight." She let go of Omega, grabbing a little penlight and the medicine canisters from the table, asking for Echo to start dimming half of the overhead lights for her so Hunter would no longer have to squint.

"I-I've done no such thing, [____]," Tech offered unconvincingly, the usual crisp eloquence of his voice faltering. "That would be-"

She hardly ever interrupted Tech, but for once it couldn't be helped; her laugh was light and bubbly, catching him by surprise. "You know that I know, Tech. It's okay. Now… let's see if we can't find a way to get Hunter to take his medicine now that I'm here. Thanks for the water, Cross. Just set the ration bar in my bag for now, please. Since you guys put all his medicine on the table I just need to make sure I've picked up the right two…" she flicked the portable light source over the labels of the medicine, the painkiller and anti-emetic. "yup- perfect. Just what I need." 

"Who's tha'? ...a-ad'ika?" Hunter mumbled drowsily, wincing in the soft halo of light from the thin cylindrical device in her hand. Before setting it down, she turned off the light and began pinching open the blister-packaging to the painkiller. "Sorry; hey, it's me, big guy. A little someone tells me we're not taking our medicine. What's going on, Hunter? Pain medication wearing off? Queasy?" He was looking a little disoriented and confused, fresh out of a restless sleep typical of the medicines she'd administered. "No, jus'... not really? Oh, [____]... Wh-when did y'get here?" 

Hunter's confused and woozy smile was to be expected, the medicine cocktails tended to alter one's demeanor and awareness, but stars, if it wasn't at least a little cute seeing him perk up like this at the sight of her. He looked so deliriously delighted once he realized who it was. "Not too long ago. Came because Omega made it sound like everyone needed a little help with you and I wanted to see how I could help."

"Oh…" Hunter started, sounding surprised.

"Shh, take it easy-" She pushed back on his chest carefully, avoiding the large patch of gauze and stitching hidden underneath it, and Hunter realized he had been trying to get up; her hand burned with the coldness of her clinic against his warm, bare skin. The chill felt so welcome against the almost uncomfortable warmth he was feeling - it's why he'd peeled himself out of the top half of his blacks no matter how many times Crosshair dressed and redressed him. Was it the start of fever? Or simply just more side effects of the good doctor's medicine? His senses simply just overstimulated? Why did keeping on his top matter so much regarding ifs about popping a stitch with them uncovered or not: [____] was just a comlink away to come and take care of it. She was a good baar'ur… anyone would be lucky to have someone as sweet as her for a medic.

A sweet, lovely woman… Good and kind [____]. 

"Take it easy, Hunter… let's have one of your brothers help you if you want to sit up before you take your medicine. You're pretty out of it, still, have to be gentle with your movement, okay?" 

Hunter obliged obediently, just looking at her and Crosshair as he stepped around one of the other brothers to come closer. Mostly [____]. "Are you saying Hunter's stoned?" Crosshair mused lazily, a smile dragging in those words over the doctor's shoulder before he lifted the upper half of Hunter's body from the backrest of the furniture by his armpits. Cross was kind and said nothing about the bit of sweat that his hands came away with once Hunter was sitting up. (He'd tease his brother for looking so gross when they had company over when he was feeling better another time, perhaps.) 

"Sedated would be more accurate, medically speaking… but yeah, I guess it does rather look a lot like being stoned. Doesn't look like we're getting much free entertainment like some Weequay pilots who told me they used a little too much spices in their cooking about fifteen rotations ago, though." There were some stifled chuckles from Tech, Echo and Cross around her, and Wrecker boomed with unabashed laughter, to her great confusion. She didn't think her light teasing of the semi-stoic sergeant was that funny. "W-what's so funny, boys?"

Crosshair burst the bubble for their friend, careful not to roll his eyes in a way that made it appear like annoyance of her naïvety. "Those pilots weren't talking about culinary spices, doll. Spice pirates deal in drugs. They probably pulled one of the oldest tricks in the book: lying to the medic about what kind of spices they put in the spice-cookie. It's slang."

[____] just blinked stupidly up at the stoic marksman. "R-really?" Was he messing with her? He didn't look like he was messing with her. (Was he messing with her and just had the galaxy's best poker face?) "You're… b-being serious with me, right?" Crosshair nodded plainly.

"Did you really not know?" Tech asked incredulously. 

"N-no! I thought it was exotic or illegal ingredients this whole kriffing time…" she admitted, feeling so foolish. This whole time she thought spice smugglers dealt in illegal and rare or unusual culinary ingredients. Stars, how embarrassing! 

"Well… if it makes you feel any better, maybe there are pirates out there who are carrying food spices across the galaxy. Yuh never know." Wrecker offered, giving Tech a pointed look when he had put up a finger to say something on that in that clipped voice of his. "Maybe, uh… m-maybe they're like supply runners! Getting spices from someone's homeworld tha' they can't find anywhere else when they feel homesick. A taste of home does someone some good." The idea of it sounded kinda sweet when Wrecker put it like that, something he was good at. He was always so good at trying to find ways to cheer up one of his brothers before they took Omega in as one of their own, and since she'd joined their fold, he'd gotten better at it, according to Crosshair's admittance in-confidence some time ago. (But if the medic told anyone he said that, Cross warned her he would likely deny it if only to spur on his bigger brother to try to refine the quality even further.)

Finally turning her attention back to Hunter, who had been sitting up with just a slight wobble in the last few minutes, [____] emptied the packet into the palm of her hand, producing two pearlescent blue pills that would keep the pain's edge dull and nipping at his heels with puppy teeth instead of fangs. "Here, let's start with the painkillers first. Unless you want to take the anti-emetic so you don't risk feeling like you're about to waste the oral painkillers."

Hunter looked mildly panicked about that possibility, the richness of his warm eyes lost in a worry he hadn't considered until now. The guilt, the embarrassment, for throwing up in Cross's arms before they had made it to the clinic flared up yet again. "The e-emetic…" 

"Okay, we'll take the anti-emetic instead then. Probably should have started with it first anyways. Here… let's get this one open and ready for ya." Speaking soothingly, [____] tucked the pearlescent medicine back into its torn packaging and picked up the other, keeping her voice within that casual cadence. "Just have to let this one dissolve under your tongue; like the melt-away I gave Omega." Distrustful or disgusted looks regarding the thin off-white tablet fell away quickly, and the leader of Clone Force 99 took the prescription item from the medic and tucked it under the fleshy muscle as demonstrated. "Good, just like that. Shouldn't take long to dissolve under your tongue, then we can try these to keep that pain under control." 

"Tas'es funny…" Hunter mumbled carefully, afraid to disturb the dissolving puddle of moistened powder sitting under his tongue. She picked the datapad off her belt clip, glancing over the prescribed coursework for something. "Ah, let's see here… Not a big fan of the candy-like flavoring? I'm afraid it was the only one I had available to prescribe for the time, sorry Hunter. If you don't like it, I'll make a note to avoid it in the future." 

Hunter started to shrug, but felt the stitching on his left shoulder begin to tug unpleasantly with the motion and quickly abandoned that. "Mmp… 's  fine…" It wasn't that bad, he could tolerate it - he didn't want to trouble her over something trivial after everything else. [____] delicately pecked her fingers along the screen of her datapad for just a moment longer, and then clipped it back to her belt without a word, picking up the painkillers and gingerly planting them into his palm. He was quickly stopped by her clamping her free hand above his when he began to pull it back as she reached behind her and grabbed the glass Crosshair had gotten from the kitchen for her to take a small swig of water. "...whu's wrong?" 

"Maybe don't dry-swallow those; they're a rapid dissolve formula. Here… borrow some of my water." [____] held the cup she just drank from out to him, and both carefully ignored Crosshair's teasing quip about indirect kissing when Hunter carefully swallowed down the pair of pills with just enough water. Taking the cup back, she and Cross helped Hunter settle back against the backrest once more and made a note of the time. "Alrighty, good job big guy. I'll keep an eye on you while we wait for that to kick in, you just get comfortable. Let me know if something's still painful in about… ten minutes or so." Hunter nodded lazily, leaning his head back with a weary sigh. His nerves were still so overwhelmed- screaming, frayed and buzzing from the injuries and procedures carried out to treat them. His body ached and he sat there hoping the medicine would give him relief soon. 

"It's okay; fall asleep if you want to. If you can." [____] offered the permission softly, sounding strangely far away for being on the two-seater just a few feet away with Omega while hearing some of his brothers leave the common room. With careful effort Hunter lifted his head from the backrest and glanced over at sister and friend, seeing the former curled into the latter's side with Lula under one arm, studying the datapad with the medic. 

"What's this mean?" Omega inquired, brows pinching together in a scrutinizing expression that looked a lot like one of Echo's scowls for an amusing moment.

[____] laughed softly, a short oh! falling from her lips when she saw what his sister was pointing out. "That's just an unholy mix of a bunch of my personal jargon with the official medical jargon for the kinds of sutures I gave your brother. They're absorbable, meaning he won't have to come back to my clinic to have them removed. Now think back: do you remember what monofilament means?" 

While Omega was puzzling over the datapad for just a moment, the silence allowed the medic to tear open the wrapping to the food she'd been offered and eat it before it became forgotten and smushed among the items of her medbag. "Single strand structure. Like Tech's when you removed the shrapnel." Omega stated matter-of-factly, trying to emulate Tech's speech pattern. It made the medic chuckle before threading her fingers through the blond crop of hair under her chin with her free hand, setting down the half eaten blue travel-ration to do so. Omega adored having her hair played with by those she trusted. The intimacy and care behind such a gesture was proof to the brothers, drugged and undrugged alike in the room, that [____] was truly perfect for her profession. 

Care for one of their own, and you had the rest wrapped around your finger.

"Hey, [____]!" Wrecker called from the kitchen. "Stay for dinner with us! How do you like your meat?" 

The medic balked for a moment, looking surprised by the sudden invitation. "St-stay for dinner? Are you sure? I'd-"

"Awh, 'course! Got enough Kommerken steaks for everyone! Been dying to have these for a while now." Wrecker promised, flashing a jovial smile in the doorway. "You're probably gonna have to stay here to watch Hunter for a while after those ten minutes, right?" If he pointed this out, she'd surely agree to stay for dinner, and then some. Perhaps a game of Dejarik or a round of Sabacc if they could convince her. 

"Well, not necessarily in the way you're probably thinking…? I don't have to engage in any additional medical observation at this point. He'd be plenty fine in your capable hands between the five of you once I've headed home- and sure, I'll stay for dinner - I have faith in you guys." Sniper and ARC trooper shared a glance at Hunter, and then each other as she followed Wrecker into their kitchen. They knew they were thinking the same thing as Wrecker explained and showed the difference in the done-ness of the Kommerken steaks he could prepare for [____] with unfettered glee. They were probably going to have to tell her. 

Wrecker had told him that he let the Loth-cat out of the bag, but Echo knew that she didn't have the full picture. 

Hunter's often borderline-paranoid avoidant nature when it came to discomfort and conflict. 

The way he would run from as many problems as he faced. How he gave the clinic a wide berth unless absolutely unavoidable sometimes. How Hunter hesitated getting involved in directly confronting the Empire like Captain Rex every time it came up in conversation with Echo, and how Hunter dug in his heels on keeping the squad together when he expressed to Hunter wanting to do something to help their deserting brothers. The excessive caution that became stifling if he or Crosshair did not provide a little pushback when the time called for it. While he was often an excellent leader, he was terrible about dealing with emotional and mental discomfort since the safety net of the GAR was cut from under his feet on Kaller. 

And it was holding him back from telling [____] himself about how he really felt.

There'd be little chance she'd understand something outside of common phrases, so Echo figured perhaps some use of bastardized-Mando'a would be safe to use with the medic within earshot. "Gar ganar at rejorhaa'ir kaysh, vod." You have to tell her, brother.

A befuddled "Huh?" was all Hunter could think to say in response to the rough and mispronounced Mando'a. Tell her what? What was Echo getting at?

"Wrecker told her, aboard the Marauder," Echo whispered, squatting slightly to bring himself to Hunter's current eye level. "How you feel. A cuun burc'ya ru'kir susulur bic teh gar." But their friend should hear it from Hunter. The confession from his own lips and heart where he could finish pining over her in unspoken feelings and finally, finally, finally tell her. "Tell her, or I will. Or, I'll let Cross do it." Echo threatened in half seriousness, watching Hunter pale with realization.

