#this is me trying to reach out to the thick of it posters hi hello

[dollblitz]

and if i said this was ollie re- *GUNSHOTS*

[the-kr8tor]

hi, darling! I come to make my contribution for the fluffy fridays, so here's my proposal: Hobie has a crush with a girl who works in a clothing store and even though he is extremely cool, confident and has very good chemistry, he still doesn't know how to ask her out. There is a colleague of Reader who makes Hobie a little jealous when he hears invite her to the movies, however, it is Reader who decides to ask Hobie out at the end of her turn.

—🫀

Thank you for requesting! Muah 😘

Pairing: Hobie Brown x fem! Reader/ Spider-Punk x fem! Reader

Tags: No use of Y/N, no specific physical description of the reader, Fluff.

ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

Hobie slides over to your station, hands casually in his pockets, looking like one of the models on the store's posters, if you didn't know any better, you'd think he crawled out of one of them. You beam up at him, day brightened by his mere presence. The rack full of punk worthy clothes, shakes slightly when Hobie leans over it, draping his arms laying flat over the metal, head resting over the back of his hands.

"Hello there, loyal customer, what can I do for you?" You use your 'retail voice' but your full grin makes your greeting genuine.

You both know he's not just a customer to you, ever since he accompanied a friend of his to look for an article of clothing, he's been coming over almost everyday with a different excuse each time.

"Need to find a gift for a mate of mine" or "lookin' for a specific pair of socks" or even a "just browsin'" and every time he would leave empty handed, well except for information about you. First time you both exchanged names, second it was your interests until you two are having casual banter like you've known each other for years. Your co-workers have pointed it out to you multiple times, telling you the chemistry between you and Hobie was overflowing with romantic tension.

One of these days the dam will break, the question is who will break it first?

"Just lookin'" Hobie smirks, knowing the tension between you is so thick you need a chainsaw to cut it.

"You can come up with something better than that" you mirror his teasing smile, hands absent-mindedly folding t-shirts.

"Right, let me start again" He stands up straight, dramatically clearing his throat. "Just lookin' for you. Better?"

You chuckle, "much" eyes sparkling, Hobie goes back to his previous position over the clothing rack, twin smiles over your lips, he watches you fold shirts like it's the most interesting thing in the world.

A co-worker and friend of yours has had enough of your longing stares and flirty comments. He takes matters into his own hands with the intention to finally get you two together, or at least get one of you to ask the other out on a date.

He saunters over, a blue eyed blondie with curls worthy of a modeling contract. He's handsome enough to make anyone jealous.

"Hi Jason, you need something?"

Hobie's eyes never leave your form, Jason puts on his best charm for his plan to work.

"Yeah, you" He gives you his best smile that could rival any magazine model out there. Hobie only spares him a glance.

You raise an eyebrow at him, "Manager need me?"

"Nope, I was gonna ask if you're free on Saturday. So are you free?" Your eyes widen, especially your relationship with him is completely platonic, not to mention he's in a serious relationship with his long time boyfriend. You have no idea what's gotten to him.

Hobie sucks in a breath, tucking his hands inside his pockets, "have to go, love." You move your neck lighting quick. "See you" He walks away, giving you a small smile on his way out.

"Hobie–" trying to reach him but it's too late, he's already outside of the store. You look at your friend questionably, pinching his arm. "What the hell was that?" You whisper yell.

"What?" Jason shrugs innocently, "you needed a push"

"Now he thinks I'm into you! I don't even know if he feels the same way"

"Babes, trust me he fancies you. Maybe he also needs the push" he points at the door using his chin. "Go get your man, I'll cover you"

"I hate you so much right now, I had a plan!" You're already speed walking towards the exit.

"No you don't! And you owe me big time!"

The bell rings as you leave the store, eyes adjusting to the light, you squint around, looking for his familiar form. You finally spot him on the other side of the street, but the pedestrian stop light has turned red, cars whizz past as Hobie walks further away.

"Fuck!" You bounce on the balls of your feet, the seconds tick past but not fast enough. You can barely see Hobie from where you're standing, biting your lip, you spot an opening.

You run as fast as you can, feet landing on the other side of the sidewalk, a car almost clipping you. Ignoring their angry honking, you continue to go after Hobie.

Exhaling, you finally reach him, skidding to a stop, almost bumping into him. Hobie turns around at the sudden presence. Blinking in surprise.

"Hobie! I almost died!"

"You alright?" Hobie takes you by the shoulders, his hold tender and caring. You beam up at him through the fog of adrenaline.

"Better than alright" you say breathlessly, fingers twitching to hold him too.

"What are you doin' here?" He peeks behind you, anticipating for your co-worker to come running after you. Hobie finds no one, more questions appear in his mind.

"Looking for you" grinning, you pull him towards you by his belt loop. He smiles at your bluntness. "Go out with me?" You blink in a sudden rush of shyness. "Only if you want to"

"Will blondie be there?" He doesn't miss the opportunity to tease you.

"Do you want him to come with?" You quip back with a laugh. Hobie snorts at your joke.

"He doesn't have to, bet he'll feel like a third wheel." He slides his hand up, cupping the back of your neck softly.

"You're right about that. Offer still stands for you though"

"As long as it's far from the shop."

"I've already got a place in mind" you smile wider.

"You beat me to it, y'know I was 'bout to ask you first" his thumb draws circles over your skin that feels like hearts to you.

"Yes or no, Hobie" you feign annoyance.

He rolls his eyes, grinning through it all. "Yes"

You kiss his cheek, nose bumping on his jaw. "Can't wait"

[gaysindistress]

Dial Drunk - part 2 of Fine Line

Pairing: Mafia!Steve Rogers x reader

Warnings: angst and the feels oh and Peggy Carter slander

Word count: 2.1k words

Master list

Fine line 1 & Cocaine Jesus 3

Tag list: @vickie5446 @cakesandtom​

a/n: I love a good song fic. Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan sponsors this fic so I highly suggest you listen to it.

disclaimer: credits to original creator/poster of image/gif. found on Google/Pinterest

“Son, is there someone I can call for you?” the Sheriff asks while half dragging and carrying a drunk Steve into the station. Under the dead weight of the mafia boss, the elderly Sheriff struggles to get them inside as the rain pelts them so hard, he’s expecting there to be bruises on both of them.

Steve mumbles something as his head lolls to the side but the other man cannot make out a single word or number for that matter. At the door, he waves to his deputies to him with the door and he all but drops Steve onto his younger deputies.

“Son, I don’t know your name. Where is your wallet or your phone?”

Steve shoves his hand into his coat pocket which sends all of them into high alert but it’s all false as he dumps the asked for items onto a desk. The Sheriff gets to work to figure out his name and find an emergency contact or anything at all that might be helpful.

“Alright, Mr. Rogers,” he announces as he types away at a computer, no doubt pulling up Steve’s criminal record as well as his contacts, “Should I call a Mrs. Margaret Carter Rogers? Is that still current?”

Steve scoffs at the name as he falls into a seat next to the Sheriff, “My own wife hates me.”

A deputy gives the Sheriff a look but he ignores it and calls the number nonetheless. Steve slumps back into the hard chair and drops his head back in attempts of sleeping off the horrendous hangover he’s going to have. The phone rings and rings, leaving him with just the dial tone as Peggy ignores the call. They try again but nothing happens. She ignores the call. They try a third time and finally she answers.

“Hello?” her accented voice wakes Steve.

“Hi is this Mrs. Margaret Carter Rogers?”

She snorts, “Not anymore. If this is about Steve, call someone else. I don’t care”

The dial tone replaces her voice and all of the officers look at each other in disbelief.

“Did… Did she just hang up?” the same deputy asks.

The sheriff clears his throat and brushes over his thick gray mustache as he thinks about what to do next.

“I told you she hates me,” Steve pipes up, “Wasted your time.”

“Is there anyone else we can call?”

He shrugs, “She won’t answer either.”

Behind them two deputies are whispering to each other about how wrong it was of Peggy to hang up but quickly stop when the Sheriff gives them a pointed look.

“Maybe SHE will answer. What’s her name and number?” He extends the phone out to Steve who drops it and has to slowly reach down to pick it up. It takes him longer than usual to open it and find the number of the woman whose house he practically ran from. After he left Y/N’s house, he found the nearest bar and drank the place out of anything that would numb the rejection pain. For ten years, he dreamed of nothing but seeing his girl again and when he finally did, his past decisions ruined any chance of a relationship with her again. For ten years, he resented Peggy, his father, his mother even and himself for not fighting harder for Y/N. For ten years, he regretted everything he had done and prayed that somehow he could go back in time to just be with her.

“Y/N hates me too.”

Still the sheriff dials the number and hopes that this mystery woman will answer the phone. It rings five times and they’re all beginning to think that this will be a repeat of the first call but she does answer.

Her voice is raw from crying but she answers, “Hello?”

“Hi ma'am, is this Y/n?”

“Yes, how can I help you?”

“Well ma’am, this is the Kings County sheriff department. I’m Sheriff Anderson. I have Steve Rogers here and he’s going to be held overnight in the drunk tank or you can come pick him up.”

“Shit, okay. Um…” there’s a long pause but they can hear her shuffling around, “I can be there in 45 minutes, is that okay?”

“Yes of course ma’am. We appreciate you answering the phone so late and coming right away.”

“Uh… yeah no problem I guess,” she mumbles something else but Steve doesn’t catch it.

Anderson motions to his deputies and has them take Steve to a cell while he waits. He’s half asleep and even heavier than before as they haul him into his own cell. Next to him is another lonely drunk stranger who was ignored and left to figure their shit out alone. Regardless he can’t be bothered to care and he shucks off his overcoat to use it as a pillow. Crossing his arms over his chest and his legs over each other, he settles into a short nap while he waits for Y/N. A part of him isn’t even sure that she is actually coming and he’s starting to convince himself that she never answered the door in the first place. She’s not coming to take him home…there's no home where they live together. There is no place where they love and support each other because he destroyed that when he married Peggy. Tears begin to grow heavy on his eyes but he won’t allow himself to cry over the past no matter how recent it might be.

He pulls his arms tighter across himself and rolls over so that his back faces outwards. With his face hidden, the tears start to fall against his will and he does nothing to stop them even though just moments ago he vowed that the past wouldn’t bother him. He doesn’t try to wipe them and lets the pain metastasize in his body, growing a tumor of emotions that can’t be cured by anything.

Time slips away from him as the memories and hurt wash over him. Anderson clears his throat to get Steve’s attention and starts to unlock the cell’s door.

“We took his keys so you can drive it home if you didn’t bring your own car,” Anderson says to Y/N.

She smiles and nods, taking the keys from him and clutching them as she stares at the sad excuse of a man laying on the bed. Steve wipes at his eyes and groans as he slides off of the hard jail bed. Shaking out his pillow coat, he puts it on before making eye contact with her. She sighes at him and thanks Anderson for all that he’s done even though it’s not procedure. When Steve stands, he sways and she’s quick to catch him, waving off Anderson who offers to take him. They don’t say anything to each other as she acts as his crutch and walk towards his car. She fumbles with the keys and drops them.

“Lean on the car,” she tells him as she bends down to pick them up, “Do you need my help getting in?”

He furrows his brow like a toddler, “No I can do it myself.”

Shaking her head at him, she unlocks the car and lets him struggle to fold his large body into the passenger side. She slides into the driver’s side and takes a deep breath. Never again did she think that she would dealing with Steve let alone driving his car as he’s almost black out drunk in the passagner seat.

He mumbles something along the lines of “It’s a remote start.”

Y/N hums her understanding and finds the button. It blinks to life and heavy metal music greets them at an unbearable volume. He whimpers at the noise and slams his hand onto the power button to turn it off as quick as he can. Satisfied that the offending noise has stopped, he curls into himself against the window and rests his head on the cool glass.

“Did you put your seat belt on?”

He answers by puling the belt over himself and clicking it into place.

She backs out of the spot and leaves the Sheriff’s station behind. Silence fills the space around them as the street lights and porch lights pass through the window. The lights splash across her face and unbeknownst to her, Steve is stealing glances at her through the window’s reflection. What little he can see of her breaks his heart even more as he can see the fatigue and hurt tense in her features. Her hair, usually styled and pristine, has been hastily clipped up with a claw clip that’s holding on for dear life. Under the long winter coat she’s wearing is just a pair of pj pants and a white crop top. She’s not even really wearing shoes but instead a pair of worn down clogs that should only be worn inside. Seeing how vulnerable she is, he can’t help himself grow protective and upset that she left in such a hurry.

“I hope you drove,” slips out albeit slurred.

“What?” she asks, quickly looking over at him.

“I said I hope you drove.”

“Why does it matter?”

“Do you see what you’re wearing?”

She blinks and scoffs at him, “I just picked your drunk ass up at 2 am and you want to lecture me about my clothing choices.”

“That’s not what I….”

She cuts him off, “Stop. You’re sleeping on the couch and I expect you to be gone when I wake up.”

“Honey.”

“Don’t. I already made myself clear earlier; I want nothing to do with you. I should’ve left you at the stupid station,” she mumbles the last part to herself but he still hears it and sews his mouth shut. The rest of the car ride back to her house is quiet aside from the normal noise of the car and the city.

She wants to regret hurting him with her words but she can’t find it in herself to care anymore. Maybe it’s the exhaustion or the petty side of her that strives to inflict as much pain as she can onto him. He did deserve it after all and he’s not protesting at least out loud.

Internally he wants to confess his undying love for her but he knows she won’t care and it won’t change her mind. He does deserve all of her hate and anger. It’s all just no matter how harsh it might be.

Steve keeps stealing glances of her in his window’s reflection and accepts the heartache it induces. Her house comes into view and he can feel her relax when it does. She pauses before fully pulling it and has the garage door open to hide his car from sight in it.

Once inside, she turns it off and waits for the door to shut completely before getting out. Steve watches as she kicks her shoes off and takes off her coat, leaving her in her thin pjs. He climbs out and does the same as her. Following her inside, she instructs him to sit at the island like before while she goes to get him blankets and pillows.

His eyes find the Polaroid again and the memories replay again. The sound of Y/N dropping a stack of bedding brings him around again.

“Here’s a couple blankets and a pillow. Don’t worry about folding them, I'll have to wash them.”

She turns to leave but he calls out softly and stops her, “thank you.”

Her hand rests on the wall beside her and she drops her head to rest on it.

“Why do you do this to yourself?”

“I want you back. I want YOU.”

She faces him again, “That’s not how this works. You don’t get to make a reappearance and magically everything goes back to how it was.”

Steve pushes off and is before her in a few short strides. He gently holds her face in his warm hands and refuses to let go even though she tugs lightly at his wrists.

“Give me another chance. Please honey, just one more chance,” he begs her as he touches his forehead to hers. Y/N’s eyes flutter closed and her breathing grows shallow, hot breath brushing against his face.

He nudges her head back and ghosts his lips over hers, waiting for her to push him away. When she doesn’t, he captures her lips in a slow and intimate kiss. Everything he’s felt over the last 10 years is flooding her as he moves his lips over hers. Every promise he’s made to himself in her name is conveyed as he sighed against her lips.

She’s the first to pull away and is shaking her head when she does so.

“No.”

[thequeenopower]

All About The Thrill ; Georgenotfound

Hello ! This is a gang AU. Sorta like how people made gang AU's of the Vanoss Crew. If you don't know that then just think of it like a more rebellious mafia wattpad story. OMG i deleted this by accident and then i was like 'what if i do ctrl x' then that didn't work so i did ctrl z and it worked I'm so happy, anyways, on with the story.

The Dream Crew were the most notorious gang in the state, maybe even in the country. Their faces are everywhere, on every light post with the words 'Most Wanted' at the top.

So when someone with the same face as the ones on the posters had a hand over my mouth shushing me, I was scared shit-less.

"Please, just stay quiet and get supplies that would treat a bullet wound." He had a thick accent and pleaded with his eyes, though his face was dark. It was a face that would make any child come clean about who stole the cookie from the cookie jar.

Though his face made my heart race with anxiety, he didn't seem like he wanted to be doing this. He did not want to be holding a young woman at gun point just to help his injured friend. But the man with the hat on behind him didn't care, he meant business which seemed to be at the end of the gun he was pointing at my head.

I nod slowly, rising to my feet and moving towards some of the storage racks that hold the supplies.

"Shit, where is it?" I rushed through the bins trying to find the sutures but it wasn't there. I look at the racks on my right and see the sign for the sutures.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go to the other side of the room." The man with the hat huffed and motioned me to move with the flick of the gun he held.

I moved quickly yet slowly, I just wanted to get them their supplies so they could leave me alone. But that might not happen, they might kill me because I knew they were here.

Loud footsteps echoed through the halls leading to the supply room. I spun around towards the boys and motioned for them to get down, which they did.

Sarah walked through the door like she owned the places. I mean she does but it's not specifically hers just her fathers, and the only reason she still works here is because the patients like her for her looks. She's not even a good doctor, never mind a nurse.

"Oh, y/n! How are you? You would not believe what happened to me today!" I somewhat smile towards her as she walks around grabbing some supplies. She loudly tells me what happens, almost catching the two men hiding.

"You know, I have the perfect guy for you to meet. He's tall, dark and handsome. But I'm sure you're just going to want to die alone, so." She smirked and grabbed her last item.

"You know, a man wouldn't do you too bad. If anything, I'd say it's required." With that, she left.

The two boys stood up, the one with the hat smirking towards me as he looked me up and down. The brunette elbowed him which got them both distracted. This is my chance!

I moved slowly at first when they started to bicker but as soon as my foot reached two tiles away from the door, I booked it. Maybe I actually thought I had got far away from them or maybe it was because I was exhausted, but I slowed down as I got to a 4 way intersection in the hospital.

It all happened so fast, one second there was a rag that smelled so sweet I had no option but to inhale deeply and the next, I was out like a light.

~~

A pounding headache is no way for someone to wake up to. But unfortunately, I did. I sat up from the makeshift bed that I was lying on.

"Oh for fucks sake, you're finally up! Come on!" My arm is immediately pulled, forcing me to move with it so it doesn't detach.

I'm thrown into a room, very rudely I might add, where there's a man waiting on a hospital bed with two men holding rags on him. I recognized one of them, the brunette with an accent, who seemed to recognize me as well as he looked over.

"Dr. l/n, please help him." He pleaded, his face not dark anymore but red and stained with tears.

I walked to him, looking at the man on the table. He had blonde hair, though it was soaked in blood.

"How long has it been since he's been shot?" I grab the rag from the man and take it off of the wound.

"About 3 or so hours," He looked at me with nervous eyes.

"Did you grab any blood?" At the mention of blood, I feel over a place that was throbbing. Pulling away my hand, the red liquid stuck to my fingers.

"Uh, yeah, yeah. If I remember anything from biology class O type blood is the best one for everyone." The other man lets go of his rag, which the man with the accent grabs hold of, and looks through a duffel bag till he gets the bag in his hand.

"I need an IV, stat!" The other man rushes over with the blood and IV, along with another man bringing over the bag and laying out any other medical supplies.

I connect the IV to a blood vessel and have one of the boys hold up the blood so it can enter him safely. The bullet did not enter the body completely but I am going into this blind and not entirely sterile. I use a scalpel and cut at a 95 degree angle the width of my pinkie finger. I use clamps to hold open the wound. I use a tweezer to try to dig around and find the bullet.

"I'm George, by the way," I look up at the man how was trying to control the blood loss.

