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dustofthedailylife · 2 years ago

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A Gift For You

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Pairing: Alhaitham, Cyno, Heizou x (gn!) Reader

Summary: They plan to give you something for White Day (Info: White Day is the counterpart to Valentine's Day where you usually get the person who got you something, something in return.)

Tags: Fluff, best friends to lovers, pining, mild cursing, very slight angst for Heizou and Cyno at first but also not really, they have good intentions haha!

A/N: This is my White Day gift for @feeblescholarmyass! I hope you like it :3

ALHAITHAM

Two knocks on the door of your office snapped you out of your work-induced haze.

You’ve been working non-stop on this project for the Akademiya for months now and have only been allowing yourself breaks to eat or sleep. Well, to be fair, sleep was negligible too, seeing as you only got around three hours of it per night for a couple of weeks now.

What didn’t help was that you just couldn’t get a hold of a super rare edition of a book that was practically essential for this paper. However, the physical copy was lost to the void of the library as it was never returned. And since the Akasha terminal no longer worked you also couldn’t fall back on that.

“Come in.” you answer, rubbing your eyes quickly in a futile attempt to make yourself look less tired. But deep down you knew there was nothing that could hide the deep purple eye bags you’d been carrying around like a designer accessory the past couple of weeks.

You continued to read through one of the many books on your desk as the door was opened quietly and you heard long strides approach your desk.

“Are you seriously still working on this?” a familiar voice asked reprimandingly.

You looked up into the face of Alhaitham who looked down at you in a less than amused and almost accusatory way. You genuinely didn’t have time for this now, as much as you would rather spend every free minute you had with him instead.

“Well yes, I am. Things have been going slower than I had planned and the deadline is breathing down my neck.” you sighed burying your head into the book you had been skimming through prior. “What did you want?”

“You are going to take a break.” Alhaitham remarks. This wasn’t a plea, he was leaving no room for protest. He snatched the book out of your hand and placed it on a table out of your reach.

“Hey! Alhaitham! You can’t do that. I need to finish this.”

“Yes, I can. And I will.” he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “When was the last time you ate?”

Well, damn. There was nothing you could hide from him, was there? He always saw right through you. Always had. One of the perks of being friends with a genius, you thought to yourself. And your silence following his question seemed to confirm his suspicions once again.

“Come on. Let’s go to the Tavern, I’ll treat you to lunch.”

You knew there was no point in resisting so you tagged along and unsurprisingly as always, he was right. Getting out of your cramped office and breathing in some fresh air was balm for your soul.

You sat down outside of the Tavern, both ordering a meal and talking about some recent research you both were interested in. Well, it was mostly just you ranting about your project and the sheer stress the lack of one certain book was causing you, but he listened to everything attentively.

You once again came to realize what an incredibly calming effect talking to him had on you. Despite how fast your heart started drumming inside of your chest every single time without fail. You suspected that he likely would never be interested in you beyond the friendly relationship you had with him and you didn’t mean to destroy what you both had by laying your feelings for him bare. So you simply kept them locked within your heart and simply basked in his presence whenever you could.

“Oh, since we’re on the topic. I bought something the other day. This is for you.” Alhaitham suddenly pulled a book out of his bag and slid it across the table. You only had to glance at the cover briefly before you realized what it was and your eyes became as wide as saucers.

“Th-this is… the super rare copy of Ancient Nomad Language and Symbolism! How did you–?”

You were awestruck. You had no idea how he managed to get his hands on a copy. It was as if this book had vanished from the face of the earth. Aside from the fact that you could no longer buy it either or just for an extremely inflated price. How in the world did he get his hands on this?

“Let’s just say, I have my methods.” he replied with a hint of a smug smile painted across his lips.

“How much did you pay for this? I promise I’m going to pay it back–”

“No need.” he shook his head to deny your offer. “Consider it a gift.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much! You have no idea how happy this makes me.” you blurt out, almost brought to tears by this act of kindness. With this, your project was saved, and after so long you could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

“Well, in fact, I do. Considering that you didn’t shut up about this book for the better half of a month now and everyone you spoke to knew how much you wanted it.” he stated factually.

“Hey! No need to get all snarky with me now, when I just want to express my gratitude!” you chuckle and playfully roll your eyes, prompting him to smile smugly in a barely noticeable way once more.

“It was my pleasure. Besides, today is White Day, so it was only logical to get you something.” he remarks and he continued to drink his coffee entirely unbothered as if he didn’t just insinuate the most unbelievable thing you had ever heard. He surely misunderstood something here, right?

“Uhh–” you pause. “You know what this day is for right?”

“Naturally.”

You felt like your heart was about to jump right out of your chest any second. What did he mean naturally?! Was what you deemed impossible actually true and…

“Do you… like me?” you whisper, too scared and unable to speak any louder because it felt like all air had been knocked out of your lungs.

“Looks like you’ve finally caught on as well. I thought you’d never realize.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why do you think I repeatedly asked you out for lunch or dinner? Or why do you think I keep returning your books for you if you’re very capable of doing so yourself? Amongst other things.” he enumerated.

“Well yes, but that’s what friends do.” you retorted confusedly.

“Then let me spell it out for you.”

He put his cup down on the table and leaned forward. He stared deeply into your eyes before ushering three words you’ve always, deep down, longed to hear from his lips.

“I love you.”

CYNO

Three Matra ringing on your door at 10 in the morning was not what you had expected to see today, but here you were nonetheless. They had arrived just as you were about to head to the Akademiya for work but effectually canceled all plans you had made.

“Good morning?” you questioningly asked, raising an eyebrow at them. “Can I help you?”

“We would like to ask you to accompany us back to the Akademiya.”, they plainly stated, signaling you to follow them.

You quickly grabbed your keys and tracked behind them with unease pooling at the pit of your stomach and a violently beating heart.

What could the Matra possibly want from you? Did you conduct some illegal research? Did someone turn you in for plagiarism to save their own skin? Or did it have something to do with academic funds? As far as you were aware, the answers to all of these questions were no.

You didn't commit any serious academic offense to your knowledge and never planned to do so in the first place. But being called in by the Matra always had something to do with that, so naturally, you had a very bad feeling about this and couldn’t help but desperately try to find the answer to it in your head before you’d arrive.

You knew your best and long-time friend Cyno, was the General Mahamatra but even he wouldn’t show mercy if you seriously screwed something up. You knew he didn’t take academic offenses lightly - it didn’t matter who it was who committed them. He dealt out punishment equally.

The way to the office seemed like it was taking forever and many people along the way to the Akademiya threw you pitiful glances and were whispering as you were escorted by the Matra.

Once you arrived at your destination you were led into the General Mahamatra’s office. The Matra who had escorted you were bowing their head down once before they left you and Cyno, who was standing behind his desk, alone.

“There you are!” he stated, sounding surprisingly cheerful. Well, at least compared to usual anyway. He certainly didn’t seem sinister or as if he was out for your head.

He walked around his desk and came to a halt just in front of you. You slightly twitched as he put one hand on your shoulder and looked right into your eyes. This entire situation was odd, to say the least.

What didn’t help was that the warmth that radiated off his hand on your shoulder was entirely distracting to you right now and made the blood rush to your cheeks and your heart skitter in your chest.

“U-uhhh…” you stammered, unsure what to say or do.

“Do you still remember the special animated Genius Invokation card of Tighnari you got me last month?”

What? Was something wrong with it?

“Uhm… yes, of course, I do.” you reply, uncertain as to where this was leading.

He nodded as his lips curved into a small smile. “Follow me.”

You trailed behind him out of the Akademiya and along the streets towards the outskirts of Sumeru city. You remained silent the entire way, intimidated and unsure about his intentions. You couldn’t help but wonder where he was taking you and whether he was intending to exercise his judgment where no one was able to bear witness to it.

He came to a halt next to a small, run-down house at the border of the city and leaned against the fence there, crossing his arms over his chest and gazing below himself. You cautiously came to a halt as well, making sure you maintained some distance from him.

“So… w-what did I do?” you carefully inquired.

“Well,” Cyno cleared his throat as if he was struggling to find the right words. He stepped a little closer to you once again, taking your slightly trembling hands in his. “You stole something.”

“What? I did n–”

“You stole my heart.” he interrupted both your words and ability to form clear thoughts.

You parted your lips with the intention to say something but every word seemed to have died in your throat. You knew he was one to often speak cryptically so you were uncertain about the true meaning behind his words.

“What?”

He took a deep breath as if he was preparing to say something impacting before pointing toward the fence he had been leaning on with a dead-serious face.

“I fence-y you!”

At this point, you couldn’t help but chuckle. The hilarity of this entire situation was unbelievable. Not only did he have you worried sick he also chose to confess to you after years of pining with some stupid pun.

“Did you seriously lead me here just because there is a fence here?”

“Curses. I feared you would not understand… see fence-y sounds like fancy which means I–”

You quickly pulled him in by his neck and pressed your lips softly against his, successfully stopping him from explaining his joke. The feeling of his lips on yours was something you had dreamed of for so long. When he slung his arms around your waist the endorphins rushing through your bloodstream made your head swim and you felt as if your heart was about to burst out of your chest. You wondered if he felt the same.

“That was supposed to be my gift to you,” he remarked with a smile, leaning his forehead against yours. “but you beat me to it.”

You playfully punched his chest with a chuckle. “Idiot. You have no idea how much you had me scared to death with this entire scheme of yours. I fence-y you, too”

“Allow me to make it up to you again. Do you like raisins?”

You questioningly raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was up to this time.

“No? How about a date, then?”

Someone seriously needed to remind you again why you fell for this guy.

HEIZOU

You were walking through the streets of Hanamizaka to run some errands when you bumped into your long-time friend aka. the best detective in town. Or maybe even in the entirety of Inazuma.

“Would you look who it is!” you perceived the familiar voice coming from your right.

You turned your head only to spot the familiar tuft of auburn locks and the pair of mischievous green eyes that always made their owner look like he was up to no good.

“Heizou!” you cheered, hugging him tightly.

“It’s a good thing I run into you actually. I’m onto something and you’re just the person who could help me out.” he remarked.

“Oh, is that so?” you asked stemming your hands on your hips proudly, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Indeed.”

“So, what do you need from me, Mr. Detective?” you tease.

“Alright. So, as you may or may not know it’s White Day. I’m looking for a present for someone since I’m going on a date, and I want to get something for them.” he explained.

You had to try your hardest to not drop your smile. It almost faltered just now, but you couldn’t let your disappointment show. He didn’t know you had feelings for him, so to him, you were still nothing more than his best friend. Obviously, he would come to you with something like this. It’s also on you for not telling him about your feelings for him, too.

As much as your heart ached while thinking about it, you simply had to try to be a supportive friend in this situation. Even if it would most likely prove to be a challenge. Both for your heart and also to hide your dislike about this from him, since he was generally very perceptive. It was in the job description after all and he was one of the best in his field.

“So what do you say?” he interrupted your train of thought. “Will you help me?”

“Sure!” you agree, faking a smile.

You followed him through the streets of Inazuma City walking past several restaurants and storefronts continually catching yourself getting lost in your own thoughts while he was talking.

Your mind was way too occupied with reproaching yourself for not opening up about your feelings. Would you still be able to look him in the eyes when you soon saw him with someone else by his side? Or would you be strong enough to still be as close to him as you are now, despite your aching heart? These were questions the future you would have to eventually find answers to, but for now, you decided you should focus on helping him.

“Which restaurant would be a good option for a dinner date?” he pondered tapping his chin with his index finger.

“Well, I do like Uyuu Restaurant just across the bridge from here. But then again, it tends to be rather crowded on holidays. So maybe Kiminami Restaurant instead? And quite honestly, the food is also better there in my opinion.” you advised.

“I see. Great!” Heizou cheered writing some things down in his notebook.

“So…” he began again after he was done taking notes. “Now for the present. I have no clue what to get them, yet.”

“Well, what a lousy detective you are if you can’t even sneakily ask them about what they would want.” you teased.

He raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms in front of his chest, acting playfully offended at your remark.

“Hey now! No need to get personal! Besides, that would only be the last resort! Anyway, hypothetically speaking. Imagine I’d get you something for White Day. What present would you want?”

For Archon’s sake, did he really have to have you imagine that? Getting a present from him on White Day would be a dream come true so he could practically get you anything and you would be head over heels for him all over again. But naturally, you couldn’t just outright say that.

“I don’t think this should be about what I would want. You should consider what they could want instead.”

“Hmm. I see your point. I could just ask them directly, I suppose?” he proposed tapping his chin as if deep in thought.

“No numbnuts! That’s not something you just ask them. It’s supposed to be a surprise, you know?”

“But then it may be even more important if you could give me an idea knowing what you would want. To gather some… inspiration, basically. I have to consider all possibilities after all.” he lightly bumped his finger on your forehead and smirked slyly. “So what would you want… jewelry? books? something to decorate your home with perhaps? Or maybe–”

“I fear I may not be of much help. I genuinely wouldn’t know what I would want.” you quickly interrupted.

Aside from wishing to be the object of affection of the man in front of you. But it was probably better if you buried that hope alongside your feelings for him once and for all.

What you were dying to say to him for a long time, had died in your throat the moment he told you he was going on a date. And as much as you honestly wanted to help him with this, you couldn’t recommend him something in good faith when it made your heart painfully throb the way it did right now.

“Hmmm.” he pondered looking at the ground with crossed arms. “That’s a shame, I’d immediately know what I’d want.”

“Oh? And what would that be, Detective?” you replied cheekily, quickly trying to distract yourself from the aching feeling in your chest.

“You.”

“What?” you falter.

“Do you happen to be free later?”

“Y-you–?”, you stammered.

“I set you up? Hmm, I suppose you could say I did. Sorry about that, but I had to find something out first.” he hummed, leaning in a little closer with a smug smile before whispering in your ear. “And I’m pretty sure I connected all the dots by now, did I not, sweetheart?”

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

#genshin impact #astronetwrk #giwhiteday2023 #genshin fanfic #alhaitham x reader #cyno x reader #heizou x reader #genshin x reader #genshin drabbles #genshin fluff #genshin scenarios #genshin headcanons #genshin imagines #genshin x gn reader #genshin x female reader #🍁 dust writes

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bbyquokka · 11 months ago

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kisses with skz

– how skz would kiss yn !!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 | ot8 x gender-neutral reader

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 | fluff, smut – 18+ is strongly advised!