"Oh goody, that would be fun, wouldn't it, Hunter?" Crosshair sneered, voice like poisoned honey in mischievous glee. For just a moment, Echo couldn't be sure if Cross was being threatening, or simply being a sibling. 

"N-no, please…" Hunter moaned, weakly pleading with his brothers with a wave of panic rising in his chest, "Don't! I just n-need a little time t-to… f-finish suhm'thin…" A letter. He had a letter he was trying to write… Crosshair would be stomping all over these carefully chosen words and thank yous and apologies to tell her how he felt if Echo was serious… "Gedet'ye, vod… Gedet'ye." Please don't do anything to blow this for him. He needed more time. 

Echo put his hand on Hunter's uninjured shoulder, leveling the end of his scomp with his brother with a pointed expression. "By the end of the week." 

"Hey Hunter! How do you want your Kommerken?!" 

Hunter blanched at the thought of food right now. While the anti-emetic was proving helpful for a turbulent stomach, he didn't think he'd take a chance on anything substantial like a slab of meat and the seasoned, fire-roasted root vegetables he could smell Tech preparing. "Tell him m'not hungry… Cross would you… grab my datapad from my beside?" Hunter should start proofreading that letter if he has two days, glancing at the wall with the calendar. Crosshair was down the hallway before he could change his mind. "Sure. I'll be right back so you can take a page out of Tech's book and study up. Tell Wreck I want mine bloody, Echo." 

"I'm not a waiter droid!" Echo called after him. Sighing, he straightened up and entered the kitchen to join Wrecker and relay the information. "Hunter's not in a state for food just yet. Crosshair wants his steak bloody. I'll take mine well-done, please." 

"Ha-hah! You got it! You want some, Omega?" 

"Ew…" Hunter heard her complain softly. The brothers were working on introducing her to more galactic cuisine they'd come across in their travels well before they met her, with mixed success. She didn't have the same adventurous stomach like Wrecker, but she would humor most of the more unusual offerings at least once when they could afford to be picky with a meal. "I don't know… I'll… try a little, I guess." 

"Atta girl. Don't worry, I'll grill up some nuna drumsticks for ya, too." Wrecker promised her before Omega said she was going to go to her room and work on something she started drawing the other night. Nuna legs were always a safe meal choice no matter where they traveled; the base flavor was almost always the same, perhaps slightly gamey depending on the planet, but otherwise it was prepared and served in a pretty universally uniform fashion. "You're not much of a fan of the Kommerken either, Tech, you want to go with some nuna tonight instead?" 

"If you don't mind." Tech murmured distractedly, turning the chunks of root vegetable individually on the other hotplate to ensure an even crisping. 

"Not at all!" Wrecker rolls his right shoulder once before he turns his attention back to the larger hotplate he's set up to make dinner for everyone. A twinge of pain in his face is not unnoticed by the woman wearing the insignia of galactic healthcare on her shoulder still. "Something happen to your shoulder, Wreck?" 

"Oh, I'm fine kid," he couldn't think up anything in particular from their mission with Captain Rex aboard the prisoner transport ship that caused the pain at the moment, so he couldn't be entirely certain it was anything from their earlier escapade, "don't worry about me… Please. We're more concerned about Hunter being taken care of right now." Wrecker's last words dropped into a low, careful rumble, so as not to be overheard by those outside of the kitchen. Tech nodded in agreement with the sentiment expressed. Ordinarily he would have scolded one of his brothers for neglecting injury or illness (not quite to the same, stern extent that Echo would), but today had nearly gone so south and sideways were it not for the woman currently shoulder-to-shoulder with Wrecker. 

If she hadn't been out there, drifting in space, aboard her medical craft and by some mercy of all holy deities in this galaxy near enough to the Havoc Marauder that they could take Hunter to her, Hunter may no longer be here. The bitter thought of one less brother almost coming to pass choked his throat unpleasantly. Their grievances could wait. Hunter would come first until everyone was satisfied he was recovered and it would be business as usual. 

[____] made a little rolling motion of her jaw in thought, and swallowed down the concerns clambering in her throat she wished to voice. "Okay," she said instead, voice almost regretful. "But I feel I should at least give you something for the pain so it's not bothering you while you're making dinner for everyone, at least." 

Before the sweet giant of a man could wave off the proposed offer, Tech waved to the thick, red-stitched patch affixed to the sleeve of the rumpled, hastily thrown-on (but importantly clean of any blood) uniform coat with a flutter that directed Wrecker's attention to the insignia to remind him she's still wearing the shattered cross so she's still on the job. "I think that would be a sufficient compromise, Wrecker." 

Wrecker just shrugs noncommittally, but nods all the same not long after with some thought. He trusts Tech's judgment of course; he trusts all of his brothers. Every. Damn. One of them. "Righ'. Compromise works… I'll take something for the pain, sure. Thanks, kid."

"I'll be right back then. I have some single doses in my bag." 

"Single doses?" The ARC trooper repeated from out in the common area. "What of? What for?" 

"Probably the big guy's shoulder." Crosshair said in a way that didn't sound like a guess, more of a statement. "Tweaked his shoulder aboard that karking transport." He didn't so much as react to the flinch and stern look from Hunter at his word choice. 

"How'd you know?" 

"Marksmen see everything…" [____] offered with a cryptic thought, rooting through the hard-frame medbag. She didn't elaborate on the less than blithe remark, just chewed on a difficult look in her eyes and the tight grind of her jaw. She'd seen her own horrors from the Clone Wars. The relentless and indiscriminate wrathful arm of brutality and violence that left so many permanently altered even if they survived those three years. Just three kriffing years that felt so much longer. "Found it. Here, got something to help with that pain, big guy."

She broke the thin barrier of foil in the single-dosage blister and took it back with her to the cramped kitchen, giving it to Wrecker who thanked her brightly, using one of her nicknames. "Awh, thanks. Appreciate it!" 

There was a shrill beep, the end of a timer from the opposite end of the kitchen that made Hunter visibly twitch out in the common room, the sound an icepick in his ear canal. 

"That was set for ten minutes," Tech answered the unasked question, calling out above the clattering of ceramic dishware as Wrecker plated the steaks that were done, "you should see if the dosage has helped Hunter. Will the dosage you gave Wrecker need more or less time?" 

The medic made a sound of deep thought at first. "Er, slightly more. Let's say fifteen. Thanks for keeping track, Tech," her thanks was met with insistence that it was nothing, he was happy to assist before she stepped back out into the common area, eyes squeezed in a look of worry when she saw Hunter. "Hunter, how you doin', hun? You okay? Think that painkiller kicked in yet?" 

Hunter rolled his good shoulder, hoping he didn't look too panicked on the outside the way he felt it internally. Great trees of Kashyyyk, that had set off his fight-flight instinct. "Uh, yeah, think it did… Timer just scared the kriff out of me. Could someone ask Tech to use a different timer tone?" It was a default sound, one a touch too close to the primed and ready chime of a detonator. Were it an octave higher, it would have been exact. 

"You hear that, nerd?" Crosshair growled darkly, voice just loud enough to be picked up by those in the kitchen. He'd noticed what Hunter had, felt that same edge in his teeth at the unpleasant alert. "Erase that karking option from the timer settings cause that's sure as banthashit not going to work out for ex-soldiers." 

"Yes, I agree; apologies, everyone..."  

A door slammed sharply down in the hall. Seemed like Omega had been ready to join the group for dinner once she could hear the gritty shuffle of plates, but suddenly changed her mind. It didn't seem like she'd meant to slam the door, either, that was very unlike her to engage in this age-appropriate behavior. "Oh dear..." [____] crooned softly, her face matching the worried expression of the brothers. She skirted around the sofa to stop Crosshair, and both she and Echo prevented Hunter from getting up by pressing down on his unhurt shoulder as he tried to find his feet under him. "No, stay there, Hunter; you're going to be too woozy to walk. Let me handle it, Crosshair," 

The sniper just regarded the thought of checking on his sister with one last look towards Omega's bedroom door, then back at the grown woman again before he relented, his jaw clenching and releasing repeatedly. "If you need help." 

"I'll let you know. I understand it's very unlike her; I'll see what's going on." [____] assured her friends, promising she'd ask one of them to come assist if she felt it was necessary. Silently approaching the barrier of privacy, the woman rapped a knuckle twice on the upper panel. 

A sniffled apology to what was likely believed to be needed for one of her brothers at the door greeted the medic's ears. "I-I'm sorry I didn't me-mean to slam the door…!" 

Oh the poor, sweet girl. Was she scared she'd gotten herself in trouble, or had the sound of the timer scared her, too? Though, perhaps it was a third, previously unconsidered option: Omega couldn't find the energy to be brave any longer. She wasn't as practiced as her war veteran brothers in masking their fear, or waiting until it was a more "appropriate" time to have those feelings. "It's me, Omega. May I come in?" There was no answer. Just a stifled sniffle before the audible swell of a new wave of tears started. "It's just me." [____] promised again.

The mechanism klic!'d as Omega hiccuped that she could come in. The desk light was the only source of illumination for the whole of the room presently turned on, so the medic left it that way. Curled in the deepest corner of her bed furthest from the door, Omega sat with her legs hiked up under her chin, the fabric of her pants tearstained at the knees. What was the best question to ask her first? Did she think she was in trouble for the door? Scared by the timer? Or scared she nearly lost her brother today? 

"Can I give you a hug, sweetheart?" was asked instead, the medic lowering herself slowly to the slightly springy mattress she remembered helping the brothers find when they furnished the house. 

Look, doc, we've… never had comfortable beds our whole lives being soldiers. Just those damn sleeping pods as cadets and then a private room with piss poor excuses for a mattress for those few nights we'd be back on Kamino. So that means we've never had to take care of a kid before either… What kind of mattress is Omega going to need? Help us… help me… figure out how to take care of that kid. Please… please!

Omega nodded with an emotional whimper, weakly climbing into the lap of the grown woman and planted her forehead between the medic's collarbones, crown of her head tucked away and under [____]'s chin. Strong arms that have cradled and carried the wounded, the dying, and the sick thread themselves around the shoulders and little waist of the sole sister to these brothers. 

"It's okay, sweetheart. I was scared too." 

It's all it takes to give Omega permission to cry again. To speak; the scared, child-like mewl of Omega's emotional voice punctuated by hiccups. "I-I thought I was going to l-lose my little brother!" She couldn't pretend anymore. She wasn't the “little sister” of the Bad Batch right now. She was the frightened, older - if not eldest - sibling of those vode out in the common room and in the kitchen who had been raised in secret labs and corners of Kamino and knew little of the galaxy compared to them. So she was being raised by men technically younger, but, by necessity, more mentally mature and experienced men. 

Fingers clawed into the doctor's coat like clingmoss, knuckles going pale with the force of the grip. The strength was mirrored with a deeper pull of her arms, and [____] brought Omega closer to her chest, combing her fingers through the girl's hair. "I-! I thought he'd-!" 

"I know, baby girl. I know. You don't have to say it and upset yourself. C'mere…" She scooped an arm under Omega's knees and repositioned her easily, cradling the child with an ease from years of practice. "... take a deep breath for me, little one. It's okay." If she could get Omega mostly settled, perhaps she could do something about the worried whispers just barely outside the mouth of the hall too. She had an idea. "Breathe in, hold, and then breathe out." She uncurled the arm under Omega's knees and dug around in an inner coat pocket, hoping the itty cylindrical object she felt in there was what she hoped it was. "Take a deep breath in," [____]'s fingers wrapped around the little item and pulled it free, a fabric marker she used to doodle on bandages and casts for pediatric patients. "and breathe out nice and slow… There you go. Just like that." 

"What's t-that?" Omega sniffled, eyes catching on the strange art supply. "I've never se-seen a marker like that before..."

"It's a fabric marker," [____] explained, taking the edge of her sleeve to dry Omega's face, using the distraction to soothe and settle, "I mostly use this to add little drawings on big casts and bandages for my pediatric patients so it makes them feel better. Maybe before I go home tonight you and I could add little doodles to Hunter's gauze; make it all pretty for him. Whaddya think?" The teasing offer and wink worked, the light in Omega's eyes sparking. The idea was silly, and there was a chance that trying to add a cute little doodle or two might be slightly more trouble than would be worth the temporary pain or Hunter would protest to the idea of being doodled on, but it was enough to cheer her spirits for the time being. "You can think about it. Hold onto it for now," 

Who knows; maybe Hunter would allow his sister to add some minuscule artworks if only to get her to smile and worry about him less, "Because I think that's the smell of your dinner ready. Hungry?"