"y/n." I feel something hit the tweezers, something that did not feel like the inside of a human body. I start moving a round slowly, trying to grab the bullet until,

"I got it!" I pulled the bullet out and kind of just threw it onto the floor as I had no other place to put it.

I clear up some of the blood and start to suture and dress up the wound. As soon as I get the dressing to stick to his skin I feel a gun press against the back of my head.

"Hey, whoa, Nick. What're you doing? She just saved Clay." George puts his hands up, trying to speak clearly and calmly to who I presumed was Nick.

"Listen, if you just let me go, I won't tell anyone."

"Bullshit!"

"Nick, just let her go! She won't tell!" George manages to smack the gun away from Nick, which starts a physical fight between the two of them.

I just stand there, not knowing what to do. At one point, I had to do CPR on Clay because his pulse stopped.

"Hey! What the hell is going on here?" Three other men walked through the doorway and broke the two boys up. George was thrown towards me with a busted lip and a black eye.

"Hey, you, new girl. Go clean Georgie over there up, we'll handle this." I look at them confused but George just takes my hand and leads me to another room that has some first aid supplies.

"Thanks for that." He smiles at me, his lip dripping blood.

"Of course, I couldn't let a pretty girl like you get hurt." He winces as I apply antibiotic ointment.

"You know, this means you have to stay with us," He smirks as I put a butterfly bandage on the cut.

"Can't I just be shot?" It came out rude but who wouldn't in a situation like this.

I mean, I was taken from my work at gun point. Used to help somebody that I've only ever read about in textbooks. And then get another gun pointed at me for doing it. I'd rather get shot right now then experience that on a daily basis.

"You know, we have an actual home. It wouldn't be like this all the time. The only reason we're here is because our other house got raided and that's how Clay got shot. And that's how we got you." He was standing now, with more emotion on his face than I've seen all day.

"I don't want to, I want to go back to my normal life." His eyes looked full of pain, but he shrugged it off.

"Fine. I'll get someone to drop you off back at work. Do not tell anyone about this encounter."

i swear if theres any mistakes on this im going to chop off its balls. also go check out my other stuff ig. my sapnap imagine is doing pretty good for some reason even though its shitty. (the omegele one)

[frostedfaves]

Naive (3)

Masterlist

Pairing: demon!Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader

Summary: You pick up on the lies in Wanda’s life and she decides to show you the truth.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, dark!fic, demon things™️, more hints at dom/sub because I’m a whore for demon!Wanda

A/N: I can’t believe that it’s been a month since I posted the last one 😭 I have some things planned for the next part and so on but I also kinda wanna take requests again??? idk we all know how I get overwhelmed easily with that so we’ll see what happens there. anyway tell me your thoughts on this please!

Previous part

Waking up feels like gasping for air after being trapped underwater. You aren’t sure how long you were asleep, but the mid afternoon traffic quickly alerts you of how much of the day has passed. 

Despite your head feeling like it’s made of cement, you manage to stand up, slipping off thin pajamas as you walk into the bathroom and stop at the mirror. Your skin seems tender in places and you’re a little bit startled when there isn’t a single indication of the bite marks and scratches you feel, even after rubbing your eyes a few times and turning in every direction possible. Deciding to let it go for now, you reach for the shower stall to turn on the water, detouring to the bedroom instead when you hear your phone ringing.

“Hello?”

“You didn’t save my number, did you?”

“Wanda?” You pull the phone away long enough to quickly clear your throat. “I mean hey, Wanda! What makes you think I didn’t save your number?”

“You answered like you didn’t know who was going to be on the other end.”

“Okay, you caught me,” you admit after a moment of silence. “I promise I’ll save it as soon as we hang up. Anyway, what’s up?”

“Remember that pet adoption center you pointed out to me?” You acknowledge her with a hum. “I was thinking about getting a cat…Wanna tag along?”

“Absolutely! I was just about to shower though so I can be ready in an hour or so.”

“Perfect! I’ll text you when I’m outside.”

The two of you say your goodbyes and you keep your promise of saving her number, typing in her name and hesitating on the emoji keyboard. Realizing you’d spent far too much time contemplating this, you simply save what you have and hurry back to the bathroom, something in your brain urging you to not keep her waiting.

-

Within an hour, she sends you a text in all caps and a smiley face that tells you she’s arrived, and you can’t hide the fact that you’re surprised when you come outside and she’s waiting on the passenger side of the car.

“Hey! How are you?” she greets cheerily as she approaches you with a hug, and you shiver when her hand touches your lower back. “Are you cold?”

“No, I’m okay.” You smile and thank her when she opens the door for you, attempting to collect yourself as she crosses to the driver’s side again. “I’m really happy to see you again.”

“You are?”

“Yeah,” you admit quietly as she pulls away from the curb. “Is that such a bad thing?”

“No no, I just didn’t want to assume you were enjoying our time together as much as I was.”

She places her hand over yours while she glances at you, smiling as she squeezes your fingers and thigh lightly. You feel a rush of something traveling from the places she touched to your brain, only slightly aware of the fog settling in your mind.

“Well I didn’t want to be too enthusiastic about it and scare you away if all you wanted was friendship,” you clarify, meeting her eyes when she reaches a red light.

“I suppose you’re looking for more too, then.”

“I am now.”

The light turns green and she breaks eye contact, but the little smirk that follows tells you everything you need to know. At least, you hope it does.

-

“I think he’s the cutest one we’ve seen yet,” you comment about the kitten that hasn’t looked away from Wanda since you approached his area. “He seems really drawn to you, too.”

“How did he get the name ‘Baby Satan’?” Wanda inquires with an employee, who approaches you with a chuckle.

“It’s actually Baby Stan, because we used to have an adult cat named Stan as well and needed to tell the two apart. We were going to give him a new name but decided to leave that up to his new family.”

“It says ‘Baby Satan’ though,” you cosign with Wanda, gesturing to the extra A mixed in with the magnetic letters that spell the kitten’s name.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I don’t know how that got there,” the employee apologizes as she reaches over to fix the sign, and you watch her freeze as Wanda touches her arm.

“Don’t be sorry. Keep it; I want to adopt him.”

“Okay, right this way,” the employee mumbles as she turns awkwardly and stumbles over to a desk, and as the two of you follow her, you look back to see Baby Satan still staring at the woman beside you.

“What was that about?” you speak up finally once you’re in the car with her new furry friend, and Wanda frowns at you while fastening her seatbelt.

“What?”

“Why did that employee react to you like that? You touched her and she started acting really weird after.”

“Oh, Kim’s fine!” she assures you as she fixes her mirror before pulling out of the parking lot. “I actually asked her about that while you were looking at scratching posts and she said I’d overstepped her boundaries and made her uncomfortable. Don’t worry, I apologized and everything’s good again.”

“She told you her name?”

“She was wearing a name tag, babe.”

Babe...that’s new. Still, the sudden nickname doesn’t completely distract you from the fact that you’re certain there was no name tag on Kim’s uniform. You’re debating with yourself about bringing this up when you notice her heading toward Lane County.

“Are you taking me to your house?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind.” She glances at you and over her shoulder toward Baby Satan before turning back to the road. “I figured I could introduce both of my kittens to the place they’ll be spending a lot of time in.”

Her fingers brush over your knee as “my kittens” leaves her lips, and you’re almost embarrassed when your hips involuntarily buck slightly. Noticing the small change in your behavior, she takes advantage of your head turned toward your own window and allows her instincts to continue driving while she stares at you, placing her palm on your thigh and rubbing circles on the fabric covering it that brings her closer and closer to your core.

“Home, sweet home,” Wanda announces as she pulls her wandering hand away to park the car, jumping out a second later and grabbing her furry son from the backseat. “Hey there, Baby S.”

You step out of the car in a similar fashion of pulling yourself out of a swimming pool, taking in the fresh air and trying to relax yourself as you follow her into the apartment building. The hallways reflect the quiet and clean neighborhood as you make your way into the elevator and up to the 6th floor, suddenly entering the most empty apartment you’ve ever seen.

Of course there’s furniture: a couch with a TV mounted on the nearest wall, a dining table with a set of matching chairs, a few stools placed at the island and kitchen appliances that are shiny and new. But there isn’t any personal artwork, posters, books or even just a lamp that you could tell Wanda purchased herself with one glance.

“Are you staying in an AirBNB or something?” you ask as she carefully places Baby Satan’s carrier next to the couch, and she chuckles.

“I guess technically it was one before I moved in, but I’ve been here for two years.”

“Okay...so where are your pictures?”

“What?”

“Where are your pictures?” you repeat, maintaining a steady voice despite the expression she gives you as she faces you again. “Pictures of your family, friends, you as a child?”

“If you knew my family, you’d understand why you don’t see them here.” She startles you by practically growling her words but you press further.

“Okay but you also said you love plants and we’re the only living things in here.” You step back to put more space between you while quiet shuffling noises are heard inside the carrier. “What’s really going on here?”

You can easily spot the shift in Wanda’s emotions: going from defensive, arms crossed and eyes glaring to resigned with slightly sagging shoulders and a defeated sigh.

“Fine, you got me.” She bends over to pick up the carrier again and passes you on her way to the door, stopping a few feet away. “If you’re serious about pursuing a relationship with me, then I should probably show you my real home.”

“I don’t know...”

“Come on, love.” She comes just close enough to bring your hand into hers and a tingle spreads through your body, causing you to pull away but her grip only tightens. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you, and this is the only time I’ve lied.”

You find yourself being drawn closer to her, and an almost familiar feeling washes over you when her thumb begins rubbing gentle circles into your jaw. The metal on her ring is so cold it almost burns upon contact, yet you nuzzle into her more with each pass along your skin.

“Don’t you want to be good for me without being forced to your knees first?”

If the fog surrounding your consciousness wasn’t so thick, you might’ve been shocked by this side of her, so calm yet demanding you serve her. But the hand on your jaw seemed to cover every inch of your body and sink into your nervous system, forcing you to fall into her and let her lead you back to the car with a simple arm around your waist. You’re buckled into the passenger seat again and a slightly blurry grin greets you from behind the wheel seconds later.

“I can’t wait to make you mine.”

Your head falls against the car window as she drives to the edge of Lane County, and your altered vision picks up on businesses turning into isolated suburbs into grassy fields into forests. You travel along narrow, winding roads past the tallest of trees with very few spaces in between, and your hazy state of mind prevents you from panicking when Wanda turns onto a dirt path that doesn’t even seem to be safe for bicycles. The wheels bump along the forest floor until she comes to a stop just outside of a two foot dwelling, similar to a cave.

Once the two of you are out of the car again, she holds your hand with her free one until you reach the cave, instructing you to sit in front of it while she does the same. She places her palm on the door, and her rings seem to come alive as they interact with it for a few moments before it swings open and the three of you are sent flying through a tunnel. You land with a groan on the hard floor and dust yourself off as you carefully stand, any questions dying in your throat as you face Wanda again, now standing before you in her true form.

“Welcome home.”

[savorysatori]

— 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄, 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘. ✗

“choke me, spank me, look at me, thank me.”

— sypnosis: working as a maid in a new house is very exciting, you get the money and everything goes well. although, once you’re introduced to the son of the parents, everything goes down hill.

cw, warning: size kink (?), creep!ushi, pictures without consent, nipple play, gn!reader, non-con, somnophilia, sloppy sex, dry humping, praise, panty stealer ushi.

% wc: 2234.

↷ a/n: y’all have no idea how long this was sitting in my drafts, for fucking 5 weeks plsssss- anyways I hope you all enjoy! this was rlly fun to do. also! shoutout to daisy, this collab was really cool! congratulations on 1K bb. <//3

— @daisy-bakugo, PORNSCAPE EVENT! ilyy.

You were everything he wanted, everything he fantasized about.

[1,000.]

That’s how much they were paying.

It was enough to have you accept the job immediately. It was enough to have you choose between two of the slightly revealing maid dresses and enough for you to be standing in front of the wakatoshi mansion. Briefcase in hand with a bucket of supplies you were instructed to bring. Everything was just right, you were prepared to clean, everything would go well.

The frilly material of the skirt swayed around your thighs and glided against the softness of your thigh-highs. Glistening jewels of your gold bracelets glimmering in the hot sun shining down on your skin. The thin line of thread held up the damp clothes, shredding any of the excess water soaked into them. All of the Wakatoshi’s clothing were fancy. Gold lining stitched in the middle or at the end of the cloth, it was clear they were wealthy. But, it somehow amazed you when your eyes glided to the very end of the line — some shirts & shorts were childlike. Pictures of guns and cars were painted onto a black shirt, it looked like something a 5th grader would do. ‘Maybe they had a child?’ You didn’t know, you only met the parents. Folding up the dry ones, you’d stuff them into the cart and push them towards the other line of clothes swishing in the breezy wind.

You finished doing the daily chores, slipping into their kitchen that was designed well with a beautiful interior. Cold marble was felt up against your skin as you tipped the bottle of wine into your glass, clacking against it. Your glossy lips propped up against the cup and took small sips of the fruity flavor. It slid down your throat and surged a zing of bitterness back up to take in the taste, so sweet and yet so unpleasant at the same time. You’d lick the juice off your lips and place it down steadily on the counter, looking up to see a heady gaze sharped on you.

6’2 and steady build towering over you with dark olive hair — was the wakatoshi’s son. Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Your body stayed still, unmoving. He wasn’t anywhere near a 3rd grader - more like a full grown adult. Tongue peeking out from your teeth to lick the dryness seeping between the cracks, your eyelids hooded.

“Uh- Hello! You must the wakatoshi’s son, I’m the new maid.” Extending your hand out to meet his; his hand stayed at his side, not seeming to shift to engulf yours. You’d drop it back beside you and nipped at your lip when the silence between you both continued.

“Well, I’ll see you around. Nice to meet you.. Ushijima! Your parents told me about you.”

You’d excuse yourself away from his intimidating gaze and close the door behind you. Maybe it’s a good idea to introduce myself another time.

The same look from before followed you out of the kitchen, watching you as you’d take up the laundry basket. His eyes kept gawking at your every move. Staring with every bit of emotion nobody could decipher, Toshi wasn’t a very talkative man and it was visible. He situated himself in the shadows and looked from above, staying out of any scandals his parents were exposed to. He did keep his eye on you. Stepping out of his secure area and making every note to try and approach you without seeming like a creep. His creep intentions did creep up back into his system when you started staying at his house, sleeping in a guest room 8 feet away from his room. It was easy; so easy to sneak into it when the moon raised in the dead of night.

Soft thuds of his feet against the carpet thankfully didn’t alert anyone, giving him the time to steal peeps at your sleeping state. Comforter pulled up. Oversized shirt to cover up the intimate parts of your body he dearly wanted to explore. Soft breaths left your pink lips to breathe it in again, his cock stirring at the sound of it. Toshi knew what was right from wrong, he knew that doing something like this would cost his life — but, dear god you were everything he dreamed of. He couldn’t stop now.

His calloused hands raised the shirt for him to be able to see your tummy, sliding his fingers down to the waistband of your panties. They were so simple and adorned your skin beautifully, keeping the heat between your legs warm just for him. His free hand unzipped his jeans and let them pool at his ankles, such as his boxers. You stirred slightly at the foreign touch, brows creasing forward. He stilled until you relaxed back into slumber, his fingers separated your thighs, and slowly slid the oozing head of his cock between them.

“Ah, princess, f-fuuck.” breath ragged, eyes shut closed to take in the bliss. Contentment streamed through him, his hips rocking against you to feel more, more of you. He was greedy. Toshi was insatiable, he wanted everything of you. He didn’t just want — he needed you. It was a plea. A whine for you, a need. The selfishness ran through his family, that’s how he inherited it. From his family. Was he ashamed? No. Not when you felt so good right now, not when he was about to reach the orgasm he was climbing to.

Sweat fanned down his toned chest, abs glistening with droplets of precipitation. His hips rocked forward one last time, cum spurting from his head and between the soft flesh of your thighs. It was sticky and slimy, rolling down to cover every little spot.

The sight of you sleeping soundly while his cum leaked from between your thighs, made the flaccid touch of his cock stir. You were just so pretty, a pretty little something he wanted to scoop up for himself. And he would do it with no trouble whatsoever. His hand slid down to grab his phone from the floor, lying face down. Toshi aimed right in the frame, snapping a picture for later. He stuffed it into the back pocket of his jeans and scurried away from your room, not bothering to clean up the mess of his dry cum smeared on you.

Pressing the ‘start’ button you watched the clothes in the machine swirl with bubbles of soap clouding over them. One hand on the machine and knocking it occasionally to make it turn on again. “Barely working.” You’d mutter.

Despite the Wakatoshi’s being filthy rich, their laundry room wasn’t at all cooperative. There were brown pieces of wood peeling off the wall with stains of what seemed to look like dry substance splattered on it. A bunch of plastic bags and socks were pushed to the corner of the room, dirty ones to be exact. Not much laid in the room other than the things you had listed — except for the posters of lewd manga hanging from the cluttered shelves.

The cool air of the basement door opening brushed up against you, your eyes drifting to see who it was. Standing there was Toshi. He was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. His expression was the same as always, stern and uninterested. You were both met with the silence from yesterday, uneasiness creeping up back to you.

Bothering not to talk, you turned back to the machine to see it at twenty-one minutes. It was almost done and you could leave to wrench away from the awkward silence you were sitting in. You could still feel his presence, you knew he was there and it was uncomfortable. So many questions were left unanswered in your head, you couldn’t understand them.

The back of your skirt was flipped up to meet your back, his clothed length pressed against you. He was hard. There was no doubt he wasn’t big, and that was what made your eye sockets almost swell out. He slowly rocked the fabric of your panties along with his bulge. Fingernails digging into your hip and pushing you up more to gain more access and spread your legs.

“Ushijima-“ words of confusion scrabbled out from your mouth quickly, “w-what are you doing?”

“Shh.” He jabbed the curve of your back and made you lay pressed against the cold exterior of the rattling washing machine. His words flustered you, it provoked you to stay quiet. You had never heard his voice before and a situation like this only shook your brain into a deeper hole of complication. “J-Just — let me do this, let me try it out. Once.”

And you did. You let him try it just once, you let him delude into the fantasy he had been dreaming of. You let him do it. Once.

You calmed down from the aftershock of his tongue sending you to see stars, arms jerking when the feeling of his hot touch pressing your face against the door of the machine. Your fingers tightening around the handle and pulling on it slightly, cheeks swelling up with heat. The sounds of your whimpers and tiny jolts sent him to push along more, arm encircling around your stomach, his voice breathy against the shell of your ear. You were like a succubus, a being he couldn’t leave nor escape, so alluring, sweet and he had just met you not too long ago.

The smack of his cock meeting his stomach caused you to crank your head back, looking over to see a beautiful sight. Ushijima’s cock was thick, curving gently upwards. The skin was a light shade of cream, and the head was large, pink, expanding tip. “Ushi-“ your voice was wavery, unsure paring with it.

He’d shush you again, angling your leg up as his lips pressed a kiss to your glistening cunt. Toshi took notice of your expressions when he slid into the warmth delves; brows creased together and little words scampering out from your lips. Latching onto the handle and pulling it ever so often when he hit a certain spot, whenever the tip of his cock caressed against your cervix- it was so beautiful seeing you be reduced to a quivering, blubbering mess. A surreal sight he would only see.