𝐂𝐖 | established and unestablished relationships, inexperience reader, drunk kissing, suggestive themes, sub themes, jealousy, masturbation (m rec), grinding, dry humping, lots and lots of kissing!

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 | 1.8k ~ ( 1,882 )

𝐀/𝐍 | happy valentines day! here is my gift to you!! ‹3‹3 don’t forget to leave feedback, reblog and tell me what you think here. curious as to what is next? here is my wips list! i hope you all enjoy! ‹3

m.list — you can also read it on my ao3

dont repost. dont translate. minors, ageless & default blogs; dni! feedback and reblogs are highly advised and appreciated!

𝐁.𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍 – the type to start slow and steady. he would touch you first. his hands gliding along your skin. it gives you goosebumps. his hands running along your curves, fingertips soaking in every detail. he'd lean in and let his lips brush along your neck first. he'd inhale your scent before peppering soft and gently kisses along the skin before trailing his lips to your jawline where he'd pepper kisses along it until finally, he'd kiss your lips. it'd be slow, gentle and warm. lips moving together perfectly, slotting together like you're made for one another. hands continuing to caress your hot and flush skin. you’d feel tingly with excitement, wondering where this will all lead to. he’d be so gentle with you but at the same time a bit harsh and rough. the hunger that chan feels for you the longer his lips are caressing yours, increases bit by bit. he’d squeeze your curves, soaking in every detail that brushes against his fingertips.

𝐋.𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 – he'd be the one to teach you. you'd let him know that you've never kissed or made out with someone before. minho would be a little surprised at first but offers to teach you. you two are nothing more than friends so you'd have to think about it, outweighing the positives and the negatives of kissing your best friend. you wouldn't know what to do but decide to say fuck it. you only live once and just go along with it. minho has a huge crush on you so he will admit that he took advantage of the situation but he never thought you'd agree to it. you'd be shaking, nerves ripping you apart. minho would cup your cheeks and tell you to take deep breaths. “it’s ok. it’s only me. we don't have to do this if–” his sentence would be cut short by you squeezing your eyes and pushing your lips against his. it's uncomfortable and not what you expected it to be. it’s just all teeth and lips. you could feel the outline of his two front teeth from how hard you pressed your lips against his. minho would just laugh and instead, hold you close and press his lips against yours gently. you'd freeze, not sure on what to do. “just do what feels natural.” he'd whisper against your lips. his thumb would stroke your cheek and soothe you. you'd hold onto his shoulders and just relax. your nerves are still apparent but the longer minho kisses you, the more you feel yourself melt into him. his soft lips, his hands on your cheeks; it's so much but you don't hate it. you'd pull away from one another before staring and laughing to yourselves softly.

𝐒.𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐁𝐈𝐍 – a drunken kiss. you and changbin got invited to jisung's frat party. lots of booze, people and loud music. both of you have had a little too many shots and cheap liquor. you, changbin, jisung and a few others would be the only ones left standing. it's two am and jisung would have this ‘amazing’ idea of truth or dare. you'd be feeling a little risky (thanks to the alcohol in your veins) so dare it is. “i dare you to kiss someone of your choice.” you'd look around, shrug and walk to changbin. he'd give you a smirk, pull up flush against his body and kiss you. you'd be shocked at the sudden confidence but you'd soon find yourself melting into the kiss. it's a simple, five second kiss so it's over way too soon for you. soon, everyone gets bored of truth or dare so everyone decides to call it a night and sleep… except you and changbin. you're straddling him, half naked. naked chest pressed against his. his hands on your ass, cupping and squeezing it firmly. the kiss is heavy, hot and sloppy. it's nothing but saliva, teeth and tongues but it's enough to make you both feel very aroused and wanting more of each other.

𝐇.𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐍𝐉𝐈𝐍 – hyunjin loves to give you small and quick pecks. a peck on the cheek, a peck on the nose or a peck on the lips. you could be cooking or cleaning or even just lounging around the apartment, hyunjin would give you a sweet peck whenever and wherever he can. and you'd do the same. when you see him in his studio, hair up in a ponytail and dressed in an old t-shirt and denim dungarees that's coated in dried paint, you'd walk behind him, wrap your arms around his midriff and peck his cheeks. “missed me, darling? because i've missed you.” when he's feeling lustful and just wants you, his kisses remain tender and sweet. he could be thrusting in and out of you roughly, hips stuttering and bodies hot and sweaty, but his lips on yours are so tender, soft and slow. it's enough to make you melt into him and want more. he treats you with such care and attention because he adores, treasures and loves you so so much. afterwards, he would pepper your sweaty face with kisses and whisper sweet and loving words to you, telling you how beautiful you are. hyunjin loves kisses but he loves them even more when they're on you and from you.

𝐇.𝐉𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆 – sloppy. messy. greedy and needy. it's no surprise that jisung is a greedy and messy guy when it comes to things like this and it's no different when it comes to kissing. he's so full of lust and need for you that it overpowers him and clouds his mind. his rational thinking is out of the window as soon as his lips are on yours. his tongue invading the inside of your mouth. saliva pooling and spilling from the corners. lips swollen and kiss bitten. he'd pepper your neck with kisses and bruises whilst grinding on you. he'd be so whiny too. he'd be whimpering and clinging onto you, begging for more. he wants to take care of you but at the same time be taken care of, so depending on the mood and how he is feeling, you could end up with a very whiny and subby jisung. “... p-please take care me, yn. i’ve been a good boy.” his body would shiver and feel like it's on fire as you'd tease him with kisses first. kiss his round cheeks and nose before trailing down his neck to his chest. you'd kiss his pecs, giving the skin an occasional suck to leave bruises and his hard nipples a suck that's enough to leave jisung bucking his hips and wanting more. you'd trail the kisses down to his stomach where you'd kiss his soft tummy and bite his waist gently. he'd be bucking his hips up into you, grinding the air desperately and tears trickling from the corner of his eyes. he'd be a sobbing, whimpering mess burnt with desire and lust. “p-please yn. please, i need you.”

𝐋.𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗 – aftercare kisses are a must with felix. he'd be so tender and gentle with you after a night of love making. even if he hasn't been rough with you and it's been a simple, vanilla night, he would still kiss you so tenderly as if he's scared you'll break in front of him. he'd kiss each and every love bite and bruise on you, whispering how sorry he is and how he is going to take good care of you. sometimes (when one round isn't enough) he'd be sitting in bed leaning against the headboard. he'd watch you come out of the bathroom all washed and ready for sleep. you'd crawl onto the bed for felix to beckon you with two fingers, grab the back of your head and kiss you roughly. it's all tongue and teeth, his grip on you harsh. he'd pull you onto his lap, move your hips fast so you grind on him whilst keeping his lips on you. it's game over at this point and you're at his beck and call once again

𝐊.𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐌𝐈𝐍 – he can’t stand you so the thought of kissing you makes his skin crawl. however, he finds himself late at night imagining your soft lips on his. he imagines melting into you and you into him. he imagines holding up and caressing you. he hates you because he wants you but he'd never admit that to anyone, not even his close friends. however, when minho invites himself round to his place and invites you along with him, seungmin’s calm and peaceful world turns chaotic. you're in his home and just driving him insane. he's anxious but also very excited as well as jealous. the way you laugh at minho’s stupid jokes or give his bicep a squeeze is enough for jealousy to bubble in the pit of seungmin’s stomach. he'd have to excuse himself, go to his bedroom and fish his hard, leaking penis out of his pants. eyes closed, fist around his shaft as he strokes himself to the thoughts of you. he moans and groans, head kicking back and whispering your name. he wants your lips on his, kissing and sucking on him. he wants to taste you and swallow every moan the spills past your lips. he wants it all and he hates that about him so he hates you too. he just hopes that when he leaves the bathroom, you’re not there so he can go back to his calm and peaceful life.

𝐘.𝐉𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍 – two people who have never kissed anyone in their lives. both of you would be so nervous. palms sweaty, throat dry, body shaking. everything feels so awkward and tense. both of you asked friends about what to do and what to expect with everyone saying the same thing “just do what feels natural!” but what is that exactly? two very nervous people sat face to face on jeongin’s couch, you give each other nervous smiles and awkward laughs. jeongin wipes his palms on his jeans, your hands are bundled into fist. you'd look up at him to speak before feeling lips being pressed against yours forcefull (the last thing you see is jeongin's eyes squeezed shut) it's not as good as what you both expected it to be so when he pulls away, you both feel a little disappointed. moments of painful silence would pass by before you gain the courage to take his sweaty palm in yours, lean forward and gently kiss him. it's better than the first time, still uncoordinated and inexperienced, but better. with a shaky hand, jeongin would place his hand on your cheek and stroke it gently as you slowly shuffle into his lap to decrease the distance between you both. you'd both start to get into it, slowly increasing the pace and adding tongues. both of you getting hot and bothered, panting a little and becoming lightheaded as you'd both forget to breathe. you'd shakily hold onto his shoulders and bravely take the chance to grind on him whilst kissing him. his hips would buck up into yours and he'd help you pick up the pace until you're both panting and humping one another through clothing. both of you being inexperienced and feeling new, exciting feelings means that once it's started; it's quickly over.

#kwritersworldnet #wkcnet #straykidsland #skz smut #stray kids smut #skz fluff #stray kids fluff #skz x you #stray kids x you #chan x you #minho x you #changbin x you #hyunjin x you #felix x you #jisung x you #seungmin x you #jeongin x you #skx headcannons #skz scenarios

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totallynotcoffeeturtle · 11 months ago

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Kiss me under the milky twilight

Masterlist

(From the 6th to 30th April, I am having a mini 100 follower milestone event!)

Tags: Scaramouche x GN!reader, modern au, fluff Summary: Where Scaramouche celebrates Valentine's day with you, even if he's late.

Scaramouche pushes his glasses up while blinking tiredly. Not even the 10th cup of coffee can keep him up for any longer. The file and its blinking mouse begin to look like they are taunting him to no end with the tall pile of paperwork sitting beside him. He lets his forehead hit the desk with a ‘thunk�� while his eyelids shut under their own weight. The moment he is about to drift to dreamland, his own alarm wakes him up. Scaramouche looks at the clock on his cursed computer and is shocked awake. Fuck, he hasn’t prepared anything for you! It is already 23:00 on the 14th! He was supposed to buy the chocolate for you before the last store closed but of course his dumbass boss just had to dump more work on him. ‘You’re a great asset.’ He calls bullshit but he still needs money to buy you your favorite things. He groans. No matter how mean or rude he may act, he has never forgotten to buy you gifts on Valentine’s and any other occasion you like to participate in.

Scaramouche stands up abruptly, puts on his coat, grabs his wallet and clocks out. It’s okay to be late, he thinks, as long as he can get to you before the end of the day, even if there is only an hour left. At this time, only a convenience store would be open so he runs to the nearby Family Mart and looks at the various options under the clerk’s judging stare. And he understands because who even rushes to buy chocolate in a convenience store at 23:00?? Scaramouche looks at the many flavors before picking your usual favorite dark chocolate. He also quickly grabs your favorite tea, pays for them both and makes a dash for your shared home.

You stand on your balcony, fiddling with the little plant that you got from the local fair boredly. Scaramouche knows how early you often go to sleep so he would always go back on time but this is the first time you had to wait for him for so long. Even the fancy dinner you made got cold in the meantime. You pout and push against the succulent’s leaves until you hear rapid footsteps and the gate unlocking. You run down the stairs quickly, opening the door and bumping right into his chest in the front yard. Scaramouche huffs at your excitement despite his heartbeat increasing like a teenage boy in love. He shoves the gifts he got into your hands, “Sorry for being late. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow with something better.” You grins and hugs him tightly, “Don’t worry about that, just come inside. My gift is in the fridge, waiting for you, love.” He holds you tight and kisses you deeply, mumbling against your soft lips adoringly, “What will I ever do without you…”

A/N: This is kinda rushed and the ending is weird but happy Valentine's day~ i'll be suffering for 8hrs later but it ain't important rn Taglist: @amyminhminh (comment if you want to be tagged in future scara x reader posts <3)

#genshin x reader #genshin #genshin impact #x reader #wanderer #wanderer x reader #gender neutral reader #fluff #drabble #scaramouche x reader #scara x reader #scaramouche #modern au #i swear i'm not a scara simp i just write for my bestie #happy valentines #valentines day #happy valentine's day

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signedeclipse · 2 years ago

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Signed with Love - Upper Moons

What is this? - A valentines gift to my lovely fem!readers! Its valentines/love letters cards from your favourites <3

Series Parts Kamaboko Squad - HERE The Hashira - HERE

Akaza

To the girl of my dreams, Happy valentines! I'm sure you thought i'd forget sorry about last year, but I've got plans and everything. Theres a light show in the city, if you want to come I'm sure we can stop for some snacks and i'll get you the best view of them. If that sounds like a plan, i'll be by your house the moment the sun goes down. Can't wait to see you dolled up, Akaza.

Daki

Dove, Free your schedule on the 14th, I won't let plans get in the way of us spending this year together after so many times of it falling through! Oiron duties always take precedent, but I'm sure I can pull some strings to spend the night with you, the "new" girl, to do some "training". Dress for the part, I know you can lie your way in. Good luck, even if I know you won't need it, 'Warabihime'

Douma

Hello, lovely! I am over the moon knowing i'll get to spend valentines with you again! I miss you more and more every day you are away... How about this year we sneak away from the cult and I show you someplace you might really enjoy, and we can pick up some treats you like to keep at the estate! Don't leave me waiting too long. You know who ♡

Gyokko

To my precious muse, This velentines marks a decade together, and I figure its about time I let you closer than ive let any other. I know I can be more conservative in sharing my art, but this year i'd like to take you into my studio and teach you some of my craft. You know where to find me. Wear something you don't mind having ruined. Gყσƙƙσ

Gyutaro

Angel, I promised i'd always ask, so I expect you to say yes when I ask you to be my valentine again. It's too risky to go out with being on the radar, so when you come back home keep low and we'll do something simple. I can't risk getting you in trouble. Don't stray too far, GT.