Omega dried her eyes one last time and grinned brightly up at her friend. Her brother's savior. She still had her brother thanks to the woman who had come in and comforted her. "Yeah!" 

[____] smiled and winked at the little youngster still snuggled in her lap, the fabric marker held tight in her hands like a sword's hilt. "Good. Me too; ration bars are only so filling, aren't they?" Her heart sang with the bubbling giggle and one last embrace before both scooched off the bed, Omega calling out to any listening brother in the rest of the house that the two of them were ready to and that she called dibs! to sit between [____] and Hunter at the table this time when everyone sat down to dinner. 

There was a sharp pause before a great shuffle at the dining room table to make that arrangement possible.

Taglist: @dragonrider9905​

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[creativepawsworld]

Everything But You - Part 9

Pairing = Cillian Murphy x OC

Summary = Things are moving forward for Brie and Cillian. Both have some hard decisions to make. 

Warnings = Language, Grammar, 90s Cillian, Insults, 

Word Count = 3503

Note = We are nearly done...this took a lot longer than I intended but thank you all for sticking with me. I love you all so much. 

Tonight, Cillian was going to tell the boys in the band he was leaving. He had decided that after getting the part of ‘Pig’ in the stage show Disco Pigs, he would focus the majority of his spare time rehearsing.

Instead of touring with the band in hopes of achieving a record label. 

He had been nervous most of the day. Going over exactly what he wanted to say. After forming lasting friendships with some of the boys, his nerves were justified. He was worried their friendship would simply end. 

The year was flying by incredibly fast, we had our first-year, final exams last month. I was apprehensive about receiving the results. I was terrified I had failed them. After not hearing back from Riverdance, I considered that another rejection and my last. I wouldn’t put myself through it again, they simply didn’t want me. 

But If I had failed my exams as well, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I would be lost. My whole life I had been fighting for both and the thought of receiving nothing, scared me. 

The only thing I could see going right in my life at this moment was my relationship with Cillian. This was something I never saw coming, he appeared out of the blue, capturing my heart. He was something outside of myself that had my heart beating again. 

Cillian was completely unbothered about whether or not he passed the final exam. It was clear law wasn’t for him. I called it the first day we had a class together, he was more interested in getting my attention than he was listening to the lecturer.  

The last few weeks he had spent rehearsing his lines and trying to figure out the best way to approach the complex character that was Darren, aka Pig. I had never seen Cillian so engrossed in something before, not even when he was writing songs or performing on stage. This was different, this was his true passion. 

The first show was in Dublin Theatre in 8 weeks. Cillian had two weeks to get his affairs in order before having to travel from Cork to Dublin for rehearsals. He had six weeks of on stage rehearsals before finally going public for the first. 

He had the option of staying with the other cast members in a house-share type accommodation but decided not to. He liked coming home every night even for 30 minutes just to see me. 

“He’s gonna burn a hole in that floor, tell em to sit down.” Paidi, Cillian’s younger brother commented. 

Looking towards him he was sprawled out on the small sofa provided for the band’s set to play at the local bars during the week. Tonight was The Son’s of Mr Green Genes' last performance, a fact known to the three of us in this room. The other band members had yet to arrive for their sound check. 

I attended Cillian’s house last weekend for Sunday lunch at his mother’s request. After having dinner with my father, his parents felt it was only fair they got to meet the girl, their son had chosen to yield his wild ways. 

The lunch went well, meeting his family was much less awkward than it was meeting Andrew's parents. Cillian’s family were welcoming, whereas I always felt judged and not good enough for Andrew's parents. 

“Cill, maybe sit down for a bit. You are gonna exhausted yourself before your due on stage.” I agreed standing in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. “They are going to be okay. They will either find someone to replace you both, or everyone will go their separate ways.” 

“I just, I feel like I am letting them down.” 

“I would rather you let down everyone in this room and outside it before letting yourself down Cillian.” I smiled placing my hands on either side of his upper arms and rubbing them. 

“Beautiful and smart.” Cillian grinned down at me, leaning down to capture my lips in a short, sweet kiss. Only pulling away at the sounds of his brother’s gag reflex. 

“CILLIAN YOU'RE NEVER GONNA BELIEVE IT.” Casey’s voice suddenly took over the room. 

Stepping away from him I allowed the blonde man to step in, replacing my hands on Cillian’s upper arms. He had one of the biggest smiles I had ever seen. I was used to him constantly scowling, especially when I was around. 

“Acid Kazz is outside and wants to speak to you, man. They are willing to offer a five-album contract record deal if we hit all the right notes tonight.” Casey continued. 

My jaw fell open much like Cillian’s, the two of us staring at his friend. I wasn’t sure if this was some kind of joke or if life was playing a cruel prank on Cillian. Forcing him to make what I considered an impossible decision. 

“Go, go talk to them, man. I swear it’s real. We fucking did it. Finally.” Casey beamed, and with a large smile, he started placing open-hand slaps against Cillian’s chest and back, forcing him out the door and towards whoever was on the other side waiting to talk to him. 

“Congratulations, that’s great news for the band. You must be dancing on air right now.” I smiled shoving my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. I was unsure of what else to do with them. 

“Yeah, it's amazing. Sucks for you though. Cill will be too busy with the band now to spend any time with you.” Casey shrugged off, turning his back to me and taking his bass out of its case. 

Glancing over towards Paidi he shook his head at the bassist before rolling his eyes playfully at me. Being the youngest in the band, no one took him seriously. They just considered him Cillian’s younger brother, easily replaceable if need be. 

“Right...” I trailed off not bothering to respond to the blonde. “Great news for you too, but what are you going to do about school?” I asked Paidi who sighed with a slight shake of his head. 

“Ma will never let me skip out until I finish so I don’t know. Probably have to leave it all behind.” 

“I’m sure you will be missed.” I smiled softly. Much like Cillian, Paidi loved music, he came alive on stage. You could see it in the way his fingers moved along the neck of the guitar or the smile he sent to the crowd every so often. 

“Yeah, but we can find someone to replace you man don’t worry. I met this guy at the bar the other night, he is pretty good.” Casey replied bluntly. 

“Gee thanks, man.” Paidi scoffed. Bringing one hand up to his other, he rubbed along his bicep, hurt evident behind his eyes. 

“I am sure Paidi can at least record one album with you. He was a member when the record label found you after all.” I explained, trying my best not to glare at the older of the two boys. “He will be available after school and most of the summer.” 

“No offence Brianna, but that’s not how bands work. I don’t need a part-time guitarist. It’s been holding us back. The only reason he is in the band is because of Cillian.” 

“Excuse you?” I gasped wide-eyed at the complete audacity this man was showing. I heard of people getting too big for their boots when the prospect of success was in the future but this was ridiculous. 

“Well he is a good guitar player, not bad on the piano either but he is just a kid. We are going to the big leagues now.” 

“You haven’t even got the contract and already you think you're going to go places?” I laughed not quite believing the man standing in front of me.  

“Like I said you haven’t a clue about music. Someone offering you a five-album contract is a pretty big deal. Not like you’ll be around long enough to see that.” Casey snapped, moving forward so he was now standing in front of me. “Cillian will have plenty of women throwing themselves at his feet. You will be nothing more than a distant memory.” 

“Now hang on...” Paidi stood up next to me, immediately jumping to my defence. 

“I don’t see what he sees in you. Average at best.” Casey continued ignoring the younger of the Murphy brothers. “He should have just left you alone after the first night he slept with you. Sluts like you always land on your feet don’t ya”

“What the fuck is your problem?” Paidi growled shoving the blonde back with a hard push of his hand. 

“I’m just telling it how it is. She fucking spread her legs the first chance she got, once a slut always a slut.” 

Pulling Paidi away from the man, I fought against the tears threatening to fall. Shaking my head at him I pushed Paidi towards the corner of the room, quietly asking him not to mention any of this to Cillian until later. 

“Why? Casey is way out of line Brie, he is a fucking cunt.” Paidi glared over my shoulder. 

“He’s not worth it,” I whispered, wiping the few tears that escaped on the sleeve of my jacket. “Look I want Cillian to have a clear perspective going into tonight. If he wants to pursue music great, if not even better but it’s his decision to make. I don’t want anything influencing it”  

“He already decided. He is going to the stage show.” 

“Right but that was before the offer of a record deal Paidi. Let’s just see what happens. Let’s just forget everything for now.” 

*****

Twirling the small red straw in my drink, my mind was miles away. My friends joined me in the main part of the bar. Over the last few months of attending numerous concerts, they found themselves enjoying the music Cillian’s band performed.

“We dreaming of Mr Blue Eyes again.” Billy winked nudging into my side, bringing me back into reality. “He haunts my dreams girl. Those goddamn eyes.”

“They are hypnotic,” Marion commented with a slight nod. She had known Cillian the least but much like the rest of us, felt entranced by his eyes. “Everything okay with you two? You don’t seem yourself?”

“Things with Cillian are great,” I nodded, a small smile pulling at the corner of my lips at the mere mention of his name. “His bandmate on the other hand, not so much.”

“Which one? Who upset our girl?” Billy demanded, slamming his glass onto the bar table. The music from the band drowned out the sharp snap of glass. “I swear if you don’t tell me, I’ll march up on that stage and interrogate each one of them.”

“It’s Casey, the bass player. He’s been against me since Cillian and I got together. He said a few things earlier that just have been playing in my head.”

“Like what?” Aoife asked joining the conversation for the first time. She had disappeared into the bathroom as soon as she sat down, sickness has been plaguing her all week. But being afraid to miss anything, she insisted on coming out tonight.

“The band’s been offered a record deal. Five albums.” I nodded, my eyes not once lifting from the red straw in my glass. “He said Cillian will have women falling at his feet and he would forget all about a slut like me.”

“HE WHAT?” Aoife screeched, gaining only the attention of those standing next to us, or at the near tables. “He actually called you a slut?”

“His words were, sluts like me always land on their feet,” I repeated the words, plaguing my mind for the last hour.

“I’ll fucking kill him”

“Woah wait, wait. What did ole blue eyes say about this?” Billy interrupted holding his hand high into the air, stopping anyone else from speaking until he had finished.

“He doesn’t know.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t know?” Aoife barked back, the anger she was feeling evident on her face.

“I didn’t want him to know. Not until after the performance.”

“Why the fuck would that matter? He can’t talk about you like that? Cillian better not let him off with that” She growled, reaching forward to gulp back a large mouthful of water.

“Because he has enough on his plate at the minute.” I sighed, leaning on the table with my forearms. “The record deal isn’t the only offer Cill’s got. He has been cast as one of the leads in a stage play called Disco Pigs. Guys, he is amazing, honestly. The emotions he can pull from you...he is just brilliant.”

“Someone’s in love.” Billy grinned, placing a gentle hand across my shoulders.

***** 

Clapping and screaming, cheers of praise with Billy. Cillian looked over in our direction shooting a wink in our direction which Billy claimed was for him and him alone. The band took one finally bow before heading off stage, Cillian gestured for me to meet him backstage but I declined. Confusing him. 

“You gonna tell him?” Billy asked, fanning the sweat from his face. Between the amount of bodies in the bar and the unusual heatwave we were experiencing, it felt like we were standing in an oven. 

“Not tonight, I want it to be his night.” 

“Why are you so good?” Billy grinned, “Blue eyes better realise how god damn lucky he is having you by his side.” 

“I’ll be sure to bring it up a few times.” I laughed. The two of us weaved our way through the crowd, back towards the table. Aoife was holding her head while Marion rubbed at her back. “Ef you okay?” 

“Yeah, just need to go home Brie. Sorry.” She groaned, shakily standing to her feet with the help of Marion. 

“I’m just gonna run her home. I’ll be back for you Mr don’t be getting into any trouble.” She pointed at Billy with a smirk. “Are you spending the night with Cill?” 

“Maybe, I’ll see.” I nodded unsure of what his final decision was going to be. He may have decided to stay with the band, let his acting whim go and if that was the case. I didn’t want to be around Casey, especially not tonight.