“You’re so damn tight. So wet, so willing.. just like that baby.” The pump of his hips made you lose yourself over and over again, a mixture of sounds that were all kinds of slobbery and slurred due to your dizziness. His pace picked up with renewed energy, slick and wet sounds fill the air, sweaty bodies clamping against each other. The whines and pants of his name being drowned out, so pathetic- clinging to the latch and crumbling under his touch. It drove him like a mad man, his brain clattering, the way you took him in with no problem amazed him, you were so inviting and supple.

“S’too b-big! Ushi- ah! -“

The whines of him being too big impaled itself into his brain, your shivering body and cunt wrapped around all together had already made him blank out, now with your pleas, it caused a switch in his head to flip and jack-hammer himself into you. Pump after pump. It made your eyelashes flutter with droplets of tears risking to stream down the fat of your cheeks. His hands holding you firmly, brows furrowed with grunts flowing into your right ear. A grunt rippled from him as his cock throbbed harshly inside you, the feeling making him come undone right there.

“Just like that, ah, fuck you make me feel so good.”

Wrinkled skirt falling to the floor, his cock pulling out of you slowly with globs of cum dribbling out of you, he’d shuffle around till you faced him fully now with a perplexed look on your face. The shirt becoming loose as Toshi’s lips wrapped around the sensitive nipple, suckling and easing any leftover moans out from your throat. His hands placing you on the machine and attaching his lips back onto your nipple, tongue flat against your sweaty skin.

“Fuck, U-Ushi! holy- fuck, just like that.” Your back straining as you leaned back, gasping and threading your fingers through his hair to balance. Toshi wasn’t one with words, his statue being quiet and still. But, words poured out from his lips at the sound of your moans, when you were so good for him.

“So, good.. pretty. pretty, like a beauty.” He pulled off of it with a squelch, standing up high and cupping your chin to stare in your love drunk eyes. “You were so good for me, yeah?”

You nodded, vision hazy and eyes occasionally blinking to peer up at him with a blurry image. Your head rested in the crook of his neck, sniffling as he picked up the soiled panties from the floor and stuffed them into his back pocket. They were red and pink, swirly designs on them, he found them so cute. He slid your legs around him and walked out of the room, leaving the washing machine to rattle in the background with soap and water overflowing onto the ground.

Ushijima just couldn’t leave you after that day, he stuck to you like glue. Who could blame him? You were everything he wanted, everything he had fantasized about.

[oshicakes]

haikyuu boys having an attractive s/o

pairings. oikawa tooru x reader, nishinoya yuu x reader, kozume kenma x reader

genre. fluff

an. hello~ heres the request and im really sorry to keep you waiting for this. i hope you'll still enjoy this. have a great day! 💖

Oikawa Tooru

got labeled as power couple of the school.

both of you modeled for the school's poster. and also got into small modeling gigs together.

he'll tell you that he can't accompany you in your photoshoot but when you arrive at the event he's already there with some snacks and drinks.

he tends to look at your picture whenever he's thinking about you. he also got copies of your photoshoots.

he don't mind being extra clingy especially he needs to remind everyone that you are taken and he's your boyfriend. he's a total show off.

you support each other through thick and thin. and is proud to each other.

just as expected, there are still bold girls and boys who approaches one of you.

he isn't possessive or a jealous type of a boyfriend but when someone tries to hit on you and is making an uncomfortable moves and gestures to you don't expect him to just watch you.

a co-worker has been forcing you to join them in karaoke. you politely declined them. but his grip on your shoulder tightens as you try to lose from his grip.

"my, my, my, its seems that you are forcing y/n. what are you? a perverted old man?" a familiar voice said on your back.

he grab the guy's hand and introduced himself as your boyfriend and violently shake hands with him. then he pulled you and walk out of the place.

"it just pisses me off whenever this happens to you. some guy just really don't know how to respect and keep their pants zipped." he frustratingly said.

"i'll drop that gig next time. please calm down." you said then rub his back.

"no, it's them that should quit that gig. ill make sure of that."

"okay, okay. let's go to that restaurant that you've been wanting to go." you held his hand and before walking, you kissed his knuckles.

Nishinoya Yuu

you met him where you're not having a great day. someone from upper class just confronted you "stealing their lover" that you don't even know.

you've been confronted a lot of times with the same reason. you're close to believing that your attraction is a curse.

and your friends didn't help, saying that's because youre attractiveness made them unfaithful with their lover.

"here." you lifted your head and saw nishinoya standing infront of you. he's handing you a popsicle.

he reached for your hands and made you accept the ice cream. and then smiled widely at you. "i won an extra gari-gari kun. you can have it."

"uhm, thank you." you smiled at him then opened the packaging and bite into it.

"you're really beautiful when you smile. bye, see you at school."

since then, you are often seen with him. that leads to friendship and later on being into relationship.

he'd feel so lucky to have you as his s/o.

he calls you gorgeous and you often receive a text from him reminding how beautiful you are, how much he loves you, some quotes and jokes to brighten your day.

he doesn't get jealous that much. instead he would be very proud and happy for you whenever someone else compliments you.

he'd probably join that someone who complemented you in complementing you.

he would encourage you and support you in any ways.

he's one of the reason why you're so confident with yourself. cause it wouldn't last a day without him complimenting you.

he's like a ball of sunshine to you. he knows when and how to lighten you up and boost your self-esteem.

Kozume Kenma

its not a big deal for him. as long as he loves you and you love him, that's all that matters.

but that doesn't mean he doesn't get jealous at students who shamelessly approach you, give you gifts and confesses to you.

he's adorable, acting tough and not bothered by it, but just by looking at him with a small pout on his lips, you know that he's jealous.

he'd make you his homescreen. and some of his icon in games is you too.

he's a lowkey show off and would be proud and smuggish when someone notices it.

like when someone asked him who's his icon, he'd proudly say that's my s/o.

he would support you at anyhing you do.

sometimes he'd be protective whenever some of the students went overboard with you. he's ready to raise hell i tell you.

but there are times when insecurities and doubts struck him. he's really afraid that you'll leave him and find somebody new.

"kenma, are you okay?" you came to his house and found him laying with his stomach.

he didn't answer you. but you know thats he's awale since he's doing something with his phone.

you decided to lay on top of him. you heard him whimper but you didn't budge. "whatcha doing?"

"staring at your photo."

"huh? why? im here now, you can stare at me instead." you joked.

"say.. aren't you regretting being my s/o? i mean your attractive and even though im your boyfriend you still have a lot of admirers ready to catch you when we break up."

"what are you talking about? you're the most amazing and the most gorgeous man i know. i wouldn't trade that for anything." you said and kissed his cheeks.

he change his position, making you lay on the bed too. he made you lay your head on his arm and snuggled you close to him.

"im really the luckiest." he whispered and hugged you tighter.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Victor’s Business Exhibition Date

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 企展之约, which has not been released in EN 🍒

[ This date was released on 16 July 2021 ]

After a meal on this weekend afternoon, I’m nestled on the sofa, watching a new episode of an anime.

MC: Hahahaha!

Watching the comical antics of the main character on-screen, I can’t help but laugh out loud.

“Whoosh--”

Hearing the rustling of papers from behind, I subconsciously shut my mouth, my line of sight flitting past the sofa and landing on Victor.

He’s sitting at the dining table, a look of concentration on his face while he reads a report. The small dining table is full of documents.

I had initially planned to watch movies with Victor at my place today. I didn’t expect him to be so bogged down with work lately, and unable to relax over the weekend.

MC: Victor, am I disturbing you? Why don’t you use the study room or my bedroom instead?

Without lifting his head, he props up the spectacles on the bridge of his nose.

Victor: Who was the one who wanted to “stick” together with me over the weekend?

MC: ...that’s true, but you’re focusing on work now.

He has no intention of continuing the conversation. Rubbing my nose guiltily, I head into the kitchen quietly. After cutting some fruits, I bring them over to the dining table.

MC: In that case, I’ll apologise to CEO Victor~

Sticking a toothpick into an apple slice, I bring it to him. He tilts his head up slightly, taking a bite from the apple in my hand.

From my peripheral vision, I spot an invitation card with the words “Elementary and Middle School Students” on it. Curious, I take a closer look.

MC: “Corporate Culture Exhibition for Elementary and Middle School Students”? Is LFG participating in the Corporate Culture Exhibition?

Victor: We received the invitation and haven’t decided if we’re participating.

MC: I see... I’ve never heard of this exhibition.

Victor: The government organised it this year. 

Victor: The officials said that it’s meant to introduce elementary and middle school students to outstanding occupations and various career paths to help them establish their aspirations.

MC: This exhibition seems pretty meaningful. It’s beneficial to LFG’s business image too.

MC: Come to think of it, I wonder if little kids have an understanding of LFG, and what kind of impression they have of LFG?

MC: Oh yes! There was a news report on elementary and middle schoolers going on company tours. Does LFG want to organise a similar activity?

Ideas come one after another in my mind. I rattle on about my opinions, but Victor doesn’t express anything.

When I start making an inventory of the company tour for students, the pen in his hand pauses, and he lifts his eyes slowly.

Victor: I can consider the exhibition, but not the company tour.

MC: Why not?

His deep eyes sweep over the anime on the television screen before landing on me.

Victor: There’s already one very noisy kid in LFG.

-

In the end, Victor accepts the invitation to the Corporate Culture Exhibition. The exhibition commences as scheduled.

Out of interest, I offer my services to Victor. I become a volunteer responsible for decorations at the venue.

Seeing the detailed and vivid posters introducing various occupations  in the exhibition hall, the LFG employees next to me are slightly awed.

LFG Employee A: It’s really nice that we have the chance to understand different occupations. When I was young, I thought there were only astronauts and scientists in the world.

LFG Employee B: Even if you only knew of those careers when you were young and decided on an aspiration, it might not become reality when you grow up. I wanted to be a dancer, but I’m doing something completely unrelated to the arts now.

LFG Employee A: That’s true. If it weren’t for the excellent pay in LFG, I’d probably be at my old home opening a second-hand bookshop and retiring early. Oh yes, MC, what did you want to do when you were young?

Getting pointed out suddenly while engrossed in their discussion causes me to be stunned momentarily.

MC: When I was young...

I blink, recalling somewhat faraway memories. Before I can ponder deeply, my phone rings - it’s a call from Victor.

Victor: Come to the café near the entrance of the exhibition hall.

MC: Now? What for?

Victor: ...what else can you do in a café? Play golf, amend proposals, go horse riding, drink coffee - which one do you think is the most suitable?

MC: ...to be honest, I can’t decide between the two options of “amend proposals” and “drink coffee”.

Victor: I ordered a custard cake. If you don’t come over, I’ll take it that you’re not interested.

MC: I’ll be there immediately!

After notifying those LFG employees, I turn around and head towards the café.

MC: Is this really okay? The others are still busy.

Victor: When did you have such a high sense of awareness? Who was the person who painstakingly learnt “Slacking Hacks” on the internet a few days ago?

MC: I was reading that for fun... I wasn’t planning to put it into practice.

Lifting my phone as I squeeze into the packed café, I notice that most of the people here are parents who are preparing to accompany their kids to the exhibition.

Victor: There’s still an hour till the exhibition begins. I’ve already told Goldman to inform everyone to take a break. In short, there’s no need to feel guilty, because...

Taking two steps into the café, I spot Victor at a glance as he sits at a table near the window calmly.

Seeing that I’m walking towards him, he puts down his phone gently, lifting his head to meet my eyes.

Victor: Aside from you, there’s another person who’s “slacking”.

Taken aback for a moment, I quickly react to the meaning in his words. My brows arch upwards as I take a seat.

MC: I didn’t expect to ever “slack” together with CEO Victor.

Elated, I pick up a fork and try a bite of the dessert in front of me. The custard melts in my mouth instantly, and it’s sweet and smooth.

MC: Delicious! As expected of CEO Victor’s pick~

Victor: Even delicious food can’t stop you from being talkative.

Right after saying this, he seems to stare at me fixedly, his expression slightly strange.

Just as I’m about to ask why he’s looking at me that way, he lifts up his coffee, his lowered eyelashes covering the smile in his eyes.

...am I overthinking things? Why do I feel as if he’s making a joke out of me?

Feeling puzzled, I notice a pen and a post-it booklet at the edge of the table.

MC: This is...?

A staff who is passing by takes a step forward, smiling as he explains.

Staff: This is a small event by our shop. You can write your hopes or suggestions for the children, then hang it on the “Hope Tree” near the door of the shop.

Struck with an idea, I pick up the pen and a post-it note.

MC: Victor, shall we write a few suggestions for the children too?

I tear a post-it note and give it to him. After staring at me in silence for a while, he suddenly reaches out his hand.

Victor: Give me one more.

MC: ?

MC: Does CEO Victor want to write a mini essay?

Ignoring my joke, he writes a sentence on each of the two post-it notes. He hands one to the staff, and stuffs the other one to me.

Bewildered, I sweep a glance at the post-it note given to the staff. The words “You only have one life” are written on it.

Lowering my head, I stare at the post-it note in my own hand. In an instant, I realise why he displayed such a strange smile earlier. There’s a short sentence written on the post-it note:

“Dummy, there’s custard on your cheek.”

??: Hello, could I trouble the two of you to help me with something?

My face reddens. After wiping the custard off my cheek with a tissue, I hear an unfamiliar female voice next to me.

Turning towards the sound, I see a lady standing beside me with two small boys.

Woman: I need to use the washroom, but bringing two boys with me isn’t really convenient. Could I trouble the both of you to take care of them for a while?

I ask for Victor’s opinion with my gaze, and he responds with a slight nod. Understanding this, I nod at the mother.

MC: Of course we can.

While thanking us, she gets the two children to sit at both ends of the table before hurrying off.

The table now comprises of the four of us - two adults and two children. The air gets filled with an inexplicable, thick awkwardness.

Victor looks at me. I look at the kids. The kids look at Victor... Clearing my throat, I decide to break this strange atmosphere.

MC: Kids, how old are the both of you?

Kid A: Mommy said that we can’t give personal information to strangers!

MC: ...

I didn’t expect to be given the cold shoulder the moment I opened my mouth. I release an embarrassed laugh.

MC: Personal information... You can use such advanced terms. You’re so smart haha.

A soft and low chuckle drifts to my ears. I glance at Victor as he picks up his coffee with a blank expression, staying uninvolved in the matter.

The other boy suddenly widens his eyes and leans towards me, pointing at my volunteer name tag and reading it aloud.

Kid B: L! F! G! Do you two work in LFG?

MC: Well...

I ponder over this. LFG is the investor of my company, and Victor is the CEO of LFG. So...

MC: I guess so.

Kid B: In that case, what are the two of you doing here? Did you sneak away?

MC: ...

Although these are unintentional words from a child, I avert my eyes guiltily. At this point, the kid who behaves like an adult speaks loudly.

Kid A: That’s impossible! Mommy said that everyone who works at LFG are really incredible people! They won’t sneak away!

Victor: Cough...

Victor pauses his sampling of the coffee. As though he choked on something, he clears his throat.

Kid B: Really?

The kid blinks his eyes as he waits for our response.

Victor’s expression is a little unnatural. He picks up a newspaper from a rack near the window, immersing himself in it.

Seeing him like this, he probably recalled the earlier conversation we had on “slacking” as well.

It’s rare to see Victor being choked up by someone. A little demon with horns suddenly appears in my heart.

I can’t help but laugh inwardly while turning to the kids.

MC: You’re correct. The employees from LFG never sneak away. We were talking about work-

MC: Right, Vic?

[Note] In CN, MC calls Victor “小李” (“xiao li”, which translates directly to Little Li).

Saying this, I wink at the person opposite me.

Victor arches his brows, astonishment in his eyes. Without waiting for him to speak, I immediately do a “stop” gesture with my hands.

MC: The previous proposal for the show is too conservative. There aren’t any highlights, and it isn’t clear who the target audience is. It might be a waste to show it during prime time.

Adjusting my posture, I clasp my fingers on the table, mimicking VIctor’s tone and expression.

MC: When will you be submitting the new proposal? Tomorrow is the deadline.

Kid A and B: Wow...

Awed gasps from the kids drift to my ears. I straighten up with pride, tilting my chin towards Victor.

He stares at me with a calm gaze, his eyes gradually illuminated with an unreadable, dense light.

He lowers the newspaper slightly, blowing the coffee in his hand gently and unhurriedly.

Victor: Are you sure these are the only problems, Miss CEO? 

Victor: I've also “reflected” much on that proposal, and there are some problems I haven’t had the chance to tell you about. 

Victor: Since you brought it up, I have no choice but to do a “self-reflection” here.

Victor’s tone is composed, and there isn’t a ripple in his expression. As compared to my pretentious posture, he’s laid-back and natural.

Victor: The theme of the show is too general and lacks a segment which stirs the audience. 

Victor: The structure also has the shadow of previous shows. A change in form but not substance - it’s a little unoriginal. 

Victor: A scandal broke out yesterday involving one of the guests for the show. A replacement guest has not been decided upon.

Victor: Also...

MC: Stop! I... I get it!

He leans against the back of the chair, a teasing glint in the depths of his eyes.

Victor: When will you be submitting the new proposal? Tomorrow is the deadline.

MC Tonight, tonight! I’ll definitely submit it tonight!

I reply instantly, my voice carrying with it some alarm. The corners of his lips hook upwards, and he retracts his “overbearing” aura.

Victor: I’ll wait and see.

I heave a sigh of relief, then feel a dryness in my mouth. Lowering my head to take a sip of coffee, I see the disappointed gazes of the two kids.

My cheeks flush. Just as I’m about to say something to salvage some pride, their mother returns, thanking us while taking them away.

I glare at Victor indignantly. He chuckles softly, then clasps his fingers together on the table just like I did earlier.

Victor: I look forward to your next “challenge”.

-

After the exhibition ends, Victor and I leave work early.

The weather is really nice today. We pick a restaurant nearby, planning to head there on foot.

Dusk hangs low, and a misty pink evening mist smudges the sky.

Perhaps due to how smoothly the exhibition went, little emotions surface in my heart. 

Beneath this beautiful sky, how many young aspirations and lives took flight earlier?

Victor: Why are you just standing there in a silly daze? Aren’t you hungry?

Retracting my thoughts, I see that Victor has stopped in front of me, his body turned to the side as he looks at me.

I hurriedly catch up to him, pulling on his arm.

MC: Victor, why did you write “You only have one life” on the post-it note today?

Victor: It’s true that you only have one life. Even an elementary student knows this principle.

MC: ...that’s not what I meant. I’m asking about what’s implied in it. For instance, are you asking the kids to seize the day and work their hardest?

His gaze lands on me. Seeing how serious I look, he slows down his pace slightly.

Victor: If you were to meet your childhood self, would you tell her to work her hardest?

MC: Mm... it’s difficult to say. I might tell her what to do in order for the current me to be even happier?

Victor: And that the reason why you can’t use an overly objective and rational principle to teach others. 

Victor: It’s a desirable trait to work their hardest so that there won't be any excuses to stop in their footsteps. 

Victor: But this doesn’t mean that everyone must have the goal of working their hardest.

Victor: After all, every person expects different things from themselves. 

Victor: Not everyone wants to stand at the peak. 

Victor: As compared to looking down from a mountaintop, there are some people who wish to happily and simply appreciate the scenery along the way. 

Victor: This might sound simple, but being an ordinary person isn’t easy.

Victor: “You only have one life” - this phrase has many meanings in different contexts.

I’m stunned for a moment. I initially thought that Victor’s words were meant to be a motivational quote, and didn’t expect for him to have such thoughts.

Even when he’s faced with young children, he doesn’t wish to give a fixed answer on the basis that he’s a mature adult.

