#this is not really a karen friendly fic unfortunately
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
Posting dumb little wips as I struggle through the end of the semester
#stranger things#mike wheeler#will byers#lucas sinclair#dustin henderson#byler#byler fic#writing wip#byler wip#the party#the og party#my writing#dustin gives zero fucks#and we love him for it#this is so dumb it might not even make it into the next chapter I just thought it was kinda silly#my brain is scrambled#mike🤝will#not having one of their parents around anymore#this is not really a karen friendly fic unfortunately#love her tho
86 notes
·
View notes
Text
This is part one of a series I like to call ‘If Chucky had Reddit’. Each post will cover a different movie or season of his show, this fic is about Child’s Play One.
————————————————————-
e/Throwawaydollcrisis:
r/AITA:
AITA For Kidnapping a Woman and Tying Her Up in a Secret Apartment My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know About?:
I (33M) have always wanted a big family. I’ve wanted kids since I was a little boy, and I’ve wanted a wife ever since I learnt about the concept of love and marriage.
My girlfriend (29F) and I haven’t been able to conceive a child, and honestly, I can’t see myself with her in the long-term. We share some common interests, but she’s starting to grate on my nerves a tad, and she’s not really that pretty if you really look at her.
A few months ago I met a woman who I’ll call Sophia. Sophia (30F) was beautiful, and she had the most adorable little girl who we’ll call Bella. I fell in love with this woman almost immediately, and Bella looked like she could be my daughter, and I knew that this was the family I’d been waiting for. Unfortunately, she was married, and heavily pregnant. But I’m a decent guy, I’m willing to step up and raise both of these babies with Sophia, all I had to do was get her husband out of the way.
After the funeral, I approached Sophia and asked her out on a date. I wanted to take it slow, she was still grieving after all, even if he wasn’t good for her. But apparently, I’d misinterpreted friendly conversation as flirtation, but I was in too deep by now.
I kidnapped her there and then and brought her to an abandoned apartment near a toy store. She struggled a lot and tried to escape, so I had to tie her down for her own safety. I went to pick up Bella from daycare and when I came back Sophia was crying and said that I was an asshole.
I think she just needs time to accept her situation, but what do you think, Reddit? AITA?
————————————————————-
Comments:
BrideofPsychostein: WTF? I know exactly who you are you cheating bastard, stay right the fuck where you are, you’re gonna get a little visit from a close friend of ours. You just wait until I give Mikey a call, you’re in so much trouble, mister!
Reply - Throwawaydollcrisis: I swear to God Tiff, you always take this shit too far. This is why I’m leaving you, honestly, you can be such a bitch over something so unimportant, it’s ridiculous.
Skeptic372: Is this a joke post? This sub is for serious posts only…
Reply - Throwawaydollcrisis: Shut up, it’s serious. Doubt me again and I’ll slit your throat. I know where you live, asshole, your location’s in your bio, idiot.
EveryDayBatman: Just got an anonymous tip old Charlie boy, get ready.
Reply - Throwawaydollcrisis: oh shit.
————————————————————-
e/Throwawaydollcrisis:
r/AskReddit:
Hypothetically, could I transfer my soul into a doll?:
That’s just a hypothetical, but say… I was bleeding out in a toy store. No humans nearby, could I go into a doll? I mean, they’re human looking, right? Specifically I’m talking about one of those new Good Guy dolls. Please respond quick cause I don’t know how long I have left. Until curiosity gets the better of me, nothing else I swear.
Update:
Never mind, I solved the problem myself, thanks for nothing, guys. Really means a lot, y’know?
————————————————————-
e/TheGoodKaren:
r/dolls:
I’m so sorry if this comes off as rude or impossible, but does anyone know where I can get a Good Guy doll, preferably in the next eight hours?:
Please let me explain. I’m a single mother on a relatively low income, I have a little boy who’s six today, and it would make his day to have his new favourite thing as his very own on his special day. I’m really beating myself up over not having one now, but by the time he wanted one I’d already spent all the money I’d saved for presents and it was too close to his birthday. I’ve managed to find $50 in case anybody is willing to sell, please help me make my little boy’s birthday wishes come true.
————————————————————
Comments:
Magpie: Karen, is that you? You should have just asked, I know a guy in a nearby neighbourhood who’s selling one! I’ll take you there after work, we wouldn’t want to mess up the little tyke’s birthday now would we?
Reply - TheGoodKaren: Oh Maggie, you’re a lifesaver! Thank you, you’re the best friend ever!
————————————————————
e/Throwawaydollcrisis:
r/AskReddit:
Should I pretend that I was sent down from heaven by a dead kid’s father so that he’ll play along with my plans?:
This is a really important question, don’t let me down this time.
————————————————————-
Comments:
TheGoodKaren: Uh, I have a six year old son, and speaking as a mother, that is a horrible thing to do, op.
Reply - Throwawaydollcrisis: Shut up you stupid bitch, I already hate you, don’t make it worse.
MellowYellowVibes: I’m a child psychologist, and it can be really damaging to a child’s mental development if they’re lied to in such a way. I suggest you don’t do this, op.
Reply - Throwawaydollcrisis: Why is this sub filled with idiots?
————————————————————-
e/Throwawaydollcrisis:
r/voodoo:
Can you kill a person with their voodoo doll?
————————————————————-
e/TheGoodKaren:
r/LegalAdvice:
Can a six year old boy go to prison on suspected murder charges?:
My best friend died recently, she was babysitting my little boy and he was the only one home. She fell out of my apartment’s window onto a truck below.
My son swears he didn’t do it and that his new Good Guy doll killed her. The cops are getting concerned and I don’t want to lose my son. Could I perhaps plead insanity and get him off with a lighter sentence?
————————————————————-
Comments:
Truthisoutthere666: Trust the boy, it’s the doll. Check it later for yourself.
Reply - TheGoodKaren: Okay, I’ll do that later then…
ElectricDoc: I’m a child psychologist, Karen, the head child psychologist for your area. I think that perhaps your son should come and stay in my facility for a while, where we can heal his troubled mind. He wouldn’t be considered a criminal and could one day go on to live an ordinary life.
Reply - TheGoodKaren: I hate the thought of not seeing my son for so long, but if it’s what I have to do to keep him safe I’ll do it.
————————————————————-
e/Throwawaydollcrisis:
r/fashion:
Do trench coats and leather jackets look good on six year old boys?
————————————————————-
e/Throwawaydollcrisis:
r/LegalAdvice:
What’s the legal age to drink and smoke in the US?
————————————————————-
e/TheGoodKaren:
r/dolls:
Good Guy question:
Hi, sorry, me again. Are the new Good Guy dolls supposed to work without their batteries? I got one for my son a few days ago and it seemed to work fine, but I was just about to throw out it’s box today and realised that the batteries were still inside the packaging. Is that meant to happen?
————————————————————-
Comments:
Guest224: Speaking as a doll collector who’s recently finished stocking up on at least three of all of the different name varieties for this doll, no. Your doll must be a defect. Did you buy it from a reputable source?
Reply - TheGoodKaren: Uh, no. Should I be concerned then?
————————————————————-
e/TheGoodKaren:
r/LegalAdvice:
Is it counted as murder or manslaughter if you kill a sentient children’s toy?
————————————————————-
r/news:
“Chucky did it.” Andy Barclay aged six from New Jersey claims that his prized Good Guy doll is behind recent murders in his local area:
His mother supports his delusions, and claims that her son is telling the truth. Local eye witnesses report sightings of a short figure with long red hair in striped overalls reminiscent of the popular toy being seen near the crime scenes, and ‘Chuckymania’ has swept the neighbourhood into a frenzy.
————————————————————-
Comments:
IronaYitz: Hey, am I the only one who thinks that this would make a great horror movie?
DonMancini: I’d totally make it. I’m gonna see if I can get my friend Brad Dourif to star in it.
#chucky#childs play#charles lee ray#tiffany valentine#andy barclay#karen barclay#reddit#horror#fanfiction
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
JATP Fanfic Recs: Multichapter Edition
* indicates complete
'Stupid Cupid, Stop Hitting On Me' by Bluefire510
Juke
Luke, a troublemaker cupid, meets Julie, who is also one of Love HQ's toughest cases to crack.
She claims to have no desire to fall in love.
But Luke is always up for a challenge.
Let's see if he could get Julie to fall for her Perfect Match by next Valentine's Day.... and maybe teach her all about love while he's at it.
*Operation Hashtag Rulie by where_you_go
Reggie/Luke/Julie
“Explain yourselves,” Caleb ground out.
“Uh…it’s not what it looks like?” Reggie tried, wincing.
“Oh really, Reginald? Because it looks like two of my most popular band members from a family-friendly band are fornicating in public!”
-
Julie and Reggie get caught up in a PR misunderstanding that leads to them "dating" for a few months. It's not a big deal, or at least it wouldn't be, if Luke would stop acting so weird.
*Unexpected by Phantom_Lover
Luke is determined to breeze through his senior year and onto mega stardom (which means avoiding school, and Principal Lessa, as much as possible). That is until he's forced to work side-by-side with quiet good-girl, Julie Molina, on the big end-of-the-year talent show. The two struggle to see eye to eye, and meeting the all-important deadline seems impossible until something unexpected happens between them.
keys to the cage (and the devil to pay) by HearJessRoar
Juke, Willex
Julie Molina has always thought it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate.
Unfortunately, she's right.
"Julie, Julie Patterson, I'm a maid here in the governor's household," she bluffs. And she wishes that Luke's name hadn't been the first that she'd come up with, because the long-haired pirate's eyebrows raise immediately.
"Luke got married?" he says, sounding oddly betrayed.
His blonde companion looks equally gutted. "He didn't even tell us."
Piss Off Your Parents (Date Me To Scare Them) by TheNameIsBritney
Willex
Alex Mercer doesn't want to go home for Christmas; but if he has to, he's certainly gonna raise a little hell. Enter: Willie, the cute guy in his history of English class who would be the perfect fake boyfriend candidate.