Hantengu

Dearest, If possible, I would really appreciate if maybe you might consider being my valentine Whatever you'd like is yours Please H/S/K/A/Uro/Z/Ura

Kaigaku

Princess, I know you'll say yes anyways, so instead ill congradulate you for keeping me intrigued for so long. Long enough to call you my valentine. I'll be home to see you the moment the sun drops, and we can spend all night hanging out. I like you better where no one else can chew on you like eye candy, so I'll bring some snacks you like if it keeps you inside, Don't get too flattered, Yours, Inadama

Kokushibo

To the most beautiful woman I know, I would be honoured if you would decide to be my valentine once again. If you are inclined to accept my invintation, know that not a drop of the night would be wasted on anything you wouldn't like. You know you can trust me. I anticipate your responce, 黒死牟

Muzan

To the only sunshine I require; With this letter is a box of clothing. It's all custom to your fit and yours now, pick whatever you like and wait outside the gates of tokyo by sundown tonight. We'll be visitng some places I know you've wanted to see, and I'll make sure it's not on an empty stomach. Don't leave me waiting, M. Kibutsuji

Nakime

My dearest lullaby I am not one to partake in holidays, however, I cannot help myself when it comes to you. I was hoping you would be my valentine; not just today, but in life as well. There is a concert hall I used to perform at, and I would like to bring you there to hear the music I was so very fond of. It is very formal, so if you need any help getting ready you have my assistance. I miss your sweet song, Nakime Otokawa

Authors Note - This took me so long ahhhh thank you for your patience darlings <3 The tags took me longer than writing this entire thing /j

Disclaimer - All characters within have been aged up to at least 18 or older, and have been altered to reflect such change as needed.

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justcallmesakira · 11 months ago

Note

Omgomgomgomg Sakira for your Valentines event, can I request Angst prompt 11 (''Soulless roses purge from my mouth, with your lips on another womans one'') for reader and Dazai please? I'm a sucker for unrequited love owueuaisha but please take your time with this request! 💖

"Soulless roses purge from my mouth, with your lips om another womans one"

Prompt 11

Sypnosis: Really, hanahaki symptoms for a man who flirts with every single woman? How pathetic and foolish can you be?...

Genre: full angst

Dazai x reader

Warnings: vomiting obv since its hanahaki disease, no comfort(?), implied jealousy, suicide, slight implication to "No longer human", happy ending!!! :D

A/N: Tysm silver for requesting!! i tried my best to finish it in time but i am very sick rn so---i decided to give a happy ending since i was feeling merciful today :33

»~⋆ Hanahaki Syndrome˚⋆« -Shiki Miyoshino 𝟎:𝟑𝟒 〇────── 𝟎:𝟓𝟖 ⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻ ⋆⭒˚｡⋆

You loved him, alot actually.

But was he yours to begin with? Did you really believe he could be yours?

Dazai was sort of a playboy you knew. Everyone in the agency warned you about his tactics and charms.

"Dont worry, kunikida-kun! i am not going to fall in love with dazai, hes just a collegue at the end of the day!" You replied to kunikida when he warned you about the bandaged man. "Still, y/n I know you probably wont even get in contact with that guy, but i will just remind you of that womanaizer" Kunikida said with a serious tone, he was not very angry or anything but simple putting out care for you.

But did you listen? Because those petals say otherwise.

You entered the cafe downstairs with a beaming smile. You made Dazai a bento box today, if anything you even used various food items to draw out Dazai`s pretty face over the rice.

“Ah Bella!!! I can’t believe it, you should totally come to my apartment tonight”

You were expecting the same waitress he would flirt with everyday but to your surprise when your eyes met the couple sitting on one of the tables, you were shocked.

A woman, perhaps a bit older than the man flirting himself, pretty amber eyes and shiny long black hair.

You couldn’t decide whether you should go up to dazai and give him the gift you worked hard on or just leave them be. You hated it when he flirted with other women..a bit too much.

it hurts you, really it did to see him with someone other than you. Were you not worthy of him? Were you just an another girl who was the bandaged man’s doll to toy around with? Were those moments when he excitedly held your hands just a lie? Were those missions you protected him with your life just for the agency..?

Was coughing out all your pain in flowers really worth it? For him? For Dazai Osamu? For your ‘only love’?

No! It couldn’t be! Of course he would love you! Dazai would surely give you all the affection and love you needed, right?

While you were lost in your thoughts all of a sudden the pain you were feeling in your head started to form in your heart, and that heart dropped down to your stomach which instantly made you drop the bag and run to the washroom, the urge to puke coming out of your mouth.

Your steps slowed down as you reached the basin

"Oh god this isn`t happening, shit shit"

cough cough

Petals of a crimson rose chunked out of your mouth forcefully as you kept coughing, You swore you could feel a lump feeling in your throat as if a huge, full bloomed sweetbriar would pour out of you and into the sink.

You wanted to cry, why did this hurt. This feeling of being unheld and sore for someone else's touch and love who will probably never even look at you in the same light,,,It hurt more then the never ending fir you were currently expreriencing.

After an painful epiisode of coughing , a huge floret perhaps the size of a human eye lumped out of your throat which left you panting as your knees felt weak against the counter and you washed you face with some water.

The pain was so unbearable you had to fight the urge to rip off ur throat. Just looking at your reflection on the mirror lets you see why Dazai doesnt want you.

"Y/N-chan!! are you alright?" a familiar voice of a young tiger boy calls out to which you reply, "Ah! dont worry A-atsushi-kun i am A-OK!!"

Your voice shouts back cheerfully still, the sickness could be heard in your tone even after you go out and see dazai with a cheeky smile holding the bento box in his hand. He seemed to have found your little gift.

"Y/NNNNN!!! you seem sick ya alright? Also is this for me?? Your so sweet yknow! i could almost give out my heart to you!" The man says with stars in his eyes, quite the pretty set of eyes you thought. "Ah- thats r-right dazai i made it specifically for you, i really..really hope you like it" you somehow blurt out, god was it agonizing to know that that sweet soft smile doesn`t belong to you even if its a mask, a mere fake smile.

It hurts...alot to know this harsh reality.

Why were you so weak? You had questioned yourself each time your pathetic condition got worse, each a new shade of crimson indicating it was getting worse.

The day went normal, the ladies` man flirting with the woman from the bar across the street from what you had heard her name was Tsuneko, a pretty girl with a pretty smile, Oh how badly you wished you were in her place. In her shoes, laughing and sneaking off to who knows where with that bandaged man.

Atsushi noticed your drowsy eyes and gloomy demeaner but didn`t comment anything only stopping by a few times to check whether you were okay or not, he was sweet and caring, he really was.

Too bad you didn`t listen to everyones words.

During lunch hour you saw how dazai opened your bento box which you put your heart to with care and started munching on a crab leg, he loved crabs.

You were happy even for a moment that atleast his hue on his cheek brightened until you realized a certain someone was accompanying him.

It was like a illness blooming from a dying wilted seed.

Slowly dazai placed a chunk of the seasoned crab on her tongue, Tsuneko.

"Wow, Osamu this is really good did your friend make this?" she inquired in delight. "I know? god shes so sweet!" the man snickered and continued to talk more about his friends, or so what he calls them.

By time you had seen how intimate they got, their secret walks, the night, everything just because how dazai told you how he found the perfect suicide partner.

Tsuneko Tsuneko, Tsuneko, Tsuneko...

Everything was about her yet you still couldn`t loathe the deary couple, they looked like actual soulmates. Who were you to interfere?

You had a little crush now your hating on some sweet woman, seriously how pathetic can love really make you be you had wondered on your final moments.

Days turned into weeks

Flirts turned into touches,

Petals turned into full bloomed roses.

And still your heart didn`t stop beating rapidly around him, even though you tried avoiding him can your love for him be avoided?

It was painful, how longer, why did god allow you to love.

You coughed out another rose on your bathroom sink, a black one this time. The colour of mourning, whereas you mourn for your dead love, one which wilted away like a sad rose in a garden of white lilies long ago yet you still water it. It has been so long that you had beared with this pain, everyone`s hearts have its limits.

You could only feel tears brimming down your face like a glistening waterfall as your legs gave in to the soreness of your body and the aching of your throat.

"Why..dazai, why me..."

It was time...

Dazai and Tsuneko shared many similarities, in which both of them were poor, unhappy souls. Both of them shared lots and lots of conversations which escalated to a funs and giggles to words of a deeper route.

You could have also conversed with him, but he had already deemed you to be a normal and simple daisy, not a beautiful roseate with petals growing out of passion for him.

"Tsuneko, join me in a double suicide, if i have to die i want to die with the woman of my dreams." Dazai declared to her, holding her soft hands in his dry bandaged ones. It seemed the whether will deteriote like a corpse today by the way the clouds are looking.

Both of them stood on the sandy meadows of yokohams grounds with tsuneko in a delightful expression.

"Oh dazai, yes, yes lets do it dazai for i too am sick of this body" Tsuneko smiled, a dead smile. Tsuneko loved dazai and maybe he loved her back too so it would only be appropriate for them to die together.

And as the two lovers slowly collided with the water, your body stood with grace in a flowing white dress slid upon your scarred body.

"Soulless roses purge from my mouth with your lips on another womans one." you tune out softly in despair and a voice of shallowness which you wish you could use to sing for dazai and for him to look at you the way he looked at Tsuneko when she sang on the bar stage.

Your eyes were empty, you can finally be free like a bird in the sky with no strings of a human heart attached with you. The blood splattered on your dress made you looked etheral with your open hair flowing in the harsh wind under the grey skies.

A set of bare feet on the bridge`s railing. Pitch black empty eyes, a rosy and murdered dress and at least...Peace.

You fell hard onto the lake, you were used to this though. This bottomless deep sea of emptiness was nothing compared to the sea of agony you felt when you saw him.

Two bodies were later found at the lake, both gone cold from the freeze of the atmosphere.

A woman was also found it was indicated that she tried to end her life for her eyes seemed to be filled with agony when the poilce found her and somewhat saved her.

"Dazai, my...baby dazai" the woman sniffed and cried on the ground with sirens being loud in the background.

"Ma`am would you please tell me who this dazai is and what is your name?" a female police calmly asked the hysterical woman on the ground.

"Tsuneko.." sniff sniff "Dazai, we promised..to die together, why..?" she cried bitterly. There was only her who they found but after a few moments just when they were about to send tsuneko to the poilce officer they found two corpses run cold from the freezing water.

A brown haired man with a beige coat and another young woman with a gorgeous white dress and blood splattered all over the fabric, it seemed like she vomitted out the blood.

"They.. hahh. They were meant for each other weren`t they..." tsuneko said with a somewhat tired yet relived smile. Its true she was disappointed she couldn`t die with her loved but at least she got to see two people who had coughed out flowers of kinds for each other get intangled, even in death.

Even though both the corpses went cold somehow a glow of light and passion radiated from them for both of them had a smile on their faces infact another thing they identified which was common was that in the pockets of both bodies were an overflowing amount of sooty crimson roses.

The petals weren`t worth all the fight but at least you knew that the same person you coughed for had the same condition.

A/N: Fun Fact Fiction time! (i luv doing these lol-): If you didnt know, tsuneko is actually a character from Dazai Osamus book "No longer human". She was the one who commited double suicide with Oba but oba was the one who survived and tsuneko died which mean..yknow :)

Divider crds!: @plutism

Tags!: @silverbladexyz @saelique @atlasnessie @biscuits-spooky-corner @tojifile @ruanais @riiwrites @tsuunara @typcallysid14 @heartsfourdazai @elizais (Do let me know if you would like to be added or removed from my taglist in my inbox!)

#sakira!#bungou stray dogs #sakiras writing notebook!!!#bungou gay dogs #bsd x reader #dazai x reader #bsd stuff #bsd dazai #dazai angst #hanahaki disease #valentines sweetheart event #unrequited love #heartbreak #osamu dazai x reader #osamu dazai

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betterthanyalls · 11 months ago

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Happy Valentines day!!! This is a gift for my platonic valentine!!! Love u pookie

Fake Proposals

Words: 1.5K

Published: 2-14-2024

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is such a bad idea.”

"Oh, c'mon, Peach! It’s free food!”

“If it works, which it probably won’t,” Y/n explained to her boyfriend, "plus, aren’t you a demon? Can you not just disguise yourself and steal the food?”

“Where’s the fun in that? Have some faith, Peaches!” Wukong encouraged, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. He held Y/n tight and guided her into the high-class restaurant that stood tall in front of them. Wukong let go of Y/n, to his dismay, so he could hold the door open for her. He may be an egotistical demon, but he knows how to treat the love of his immortal life.

Y/n smiled at her partner’s kind gesture, “Thank you, love,” and entered the small entrance of the restaurant. When Wukong entered, his hand instantly found its way to Y/n’s, holding her in a tight yet gentle grip. The couple stood near the host stand, waiting for a server to come to seat them. They stood there for around five minutes until Wukong started getting impatient. His foot was tapping rapidly on the ground, and his tail was swaying, brushing Y/n’s leg every few passes. Noticing this, Y/n lightly squeezed his hand in a few pulses. Her eyes watched as Wukong’s tail slowed its sways and his foot stopped tapping.

Smiling softly, the young woman cast a glance at her boyfriend. She saw how he was looking around, trying to spot any servers standing around. Eventually, someone who looked like a hostess walked up to them.

“I am so sorry for making you wait! I was told someone would cover me when I’m on break, but I guess not,” the girl, who looked the same age as Y/n, spoke quickly. Y/n observed how the girl kept taking glances at Wukong, each one longer than the last. Normally, Y/n wouldn’t mind people looking at her boyfriend; he was a demon after all, but this girl had a different emotion in her expression. Y/n read the girl’s name tag and couldn’t help but notice how much the girl looked like Y/n. ‘Analise’, was the name carved into the metal tag. “That’s ok, my boyfriend and I would just like a couple table. Please,” Y/n spoke through a strained smile, moving closer to Wukong.

Wukong, somehow, didn’t take notice of the way Analise stared at him or how Y/n moved closer. “Right away,” Analise glared at Y/n before turning and guiding them to a nearby table made for two. As they walked, Y/n gripped Wukong’s hand tighter. She could see from her peripheral view when her boyfriend looked down at their hands and looked at her face. Y/n looked at him when he mouthed a question, ‘You okay?’. Now that Wukong knew she saw him, Y/n couldn’t ignore the question. Looking at Analise, who was still walking in front of the two, Y/n let out a sigh and shook her head, ‘No’. Wukong’s eyes held hers, filled with sympathy and understanding, and simply nodded. It didn’t take long for them to reach a two-person table in the center of the restaurant. Y/n smiled when she saw the mischievous grin spread across her lover’s lips.