My lips curl upwards, and I can’t help but stick a little closer to him.

MC: You’re right. After all, aside from people who stand at the peak, there are even more ordinary people.

MC: Ordinary people have one life too. They need to cherish it properly, and do what they want to do.

MC: CEO Victor, I’ve learnt something from you!

Clasping my hands together, I bow in mock seriousness. An almost indiscernible smile lifts the corners of his lips.

MC: Come to think of it, I had so many aspirations when I was young. Lawyer, teacher, police officer, judge... I didn’t expect to become a producer in the end. Perhaps in a parallel universe, there’s a me who became a lawyer, teacher or judge!

The scene from the café flashes across my mind, and I burst into laughter.

MC: I might even be a CEO! What do you think?

After I say this, Victor turns his head and gives me an amused glance.

Victor: I think you do behave like a CEO.

MC: It’s because I’ve been influenced after spending such a long time by your side~ Returning to the topic - what was your aspiration when you were young? To become a powerful business tycoon?

Victor: ...have you ever heard of a child having such a pragmatic dream?

MC: In that case, tell me about it?

He doesn’t respond, and simply keeps his eyes faced front. No matter how much I probe, he doesn’t speak.

The sweet fragrance of desserts wafts into my nose. Following the scent and turning to the bakery near the roadside, I’m struck with an idea.

Since I can’t crack this difficult question in a straightforward manner, I decide to adopt the process of elimination.

MC: A baker?

Victor: ...

A signboard with the words “Watchmaker Shop” enters my vision, and I immediately look at him.

MC: A watchmaker?

MC: The boss of a lottery shop?

MC: ...director of a zoo?

Throughout the journey, I rack my brain and ask him about all sorts of occupations. However, it’s clear that none of them are correct.

Finally, we stop in front of a crosswalk, waiting for the red light.

Looks like I won’t be able to get any answers from him today. Disappointed, I let go of Victor’s arm, releasing a soft “hmph”.

MC: Aren’t you curious if there was a choice and you weren’t the CEO of LFG, and if I weren’t a producer...

MC: What would our identities be? Would we meet? And what kind of a relationship would we have?

The red man at the other end of the road suddenly turns green, signalling for us to move forward.

My hand, which had drooped to the side, is lifted up gently by someone. His broad palm conveys a comforting temperature.

Victor: There’s nothing to be curious about.

The crowd flows past in an endless stream on the crosswalk. Their footsteps are hurried, and the tips of their feet point in different directions.

I look at the person beside me. His gaze is resolute as he holds my hand, taking large strides towards the restless crowd.

He seems to sense my gaze. Lowering his head slightly, the light in his eyes is deep and scorching.

Victor: The life that I want to choose most is already in my hand.

-

[ MOMENTS ]

Victor's Post: Turns out someone could still go to work normally after staying up to watch anime last night.

MC: Could we cancel tonight’s reservation at the restaurant? I really want to go straight home to sleep...

Victor: Eating is a necessity. The location will be changed to your home.

-

Victor's Post: Turns out someone could still go to work normally after staying up to watch anime last night.

MC: As long as I’m hardworking enough, nothing’s impossible!

Victor: Working hard to make yourself even more stupid?

-

Victor's Post: Turns out someone could still go to work normally after staying up to watch anime last night.

MC: I solemnly vow not to do such things again.

Victor: This vow better count before you start on the next anime.

🍰 Call: here

[sirisuorionblack]

Can you do a hermione x fem!reader imagine where the reader plays keeps trying to get hermiones attention but shes too busy talking to ron but is fluff in the end?

Hot chocolate

Hermione Granger x Fem!Reader.

Summary - Reader is having a bad and Hermione knows just what she should do although quite late.

Warnings - None.

A/N Hello! Hope you are having a great day! Enjoy this little...something you asked for. I hope this is what you had in mind and I am extremely sorry if it wasn't! Thanks!

Potions Class was by far the only subject you were great in but today it all had to go down. Stirring anti-clockwise when told to do it opposite and forgetting to add the powdered root of asphodel was a great mistake. Professor Slughorn had given you the disappointed look and lecture that plagued your nightmares and will forever continue.

Letting out a shuddering breath, you held the books tight against your chest, leaving the Potions class embarrassed and dragging your feet to the Gryffindor common room.

After a particularly rough day it was common for you to be seen in the arms of your beloved girlfriend - Hermione Granger - no matter what. Although you were a year younger than her, she always managed to find time for you.

"Florence asphodel," You mumbled the words that surfaced your mind first.

The fat lady shook her head, "That's the wrong password, go again,"

"You know I have been here for five years now!" You argued.

"That doesn't matter. Tell the correct password and enjoy your day,"

"Oh, this is absurd!" You threw your hands in the air, "Fairy bezoar." She shook her head again and made a noise of disapproval.

A first-year watching your struggled awkwardly mumbled, "Its Lairy Fights,"

"Of course!" The portrait opened itself and the little kid stuttered inside. With your jaw dropped in disbelief you walked into the common room.

You were physically taken aback to see Hermione in a deep conversation with Ron, even ignoring Harry’s attempts to speak to her. You scrunched your eyebrows, you were not Harry, you were her girlfriend, of course, she wouldn’t ignore you.

“Hermione, you know tod-” You started to tell her about your day before she cut you short with a simple ‘hey’ and continued listening intently to what Ron had to talk about…quidditch!

She hated quidditch and rarely actually listened to you, just looked at you and nodded pretending as though she knew what you had been talking about.

“Hermione-!” you called again.

“But! But that doesn’t exactly allow you to make a shot that cost your life!” She yelled angrily at Ron.

You whipped your head to look at Harry who’s been staring at the situation knowing very well there would be a rise of such incident.

He stood up from his spot and walked towards you. “How about you go freshen up and by the time she will be free?”

He wrapped an arm around your shoulder guiding you to the girls’ dorm as he calmly whispered and rubbed your shoulder.

Yet, by the time you returned, Hermione and Ron were still in a deep conversation. Harry stood before the couch where they, his arms folded before his chest. He grimaced apologetically when he saw you.

You sighed, taking a seat behind Hermione, hoping you could gain her attention, “Hermione,”

Without looking back she said, “One sec- No, Ron! That’s not how it works! Why would you want to have your bones broken!?”

You wrapped your arms around her waist trying to find comfort in her. Suddenly, Ron's voice was annoying, Hermione’s hand movements that you always loved was disturbing, quidditch was irritating, hugging someone from behind was frustrating and you felt extremely uncomfortable.

You huffed, harshly pulling away from Hermione and rushed to your dormitory, evidently disturbing the shell Hermione had around her, making her aware of your situation after a minute or so.

She cursed loudly, stumbling to get up from the couch and running to the dormitory after you, ignoring the laughter of Ron and Harry.

When she burst into your dorm which thankfully was free, she was met with a sight that she almost always loved. You were wrapped in your or more like her fluffy white blanket that you managed to steal from your last visit to her dorm.

Hermione smirked leaning against the door frame, looking at your pouting face, “You know, if I were you, I would have turned to the opposite side,”

“I don’t care,” you huffed, pulling the blanket over your head covering your face.

You could hear Hermione chuckle as she sauntered over to your four-poster on the far corner of the room. The thud of shoes hitting the ground echoed mildly in the room for the two of you being the only occupants.

The bed, however, dipped behind you and cold air hit your arm as she pulled the blankets over herself too.

“Had a bad day?” Hermione whispered gently, her palm supporting her head as the other hand gently ran through your hair.

The urge to stay mad at her broke the second her fingertips met your hair. You immediately turned around, wrapping your arm around her torso and buried your head in her thick brown curls, “Yeah,” you mumbled into her neck.

Hermione sighed, “It’s all going to be OK,”

”I hope it does,” You snuggled more closer to her. Hermione reached behind her, whipping her wand out and opening the curtains allowing the cool breeze to fill the room.

"Wanna tell me what happened?" She asked, gently.

"Not now," You muttered, quietly but she heard it and sighed. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind, "Do you want to go get some hot chocolate?" She asked, knowing exactly what made your day better.

Your eyes perked up to meet hers at her suggestion, "Yes!" You said enthusiastically.

Hermione watched, laughing as you hurried out of the bed pulling on your favourite cardigan and beckoning her to join you as though nothing was wrong with the day. A gentle smile formed on her lips as she got up from the bed, intertwining her hand with your inviting ones. She would make all of this OK.

[babymetaldoll]

Family probation period (Matthew Gray Gubler/ Reader)

Requested: Yes 

Summary: Matthew Gray Gubler meets his girlfriend’s family on Christmas eve. Just one detail: none of them knew she was dating. 

Warnings: Cursing, mentions of abusive relationships 

Category: Fluff

Pairing: Matthew Gray Gubler/ Reader 

Wordcount: 3,5K

A/N: A late Christmas story, but I think we are still in the holiday season... right? also: requests are officially open

Masterlist 

- 

- "Are you sure about this?"- (Y/N) looked at Matthew and he nodded with a huge grin on his face. They were parked outside her parent’s house. They had driven from Los Angeles to San Francisco to spend Christmas Eve with them. 

- "Why not? I bet they are gonna love me"- he answered with his “Matthew Gray Gubler’s certified to make you drop your panties smile.”

- "I don’t know, I’m nervous"

- "Well missy, it was your idea to drop by your parents and surprise them with the news of your adorable boyfriend, so?"- (Y/N) smiled and nodded. 

- "And you thought it was a great idea, by the way, that's why you are here"

- "Yeah"- Gubler sighed and looked outside- "Why do you still trust my good judgment?" 

- "Well…"- (Y/N) looked at me and bit her lips- "You are very convincing"- he smiled and kissed her lips softly.

- "It's gonna be ok, they love you, I love you, which means we are gonna get along"- she nodded and smiled. 

- "Alright, I'll pretend that makes sense"- Gubler chuckled and kissed her again

- "Let's do this, Bunny".

-

Matthew and (Y/N) had been dating for over ten months. At first, they decided to take things slow, get to know each other better, try to make things work with their crazy schedules. But soon, they realized they had fallen in love, and “taking things slow” was not their thing. 

(Y/N) had decided to wait for the right moment to tell her parents she had found someone. Her last relationship had been a nightmare, and she knew her family (especially her brother) was going to be apprehensive about her new boyfriend. However, she was eager to tell them how happy she was with Matthew and how great he was with her. 

He was, hands down, the best boyfriend she had ever had. He was sweet and thoughtful. Sure, he wasn’t perfect. He would forget many things 'cos his head was in hundredth places at once (she was almost sure he had ADHD). And sometimes it felt she had a boyfriend and a son all wrapped in the same 6 ft adorable manchild she was dating. But still, he was the best boyfriend.

She was hoping her parents and family would see he made her happy.   

-

- “Ok, here we go”- Matthew rang the bell and turned to (Y/N), excited. She laughed and opened the door.

- “I still got my key.”

- “Right.”

- “Hello? Mom? Dad?”- she took a step inside and looked around. Her father stood up from the couch quickly and nearly ran to the door.

- “Peanut! You are home!”

Matthew smiled and held their bags staring at the scene. In all the time they had been together, he had heard a lot about (Y/N)’s parents. She loved them deeply, and he knew she wanted to share their relationship with them.

Her last boyfriend was an abuser, he hit her, and she kept it from everybody for months before breaking up. That’s why he could understand why her family would be apprehensive. And he was ready to show them how much he loved her.

- “My baby is home!”- (Y/N)’s mom appeared from the kitchen and hugged her daughter, who was still wrapped in her father’s embrace. 

- “Guys! I can’t breathe!”- she pretended to be suffocating and giggled. 

- “Too bad! You are never home! So bear with it!”- her father chuckled and kissed the top of her head 

- “By the way, (Y/N), who’s the man standing by the door?”- her mother asked and frowned, looking at Gubler. He smiled and waved, making his best to look as nice as possible. 

- “Guys, I want you to meet Matthew Gray Gubler… my boyfriend.”

And the silence in the room was as thick and uncomfortable as possible.

- “Hello”- Gubler smiled and shook their hands- “It’s a pleasure to meet you, (Y/N) talks so much about you”- but neither of them knew what to say. 

- “Guys, it’s ok, he is a good guy”- (Y/N) wrapped an arm around Matthew, and he immediately kissed the top of her head. 

- “Did I hear my sister has a new boyfriend?”- footsteps coming down the stairs surprised the couple, and (Y/N) wide opened her eyes immediately.

- “Adam!! You are home!!”- she hugged her brother so tight, he couldn’t help but laugh.

- “I’ve got the feeling you missed me.”

- “So fucking much!! When did you get home?”

- “Last night, mom said you’d be coming for Christmas, so I thought I could surprise you.”

- “And where are my nephews? I wanna spoil my babies!”

- “With Emma getting the last few things mom needed from the grocery’s, but they should be here any minute. I missed you, kitty.”

Adam kissed her forehead and looked at her sweetly. It was clear he loved and cared about his little sister. But as soon as his eyes reached Matthew, his whole face changed. 

- “And who is this?”  

- “This is my boyfriend, Matthew”- (Y/N) walked back to Gubler and held his hand- “He is awesome, so be nice, ok?”

- “Nice to meet you, Adam. (Y/N) talks so much about you. I was looking forward to meeting you”- Matthew shook his hand and smiled. 

- “Funny, she never mentioned you.”

- “Yeah,”- (Y/N) explained- “I wanted to give you guys a surprise, and I knew if I told you over the phone, you were going to stress out, so I thought it would be better if you just met him”

Her family nodded but didn’t look pretty convinced. 

- “I know you are all real apprehensive about (Y/N) having a new boyfriend, but I promise you, I’m nothing like her ex, and I wanna show you how much I care for her if you let me.”

Gubler was sincere and upfront. (Y/N)’s parents nodded, but her brother just crossed his arms and frowned.  

- “Adam, be nice”- she warned and grabbed her bag- “Let’s leave these in my room, Gub.”

- “You are not sharing rooms with a boy!”- her brother instantly replied, but she ignored him and walked upstairs. Matthew took the bags from her hands and followed her.

-

- “Sorry”- (Y/N) whispered and closed her eyes, embarrassed. Gubler left the bags on the floor of her room and walked towards her to hold her hands. 

- “Hey, it’s ok, they are just shocked,”- he whispered and smiled at her, trying his best to make her feel better. 

- “I would be shocked too if our daughter walks into our house and tells us she has been dating nearly a year with some guy I’ve never heard about.”

(Y/N) chuckled and sighed. The words “Our daughter” had been enough to make her forget everything that troubled her. The idea of a future with him was too sweet to worry about anything else. 

- “Now, back to what really matters here”- Gubler took a look around and pointed at the walls- “Did you have some kind of obsession with My Chemical Romance growing up, or is it just me?”

- “Eh… nope”- she simply answered and laughed. There were many posters of the band on every wall in that room. 

- “I don’t know, I’m getting the vibe you had a thing on that guy… he kinda looks like a vampire.”

- “Gerard? he was…”- (Y/N) made a pause and looked at the walls- “I had a little crush on him”

- “Little?”- Gubler raised an eyebrow

- “Yeah, just a little, nothing to worry about… I just wanted to marry him, that’s all.”- he chuckled and leaned in to kiss her.  

- “I guess you never know someone until you walk into their teenage room.”

Matthew was nervous, but he was never going to face it. He wanted to make a good impression, and he wanted (Y/N)’s parents to like him. He was in that relationship for the long run, and it was important for him to have her parent’s approval. And clearly, now her brother’s too.

-

- “So, Matthew, what do you do?”- Adam asked him as everybody gathered in the kitchen, drinking eggnog and setting the last few things for the Christmas dinner. 

- “I majored in film directing in New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts"- (Y/N) bit her lips and smiled. She was torn between feeling embarrassed and enjoying the moment.  

- “Film directing”- Adam looked at him and raised an eyebrow. 

- “Yeah, I always loved making movies and telling stories”- Gubler sipped his cup of coffee and smiled. 

- “But, do you have a regular job?”- Adam asked and raised an eyebrow- “Making movies doesn’t sound like a real job to me.”

- “Adam!”- (Y/N) looked at her brother with daggers in her eyes

- “What? I’m getting to know your boyfriend, isn’t that what you wanted?”

- “Yes, but you don’t have to be a dickhead”- the young woman walked a few steps closer to her brother and raised an eyebrow- I haven’t seen you in six months. Can you just be nice?”

Adam meant no harm, but he was worried. He had been the one his sister called after her ex-boyfriend hit her. He had been the one who took her out from that apartment, picked up her things, and took care of her. Of course, he was scared she might get hurt again. 

-

- “And where are you from?”- (Y/N)’s mom asked him as they all walked to the living room and sat down. 

- “Las Vegas,”- Matthew answered and smiled- “My family still lives there, and we visit as often as we can.”

- “So, you’ve met his family”- Mrs. (Y/L/N) looked at her daughter and raised an eyebrow, surprised. 

- “Yeah, they are the best! We spent Halloween with them this year. We took Matthew’s nephews trick and treating. It was really fun!”

Mrs. (Y/L/N) nodded and stared at the scene. Gubler was sitting next to her daughter, holding her hand and looking at her in honest and deep adoration. It was strange and shocking, but at the same time, she could feel he was a nice guy who loved her very much. And that was all she needed to know. 

Meanwhile, Mr. (Y/L/N) started asking Gubler questions about his family, school, and what he did for a living. 

- “Right now, I have an acting job.” 

- “Really?”- (Y/N)’s brother raised an eyebrow, surprised- “TV?”

- “Yeah.”

Adam was about to keep asking about it when his wife, Emma, walked in with their five-year-old twins.   

- “Aunt (Y/N)!!

- “Munchkins!”- the young woman opened her arms and hugged them at the same time as the kids held her legs tight, almost making her fall.

- “You are so big! why aren’t you two babies anymore?”

- “(Y/N)! hey”- Emma walked over and looked at her, but suddenly she just gasped. 

- “What?”- Adam asked, confused- “What is it?”

- “Oh shit!”- she nearly dropped the bag and wide opened her eyes, suddenly- “Why is Spencer Reid in our living room?”

Matthew looked at (Y/N), and neither of them knew what to do or say. So he just stood up and walked over to shake her hand. 

- “Hi, I’m Matthew, (Y/N)’s boyfriend.”

- “No freaking way!”- Emma whispered and held his hand, repeating a little slowlier- “No freaking way”. 

Adam looked at his wife and didn’t understand a word she was saying. His parents didn’t get what was going on, and (Y/N) just bit her lips, trying not to laugh. She never thought that could happen. 

- “I’m gonna put an eye on dinner…”- Mrs. (Y/L/N) said and stood up- “(Y/N), can you give me a hand?”

- “Sure mom”- she said and smiled at Gubler. He winked and watched her walking to the kitchen with her mom. Things were a little weirder than he thought. 

- “Ok, what was that?”

- “What was what, mom?

- “Emma nearly died when she saw Matthew. Why?”

- “‘Cos he is in a tv show and she recognized him, I think”- Mrs. (Y/L/N) looked at her and sighed.

- “Is he good with you?”

- “The best”

- “‘Cos he looks like he is a nice guy”

- “I swear, mom, he is the sweetest. He wanted to come and meet you to show you he is nothing like Bret”- (Y/N) held a bowl with roasted potatoes and smiled at her mother- “I love him”

- “You can tell… and he loves you too, especially if he is willing to put up with your brother”

- “Can you tell Adam to stop being an ass?”

- “I can tell him, but that won’t stop him”.