So if you wanna piss off your parents, date me to scare them, show them you're all grown up. If long hair and tattoos are what attract you, baby then you're in luck.
*i'll hold your music (here inside my hands) by musicals_musicals
"Your soulmate must love music just like you do”
Julie is 3 years old, enthusiastically playing a small plastic piano, the first time she sees her string.
It makes sense that music would connect her to her soulmate.
or
How Julie finds her way back to music, joins a band, falls in love, and meets Luke Patterson (not necessarily in that order)
*a masterpiece in motion, more beautiful every day by fairylightsandrainydays
Willex, Juke
Alex Mercer is a merboy with a fascination for the human world. Willie is a prince who he saves from a storm. And Caleb Covington is the sea witch who is going to make Alex's dream come true.
So long as Caleb gets what he wants.
*days go by and seasons change (lets try again next winter) by itsagamefortwo
Juke
julie's ready for a year away from home, studying and trying to re-find the magic in music. luke's about to start on a summer tour around europe opening for a band. they meet one night, sparks fly and emotions run high. now they've just got to try and see if they can maintain a long distance friendship.
Who Could Deny These Butterflies? by xxPrettyLittleTimeBombxx
Juke
“I know this is going to sound kinda crazy…but, could you maybe pretend to be in love with me for a few minutes?”
—
When Julie Molina approaches Luke Patterson at a bar and asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend, she never expects to find herself in a position where she and Luke have to keep up the ruse for longer than five minutes. Figures that out of all of the strangers she could have approached that night, she’d gone and picked the one guy who just so happens to be in a rock band that’s on the brink of blowing up.
*relight that spark by @ruzek-halstead
Juke
julie molina has had nothing but a tough life. after losing both her parents early on, she was left in the care of her step-monster karen and her two step-daughters. while working at her late father's diner, completing household duties and being at karen's beck and call at all hours, julie was well on her way to getting accepted into the college of her dreams and having enough money to move out.
and then one day she received a text message from an unknown number. it started out innocent, crossed wires based on a flyer she put up three years ago.
this is the story of julie molina and her prince charming, and everything in between.
i never saw you coming (and i'll never be the same) by ruzekhalstead (@ruzek-halstead)
Juke
julie molina, a new student to uc berkeley, secures a job at a tiny, run-down grocery store, where she meets a group of people who inadvertently become some of the most important people in her life.
there's nothing like suffering in the workplace with your co-workers to solidify a bond.
a look into julie's life in a brand new city, as told by the customer service experience throughout the months.
an oddly specific grocery store au that no one asked for but i'm writing anyway to satisfy my brain
*Love Drunk by captainkippen
Juke
Thirty-two missed calls. Fifty-eight texts waiting. Over one hundred various social media notifications. A deep sense of foreboding took over. Julie swallowed. Slowly, she lifted the phone back to her ear.
"Flynn… what happened last night?"
After a night out in Vegas, Julie and Luke wake up to find themselves married. Hijinks ensue.
*So that's how it happens by echocharm (@echocharm17618)
Juke
But it had to be today. Julie had this crazy feeling in her stomach. Not nervous butterflies. More like fireflies that were trying to zap her (Do fireflies electrocute people? She should google that). It felt like that moment her parents spoke about all the time. The day they met. And when they first spoke to each other. Her mom always says that an intense zap went through her whole body.
Are you new or nervous? Julie has been waiting a (short)lifetime to hear those words be said to her.
She walked down a few more steps in the auditorium and found a spot. It was one of the few seats left in the room that wasn’t all the way up in the back. She sat down and settled into the uncomfortable, hard, plastic chair and took a deep shaky breath. The prof was nowhere to be seen. But there was a cute boy in the seat next to her. He had sort of long brown hair that was covered with a grey toque. And he was wearing a cut off t-shirt and you could see his very nice arms. Julie’s breathing was still shaky, and his attractiveness wasn’t helping the situation.
*we're too young to know things like love by Ephemeral_Joy
(@lydias--stiles)
Juke
The various ways and situations people notice the connection between Julie and Luke, whether that be a close friend or a complete stranger.
(started as a 5+1 fic and then i kind of went rogue. oops.)
*and i know i've kissed you before, but i didn't do it right (can i try again?) by Ephemeral_Joy (@lydias--stiles)
Juke
Some things just can't be fixed with a song.
(Julie and Luke break up.)
*The Infamous Tale of Luke and Julie's Grand Trip Across America by Ephemeral_Joy (@lydias--stiles)
Juke
In any normal situation, Luke wouldn't let this random girl hitchhike with him across America.
Then again, he wasn't normal. And neither was she.
(or: the roadtrip!au no one asked for)
*We Found Wonderland by ICanSpellConfusionWithAK (@pink-flame)
At the end of season one Julie isn’t able to save the boys and they are jolted out of existence. But what if there was another way? Julie finds herself back in 1995 with a chance to stop the boys of Sunset Curve from ever dying at all. But will she be able to find her way home afterwards? Will she want to? Or has Alice really gone down the rabbit hole this time...
A Moment of Quiet Conversation by JackONeillisTheMan
Juke
Julie and Luke talk about how he was the one who introduced her to rock. Then just fluff, more and more fluff.
*Feels like I've opened my eyes again by ICanSpellConfusionWithAK (@pink-flame)
Juke
After the whirlwind her life has been since the boys showed up it’s not that surprising that Julie would be a little tired. But is it normal that she’s more exhausted than she’s ever been? With Nick acting weird, Alex and Reggie both wrapped up in their own problems and her relationship with Luke still a big question mark, she has her work cut out for her if she’s looking to sit back and relax.
Basically my ideas and speculation about what season 2 might hold, or at least some of the things I would like to see.
find the strength, find the melody by sunset_phantom
Juke
An AU in which the boys are alive, Julie has been kicked out of her music program, and she somehow ends up falling in love with Luke in three days while he simultaneously brings her back to her first love of all: music.
after silence, wake me up by Vargynja
Juke
Julie hasn't been able to make music after her mother's death. She lives in New York working as an assistant for Luke, working hard to move forward in her career.
Luke finds out he's about to be deported back to Canada. A panicked lie leads them to fake a relationship to get married so he can stay in the country. Despite working together for two years they aren't close but a trip to Alaska to visit Julie's family might change that
Based on the premise of The Proposal (2009)
96 notes
·
View notes
Note
*slides $20 bill* thoughts on mayakaren?
BOY OH BOY AM I GLAD YOU ASKED
cutest ship in revue starlight change my mind
i have so much to say. and such little time. where do i begin with mayakaren.
I think that Karen's impact on Maya is way bigger than the other way around. Like, out of the entire cast, I think that Maya is one of the people most drastically changed by Karen's actions. It was Karen's brilliance that forced Maya to re-evaluate her entire philosophy towards the stage, and no other stage girl has had that power over her.
Pre-anime I don't think that Maya would even give Karen the time of day, save for basic courtesy (she's very polite and friendly, not saying that!). Post-anime I think that alongside Claudine, Karen is one of her biggest inspirations.
Maya is already at her "endpoint" in terms of success. She's the star of every show. Of course this isn't to say she doesn't work hard - but her goal is to maintain her position rather than advance it (unlike all of her other peers) and continually raise the bar to keep ahead of her peers (especially Claudine). In the anime, this nearly makes her Karen's opposite. Karen is the scrappy underdog blasting full speed ahead to revolutionize a system that Maya is practically the embodiment of. She *is* old theatre, established and thoroughbred and strictly adhering to the system it perpetuates, because why wouldn't she? She clearly thrives in it.
This is why Maya all but laughs Karen off in the Revue of Pride - she's trained, and studied, and worked so, so hard her entire life, devoting it to her craft. Karen wants to become the top star in, like, two weeks. Her goals are almost disrespectful, and Maya doesn't even give her pipe dream the time of day.
But then it's Karen who defeats her! Why? Not out of pure skill or harder work, but out of love! Pure, unfiltered love for Hikari and all of her peers and the stage they're trying to create! And Maya knows love for the theatre! She loves it more than anything, just like Karen! So to see someone's passion outshine hers really forces her to step back and re-evaluate everything she's been doing so far! And what she's been doing so far is acting as a detached God. There's a reason why she's assigned to The World arcana - she embodies (distant, oft unattainable) endings and fulfillments. (There's so much I could say about how she contrasts Akira's Emperor and how it reflects their respective leadership styles and positions as Top Stars but that's a conversation for another day. I'M DERAILING). Karen drags Maya back down to earth and teaches her that collaboration is possible. Trust is possible in a world as cutthroat as theatre. And victories are far more earned when they come at the behest of people you dearly, truly value as your equals. It's empty, and lonely, otherwise.
Conversely, Maya disciplines Karen and offers her wisdom and perspective to counteract her often gung-ho and overly optimistic nature.
Overall, I think that Karen is one of the few people utterly unshaken by Maya Tendo's presence, while Maya has come to learn just what a reckoning Karen is. Karen also teaches her to look to everyone equally - not just people she deems worthy of her acknowledgement.
It definitely isn't entirely one-sided, though! Maya's actions in the anime force Karen to finally start taking herself and her goals seriously. Dreams aren't just achieved through love and passion. They require a lot of hard work, and no one is a harder worker than Maya Tendo. I headcanon that after her defeat, Karen would watch her practice to figure out how to get better more quickly. Ultimately, Karen would have never been able to defeat Maya - and therefore revolutionize the top star system - had she not learned her lesson from her once before. Karen breaks the throne that Maya sits on, but ultimately, they're both better for it. They would seriously be a phenomenal power couple post-canon. They complement each other perfectly.
Maya is also a tough nut to crack, and like Hikari and Junna, I think that Karen would be really invested in getting to know her better before they graduated.
TL;DR I think their dynamic is "Look, it's Maya Tendo, renowned primadonna and genius of the theatre!! Who the hell is that she's following? ...Karen Aijo? Former classmates??? Is Tendo carrying a notepad and taking notes???????"