“Here you are, sir... and ma’am,” Analise finished her sentence with resentment. Hearing this, Y/n gave the worker a tight, sour smile before sitting down across from her partner. Analise left the couple to view their menus and choose the food. Scanning the options, Y/n paused when she felt a foot tapping hers. Looking up, she was met with Wukong’s iconic smirk. “So, my dear Y/n was jealous of some random girl?” His tone was laced with tease as he smiled at her. Y/n rolled her eyes and softly kicked her demon lover, a small smile forming on her lips as she looked away to hide it. “Shut up, just stick to the plan, ok?” The young woman spoke through her embarrassment, still not meeting Wukong’s eyes.

Y/n heard his chuckle and the shuffling of fabric. Looking up, she watched as her boyfriend pulled a small black box from his pocket and set it on the table with a mischievous grin. The two looked around, trying to see if any staff was nearby to see the plan in action. “I think that’s the manager right there,” Y/n discreetly pointed to a man standing about a table or two away. Looking back to her partner, Y/n nodded to him with him doing the same in response. Clearing his throat to gain nearby attention, Wukong stood up and took the box. Walking over to Y/n, he knelt in front of her. She could see a glimmer in his eyes as emotions danced like lightning on his expression.

“Y/n M/n L/n, we have been through thick and thin together. I can’t even fathom how you could survive with someone like me and yet you do it anyways. You have always meant the most to me; the flame to my candle, the moon to my sun, the rainbow to my cloud. I can’t explain in words how much you mean to me, it’s simply impossible. You deserve everything in this whole messed-up universe and I will make it my goal to deliver it all to you. Anything you want, it’s yours. I’m lost without you, Peach. I want to be your crutch, your support; the one you rely on when you can’t even rely on yourself. I may not understand everything but I will do anything to let you show me. I am willing to change anything just for you to glance at me. The longing I get when you have to leave from a date or when I can’t look at you for even a moment. Your eyes, your hair, your cheeks, your nose, your arms, your everything. I love every little detail about yourself. All your flaws are gone, you never had any to begin with. I know you might not be able to see yourself the way I see you but I want to let you even get at least a glimpse of how I see you. You are so perfect to me that even the stars moon and sun envy you. You shine your light of kindness and care to anyone, proving anyone can be themself around you. I feel so safe with you and I want you to feel that around me. Y/n M/n L/n, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I will do anything to make you mine. So, what do you say?”

Shock and embarrassment overwhelmed Y/n. She had expected some cheesy speech, but the way he said it and the way his eyes glowed. Y/n knew he meant every single word and it left her speechless. Her mouth opened slightly, trying to say something but no words or sounds came out. Wukong held an expectant look like he didn’t think this whole spiel would catch you off guard. The whole restaurant was looking at the two of you. The suspense was thick in the air and even the blind could see the anticipation. Finally, Y/n found her voice.

“Yes,” She whispered before making her voice audible, “yes! 100 times yes!” Wukong stood up and brought her up with him before picking Y/n up and spinning her around. Laughter echoed from them as the restaurant erupted into cheers and applause. A huge smile graced both the couple's faces when Wukong slid the ring onto Y/n's ring finger. The duo hugged tightly before feeling a hand on both their shoulders, it was the manager. At first, they thought their plan had been a success until the manager pointed to an extremely small sign across the room that read, ‘NO ROMANCE ON PREMISE!’. “Well, that’s ironic.”

Now walking hand in hand down the dark street, Y/n and Wukong just talked. “I wanted that free food,” Y/n complained. “I know Peach, but I can just steal some food from Pizza Hut or something if you would like,” her boyfriend shrugged. Pausing in her steps, Y/n looked at Wukong with an ‘Are you serious?’ expression. “What?” “Why didn’t you just do that earlier before we got kicked out?!” Y/n exclaimed to her clueless boyfriend. “I…uhhh….” Wukong stumbled on his words, trying to find a reason before Y/n found the truth. “Wait a second,” Y/n spoke, a smirk forming on her face and turning to her lover, “did you just do all this so you could propose to me but not officially?” Wukong was looking everywhere but his girlfriend now and not answering her question. Y/n smiled softly at her flustered partner before taking his face in her palms and giving Wukong a soft kiss on the cheek, ruffling the fur atop his head when she leaned back. Y/n chuckled a little before she turned and kept walking, leaving a stunned Monkey King behind her.

#x reader #fluff #lmk sun wukong x reader #sun wukong x reader #lmk x reader

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inkedaway · 7 days ago

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Red on White (Dandadan)

Title: Red on White

Notes: There's a little bit of angst here, but it's very mild, I promise everything will be okay. I am not specifically an angst writer, and I can't maintain the vibe for long. It devolves from a tiny bit of hurt into a lot of comfort and fluff. This was going to be something I wrote for the Valentines fic exchange back in the Momokarun server, with the prompt "snow", but the vibe I was getting from my gift recipient made me think they may not want the angst, as mild as it is. As such, I asked them, they let me know they wanted something cheerful and thus, I figured I would finish this up and post it regardless!

So just a heads up, there's another chapter coming up for Vday, and if I am struck with more plot bunnies... I will write more before that.

Pairing: Momo/Okarun romantic undertones, a sliiiiiight bit of angst and hurt with a whole bucket load of comfort and fluff.

Rating: T (Literally just for a bit of blood and the hint of a suggestion of violence that happened offscreen)

Summary: He was also not the only shock of red in the area; a small distance away from him, she could see the mangled remains of the creature that had attacked them on their way to the shrine. She could no longer make sense of what she was seeing other than… red on white, the snow slowly piling on top of it.

Ao3 link: Here

Can also be read under the read more here.

Hitting the ground after taking a hit was not exactly a new or novel experience for Momo. It wasn't the first time she'd been sent flying, and it certainly wouldn't be the last time either with her track record, she was sure of it.

It was, however, barring that time at her temple doorstep, the first time she'd blacked out. She couldn't be entirely sure for how long she'd been on the ground, but when she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was white, and the second, red. A stark contrast if she ever saw one, and one that pulled at some primal part of her brain.

Danger, it whispered, danger, get up, get up, get up!

She struggled back into coherence with the slowness she exhibited in the mornings, before she'd taken a nice cup of coffee, shoving her arms under her body in an attempt to lift her own weight off the snow that was, in fact, soaking her clothes and managing to just start chilling her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the fact said chill had not set into her bones despite it snowing told her she hadn't been out for that long, and thus, despite still being wildly disorientated, Momo lifted her head off the ground and began to look around slowly, trying to keep the headache at bay.

The movement of her head while nauseating, didn't seem to hurt her neck, and her hands had managed to lift most of the weight of her body off the ground, allowing her to assess that despite everything, she seemed to be relatively fine. Parts were accounted for, and the worst she had was a bump on the head that she didn't think went into concussion territory. All she could rightly remember was the hit she'd taken had graced the side of her jaw in a peculiar way and the lights had just... gone out. The bump on the head had likely been acquired on her way down to the floor, no doubt, when she'd folded like a marionette whose strings had been cut loose.

Managing to focus on the desolate street, the first thing she noticed was that the empty space was gone, and that despite that, the silence was deafening around her. The noise she was so used to hearing as ambience seemed to be missing, as if the world around her was holding its breath for some reason, waiting, expectant.

A streetlamp flickered on and off every so often to her right, and the snow fell from the sky unimpeded, the flakes drifting by the halo of light provided. Night had begun to fall around her and most importantly of all, she was not alone.

The brilliant shock of red that had previously startled her when she was waking up had not moved an inch. In fact, it remain frozen where it stood, a few meters away from where she'd lain, crouched and immobile, like a looming, gothic gargoyle perhaps. While Momo had often in the heat of things lacked the time to fully study her friend's alternate shape, she could still pinpoint it in a crowd, both by looks, posture, and somehow, through sheer feeling when she wasn't looking directly at him.

To be fair though, Momo was quite sure she could have pinpointed Okarun in either form in a crowd with her eyes closed at any given point, no issues. This wasn't something new, and sometimes she wondered if the feeling was magnetic on both ends, or if it was just her being strange about it. Breaching the conversation had been embarrassing, and she'd pushed it to the side of her mind, into a section where she kept her increasing collection of thoughts of him that she'd one day have to bring out into the open and finally face full force.

Still, she'd cross that bridge when the time came. For now, there were bigger fish to fry, and the snow didn't seem to be slowing down. Time was of the essence.

Sighing to herself, she focused her gaze and attention fully on her silent friend. The strange stillness that seemed to grip him was wrong; she was used to watching him move with efficiency, barely wanting to expend an ounce of energy. She was used to the slow, barely there movements when he wasn't fighting, but this... this was something else. It was a near supernatural stillness, and somewhere in the back of her mind she recalled animals approaching that state while hunting prey. Still, this was also not that; there was a wrongness to it she could feel coming off of him in waves, and Momo hadn't realized how used to Okarun's Yokai personality she'd become until it seemed to be missing, replaced by something else.

He was also not the only shock of red in the area; a small distance away from him, she could see the mangled remains of the creature that had attacked them on their way to the shrine. She could no longer make sense of what she was seeing other than... red on white, the snow slowly piling on top of it. Tearing her gaze away from it, she focused on her friend again, still frozen, still immobile, "Okarun?" she was used to that word prompting a reaction out of him; it tended to redirect his attention towards her almost immediately, like a beacon, even in the most chaotic of battlefields, and thus, when he only blinked and didn't so much as drag his gaze towards her, it reinforced the notion that something was, indeed, not right.

A shiver went through his Yokai form, alerting her that that he was still in there, even if unresponsive, and she drew closer very slowly, making her movements obvious. After all, in this state, he reminded her of a dog she'd once helped out in the streets, cowered against a corner, unresponsive but aggressive when approached. She did not want to test the theory of if her friend was entirely all home or running on instincts, "Okarun?" she tried it again, and this time, the blink was more obvious, timed with a response to her words as she watched his pupils, mere pinpricks swallowed by red, slowly twitch and track her, "Hey..." she kept her voice soft, mellowed out as she watched him focus on her, "Took care of everything here, I see, right? Mind if I come closer to take a look?" she wasn't so much interested in the remains as she was approaching him to get a good look at the state of his body, to see if he was injured. He didn't seem to be, his clothes in much better state than other times, but still.

No acknowledgement this time, and Momo took a deep breath. In for a penny, in for a pound. She'd always been brash anyways, and something deep in her soul told her that even if he wasn't all present, he would not lash out against her. A gut feeling so deep she couldn't quite explain where it came from, but it was proven correct when he did not move at her approach. She managed to side up to him, and finally, finally, placed a hand on his upper arm.

He was freezing.

Granted, he was always cold in this form, but her own skin felt like it was warm, even despite the snow still slowly flickering down on them. The contact got a reaction out of him, and Momo felt his body tense up like a spring ready to release, his lungs inflating and holding, before suddenly, air wooshed out of him from his maw, hot, condensing in the cool night air. Tension held for a moment, before it bled out of him, almost like a deflated balloon, "Momo..."

The breath she had been holding was released, and Momo was flooded with a relief so deep it almost buckled her legs, "There you are, welcome back," Thankful that the gambit had paid off, she released the hold she had on his arm, and immediately, he made a soft, sad, mournful noise, no actual words aside her name yet, but it was enough for her retreating arm to go back to his shoulder. Moving her hand slowly down his arm until she linked her hand with hers, she gave it a squeeze, and then a tug; she wanted to get him away from the remains of the creature still somewhere to his right, and she wanted him focused on her. Not that Momo had to do much to achieve the later, given his eyes were now fully tracking her as she tried to distract him from everything that had happened by swinging his hand, "You good? I don't see any injuries, you hurt?"

He frowned at that, or she thought he did; he still had the strange jaws covering half his face, and it was only after a few more seconds that they fully retracted, letting her see the full extent of his expression, which even in this form, pulled at his lips in a near severe downward motion, "Momo..." another sigh and then, suddenly, without much warning, the full weight of his body came to lean on her, almost like a sad, upset dog. He didn't hold her, didn't hug her; it reminded her of the way a friend's dog leaned on its owner's legs when they wanted comfort, "You're the one that almost died, why are you asking me if I'm hurt?"

"You're being overly dramatic, Okarun, I didn't almost die. I'm not even hurt, I-"

"You fainted!" it was as much of an exclamation as she'd heard from him in this form, and she turned her head to watch the fact his eyes were wide and glowing perhaps more than she was used to, "You dropped to the ground, how can you say that?" it was clear from the intensity in his words he was having issues, probably stuck in his own mind, and with little thought, her arms came around him as best she could; it was an awkward pose, giving his full weight was leaning against her, and she had to use the streetlamp to make sure she could keep herself incorporated, but Momo made it work.

His mouth, which had been open mid sentence, snapped and clicked shut, and only after a second of hesitation, the full weight of his head came to rest on her shoulder, the underside of his jaw settled there, "Okarun, it got a lucky shot. He didn't even hurt me. I think he just landed a very lucky shot, is all. I blacked out for a moment, I was nowhere near death, and I am not bleeding."

The boy grumbled a bit, and though it was clear he was ready to remain put, he did shift his head a bit, "Untrue," he snuffled a bit and then a hand lifted to brush the side of her head. She watched him hold the hand under the faint light of the street lamp in a way that made the red staining it look obvious.

"That's from where I hit the ground, not from the hit! It doesn't count!" the way his face twisted again in expression amused her despite everything. She had barely seen any emotion from him in this form, and it was a lot to take in, "You know I'm right, and I'm fine. Everything is fine. You got the thing anyways; we always do," the grimace dropped from his features finally and his head turned again, his eyes pressed now firmly against his shoulder, as if blocking the visual stimulus was needed to calm him down.

Taking this as queue, along with the fact he had not only not moved when her arms had come around him, she waited, her hand running comforting gestures against his back, in a way that was reminiscent of what her Grandmother would do when she had a bad dream. She let him slowly come down from the high as she watched the snowflakes slowly come down from the sky, briefly illuminated by the streetlamp, "It's really going to start piling soon," she commented softly, and was about pull away from him in an attempt to get them to resume their walking back home when she noticed something.

It was faint, barely there, but Momo had once held a cat on her lap, and she instantly recognized the vibrations currently running softly through his body for some faint sort of purring. It couldn't really be a growl... too continuous, and too melodic for that, and she opened her mouth to call attention to it, only for her to click her mouth shut just as soon as the notion flashed through her mind.

Not the time, not the place.