-

When (Y/N) walked to the dining room, she looked at her boyfriend, who was now sitting on the floor, doing magic tricks for her nephews. She felt her heart was about to burst, staring at the scene. The twins were laughing, and Gubler kept making pennies disappear in front of them. 

She couldn’t stop hearing his voice saying “our daughter” over and over again. It was a dream, and it was too soon to even think about it, but it felt so right. It made so much sense.

- “I like him”- her father’s voice took her from her thoughts and forced her to turn around

- “Really?”

- “Yeah… he’s good with kids, and it’s clear he loves you, that’s all I need to know”- he kissed the top of his daughter’s head and sighed. 

- “Your brother hates him though”

- “I kind of figured”

- “The fact Emma is drooling over him is not making things better”- (Y/N) looked at her father and just laughed.

- “Are you kidding me?”

- “No, he took her upstairs to cool her off”

- “Shit… well, it could be worst” 

- “How?”- she looked at her father in silence

- “Well… Adam hasn’t tried to kick him out”

- “Yet”- Mr. (Y/L/N) chuckled at his own joke and shook his head- “Don’t worry peanuts, Matt is safe”. 

- “Actually, can you not call him Matt, please? bad memories.”

- “Sure, Matthew it is?”- she nodded and smiled. 

- “Thanks dad”

-

- “Dinner is ready”- Mrs. (Y/L/N) announced after half an hour. She walked to the living room where Adam, Matthew, and her husband were talking. 

Gubler was having a good time talking with Mr. (Y/L/N). He was fun and kept telling her funny stories about (Y/N). Adam was still a dick, but at least his father wasn’t paying him much attention, so neither did Gubler. 

- “This smells amazing”- Gubler said as he sat down next to (Y/N)- “I’m guessing this is Mrs. (Y/L/N) ’s signature turkey recipe. (Y/N) talked about it the whole way over.” 

- “She has the recipe, by the way, if you like it, she can cook it for you”- Mrs. (Y/L/N) smiled proudly.  

- “Yeah, just make sure she won’t burn down the house”- Adam joked and felt his sister’s angry eyes on him- “What? I’m making an aimless conversation. Isn’t that what you wanted?” 

- “Shut up”

- “She is a great baker”- Matthew continued talking- “She is actually making me gain weight in the latest months”

- “Sure, like you could get fat”- (Y/N) snorted and looked at her boyfriend

- “Hey, you are making me eat cinnamon rolls, cake, and cookies like three times a week”- Gubler chuckled and looked at her- “My pants almost don’t close”

- “So, Matthew”- Emma said suddenly- “How did you two meet?”

- “He actually said I smelled like cinnamon rolls the first time he met me”- (Y/N) smiled and looked at her sister in law.

- “We met at a party, her friend Ana is dating my friend Charlie. And when I saw her, I knew I had to talk to her ‘cos she has the most gorgeous smile I’ve ever seen”- Emma was nearly sighing at those words.

- “And did you recognize him?”- Adam was embarrassed by his wife’s questions, but he couldn’t stop her. 

- “No, I had never seen the show…”

- “And do you know the rest of the cast now? Do you hang out?”- Adam looked at Emma and frowned- “What? I’m just asking”

(Y/N) blushed and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and felt her boyfriend’s hand on hers, knowing what she was about to say. 

- “So, we are here today because I wanted you to know Matthew. He is the best guy on earth, and he makes me happy every day”- she made a pause and looked at him. 

- “You make me happy too, Bunny”- he whispered and smiled. 

- “Ok, so you are in love, is that what you wanted to tell us?”- Adam said with an annoyed voice.

- “No, we wanted to tell you we are moving in together.”

(Y/N) bit her lips after delivering the news. Her parents looked at each other but didn’t seem mad, just surprised. Adam, on the other hand, frowned immediately. 

- “Before you start freaking out and yell at me,”- Matthew said with a soft voice- “I need you to know and understand how much I love your sister, and I would never hurt her in any way. Never.”

Her family looked at him in silence. Her father nodded and smiled. 

- “It’s clear you are a good guy, Matthew,”- he said, and (Y/N) sighed, feeling relieved to hear those words- “And I know you understand we will always be a little scared something bad might happen to our baby again.”

- “I completely understand. I just want you to know I will never hurt her. I love her, I wanna live with her. I’m here for the long run, and I wish you could all give me a chance”. 

(Y/N) felt like crying when she heard those words. Matthew was telling her family how much he loved her. He was showing them he wanted to be with her. Nothing could be better than that. 

- “And have you thought about where you’ll live?”- her mother asked, smiling.

- “I recently bought a house,”- Matthew explained- “We are planning to move in after the holidays. Meanwhile, we’ve been busy getting a few things we needed”- he looked so happy, no one could doubt he was excited with the plans. 

- “Listen”- no one but Adam, apparently- “If anything happens to my sister, I’m gonna hunt you, I will find you, and I will make you pay.” 

- “Adam…”- she tried to argue, but Gubler smiled at her and nodded

- “I know there is nothing I can say that will make you believe me, so I will just ask you to give me the chance to show you how much I love her.”- but Adam didn’t say a word. 

- “I know what happened to her was awful, and I know you don’t want anyone hurting her, but that’s not what I wanna do. I just wanna make her happy. If she wants me to.”

Adam looked at his sister, who had tears in her eyes. He couldn’t bear to see her cry, though those weren’t sad tears. She looked at Matthew, and he smiled at her, wiping the tears from her cheeks and kissing her lips sweetly for a second. He whispered, “I love you,” and she giggled. 

- “Oh come on!”- Mr. (Y/L/N)- “Even I can see he loves your sister! stop being a dick and be happy for them!”- Adam sighed at his father’s words and stood up.  

- “If you fuck it up, you are dead”- he said and reached out his hand to Gubler- “But I trust you won’t”- and Matthew quickly stood up and shook it. 

- “I know you just want to take care of her, and I completely understand that”

- “You are in family probation period.” 

(Y/N) smiled at her brother, and he winked at her. Finally, she sighed, relieved. 

- “I can’t believe you are gonna move in with Dr. Reid!!”- Emma almost shrieked

- “Please don’t”- Adam frowned and looked at his wife- “Don’t make this harder”

- “You are gonna have to watch the show with me, you are gonna love it. I swear you won’t be able to hate him once you know Reid”

(Y/N) looked at Matthew and whispered in his ear. 

- “Your family wasn’t embarrassing. Mine was. I’m sorry”- he nearly laughed at those words and shook his head. 

- “My friends are embarrassing if it counts”

- “Your friends are my friends, Gubler”

- “Fine, we have embarrassing friends, we are gonna have to live with it”

Gubler moved a little closer, and was ready to kiss her when Adam’s voice stopped him. 

- “Just don’t make out with my sister in front of me while you are on probation, dude!”

- “Sorry!”- Gubler nearly jumped on his chair, and (Y/N) chuckled- “Sorry!”. 

[hoodieofholland]

Could you maybe do the reader is a famous actress and Tom is not famous and he used to make fun of her in high school and when he sees her he tries to apologise and ends in fluff😊

A/n: ooookaay, this went with a bit of enemies to lovers lol. I went through this shit in school, and I’m grateful that I learnt to deal with it later, I hope to everyone who has gone through it too that they feel good now :)

Warnings: mentions of bullying, language.

"Oh, fuck, I'm sorry!"

You almost can't register everything that has passed through your eyes, until a croissant falls from your hand. The food in now laying on the ground of your favorite cafe, a pout of irritation forming on the corner of your lips before you can see the man who has bumped into you.

"Oh, God, I'm really sorry. Hey, man, can you please- yeah, thank you", he's talking to one of the employees, who's heading to clean the mess now. "It's my fault, miss, let me pay you another- y/n?"

You finally lift your gaze towards the man in front of you, eyes huge as he takes a look at you, recognizing your features from so many years ago. And also for a recent poster he just saw in one of the bus stops while walking down the street.

"Uh, yeah, hello", you force a smile, too driven by the incident, but afraid to be rude with someone who might just be a fan. But there's something so familiar on his face that you can't bring yourself to remember immediately. The crooked nose, thin lips, and some more wrinkles by his eyes, more than you could remember-

Thomas. Your classmate from high school...

... or should you refer as your bully from high school?

"Tom?", you gasp in surprise. He smiles at you.

"Oh, you remember", he chuckles, shoving his hands inside his pockets. "Haven't seen you since school. I mean, personally. I think I have seen you everyday for the past couple of weeks".

You blush, lowering your head as a soft smile makes its way to your lips. You remembered Tom very well, not only because he was one of the prettiest boys in your school, but also because he used to make fun of you. A lot.

"Yeah, I think we never forget about the ones who impact on you the most", you say under your breath, but he still can hear it. A pout is visible on his lips, as a frown on his forehead.

"About that, I guess I never really told you how sor-"

"Oh, my God, it's y/n y/l/n!", a girl shout, holding her phone firmly on her hand as she makes her way towards you. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but can I take a picture with you?"

You turn your head towards the girl and smile. She's not much younger than you, has sparkles in her eyes and a light pink on her cheeks. You should be used to his kind of approach by now, since your last album was a hit by the end of last month, when it was released. Still, you found it exciting every time a person asked you to take pictures because they appreciated your work.

"Sure", you say, holdind your cup of coffee on your hand and trying to deal with the bags from your recent shopping on the other. Watching you struggle a bit, Tom offered his help.

"Here, lemme take it", he takes the bags and the coffee on his hands and step out of the way.

You prepare for the camera and when you realise, the girl is taking several selfies with you.

"Oh, God, thank you so much!", she cheered when she was done. "I just wanted to say that your songs really touched me, I went through the same things in high school and it was incredible the way you put it all in an album".

"Thank you", you giggle as she hugs you a goodbye. "Hope you have a nice day".

The girl walks out of the cafe, a huge grin of satisfaction on her face, and you are left with Tom by your side.

"That was cool", he says, still holding your things. You look at him and see his warm smile towards you. It made something click on your brain, an old memory, from when he made a joke about you signing down for the talent show in your school.

It was written in one of your songs, never letting your forget about that. Just a small line about a certain guy who made fun of your dreams back then. You didn't really care that much now, neither when you were in high school. You were brave, and that's what people most liked about your lyrics.

Remember when you told me I was silly trying singing?

"Yeah, it was", you give him a small smile and reach for your things. "Well, it was nice seeing you again-"

"Wait, uh..." he scratched the back of his neck. "I still own you a new croissant", his voice was rushed and his cheeks were blushing.

"No, it's not a big deal. It's okay, you don't have to-"

"I insist", he raises a brown. "For old times, c'mon. It's not every day we bump into our old classmates".

You take a look at you watch to check the time. You still had a couple of minutes until your next duty, so you shrug. "Why not?"

You spent the next thirty minutes sitting in a small table, with light chatter and even laughter. You and Tom talked about the last school year, about some other classmates and the ones you keep getting in touch.

"Well, I didn't attend to the prom anyways, so...", Tom chuckled sheepishly at some point, averting his gaze to his cup of tea.

"And why not?", you tilted your head, curious about why one of the most beautiful boys in school didn't go to the most expected night of school.

He coughed a bit. "I didn't- uh, the girl I wanted to go with didn't go, so... yeah. I rather be at home back then".

You frowned, "Did you invite her? Cause I can't see any girl declining your invitation to stay home instead".

Tom smiled shyly and bite his lips. "Guess I'm the one to blame. Didn't have the guts to ask her".

"Really?", you arched your brows in surprise. He shakes his head yes. "That's a shame".

"You didn't go neither, so you can't say anything about me", he said playfully and you laughed, but it happens that you realised you never told him that.

"How do you know I never went to the prom?", you ask, a trace of a questioning smile on your lips. His smile fades away, being replaced by a frown.

He takes a few seconds to speak again.

"Y'know, I listened to your album. It's great, really good", he says, hesitating. "And there's this one song, where I thought that the lyrics sound very personal and kinda... it kinda sounded like yourself, for what I remember from all this time ago".

Your breathe comes in a sharp, "Yeah, I- I know which one you're talking about".

He stared back in your eyes, "Is that about me?"

You freeze. The answer is easy, but you didn't want to hand it to him. "No. Not really", you clean your throat. "There were a bunch of people who said those things to me-".

"Yeah, but do all of them have brown eyes, thin lips and...", he chuckles, turning his head down for a second, "... a slit on his eyebrow?"

You gulp, those were, in fact, parts of your lyrics. It was an obvious description of Tom. You could never forget how you spent hours of your day hating each one of those parts of him, but any time he would give you the tiniest smile when nobody was looking, you would list all these things in a different tone.

Frustrated, you grab your bags and makes a move to get up. "If you asked me to sit with you just to make fun one more time, then you didn't listen to my song carefully. It does not drive me mad anymore, Thomas".

"What? Hey, no!", his pupils were huge and he quickly touched your wrist, silently asking you to sit down again. "No, darling, I didn't mean it that way. 'M sorry".

You face him, breathing heavily as you tried to calm your nerves down. "Please, sit. Let me tell you something. If you don't like it, then you can go".

You raise a brow in suspicious, but sit back anyways. There's nothing he could say that would hurt you, you tell yourself.

"Well, go on", you hurry him up. He nods one time.

"What I meant is that... I felt like a jerk when I listened to this one, but not only because I realised the impact of the things I told you. Mainly because- because I realised that you never knew why I said those things to you. I saw... that maybe you did have feelings for me too, back then".

A moment of silence is settled between the two of you, Tom's ears getting red.

"What?", you breathed out. "Feelings for you too? What do you mean?"

He chuckles sheepishly, "Well, you didn't know that I had a crush on you?", he scratched the back of his neck. "I thought it was pretty obvious. My friends always said that, and I- I was kinda mad that you didn't like me back, so kept saying those things to you. It wasn't nice of me, but I was a kid. Anyways, I'm really sorry about that".

You blink a few times, unaware of what to say. For a moment, you thought that maybe he was just playing around with you, but you could see by the frown on his brows, the look on his eyes, that he was being sincere.

Tom laughs to ease the thick tension between you. "Sounds silly now, doesn't it?"

"So I was the girl? I was the girl you didn't invite to prom?", you ask lowly, and he nods a couple of times.

"Yeah. I thought that you would find me ridiculous. Y'know, you were kind, and talented. After that presentation of yours everyone thought you were cool and all. And I just lost courage".

Your heart sink in your chest, remembering the moments you spent thinking that Tom Holland hated you. And then you remembered the times you were sitting in the library, studying for the exam for next day. Tom sat in a chair beside you, there were not really many people around. He would say something like "hey, nerd, what you doing?". You would throw something near "fuck off" or "leave me the fuck alone", and the smugness would drop out of him. He would insist a couple of times until you ignored him, and he would walk out.

"You didn't answer me".

You blink, being taken from your memories. Tom is staring at you with worried eyes.

"About what?"

"Do you forgive me? For what I did and for what I said", he murmurs, playing with the napkins over the table.

You stare back, watching his wrinkles and the frown, the slit on his eyebrow and his deep brown eyes. His thin lips pressed in a tight line. Yeah, that was Tom, from your school. The one who used to make fun of you and now listened to an album based on the feelings you grew along the time you spent with him.

You smile a little, feeling a warm yet good pressure on your chest. "Yeah, we can see about that".

……………………………………………………………

[harrypotterbrainworms]

Forest Retreat

Summary: Remus Lupin finds himself in a forest, in the middle of piss-nowhere after a full moon, but there’s a friendly (unknown) face that gives him a hand for healing.

Pairing: Remus Lupin x Male Reader

Key: (Y/N)- your name, (L/N)- last name, (E/C)- eye colour, (H/C)- hair colour, (Y/H)- your house.

Word Count: 4714

A/N: been a whiLe, huh? heLlo. this is a BIG boy of fanfic, I hope you enjoy.

His vision slowly returned as he looked at his own hands… Blood. Red. Shiny. Thick. If he even glanced for two seconds longer he would’ve realised it was his own, but he was too concerned that he had hurt someone.

“Hello?! Is someone there? Yes! I see you, sir! Do you need help?” He saw a blurry figure approaching him slowly, wary in their steps, but persistent. He instinctively pushed himself back and away from the blurry person.

“I’m not gonna hurt you! I promise” They shouted towards him or maybe just said, Remus couldn’t tell the volume of the noise with his head and heart pounding at an alarming rate.

He kept backing away from the ever approaching figure, he didn’t know if it was his imagination and exhausted eyes, but the figure just didn’t seem to get closer or further and though he had been conscious for some time, his eyes were still blurry.

“Oh my stars. Are you okay?! Oh fucking hell- sir?! Are you-“ Before the blurry face could question him further, Remus realised he was crying, rather uncontrollably. He never has full control even after being conscious, his emotions controlled him for right now.

“IS SOMEONE HURT?! IS ANYONE DEAD?! YOU HAVE TO TELL ME?!” He shouted desperately at the person, laying his head in his hands as he sobbed further.

“You seem to be hurt.” They said blankly, inspecting him cautiously. He reached on to Remus’s ankle which appeared to be broken, but he flinched away.

“No- fuck. Has anyone been reported as injured or dead or anything?” He begged for an answer, the smell of the blood on his hands making him feel nauseous.

“I don't think so. There isn’t a person besides me for miles. How did you get here?” His eyes seemed to dry now, the person standing above him now in view, a man in simple fall attire and a basket filled with forest berries.

“I don’t know.” He wasn’t lying… completely. He knew in a way how he got here, but he didn’t know where here was. The man looked him up and down before taking off his coat, wrapping around Remus’s shivering body.

“You must be freezing. Can you walk?” He asked softly as he tried to help the other man up, but Remus just buckled under his own weight. He silently cursed himself, a broken ankle most likely maybe worse. He hoped not worse.

“My cottage isn’t far, here” He pulled Remus’s arm over his shoulder and slowly walked towards more trees, he watched as the (H/C) haired man pointed and a small arrow flew into the sky indicating a point. Remus felt a hinge of confusion.

“What if I had been a muggle?” He softly yet sternly, limping slightly as they maneuvered through the forest.

“For one, you wouldn’t be saying muggle and two this is wizarding lands.” He replied, shifting his weight as he helped Remus overcome a few large rocks in the way.

“Fair enough.” Remus stared up at the dark green arrow against the light grey sky. He felt a bit calmer, the adrenaline in his veins fizzling out slowly, but surely.

They walked arm in arm silently, the stranger mumbling to himself as the trees seemed to become less and less dense. He saw the odd rusted fence post as they walked closer and closer to the dark arrow in the sky.

“Are you sure no one has been hurt.” Remus repeated at him as he held the man for dear life.

“I’m almost 100% sure, as I said. No one for miles.”

“Okay.” He mumbled as he limped towards the arrow, an arm securely placed on his shoulder.

They were now face or face with a small cottage encased in plants, orange tinted vines growing from walls and small flowers giving their last bloom of the season barely holding on, as the cold breeze brushing Remus’s exposed legs, he shivered.

“Come on” The man led him inside where he was instantly hit with the smell of pumpkin pie and tea through the windows. They were now at the foot of the door where a gorgeous wreath of dried flowers and leaves hung right where the knocker sat, he opened the door and helped Remus sit on one of the small stools in the foyer as he hurried up a small covered staircase.

He looked around at the small cottage, the decor was… interesting to say the least. Small animal figures perched on shelves clashing with band posters and (Y/H) flags. The stranger had gone to Hogwarts, at least he knew one thing. Though he doesn’t remember his face, he heard footsteps in the corner of his hearing.