Saying our goodbyes to the girls. Billy dragged me around the back alley, claiming he was gagging for a smoke. Just as we rounded the corner we came to an immediate stop, raised voices catching our attention instantly. 

“Oh Blue eyes don’t look happy” Billy spoke in a hushed tone. “Looks like someone told him. Who else was in the room with you?” 

“Paidi, Cillian’s little brother.” I whispered cautiously stepping forward. Billy gripped onto my arm, almost as if he was hiding behind me, yet pushing me forward at the same time.

“Fuck you! Who do you think are talking to my girl like that?” Cillian raged. I had never seen such an anger in a man before as he squared up to his taller friend. 

“She won’t always be around for you Cill. Open your fucking eyes.” 

“She supports me much more than you fucking bastards do.” 

“How? By setting you up for failure.” 

“Not failure success. Because of her I am actually doing something that has made me feel alive.” 

“And what’s that? She gives you a good blow job every once in a while and suddenly your the king of the bloody castle.” Casey boosted. Having enough, Cillian’s arm withdrew before coming forward hitting the taller man straight on the jaw, knocking him back on his feet. 

“In case you didn’t get the message. I’m done with the band, so fuck you, fuck the record deal and fuck the band.” Cillian spat, holding his two hands up he flipped off Casey who was now leaning against the bar wall holding his jaw. 

“All this for some slut? Are you having a fucking laugh?” 

“Fucking talk about her like that again and I swear to god I will not be responsible for my actions.” 

“That righ...” Casey provoked. 

Pulling away from Billy I ran towards Cillian placing my hands firmly against his solid chest. I could feel the anger radiating through him, it felt like he was vibrating beneath my hands. 

“He isn’t worth it, hey look at me” I pleaded moving my hands up towards his face, holding him in place. He cast his eyes down to me briefly, his pupils were blown wide with anger. “Look at me, he isn’t worth it.” 

“He can’t call you...” 

“I’ve been called worse. Leave it.” I smiled softly, gently pushing him back towards Billy who helped me turn his solid body around and away from what I would assume was a former friend now. 

“That’s right, go. Throw you career away. Idiot Murphy. You're a fucking idiot.” 

“Throwing away nothing mate” Cillian smirked throwing himself around to face the blonde once more. “You record label means jack shit if I don’t sign it. It’s my songs after all. You got fuck all.” 

Looking up at Cillian, a smugness was slowly replacing his anger. Glancing over at Casey the realisation of Cillian’s words sunk in. The once cocky blonde, now turned pale white, sickly white. 

“Is that true?” I asked looking up at Cillian softly. 

“Take that bitch.” Billy yelled with a large smirk. Shaking my head at him I looked up at Cillian, he just held me close. Wrapping his arm around my shoulders we decided to leave the bar, having enough excitement for the night. 

*****

A few days after the excitement in the bar I was sitting with Cillian inside his bedroom. He was leaving for his Dublin tomorrow to start the stage rehearsals for his play. 

“Are you nervous?” I asked playing with the aglet on my lace of my converse shoe. 

“A little” Cillian nodded smiling softly at me. His hand came over cupping the side of my face, his thumb stroking my cheekbone softly. “But I’m making the right decision I can feel it.” 

“That’s all that matters then.” I whispered leaning into his touch. “I’m gonna miss you.” 

“I’ll miss you too.” Cillian smiled sadly before a mischievous look appeared on his face. “You know the next semester doesn’t start until what late September? You could come with me to Dublin.” 

“Your not serious Cillian what am I suppose to do in Dublin?” I laughed softly but Cillian stepped away from me, really thinking, almost like he was trying to put together all the jigsaw pieces in his head.

“Why not? Its only up the road then we can tour together. It’s only in Dublin for a few weeks then I’m back in Cork before moving to Edinburgh. It’ll be a summer you wont forget.” 

“Cillian...” I trailed off shaking my head softly this was an insane idea. 

“Brie... I love you. I love you alright and I don’t want to be apart from you unless I absolutely have to. You gave me the courage to pursue this dream, come live it with me. It will be you and me.” 

My mouth dropped as he mentioned those three words. Three words I’d never expected him to say. Cillian came over to me grabbing my hands in his, holding them up to his chest so I could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. 

“I love you Brianna.” 

“I love you to Cillian” I chuckled softly not quite believing what was happening. I wiped the tears away from cheeks, they were happy tears. “I love you so much.” 

I took his head into my hands kissing him passionately. I didn’t care if his brother Paidi walked through the door or not, I didn’t care if his mother walked through the door I was happy. 

“I’ll come on tour with you but I’m not going home after Edinburgh.” I nodded not knowing how I was going to survive. My savings were okay but not enough to last, I would just have to talk to my dad.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Cillian asked, fighting off an even bigger smile that threatened to spill onto his face. 

“Yeah, it’s not like I am going to Riverdance anytime soon and I always wanted to take a gap year so why the bloody hell not.” I giggled, placing my hands firmly on his chest, ignoring the ringing phone in my pocket. 

“Are you really sure?” He asked, eyes squinting down to see if he could detect any sign of lying. Nodding my head, I pulled away from him briefly to check the caller id on my phone. - unknown. 

“Nothing will stop me going on tour with you Mr Murphy.” I grinned placing my phone back into my pocket before throwing my arms around his shoulders. Pressing our foreheads tightly together, we stared into each other’s eyes. “I’m letting go of Everything but You”

Taglist  

@stars-of-scorpio @lovemissyhoneybee @peakyscillian​ @cillmequick​ @forgottenpeakywriter​ @lyarr24  @brummiereader​

[lipstickitty]

I Wanna Be Yours

Chapter Six

1.6k+ words

Warnings: 18+ ONLY MINORS GO AWAY!! demon!reader, angst, anxiety, teasing, mentions of sex, language, fluff, dirty talk, needy jake, cocky jake, pet names, flirting

You had agreed to meet Jake’s family but the closer that day got, the more your anxiety built. You had never met a man’s family before. What if you made an absolute fool of yourself and him? But every time you would voice your concerns to Jake, he’d shut it down, assuring you that his brothers will love you. Finally the night came, and you were stood in front of your mirror finishing up getting ready.

“Jakey, what should I wear?” You groan, digging through your closet for what must be the hundredth time.

“Love, you’re overthinking it. Finish your makeup and I’ll pick you something out.” You decide not to argue with him, figuring if it’s terrible you can just pick something else. You make your way back into the bedroom after putting the finishing touches on your makeup to see the outfit Jake picked out for you.

He’d chosen a simple, long sleeved black dress that fell slightly above your knees, some short black ankle boots, and a simple cardigan to throw on overtop if you got cold. To top it all off, it complements his all black ensemble perfectly. You felt your heart swell with love for him, he had picked something cute and comfy that you could feel good in even though you were nervous about meeting his brothers.

“You did good, baby. I’m impressed.” You give him a sweet kiss, making him hum against your lips.

“Mmm, how impressed?” He teases, tugging your body into his and breathing you in.

“So impressed that I wanna blow you right here, right now. If only we had more time before we have to meet your brothers.” You huff an exaggerated sigh, giggling when his brows pinch together.

“Oh, you’re a tease. Get my cock all hard for you and now we have to leave? Okay y/n, I’ll remember that later.” He leans in to nip at your jaw, “better get dressed now, baby. Can’t keep my brothers waiting, right?” He whispers in your ear, giggling and breaking free from your hold when you try to turn his head and pull him to you for a kiss. You groan out loud, getting dressed but playfully glaring at him the whole time.

Jake opens up your car door for you, buckling your seatbelt for you also and lets his touch linger on your skin for just a moment too long. He walks around and gets in on the drivers side, putting his right arm around your headrest while he backs out of the driveway, then moves it to about halfway up your thigh.

As Jake drives to the same place he’d taken you to for dinner and drinks before, he slowly inches his hand further and further up your thigh. As torturous as it is, you refuse to react. You pretend he’s having no effect on you, and it’s driving him crazy.

“Baby…” Jake whines. “Pay attention to me…” you chuckle at the neediness in his tone.

“Oh, did you want some attention, Jakey? Why ever would I give you that?”

“Because I want it, and you love to give me what I want.” He sounds so sure of himself. The cocky tone in his voice immediately has you wanting to clench your thighs together but you still manage to keep a straight face.

“Jacob, if you do get what you want tonight, it won’t be for quite a long time. Be good and let’s have a good time with your brothers, then maybe I’ll let you make me cum when we get home. Keep being a tease and I’ll tie you up and make you watch me get myself off.” You pat his cheek lightly before unbuckling your seatbelt and stepping out of the car, leaving him stunned in the drivers seat.

You wait outside the car for Jake but open the drivers side door up when he doesn’t join you after a minute or two. “Jake?” You ask, confused.

“I need a minute y/n.” He grumbles, eyes squeezed shut.

“Fuck, I’m sorry, Jake. I didn’t mean to upset you.” You reach for his hand, misunderstanding his being quiet for him being upset with you.

“Y/n. I just need a minute before I stand up so my brothers don’t see what you talking about tying me up and getting yourself off does to me. We’re okay, I love you, angel.” Jake squeezes your hand, bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to your knuckles. “Now that I got my mind off of it, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Come on, pretty boy.” You giggle, using your grip on his hand to pull him up and out of the car. The two of you walk inside hand in hand, making your way over to where you see 2 men that very closely resemble Jake, and a third who you assume is Danny, not related by blood but a brother nonetheless.

“Boys, this is y/n. Y/n these are my brothers, Josh, Sam, and Danny.” Jake introduces everyone, pointing to each of the boys as he names them off.

“Y/n it’s so nice to meet you, Jake hasn’t shut the fuck up about you since you met.” Sam laughs, making Jake’s cheeks turn a little bit pink.

“Aw, Jakey, you talked about me? Not all bad, I hope?” You giggle in return.

“Not bad at all, in fact my dear, all he’s done is sing your praises. He didn’t tell me how stunning you are though. If you ever grow tired of my lesser half, come and find me.” Josh says with a wink. It’s pretty obvious to you that he’s only joking but you don’t miss the way Jake’s face turns red and his jaw clenches.

“Y/n I’m gonna go get drinks, what would you like my love? Sam, Danny? Josh, would you please come help me carry?” Jake asks with a forced smile. He gets everyone’s drink orders and nods for Josh to follow him.

“Josh, what the fuck are you doing? I bring a girl around that I really care about and you’re instantly trying to get in her pants?” Jake asks quietly while they wait on the drinks.

Josh barks out a laugh, shaking his head slightly. “Dude, you need to take a breath. She’s beautiful but I’d never actually do anything. You have my word. Besides, she’s barely even looked away from you since you walked in here. It’s just a little harmless flirting. I’m sorry it made you so uncomfortable. If anything, Sam’s the one you gotta watch. You know how he is around older women.” He jokes.

Jake snorts at that, thinking Josh has no fucking idea how right he is. “I shouldn’t have reacted that way towards you, I just got a little crazy because… well, I love her.” He gets quiet towards the end.

“Yeah, I know. I can read you like a book. Did you think you were being subtle?” Josh laughs.

“Fuck off, help me carry these.” Jake picks up 3 of the drinks, leaving Josh to carry the other 2. Jake hands you your vodka cranberry first, then sets down his own whiskey and coke and whatever beer Sam and Danny are sipping on. Josh sets down the other two drinks and insists on a toast.

“To new friends, new lovers, and everyone in the bar looking to get laid tonight!” Josh shouts, cheersing everyone and then taking a big swig of his tequila soda.

“You’re a fucking idiot.” Jake laughs, resting his hand on your thigh and jumping into conversation with his brothers like nothing had ever happened.

The drinks and conversation are both flowing freely, there’s never an awkward pause or uncomfortable silence. You’re getting along with Jake’s brothers wonderfully. Sam has your sides hurting from laughter and Danny doesn’t speak up all that often but when he does it’s usually something really insightful and brilliant. Josh is telling you all kinds of stories about him and Jake as kids, the crazy antics they got into pretending to be each other and everything else.

By the end of the night, everyone is feeling sufficiently smashed and no one feels comfortable to drive. Sam and Danny agree to stay with Josh, so you and Jake make sure the three of them get into their Uber safely and then sit in your car as you wait for your own Uber to pull up.