She wouldn't forget that little nugget of information, but it was clear that at the current moment, it was helping him, and thus, she kept up the patting on him and waited until she could feel the tension fully seep out of him, replaced with a lethargy she had grown much more used to from him in his cursed form, "Wanna stay over tonight?" she got a small nod from him against her shoulder, and he finally lifted his head off of her, his expression back to the carefully blank one she knew, "Good, kay, then we should get going. Granny's gonna be pissed if we get there late for dinner, and we're cutting it close as it is," she leaned away from him and gave his hand a tug as they slowly made their way as far away from that corner and that streetlamp as she could, and if her hand remain linked with him the whole way to the shrine, well... it was cold and it was snowing anyways.

#momokarun #dandadan #ken takakura #momo ayase #fanfic #fic

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wonily · 2 years ago

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀🏹﹕lover boys!

♡ — valentine's day with enhypen

warnings : the most atrocious terms of endearment

[ lily’s rambles : v-day repost! my next few works will be reposts while i work on new ones! ]

other members under the cut!

희승 𓄹 ࣪˖ heeseung

ohmygosh he’d take you to a cute little café to enjoy a nice brunch with you !! he’s always been a pretty casual guy so he won’t make a huge deal out of valentine’s day but would still want you to feel special.

would probably take you around the block for a stroll and holds your hand the whole time because he’s just so happy to be with you, enjoying each other’s presence.

heeseung watched you adoringly, his hands clasped with yours as he swung your arms back and forth. you, on the other hand, marveled at your surroundings, never having explored the neighborhood as much as you would have wanted.

he sighed happily, a smile adorning his face and all he could do was look at the sky and wish on the sun, moon, and all the stars that this beautiful love and happiness would last for all eternity and beyond.

제이 𓄹 ࣪˖ jay

jay would start your day with a cute breakfast in bed :< he’d sit on the edge of your bed and insist on feeding you because he wants everything to be special for you.

gifts you an assorted bouquet of all your favorite flowers with a long, handwritten letter wherein he pours his heart out to you and it most definitely brings tears to your eyes because he’s so sweet.

“my dear yn, you will have to forgive me for saying this but i did not fall in love with you, for falling in love makes it sound like i had no choice but to love you. but i chose to love you, with all my heart, i walked into our love with open arms and it is, therefore, that i want you to know how much i truly love and adore you. since the day i have met you, i found solace and warmth in your presence and happiness at the mere thought of you. even as i am writing this letter, i cannot keep a smile from my face for i love you so much and i promise to love you forever, regardless of any circumstances. yours forever and longer, jay.”

제이크 𓄹 ࣪˖ jake

first things first, he gives you beaded charm bracelet that he made just for you <3 he’s got the biggest smile on his face and he just lights up when you put it on oh my gosh he’s so proud of that bracelet because he also made one for himself and now you get to match all the time :((

i’m not going to lie, jake seems like the type to sprawl on the couch and cuddle you most of the day while you watch as many movies as possible except he’s mostly just telling you he loves you but !! when night falls, he takes you out to this fancy dinner and spoils you with everything you want and refuses to even hear your protesting because you deserve it all :<

“i made a bracelet for you!” jake’s eyes lit up as he handed you a bracelet with all the beads in your favorite colors and little dangly charms that represented everything you liked. you wasted no time in strapping it onto your wrist right when he shows you another one, almost like yours.

upon closer inspection, you realize that your bracelets have a single matching charm– a heart– and jake grins happily at you. “now i can carry your heart everywhere i go and you can have mine everywhere you go!”

성훈 𓄹 ࣪˖ sunghoon

doesn’t really have a plan going into valentine’s day because he’d rather do whatever you wanted to do. it’s a day to celebrate love so he very much wants to celebrate you :<

but!! not having a plan doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a gift for you!! he got you a custom made music box :( and there’s little figures going ice skating just like you did on your first date :( and when you turn the music box dial, it plays your favorite song :((

you stare at the music box in your hand, observing it silently, eyes shining with wonder. and then, you turn the dial on the side and a familiarly sweet tune emanates from the box, the figurines on top spinning around in an ice skating waltz.

“do you like it?” sunghoon asks quietly, watching you intently. your lack of a reaction worries him and he can’t help but fret over whether you liked the gift or not but when you squeal and fly to hug him, he lets out a breathy chuckle and swears his face hurts from smiling.

선우 𓄹 ࣪˖ sunoo

he would so totally bake cookies with you :< just imagine piping pink frosting onto the heart-shaped cookies you baked together and decorating them with sugary sprinkles.

cuddles up with you on your couch, the both of you all wrapped in the biggest blanket he can find, watching a movie and munching on your cookies :( and then his head just naturally falls onto your shoulder and he’s just staring up at you, admiring you silently throughout the rest of the movie.

“you’re so pretty,” sunoo mumbled, peering up at you absentmindedly. he poked your cheeks gently, squishing them between his hands to pucker his lips and kissed you sweetly.

you felt your cheeks heat up and you hid your face behind your hands. warmth spread throughout your body, butterflies swarming in your tummy but sunoo only cooed, fluttering kisses over your face and hands.

정원 𓄹 ࣪˖ jungwon

he takes you on an picnic ^^ he makes sure to get to the park first and set everything up so everything’s just right when you get there and the moment you’re in sight, his face lights up with the biggest smile ever.

the lunch basket is packed with all of your favorites and he’s so proud of himself when you tell him everything was delicious awee :( and you would probably watch as the sky turns yellow and orange and red, just enjoying this beautiful time together.

your head lay comfortably on jungwon’s shoulder and you looked up at him with a gentle gaze. a warm shade of orange danced lightly over his face and when he met your eyes, his gaze reflected your own.

he leaned forward to kiss the tip of your nose and he offered you a soft smile. pulling you closer, he whispered quietly in your ear, “happy valentine’s day, rainbow.”

니키 𓄹 ࣪˖ ni-ki

oh gosh, the inner artist cheolsoo comes out on valentine’s day. he’s all proud as he gifts you a sketchbook filled with little sketches and paintings he’s done of you, with cute notes written around them like “first date ^^” next to a sketch of you on your first date.

he wants to take so, so, so many pictures with you, he’s so precious :( wears his fluffiest, warmest hoodie so that you cling to him and his heart bursts whenever he feels your arms wrap around him :( it’s more of a lazy day-in and he takes lots of candid photographs of you as a gift for the next year :(

“bun?” you hummed, craning your neck to peek up at your boyfriend, who leaned up ever so slightly to nuzzle his nose against yours.

he pulled away with a loose grin sprawled over his face and shook his head, “nothing, i just wanted to look at you.”

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thedeviltohisangel · 5 months ago

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All The Things I Did (Interlude): I'd Give Up Forever To Touch You

a/n: WE DID IT JOE! this interlude is close to 9k words and is almost 16 pages in my google drive. we thought my 10 page interludes were a labor of love? if only we knew. this interlude if the full story on the birth of the twins and i hope you all cherish it the way i have. i apologize it took me a minute to get this written and ready for you but it is here and i am not ready to let go of cass and john quite yet as long as you all are still wanting to read about them. please let me know your thoughts and i look forward to explore all the nooks and crannies in this one with you all! love you all so very much xoxo

TW: descriptions of pregnancy and childbirth (traumatic)

Something felt different from the moment Cass woke up that morning. She felt it deep within her bones. Like the way you felt it in the air when a storm was brewing or the electricity that rippled throughout a room before two people came to blows. It was deep and settled and urged her to take action. It was the sense that she was no longer just a daughter or a sister or a wife. Today, she was going to become a mother.

The other half of her bed was empty when she rolled over. The sheets were rumpled and the comforter thrown back as if John had expected to come right back. She listened closely for the sounds of Butter but even his presence was not felt. That caused a spark of worry to rip through her veins.

“John? Butter?” she called, struggling around her full uterus to sit up against the headboard. They never worked together. If they were downstairs conspiring, she had no clue what it could possibly be in the name of.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” A smile spread across her face and a warmth blossomed in her cheeks and John came back into their room, a tray of everything she had been craving held between his hands and Butter trotted beside him happily with a rose between his teeth.

“Oh, my baby!” Cass cooed as the dog bounded onto the bed happily and dropped the flower in her lap. Butter curled himself under her arm perfectly and rested his head on her belly, looking up at her like she hung the stars in the sky just for him. “You’re just so handsome and perfect, aren’t you?” she murmured as she puckered her lips and he kissed her before kissing the taunt skin that protected her fast approaching child.

“What about me?” John clutched at his chest as he rested the plates of chocolate chips, Cheerios, shredded chicken and slices of cheese at the foot of the bed.

“Butter asked to be my Valentine first. I’m sorry, John.” She closed her eyes as the warmth of her companion began to lull her back to sleep. “Besides, I’m not feeling mouthwateringly sexy this year.” Their Valentine’s normally looked like something out of a pleasure den. Red lace and rose petals and long soaks in the tub. Empty bottles of wine and whipped cream on skin. The day before or the day after was when they planned a nice dinner and exchanged a silly, little gift to commemorate the day of love. But the actual day was spent exploring all the new ways to come together and fall apart. Over and over and over again.

This year, Cass barely had the energy to wake up and roll over. The strain of caring for another life was wearing on her as she neared the seventh month of her pregnancy. She was always hot and her muscles ached and her ankles were swollen. She had bouts of uncontrollable sobbing with no idea how it started or how to fix it. Horrendously inconvenient cravings that had John running around town at all hours of the night trying to satiate her.

John was taking it all in stride. Was happy to rub her feet for as long as it took for her to gain any sense of relief. Jumped at the chance to run her a bath, rub lotion on her belly or shave her legs. Pampering her was the least he could do when she was carrying their child. Going on this journey with him, the journey they had talked about all the way back in Thorpe Abbotts. The journey that brought them back together after the trials of Germany and the breaking point of Wisconsin. All of it made sense every time he held her. All of it would seem trivial when he first held their baby.

“Spook, I took so long to come back up here because I was drooling over how sexy you are.” He wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis and she laughed.

“I’m not fitting into any red lace this year,” she replied.

“My undershirt looks mighty fine on you, don’t worry.” Her eyes lit up with a spark of energy, John taking the opportunity to kiss her lightly. “Today a relax in bed day?” There were days she was restless, needing to fiddle in the nursery or take laps around the neighborhood. Other days when she would rather sink into the couch and become a part of it.

“Maybe. I don’t know. Something is different today.” His eyebrows rose as he lounged on the bed with Butter snuggled between them.

“Good different or bad different?”

“Good different. I think my maternal instinct is really kicking in.” Her hospital bag had been packed for days, after one of her latest rounds of furious nesting, and John had practiced the route to the hospital at every hour of the day to make sure he was aware of all possible ways to get there.

“Should we go? It is time?” Cass could feel his excitement, and worry, ramping up. Sensed the way his muscles were tightening and his heartbeat was increasing just as it would before he went up for a mission. Her husband was now singularly focused on the task at hand. Get his wife to somewhere safe where they could welcome their baby into this world. The idea of becoming a father was daunting but it was everything they had ever wanted. The reason he had joined even before Pearl Harbor, to make sure the future generation would have a world as beautiful as this one to be a part of. The reason he had survived those nights in a German POW camp, to fulfill these dreams with the woman lying across from him. The reason he had spilled all of the darkness out of his soul that night in Wisconsin, so he could be sure that he was the right man to be her husband and the father of her children.

“Not quite yet. Let’s enjoy the last little bit of time, just us.” He leaned over the dog to kiss the top of her head and his hand went to her belly on instinct, his thumb tracing little circles.

“I can’t believe we get to meet them soon,” he whispered. Tears welled in her eyes as she felt the happiness rolling off of him in waves and she knew she was giving him the same emotion right back.

“It kind of makes sense when you think about it. That our baby could be born on the day we celebrate love.” Cass had always fantasized about the notion that her children would be the tangible representation of the love she had for their father. Had let that fantasy shrivel away during the time she was set to marry Sidney Landry. With him, the thoughts of her children had turned into nightmares, bringing an innocent being into the world with someone like him as their father. She had lost sleep over the agony of doing that to her children.

But with John, a man she loved more than anything else in this world. A man she had risked her life for and would a hundred times over. A man that valued her and respected her and allowed her to be herself and experience everything life had to offer. A man that encouraged her work and loved her more than any words in the English language could allow him to express. This was a man she was thankful her children would have as their father. Thankful that she could give them the joy of being loved by this man in the unconditional way only John Egan knew how to love.

“Don’t go getting all sappy on me, Spook, or I won’t be able to control myself.” He prided himself on keeping his emotions in check unless they were anger or something rooted in the masculinity instilled in him by his father. Except for when it came to his wife. His heart on his sleeve and his mind an open book. There was nothing he would hide from her or shy away from her. Not after everything they had been through.

“You’ll have to forgive everything I yell at you during labor. I promise that most of it won’t be true.”

“Most of it?” he asked.

“What if I decide to take the chance and just be honest? Maybe I’ve been hiding some pent up thoughts about you.” Cass said it like it was nothing and smoothed Butter’s ear, kissing between his eyes as he began to snore.

“I see. Lull me into complacency before you strike. Is that what the CIA is instilling in you these days?” She giggled.

“No. I’ve been helping the new officers overthrow small nations.” John didn’t doubt the veracity of that statement for a minute.

----

The relentless pulling of the muscles across her stomach turned into pain a few hours later. They’d enjoyed their snack in bed, taken Butter on an extra long walk and Cass had even indulged in an afternoon nap with him as John put the final touches on the nursery.

He had called Gale and Marge to let them know Cass thought it was time, the former promising to keep close to a phone as long as it took. Cleven had already promised his friend he’d keep him company in the waiting room for the entirety of the experience. It was a promise they had made each other before Cass’ arrival in the Stalag. John would stand by Gale’s side on his wedding day as his best man and Gale would stand by John’s side on the day he became a father. It had been dangerous to think of the future like that and make promises about what those days might entail but they had done so without a second of hesitation in their hearts.

John smiled as he held a stuffed bear in his hands, one of many that was filling the room that would soon hold his child. Baskets and baskets of toys, books crammed onto a shelf, a closet overflowing with blankets and other comfy, cozy items. The love for this baby, the baby he had been dreaming of, was already present. He didn’t have to look too hard to know they were going on this journey with more of a family than they could have ever imagined.

The sound of nails on the floorboard interrupted his thoughts as Butter came running to the room, barking at John and tugging on his pants until he stood up from the rocking chair.

“What is it? I’m coming, I’m coming!” Butter stood in the doorway to make sure John was following, barking once and jumping to demonstrate the urgency before running back to the master bedroom he had emerged from. “Spook? Are you okay?” Cass was curled up in a tight ball on her side of the bed, teeth gritted and features pinched. Butter barked at John, asking him to fix it, before jumping onto the bed and licking at her cheeks and nuzzling at her stomach to try and soothe her however he knew best.