“Here let me help you, my bathroom is disappointingly on the second floor.” He once again grabbed Remus by the arm helping him navigate the winding staircase revealing a small bedroom and connected bathroom on the floor. He let Remus sit on the toilet as he pulled a small box out of a medicine cabinet.

“I’m no good at healing magic. Sorry.” He apologised again, unpacking the small first aid kit and starting to treat his wounds which Remus finally noticed. His stomach churned at the sight, though he’d seen himself post-moon time and time again, it still made him a little queasy to see the gashes.

He watched the strange man dub alcohol all over his wounds in silence, it was nice. It had been awhile since he saw another person after a transformation.

“All done, here’s a towel. Take a shower and I can patch you up more securely, okay?” He said, handing Remus a soft fluffy white towel that wafted scents of sweet flower body gel, before he left.

“Thank you.” He whispered meekly in response, he turned around and shot Remus a sweet smile which made his heart do a little dive.

“No worries, give a shout when you’re done” He smiled softly once again and closed the door behind him, leaving Remus to his thoughts.

He looked down and for the first time he realised he was naked. He was bare arsed in front of a stranger, his face flushed. He was naked, bloody and in a stranger’s home. He didn’t know the man’s name. Why had it only occurred to him now? He looked at the foreign bathroom, seeing if he could find where the mirror was. It didn’t seem to be in the places you’d think it would be. He ignored it for now stepping into the already drawn bath.

Remus felt the warmth soothe his, now very apparent, sore muscles, he sighed in the short lived content he felt. It was rare for him to feel even marginally safe in a home, not since… He didn’t want to think about it.

“You doing okay in there? There’s some soaps and things just behind the head rest!”” He heard his voice through the door, he opened his eyes and looked behind him. Sure enough there were some different shaped bottles and a small worn bar of soap.

“Yes, thank you” He shouted back through the door. Maybe for once in his life he shouldn’t think, so he didn’t. He sunk into the warm bath water letting it get to his neck as he soaked in the pleasure. He was sure the water was charmed, never leaving the perfect temperature he liked. He slowly started to wash the blood off his body, it just seemed to dissolve in the water as he lathered the sweet smelling body wash onto himself. It stung where his wounds were so he tried his best to avoid them with the small embroidered washcloth.

“I’ll be downstairs, there’s some clothing in front of the door. I hope they fit” He heard the hurried footsteps down the stairs as he slowly scrubbed the dried blood from his hair as well. Soon he could feel his skin pruning and decided it was time to get up.

He pulled himself out of the bath and drained the water, watching it swirl down. Remus grabbed the soft towel and dried himself slowly, trying to keep off his ankle.

The tired man limped to the door and picked up the pile of clothing on the floor, a simple pair of tartan pyjamas and a grey sweater. He took the new clothing and retreated back into the room he came from. They looked a little big for him, but he put them on anyway. He looked down at himself, they were definitely too big, the legs a little long for his own and the shirt hanging off of him comfortably.

Remus limped out of the small bathroom and into the bedroom, his heart stopped, on the large bed sat a large shaggy black dog. They stared at each other intensely. The dog looked rather unbothered that he was there, merely expressing a sniff into the air and a head tilt. Remus didn’t move until he heard another set of running footsteps again.

“Oh you’re done, great”

He didn’t say anything, just stared wide eyed towards the big dog. It just stare back at him with underwhelming curiosity.

“I see you’ve met Onyx, don’t be too afraid. He’s a big softie” He moved towards the dog, scruffing his ears and giving him a kiss on the forehead. Of course Remus knew it wasn’t him, he knew that. He simply nodded as he watched him give Onyx another kiss.

“Come on, then. Let’s get some food in ya” He moved back to Remus’s side, pulling his arm over his shoulder for support. They struggled immensely trying to get Remus back down the stairs, but managed as he limped slowly toward the kitchen.

Remus sat at the small round kitchen table, looking out of the window nook. It was so peaceful here he thought. It would be lovely to live in a place like this away from the city he hated so much.

“Sorry I don’t have much right now, bad hunting season” He sighed and fished out a box of cereal from the cupboard and some milk out of a fridge.

“How do you have electricity here?”

“Yep. outside of magic borders” He said as he prepared a large bowl of cereal for him, he realised how hungry he was. He felt himself drool a little at the promise of food as the man set the bowl and spoon in front of him.

“Thank you.”

He watched him stretch towards a higher shelf, his shirt lifting up. His skin in full view making Remus stare intently before averting his eyes to the cereal, stuffing his face to distract himself from it. He heard the rattle of what he assumed was dog food being poured into a bowl.

“Onyx come down!” He called for the shaggy dog and Remus heard it barrel down the winding staircase, immediately scruffing down the newly prepared bowl of food in front of him.

The stranger put a small metal kettle onto the stove, he watched intently, trying to discern any red flags from his situation. There were definitely a few as far as he could see, stranger in the empty woods of Yorkshire being nice to him and a large black dog who looked rather terrifying. The unnamed man (so far) was searching through the small first aid box, trying to find anything more secure for Remus. He healed fast, but it was helpful.

“Ah! Here it is” He said, pulling out various bandages and bandaids. He hummed in satisfaction as he went to sit in front of Remus again, patching his cuts and bruises with various muggle ointments.

“I’m sorry.” Remus apologised again as he watched the man wipe his brow, he didn’t need to squat the entire time, Remus thought. It was much more inconvenient than just sitting. The man looked up at him and shook his head dismissing his apology, he looked like he was going to say something, but shook his head again continuing to treat his wounds.

“Here” He pulled out a small stool for Remus to put his foot on, it was already feeling better if he was honest, but still hurt like hell.

Remus looked down as the man wrapped the bandage around his ankle carefully, trying not to hurt him further.

“You’re lucky I found you, this could’ve gotten way worse if you stayed out there” He looked up, trying to make conversation to evade the awkward silence between them. Remus didn’t know what to say really as he looked back to his ankle wrapping another length of cloth around it.

“What’s your name?” Remus enquired, looking a little pale and distant. He was half listening and felt weird not having a name to the face in front of him. His ankle hurt like hell, but watching the man slowly patch him up brought a flush to his face. It was rather reminiscent of the past, he thought.

“(Y/N) (L/N)” He answered just as absentmindedly as Remus’s question, looking very focused on his wrapping.

“Remus Lupin.” He said as well, feeling weird that he couldn’t shake his hand at least. (Y/n)’s head perked up slightly as he heard Remus’s name.

“Moony then?” He said looking up, an apprehensive gaze in his (E/C) eyes. He unintentionally twitched at the mention of his nickname.

“What?” He choked out abruptly, his foot moving from the stool in shock. He immediately winced at the pain, (Y/N) quickly and carefully setting the stool back up from where it fell.

“You went to Hogwarts with those marauders kids? You were one of them, I’ve heard them say that. Sorry if I’m overstepping.”

“It’s alright, just been awhile since I’ve heard that.” He chuckled nervously looking away from him for a moment, ignoring the last part. A silence settled between them before he felt (Y/N) tuck the bandage into itself, getting up and moving away after.

They both said nothing as (Y/N) packed up the first aid kit, putting it back in its place. The whistling of the kettle the only sound left in the room as (Y/N) pulled it off. He made tea for the two of them. The silence felt deafening to Remus, uncomfortable.

“Uh- when did you graduate?” He stammered out, nervously fidgeting with a loose thread on the tartan pants. He didn’t dare look up as he heard (Y/N) set the teat in front of them.

“A year or two after you I think.” He said sitting across him “Sugar?” He said, taking one of the cups.

“Three.” Was all he could say, he was out of questions as he looked up seeing the man plup 3 cubes of sugar into the tea. Silence again as Remus poured milk into his tea, mixing the lot. He could hear Onyx lapping up water below as he sipped.

“What happened?” (Y/N) suddenly asked, looking at him. He looked away immediately, his eyes planted to the ground as his knuckles grew white around the mug.

“I’m not sure.” He lied.

He just nodded and sipped his tea again. Remus facepalmed mentally, he couldn’t think of a single convincing lie? Not even one? Idiot, he thought. If he wasn’t sitting in someone’s home he may have just smacked himself for this one. “No more questions. Good deal?” He looked up at when (Y/N) looked up, a small homey smile on his face. Remus chuckled a bit and nodded “Agreed.”

Remus insisted that he could take the next and closest bus back to Yorkshire and be out of (Y/N)’s way, but he insisted Remus stay a few days to heal up. In the end, Remus just nodded and there he was, sitting on (Y/N)’s pullout sofa on a Friday morning with a very sleepy Onyx laying across him. The dog had taken a strange liking to him (Y/N) had said “He’s not usually so friendly, big scaredy-cat when it comes to strangers” He had laughed when he came downstairs the morning after Remus had arrived to see Onyx and Remus as snug as bugs on the small pullout.

“How’s your ankle feeling?” He asked as soon as he saw that Remus was awake, when Remus looked up at him he almost choked. A layer of sweat above his brow, in a tight fitting shirt and a bow draped across his shoulder.

“B-Better.” He stuttered.

“That’s good” He huffed, he seemed a little out of breath, Remus watched his chest inflate and deflate with every exhausted heave.

“Where have you been?” He asked as nonchalantly, switching his gaze back down to the big dog on his lap.

“Checking for tracks. Seeing if I can find what attacked you, I-“ He was interrupted by a frantic coughing sound from Remus.

“I never said I was attacked” He said a little too quickly, heat rising to his face as he quickly shut up again.

“Remus. If there’s something out here I can’t do nothing, it’ll get my chickens and plus I can look like a hero for you”

Remus didn’t say anything the rest of the day, just idly laid around, trying to get off his foot. Not everyone needed to know his business, especially not a stranger. Onyx didn’t come that night, even his dog knew something was up. The fourth day was torturous, no talking, just silence. It felt lonely. Remus felt lonely again, he had pretended to sleep most of the day, ignoring when (Y/N) when he walked in. He seemed to still be looking. He should just tell him. Tell him what really happened, but as brooded in his thoughts.

“I know you’re not asleep, Remus.” He heard (Y/N) behind, he once again pretended not to hear anything.

“Listen then. Whatever attacked you or didn’t attack you is not really my business, but it happened near my home and I’d just like to know if I’m in danger or not. That’s it.” He sighed, sitting on the edge of the pullout sofa. He felt a dog head rest on him too. He felt bad.

“You’re not. At least not now.” He mumbled quietly, still not turning around.

“Thank you. Dinner?” Remus nodded, moving to a sitting position next to him again.

They talked again for a while, over dinner and then dessert about school, (Y/N) told Remus about the simple life in his little cottage and he just listened and laughed at his jokes. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time, a very long time. Now in the crisp autumn evening they sat together, Onyx quietly by their feet.

“Thank you.” Remus turned to him, awkwardly patting his leg in a pathetic attempt to make him feel closer.

“You’re very welcome, Remus. I’m glad I didn’t leave you to die out there, makes life a little more exciting” He laughed sadly, looking up at the bright unpolluted sky. He looked up too, his hand now resting lightly on (Y/N) leg. It felt comfortable there as he felt the other man’s hand rest on top of his. Remus liked this kind of silence, the silence after a nice conversation until.

“You weren’t attacked, were you?” He sighed, his voice sounded a little defeated. Remus’s feet felt on fire, he hadn’t felt this need to run in a long fucking time. He could immediately tell (Y/N) had put the pieces together. He could try and run, get up as fast as he could and break both his ankles trying to run away from this feeling.

“No.” Remus said, a little more emotionally distant than he intended.

“And those aren’t ordinary wounds or scars, are they?” Remus felt like he would throw up given the chance, (Y/N) didn’t turn to him, his eyes still glued on the sky.

“N-No.” His voice quivered as he spoke, his mind running miles in his head as thought about what (Y/N) was gonna do to him. (Y/N) sighed, it didn’t seem like he wanted to say it outloud either, but his hand was still firmly clasped with Remus. He didn’t dare move, he thought maybe if he didn’t let out, neither would he. His throat felt like it was closing up, (Y/N) was still staring up at the sky… not saying anything.

“Please say something.” Remus choked out frantically, his hands shaking slightly as he watched (Y/N) turn to him. He took a breath, grounding himself as he gave Remus’s hand a small squeeze.

“Lycanthropy, right? That’s the term I think. I didn’t really read a lot about it, I didn’t like how people were treated. The texts weren’t v-very flattering, so I only read what I nee-” He rambled a bit towards the end, but was interrupted as he saw Remus lower his head. He was worried. “Are you feeling sick? Is your foot okay?” He said quickly, trying to inspect Remus as he did on the first day he was there, but he watched Remus lift his head chuckling to himself a bit as a few tears streamed down his face.

“Y-You’re an asshole” He stuttered through a few choked sobs. (Y/N) looked like a deer in headlights, did he do something wrong? “What?”

“You’re a stupid asshole, d-dramatic too.” He shoved him lightly, laughing a bit through sniffs. “Couldn’t just s-say “I know you’re a werewolf and I don’t mind.” F-Fucking asshole behaviour.” He sniffed, wiping his eyes with the corners of (Y/N)’s sweater he was wearing. (Y/N) laughed a little out of relief. Their hands were still together, their pinkies interlocked subconsciously, but they both pulled away the heat raising to their cheeks.

“Uh-let’s get to bed, yeah?” (Y/N) coughed awkwardly speaking away from Remus. He grabbed Remus’s arm, the proximity of their bodies making them feel more flushed as he helped the injured man into his pullout.

“Goodnight.” “Yeah. G-Goodnight.”

The next two days felt more natural from there, Remus felt a little normal again. Someone knew and didn’t care. It made him feel like he could burst with tears again and again just thinking about how easy it felt to be around a person for once. Then Monday came, Remus knew it had to come to an end. At least this part, he couldn’t just move in with a stranger in the same week they met and he couldn’t expect one person who didn’t care to kill him, to become his new best friend either. The morning just felt depressing, like the first rain in spring. It had to happen, but he missed the blue sky.

“You can keep the clothes. Can’t just send you out there naked, can I?” (Y/N) chuckled sadly, handing Remus the last outfit he’s wearing here as he went to take the last bath here and the last- “There’s a bus just outside of the tree bounds that will take you to the bus terminal, you can just take this. I bought and never really used it. Wanted to see-“ (Y/N) started rambling again, but Remus cut him off with a simple “Thank you.. so much. You don’t know what this week meant.” He said candidly, might be his last chance to appreciate everything this stranger had done.

“Oh. Uh- you’re welcome.” (Y/N) huffed, a little flushed by the sudden candidness.

The morning seemed to slow as Remus lowered himself into the charmed bath again, his thoughts once again melting away in the smell of the sweet body wash in the bathroom. He felt like he knew the place so well now. He had found the mirror (after a couple of tries and (Y/N) pointing it out), which turned out to be a charm above the sink and knew where (Y/N) kept the cereal… Maybe he would just stop thinking again. The warm water washed over him a final time, the wash smelled amazing, nothing stung anymore, his ankle felt almost new again and he had at least made a new friend. Focus on the positive, James used to tell him. James…

“I’m gonna be out for a bit, help yourself!” He heard through the door, he felt a sense of routine at this point as he picked himself up from the wash, drying himself off and heading downstairs.

He ate and then folded the pullout for the last time, neatly setting the blanket on the end of the sofa. He sighed as he sat down, a sigh of content for once, as he opened the book (Y/N) had let him choose from his collection. He just read to himself before Onyx had come, sitting next to him. “I’ll miss you, big boy” He said scruffing the top of his head, a small grunt of appreciation leaving the dog.

A long two hours passed before (Y/N) came back, as usual a little out of breath with a few small prey hanging off his belt. “Lunch?” He said, Remus nodded and (Y/N) filled him up before they piled into (Y/N)’s small car.

The drive was silent, a certain somber energy between them. Remus felt like he would drive himself crazy thinking of an excuse for him to stay, any excuse.

“Remember which bus to take?” (Y/N) spoke up first. “I’ve taken the bus before, (Y/N).” He shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“Just- Just making sure.” He stuttered, turning against the dirt road in front of them. Remus just watched the scenery pass by as they got closer and closer to the city. He watched (Y/N) tap the steering wheel more frequently as they approached the last turn, the sign of the bus terminal passing them.

(Y/N) pulled the car into a parking space, The silence felt thick as they sat there, the engine still humming with life before (Y/N) pulled the key out, sighing.

“Here, it’s my address. Write me, okay? Don’t be a stranger.” He laughed, a small tear edging to escape his eyes as he turned to face Remus. (Y/N) bunched his sweater together, wiping his eyes, sniffing heavily trying to compose himself. Remus wasn’t sure what went through his mind, but he put his hands on (Y/N)’s face, he could feel the heat in his cheeks as he did this. There was something that Remus loved about this sadness he felt. It wasn’t what he usually felt, a longing to make sure he takes every chance he can to visit this man whenever he could. The fact that he got to say goodbye, somewhat baffled him, saying goodbye to see him later.

“I promise I will.” He said smiling, how could he cry right now, he thought. This was probably the happiest he’s been in years. (Y/N) chuckled a bit, giving himself one last big sniff before doing something Remus wished he’d had the guts for that day. He grabbed his face back and kissed him.

Remus sat there for a moment, eyes wide and heart in his throat. He didn’t think he’d ever kissed someone, but when the shock wore off, he kissed whole heartly back. They pulled apart, Remus felt like he was in a dream. His head was a little dizzy from the rush.

“A present for the ride.” (Y/N) laughed, still holding his face, pressing their foreheads together.

“Let me return the gift” Remus huffed out, connecting their lips again. His fingers wrapping themselves around his neck, (Y/N)’s finding a home in Remus’s hair. Remus couldn’t believe how well their lips fit together. He smiled into the kiss before they pulled away, Remus tucked the piece of paper with his address on it into the small bag (Y/N) had given him and leaned in for a small peck.

“Goodbye, Remus Lupin.” He chuckled, a hand on his cheek. Remus put his hand over it, giving it a small squeeze as he lowered it.

“Until a later date, (Y/N) (L/N).” He smiled as he got out of the car. (Y/N) waving as he drove away. Remus definitely wouldn’t run this time, he’d be back before he knew it.

[wastelandcth]

best years - cth

summary: dovey and calum go through a rough patch, leading dovey to believe she gave up her best years. 

author’s notes: hello everyone...this is angst and part one out of two. good luck! inspired by this tik tok. 

warnings: angst and sad overall

masterlist || request || more doves

I’ve got a million reasons to hesitate and baby a million more are added every day.

Dovey had always been there for Calum. She'd been there through the drama that came along with being in a well-known band. She'd been there through the highs and the lows, through the rumors and controversies. Dovey had stuck through everything and every day it seemed like more and more came into light, like the man she had fallen in love with became a stranger. Suddenly, Calum was no longer her best friend who would tell her everything, he was the stranger in her bed who hardly was around. 

The fight hadn't been intentional. Most of the time, the Doves would talk anything out. Whether it be a disagreement over something small like where the pillows on the couch should go or whether it was something big like how their lives would be affected by the latest album release. This time, it was different, stubbornness and yells meant that Dovey found herself in a lonely bed while Calum locked himself away in his office. And with only a few days left before Calum left for tour with no plan on when or if Dovey would join him, the Doves went to sleep in different beds. 

It had started when he'd left for tour. Usually, Dovey would drive him to the airport and stay until the band's flight was called and she had given him one last hug until they were reunited again. This time, Calum had suggested saying their goodbyes at home that it would be the best since there would probably be a lot of fans at the airport. Although she wasn't too please with their break from tradition, Dovey found herself hugging him on their doorstep, whispering a soft I love you before the man she loved stepped into the car that had been waiting. 