I also think their dual roles as the Goddesses of Arrogance and respective castings as Claire and Flora are really, really interesting, though unfortunately I don't have the energy to dive into the Arrogance parallel now. As for Claire and Flora, however, I would kill to see a Starlight between these two as the leads. Seriously. Out of all the revstar fic I want to write this is the one I want to do most.
I also think their dynamic is just very, very cute together. INFJ/ENFP supremacy.
#i also think that they would be very Silly together.#AIJO! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DRAG TENDO INTO THIS TIME???#it was tendo-san's idea sakuragi-sensei!!!#revue starlight#mayakaren#aijo karen#tendo maya#woof#i did Not proofread this so. apologies for everything#guys where are maya and karen?#(cut to respective idiots preparing to swan dive 2 stories from the stage lights into a pile of 🦢 plushies)#THEY'RE CUTE. THEY'RE SO CUTE!!!!!#Maya (in her usual completely serious tone): aijo-san.#Maya: i want to cause chaos today.#Hikari (overhearing): I'm already in
41 notes
·
View notes
Text
Can I Be Close To You
Summary: Buck doesn't have a "covid crush", which doesn't mean he isn't hiding something. A look inside Buck's head during 4.01 and 4.02.
Words: 3,249
Notes: Cannot escape writing fic, apparently. So here we are. Obviously there be spoilers here for the aired episodes. This fic is pre-relationship/pre-buddie. Title from Bloom by The Paper Kites. Enjoy.
Read on Ao3
-
The one thing that Buck was grateful for was that Chimney wasn’t teasing him about his “covid crush” outside of the apartment. It was something he only ever brought up when Maddie called or whenever Buck made the mistake of being too loud or using his phone or laptop outside of his bedroom when Chim was around. Chimney of course also noticed whenever Buck got alerts or calls on his phone that had him rushing away. Buck didn’t really care about the teasing. He did care that no one find out why he was being so secretive. It was just easier to be teased about something that wasn’t true, than to be teased for what was true.
The problem was that they were in the middle of a global crisis. A pandemic the likes of which hadn’t been seen for about a hundred years. It was a lot. In March when everything started to go wrong it had been easy to convince himself and everyone else that it would be over fast. That lockdown would work and in a few weeks or a few months everything would go back to normal. Hen and Bobby had been the firsts to question that logic because they only expected things to get worse. Buck really hated when they were right. Of course, nothing was normal anymore.
Hen was the one to bring up concerns about them doing their jobs during the pandemic and bringing the virus home to their families. Between all her work to put her in the path of becoming a doctor, and being an amazing paramedic to boot, Hen was the first to start pushing them on the road to taking extra caution. Her concern for her family and for the families of the others was real and unfortunately necessary.
“I don’t want to stop working. I want to help people and we are more important than ever right now,” Hen had put it into words back then. It was everything they were all feeling.
Buck had lost count of the number of calls that made them practically just collectors of the dead or dying. Not just that but they all knew first responders that had been personally affected by Covid-19 and it wasn’t just them but their families too. Buck was the only one with no one back at his apartment waiting for him. That’s what gave him the idea.
“You can come stay with me if that makes you feel better,” he offered.
Hen hadn’t hesitated for long. She and Karen had had a long conversation about it and before Buck knew it he had Hen and then Chimney living with him. It was nice. It made it easier to bury all the anxiety and worry that had been clawing at him with every article or video or news report that he consumed. His living room had been taken over by an aerobed for Hen while Chim took the sofa.
Eddie showed up a week after Hen and Chim with a sleeping bag under his arm.
“I have Carla staying with Christopher. It seemed — it’s for the better, you know? Can I — is there room for one more?”
In reality, Buck’s apartment wasn’t all that big, but Buck wasn’t going to turn away his best friend. So, Buck just welcomed him in. And for a while, despite everything going on in the world, things were okay. Buck wasn’t freaking out with every new report on the rise in cases and the rise in the dead and how the curve wasn’t flattening and yet the intrusive thoughts nevertheless showed up in his head and late at night when everyone else was sleeping his phone was right there with more information and facts and figures that made it hard to imagine that the world would ever be set to rights.
Eddie was the first to notice that Buck wasn’t getting a lot of sleep. It became a whole thing with Eddie and Hen and Chim feeling like they were being imposing and Buck not being able to voice that it wasn’t them, but everything else. Somehow, he managed to convince them that they weren’t in his way.
Buck had tried to reach out to Frank, but he was overwhelmed with clients and all of them of the first responder persuasion. Buck had felt weird asking the department to help him find someone else to talk to and it was only partially to do with the time he slept with his therapist and certainly more to do with how Buck knew other first responders probably needed the help more than he did. In other firehouses, some firefighters and paramedics had succumbed to the virus. Catching it was the newest hazard of the job. Frank did him the favor of sending him a few names. At first, Buck figured it wasn’t that important. So, he put it off.
He focused on being present. In sitting with Chim while they video called Maddie and in jumping in to say hello to Denny, Nia, and Karen and in reading a bedtime story here or there to Christopher when Eddie wasn’t available and even when he was, the two of them sitting in the kitchen or up in Buck’s room, shoulders pressed together. He tried not to watch the news, and he tried not to keep looking at the numbers.
Pretending wasn’t easy, but after two nights of Eddie catching him up at 3am eyes glued to his phone, Eddie made a point of taking his phone away at night. And then, instead of sleeping down on the first floor, Eddie moved up to the loft on the small camping mat and sleeping bag.
He and Eddie talked until they drifted off, and sometimes it felt better to not be able to see Eddie and to stare out in the shadowed ceiling. Talking to Eddie made it easier to let go of the day, to not let his mind wander and come up with more of the world’s problems to worry about.
So, Buck didn’t think about therapy. Not while he had Eddie near him at night keeping him distracted and willing to stay up until late discussing nothing at all. Buck couldn’t imagine Chim or Hen bothering to do that for him. Rarely, it did happen that Eddie was the one wrung out and needing a conversation. He missed Christopher too much or something they’d seen at work had been just a little too close to home. They were there for each other and all of it just worked.
Of course, that was when Hen decided that it was time she go back home. She missed her kids too much. She missed her wife too much. Eddie didn’t last more than a few days after Hen’s decision as if Hen making that first move made it okay. Buck didn’t blame him, not with the way that Buck missed Christopher which just meant that it was twice as bad for Eddie. And once they were gone and there was just he and Chimney left, Buck found himself falling into old habits. Chimney wasn’t as much of a distraction especially when he spent so much of his time talking to Maddie or reading parenting books, and because Chimney didn’t turn off the news like Eddie or Hen would.
Being in his room alone at night without anything to keep his mind occupied and missing Eddie’s voice and the way that Buck could calm himself to the sound of his breathing brought Buck to a breaking point. He needed help.
Dr. Copeland was the second therapist he had a video call with. She was calm and friendly and she didn’t push him to talk. It felt okay to share his concerns with her in a way that he couldn’t say out loud to everyone in his life. Buck didn’t know if it was somehow easier because she was someone that didn’t know him in real life, or if it had something to do with how Buck could tell that she cared and wanted to help, but he found himself opening up. Dr. Copeland didn’t push, but she did give him insight. She made him aware of the ways that he was being unhealthy about the pandemic.
Chimney picked up at once that Buck was keeping a secret. It took him a little longer to figure out that Buck was talking to someone through a screen and in the same breath to assume that it was some woman that Buck started dating. It did make Buck wonder if people were actually doing that — the whole dating through skype or zoom or facetime. Buck didn’t try to correct him or to be too bothered by Chim teasing him. He didn’t even worry too much once Maddie found out because Maddie wasn’t there in front of him to get the whole thing out of him. So the “covid crush” gave him an excuse to not tell them the truth. Dr. Copeland kept telling him he should tell them how he felt, but Buck didn’t want that burden on his friends and family when the world itself seemed to want to crush them. And either way, he’d been feeling a lot better about everything. He wore his mask and he followed protocols, and he didn’t allow himself to think in “what ifs”.
Emergencies were his job. He better than most knew the quick turn that things could take for the worse. But as Dr. Copeland reminded him, fear couldn’t rule his life even if there was a lot to be afraid of. And it wasn’t the virus that Buck feared, it was loss. Losing his friends and losing his family and being incapable of changing anything. He was, thus, hyper alert. About the pandemic, and about anything else that might prompt worry. Dr. Copeland thought that too much information could be harmful to his mental health, but for Buck knowing facts and doing research kept him from spiralling.
It was Dr. Copeland that made the connection to Buck’s past trauma and realized how likely it was that his worry stemmed from that — from the truck falling on his leg and the tsunami and perhaps even more than that, other parts of his life that he retained and that still bothered him on a deep level. She asked him how much he hid away and didn’t deal with — how much he coped with by researching and by using facts against worry. It made Buck think.
Then, the micro-quakes happened. And Buck got all the alerts, he read up on the dam and he pictured all that could go wrong.
Worrying didn’t mean panicking for him. Buck was cool under pressure, he was good at his job. Most of the problems came after when he considered what might have happened and also how many hadn’t made it out alive. Not because of the virus. But because of a disaster. But by the end of the day, Chimney had finally moved out and Buck had a new roommate in Albert, and after everything that happened in the day, Buck figured that he maybe needed to take his own advice and realize that he couldn’t let fear hold him back.
So when his next therapy session came up, he admitted it to Dr. Copeland. Confirmed what she’d been telling him about himself. He hid his true feelings. He hid away behind platitudes and facts and letting things go because it was easier to move forward than to linger and make things weird with his friends and with his family. Examining that fully meant talking about the past and Dr. Copeland, as gentle as she was in letting him lead the conversation, asked the kind of questions that weren’t easy to answer.
She pressed him about why he feared sharing his feelings and why he felt he had a need to keep so much to himself and Buck was cognizant enough to realize it was his fear of being alone.
“I just...I don’t think they get it,” Buck said. “I don’t think they see it. At the beginning of this whole thing — the pandemic — they all had someone. My sister is pregnant and she had just moved in with her boyfriend and his brother. Hen has her wife and kids. Bobby has Athena and their kids. Eddie, he has Christopher. And the reason I even have Albert here right now is that he rather not be around my sister and her boyfriend now they’re finally together again. I’m alone. I’m always alone.”