“I think it might be time to go to the hospital,” she groaned. John sat next to her and peeled her hand from its grip on the blanket she had been wrapped in, twining his fingers through hers and absorbing all the pain that she could give him. “Are we ready for this?” she gasped as the pain ebbed away to give her a moment to breathe.

“I don't think that anyone is ever ready to become a parent. But our little baby is ready for us to be their parents.”

“We should get used to being on their timeline,” she laughed, John’s thumb swiping at the remnants of a tear on her cheek.

“Who allowed two chaotic individuals to procreate?” he teased to keep that smile on her face. It worked as she took his hand and kissed his palm.

“I love you. Couldn’t be happier to share these moments with you.” Hidden behind her words but known clearly to him was the memories of their time in Germany. When they thought a moment like this would never be possible for people like them. When she even let herself begin to believe that she didn’t deserve it.

“I love you,” he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her skin over and over again and she could feel a tear of happiness on her fingers, “more than I could ever fucking say, Cass. You’ve made me the happiest man in the entire world by sharing life with me.” John had always believed in God and hadn’t removed the cross from around his neck since the day he’d put it there. He had gone through phases of his life where he prayed, phases where he went to confession, phases where his faith had been tested. His wife was an answer to all those prayers. A blessing to counteract every sin he had committed. An angel descended to remind him absolution was possible.

“Kiss me. Please,” she whimpered. He leaned down to meet her lips, one palm rested on her tight belly and the other on her flushed cheek. His nose knocked against hers once, twice before he kissed her again and pulled her up so her back could rest comfortably against her pillows. She grimaced as another wave of pain rippled through her muscles. Her fingers squeezed tight around his, Butter whimpering in shared pain as his nose pressed into the knots of her muscles. “They’re getting closer together.” John pressed a kiss to her forehead with an excited laugh.

“Let’s go meet our baby.”

----

Cass was heartbroken to say goodbye to Butter. She cried as Alice, their housekeeper, watched from the kitchen doorway.

“I promise Sir Butter will be pampered to his standards while you are gone, Mrs. Egan.” Cass sniffled around her tears as she pulled away from burying her nose in his fur. His paw landed on her shoulder as he whined. His own attempt to keep her close.

“What if we just take him with us?” she asked as she looked up at John with glassy eyes. Her bag was in the car and it was running in the driveway, John ready to take off as quickly as a modern automobile would let him.

“We can do whatever will make you most comfortable, my love.” Both of them had heard a wide range of birthing stories from their friends and family. The thought of being alone in the room was the most haunting thought to her. She wanted John with her the entire time. Wanted to hold his hand through the pain and see the look on his face as he met his child for the first time. Her doctor had told her that husbands were not allowed in the room. But she hadn’t said anything about dogs.

“Butter, baby, if you come and they won’t let you in the room, you have to stay in the waiting room with your dad and uncle.” He titled his head. Who was this dad she spoke of? “You have to promise me you’ll behave for them.” Butter had no problem behaving for Cass. He thrived off doing exactly as she told him because it ended in scratches and snuggles and special treats. That man standing behind her however…he could find it within himself to behave for him. But only because his mother was asking and it meant he wouldn’t have to be without her for too long.

Butter huffed a bark in agreeance.

“Sorry, Alice,” John announced as he held the door open for Butter and grabbed Cass’ hand to help her down the front steps, “looks like this one is coming with us.”

----

John looked around the hospital room they’d settled Cass in as the nurse helped her change into a gown. He didn’t like that it felt impersonal, sterile in a disturbing way and not at all like the cocoon of warmth that existed in their home. Maybe they could have their next baby at home. Welcome them in a place that felt more familiar. He thinks Cass would like that.

“Mrs. Egan, we’ll need you to shave yourself as well.” The nurse handed her a razor and a mirror. “I’ll check in on you in a little bit.”

“It never ends,” Cass sighed as she sat down gingerly on the toilet. Butter stood like a sentry by the doorway of the bathroom.

“Let me help, Spook,” John offered as he moved towards her. Soon they would be kicking him out and he would feel beyond useless and helpless. He wanted to share these moments with her. Never forget a single second of one of the happiest days of their lives.

“I haven’t shaved down there in ages. Do you even remember what it looks like bare?” she asked with a breathless laugh as he dropped to his knees in front of her and she lifted her heels to the lid of the toilet.

“Cassandra Ann Egan, I know the prettiest, sweetest pussy in the world better than the back of my hand.”

“What about the palm of your hand?” she teased. She smiled at the way his features were pinched in focus, his touch light as a feather and as precise as he handled his planes.

“Luckily, my wife’s hornier than I am. Don’t even have to worry about the palm of my hand.” He kissed the inside of her knee as he tossed the razor into the trash can and stood up, offering her his hand. His other arm wrapped around the small of her waist as she groaned and clenched her eyes shut through the oncoming pain of a contraction. “Breathe through it. I got you.”

“This is awful,” Cass cried as her head dropped to his shoulder in defeat. John held her tightly as silent sobs shook her shoulders. His thumbs pressed deliberately into the muscles at the base of her spine, offering a gentle massage as the pain ebbed away. They were still occurring closer and closer together, lasting longer and longer as her body worked to prepare itself for the birth of their child.

“You’re so beautiful. And strong. And I love you more than anything in this world,” he murmured into her hair as her muscles relaxed and her weight rested against him completely. “Let’s get you into bed.” Her fingers had an iron grip around his as they moved slowly to the bed, Butter walking steadily behind to make sure his mother wouldn’t fall. As soon as she sat down on the edge, that painful grimace was back on her face.

“Fuck.” It was the only sound she could get out around the breathless echo of her contraction.

“Breathe with me, Cass.” They held each other’s gaze as he exaggerated the in and out of his breaths so she could attempt to match them. All of her friends and her sister had told her it would hurt more if she held her breath through it the way she would instinctively want to.”In and out. Slow and steady.” The pain ebbed away and he helped her lie down in a comfortable position.

“I’m never doing this again,” she whispered as John dabbed at her forehead with a washcloth. “If you ever come near me with your dick ever again, I will hack it off.”

“I promise me and my dick will stay far away.” His tone was nothing but earnest as he took in the pure truth behind her eyes. She had meant every word.

Cass collapsed back against the bed as her chest heaved with the effort to try and steady to her breath. To not completely let go and unleash a scream of pain to fill the room. Butter nuzzled at her hand at the side of her bed. She offered him a tired smile and scratched at his snout as best as he could.

“Mr. Egan? Mr. Butter?” The nurse from before stood back in the doorway. “It’s time for you both to transition to the waiting area.” Cass looked up at John to see tears beginning to form in his eyes. She whimpered at the thought of being separated.

“I’m going to be right down the hall,” he murmured as he brought their combined hands to his lips. “And you,” his voice broke, “you are the most beautiful and bravest person I have ever met. I love being yours, Cass.” His lips peppered kisses down her arm as she leaned forward to embrace him. John could feel her own tears as her cheeks found the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

“I would do it all over again knowing we end up here. A thousand times over.”

“The first time I saw you was on an airfield in England. I was all bluster and bravado. The next time I see you, you’ll have our baby in your arms.” He knows for certain there would be no bluster and bravado about him then.

“Thank you for not letting my stubbornness deter you back then,” she laughed as she pulled away and they each wiped at the other’s tears.

“Thank you for not letting my stubbornness deter you once we made it out of there.” Oh how close Germany and the after had come to breaking them. But she did notice his choice of words. His choice to not say when we made it home. Because they had been each other’s home since the moment they held each other in a silent dance under the stars and the wing of a B-17.

“I love you, John.”

“I love you, Cass.”

To them, it was the simplest thing in the world.

----

Buck Cleven was going to run out of cash if John kept smoking the way he was. As he held the fresh pack of cigarettes out to his friend, he kept the grip tight around the box until John looked him in the eye.

“You might want to slow it down, Bucky. Don’t want your breath to light your baby’s hair on fire.” It earned him a scoff of a laugh but the lighter was flickering against the end of the paper regardless.

“I need to do something. Can’t just be idle while my wife is down the hall having our baby.” The more he paced and the more he sipped at whiskey, the more his accent was shifting towards his beloved Yankees. Buck couldn’t help the smile on his face. Butter perked up where he was resting on one of the couches at the mention of his mother.

“You’ll see her soon, buddy,” Buck offered as he sat next to the hound and gave him belly rubs.

“Having all the women at my wedding fawning all over you wasn’t enough. Now you’re getting Butter to go all googly eyed?” Butter was thoroughly enjoying the belly rubs. No matter who it was giving them.

“Keep wearing a hole in the carpet and leave us alone,” Buck chirped back. John smirked, the trademark tilt to his lips that insinuated a devilish authenticity to his oncoming words, but Buck noted the small tremor to his hands as they lit his next cigarette.

“Should it be taking this long?” he inquired to no one in particular. “The nurse hasn’t come by with an update in,” he checked his watch, “almost forty-five minutes.”

“I’m not an expert. I’m sure they’re just in the thick of it,” Buck mused as Butter rolled over and put his head under his hand. A silent request for scratches there.

“Mr. Egan?” His head whipped fast enough to make him dizzy, a nurse standing in scrubs. There was blood on them but John had been told it was to be expected. “Would you like to meet your daughter?” Daughter. The word focused his wandering brain and restless feet as he let it burrow directly to his heart.

“Daughter? I’ve…a baby girl?” His lips were numb as he tried to form the words. Tried to form a coherent thought. Buck stood and grabbed his shoulder with a loving squeeze.

“You’re a father,” he smiled, “you got a beautiful baby girl with your beautiful wife.”

“I can meet her now?” John asked as he pressed his cigarette into the ashtray.

“Let me show you to the nursery.” The two friends embraced with a laugh, Butter jumping and dancing between them as he sensed the joy in the room.

“I’m so happy for you, Bucky. No one deserves to be happy more than you and Cass,” Buck said sincerely as he looked his friend in the eye.

“I gotta go meet my little princess.” John turned to follow the nurse down the hall, “Stay there, Buck! You need to meet your niece!” Butter whimpered.

“Don’t worry,” Buck bent down and pressed a kiss to his snout, “He’s just going to get your sister.”

John stopped right in front of the big glass window that looked into the nursery. There were plenty of babies nestled into their little beds, some squirming and screaming. Some sleeping. Some looking around to try and figure out their new surroundings. His eyes scanned the names written on a piece of paper in front until he found it.

Penelope Frances Egan.

Her head was covered in a little pink hat, her eyes open as she wailed into the air. She was clearly not happy to have been removed from the comfort of her mother’s womb and seemed to be demanding that she was brought back there immediately. He didn’t even have to look at the name tag to really confirm it was his daughter. Already the perfect blend of him and his wife.

“Can I hold her? Bring her back to my wife?” A piece of John was gnawing at him. There was no way his wife would have let their daughter be taken from her this quickly. Not unless something was wrong.

“You can hold your daughter in a recovery room but Mr. Egan…at this time I cannot let you see your wife.” It was the one thing that could have possibly tore his gaze from the bundle of pure love and innocence that he was already devoted to. “After your daughter was born, the doctor noticed another baby. Your wife was pregnant with twins.” Even his breathing stopped at the admission. Twins. Two little Egans were making their way into the world today. He was a father and Cass was a mother, twice over.

There was a sense of panic that rose in his throat as he remembered they only had one crib and one rocking chair and one dresser but it was soothed by a sense of joy that came immediately after. They would find a way to make it work. To thrive in the chaos as they always had and always will. John had more than enough love in his heart to become a father of two today. More than enough.

And then a scream ripped through the halls of the maternity ward. A blood curdling scream that locked his joints into place. Had his head turning towards the direction of the sound, the same direction of the room he had last seen his wife in. And it was then he knew.

John began marching towards Cass’ room and paid no mind to the frantic calls of the nurse that began to follow after him. He would not allow his wife, his heart, his everything to face this battle alone. They had never done so before and they would not start now.

----

Cass was having trouble catching her breath. Her hair was matted to her forehead and sweat was pooling in every dip and curve of her body. She remembers the elation at the sound of her daughter’s cries. Penelope. That was the name her and John had decided on in the event they had a baby girl. And Cass had smiled and cried and wished to hold her. She hadn’t even had the chance to get a good look at her when a sharp pain had pierced through the lower half of her body.

“Mrs. Egan, Cassandra, I need you to stay with me.”

“Penelope,” she groaned, her only focus being her daughter. Where was she? Was she okay? Why weren’t they allowing her to hold her daughter?

“You’ve been blessed with twins, Mrs. Egan,” a nurse said as the room began to spin for Cass. “Your second baby just isn’t in the right position.” But the doctors could already tell the baby, a boy, was smaller than his sister. That his coloring looked a little off.

“My husband. I need my husband,” she cried as panic began to root itself in her chest. The doctor disappeared under her gown and before he had time to explain what he was doing, a scream ripped out of her mouth and made her throat ache once it was finished. Cass felt like she was about to throw up. The pushing and pulling between her legs coupled with the dizziness in her eyes was a sensation she hadn’t felt before. Not even at the hands of her German interrogators.

“You need to keep your eyes open, Mrs. Egan,” the nurse ordered. She could hear someone yelling out in the hall. John. It sounded like John.

“My fucking wife is in there!” He wasn’t just angry, he was furious. She focused on the sound of his voice as black was spotting across her vision.

“John,” she whispered, barely, weakly, as blood continued to flow from her body. The door crashed open and bounced off the wall as John Egan stood in the doorway. He took up the whole space and white hot rage was radiating off of him until his eyes landed on her. His beautiful, precious wife. His reason for being.

“Oh, Cass, baby,” he whimpered as he fell to his knees at her side. She sobbed at the sight of him, at the feeling of his lips on her face and his hands pushing her hair off her forehead.

“Penelope…is she…”

“She’s good. She’s safe and healthy and wants to see you so bad.” Cass smiled as best she could and her head lolled to the side. She no longer possessed the strength to keep it steady. “Hey, Spook, come on. Keep those pretty eyes open for me, okay?” John cupped her cheek and used his thumb to stroke across her eyelids in an effort to get her to open them again.

“So tired,” she mumbled, her eyes vacantly staring at the wall behind him. He tightened his grip on her hand and shook her face in his hand.

“I’m right here with you, Cass. And we’ve got a baby daughter down the hall and another baby-”

“Boy,” she whispered as she tried to keep her eyes focused on the blues of his. John laughed around his tears.