“I had a really great time tonight, y/n. I knew it would be fine but I didn’t anticipate you talking and laughing with everyone like you’d known all of us for years. Thank you for agreeing to do this for me.” Jake mumbles with his lips against the top of your head.

“I had so much fun, baby. What happened with you and Josh, though?”

“You caught that, huh?” He asks sheepishly. You just nod, waiting for him to explain. “I know it was stupid. I think I knew it was stupid when I did it. I just got so jealous for a moment that someone else was saying those things about you, I forgot to think about the fact that neither you nor Josh would do that.”

“Jake, what I said about Josh the other day- that was a joke, I just wanted to get you all possessive and cocky. I belong to you, you know that right?” You ask, holding his gaze.

“I know, angel.” He grabs your hand, opening the door to the Uber and helping you inside before walking around to the other side. “Now let’s get home so you can show me I’m yours too.” He whispers in your ear.

Tags: @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @gracev0609 @clairesjointshurt

[chesters-ocs]

OC writing masterlist

Last updated: 16 / 12 / 2024

The works contained here feature a mix of both my personal OCs, as well as ones belonging to @the-whispers-of-death

⭐ - personal favorite

SERIES

Note: ✅ = FIN; ❌ = WIP

❌ Soulmates [Masterlist] - Sylvester X Stone

Based in a world where an ever-so-present compass on your wrist guides you to your soulmate. What begins as nothing more than a slowburn-esque romance, spirals into being a little more than anticipated.

---

✅ New Dog [PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3] - Butcher & Charlie & Vincent & Dog Hybrid!Stone

An unwanted half-man half-dog with a bad attitude is chosen to guard a less than enthusiastic teenager. The trainer assigned to them both is not impressed.

---

❌ Body swap [PART 1] [PART 2] - Butcher x Stone

It is normal to, one day, wake up within the body of your soulmate. Shame that neither of them can cease arguing, even when held apart by a literal ocean.

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❌⭐ Ghastly bloodlust [PART 1] [PART 2] - Serial Killer!Mārīte & Sammy centric

After seeing her brother and father die, it is no big surprise that the young woman seeks revenge, even at her own expense. [AN: The two parts were not intended to link up, but I like the connection between them anyways.]

---

✅ Starduster OC world information [Masterlist] DISCONTINUED

What if the edge of the universe was a real place? What if a family lived there? What if the family consisted of two gods, a void and two beings based in technology?

---

✅⭐️ Rooftop surprises [PART 1] [PART 2] - Sylvester x Butcher

Despite it all, they will find each other. Always.

---

✅ Fine dresses, finer dining [PART 1] [PART 2] - Sylvester x Grim Reaper!Stone

They go out to dinner. That's it.

SYLVESTER X BUTCHER ONESHOTS

Dream Of Me - Sylvester x Butcher

It's the night before he leaves. He can only hope to return home safely.

---

Dealing In Kisses - Sylvester x Butcher

Bothering Sylvester while he's working seems to be a favorite pastime of Butcher's.

---

Bath Time - Sylvester x Butcher

Sometimes the pain is bad enough where Sylvester needs assistance, which Butcher is more than happy to provide.

---

Popcorn thief - Sylvester x Butcher ft. Mārīte, Sammy

It's a family movie night, where the kids are particularly rowdy.

---

⭐ Urban Exploring - Sylvester x Butcher

A brief glimpse into the past, where two troublemakers opt to hop a fence during sunset.

---

Microwaved Pizza - Sylvester x Butcher

It may not be much, but he cares for him. Even if its just quickly chucking leftovers in the microwave to heat them up.

---

Cigarettes and fevers - Teen!Sylvester x Teen!Butcher ft. Stone x Kali

Teens will do what teens do best: misbehave and keep dumb secrets for no reason.

X READER ONESHOTS

⭐ Slow days - Butcher x GN!Reader

Coffee shop AU, where your boyfriend comes to pester you at work. At least it makes for some decent entertainment

---

Begging for love - Butcher x GN!Reader

He's feeling needy. It's not often he's willing to beg for even the smallest crumbs of your love and affection

---

Night shift - Sylvester x Reader

Your partner decides that you're in desperate need of some TLC after you get home from a late shift at that damn restaurant.

---

Found in the dark - Sylvester & Reader

He's always there to be a silent, comforting presence at your darkest hour. Sometimes literally.

---

Preparing to propose - Sylvester x Butcher x M!Reader

Two idiots in love take you out for a date night. There may be surprises involved at the end.

MISC ONESHOTS

Late night crisis - implied Butcher x Kali ft. Sylvester

A certain somebody is nervous about his wedding [Ranch AU]

---

Moving Day - Butcher x Kali

After helping his friend recover from injury, it's finally time for Butcher to leave, when it's clear that Kali won't need any further assistance. Unless...

---

Hungover Ramblings - Butcher x Kali

Yesterday's fight is quickly overshadowed by the regret lingering in Butcher's bones and the beer on his breath.

---

Unwanted Visitor - Sylvester & Līva; implied Butcher x Kali; Sylvester x Stone

Unable to take a hint, Sylvester's ex-wife digs her own grave deeper. This time, in front of a group of people who already are dead set on detesting her.

---

⭐ Unknown Husband - Butcher & Felon!Stone

A man wearing his acquaintance's face shows up to Butcher's family home. Who the fuck is this guy?

---

Market Meetup - Butcher & Stone, ft. Laila

It seems the universe is just forcing them to meet over and over and over again.

---

A Father's Wrath - Charlie & Butcher & Vincent, implied Butcher x Kali

Not a wise decision to let your boss' son get hurt, so Butcher gets to pay the price.

---

Special Treatment - Butcher & Alexandria

A short about the local doctor and her clear favoritism for the man she deems her son.

---

Otherworldly - Butcher & Mārīte

Pure self indulgence between the author and the characters, where both sides of the spectrum get to meet.

---

⭐ Picnic date - Katie x Mārīte

After online dating for years, the two girls finally get the time to meet up for the first time.

---

No one's home - Mārīte

How does one come to terms with sudden losses within the family? Easy answer is that they do not.

---

Left Behind - Serial Killer!Stone & High Priestess!Mārīte

A father and daughter keep running into each other across time and space, despite not even knowing each other. Today they decide to talk.

---

Pent Up - Sylvester x Stone, ft Butcher

It's not often that he yells, especially at his lovers, but he just lost his temper and couldn't stop himself anymore.

---

Dude, your dad's terrifying! - Katie x Mārīte

Katie gets to experience meeting Mary's father for the first time. As well as see the place they're living in as well.

---

Hidden library - Historian!Sylvester & Naga!Stone

As it turns out, hidden libraries tend to have hidden secrets within them, as a scholar soon finds out.

---

⭐️ Sea school - Mārīte

Have you heard of the song about the kitten who refused to drown? The one of few who ends up alive?

---

Everyday Routine - Sylvester x Stone

The usual shenanigans between two middle aged men, who wake up too early for their own good. [Ranch AU]

---

The moon sings - Historian!Sylvester x Butcher/Stone

A late night visit to a grave forgotten by the rest of humanity. Or is it really even a grave if the one buried is alive in their own way?

---

Watery walk - Sammy

He's on a little solo adventure! What will he find? [Ranch au]

---

Arguments & Escalations - Mārīte & Stone & Charlie

She's not pleased to find out her father's new hobby: going trough potential contraband in her bedroom.

---

[androphagos]

Exclusive content only available with tier subscription on DeviantArt (from 1st week).

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Ready to serve

Who doesn't love a freshly roasted torso carved into thin slices and served on bread or in a wrap like a kebab?

Well... this chef from Armenia has made this his full time job. He always roasts men in their 20s with excellent physique, and then places their cooked bodies vertically on display, as people queue up to buy a wrap or sandwich with thinly sliced carved meat.

This man was a soldier, who lost a leg in a battle. His girlfriend broke up with him, his family was fed up with taking after him, so they decided to just sell his body to be used for another purpose.

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Traditional wedding soup

At a traditional wedding in Crete you will always be served a bowl or two of gamopilafo (wedding soup). The soup is made exclusively out of the broth of men who are boiled alive in large cooking pots. The soup includes rice, lemon juice, olive oil, onions and of course chunks of tender meat of men.

The traditional way to do the soup is to surprise the "chosen" man or men, by restraining them on the spot. The men of the groom's family will make sure the chosen man is stripped naked and prepared in less than an hour from the time they arrive at the wedding, so that once all the guests arrive, the chefs can put on a show.

The choice is usually made by the couple themselves. At this wedding, the bride's twin brothers were chosen. The family had no objection to this, as they were both causing trouble for many years. They were just 21 years old, and they had already been arrested for petty crimes more than 5 times each...

(more at deviant art)

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Fresh (alive) Meat on Display

I love it when I go on holidays, and the taverns and restaurants put their glass display cases out in the streets to show what (or who) is on the menu. My girlfriend likes getting closer and examining the poor men, sometimes even joking in their face about them being cooked.

This dude saw us laughing at him and my girlfriend was rubbing her belly and licking her lips. He got so embarrassed, he started crying. In the end we decided to just continue our stroll through the town until we get hungry.

When we came back an hour later, he was still in the display case, but this time he was just reduced to pieces of meat. His cute severed head was there, next to some of his ribs, a thigh, a shoulder and an arm.

If his feet had not been served to others already, I would have definitely have them for dinner. But oh well, we just looked elsewhere around the town, which was full of displays filled with guys like him ready to meet their fate.

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Memories from past Easters 3

Have you ever been at a Greek Easter feast? For me it's been a yearly goal to find a welcoming family or friend to experience and enjoy the abundance of spit roasted and grilled male meat. This was one of the first ones I've been to 10 years ago. I was a teenager back then

I will never forget this lovely man who was more than willing to offer me his son's foot and head on a tray like that. He saw me drooling over the feet and head throughout the day, so he decided to just gift them to me. The son was 25 (my age now), and I had only seen him when he was already prepared and seasoned on the spit. A butcher had delivered him for the party, and the men of the family carried him over the fire...

(more at deviant art)

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Don't forget to toss the meat halfway through

For better roast results it's suggested to toss the man over on the tray halfway through cooking. And while you are at it, make sure you make a few cuts on the flesh before adding more sauce and seasoning. You'll want the meat of those buns to absorb as much flavour as possible, while the skin becomes crispy.

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Mocking the meat

Imagine losing your head and being made fun of for crying...

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Post-decapitation selfie

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Failed Balkan model roasted and sold on the street

He thought a modelling career would save him from being sold as meat. Unfortunately he failed badly in this direction and couldn't even sustain his own life properly. It seems like good looks are not always enough to guarantee a man's survival in this world. His appearance ended up being more of a curse than a blessing.

Out of desperation he signed a deal with an agency that was actively involved in the male meat industry. He's been in adverts for male meat farms, restaurants and supermarkets, always posing as meat in various photoshoots. It paid well and he was okay with it, as it was just a few hours of roleplaying as meat in front of a camera.

But for his last photoshoot, he was required to play something a bit more than a simple role... Maybe he should have been more careful when reading the contract and the script of the photoshoot before he agreed. It was clearly mentioned that it would involve spit roasting, but his naivety led him to believe it would simply involve being tied temporarily on a spit with rope.

... (more at deviant art)

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Fresh college meatFresh college meat

The best college in the country found a way to sufficiently fund itself by selling a proportion of 10% of their male students as meat. The lowest performing 10% of young men at this college, ends up becoming meat which later gets sold at markets, restaurants and school cafeterias.

The amount of extra funding coming from this practice, has allowed the college to reach the top of the rankings, with the most pioneering programs, best facilities and research opportunities. The prestige of having a diploma from this specific college, is what leads young men to enrol there anyway, hoping that they won't end up in the bottom 10%. You can imagine how competitive it can get for the male students. It's no surprise that the successful male graduates of this college are all employed in high positions right after college.

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No man cheats on his daughter!

A father would never let his daughter be cheated on and heartbroken by a man without any consequences. Bill found out the hard way, when his in-laws abducted him and prepared him for their daughter's birthday. They made sure he was washed, shaved, cleaned up, marinated, trussed up and roasted alive, all before their daughter had arrived at the surprise party. They wanted the meat to be ready for her to dive in. Revenge is sweet and it's best served HOT.