“But you aren’t,” Dr. Copeland insisted. “You have people. Your team, your sister. Evan, you are not alone. It may feel like you are, but that just isn’t true. I haven’t known you very long, but the way you talk about your team and your sister it is clear you have a support team. That is why I’m encouraging you to speak with them and share your worry and share even this — that you are getting help and looking at things with a new perspective.”
It was easier to hear it told to him that to do something like admit to Maddie that he was so full of issues that he actually needed therapy. Of course, Maddie herself had gone through a long bout of therapy after Doug and yet compared to that, Buck didn’t feel like he was all that messed up.
“I get what you’re saying. I do. I just...it doesn’t feel like it. And I don’t want to burden them with more just because I’m feeling left behind or just…”
“And that brings us back to you hiding your true feelings,” Dr. Copeland said. “Is there even one person you feel comfortable talking to about this. Your sister perhaps.”
Buck shook his head at once. “No. No. I couldn’t bother Maddie. She has enough on her plate.”
But his mind went to Eddie. Eddie had noticed he wasn’t doing well. Eddie had moved to sleep on Buck’s floor and then talked to him until he fell asleep. And since going back home to Christopher it wasn’t like Eddie had forgotten about Buck, because when he had the time sometimes he would call Buck and they would talk over the phone and it had brought him back to those nights. At work neither of them brought that up, they just worked as seamlessly as ever.
“I don’t want to pressure you, Evan. You’re doing so well and admitting and realizing that you’re holding yourself back is an amazing place to be. I just know that you’ll feel even better once you start sharing your feelings or working through them.”
Dr. Copeland always gave him plenty to think about. And he considered the notion of coming clean to someone — to Eddie — and maybe getting other things off his chest. His fears about the pandemic, the things about his parents that had made them horrible parents to him and Maddie both, how Buck had so many things about himself that he left unacknowledged, and the loneliness. Eddie wasn’t exactly good with emotions either, but he would at least understand the therapy aspect. Eddie had stopped seeing Frank a while ago, but Buck knew that Frank had done what he could to help Eddie and that Eddie had come out the other side lighter and less jaded.
“I’ll think about it,” Buck said.
“Good.”
They talked about other things for the rest of the session and then Buck went back down to join Albert. He’d let Maddie and Chim go, so instead he was busy on his phone.
“Seriously, dude, how did you meet someone? Now that I’m here, I need to know.”
Buck rolled his eyes. At times Albert reminded Buck of his younger self, the guy that had been interested in nothing but chasing tail and hoping that that would fill the parts of him that were broken. It hadn’t ever worked, at least not for long. Vividly, he could recall wanting to make connections with those girls and the way that they’d all looked at him like he was asking for far too much.
“For one thing, I’m not seeing anyone. For another, dating apps are still a thing even if completely inadvisable because we’re in the middle of a pandemic. It might even be good for you to not be hooking up with random girls.”
Albert just pouted at him and groaned. “I just want this to be over.”
“So does everyone,” Buck pointed out.
Albert would probably have made a good choice in finding someone to tell about the therapy. He was a good kid and if Buck asked him to, he wouldn’t go blabbing to everyone else. Not to mention that Albert was a bit removed from it all too in his own way. Still, when Buck opened his mouth to say something, the words didn’t want to come out.
The next time he was at work and Eddie was walking at his side, Buck turned towards him, and Eddie’s gaze met his. They shared a quick smile. It was easy, a habit.
“How’s Christopher?” Buck asked.
“Misses Carla. Misses everyone, really, but after all that time with Carla he got used to having her around all the time.”
“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t want you around, man,” Buck said.
Eddie nudged him. “You know, Buck, I didn’t even think about it that way.”
Buck shrugged at him. Being around Eddie made most of everything else fade away. And when later that day, they were walking from the ladder truck onto a call, Buck just threw a grin his way and Eddie returned it.
At the end of their shift, Buck walked with Eddie to their cars.
“Do you remember, before all this, we’d just head over to mine or yours with Christopher. I miss those nights,” Eddie said.
Buck hadn’t thought about it. He tried not to think about before — about how different life had been back then and how similar because even then he’d done that thing where he pretended that everything was alright. He’d kept it to himself how alone he felt and he’d kept it to himself that sometimes when he and Eddie were sitting in his living room side by side, he wished that it was permanent. It wasn’t about Eddie — or even about Christopher — it was about how Buck longed to have people. Family.
That had been a thing for a long time. Long before Abby and before he’d moved to California when he’d gone from place to place trying to find himself and trying desperately to belong. The 118 had been one of the first places where he began to feel like he’d found a place, but he’d soon found that it wasn’t enough. It was one thing to love a job and to make it all that he was, but if his time recovering from the ladder truck incident had taught him anything, it was that he needed more outside of the job. It was just that he had no luck finding it.
“Me too,” Buck said and then before they had reached their cars. “Hey, Eddie, can we talk tonight?”
Eddie’s face showed some of his surprise. They had never acknowledged it before, not out loud outside of the phone calls or outside of Buck’s bedroom.
“Sure we can,” Eddie said, crinkles around his eyes forming as he smiled.
Buck nodded and then he climbed into his Jeep.
18 notes
·
View notes
Note
Peter Parker + a dog chasing him while in the spidey suit (you pick which one lol)
*insert iMovie title text*
Peter Parker has always been fond of his dog, Sandwich. Especially since Sandwich had the potential to make a very good sandwich...... nevermind. Hunger could dictate many emotions in Peter, clearly.
Being a dog from the street, there was no doubt Sandwich was homozygous dominant for ugly. He had a great, loving personality, but 🤢. Combined with a certain Dorito stench, beady eyes, and a dumb-looking face, Peter knew all too well he had to locate in his heart the needle of compassion in the haystack for that stupid dog. Yes, that’s right, it was time for Sandwich to get a girlfriend.
You were probably not expecting that. Neither was I- the author. Peter could explain.
It all began the summer of last year, back when Tony Stark had permitted him to work as an intern. (Yes, you may cry.) Coolest job ever, right? Wrong.
He was out fighting crime day and night, missing school, hopping out bus windows while Ned covered for him, simping for Liz, who he ditched.. all that jazz. He got beat up more times than he could count, and even crushed under a building, no sweat. Seeing as there was no trace of his hauntings on Buzzfeed Unsolved, it was clear he was very much alive- just as Ned had predicted, unfortunately. In spite of it, at the end of the day, it was what he was required to do, and he executed. There was overwhelming stress that came along with the job— being a high schooler and all, sure— but if he didn’t look fly on @spideyno1fan’s vlogs, what was the point?
But then, the internship took turn for the worse. Right after he was brought back, Tony died, and he bestowed upon Peter a responsibility that would change his life— official babysitter of his four-year-old daughter, Morgan. This... was magnitudes worse than fighting villains. What do you even do with a girl who has a wild obsession with princesses and an insatiable appetite for cheeseburgers? Not to mention Tony’s right-hand-man, Happy, falling in love with his aunt.
That was fine.
All of this, and not even a single paycheck. Peter had had enough.
After thirteen hours of ignoring MJ’s trail of thirst texts and scrolling through his celebrity twin, Tom Holland’s, social medias, Peter came across Tessa. She was a true source of inspiration for what Peter was about to do. Tessa was a cute, stocky dog, and meanwhile, Sandwich was not. But Peter noticed the attention Tessa got. Everyone loved her— some to a point where they weren’t afraid to show their [true colors] in the comment sections... but Peter tried not to think about that.
It was late August, excruciatingly hot, and Peter’s only comfort was a panting mutt at his side and May’s two-decade-old electric fan. Yet slumped there in the bosom of the couch, strands of his curls dancing against his glossy forehead to the soft breeze of the fan, he had a revolutionary idea. Peter was going to find Sandwich a mate and become a breeder.
It wasn’t founded on a whim. The boy had done his research on WikiHow and Yahoo Answers, and considering Sandwich was a male, he could make some nice, adorable, puppies. Peter cackled at the thought. He often referred himself to that one Bernie Sanders meme— in desperate need of financial aid. Before he was unable to afford failure. Now, he couldn’t afford even a single pencil. 😂. If he sold puppies, maybe he’d get some income. Or even get rich?? Everything seemed so possible. Maybe he’d call the business “Parker’s Pupperia” or “Dog’s Frick Chamber”— both sounded equally bad.
Promising Sandwich to be back with a girlfriend, and promising his own he did, in fact, have protection, Peter left his apartment in search of a proper mate for his four-legged friend. Peter, a skilled member of the Avengers, knew there was no better way to find a great selection of dogs than by house-by-house “inspection”. After all, he was the “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man”, except he wasn’t so sure about the “friendly” part. Was it pet-napping if he’d return the dog later? The answer was yes, and Peter was inconsolable. But he was so poor he decided to do it anyway.
Peter had learned from his last experience of not bringing the suit with him. He pulled the mask over his nose and secured it— this was going to be a Grand Theft Auto, dog edition, and who knew? If people were being troublesome it wouldn’t take much for him to blow up their home. Just saying.
The wretch of society, his long-time middle-aged, blonde-haired neighbor, Karen, had the perfect dog her family had adopted a couple of years ago. Luckily for Peter, he knew for a fact it was a girl.
It took a relatively short time swinging from his apartment complex down to Karen’s house. Creeping in from an open window, he scaled along the bright “Live, Laugh, Love Forever” wallpaper, passing by her unvaccinated children with ease. Peter found his target dozing on the floor. She was a small, white pooch, with neatly trimmed fur and floppy ears— a toy dog at best. Still cuter than Sandwich by a landslide. Peter figured he would take his chances.