“We got a baby girl and a baby boy to bring home with us. Everything we’ve ever wanted, Cass. Everything we’ve been dreaming about.” Her blinking was slowing and so was her breathing as a hush fell over the room. The doctor pulled the baby boy from between her legs and…he was silent. John felt sick as the small, pale little boy was rushed to the corner where doctors and nurses descended upon him. His son. That was his son. And something was wrong.

“Gale,” she whispered before her head dropped and her grip in his hand went lax.

“Cass? Cass!” It was John’s turn to scream as she lay lifeless in front of him, pressing to his feet and bringing his hands to her chest to begin compressions. “Come on, Cass, come on baby. Come back to me.” He heard a dog barking and then an arm wrapped around his chest and pulled. His elbows flew back and connected with the stomach of the security guard, John stumbling forward to try and resume his efforts.

“Get this dog off of me!” If he looked back, he would have seen Butter growling with the arm of another guard clamped between his teeth. They were trying to stop John from saving his mom. He would not tolerate it.

Before John could get his hands back on her, maybe for the last time, six arms wrapped around him to pull him back.

“Get your fucking hands off of me! My wife…Cass! Cass, I love you. I love you. I love you,” he wept as they dragged him from the room. He was warped right back to that German forest. Watching her disappear as he was dragged into the enemies hands. Convinced that would be his last image of her. And now he was convinced of the same. That his last conversation with Cass would be about their children. The beacons of light and hope they had fought for every day. That the last pieces of their love would live on in those two babies. And-

A shrill cry echoed. His son. His baby boy. Gale Clarence Egan.

John collapsed into a heap once they reached the waiting room, Buck held back from joining the fray by two security guards who released him.

“Where’s Butter?” Buck questioned the guards as he landed on his knees by his friend. “Where’s their dog?”

“He bit one of us,” the guard sneered. Buck stood and made sure he was chest to chest with the man who had spoken.

“You bring that dog to this room right now or I swear to God,” he threatened. Right now they all needed to be with family. Butter was family. And Cass would want them all to stay together and take care of each other. The guard held his stare for a heartbeat before relenting and disappearing down the hall.

“Twins, Buck. I’ve got two babies,” John murmured as his friend helped him sit his back against the wall. “Gale and Penelope.” Buck’s heart skipped a beat at the sentiment but he didn’t dare ask about it.

“I bet they’re the most beautiful babies in the world,” he whispered. A sob choked in John’s throat.

“Cass…She…They wouldn’t let me hold her.” Tears flowed down his cheeks. “I didn’t get to say…” Goodbye. That was the word on the tip of his tongue. But saying it would mean it was real. That it was really the end of their story. At least he had the chance to tell her he loved her. And if those were the last words he ever got to say to his wife, his light, the breath in his lungs and the blood in his veins, he could be at peace with that.

“She’s going to keep fighting, John. She’s got you and your two babies to fight for. Hell, she’s not going to leave Butter to suffer as the only sane one in your household.”

“Where is Butter?” John asked, sitting up straighter and looking around for the bloodhound. “I need to make sure he’s okay-” He swears Butter was crying as he came bounding around the corner to the waiting room. The dog was whimpering and shivering as he collapsed onto John’s chest. John wrapped him in his arms and held him tight as his own tears fell onto his fur. “We’ll be okay, buddy. We’ll be okay.”

“Gale? John? What’s going on?” Marge came running into the room, having expected happiness and cheering and celebration. Not her husband, his best friend and Butter to be crying on the floor. “Where’s Cass? Where’s the baby?”

“Twins,” Buck answered, “Gale and Penelope.” Marge softened ever so slightly and squeezed his hand. She knew how much of an honor it was to him. “Cass had some complications. The doctors are working on her now.” The look in his eyes told her how serious it was. Told her it was something they could discuss later when they were alone.

“Mr. Egan?” It wasn’t a nurse this time. They had sent a doctor. His scrubs were covered in blood, Cass’ blood, and he looked like he could pass out at any moment. “We managed to stop your wife’s bleeding. We put her to sleep to ease her pain but she’s going to make a full recovery.” John wanted to feel elation. To release the breath that he was holding in. But he couldn’t yet.

“And my son?” he asked tentatively.

“He’s not as healthy as his sister, as we would like him to be. I can’t make any promises until we see how he does overnight.”

“I need to see my daughter,” John answered resolutely. He stood and Butter sat at his feet loyally. When Cass woke up, he would need to be strong for her. Especially if their son’s health was in question.

“Of course. I’ll have a nurse get you settled in a recovery room.”

----

John sat in a chair by the window of the sterile, beige recovery room. He was trying not to hold his breath as he waited with Buck, Marge and Butter for the nurse to retrieve Penelope from the nursery.

Even though the news about Cass had been positive, the lack of clarity on their son was causing an unsettling feeling to take root deeply inside of him. John knows he was not going to feel stable until every piece of his family was back in his arms where he could protect them.

It was Marge’s gasp that shocked him from staring out the window.

“I’ve got a very special little delivery for you, Mr. Egan.” The nurse smiled as best she could with the melancholia that was sitting like a haze in the room.

“Oh, John, look at her,” Marge whispered as Penelope was placed into his arms, Butter sniffing her gently with approval. He looked down at the sleeping bundle and couldn’t help the smile that cracked across his face. The tears that began to fill his eyes and trickle down his cheeks.

“Cass should be here. She should be the one holding her.” His lips pressed a gentle, tender kiss to the sliver of forehead that peaked out from under her pink hat.

“Soon, John. Your whole little family will be together soon,” Buck murmured as he reached over to give Penelope’s foot a little shake.

“I love you so much, my little love,” John whispered to his daughter. “Your mommy does too. I promise we will love you every day. I promise.” Penelope scrunched her nose in her sleep before her eyes slowly opened, like it was a struggle for her to be roused from her slumber. John couldn’t blame her. He also hated when someone woke him up.

“Hi, princess,” Marge cooed as the little girl blinked up at her father. “Are those some baby blues we are looking at, Lieutenant Colonel Egan?”

“Yeah. I think they are,” he laughed. Cass was going to be so happy when she found out. She had told John over and over again that she hoped their children had his eyes. It looks like she was going to get resolution for at least one of their kids.

“They better be. I didn’t go through all that just to have my wish go unanswered.” Three heads snapped to the doorway and one furry body came running over but stopped right in front of his mother. As if he knew why she was in a wheelchair. Why there were circles under her eyes and an IV taped to her arm and wheeled next to her.

“Cass?” John asked as if he didn’t believe she was really right there in front of him. His lip wobbled as he stood and walked towards her, Cass’ choking back a sob behind the palm of her hand as he bent down to put their baby in her arms. “You scared me, Spook,” he admitted as Cass held Penelope close to her chest and traced her nose across her baby soft cheek.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I-” John kissed her temple and wrapped his arm under Penelope so he could hold both of them as best he could. “Where’s Gale? Where’s our son?” Cass’ head whipped around as she looked for her baby boy. She had lost consciousness before even hearing his cry. She needed to know he was okay. She needed her baby boy safe and in her arms.

“The doctors said we can’t see him yet. That he is going to need to spend the night with some special attention and we will know more in the morning.” He noticed the slight tremor to her hand as she kissed Penelope's forehead three times.

“I failed him. I should have known I had two babies, John. How did I not know they were both there? How did I not know that something was wrong and he needed me?” Cass held her tears in as best as she could, John pressing kisses to her shoulder.

“You did not fail him. You provided for him these past months and you fought to get him here. You almost…” he paused to steady his voice. “You almost gave your life to make sure he got to experience all this world has to offer. How could that ever be considered a failure, my love?” Penelope stirred gently and opened her eyes, Cass making eye contact with her daughter for the first time.

“Hi, my princess. You’re so beautiful and perfect,” she cooed at the little baby. She felt a soft hand on her shoulder and looked to see Marge, the woman who had practically become her sister.

“She is perfect, Cass. And so is little Gale, I just know it.” Cass nodded with a thankful smile, Butter licking at her knee and John standing up to help wheel her towards the bed.

“Sorry for the surprise on the name. If it makes you uncomfortable, Buck, we can change it.”

“Nothing could make me happier,” he promised with a gentle hand on her knee. “I love you both like you’re my blood. I love all four of you like you’re my blood.”

“Thank you for being here. It means everything to us.” Cass leaned forward so Buck could plant a kiss to the top of her head before he rose to stand next to his wife.

“We’ll come by with a change of clothes and some food for you in the morning,” Marge said. John lifted Penelope from his wife’s arms and Marge held her as he and Buck helped Cass into the bed. John fluffed the pillows behind her back the way he knew she liked, or as best he could with the quality.

“How’s that, Spook?” he asked.

“As good as it will get. Just need some baby and husband cuddles.”

“I’ll be back in just a second, okay?” She nodded, John pecking her lips before he guided Buck out of the room by the elbow. “I need a favor from you if I’m allowed to ask for one after all you’ve already done for us today.”

“Anything, Bucky, you know that.” John took out his wallet and began to count through the bills.

“We only got one cradle. They can probably both fit in it but-”

“I’ll make sure a fully built cradle finds its way into your house, Bucky. Promise.” He breathed a sigh of relief at his best friend’s words. He already felt like some kind of deadbeat for only buying one of everything. He wasn’t starting on the best foot.

“When we agreed to be by each other’s side back in those bunk beds…Is this how you pictured it?”

“The details might be a little different, John, but we made it through the worst to be right where we are. We’re married to women so out of our leagues it's not even funny. You’ve got two little babies you are going to take home and care for and cherish the way people write novels about. And the journey to get here is not as easy as we deserve but we are here. And we have to be thankful for that, yeah?”

“I’ll feel better when my son is in my arms,” John answered, his swallow snagging on the lump in his throat. “I can be thankful that my wife is okay and my daughter is healthy but I can’t…can’t truly be thankful for it all until he’s with us.” He didn’t quite know the words to describe the feeling. The gaping hole in his chest that could only be filled by his son.

John’s capacity for love had grown when he’d first met Cass. And had grown steadily every day that she had been in his life. Had skyrocketed at the revelation she was expecting and then expanded further until he thought he was going to burst if their child didn’t arrive soon. For just that one split second of seeing his daughter, he thought the final puzzle piece of his life was being placed. But then he had learned of Gale Egan and the hole in his chest was ripped wide open. Vacant and depthless all over again. Only one would be able to fill it.

----

Neither of them slept that night. They had refused to let the nurses bring Penelope to another room, not wanting to let the little princess out of their sight. They were both assured that no news was good news when it came to Gale and that a doctor would be by first thing in the morning to let them know how the night went. It was pure agony to be left in the ether of not knowing.

Penelope distracted them well enough through the night. The little girl was of course tired from the ordeal she had experienced but it hadn’t stopped her from testing her lungs throughout the night. She was easily soothed in the arms of her parents and for that they were endlessly grateful. They had heard horror stories of nighttime with a newborn. They hadn’t even let themselves think about the fact that they would be bringing home two.

Butter had been ever vigilant at Cass’ side. His eyes never left her as if he was afraid she would disappear again. As if he would have to endure the sounds of her agony and the smell of her blood again. He had given Penelope an approving sniff and licked her cheek at some point in the night to calm her cries. It had worked.

“Why don’t you close your eyes for a little bit, baby?” John whispered as the sun began to poke over the horizon and Penelope was contentedly rocking in his arms.

“I can’t. What if something happens?” she asked even as her eyes were fluttering closed and staying that way for longer and longer periods of time. But she was so afraid she would miss news, any news, of her son if she allowed herself to drift to sleep. Butter was attempting to use his snout to tuck the blankets closer into her body. Even he could tell that she was in desperate need of some sleep.

“I’ll wake you. Promise.” Penelope yawned gently in his arms before snuggling back into her peaceful sleep. A gentle snore answered him back.

Cass managed to sneak in a couple hours of sleep before the sounds of footsteps approaching the room roused her. John was still holding their daughter but had found some comfort in the armchair at the foot of her bed. She took the moment before the doctors entered to just admire him. The way his curls were pulled in every direction and were as unruly as she had ever seen them. The tired droop of his eyes that were looking at the little, pink bundle like she was the only thing that had ever existed. His hands, that had always brought her such comfort, were now doing the same for their daughter.

The best gift she could ever give her children was John Egan as their father.

“Mr. and Mrs. Egan? This is Dr. Light, he’s in charge of the special unit where your son has been resting.” Cass sat up straighter in bed, John gently placing Penelope in her cradle. He reached for his wife’s hand and Butter went to sit by Penelope to make sure she would be protected.

“Gale,” Cass said confidently, “Our son’s name is Gale.” John looked down at her with a smile on his face. She had that spark back in her eyes that had been missing after the turmoil of yesterday. It said she was ready to fight, to go to the mat for her children and use whatever she could at her disposal to ensure her family would be together and happy and healthy. It was the Cass he had first rested his eyes on back in England. The one he had fallen in love with almost instantaneously. A fire in her soul that had spurned him into unlocking a piece of his own that he hadn’t realized he was missing.

“We had Gale under close observation all night and he made it through.” Her hand still tightened around John’s. It was a step in the right direction but there were still many more to take. “I am confident that you will be able to bring your baby boy home with you tomorrow.” Cass let out a whimper and John leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“Can he…Is he…Is it safe for him to come and be with us?” John asked carefully.

“Or we’ll go to him,” Cass chimed in quickly, “Please. We just want to be together as a family.” There was hope blazing in her eyes. John felt his own fire licking up his spine. The urge to protect and defend his wife and his family. He focused on the feeling of her hands in his; strong and sure and warm and present. She was here. They both were. They were going to get to the other side of this.

Butter, himself, gave a little whine as if he was pleading for the group to be together.

“I thought you might ask that,” Dr. Light smiled and stepped to the side as the nurse wheeled in a cradle similar to the one Penelope was currently resting in, a blue banket snugly wrapped around their son.

Cass let go of John’s hand with a gasp and swung her legs over the bed, meeting the cradle with a sob and bringing a shaking hand to the cheek of her baby boy.

“Oh, my sweet, baby boy,” she cried, “I’m so happy to see you. I love you so much and I am so sorry I didn’t take better care of you.” She knows John had said it wasn’t her fault and a piece of her knew there was nothing more that could be done but she would never be able to shake the blame. At least not for a long while.