The next time Dovey realized something had changed, she had been on facetime with him. He'd seemed distant, his eyes drifting off from the screen and his interest in whatever conversation he and Dovey were having being torn away at some joke Michael had told. Dovey thought he might've noticed something was off when she had hung up on the call, hoping he'd call her back and she could claim it was an accident, but her phone never rang again that night. It felt like the harder Dovey tried to connect with the man who was an ocean away living his dream, the more she realized exactly how disconnected they were becoming. 

I spent so much of me on you I forgot who I became.

The longer that Calum was away on tour, the more Dovey found herself. Days that would've been spent alone in a foreign city while Calum was in a radio gig were now spent with friends in the city she'd learn to call home. Mornings, where she’d usually wake up in a cramped bunk next to a grumpy Calum, were spent taking Duke on a hike and clearing her head. 

One day after she'd gotten home from the grocery store, a pang in her heart threatened to ruin the good mood she'd been in when she saw Luke's partner post a picture of them all in front of some monument miles away. But with a shake of the head and a double-tap on the screen, Dovey put some music on and danced the tears away. It wasn't until later that night when her mind was awake that she clicked on the picture again, finding those brown eyes she'd fallen in love with two years ago staring back at her. She could tell something was different, that the smile he had on didn't reach his eyes and his eyes didn't shine like they normally did when he was having the time of his life. But things were different now, and Dovey wasn't going to let her life revolve around him as she did before. If he wanted to talk to her as much as she wanted to talk to him, he would've called. He had her number and for some unknown reason, had decided to not use it. 

Finally found a reason to walk away. 

The final straw had been a picture. Dovey had been used to seeing fan meetings on her social media, smiling fans grateful to have been able to meet Calum and talk to him for even just a second. But the second a video of him had started circling around the internet and made its way onto her screen, Dovey had just about had enough of the stupid shit Calum had been putting her through the last two months. She understood being too busy for at least a phone call or text. Touring was hard work and Calum was known for pushing himself to the limit. She understood wanting space from one another that maybe this tour was something Calum needed to do on his own in order to clear his mind and think about what their relationship meant to him. But the one thing Dovey wouldn't stand by his side when he was the one that had been telling people she was the one who hadn't wanted to join him. She wasn't going to stand by his side while he told his bandmates and the rest of the world that she hadn't wanted to join him because she was being dramatic. If Calum wanted drama, Dovey could be dramatic. 

The house that I built you made it a mess. 

Dovey had been out of their house, the house that had been filled with memories of them and their love, for about two weeks now. Duke had joined her in the passenger seat of her car that sunny afternoon when she had stuffed all her belongings into the back seat and rode off out of the city. Her parent’s house that brought along the comfort and warmth she had been craving for months was a few hours away and far enough away that any reminders of Calum could be put aside. The small town she had left all those years ago brought her peace and gave her the space she needed from whatever waited for her back in LA, if anything even did wait for her. 

Her mother had met her in the driveway, a tight embrace and promises of better times made Dovey's heavy heart lighten up as she saw her childhood home still pretty much the same as the day she had left it. The living room still had candles everywhere and the tv was playing the same movie channel her mother loved to watch on her days off from work. The kitchen was still stocked with snacks and fruits that seemed too real to be fake. And the backyard was still a playground for any and every dog Dovey had brought home, even Duke who had settled on laying in a sunspot to nap. 

Her bedroom had brought on a new set of challenges, the posters on the walls and the albums on the shelves brought tears to her eyes as she saw those brown eyes looking back at her. He'd be back in their house soon. Dovey wondered how he'd react to find himself in an empty house. What he would think of when he saw the letter she had left him on the kitchen counter since at that point any attempt to call or text him was met with radio silence. He'd probably try to call her at that point, she hoped, but only to see where Duke was or he'd get Ashton to do it for him. Dovey wasn't too sure about anything when it came to Calum anymore. She wasn't sure if he would even care that she had left the gold band on the counter next to the letter or that she had left her keys to the house in the little ceramic tray they had painted on one of their dates so many months ago. 

I’m left with broken pieces can't help how I ran out of tears.

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since the tour had ended and Dovey hadn't heard from any of them. She hadn't heard from Calum since before she'd left the house almost a month ago and she hadn't even gotten a text message from Luke, who would update her on what had been going on during the tour. It was been one week since Dovey had run out of tears. One week since she had decided that leaving was the best option and that she had made the right choice. 

It had been a week since she realized just how much of herself she'd given away to Calum only to have nothing left for herself. It took her two weeks to realize that if he had wanted to talk to her, he would. If he had wanted to see her or even Duke for that matter, he would've driven to where she was. So when her tears were dry and the pain in her chest was nothing more than a dull pressure whenever she thought about him, she began to fix whatever broken pieces she could. 

It began when she packed away all the old posters that hung on her wall, the smile on every single one leaving her breathless like it always would when she saw it in person. The sparkle in his eyes bringing fresh tears to hers, tears that she would blink away and continue on with taking him out of her life. By the time her childhood bedroom was nothing more than the furniture and bare walls, Dovey felt lighter than she had in months. It didn't last long. As sleep called her name and her eyes closed, Dovey was brought back from whatever dream she was about to enter when the buzzing noise went off next to her head.

I'm sorry. 

I lost all my best years just missing my best years. past love burned out like a cigarette im free now baby all I regret are my best years. 

Sitting in the living room, watching back old family movies and nursing the drink in her cup, Dovey couldn't help but feel like an idiot. She'd given Calum the best years of her life. Gave him all the good times and shared the most wonderful moments with him all for him to leave her with silence and no explanations. She'd gone through the stages of grief, had tried to make her new life without his work, and then he had shoved his way back in with no warnings in the middle of the night. 

The text message hadn't been the only thing Calum had sent, no matter how hard Dovey had wanted it to be. He'd sent her a voice note, a five-minute ramble where his accent had gotten too thick for Dovey to try and decipher what he was saying through the tears and sniffling. He'd apologized for the silence, apologized for the lies, and even apologized for forcing the silence he'd caused from the rest of the band. But Dovey wasn't going to just let him into her life so easily, she wasn't going to let him in after the months of silence and heartbreak. She'd lost all her best years and she needed to find herself again before she could ever consider letting Calum have more of the best of her. 

taglist:  @hoodhoran​ @finelliine @moonlightcriess​ @dinosaursandsocks @mxgyver​ @calpops​ @karajaynetoday​ @notlukehemmo​ @calumrose​ @devilatmydoor​ @lyss-xo​ @lowkeyflop

[miss-kittys-magical-library]

You Are My Sunshine

From the MoonBrella Academy

Warnings: some angst and fluff A/N: Honey and Leon are left with the aftermath of Klaus's decision to tear apart another timeline by rescuing his infant self from the same childhood he endured at the hand's of The Monocle. Selina, though, couldn't be any more delighted.

Part 1 Sweet Child O Mine

Honey stood full of bewilderment in the middle of the living room. The flash of blue light temporarily blinded her making the 27 year old lose her bearings. She stumbled, caught herself and clutched the bundle to her chest out of instinct. It began to cry.

The young mother remembered herself then. In her daze, she had proffered a pinky finger to the infant. He accepted and sucked on it hungrily for only a few moments.

Honey knew in her very soul that the man from the portal, the man from outside the abortion clinic in 1968 and the man in the FBI posters from 1963 were one and the same. That he and this baby she cradled and Leon were identical but not. His name was Klaus. Nicklaus. Sunny. Their Sunny. He came from her. From Leon. WAS Leon. She saw that in his eyes. His cheeks. That all too brief gummy smile when Klaus had reluctantly handed the baby over.

Annoyed with only a finger to suck on, the baby started to wail. Not cry. A bone rattling scream that Honey never once heard from Selina. She stared at the little boy who had freed an arm to tug on his ear. He moved into a full-bodied tremble while his lip quivered.

“Shhh,” Honey cooed. She swayed back and forth to soothe the screaming child. “You know when Leon gets upset, his lip does that too?” She used her index finger to wiggle Sunny’s as a distraction.

He inhaled with a violent shudder. Wild green eyes locked with Honey’s before he cried at the top of his lungs once more. His eyes never leave hers except occasionally to gaze downwards over her chest. She knew Sunny was starving as the tears spilled down her own face. There weren't any bottles or formula or anything for him available. Selina never used one anyway. She went from the tit to the sippy cup.

Now he curled his little fingers around the muslin of Honey’s shirt. She cocked an eyebrow as he tugged trying to free her breast from its covering.

“Cheeky little pervert! You must be Leon?” she giggled and separated Sunny’s fingers from her shirt. The little boy screamed again this time louder. He yanked at her and wailed like a banshee. Honey covered her ear with one hand, “Jesus! You'll wake the dead!!”

Almost on cue, Sunny's tiny fist balled tight around Honey’s shirt began to glow. It shined a brilliant blue that matched the portal Klaus had stepped through. Because she wasn't offering her breast to him, the little one shoved his free hand into his mouth. It shone with the same light.

“What in Saint Jude?” Honey used her fingertip to spread his little fist open. She traced her nail along his now opened palm, fascinated. “This is beautiful..”

“Hey Gracie.”

There was a voice behind Honey. One she knew but hadn't heard. That thick Brooklyn accent. The scent of whiskey and cigarettes. The tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she turned to look. To see her Uncle Lenny that she missed every day. That she longed to talk to about her life. But Sunny went back to his screaming, and Honey knew Lenny was gone.

“I CAN'T FEED YOU! I WASN'T PREGNANT WITH YOU SO I'M NOT EQUIPPED. PLEASE STOP CRYING! I'M SORRY HE TOOK YOU AWAY FROM A VERSION OF ME WHO COULD PROVIDE FOR YOU!”

Honey began to weep now. She felt helpless. Disconnected from the infant she rocked gently without thought. As if a tiny part of her brain that beat her down and told her she failed Selina. There was a reason the little girl preferred Leon to her. That Honey just wasn't good enough.

Now here she was unable to do the simplest thing, calm a crying infant. Her big fat tears poured onto Sunny’s face, and his crying ceased immediately. He blinked those indescribable eyes a few times before inhaling as deep as his little lungs could manage. She braced herself for another brain piercing howl. Instead he exhaled a coo wrapped up in a smile while staring directly in his new mother’s own eyes.

And there it started, a tether from Honey’s heart to the little boy’s. He tangled his fingers around her hair that brushed over his cheeks as she started to laugh. It trickled down to Sunny and through him. He responded with giggles that lit a fire in Honey’s chest. Quite literally.

Her breast and nipple felt like they were ablaze. She winced and gasped at the pain before taking one in her hand and held it tightly. The searing took her breath away before it spilled out on to her grip in the form of liquid. Honey's breast started leaking.

Without thought or hesitation she freed herself, finally, from her top. Sunny’s eyes became a bright green the moment he saw her offered breast and latched on. He sucked hungrily, little eyes rolling back in his head as he tightened his grip on Honey's hair. The baby opened and closed his fist as he ate. Honey hummed.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray,” she sang and swayed as if she were dancing with the baby. “You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.” Honey bent to kiss Sunny’s forehead. He heaved one more great sigh and fell asleep.

The clock on their mantle struck 3pm, and Honey panicked. Selina’s dance class.

-------

Honey slipped past the other parents to the empty seat Leon had saved between himself and Tom and Ella. Her giant suede purse slung around her body more like a satchel. She sat down rather gingerly, greeted the Kidmans and let her long hair fall loose from under her beret. She smiled at her husband, all flushed cheeks and bright brown eyes.

From Leon’s angle as he kissed her hello it looked like a babydoll sticking out of her bag. Instead, to his shock, Honey carefully pulled a human baby from inside bundled up to its large eyes. Familiar ones that held Leon's gaze as she unzipped the little winter jacket that had been Selina’s.

Honey removed the tiny tossle cap. Underneath it was a baby boy (as beautiful as Selina) who released a satisfying coo. Then the little one turned to reach for Leon; to Honey’s dismay, he recoiled. She sniffed her displeasure while Sunny dove face first into her chest. Not for a breast, but simply a snuggle.

“The least you could do is hold him,” Honey’s tone was icy as she faced forward.

She caught her daughter’s eye from across the room and they waved at each other with enthusiasm. Selina pointed with sheer delight at the bundle in her mommy’s lap. Honey nodded and made the baby wave at his sister who bounced around in her tutu before the teacher took her hand and gently guided Selina back in line. Honey mouthed she was sorry.

"I'm just trying to figure out why my missus has got a baby that she wasn't pregnant with a few hours ago? Care to explain, love?”

Leon’s eyes were filled with worry as he looked at Honey. The tone of his voice was more tender than accusatory as he took one of her hands and squeezed it. Honey melted as she often did when it came to Leon's touch.

"A magical door opened up in our living room and that fake American cousin of yours, you know the one from the abortion,” she whispered this, “clinic?” Honey took a breath before continuing, “And I'm pretty sure he is our son from the future. He was in those FBI posters too. Back when we turned ourselves in. Anyways, he said his name was Klaus? Nicklaus. Nicklaus, Leon. He said well, this is ALSO our kid,” she presented the baby to Leon again, “from the future."

“I think you need to stop taking that blooming fertility concoction my mum and aunts made for you in Greece last summer. It's doing your head in because you sound like a bleeding nutter.”

"Leon, he’s our Sunny. Just like you predicted. You believed me then. I promise. Just hold him. Believe me again, please?” Honey pleaded with her husband.

“I quit drugs cold, and you've gone barmy. Then nicked some poor punter’s baby.” Anyone could tell Leon didn't even swallow one word spoken just now.

"First off, that concoction is cinnamon, honey, nettles and primrose oil. Nothing with drug properties. You're the one on maca, tribulus fruit and asparagus. Suck your own cock and see how it tastes." Honey stuck her chin out in defiance.

Tom choked on the cigar he was smoking. Meanwhile a knowing smile crossed Ella’s face. Her eyebrow raised in amusement at the direction this was headed. The Kostas couple were incredibly sexy when they argued. Honestly, they felt the same about each other.

"That's because you're not supposed to give me head, I'm supposed to put it in you. Remember that's how babies are made? Bloody hell.” Leon sighed and gave into his wife. He rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. Then he held out his arms, “Fine, just give him to me for cuddle”

Honey handed Sunny over to Leon who held him aloft. The baby had his fingers in his mouth. They glowed the softest hint of blue to the elder’s fascination. Then he let his little lips drop open to reveal mostly nothing but one lone tooth poking from the bottom gum. That tiny hand shot out to clench a fistful of Leon's goatee with an excited squeal.

Honey bit her bottom lip until she was certain it was going to bleed. A giant lump in her throat made it hard to swallow as she choked back tears willing Leon to get it. To see Nicklaus. Or Klaus. Or Sunny was theirs. She tightened her grip around forearm that she didn't realize had been in her grasp.

She wasn't a woman who prayed, not usually. To a Saint here and there, but quietly now she did. She wanted to convey to her husband that her body just couldn't get pregnant again naturally for whatever reason. Honey had started to bleed heavily before she left the apartment. Another miscarriage as the baby from the future sat wrapped up in Selina’s pink snowsuit. He was a gift just like Sugar no matter where he came from.

Leon studied this little boy. His nose, oddly curved like Leon's even though that was done much later in life. Those big, color changing eyes that moved in all shades of blues and greens in a matter of moments were also Leon's. It was like he held himself in his hands.

“Lovely little muppet.” Leon’s head swam. Sunny kicked his legs a bunch of times and contorted himself so he could suck on Leon's wrist. He let out a ragged breath just as the baby had done with Honey. “γεια, η μικρή μου ηλιοφάνεια,” Leon whispered. Hello my little sunshine.

There wasn't any part of Honey in Nicklaus, not the way there was in Selina. Her mummy’s attitude and defiance and brown eyes that took in the world and sought how to knock it down and start again. Leon shut down the part of his brain screaming REPLICA!

“That sadistic Monopoly man from the FBI or CIA did this, didn't he. Reginald Hargreeves.” Leon wasn't asking Honey, he was telling. He suddenly held Sunny close to his chest. His chin rested on the little boy’s head protectively. Leon kissed his curls as he had done a million times with Sugar and his wife.

She nodded because even her bones sang with revelation. They couldn't speak further because just then Selina burst into view along with the other little girls. She sprung into the air and onto Tom's lap, not her papa’s. He grunted then smiled in his Kidman way which was unnerving to the untrained eye. The little girl patted his cheek then kissed it. Ever one to tame the savage beast.

“Mommy baked me a baby!” she cried.

“She sure did, dollface.” He wouldn’t question a thing for the rest of his life.

Now she forsook Kidman to crawl across her mummy to gawk at the baby nestled into Leon's chest. “Hello, poppet. Papa calls me that.”

Sugar wedged her finger in Sunny's grip. They considered one another with fascination. Then Sunny screamed and giggled happily before putting her finger in his mouth.

Now Selina squealed with excitement and yanked it back. They played a game of offering and sucking for a few moments before the little girl declared that Sunny belonged to her. She stuck up her chin with a look of pride and contentment with herself. With the situation.

“He's my baby. Ok?” Neither Honey nor Leon would ever argue with that.

----

Winter of 1973

Honey sat cross-legged on the floor beside the Christmas tree. Her impossibly long hair hung over her shoulder and wrapped around Sunny who sat in her lap. He absently sucked on a thumb while his free hand flexed and twisted around his mother’s thick mane. Little hands flickered their occasional blue while Honey hummed a carol under her breath.

Leon was stationed in a large comfy chair, his one foot slung over the side. His foot wobbled anxiously. A handful of old journals and papers spread out over his lap. Books that had showed up one day without a messenger. Papers Tom had smuggled out of the CIA from insiders. All leading back to the nefarious billionaire with a monocle that studied the husband and wife and claimed if they paid him in return, they would get off scot free. Even keep the cash.

Selina danced around the tree. The lights reflected off of the dress Honey had fashioned, at Leon's insistance, from the gift she made just six years ago. It matched the tiny vest Sunny now wore as he bounced and wiggled rhythmically so desperate to dance with Sugar.

“Mummy?” Selina spun in a circle and tossed garland at the tree haphazardly.

“Yes?”

“Sunny’s coming.”

“What? Coming where? He can toddle about like a drunken sailor.”

“Mummy! Not my baby brother. Big Sunny. He's coming for a visit. He looks so much like Papa, but sad.”

Honey and Leon exchanged frantic glances. The traveler, from the future. But how did Selina know? Her papa asked as much.

“Silly! Sometimes he sees us through the windows. He likes to watch you be Mummy and Papa to Sunny. That you are good to him. I saw him and he talked to me. He very much likes Mummy in a.. Daddy way? But also in a me and Sunny way. I told him be here for Christmas. Is he my Theíos? His name is Mouse. Mummy is that..”

“Topolino. His name is Klaus. Nicklaus like Sunny and Pappou. You are too little to understand, Sugar.”

Honey scooped her up too and cradled both of her children in her lap, kissing their foreheads. She looked at Leon who knitv his eyebrows in thought. Mouth agape with just the slight bit of perturbed on his lips. But a shock of wind and blue and magnetism outside the windows on the fire escape startled the Kostas parents into attention.

“HE'S HERE! TOPO IS HERE!” Selina bolted to the window which Klaus tentatively tapped on. Without permission from her parents, she let him in. She held his hand tight and dragged him to the center of the living room.