But this Maltese was alert, and very angry. It was the 🐶🔪 type. Suddenly, Peter was not a perpetrator, but a victim. He was running past buildings, trees, cars, swooping in and around backyards. He thought he knew how to run fast, but this dog knew how to run faster. How did the dog even get out of the house???1?1?1 Unexplainable and quite honestly should’ve been impossible. The longer he ran, the louder the barks got, and the closer the white furball monster approached. Peter never knew small footsteps could be so terrifying. Well, yes he did, but those were Morgan’s. His breaths were coming in and out in short outbursts, and he felt the fatigue catching up to him as much as the dog was. Then, the world went black.
Peter awoke to several text notifications from May, and a snoring Sandwich next to him. It was the usual, “Don’t do anything dangerous while I’m gone shopping, ok?” and “Clean your room for me, please?”. Ned had also found a premium set at the LEGO store and MJ wanted him to come over apparently.
Throwing his phone aside, he clasped Sandwich’s hairy face and leaned in close.
No, it wasn’t for a kiss.
“I will never, ever, make you mate for puppies so I can get rich and I love your ugly face so much, bud.”
Sandwich blinked in response.
___________________________
Let’s make it really clear that this was not @parkershoodie’s fic and I wrote this as satire 💀💀💀
#👀
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
You Gave Me Faith
Summary: Dan finds himself two months pregnant, and thinks his entire world has ended, especially after the father of his child left him. One day while walking his dog, Quill, Dan meets a stranger named Phil. Dan finds that Phil is just like him.
Genre: AU, Fluff
Word Count: 3,465
Trigger Warnings: mentions of depression, swearing, mpreg (double pregnancy)
A/N: This all started when an ask was sent to @phanfictioncatalogue asking for fics about double pregnancy, but we couldn’t find any, so I asked for prompts so that I could write something, and then I came up with this :)
anyways, I’m trying to write more this year, so if you guys have any prompts, then please send them my way so I can have some ideas to write!!! <3
“Quill, come on! You know I can’t go that fast these days,” Dan complains as his dog starts dragging him down the sidewalk. He sighs, and stops on the sidewalk, pulling on his Golden Retriever to stop him. “Okay, let’s take a break. We’ve been walking for ten minutes now.” He takes a deep breath and then he looks down, sighing when he spots his baby bump.
Two months pregnant, and somehow that hasn’t stopped him.
When he first found out about his surprise pregnancy, Dan thought that his entire world was ending, especially after the father of his baby left him in the dark. His mom convinced him he should at least try. She’s even the one who suggested getting a dog to help him cope with the loneliness, which is how Quill came into his life. Dan absolutely loves this dog to death, and he’s certainly helped Dan get by.
“I’m sorry,”
Dan is shaken out of his thoughts when he hears a stranger's voice. He looks over and smiles shyly. “Hi?”
“I don’t mean to bother you, you seem busy, it’s just…” The man blushes. “Well, your dog is just so cute, and I was just wondering if I could pet him, or her.”
Dan stares at him in awe, and slowly nods. “Uh, yeah. You can pet him. Thanks for asking. Some people just walk up and pet him without my consent. Really appreciate it.”
The man smiles, and then he bends down, holding his hand out to Quill, allowing Quill to sniff him, before he starts petting him. “I love dogs. What’s his name?” He looks up at Dan.
“I can tell you’re a dog person, and we just met. His name is Quill,” Dan answers.
“Quill?” The man questions. “As in… Peter Quill?”
Dan grins. “Yes!” He nods. “Not many people get that. I'm a huge Marvel nerd.”
The man laughs, and stands again. “I am too. My name is Phil,” he holds his hand out to Dan.
“Dan,” Dan says as he shakes Phil’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Well, I’d love to stay and chat more, Dan, but… unfortunately, I have a meeting to get to-” Phil says, placing his hand on his stomach, and that’s when Dan notices the visible bump Phil has.
“Oh, are you pregnant?” Dan asks, voice full of surprise. He’s never met another male Carrier before, well, none that were from around London. Dan doesn’t know how he hasn’t met this guy before.
Phil smiles at Dan, and nods. “Yes. I’m four months pregnant,”
“Wow. Congratulations,” Dan says. “I’ve never met another male Carrier from around here before.”
“You’re a Carrie toor?” Phil asks, suddenly more interested in Dan.
Dan slowly nods, blushing. “Y- Yeah, I am. I’m two months pregnant,” he says.
“Congratulations to you as well. I… wow. You know, I’m part of this support group for male Carriers. Maybe if you’d like to join us for one of our next meetings-” Phil begins.
“Thanks, but no thanks-” Dan says, shaking his head. “Support groups aren’t for me. That’s why I got this little guy right here-” He bends down and pets Quill on the head.
“If you change your mind-” Phil says as he pulls out a business card out of his jacket and hands it to Dan. “We meet twice a week, but you don’t have to show up both days. Everybody’s really friendly there, and supportive. They really helped me with my depression.”
“I’m not depressed,” Dan says defensively, before wincing, because he knows it’s a lie. Dan is depressed, but he would never admit that out loud. His mother would force him into therapy.
“Never said you were, mate,” Phil chuckles, and then pulls out his phone, checking the time quickly. “Crap. I’ve really got to get going before I’m late. I hope to see you again soon. Really nice meeting you, and you as well Mr. Quill-” He bends down and pets Quill one last time before leaving Dan with nothing but a quick smile, although Dan wishes that they could have talked longer.
Quill whines as Phil walks away, and Dan bends down to pet him. “I know, Quill,” he whispers softly. “But, something tells me that won’t be the last time we see him.”
Dan decides to take Quill back home, as they were both pretty exhausted. Ten minutes isn’t bad, at least, Dan thinks so anyways. He’s been trying to take Quill on a little bit longer walks everyday. It’s exhausting, but his mother thinks that it’ll be good for his health.
“Hey mum, I’m back,” Dan greets when he walks into the house that he shares with his mom, spotting his mom in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the two of them. After Dan was abandoned by his baby’s father, Dan’s mom took him in, knowing it wouldn’t be good for Dan to be alone when he was in such a depressed state. Dan actually doesn't mind living with his mom again. She's a wonderful company, and not even too overbearing. She’s exactly what Dan needs to get through this pregnancy, besides Quill. Dan walks into the kitchen himself, and then he gets started on Quill’s dinner.
“Hey sweetie. How was the walk?” His mom asks, watching Dan carefully.
“It was fine,” Dan replies as he tears open a bag of dog food. “Something interesting happened though.”
“Oh really?” Karen asks. “Want to talk about it?”
Dan sighs softly, before looking up at his mom. “Well,” he begins. “He wanted to pet Quill. Was really sweet about it and everything. Then I found out that he was a male Carrier, like me. His name’s Phil.”
“Dan, that’s wonderful! I hope you got his number?” Karen asks hopefully.
“I didn’t get his number,” and Karen rolls her eyes at Dan’s reply, muttering an ‘honestly’ under her breath. “But, I did happen to get a business card from him about a support group for male Carriers.”
Karen perks up at that, turning to look at Dan. “That’s interesting. What are your thoughts on that?”
“Dunno,” Dan admits. “I might think about it. Seems pretty legit. You know how I feel about therapy. But, maybe this will be different. Good. I mean, I’ll get to meet other Carriers like me. Phil seems nice.”
“Well, I’m not going to tell you what to do, because I know you don’t like that. You’re a grown man who can make his own decisions. But, I do think that you should think about going. It might be good for you,” Karen agrees with Dan. “You don’t have a lot of friends-”
“Whoa,” Dan begins as he holds up his hand.
Karen glares at him playfully. “You don’t have a lot of friends who are Carriers,” she finishes.
“I know,” Dan mumbles. “I promise I’ll at least think about it.” Quill whines as he stands behind Dan, wagging his tail excitedly, causing Dan to laugh. “Alright, boy. I’m coming. Gosh. So rude and impatient.” He puts Quill’s dog food in a bowl and then places it down on the floor where Quill eats. “There you go.” Dan chuckles when Quill immediately starts eating, and then he looks over at his mom and frowns when he sees her staring at him with raised eyebrows. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing,” Karen chuckles, going back to chopping vegetables. “It’s just funny to me that two months ago you were so against the idea of having a dog, and now look at you. Quill’s your best friend.”
“Well, he is,” Dan agrees, nodding. “He’s been there for me like no one else has been. Besides you.”
“I just think it’s ridiculous that you named him after a Marvel character. Honestly,” Karen scoffs.
“Don’t talk shit about my favorite Marvel movie,” Dan warns playfully, pointing a finger at his mom.
Karen laughs, and shakes her head. “Don’t point that finger at me, boy. Go watch TV or something, while I finish making dinner. It’ll be a little bit longer.”
Dan smiles, and then he turns, and heads out of the kitchen.
Over the next two weeks, Dan doesn’t stop thinking about the male Carrier he met on his walk with Quill.
It’s been awhile since Dan’s met another male Carrier, and this was the first time that he’s met someone like him in his home. Phil seemed really nice and genuine when he was talking to Dan.
How could Dan pass up an opportunity to see Phil again?
The support group meets on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 5pm, so when the next Saturday rolls around, Dan decides to dress in some nice clothes and heads to the place listed on the business card Phil gave.
Dan sighs as he stands in front of the building, glancing down at the business card in his hands, debating on whether or not he should actually walk in and take part in this support group.
“Fuck,” Dan curses out loud. He turns back around and gasps when he sees Phil walking up to him.
“Dan?” Phil asks, walking up to Dan. “Wow. I didn’t think that you’d actually show up. Are you staying?”
“I-” Dan hesitates, biting his lip. “I don’t know. I’m not really interested in this kind of stuff. Therapy… and support groups. Honestly… I only came because I wanted to see you again. Uh, Quill misses you.”
Phil laughs, and Dan’s heart swells at the sound. “Quill was so sweet. You know, sometimes we have days where members are allowed to bring their pets,” he says.
“What? Is that true?” Dan asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Of course. Would I lie to you? Come on, why don’t you come inside? You honestly don’t have to stay if you feel uncomfortable,” Phil assures him. “But, I assure you that everyone here is so lovely. This is meant to be a safe place for people like us, you know? There aren’t many of those around.”