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Memories from past Easters 4

Some restaurants in Greece choose to spit roast imported meat from abroad on Easter Sunday. Many locals love tasting exotic flavours too on this special day. Also some businesses and individuals see this method as one less complication when it comes to dealing with the meat, as meat is usually unable to communicate in the language, causing less trouble and making the process much more straight forward.

This man was imported from neighbouring Turkey, where the male meat industry is thriving, and the two countries have established an unprecedented trade and cooperation between them, with thousands of men being exported as meat annually from one country to the other.

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Cooking class

Yesterday I joined this cooking class/workshop, where I was shown how to roast a whole man in an electric oven. The organisers provided the man, and all the participants contributed towards his preparation. The meat himself was very upset about it, as he would turn 36 next year, meaning he would have been a free man forever after that. But maybe he was just too tasty-looking to allow him to become a free man. His wife was there too as one of the participants, and she was glad she managed to sort this out in time. She wouldn't be able to live her whole life with regrets for not eating him when she had the chance.

The class took around half a day, because apart from preparing him and shoving him in the glass oven, we had to wait 4-5 hours for him to finish cooking. The price included unlimited drinks, snacks, and of course a piece of our own creation once he was fully cooked. If you can ever join such a class, it is absolutely worth it.

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That's what I call a centrepiece!

Every time I get invited to a dinner party at friends' or relatives' house, I make sure to double check and guarantee that they've got the meat already sorted, just to be safe. I usually ask them to send me a receipt of purchase or a picture/video of the man. Even when it's people I trust and respect, I still wouldn't wanna risk ending up butchered and cooked randomly just because I wasn't careful enough.

This guy in the picture was obviously NOT doing that. His step-mom's parents invited him over for dinner, and he ended up becoming the dinner for the whole family. How do I know that? Well, I was there myself and I took this picture of his delicious feet and cute head once it was served on a platter in the middle of the table. The rest of his body was stuffed and oven-roasted, like a trussed-up turkey. They used his fresh raw feet and head as the centrepiece, which was dominating our view while we were waiting for his roasted body to be served.

Unfortunately the family was not interested in offering or selling us his feet or his head, as they had other plans for those cuts for the weekend. Oh well, after all it was their meat, their choice... Glad I was able to at least take this picture of this delicious specimen.

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When in Argentina...

When in Argentina, do as the locals do... Find an asado where they roast men alive, and enjoy the whole experience. When I was there for a week I went to an asado every single day. And this was one of my favourites, cause this dude just tasted like HEAVEN. If you are wondering where his legs had gone by the time this photo was taken, let me just tell you I had just devoured a whole calve and foot of his with my girlfriend, and the rest of the lower body was already reduced to bones in people's plates. We rushed back for more cuts before all of him was gone. I'll never forget how good his meat tasted. 10/10

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Passing down family secrets to the next generation

My friend Mark knows how much I love feet. His dad is a podiatrist-turn-chef, so you can imagine how well he knows the foot anatomy and how easy it is for him to spot the best pair for each occasion.

In this photo he was showing us what to look for on a foot when we want to buy some from a butcher's or a market. He pointed out that the toe-nails can tell more about the meat than we can imagine. And the toes themselves can demonstrate how meaty or tender a foot can be. The flat soles are great for grilling, and higher-arches are perfect for roasting. Also hairy feet show that the man had good blood circulation. Smell can also indicate specific qualities, and different foot smell intensities can really make a difference in the final result of a dish.

He also bought this delicious foot himself from his favourite butcher shop. The previous owner of the feet was an old patient of his when he had the podiatry clinic. Mark's dad remembered how he was drooling over this pair of feet back then, and he was glad to see that the young man had looked after his feet for all those years.

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Crispiest crackling

This dude was presented in the online menu of this restaurant as the roast of the day. When I saw his pictures and videos from his preparation in the man farm, I knew I had to book a table. This place roasts their meats to perfection. I need to find out their secret for that perfectly crispy skin crackling... and the meat under that heavenly crisp is always tender, juicy and full of flavour. The feet and hands are sometimes too crispy for my taste though, I would personally remove those parts and cook them a different way. But as this restaurant only specialises in whole roasts, they want their men to enter and exit the oven without any prior adjustment to their bodies, apart from, of course, shaving them and cleaning them.

[tar-thelien]

Chapter seven; Looking For Light In The Darkness

Summary:

Elrond and Elros gets picked up by Maglor who´s on the bridge of falling into complete insanity, Maedhros is tired of everything but lets Maglor do as he wants and Erestor watches from as safe of a distance as he can.

Chapter notes:

Maglor threw a bottle at Maedhros off screen, Erestor does his first, unofficial, lesson, Elrond has survivor guilt and Elros is still not convinced Maglor isn´t a vampire. Elros wanted the illusion to break, that they were hostages and not a part of the kinslayer's family. “I fell.” “How clumsy of you Nelyafinwe.”

words: 1386

AO3

“Why do you braid your front braids with gold?”

Maedhros looked surprised up at Elros, who would have been sitting straight over for him if Elrond hadn´t decided to make that place his over the last days. The child had a defiant look in his grey eyes, and a fork in his slightly shaking hand. His other was hiding below the table either grabbing a wooden butter knife or his clothes for stability.

“Because one of my old friends braided his hair with gold,” Maedhros replied as he looked the two Peredhels over with a concerned look.

Elrond looked awfully pale, and Elros looked almost as frightened as he had in Sirion.

“And now he´s dead.” Maglor cut in after too much silence in his own opinion with a small chuckle that was probably meant to lift the mood, but then again maybe not.

Maglor is the only one who knows when what he´s saying is supposed to be good and when it´s supposed to be cruel, Elrond had said but Elros had quickly disagreed saying Maglor certainly doesn´t know what he´s saying and what he means most of the time, but when he does, he knows exactly what to say to get what he wants.

“I´m sorry about dinner the other day, I fear I wasn´t as conscious as I would have liked, but now-”

“What happened to your forehead?” Elros interrupted Maglor while still giving him a little scared side glance. If he angered Maglor too much Maedhros would probably stop his brother from harming him too much, but then again Maedhros might just be the one doing the attack, but he still needed to know what could have given Maedhros both a cut on the forehead and a bruised jaw. Something more dangerous than the elf himself clearly and they needed to know what to stay out of its way.

Elros also wanted the illusion to break, that they were hostages and not a part of the kinslayer's family.

“I fell.”

“How clumsy of you Nelyafinwe.”

-

“Is it my fault Maglor´s friend died at the stream?” Elrond asked Erestor who had taken both of the twins to the fortress library talking about needing to take lessons to learn and no situation could ever excuse that, “and Glossien?”

“Hamu, Vinya,” Erestor said concerned as he put his book aside to make a place for the two children at the table he had chosen for them.

“We don´t know what that means.” Elros said after some tense silence and Erestor smiled crookedly waving them both over and only speaking when both had sat down at the table, “I just asked you to take a seat. Hamu is the polite way of asking someone to sit down,” he explained as he grabbed for some papers and wrote it down in both Tengwar and Cirth, “Har means sit or stay.”

“What about the other thing you said, Vina?” Elros asked as he grabbed out for the papers enthusiastically.

“Vinya,” Erestor chuckled, “means youth, but can also be used speaking about something new.”

Happily Erestor moved closer to Elros who seemed to have forgotten most of his early fright and soon they drowned in ink and paper with both words in Tengwar and Cirth and small drawings of horses and flowers he, Elros himself, had added for it not to look too boring but he was still hesitant to get too close to Erestor.

“But was it my fault!” Elrond cried out all suddenly interrupting the others looking down at the table slowly getting wet with his silent tears.

“No.” Erestor said quietly, “it wasn´t your fault. Never think that. Never.”

-

“I´m only trying to learn their langue so we know what they say.” Elros explained to Erond who was staring into the opposite wall of their room, “that way we can maybe tell the high king where we are so he can come and kill them to save us.”

Elrond didn´t offer an answer so Elros kept on talking more to himself now, “maybe we can get him to spear Erestor, he seems smart, although a bit cold if you ask me, but I would be like that too if I was stuck in a place with so many kinslayers. Maybe he´s a hostage too? Then the high king can save him too.”

“He´s their nephew,” Elrond replied curtly.

“Well so is that smith who lives with the high king Ada spoke of. He´s not evil like them and he even left them. Maybe Erestor got caught trying to leave. Maybe he even tried to escape with the smith and sacrificed himself so his brother could escape!”

“I think that´s unlikely.”

“It would make sense. He´s only with them when we´re eating. He´s probably just forced to eat with them like we are. To make he´s not escaping or something like that.”

Both of their wonderings were cut off as their door was slowly opened and Maglor walked in, but not before knocking on the doorframe in a small characteristic rhythm. Elros had noticed he did that a lot when walking through doors.

Quietly taking one of the lounge chairs in the room to put beside their bed to sit in, obviously hiding something behind his back snickering all the way Maglor began speaking.

“So,” he started with a bright smile that would have made him look innocent if you didn´t know what sins he had committed, “how was your day? I heard Erestor showed you a bit of Quenya, I was thinking about making a full week schedule for you, and I don´t think Erestor would mind teaching you language and math. I, myself, will of course teach you music.”

“Did you eat the birds?” Elros asked suddenly leaving Maglor with a bewildered look on his face, “what do you mean?” he asked with a nervous laugh, “yes, we had pheasant for dinner if that´s what you want to know. Do you not eat birds?” he kept on with his fast confused speech.

“Erestor didn´t show us the Aviary with the birds as he promised.” Elos said trying to get a glimpse of what was behind the elf's back, "did you eat them? Did you drink their blood?" the last part was said in a feeble shiver as Elros slowly curled in on himself.

“No.” Maglor said dumbly frowning confused and a bit disgusted too, “I didn´t eat the birds in the Aviary, nobody did. Or drink their blood. But I can show it to you if you want me to! Tomorrow? We can do it tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow.”

“Now, in the meantime, I brought you some toys, it was all I could find, don´t worry I´ll have Timo help me later,” he said lively as he held out a box carved in wood with small splatters of paint on it in silver stars, “there´s a game of marble in here and a few painted tin figures, I wanted it to be the old wooden ones Caranthir and Ambarussa made for Erestor when he was small, they were truly something, but these are fine too. It was Curufin who made them for his son.”

Elrond and Elros just stared at him frighteningly willing him to go away in their heads.

“Oh, poor Eruhini, are you tired? It must have been an exhausting day,” Maglor sang as he grabbed a piece of Elros´s hair holding it up to the firelight wondering as he hummed under his breath, “I can sing for you, to sleep. Yes, I think I´ll do that. I´ll sing for you.”

Elros and Elrond just nodded silently as Elros slowly let his head fall down so his hair too slipped out of Maglor´s long fingers grabbing for his brother's hand under the cover as Maglor began singing, unthinkingly or uncaring still stroking his fingers over Elros's hair.

“Why but Yonya! Look at your hair! It´s blue, and here I was having thought it was just your lights giving it a blue tone, but no!” Maglor yelled all of a sudden, “oh, my little special own Estel!”

Maglor looked over at Elrond with a giant smile, to see if he had the same color of hair, which quickly disappeared as he saw the child's crying face, "What´s the matter Yonya?"

"I don´t want to sleep."

---

Silly Elros, Maglor isn´t a vampire, and Erestor and Celebrimbor aren´t brothers.

I´m a firm believer Aragorn was named Estel because he looked like Elros when he was a kid and Elros was called Estel both by Maglor and also by others, especially when he united some of the Edains, and Elrond as the angsty autistic kid he is was like, “oh. I could name this kid after my brother because my foster father (Maglor) gave me the social legacy of not being able to let go of anything and denying that people die:)” when he got. Okay not like that but on the way to that.

Hamu = Sit down/Take a seat: Quenya Vinya = Youth/New: Quenya Tengwar is Feanor´s writing system that was usually used by the Noldor to Quenya and Telerin and much later Sindarin, it´s not said when but I like to think it happens somewhere at the start of the second age when there was more peace and people began to finally admit the defects about having two different writing systems. Cirth is the Sindarin writing system Thingol might have tried to enforce if you look into some of the letters about Daeron. It was picked up by the Dwarves to be worked into Khuzdul. Har = Sit/Stay: Quenya Eruhin = Children of god: Quenya; Maglor calls them Children of god/Eru (ERUsen) because he thinks of them as a blessing from Eru. To make it sound plural I´m puting an extra I in as Eruhin is a way to talk about both men and elvers not two children, so it ends up Eruhini, which has also been used by Tolkien so both versions are correct. Hina = Child: Quenya Yonya = Son: Quenya Estel = Hope/Trust/Faith(Q): Sindarin/Quenya

[filhadoboto]

The chosen one

Summary: During the reading of his mother's will, Aleksander Morozov discovers that, so that his inheritance does not end up in the hands of his hated cousin Malyen Oretsev, he will have to get married within a year.