Klaus stood uncomfortably in front of Leon and Honey. His hair was as long as Honey’s and his beard to boot. He wore giant rose tinted sunglasses and a starfish necklace dangled against his bare chest. His clothes were blue and white, pants striped with it, and very.. ritualistic. Religious almost. Honey told herself he looked like Jesus had fucked George Harrison in Elton John’s closet.

“Happy Christmas?!” He held up a bottle of wine. “I came bearing a gift!”

“Ain't you a little early in The Savior’s journey to be looking like that?” Leon quipped.

“What? Oh this? I had to.. disperse an alternative lifestyle community.”

“A cult?” Honey questioned.

“A commune,” Klaus and Leon said simultaneously.

Honey shivered. “Either way,” she crossed her arms, “we've been expecting you. For two years.”

Tag: @neuroticpuppy @magic-multicolored-miracle @bisexualnathanyoung @forenschik @nightmonsters @vonkimmeren @maerenee930 @elliethesuperfruitlover @070188 @firstpersonnarrator @rob-private @messengeronthemoon @emelieislasheehan @super-unpredictable98 @frogs--are--bitches @duck-noises @the-freckled-luba @a-ghoulish-tale

[crushing-on-nico-di-angelo]

Okay, here's the actual chapter 3

7 Nights in Cabin 13

Nico took a small step backwards. “I’m sorry,” Will hesitated. “I shouldn’t have asked you, I know you probably don’t want to and--”

“Hey, woah, I never said I didn’t want to. I was just shocked. Not everyday I get asked to sleep with someone-- I- I mean… you know what I mean.”

Will giggled. “So does this mean you do want to?”

“...Yeah. I guess it does.”

Read (and maybe give kudos?) on ao3

~~~~

Lying in Nico’s bed, side by side, wasn’t as awkward as Will thought it would be. The comforter was very comforting and warm. The warmth of Nico made his heart beat faster, he hadn’t slept next to anyone since he was about seven years old having a nightmare about goats and crawled into his mami’s bed.

Nico turned to him, so Will made the necessary adjustments.

“I hope you don’t mind that I kept the window open. The light… helps.”

“I’m the son of Apollo, Neeks. I don’t mind at all.” Nico’s face softened. Will stared at his eyes, and he swore there was a universe of activity and stars in a dark brown expanse. He was lost in trying to pinpoint every constellation that he didn’t notice Nico’s hand reaching for his hair until he felt the tentative ruffle.

“Ah, sorry. I can stop if you’d like. Bianca…” Nico cleared his throat. “Bianca used to do this to me when I was having trouble sleeping.”

“Don’t stop,” Will murmured, once again feeling the effects of sleepiness. “Please.”

Nico closed his eyes and continued softly playing with Will’s hair. Will was simultaneously hyper-aware of how nice it felt to have someone play with his hair and extremely at peace, letting sleep overtake him.

<i> A wedding. Drinking gasoline. Pain in his right leg. Silence; eternal, deafening silence. </i>

When Will opened his eyes, he was acutely aware of the hand resting on his head. A bit of drool was pooled underneath his chin, but how could he move when Nico was still asleep holding his head? Nothing to do now but stay still and think.

<i> Alright Solace… I’ve been putting it off too long. How did I get here? …Nathan is how. But I don’t want to think about him. Which is fine, because I haven’t seen him in years, so I can’t exactly pin this on him. How did I get here <b> now? </b> ...I got into my head again is how.</i>

He remembers it, his relapse, but not exactly.

He was showing Clarisse how to complete an advanced archery move. He may not have been the best in comparison to his siblings, but he and Clarisse had been best friends after the Battle of Manhattan. They had gotten clean together. He had to help her with the archery.

But then. The way he positioned Clarisse’s arm. He remembered that was exactly how Fletcher positioned his. He remembered Michael doing the same for other campers. He finished teaching Clarisse the move and left to go to the showers.

He pushed the thought out of his mind-- or, he tried to. He couldn’t think of anything at all, and his breathing was getting so, so heavy. He turned on the water to hide the noises he was making, hyperventilating. They were dead, they were dead, and he <i> knew</i> they were dead. Why couldn’t he get it through that thick skull of his? He knew they were dead he saw it happen, saw the bridge collapse. But it was all he could think of, all just looping through his mind, over and over and over. No release. No end in sight to the looping thoughts. Breathing breathing breathing only not in the way he was supposed to. Suffocating on too much air and not enough oxygen.

And then the dysphoria kicked in.

His chest hurt. His chest hurt so fucking much. In addition to the binding he was doing, he was breathing so, so hard. He wanted to take the binder off, but his clothes were too wet and it was stuck. Thoughts looping, never stopping. Dead, dead, dead. Never going to be a real man. The sound of the explosion being nothing and everything to him all at once. Losing the first person to help him. Wanting so badly to hurt himself but having nothing to do so with. And then remembering what he did in the following months.

He let the water of the shower run over his soaked clothes while he focused on what he did after they died. The Hypnos cabin, they helped him forget it, but in the wake of his panic attack he remembered where he put them.

The last of his stash.

The next thing he knew, he was frantically searching for pennies with a flashlight in a camp that didn’t even use American currency-- his mind finally off his dead siblings-- at midnight outside of the Hades cabin. And thank Zeus for that.

...He was a weak person. As soon as things got tough, he went with the convenient solution. He’d always been a bad friend and a bad son because of it, and he likely always would be. Things got better for a bit, but looking at himself now? How could he ever think of himself as a good person after this, when it’s clear that he’ll always be fucking… <i>weak</i> like this….

This wasn’t something he was going to forgive himself for anytime soon. Not at all. Especially not for concerning Nico like this. He could have handled himself.

<i> Could I have handled myself?</i> he wondered. Nico shifted in his sleep, his arm now draping over Will’s shoulder. <i>Does it even matter right now? It’s too late to change it.</i>

He tried to settle into sleep again, but he found that he couldn’t. He also didn’t want to think anymore about what happened to get him here in the first place, when he could be messing around with his friends and cabin-mates while canoeing. He could be trying for the camp record on the lava wall. He could be doing a million things… but he fucked it up. Gods, he already said he didn’t want to think about it. So why was he?

He sighed softly, not wanting to disturb Nico. He snuggled into Nico’s embrace, not realizing how close they had gotten when they were asleep. His nose was nearly touching Nico’s and he noticed the faint freckles splashed over his nose and under his eyes. They were so light that you had to be inches away to notice them, but Will suspected that he would <i>only</i> notice them from now on. Just like his eyes, Will felt compelled to trace out constellations.

Will had posters and posters back in his home in Austin about stars and space exploration. He memorized constellations and had a hyperfixation on planets from ages seven to eleven. He still had all of that knowledge in his head, and it was remarkable to him how many constellations he found on Nico’s face. He pulled one of his hands from under the covers and started going over them, trying not to touch Nico’s face. He did lightly trace Nico’s nose, and was surprised when Nico didn’t even stir. He started feeling more and more relaxed, tracing what was almost the big dipper; he eventually fell asleep again with his hand cupping Neek’s cheeks.

He dreamt rough dreams, but was fortunate enough to wake up not remembering any of them.

~~~~~~

Will woke up and felt an absence of warmth. He saw Nico leaning against the doorframe, his silhouette framed by the hall light. He stood there, unmoving. Will would have wondered if he had fallen asleep again if not for the fact that he was standing fully upright. Nico knocked gently on the wood of the frame before walking away. Will wondered what that was all about but didn’t want to ask. He stood from the bed and walked to Nico’s bathroom to splash his face. He stood up and was hit with dizziness. There was a clock by Nico’s bed which read ‘8 P.M.’

“Ah,” he murmured himself. “That’s it.”

He fell asleep with Nico at around noon, which meant he hadn’t eaten in nearly 8 hours. He shivered from the cold. He grabbed a jacket hanging from the bed and walked out.

“Hey, Neeks,” Will felt a bit odd. They had been so intimate with each other earlier, he wondered if that would make things awkward between them.

“Hello, William. How’d you sleep?” Nico seemed to not mind, so Will decided to play it cool.

“Alright. I dreamt, so…”

Nico chuckled. “So not the best it could have been. I made us pot pie, it’s in the oven right now.”

“Holy shit, deathboy. You always cook so much?” Nico smiled and shook his head.

“Just felt like it lately, I suppose. It’s almost ready, grab a seat.”

~~~~~

After about an hour of eating and delirious laughter, it suddenly came to light that Nico had never played 20 questions.

“What the hell do you mean you’ve never played?” Will was incredulous. “Didn’t you used to go to boarding school?” Nico was still grinning from the laughter.

“Well, yes but I was around 10 years old! I didn’t play games like that.” Will shook his head in disbelief.

“We’re remedying that today, di Angelo.”

“How do you play?”

“I ask you a question, you answer it, and then you ask me and I answer. The cycle continues until we each ask 20 questions.”

Nico hummed to himself. “Is anything off-limits?”

Will knew what he didn’t want him to ask, but instead said, “On my end? No. Is there anything you don’t want me to ask you?”

“...I suppose not.”

“Alright. Feel free to say ‘skip’ for any question. No big deal, I’ll just ask a new one.”

“Alright. Do you go first or me?”

Will always liked to ask the same question during 20 questions. “If you had the chance to have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?”

“Hm…” Nico took a deep breath. “Does my mother count?”

Will’s breath hitched. “She-- she does,” <i> Treat it normal, Solace.</i> “She seems like she’d be a good choice. She died in the 50’s?”

“30’s, actually. Right before I was moved to the Lotus Hotel.”

“...Oh. I’m sorry, Nico.” Nico waved him off.

“It’s fine, I was little. There’s just… so much I wish I knew, you know?”

“For sure…” <i> Gods, this poor kid. </i> “Still, I’m sorry. You were just a kid.”

“Yeah, well. Anyway. My turn, right?”

Will could tell that conversation was over, so he nodded.

“What’s your tattoo?” Nico asked, to which Will smiled.

“It’s… here.” He pulled down his shirt enough for the sun to show. Nico leaned forward to get a closer look.

“It’s really pretty. I saw it on that first night after you showered. Why did you get it?”

“Lee Fletcher.”

“Lee Fletcher? Who’s that?”

And who was Lee Fletcher? Lee Fletcher was the man who meant everything to Will. He had a mom and two sisters, and no father. Lee Fletcher was the first guy in his life to act as a guardian to him. He was four years older and always acted as an older brother even before Will knew that Lee was a guy. Lee taught Will archery and how to talk to girls. Later, Lee would teach him to talk to boys. Lee was powerful and smart. He was so, so brave. He would heal people just by <i>singing</i> to them. He was everything that Will wanted to be.

After he died, Will was inconsolable. Of course, during the war he was fine. He was cool and collected: a healer, the child of Apollo. But after? He started sneaking out more, trying to escape everything and everyone. Started drinking more… that’s when he met Nathan. He knew that wasn’t the question, though. Lee Fletcher, the memory of Lee Fletcher, is what kept him going through the darkest time in his life. He owed the world to him.

“Lee Fletcher… well…”

[firstofficertightpants]

In Your Honor - Ch.1

Luz has wanted nothing more in life other than to join the ranks of the Emperor's Knights - the highest rank of royalty defenders, but after a disaster of a first impression with the bratty princess, she starts to wonder if it’s worth it.

“Ah, Bonesburough!” Eda lets out a deep breath as she drives the carriage carrying her wife and step daughter. “I haven’t been here since Lily and I were kids.” The streets were much larger and busier than the small human village they had just left. The sounds of merchants trying to sell their wares mixing with the busy talk of the locals. Bonesburough was the largest Elf city in all of the Boiling Isles and it was home to the largest royal elvish family, The Blights.

“Oh I'm so excited to see where you grew up!” Camilia places a kiss on Eda’s cheek, causing the witch to blush momentarily. Eda laughs as Camilia leans against her, the two sharing the drivers spot for the carriage. “This move is gonna be so good for us, Mi Alma, I can tell.”

“Well, getting a fancy new job in the castle helps with that.” Eda adds as they slowly make their way through the traffic. “That's my wife , a small town healer getting a gig at the castle. I'm so proud.” The witch glows with pride as it's now Camilia’s turn to blush.

The two continue flirting as Luz, their loving daughter, rides inside the carriage with all of their belongings from their old home. Moving to the city means a lot for a fourteen-year-old.

Especially when the town is home to The Emperor's Knights. Only the coolest and most badass knights make into their ranks and Luz has been training her WHOLE life to make it in. Magic doesn't come easy to humans, many can't do it at all, but thankfully with the help of her step mom she's been able to learn just enough spells to try out in the Tournament. Whoever can survive long enough in that tournament will, without a doubt, make it into the Emperor’s Knights.

Luz is also aiming to be the first human to enter their ranks. Even though her Aunt Lilth is one of their highest ranking officers, Luz wanted to get in the hard way. Through hard work and determination! Aaaand lots of reading, as she's doing now. Luz flips the page in her hefty book ‘Spells, and how to Cast them Safely’ while she writes notes on the parchment inside when suddenly, the carriage comes to an immediate stop - sending her and her book flying out of her seat.

“Come on out, Mija , we’re here!” She hears her mother's voice muffled through the thick wood of the wagon.

Luz pulls herself up off the ground and jumps out of the carriage door. She lets out a small gasp as she sees her new home, a pretty large building made of brick. It had to be at least two stories tall! So much larger than her childhood home.

“Holy cow! Mom this place is huuuuuge!” Luz excitedly runs around to the other side of the carriage where her mother and Eda were unstrapping their small luggage from the top of the wagon. “You can fit like..” She takes a small break to count on her fingers. “Ten of our old house in there.”

“Woah, slow down there kid.” Eda chuckles as she pulls down a suitcase. “Take a breath and help me out here so your mom can go unlock the house.”

Luz jumps at the chance to help Eda, taking her luggage and pet carrier, bouncing the whole way as they follow her mom up the few steps to their new home. It takes Camilia a second to figure out the lock but once she does Luz launches herself into the building. She sets the suitcase and pet carrier down by the stairs before running up them, an echoing warning from her mother following her. She finds so many rooms on the second floor. They have two bathrooms, a master bedroom and like three smaller bedrooms. So much more than her old house.

“Hey mom, can I pick my room?” Luz shouts down the stairs. She hears the sound of the rest of their luggage coming in by Eda’s magic but no response from her mom. She goes halfway down the stairs and finds her mom moving some of the boxes to other parts of the house. “Hey, mom! Can I pick out my room?” She repeats loud enough for her mom to hear.

“Ask your mother, dear.” Camilia doesn't even look up from the box she's sorting.

Luz huffs, walking down the rest of the stairs. Her mom gives her one stern look causing Luz to rush out the door before she could face her mother's wrath. She leaps down the few steps to Eda who has just magiced the last of the boxes inside. Luz puts on her most innocent face as she approaches her step mother.

“Heeey, Eda? Can I pick my own room?” She gives Eda her most powerful puppy eyes, batting her eyelashes like she's never done anything wrong in her life. Eda looks down at her, clearly unamused, but eventually breaks and sighs.

“Sure thing, kiddo. But the master bedroom belongs to me and your mom, okay?” The owl witch pats Luz on the head before returning her attention to the carriage.

Luz practically runs back inside, grabbing her luggage and pet carrier, before sprinting up the stairs. She finds the one room with the best view of the castle and sets her stuff down. She bends down to open the pet carrier, looking inside to check on her familiar.

“King, wake up! We’re here.” She reaches in and pats his bone head, waking the small demon. “I'm surprised you slept the whole way!” King stretched and yawns before walking out of the carrier, dragging his small stuffed bunny with him.

“I'm the King of Demons, Luz, no small carriage ride will keep me from my afternoon nap.” The bone demon speaks, though his mouth doesn't move. He does small circles around the room before finding a corner and dropping his bunny rabbit. “Nice place we got here Luz, much larger than our old room.”

“I know!” Luz squeals. “Wait until you see the rest of the hou--”

“Mija! Your Aunt Lilith is here, come say hi!” Luz gets interrupted by her mom from downstairs. The sound of the door closing echoing through the house followed by the soft sounds of her aunt and mothers talking.

“Come on King.” Luz picks up her familiar before heading down the stairs. She sets King down at the bottom before jumping into her aunt's arms. “Aunty Lily!” She hugs the older witch tightly before letting go.

“Hello Luz.” Lilith greets her niece with a pat on the head. “I brought you a house warming gift.” She pulls out a rolled parchment and hands it over to the younger witch in training.

“Oh my god, thank you Auntie.” Luz unrolls the parchment to reveal a poster for the Emperor’s Knights and practically crushes her aunt in another hug. “I'm going to put this up right now!”

Lilith waves as Luz runs back up the stairs, King struggling up the steps after her, before turning to her sister-in-law.

“Are you prepared for tomorrow?” her voice carries a tinge of concern as she watches Camilia unpack another box. The human woman sets down another stack of plates before standing and turning to Lilith.

“I mean, how ready can I be?” She laughs nervously. Camilia was about to be the only human to work in the castle. A task that carried so much stress to be the best, as many Elves looked down on Humans for having shorter lives and no magical talent.

“If anyone tries to say something, I’ll just challenge them to a witch's duel.” Eda says proudly as her sister looks at her with doubt.

“You won't be able to stick around every day she works, Edalyn.” Lilith points out. “Especially since you personally refused the Kings request to join the Emperor’s Knights with me.”

Eda grumbles a reply, walking off towards the kitchen with a stack of plates. The sounds of the porcelain plates clinking together drifts softly from the entryway. Lilith lets out a soft sigh before returning her attention to Camilia.

“I’ll be there tomorrow so if anything happens, please reach out.” She smiles at her sister-in-law.

“Of course.” Camilia gives Lilith a pat on the shoulder before seeing her out with the promise of seeing her tomorrow.

With that taken care of, Camilia and Eda spend the rest of the night unpacking and helping Luz set up her new room. The family was full with excitement for the days to come.

The next morning Luz wakes up to a scrying call. Her mother's voice comes through the small mirror she uses for calling, and Luz fumbles out of bed as she reaches for the mirror on her nightstand.

“Mija? Mija! Luz!! Darn it girl, wake up.” Camilia called through the compact.

“Sorry mom, I guess I was just really tired from the move.” Luz yawned as she held up the compact mirror.

“You need to start getting up earlier if you want to continue training with Eda.” Camilia tsks as her daughter sets the mirror down to try and fix her hair in her vanity mirror.

“I know mami but is there a real reason you called me?” Luz does a double finger gun in the vanity mirror, confirming that her hair is exactly how she wants it, before picking the compact one back up.

“Yes, your Auntie Lilith forgot her lunch today.” Camilia explains. “Can you bring her some food from home?”

“An excuse to see the castle up close? Of course I will.” Luz smiles. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She bids her mom farewell before getting ready for the day and bounding down the stairs.

Luz finds Eda sitting at the dining room table, King curled up on her lap as he reads the daily paper. Sitting in front of her is a perfectly wrapped up lunch, the handkerchief cover made with a cute raven pattern.

“Is that...?” Luz points to the lunch as Eda lowers her paper.

“Yeah, your mom already called me about it but I’m not technically allowed in the castle, so you have to take it.” Eda explains with a rather bored tone. “Lilith already told the guards to let you in so just tell them you're her niece.”

“Okay! See you later, Ma.” Luz gives Eda a quick kiss to the head, and ruffles Kings fur, before heading out the door.

The path to the castle was long but thankfully easy to follow. It was the only path wide enough for two carriages to head down side by side. Luz began her long walk to the castle, buzzing with excitement of finally getting to see the building in person.

Maybe, if she was lucky, she’d even make a new friend.