Dan scoffs. “Tell me about it,” he mumbles. Ever since it became known men could in fact get pregnant, there has been a lot of hatred and unacceptance towards male Carriers. Dan’s even experienced this awful hate himself after announcing to his “friends” and family that he was a Carrier.
“Come on,” Phil urges, gently grabbing Dan’s hand and leading him into the building. “You’ll love Garrett, he’s hilarious. Always knows how to lighten the mood when it gets tense during meetings.”
“Does it… usually get tense during meetings?” Dan asks nervously.
“Only sometimes, when we get deep and tell personal stories. You won’t have to do that straight away, don’t worry. You can relax again,” Phil chuckles when he sees Dan tensing up.
“Sorry,” Dan mumbles as his cheeks turn a bright pink.
“It’s okay. You have every right to be nervous. So,” Phil turns and starts walking backwards, leading Dan into a large room, where a couple people are already inside. “Here’s where we have our meetings. There’s usually fifteen people at every meeting. It’s quite small, but we’re trying to make this place bigger. So, if you know of anyone who would be interested…”
“I don’t know any other male Carriers,” Dan tells him. “But, I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
Phil grins that adorable grin again that makes Dan’s heart swell. Honestly, how could one man be filled with so much energy and sunshine? Dan can’t imagine ever being like that.
“Phil, you’ve brought a friend with you…?”
Phil looks over and smiles as another man walks up to them. “Hey Gare,” he greets, hugging the man. “Uh, yeah…” He turns to look at Dan. “This is Dan. We just met recently. He’s a male Carrier.”
“Dan, wonderful to meet you. My name’s Garrett,” the man greets, shaking Dan’s hand.
“Nice to meet you too. Phil’s told me all about you,” Dan says.
“Whatever he’d told you about me, it’s all a lie,” Garrett whispers.
Dan laughs. “Don’t worry, all good things,” he says.
“Oh,” Garrett smiles. “Well, then. Welcome aboard, Dan. We’re still waiting for people to show up, so make yourself comfortable. We have food and drinks. Of course, no alcohol. Enjoy!”
Phil chuckles as he watches Garrett walk over to some of the other men. “See? Told you. He’s an interesting character. I have no idea how Andrew puts up with him sometimes. Uh, Andrew is his husband. They run the group together. I’m sure you’ll see Andrew later tonight if you stay.”
Dan pauses, and thinks for a moment, before looking over at Phil. “I think I will stay,” he says.
Phil smiles. “Great! I know you were hesitant, but I promise you’ll have a great time,” he assures Dan.
Dan continues going to the group meetings, which surprises both himself and his mom. He finds himself enjoying the company of the other male Carriers, and has become friends with quite a few of them. They’ve even invited him to join their group chat on Whatsapp. Of course, Dan was happy to join this group chat. He’s never had such a tight group of friends before.
Then, there’s Phil. Dan talks to Phil everyday, and has grown even closer to him since he started joining the group meetings. They’ve bonded over what they have in common, after discovering that they did have quite a few things in common such as favorite movies and TV shows, and even music.
Dan finds himself falling in love with Phil the more he talks to him, and he’s scared.
Dan has trust issues after what happened with his baby daddy. He doesn’t want to lose Phil too.
One night, Dan wakes up to pain. He’s just hit the nine month mark in his pregnancy, but he thought that he would have a few more weeks to prepare for before going into labor.
“Fuck!” Dan cries, pushing himself up and grabbing a hold of his large bump. “Come on. Really? It’s three o’clock in the fucking morning. You couldn’t have waited? Fuck me.”
“Dan?”
Dan looks up with wide eyes and sees his mom running into his bedroom, panicked. “Oh, hey mum. Sorry to wake you, but it appears that my child has decided to make her grand entrance.”
“What?” Karen squeaks. “She’s not supposed to come for another couple weeks!”
“I don’t decide when she comes, she does!” Dan shouts. “Fuck. We have to go!”
“Thank God we already have the bag packed,” Karen mutters, before rushing over to Dan. “And I’m glad we decided to move your bedroom downstairs. This would have been terrible getting you down the stairs.”
“Wow, mum. Thanks,” Dan grumbles, allowing his mom to help him out of his bed.
Karen carefully helps guide Dan through the house, to the front door. She quickly hands Dan his shoes. “Don’t worry about putting those on. Just hold onto them. I’ll go grab your bag,” she tells him, rushing into the living room to pack the baby bag for the hospital.
Dan pulls out his phone while waiting, going onto the male Carriers group chat and typing in all caps ‘WAKE UP FUCKERS, I’M GOING INTO LABOR’
garebare: holy shit!!!!!! it’s finally happening! i fucking called it dude
andy: omgomgomgomgomg
phil: IT’S THREE IN THE MORNING DAN
danny boi: i don’t fucking make the rules danny boi: you better get your asses to the hospital or we’re not friends anymore
marky poo: oh shit phil u better hurry otherwise you’ll never get that date with danny
phil: i’m actually going to kill you marcus
garebare: LMAOOOO garebare: also we’re coming dan, don’t worry! ANDREW WE HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL
andy: yeah, i can see that, dummy
Dan unfortunately doesn’t have time to reply to Marcus’s date comment, his mother quickly claiming that giving birth to his daughter is more important than whatever is going on in a group chat.
Phil is not surprisingly the first one to arrive at the hospital, luckily getting there before Dan gives birth.
“How are you feeling?” Phil whispers, gently running his fingers through Dan’s hair.
Dan sighs, looking up at Phil with tired eyes. “I- I don’t think I can do this, Phil,” he whispers.
“Oh, which part? Giving birth? Or being a parent? Because the answer is yes you can to both of those,” Phil tells him. “I know it’s scary. I’ve been there. But, look at me. I got through.”
“You almost fucking bit that nurses head off during Amelia’s birth,” Dan reminds him.
“Okay, let’s not bring that up,” Phil grumbles.
Dan snorts, and then he shakes his head. “I’m scared, Phil. Like, really fucking scared,” he admits, taking a shaky breath. “I don’t know if I can do this alone. I don’t know the first thing about raising a kid.’
“Dan, you’re going to be fine,” Phil tries to assure him. “Just remember everything we learned in those classes we took for months. Besides, you’re not alone. Your mum is there for you. I’m here for you, okay? I’m always going to be there for you. I mean, you’re kind of stuck with me forever now.” He smiles as he reaches down and gently grabs Dan’s hand, squeezing it tightly.
Dan smiles, unable to stop his cheeks from turning a bright shade of pink. “Gee, how’d I get so lucky?”
Phil rolls his eyes fondly. “Just think, our kids will get to grow up together. They’re going to be BFF’s. That’ll be nice, won’t it? By the way, did you come up with a name yet?”
“I think I’m going to go with Faith,” Dan tells him.
“That’s beautiful. How did you come up with Faith?” Phil asks softly.
“You’re the reason that I’m even still here right now. You had faith in me. Mum had faith in me,” Dan says. “I mean, it only makes perfect sense that I name her Faith.”
Phil smiles, and leans down to peck Dan on the lips. “I think Faith is a lovely name,”
“Hey, do you think the others will ever figure out that we’ve been dating for like, a month now?” Dan asks.
Phil laughs loudly, and shakes his head. “Honestly, I have no idea, babe, but it’s absolutely hilarious watching them try to get us together. They have no idea,”
****
“She’s absolutely beautiful, Dan!” Garrett shouts quietly as he stares at the baby in his arms in awe. “You’ve done a wonderful job. We’re so fucking proud of y- ow!”
“Don’t swear, there’s a fucking baby in the room. Idiot,” Andrew hisses, glaring at his husband.
Dan chuckles softly as he watches the pair, leaning his head back against the pillow, exhaustion finally coming over him. He’s just spent twelve hours in labor, but he’s happy. Seeing his newborn daughter, happy and healthy, is worth it. He’s never been happier than in this moment.
“Mr. Howell, you have a visitor-”
Dan instantly lifts his head from his pillow. “Who else could possibly want to see-?” He doesn’t get to finish his sentence, because he’s too stunned when he sees who walks through the door. “A- Aaron?”
“Hey, babe,” the man greets. “Couldn’t miss the birth, could I?”
“What?” Andrew shouts, glaring at the man. “Oh hell no. You have no right to be in this room!” He starts walking forward, but Phil quickly stops him, grabbing him and pulling him back. “I’ve got it, Andrew.” Phil storms over to Aaron, the man who broke his boyfriend’s heart and left him in the dark when he needed him the most. He’s heard horrid stories about this man for months. “I don’t know who you think you are-”
“I think I’m the father of that child,” Aaron snaps.
Phil punches Aaron straight in the face, shocking everyone in the room. “You’re a piece of shit, is what you are. You ever step foot near Dan or that little girl ever again, I swear you’ll regret it,” he threatens. “Now I think you should leave, because there are four other men in here who would love to throw punches at the man who hurt our friend. Scram,” Phil smirks as he watches Aaron scurry away. He turns around and blinks a few times when he sees everyone staring at him in shock. “What? He had that coming, and no one hurts my boyfriend and gets away with it.”
It’s silent for a moment.
“Aha! I fucking knew it! You two are together!” Marcus exclaims, throwing his arms up in victory.
“Language!” The other four men shout simultaneously.
“Mum, I think we better start working on that swear jar,” Dan comments, looking over at his mom.
“Don’t worry, sweetie. I’m already on it,” Karen says, earning laughs from everyone in the room.
#phanfiction#phanfic#phan#au#fluff#mpreg#strangerstolovers#this has absolutely nothing to do with valentines day#but oh well
35 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fem!Reader and Micah p2
This fic is now on AO3 as well, called “Did Ya Hear?”
https://archiveofourown.org/works/16901778/chapters/39705471
Now here’s part 2 cuz I really wanted to type it out right away.
The next day, you woke up, thankful that you didn’t have as bad of a hangover you thought you would.
You stood up quickly, reminding yourself of how important the day would be for you, first you had to find someone to help you out. You got up and saw most of the gang was already up, eating breakfast.
“Mornin, everyone.” You said, sitting down after getting some coffee.