AO3

chapter 1; chapter 2; chapter 3; chapter 4; chapter 5

Chapter 6 - The summer - part 2

The six-week visit to the Lake District passed, and Nikolai, not wanting to be separated from his friends so soon, invited them all to accompany him to Caryeva to watch the horse races and stay at the Lantsov family residence, where they would join his brother who was already there. Duchess Yelena and her family had previous engagements and declined the invitation, but Genya, Ulla and Aleksander decided to accompany Nikolai.

He wrote to Mrs. Stepanova and Mr. Sokolov informing them of the change of plans and sending them the address where he would be staying for the next few weeks so that they could send him his correspondence or meet him if necessary.

As usual at that time of year, the town was bustling with people who were there to watch the races and take part in the auctions and, of course, use all this as an excuse to drink excessive quantities of the famous Caryevan wine.

The morning after their arrival, Aleksander was reading the newspaper when, upon reaching the social announcements section, he recognized one of the names in a marriage announcement. He smiled when he saw that one of the names on his list of suitors had just made a rather advantageous match with a man from Ryevost.

The first engagement of their group after settling in was to attend a performance by a famous troupe of Suli artists who were causing a stir and enchantment in all who had seen one of their performances. The following days were filled with visits to acquaintances who were in the city, attending dinners and dances, going to the theater and the opera, taking walks and watching the races.

Even though he was staying in the same house as Vasily, Aleksander rarely saw him there. But it was not uncommon to catch glimpses of the heir at the theaters, in the boxes of the race tracks, talking to a bookmaker or visiting betting houses. Perhaps it was this habit of his that had brought him so close to Malyen that they were occasionally seen entering or leaving the same places together.

Fortunately, Aleksander had not yet had the displeasure of meeting his cousin in person and had learned of his presence in the city through Nikolai. And since they usually frequented quite different places, he hoped that he would not meet Malyen during his time in Caryeva.

----

The next day, while Ulla and Genya were visiting a dressmaker's shop with two friends from their school days who were also visiting the city, Nikolai and he visited one of the many horse breeders who had animals from all over the world. As they reached the enclosure where the animals were being exhibited, Aleksander's attention was caught by a black Shu stallion.

“He’s a beautiful animal and will make a great addition to the stock you have at the Little Palace.” Nikolai commented in an excited tone, casting an admiring glance at the animal.

“Yes, he’s a beautiful animal, but I’m not buying him.”

“You’re not going to buy him?” his friend asked, a mixture of confusion and surprise.

Aleksander nodded once and replied, “Maybe next time.”

“I don’t think there will be a next time. If you don’t buy him now, someone else will.” Nikolai insisted.

“And that buyer will undoubtedly make a great purchase.” was his only comment.

Kolya studied him for a few seconds before commenting, “You never pass up the chance to acquire such a magnificent animal, Morozov! Especially one that you liked so much!”

Once again, Aleksander thought about telling his friend about his decision, but once again, he convinced himself otherwise.

“My stables have enough animals, Lantsov.” he argued.

Nikolai laughed.

“Don’t be so stingy! You’ve just inherited one of the largest fortunes in the country, my friend. You can have a stable built for every animal you have, so you can certainly afford another stallion.”

Aleksander turned to look his friend in the eye.

“You are right, however, you forgot one important detail. I have not inherited anything yet. At the moment I am more of a guest than the owner of Morozov Hall.” he countered. “In case you forgot, I need to find a wife first.”

“Once again I have to say that I don’t see you trying very hard to get a wife.” his friend teased him. “The single girls in town are in an uproar over you, but you barely look their way!”

“I could say the same about you!” Aleksander replied, trying to divert the focus of the conversation. “I bet your mother would be quite pleased if you returned to Os Alta with a bride instead of a mare.”

Nikolai gave him his characteristic grin.

“Summer isn’t over yet, my friend. Maybe I’ll go back to Os Alta with both of them.” he replied good-naturedly.

With a wink, Nikolai walked away to negotiate the purchase of a bay mare, and Aleksander went to find his sister and cousin to accompany them to the restaurant where they would eat before going to watch the races.

During the third race that afternoon, his attention was drawn away from the track by Genya. His cousin waved her fan at a group of people standing nearby. One of the girls looked away from him, but Aleksander recognized her as the owner of one of the names on his mother's list.

Genya offered in a teasing tone, “I believe she owns one of the names on your list of suitors, and if you would like to speak with her, I can introduce you both, dear Sasha.”

“The list is my mother’s, dear cousin. And I appreciate your offer, but it will not be necessary.”

“Don’t be so rigid, cousin!” she chided him. “How are you going to fall in love if you don’t interact with any women other than Ulla and me?”

Wanting to divert the subject, he replied in an amused tone, “Maybe I’m waiting for the right woman to find me.”

“Aleksander!” she scolded. “How can you joke about such a serious matter when there is so much at stake!”

“I apologize.” he said with a guilty smile.

“I don’t want you to apologize, I want you to try, Aleksander!” she exclaimed urgently.

“Trust me, Genya. I’m trying.” he said, and then he realized that it was true. A part of him still hadn’t given up on Morozov Hall, a part of him still held out hope that he would fall in love and marry for love before the deadline. A part of him still wanted to lock eyes with someone and know that he had found the one he was looking for. “The problem is, none of these women seem to be… the right one.”

Genya looked into his eyes for a few seconds, as if she could read his heart, and he forced himself not to look away. Her golden eyes widened as if she had been struck by an epiphany, and Aleksander felt a stab of fear.

“There’s only one explanation for your behavior, Aleksander.” She began in a serious tone.

“Really?” he asked and she nodded. “And what is it?”

“You are in love with me.” she replied in the same serious tone. “And since you know that I belong body, soul and heart to David Kotsky, you would rather live alone and lose your inheritance than try to love another woman.”

He pretended to ponder her words before commenting, “As much as I consider you the example of what every high society woman should be, I’m not in love with you, Genya.”

“But even if it’s not with me, you are already in love, Sasha.” she insisted. “And my instinct tells me it’s with some taken woman. I’m right, aren’t I?”

Aleksander couldn’t help but laugh.

“No, I’m not in love.” he replied in a confident tone, and unexpectedly, the image of a certain maid from the Little Palace invaded his mind. That thought scared him, but it didn't surprise him since he enjoyed her company and a part of him seemed to consider her the ideal companion, and he quickly pushed it away.

“Are you sure about that?” Genya insisted, and perhaps she could actually read him better than he imagined.

For a few seconds, he hesitated. Was he in love? No.

Was he in love with Alina? No, he enjoyed her company, but he wasn't in love. Besides, he would know if he was. Right?

Then he nodded and replied, “Yes, I am sure. I’m not in love.”

“Love can be found where we least expect to find it, Sasha.” she said and gestured towards the group of girls before adding, “If I am wrong and you are not in love, then I see no reason for your refusal to be introduced to a group of lovely, single young women.”

“I agree with your thinking, dear Genya. But I am sure that I will not find love in a woman that my mother approved of, much less in the women who are her friends.” he replied, but Genya ignored his comment.

“I bet she and her companions are talking about you right now and how they would love to become the next Duchess Morozova.” she commented in the same teasing tone. “Maybe they are even plotting ways to try to catch your attention and pique your interest. If only they knew there is no chance of them winning the heart of the most eligible bachelor in the entire country!”

He gave her a warning look and she laughed with delight.

“Alright, dear Sasha. I promise I won’t tease you anymore. Today.”

His cousin had indeed kept her promise to the letter, for the next day, when she met some acquaintances from Os Alta, she didn’t miss the chance to introduce him to them and emphasize, not at all subtly, that he needed to find a wife by the end of winter.

It soon became clear to Aleksander that while he and Ulla were pleased and even resigned to the loss of Morozov Hall, Genya would do everything in her power to make him fall in love in the coming weeks and secure his inheritance.

---

Aleksander took it as a sign of fate when, while having tea with friends a few days later, he overheard a couple at a nearby table commenting on how much they liked the location of painter Konstantin Krupin's new studio.

Konstantin Krupin was the author of one of the paintings that had impressed Aleksander during his visit to Count Koslov's house in the Lake District and which had made him wonder how his maid, Alina, would have been amazed by his work.

He sent a note to the artist expressing his desire to arrange a visit and received a positive response shortly after, suggesting the best day and time for the visit. So, two days later he visited the studio alone. The artist received him with attention and politeness and Aleksander saw his face fill with pride as he told him how fascinated he had been by the painting he had seen earlier.

Konstantin showed him his new studio while giving a brief explanation about his work and his source of inspiration. His main inspiration was opposites. In his paintings he explored elements that were considered opposites, but complementary and parts of a whole. He invited Aleksander to see his unsold works, but Aleksander's eyes were drawn to the painting on the easel that Krupin must still be working on.

The painting obviously represented light and darkness, day and night. On the right side of the painting, light was represented by a female figure, and on the left side, darkness was represented by a male figure. The two figures had been painted walking towards each other, their arms raised, their hands stretched out in front of them, the tips of their fingers about to touch. On the light side, at the feet of the female figure, everything was transformed into ash that was carried away by the wind. Above and behind the female figure was a bright, scorching sun, and the shades of yellow used by Krupin gave the impression that you could feel the scorching heat of the sun if you got any closer. On the dark side, at the feet of the male figure, dead and decaying vegetation could be seen. Above and behind the male figure was a very thin new moon accompanied by a few stars. In the middle of the painting, where the two figures met and created a sort of twilight zone, life could be seen thriving. There were blossoming flowers and buds, there were green seedlings and small animals.

Something inside him stirred, no, something inside him awakened as if it were an erupting volcano as he gazed at that painting, as if some feeling he didn't even know existed was now taking over his being.

Aleksander needed that painting, and he didn’t care what price he would have to pay for it. However, he wouldn’t buy it for himself, but for Alina as a wedding gift, for she loved art and had hinted that she was engaged to someone from Keramzin and he wanted her to have the same experience he had just had. When she left the Little Palace in early spring along with the other servants, she would take the painting with her.

“I would like to acquire this one, Mr. Krupin.” he said, still staring at the painting in fascination.

“It is not finished yet, Your Grace.” Konstantin informed him. “I still need to add some details, and it will need to dry before it can be packed and transported.”

“That won’t be a problem.” he assured, and looked at the man. “You can send it to my residence when it’s finished.”

“Does Your Grace really wish to purchase it before even seeing the final result?” Krupin asked.

Aleksander nodded and replied, “Does it have a name yet?”

Krupin smiled and replied, “I call it ‘Like calls to like’, Your Grace.”

He looked back at the painting and nodded before commenting, “Oh, I see.”

“Would you still like to see the other paintings that are already finished, Duke Morozov?” Krupin asked.

Although he was pleased with his acquisition, Aleksander nodded and was led into a large, well-lit exhibition room. There were seven more paintings completed, and each was fascinating in its own way, but none of them spoke to him in the same way as the first.

After settling all the details regarding payment and transportation of the painting, Aleksander returned to the Lantsov residence.

---

His stay in Caryeva had been perfectly pleasant and enjoyable, but that changed when he ran into his odious cousin at a dinner party at the mansion of the widowed Viscountess Nadezhda Komarova on his penultimate night in town.

His cousin was accompanied by his two other troublemaking friends who almost always accompanied him in everything and seemed surprised when he saw Aleksander enter in the company of Ulla, Genya and Nikolai.

With a carefree smile, Malyen walked over to them and, after greeting the other three cheerfully, nodded to him and said, “Duke Morozov.”

“Mister Oretsev.” Aleksander replied with cold politeness.

He started to walk away, but his cousin followed him, as he apparently still had more to say to him.

“I heard rumors that you’re having trouble finding a wife, cousin.” Malyen commented in a mocking whisper so only Aleksander could hear. “Perhaps if the law allowed you to marry a prize mare, you would have already chosen one.”

Aleksander gave his cousin the best possible answer: his indifference.