She lifted Gale to her chest and rocked him gently as tears streamed down her face. He was here and he was perfect. Just like his sister. “He’s a fighter,” John mused with his own tears in his eyes as he stood behind Cass and rested his arm underneath hers to cradle their baby boy together. “Everyday he will get stronger.” Maybe his coloring was still slightly off and his cheeks weren’t as round as the little girl that was sleeping to their side but they were going to be able to bring him home. They wouldn’t have left here without him.

“Mommy and Daddy love you so much. We always will,” she cooed before sitting back down on the bed with Gale. Butter trotted over, his front paws on the bed as he stood to get a better look at the new creature that had entered the room. “Say hello to the little prince, baby.” Cass shifted so Butter could view him fully. His nose ran up and down the tiny body before pressing against his cheek for a bop of extra love. Butter dropped back down to the floor and situated himself perfectly in the center of the two babies. Their loyal guardian.

John lifted Penelope to his chest and settled on the bed next to Cass. Something locked into place. Something perfect and pristine and right. Something final.

“How’s it feel, Spook?” She looked up at him with a smile. Fulfillment. Victory. Actualization. A tease of the happily ever after she had fought a war for.

“It feels like All The Things I Did were to get me here. Get us here. Right to this moment.”

“All the things we did, Cass, I’d do them all over again.” Those things flitted around their minds like a movie.

“You’d fall in love with a spook on an airfield in England?” Knowing the push and the pull and the give and the take and the endless tug on his heart? John kissed the top of her head.

“My only regret is I didn’t do it sooner.”

#john egan #john egan fanfiction #john egan x oc #masters of the air #masters of the air fanfiction #mota #mota fanfiction #callum turner #cass and bucky #mota fic #mota fanfic #masters of the air fic #masters of the air fanfic #john egan fic #john egan fanfic

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michaelsgavey · 1 year ago

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Who Needs Cupid? - Billy Washington X Fem!Reader

Summary: Today is the celebration of romance and Billy decides to use this day as an opportunity to ask his neighbor he had been crushing on out on a date. However.. things do not go as planned.

Warnings: Other than the fact it’s using she/her pronouns, it’s nothing really.

Type of story: Fluff

Author’s note: Woohoo! First fic here! I was gonna post this on Valentine’s day but i couldn’t wait any longer. This is my first piece of fanfiction and this is my first time writing for Billy so bare with me please. Plus my writing’s a lil’ rusty so i really hope y’all like it 😭 There is rare use of y/n but it IS a x reader fic with she/her pronouns. But anyways.. let’s see the story! I hope you all like it 🫶

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

And there she was.

Here she was outside tending her plants. She always took real care of her outdoor plants.

Billy had come outside to get his mail and he could not help but to take a glance at his neighbor. As silly as it sounded , he may have developed a liking towards her. But how could anyone not? She was kind , sweet , and she is caring. She even brings pastries she cooked around the neighborhood. She was a kind soul indeed.

Her kindness is what drew Billy to her. The two have interacted from time to time but he hasn’t mustered up the courage to ask her out on a date. He was confident that he could do it but at the same time he was scared. What would happen if he did ask her out? Would she reject him? Did she even have a significant other? Those kinds of questions made him slightly anxious.

Was he even her type? Was he even anyone’s type? She was everything. Billy was.. well he’s just Billy. He didn’t see himself as a perfect man. God he was a wreck. He was about to go inside when she waved at him. Billy’s heart fluttered and he waved back with a smile. She went back inside and he sighed before he did the same.

Later in the evening, Billy was at a restaurant having dinner with his sister. He decided to open up to her about his feelings towards his neighbor.

“I don’t understand these feelings, Lana. I want to ask her out on a date and develop a relationship. But I just..” Billy trailed off and took a deep sigh before he looked at her. “I don’t know how to do it. I don’t think I have the courage to ask her out.” He admitted.

“Well-“ Lana was about to speak before Billy cut her off. “I need to have the courage somehow! I mean.. She’s perfect! She truly is a dream girl. I mean.. she’s kind and wonderful and beautiful.. I could go on and on about her.” He said. Lana just sighed.

“Well.. It does not hurt to try. What is there to be afraid of?” She questioned. Billy looked at her and looked down. “What is to be afraid of? Rejection.” He responded. “Again. It doesn't hurt to try it out.” She responded.

He looked at his sister. Maybe she does have a point. It would not be the end of the world if he had tried… right? “Fine. I’ll try to ask her out. Besides, how am I gonna do that?” He questioned. When he asked that , Lana looked like she was thinking.

Billy looked out the window and saw a booth that was selling Valentine’s Day items. It was full of teddy bears, flowers and many more essential Valentine’s Day items. Then he had an idea.

“I could ask her out on Valentine’s day! That’s perfect isn’t it?” Billy said with a proud smile. Lana nods while sharing a smile. Billy beamed and looked confident. “I’ll give her the best Valentine’s gift. Surely it’ll make her want to go out with me.” He said.

It was a good idea. What could go wrong?

__________

It was now the 13th day of the month. A day before Valentine’s Day. Billy was sitting on his couch thinking of ways on how to impress this woman. So far.. he got nothing. What could he give her? What could he do to get her to be in awe of him?

A piece of jewelry? They have been advertising them constantly. No. Too pricey. What about a walk at the park? Would that work? Maybe not. What about a poem? He’s not good at poetry. He could never do that.

Billy sighed and rubbed his face. Why was this so hard? What could he give her for Valentine’s Day? Maybe he should give up.. Wait No. He can’t. He was confident that he would not give up! He has to go for it. He has to shoot his shot.

Billy had stood up and decided to go out. He would go out and find something that he could not only afford , but something that would wow her. He was confident that it would work.

He grabbed his wallet and put it in his pocket before he stepped out of his home. He decided to walk to the local supermarket to see what they’d have to offer. Surely they’d have something good in mind. Right?

__________

After a slightly long walk , Billy entered the supermarket, looked around and tried to find the area that sold Valentine’s day items. He walked around and looked before he saw it. But to his surprise, it was slightly crowded.

Many people were looking around to see what the area had to offer. From lovers looking for something for their significant others to mothers looking for Valentine’s cards for their kid’s Valentine’s party at school , it looked slightly chaotic. Well.. In his eyes it did.

But was he going to back down? No. Billy entered the area and explored the area. Hm.. what could he get her? It was a lot to choose.

Billy strolled through the area, contemplating the perfect Valentine's Day gift for his her. As he explored the shelves, the possibilities seemed endless. From fragrant bouquets to exquisite chocolates, the choices were overwhelming. Yet, Billy was determined to find something uniquely special for her. As he strolled past the section, an idea sparked in his mind.

Fresh flowers! The floral arrangements caught his eye, and he imagined presenting a beautiful bouquet to his neighbor. Billy carefully selected a mix of her favorite flowers, envisioning the delight on her face when he handed them to her tomorrow. “Perfect.” He said with a proud smile.

With flowers in hand, he ventured further into the store, determined to complement the bouquet with something more personal. As he perused the aisles, the confectionery section beckoned him, and he decided on a box of assorted chocolates to add a sweet touch to the gift.

Billy's thoughtful quest didn't end there. He wanted this gesture to be memorable, so he meandered through the store, searching for a charming card to express his feelings. After scanning numerous options, he found one that captured the sentiment he couldn't put into words.

With the bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, and a heartfelt card, Billy approached the checkout counter, excitement and nervousness intertwining within him. The cashier smiled knowingly, recognizing the classic signs of someone gearing up for a special occasion.

As Billy left the supermarket, he couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and optimism. Valentine's Day was just tomorrow, and he was armed with a thoughtful ensemble that he hoped would win over her heart. He was confident with that.

__________

That night, as Billy arranged the flowers, placed the chocolates in a neat package, and signed the heartfelt card, a wave of nervous energy washed over him. He paced around his living room, talking to himself in hushed tones.

“Come on, Billy, you can do this," he whispered, trying to convince himself. He rehearsed what he would say, stumbling over words and then finding the right ones. The weight of uncertainty hung in the air as he debated the pros and cons of confessing his feelings.

“But what if she doesn't feel the same way?" he questioned, glancing at the bouquet as if seeking answers. The possibility of rejection gnawed at him, but a spark of determination flickered in his eyes.

He continued his one-man pep talk, encouraging himself to take the leap. "You've got a great plan, a thoughtful gift. She'll appreciate the effort, right?" Billy mumbled, almost convincing himself that everything would unfold perfectly.

As he prepared for the following day, the internal dialogue persisted. “Is it worth the risk?" Doubts and insecurities clouded his thoughts, but the desire for something more pushed him forward.

With a deep breath, Billy reflected on the moments they shared, the smiles they exchanged, and the connection that had grown between them. The idea of spending Valentine's Day alone, wondering "what if," outweighed the fear of rejection.

With a newfound determination, Billy set the stage for the next day, hopeful that his gesture would be met with warmth.

__________

Valentine's Day arrived, and Billy meticulously groomed himself, selecting an outfit that radiated a charming blend of casual and sophisticated. He spared no effort in ensuring he looked his best, as he hoped to make a lasting impression on his neighbor. He even had a clean shaven face.

As he stood before the mirror, smoothing down his shirt, a surge of confidence filled him. "You've got this," he told himself, determined to approach the day with positivity.

As he made his way to his neighbor's door with the carefully arranged gifts, a mix of excitement and nervousness coursed through him. The bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates were held tightly in his hands, his heart pounding with anticipation.

He really got this. He is about to do it!

However, just as fate often teases with irony, a moment of clumsiness struck. As he approached her door, he tripped over an uneven sidewalk, sending the bouquet of flowers, the box of chocolates, and the heartfelt card soaring through the air. Panic and disappointment washed over him as he watched his carefully arranged gifts scatter in all directions.

“No!” He exclaimed , looking at the gifts he had gotten on the floor. The box of chocolates was open and out , the flowers looked wrinkled , and the card landed on mud.

Billy's heart sank, and for a moment, he contemplated abandoning the mission altogether. He muttered discouraging words to himself, convinced that this mishap had sealed his fate. "I knew I couldn't do this. It was a silly idea," he murmured, berating himself for what seemed like a comedy of errors. “God.. I’m such an fuck up.”

As Billy remained on the sidewalk, contemplating the shattered pieces of his planned surprise, he heard the door behind him creak open. To his surprise, Y/N, with a curious and concerned expression, rushed outside, witnessing the aftermath of the unexpected mishap.

“Billy, are you okay?" she asked, genuine worry etched on her face as she took in the scene. She noticed the scattered flowers, the fallen chocolates, and the way he looked disheartened.

Feeling a mix of embarrassment and disappointment, Billy stammered, "I, uh, I..”

Embarrassment flushed across Billy's face as he stammered, "I... I wanted to give you something for Valentine's Day." He admitted, feeling vulnerable and exposed. The weight of the moment hung in the air as he awaited her reaction.

To his surprise, instead of disappointment, a warm smile spread across her face. "Really? For me?" she exclaimed, genuine delight replacing any concern she initially had. Her eyes twinkled with a mix of surprise and joy.

Billy nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "Yeah, I wanted it to be perfect, but..." he gestured helplessly toward the scattered gifts, now gathered in his hands. “But, well, it's all ruined now."

To his surprise, she smiled, shaking her head. "Ruined? Not at all, Billy. It's the thought that counts, and this unexpected twist just makes it even more special. I appreciate the effort you put into this."

Perplexed by her response, Billy couldn't help but question, "But, I mean, everything went wrong. I tripped, gifts flew everywhere. How is that not ruined?"

She chuckled warmly, meeting his eyes with understanding. "Billy, it's not about everything going perfectly. It's about the sincerity and effort behind the gesture. The fact that you went through all this trouble to make Valentine's Day special for me means more than anything."

As she spoke, Billy found himself reconsidering his perspective. Perhaps, he realized, the mishap hadn't ruined everything; it had added an element of authenticity to his expression of feelings. His neighbor's reassurance made him appreciate the beauty in the unpredictability of life.

With a smile, she added, "Besides, it's the story we create together that matters. This unexpected twist just makes our Valentine's Day more memorable, don't you think?"

Billy couldn't help but nod in agreement, grateful for the wisdom and understanding his neighbor brought to the situation.

Encouraged by her understanding, Billy took a deep breath, reminding himself of his original intention. The scattered gifts, though imperfect, became a symbol of their shared moment, and he couldn't let this opportunity slip away.

Summoning his courage, he looked into Y/N's eyes and said, "You know, there's something else I wanted to ask you. I was wondering.. if you'd like to go out on a date with me sometime. You don’t have to say yes but..”

His words hung in the air, and a nervous energy surrounded them. The unexpected mishap had paved the way for a more genuine connection, and as he awaited her response, a mix of anticipation and vulnerability played on his face.

Y/N, who had been through the rollercoaster of surprises that evening, grinned warmly. "I would love that, Billy. It sounds like a perfect idea."

Billy's heart swelled with happiness as he processed his neighbor's positive response. A smile graced his face, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement about the prospect of a date.

“I'm looking forward to it. Maybe.. Saturday at six pm?” he replied, a mix of relief and joy in his voice. She nodded and smiled. “Sure. I would love that.” She responded. He can’t believe it. His plan went great! Well.. it wasn’t how he expected but it went great! He was getting the woman of his dreams.

Then with a playful twinkle in her eye, she suggested, "Why don't you come inside for a bit? I've actually made some cake, and I think we could use a sweet ending to this eventful day."

Billy's spirits lifted even more at the invitation. "Sure, I'd love that," he said, appreciating the warmth and comfort she offered.

As they stepped into her cozy home, the scent of freshly baked cake enveloped them. They continued to talk, sharing stories and laughter, turning what could have been a discouraging day into one filled with unexpected connections and delightful surprises.

Feeling a genuine connection blossoming, Billy couldn't help but appreciate the unpredictability of life. In the warmth of her company, he found not only a wonderful Valentine's Day but also the promise of something more meaningful.

Days turned into weeks, and their days together were filled with smiles, shared interests, and the joy of discovering each other. Eventually, what started as a nervous attempt to express his feelings blossomed into a beautiful romance.

In the end, Billy's Valentine's Day plan, despite its bumps and surprises, led him to a happy ending. A love story that unfolded unexpectedly but perfectly, just like the imperfectly perfect bouquet of flowers.

#billy washington #billy washington x reader #billy washington x you #billy washington x fem!reader #this is my first fic #pls be nice ._.#trigger point #ewan mitchell #billy washington imagine #billy washington x y/n #my writings ˚ ༘♡ ⋆

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