“Mornin’ (Y/N)!” Mary-Beth greeted, scooting closer to you. “I heard you guys had a good time last night. Wish I stayed up and joined.”
“Oh, well, it was just a few beers between girls. Not that big of a deal.”
“Yes but the stories I must’ve missed. (Y/N), sweetheart, if there’s anythin’ you want to talk about, you just come to me, ok?”
You blinked. Mary-Beth was always kind to you, but not like that. “Thanks, Mary-Beth. I’ll be sure to remember that, then.” she smiled at you before going back to her book.
As you ate, you noticed everyone would glance at you now and then, smiling occasionally. Even Strauss would look up from his notes. Although, Karen and Tilly seemed to be the opposite, eating quietly and quickly, rarely looking at you.
You were still so confused when Reverend Swanson sat down beside you. “My girl, who knew you’re worse than I am with a bottle in your hand.”
Oh? Oh.
Oh no.
You stood up, eyes wide, staring at all of them. “Oh my god! You all know!?”
Karen immediately stood up. “It weren’t my fault, sweetie! Uncle woke up and blabbed to everyone!”
The drunk stood up next. “Now hold on, I only told Lenny! And Javier cuz you know, he was right there.”
You shook your head, covering your blushing face with your hands. “I don’t wanna hear anymore! Does, does he know?” You had to ask. You ran everything in your head, if you left now, you could escape to South America, change your name and-
“Now that was an ominous soundin ‘he’, d’ya mean Dutch or your sweetheart Micah?”
You wanted to scream at Uncle. “He ain’t my- Wait, wait, Dutch knows!?”
“What would Dutch know?”
Hearing that voice made you want to run. Far away and as fast as you could. Maybe Hosea could give you a horse. Any horse.
“Ah, there you are Micah.” Now in front of you was Dutch, and you still refused to look at the man behind you. “And (Y/N), you picked that extra gunman yet?”
You perked up, trying to distract yourself from the man behind you. But before you could say a word, that man spoke up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s going on? Why she need someone with her?” And now he was right beside you.
“Coach robbery, Micah. Maybe you could go with her.”
No. No. No. Nope. Not happening. “Dutch, I was just about to ask Javier to go with me.” You said, and honestly he was really just the first person you saw when you finally looked up towards Dutch.
But then Micah had to put his hand on your shoulder and you swore you heard Mary-Beth squeal.
“Nah, I’ll take ya.” He said and any other time you would’ve been thrilled but oh my god did he know?
You shook your head. “You must be tired. You just came back, right? One of the other boys can take me.”
Micah rolled his eyes. “Darlin-’” And hear you were sure you heard a squeal that time. “In case you forgot, Arthur and the rest here are deputies now, can’t be seen doin’ some… non-deputy type of work. As for Javier, Lenny, and Charles, well, you’ve seen how they treat their kinda folk around here.”
“Oh, I don’t think Sean-”
“What is with ‘ya girl? I’m a better shot than they all are anyway. Come on, you can tell me about this little coach on the way.” Micah let go of your shoulder and was already walking towards Baylock.
That was that, apparently.
You looked back at everyone else in camp. The girls were smiling, and the guys were snickering. Dutch though, looked very impatient.
“Go on, then. If he tries anything on ya, you let us know.” Ok, maybe Dutch didn’t know. And hopefully neither did Micah.
Hopefully.
You nodded at Dutch, then looked at Karen and Tilly. “I love ya gals, but this ain’t over.” And with that, you walked away, towards him.
“All right, pay up.” Strauss announced, as everyone started handing him a dollar each.
Dutch narrowed his eyes at the loan shark. “What’s all this, then?”
Strauss shrugged. “I suppose there’s no harm to it now. It’s (Y/N), she has feelings for Mr. Bell, apparently.”
The gangleader waved him off. “No, I know that, I heard Swanson screamin’ it earlier. I meant, what’s with the money?”
“A friendly wager. We all knew about the robbery today, and I simply bet that Mr. Bell would volunteer himself to help the poor girl.”
“And you’re the only one who made that bet?”
Strauss nodded, pocketing the money. “Indeed. If anyone else was more observant around here, they’d notice that her feelings aren’t exactly one-sided.”
Hearing that made the girls giggle as Dutch also gave a soft chuckle. “Well, Herr Strauss, I only have one request.”
“And what is that?”
“I gave the idea to Micah to go with her. I want my cut.”
You arrived a little ways east of Rhodes, towards Saint Denis. Far enough from the town to not cause too much suspicion. The coach was due to pass by in a few more minutes, based on what you heard. The whole ride there, you simply explained the plan to Micah. Nothing else. Purely business.
“So, what was all that back at camp?”
Well, it was purely business.
You gave him the most innocent face you could muster up. “Whaddaya mean? I didn’t notice much.”
He scoffed. “Don’t give me that bullshit. ‘Sides, I heard somethin’ interestin about you from Bill while I was ridin back.”
You were going to kill Williamson.
But first, innocent face. “Oh? What’s that?”
Micah grinned. “It’s fine, miss. Won’t change much of how I see ya.”
That… wasn’t exactly what you were expecting to hear. “It, it won’t?”
“Nah, so what? It happens. The same if it’d been any of the other girls, ain’t that big of a deal.”
You felt your heart break. It would’ve been the same with any of the other girls? Well, maybe not with Abigail. That lucky bitch. Well, might as well move on sooner than later.
Didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt though.
“Hey, looks like your information is good, darlin’, there’s the coach now.” Micah said, breaking you from your thoughts.
And it was. It was a coach delivering payroll to a factory in Saint Denis. There were a few guards behind it. You let out a deep breath, back to business. Heartache could wait, later, when you had another bottle of beer in your hand.
“Let’s get goin’ then.”
You spurred on your horse, hearing Micah do the same behind you. The dynamite was already planted on the road. All you had to do was shoot it. It was a perfect shot and chaos soon erupted soon after. With the coach down, you both just had to deal with the few guards left.
“Whoo! Thrillin’ ain’t it, (Y/N)?” Micah said, as you both continued shooting. Your aim could’ve been better, but soon they were all down. And you could’ve smiled from how well that went, if you weren’t so pissed off by that other circumstance
You entered the coach, looking for the lockbox. It had tipped over so you had to jump in to grab it. You were just about to bang your gun against the lock when you heard a noise.
“Oh hey there, feller. Seems you just jacked our score here.” You couldn’t see who it was, but you were sure it was a Lemoyne raider.
You heard Micah chuckle. “Well, I got here first, friend. Fair’s fair.”
Did he just say I? Did they not know you were there inside?
“That’s your first mistake, then. Comin’ in alone. You must be an amateur, huh? An amateur that got lucky with a stick of dynamite.”
You had to stop yourself from snickering, did they just call Micah Bell an amateur? But you had heard enough, it was time to save Micah. You peeked around and saw three pairs of legs. Standing up, you shot the man with his gun aimed at Micah. While the blonde took out his two revolvers and downed the two others.
You both holstered your guns, and you jumped out of the coach, dropping the lockbox onto the ground.
“Ya did good back there, darlin. Real good.” Micah said, as he watched you open the lockbox.
“Thanks. Hosea’s a good teacher.” You said, thankful your voice didn’t crack when he called you darlin’ again.
“How are you in a knife fight, though?”
You stood up, handing him his cut, not wanting to look him in his stupid blue eyes. “Could be better, I guess.”
“Maybe I could teach ‘ya a bit more about it then?”
You would’ve been thrilled, but knowing that he couldn’t return your feelings only made it hurt. You simply shrugged. “Sure, if ‘ya got the time, I guess. Anyway, shouldn’t we be splittin up by now? Law could be on the way.”
He grabbed your arm before you could make it to your horse and cry on the way to camp. “Whoa, whoa, hold on, (Y/N). We ain’t gotta split up if we’re fast enough. C’mon, I can go back with you.’
No.
“No, I’d rather go alone.” You said, but Micah still refused to let you go.
“What’s with that attitude all of a sudden?” He asked, annoyed, and you refused to acknowledge what could also possibly be concern from him.
“It’s nothin, Micah. Adrenaline rush from my first job, I might just be crashin’ from it.” You felt his hold slacken and used that moment to get away. You got up on your horse and started riding. Unfortunately, Micah was a stubborn man and followed you.
“Hey! Is this cuz of what I said earlier? I didn’t mean to offend ya, miss.”
You scoffed, lifting your head up and willing your tears to stay the hell away. “Didn’t mean to offend? Yes of course. I reckon that’s what you say to all the girls who like ‘ya.”
“...What?”
“Sure I may be sweet on ya, but to compare me to them other girls in camp? I thought we were friends, at least. I don’t know.”
“Hold on, (Y/N), hold on-”
“Leave me alone, Micah.”
“Listen to me darlin’!”
You stopped your horse, and turned to face him, glaring at him. “Do not call me that. Cuz I clearly ain’t your ‘darlin’. If you think you can just-”
“He told me you got drunk!” Micah suddenly yelled.
That made you pause. You blinked twice. “Wha- what?”
“Bill, all he told me was you sing loud if you got enough to drink. That’s all.”
You were really going to kill Williamson. Of course that’s what he’d pick up. You didn’t know what else to do. All that anger, for nothing.
You saw Micah get off his horse and approach you. He had his arms extended towards you. “Now come on and get down here.” he said.
“Why would I do that?”
He didn’t wait though, and grabbed you by your waist, you were so surprised that you didn’t fight back once he got you down and placed his lips on yours.
You tensed, but soon relaxed into the kiss, when it became very clear he wasn’t stopping anytime soon. You placed your arms around his neck and kissed him back. Micah for his part, held you even tighter. You refused to let go, afraid this was all just some kind of cruel joke.
And you just never knew with Micah.
It soon ended though. But the look Micah gave you, his blue eyes staring right at you, it made your heart beat so fast.
“That’s what I really think about your feelins darlin’.”
You laughed breathlessly. “Wh-what?”
He grinned, the same one that made you fall for him in the first place. “I’m sayin’, that I like you too. For a while now, actually. Me askin’ to teach you how to use a knife, well, that’s when I was supposed to make my move.”