There were much more pleasant and interesting guests for him to greet and interact with. The Nazialesnky family, who had recently arrived at Caryeva, were also among the guests, as were other acquaintances of his, and he occupied himself with socializing.

With irritation, he watched as Ulla was approached by Malyen. His sister chatted politely with him for about five minutes, and as soon as his cousin left her, Aleksander went over to her, willing to stand by her side from then on .

“Brother, you won’t believe what just happened! He tried to flirt with me!” she said in an indignant tone as soon as he met her.

“He did what?” he asked with a mixture of surprise and indignation.

“Malyen tried to flirt with me and blatantly insinuated that the best thing for both families would be for him and I to unite in marriage!” she replied.

Aleksander glared murderously at his cousin and said, “How could he propose something like that so blatantly? Even though we are relatives, he is not close enough to you to make such an inappropriate proposal.”

There was a hint of guilt on his sister’s face as she commented, “He may have gotten the impression that I would be receptive to his flirting after I greeted him a few times on the street. And I introduced him to some of my acquaintances at their request. Despite his reputation, some people still want to create a connection with him and the Oretsev family.”

“You did the right thing, Ulla.” he assured her. “It was he who was rude to interpret your politeness and good manners as an indication of interest and permission to speak to you in this way!”

“What happened, Aleksander? Who was rude to whom?” asked Nikolai, who had come close in time to hear his last words.

Angrily, Aleksander replied, “Malyen was flirting with my sister and even blatantly hinted that the two of them should get married.”

Nikolai initially turned pale, and then his green eyes flashed with fury. He looked at Malyen with such intensity that for a few seconds Aleksander thought his friend was going to commit murder.

He took a deep breath and looked at Ulla before saying in a low tone so only she and Aleksander could hear, “Just one word from you, Miss Morozova, and I will teach him some manners.”

Ulla seemed surprised not only by his words but also by the ferocity in them, but she gave him a grateful smile and said, “I don’t want you to get your hands dirty, Mr. Lantsov. And I suggest we ignore his existence as much as possible and enjoy the evening.”

After exchanging a glance, Aleksander and Nikolai nodded and the three only separated when dinner was served. Fortunately, Viscountess Komarova did not seat them near each other at the dinner table and he was able to enjoy the delicious meal while chatting with the Viscountess herself and her son-in-law, Dimitri Siminski, who had an even greater passion for horses than he did. Ulla was in the company of Viscountess Komarova's daughter and Viscount Nazialesnky. Malyen was between Zoya and her mother and it was no surprise to Aleksander to see the two flirting openly.

After the gaming tables were set, Aleksander preferred to continue his conversation with Mr. Siminski, but he noticed that his cousin's two friends had sat at the same table as Ulla. Even from a distance he could see that they were trying to start a conversation with her, but his sister responded with nods or monosyllables. His protective instinct urged him to go over there, but before he could move, Nikolai joined them with a hostile expression and said something that made them turn their attention from Ulla to the game. With relief Aleksander saw his sister's posture relax.

But the evening still had something unpleasant in store for him. As much as he had kept his distance from his cousin, at some point he had gotten close enough to him and Zoya to overhear part of their conversation in which, to his surprise, he was the subject.

“...defended a foolish maid who destroyed my dress and refused to punish her as he should or fire her as I begged him to do.” Miss Nazyalenskaya said in an indignant tone. “But the worst offense was that he welcomed us warmly at the Little Palace and rejected me as if he could find some more suitable woman to be the next Duchess Morozova.”

“It must be very unpleasant to be in the same place as the man who so rudely rejected your hand.” Malyen commented in a sympathetic tone.

“It is extremely unpleasant!” she replied. “I only did not ask my parents to return home immediately because it would be a great insult to our honored and lovely hosts.”

“Despite my empathy for your suffering, I am not surprised to hear your story, Miss Nazyalenskaya. My cousin has always been a vain, proud type who has a very high opinion of himself and who does not mind offending and scorning people he does not consider to be on his own level.” Malyen opined. “I myself have been a victim of his pride countless times, but still I do not understand how he could be so heartless as to refuse the hand of a woman like you! You know that if I had been in his position, I would have thrown myself at your feet and begged you to make me the happiest of men.” There was a pause, and then he added, “But you, my stunning Miss Nazyalenskaya, were not born to be the wife of a simple lord like me. You were born to grace the most beautiful halls of Os Alta and sit on a throne.”

Aleksander could not see their expressions, but he imagined that the girl must have been quite pleased with Malyen’s words and compliments. And he couldn't help but think that this was probably the kind of behavior she had expected from him during her stay at the Little Palace.

“Gossip has it that Duke Morozov has not yet found a bride, despite his dire need to secure one.” commented Zoya in a mischievous tone. “And the gossip also says that if he doesn't manage to get married by the beginning of spring, Mr. Oretsev, you will inherit the Morozov family fortune.”

“Yes, that is true. My dear aunt was most generous in including that clause in my favor in her will. And if her son continues to refuse every woman he meets and doesn't make his choice in time to marry, I shall have the honor of being the new inhabitant and owner of the Little Palace in the spring.”

Yes, you will be the new owner. The new owner of the ruins of the Little Palace. , he thought with a mixture of guilt and satisfaction.

“If this long-awaited event does indeed come to pass, I hope to have the honor of being your guest and to be received with much more kindness and gallantry than I was received by the current owner.”

Aleksander wanted to laugh, but he held back, as he didn't want the two of them to notice his presence.

“The honor would be all mine, Miss Nazyalenskaya.” Malyen replied in a gallant tone. “And it will be an honor to receive you at my family residence in Keramzin, if you agree to visit me and my beloved mama, of course. I am quite sure that she will be absolutely delighted to see you again and see with her own eyes what an extraordinary woman you have become, Miss Nazyalenskaya.”

His attention was drawn away from the conversation by Ulla and Genya, who were tired and asked him to call the carriage. He readily complied with their request, and on the journey back to the Lantsov residence, Aleksander commented on what he had heard to his companions.

Genya and Ulla were of the same opinion, that a union between the two would be quite advantageous for both of them due to the fact that Malyen would indeed inherit Morozov Hall. Nikolai believed that Malyen was more interested in flirting than in a commitment to Zoya, but he did not rule out the idea that her parents might see the advantage and even encourage their relationship , since if anything happened to Aleksander and Ulla now , the Morozova family fortune would go to Margosha and then to Malyen .

The farewell to his friends was long, as he was not sure if he would see them again before the winter fête. Nikolai would stay in Caryeva for a few more weeks and his mother would join him and Vasily in a few days. Genya would return to her parents' house in Os Alta before going to spend six weeks with her older brother and would spend New Year's with Ulla and Aleksander in Os Kervo if her parents didn't already have plans.

Despite all of Genya's efforts, he had not fallen in love with any of the girls he had met. And when he entered his carriage with his sister to return to the Little Palace, Aleksander's heart was so full of happiness at returning home that the long journey there passed in a blur.

[briamichellewrites]

104

briamichelle: “Home is where your rump rests” – Pumbaa. So happy to see this guy, @m_shinoda! Let’s see what kind of shenanigans we can get up to this week.

“This is New York, Mikey. Everyone walks here.”

He laughed. Amanda commented that was true. They were at the precinct waiting for Dominick to finish for the day. He was introduced to everyone. Detective Fin Tutuola asked if he was in Linkin Park. Yes, he was. He liked their music. Mike thanked him. Olivia asked what their plans were. They would probably just go back to her place, eat dinner and play with her cats. He had yet to meet Sebastian. Did he have any cats? No, he had a French bulldog puppy named Misty the second.

She was his daughter’s dog. He adopted her for her after their first dog died from old age and because she was a good kid. At the last minute, Dominick and Amanda were chosen by Olivia to follow a new lead. He apologized to Bria. It wasn’t a problem. He would call her when he was done. That sounded awesome. She and Mike would probably go out to eat then.

When she and Mike got back, Sebastian was waiting for them at the door. Hi, human! You’re home! They both said hello to him. She picked him up and asked where his brother was. He didn’t know where Slash was, though he assumed he was somewhere. What he wanted was food. His little stomach was empty and he felt death was imminent. At less than two months old, his very short life would soon be over. Meow! Meow!

Finally! His food was delivered to him on a plastic plate. He sniffed it before eating. Thank you, human! Slash heard the familiar sound of a can being opened, so he ran as fast as he could to the kitchen. Meow! I’m hungry! Meow! Bria picked up his food bowl and refilled it before putting it in front of him. Thank you, human! Yum! Yum!

Since he was staying next door, they brought his stuff over. He had the whole townhouse to himself. It was a nice place. He didn’t have to worry about going up and down stairs because it had an elevator. If he was staying longer than a week, he would make use of all the amenities. Initially, he didn’t understand why she bought it because it seemed like a waste of money. Now, he understood her need for privacy, especially if her boyfriend was coming over.

They decided to go out to dinner since Dominick wouldn’t be available for a few hours. Dominick’s first impression of Mike was good. He could tell he and Bria were very close friends. Mike also had a good first impression of him. He hoped he would be a good influence on Bria and he wouldn’t hurt her like Bradley had.

While eating at Bubba Gump’s, they talked about her relationship with Dominick. They were in the beginning stage of dating where they were getting to know each other. He worked a lot, so they had to play everything by ear. Sometimes he got to leave at five and sometimes he had to stay longer. It just depended on what Olivia needed him to do. He could see that. What was his job? He was a detective, who investigated sexual crimes.

He transferred from Staten Island and was getting to know the city. Mike liked him, though he didn’t want them rushing into anything. Neither did she. She had an idea while manic the other day about buying another property. Where would she do that? She saw a million dollar property in Dubai. Dominick had to talk her out of it because it was too expensive! He laughed.

“Dubai is on the other side of the world!”

“That was his other point. He recommended buying a property in either New York or LA, where they wouldn’t be sitting idly waiting.”

Hey, I’m done with work. Where can I meet you? – Sonny

Hey! Mike and I are at Bubba Gump’s near my place if you want to join us. We just started eating. – Bria

When he got there, he looked around until he found where they were sitting. Mike invited him to join them. Bria just went to the bathroom. He sat down exhausted on the other side of the table. Long day? Yes. He was so happy it was over. Mike had those days. The best part was going home to his daughter. When Bria came out, she said goodbye to another girl before walking to their table.

“Oh my god!”

“What?”

“I just ran into Ashley! We’re going to meet up for lunch sometime.”

“That’s great! I’m stealing one of your fries”, Dominick said reaching over.

“Oh my god! I’m sorry I didn’t see you!”

Mike laughed.

“I’m like six feet. I’m kind of hard to miss”, he joked.

When the waitress came back, she asked how everything was going. It was going great. Dominick ordered a cheeseburger, fries and a drink. Thank you. While talking, Dominick learned Mike was a producer, singer/songwriter, rapper and artist. He was a single father of a seven year old girl named Shiloh after ending an engagement with his longtime boyfriend.

Back at Bria’s, Mike found out how Dominick met Bria. She had been found in the bathroom of Saks Fifth Avenue unconscious with her pants down. They assumed she had been sexually assaulted. Once she was discharged from the hospital, he talked to her about getting help for her addiction. Mike thanked him for that. He and her friends truly appreciated that. She was at risk of developing a drug addiction because of her mental health.

Did he know about her talking to the dead? Oh, yeah. He knew all about it. It took a toll on her emotionally. How did he find out about it? Dominick and his squad found out about it when she came in looking distraught. It took her a while before she could tell them and she made them promise to take her seriously. She then told them information regarding a case they were working on.

It was information they hadn’t discovered yet. They investigated the tip and they discovered everything she said was one hundred percent true. They invited her back in and that’s when she told them about her ability.

Mike nodded before telling him the story of how she had seen a car accident minutes before they drove past it. She also was able to give their good friend a message from his mother, who had just died of cancer. It was not an ability he would want to have. When she came back in holding Sebastian, she confirmed that it was emotionally grueling.

The only positives were the rare moments when she could help someone pass over. She believed the dead just wanted to be acknowledged, like Maria in Treblinka. She wanted her to see what she went through. They also wanted justice to give their loved ones closure. Meow. Sebastian didn’t know what the humans were talking about. He just wanted attention. She picked him up and kissed his little forehead. I love you. Mike and Dominick laughed. I love you too, human!

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon @fiickle-nia