You smiled even wider. “Why, Micah Bell. Who knew you were such a romantic?”
Micah chuckled. “If that’s what it takes to get you, darlin.” He gave you another kiss, then peppered your neck with more.
You couldn’t help the small moan that came out. “Micah, we should get back to camp.”
He stopped the kisses, and placed his forehead on yours. “Actually, darlin’, we just came into some money. I reckon we head into town, and rent ourselves a room. How’s that sound?”
“Sounds like a plan, Mr. Bell.”
This isn’t the end though! One more part should be up soon.
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
Stay
And here’s your second surprise of the day from me @bouncybrittonie :D
This has been a very long time coming. Like. A year and a half. I had to go through our tumblr private messages until March 2017 (well really it was february 28th 2017 but the convo lasted until it became march 1st) to find the plot bunny and make sure I wasn’t forgetting key points for this. I had to take 43 screenshots on my phone just so I wouldn’t have to scroll 10 minutes everytime I wanted to look at that plot bunny.
So yeah context for everyone else. And also you because you might remember what I am talking about or you might have completely forgotten that I once said I was going to write this since I very much not wrote it until now.
I once saw these pics of Colin Firth and was attacked by the idea of a Harry Hart who had retired from Kingsman and cut ties with his old life entirely, deciding to go live on the other side of the world. And then a year later or so, Eggsy, who is still a Knight, meets him by chance at the end of a mission and what I’ve written in this fic happen... And more :3 Because yes of course, this is a verse. The Come Back (Home) verse
Besides that, the only thing you need to know is that when we first started discussing this, we had of course, not seen the sequel since it would only come out months later. So at first it was supposed to be an au. Now, it’s tied to the sequel in that most of the events of TGC happened except Eggsy’s relationship with Tilde because while I love Tilde, there’s no place for her in this particular story.
Also a huge THANK YOU to @insanereddragon for being the awesome beta and cheerleader that she is. This story wouldn’t be what it is now without you either. Seriously, credits for this goes like at least 50% to both Red and Britt.
Stay
They nearly walk by without seeing the other, the only reason they do in the end is because Eggsy has to suddenly sidestep a wandering child and would have tripped on his own feet if it wasn’t for the hand shooting out and righting him at the last moment.
He turns around to thank the stranger only to realise that a stranger the man is not, even if he’s barely recognizable from the last memory he has of him.
Some of it is the beard and the eyepatch, but mostly, it’s how he’s dressed. No suit, not even nice trousers or cardigans. He doesn’t look bad, but instead of a gentleman, he gives off the impression of someone who just came back from a camping trip and wants to stay in that mindset.
“Harry…”
They must look pretty stupid, standing like this in the middle of the sidewalk and he hears some groans as people move around them, but he couldn’t care less.
“Eggsy,” the way Harry says his name makes him shiver like it always did.
Before either of them can say anything more however, they’re interrupted by the angry muttering of a passerby.
“C’est sûr que le milieu du chemin c’est la meilleure place où s’arrêter.”
By the time either of them react, the passerby is already long gone, but the moment is well and truly broken. Eggsy might only have a passing knowledge of French, but even he can understand the gist of what was said. And even if he still doesn’t care, one look at Harry’s sheepish expression is enough to remind him that the man is still a gentleman even if he doesn’t dress the part anymore.
They walk a short distance until they aren’t blocking off anyone’s path, but it’s as if neither of them knows how to start again.
It should make him feel self-conscious, but Eggsy simply feels giddy. It’s been nearly a year since he last saw Harry and nearly the same amount of time since he’s had any news of him. Not that they haven’t tried to keep in touch, but spy work is busy work and now that Harry has retired, there are too many things Eggsy has to keep to himself.
“I hope I am not keeping you from doing anything urgent.”
He wants nothing more than to reassure Harry that he has all the time in the world for him, but he had unfortunately been about to take a taxi to the airport to catch his flight. Before he can say anything however, he hears the familiar click of someone logging into the specific frequency of his glasses.
“Galahad, it seems there was a mistake and that your plane only leaves tomorrow.”
He’s not stupid. He knows there is no way Merlin could have made this kind of mistake. But he knows better than to point it out, knows better than to thank him out loud for his meddling. He’ll bring him back a bottle of the good stuff instead.
“No nothing urgent. Seems I’m free until tomorrow. You wouldn’t know how I can pass the time, would you?”
“I might… Would you care joining me for dinner?” He words it like a question, but the arm he confidently offers Eggsy proves he has no doubt as to his answer.
Eggsy doesn’t waste time with words, just links his arm with Harry’s, pressing their sides together with a happy sigh.
They walk closer than should be appropriate, at least for gentlemen such as themselves, but as long as Harry doesn’t push him away, Eggsy’s going to take everything he can get.
Needless to say, Harry gives no indication of wanting any kind of distance between them.
*
They’ve left the gray of the downtown skyscrapers for the red bricks of townhouses and duplexes of a more residential area. It’s different from London of course, but close enough that Eggsy feels himself relax anyway.
He’s not a fool though. He knows that a big part of that is because he’s with Harry, the man always having been able to put him at ease even in the most dire of situations. But another part is because this feels like being home.
Now, would he feel otherwise without Harry at his side? Probably, but it’s not something he wants to contemplate right now.
Harry leads him to a little cafe that’s away from the busy center of this particular neighborhood, but obviously still quite popular, at least with the locals. The tables on the little terrace are nearly all occupied as well as a handful inside, even if it’s during that weird time that is too late for lunch and too early for dinner.
Harry walks them inside where the air is blessedly cooler than right under the warmth of the late spring sun. The table they sit at is away from the rest of the clientele and Eggsy can understand why this cafe would be a favourite to many. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s obviously well taken for, with comfortable chairs and slightly mismatched tables. The walls are lined with photography, but it feels like they’re being exposed rather than being part of the decor. He recognizes some of the landscapes he’d seen during his mission and feels a pang of regret that he couldn’t take the time to appreciate them as much as the creator of the photographs obviously did.
Before he can continue his musings however, a waitress comes to greet them with a friendly smile. It’s entirely genuine, which could be strange, if not for the familiar way she’s speaking with Harry. Sure, he’s not the best in French, but he still can get by and pick up on tone, theirs fond and teasing as they exchange pleasantries.
“Et qui est ton jeune ami?”
“Karen, je te présente Eggsy. Eggsy, this is Karen.”
They shake hands and already he’s won over by the fact she doesn’t make any comment about his name.
They continue their conversation for a bit, in English this time, even if Eggsy makes an effort to use the little French he’s learned over the years. It turns out to be more than he thought, which really shouldn’t come as such a surprise. He’s got a knack for languages and the only reason he’s not fluent is because no mission has called for French in particular before.
“La même chose que d’habitude?” Karen asks in the end with a knowing smile and Harry nods, amused by what is clearly a little ritual between them.
“Deux fois, s’il te plaît.”
They’re left alone again, or at least, as alone as they can be in a public place.
But with Harry right in front of him, eye filled with a fondness that would leave him with shaky legs if he wasn’t already sitting, their little corner feels as intimate as Harry’s house had felt during their twenty four hours together a lifetime ago.
There is a lot he wants to say, a lot he wants to ask, but it’s like all words are lost to him. It would frustrate him, but Harry seems as incapable of speech as he is and for some reason, it’s oddly reassuring
“I missed you,” Eggsy says, breaking the silence. But it’s entirely unwillingly, the words leaving his lips before he’s even had the time to really think them.
He feels a blush creeping up his cheeks at Harry’s slightly shocked expression, even though it soon softens with affection, which doesn’t help at all with his blush.
“I’ve missed you too Eggsy.” The words aren’t whispered and he doesn’t look embarrassed, just incredibly fond. No, what makes Eggsy look away from too many emotions is having Harry cover his hands with his own above the table, the way he links their fingers together. It seems so simple, like it’s not something Eggsy has imagined doing more times than he dares to admit without ever having the courage to actually do it.
The moment is broken when Karen comes back with a teapot and cups, but Harry doesn’t let go, simply grinning smugly when she winks at them knowingly before leaving again.
When he feels him start to move, Eggsy clings to Harry, an irrational fear that he’ll just get up and leave seizing him, making it hard to breath.
“I’ll just take care of the tea before it over steeps.”
He feels a bit like an idiot and makes to let go immediately, but Harry simply refuses to release his right hand now, expertly serving them tea with only one hand. Gods, he had forgotten just how much of a show off he could be.
And just how much he actually loves him for it.
They’re still holding hands when he finally takes a sip, sighing in surprised contentment at how it tastes and feels just like home.
“Fuck, that’s good.”
“They let me keep my own stash here since I’m a regular patron.”
He makes an inquiring sound, but his lips are still on the edge of the cup, gulping in the familiar scent like he can't the hot liquid held within.
“I come here a few times a week. I’m not short on time to cook, but it’s hard to resist their good food when I live in the flat just above.”
The hint of loneliness when he says it implies that he comes here for more than just the food, but Eggsy respectfully doesn’t mention it.
Even though he wishes it could be otherwise, he’s accepted Harry’s decision to make a clean cut with his old life after Poppygeddon. Besides Merlin, he can’t think of anyone who deserves the peace more.
At the time, it had hurt of course. Still does. Mostly because it means Harry moved halfway across the world. That Eggsy couldn’t just come home from a mission and meet up with him.
But it was the choice that Harry made and it’s not Eggsy’s place to try and change his mind.
After all, staying would have brought its own difficulties, its own hardships.
The important thing is that he’s happy now.
Of that, Eggsy has no doubt, even after spending a mere hour with him. The knowledge fills him with a quiet contentment that acts like a balm for his aching heart.
He’ll never stop dreaming of the many lives they could have shared together, but he still considers himself lucky.
He won’t ever get to call Harry his, but it’s okay.
He had gone through a whole year thinking Harry was dead before his miraculous return among the living. To this day, he’s still not sure how he kept on going.
So between knowing Harry is spending the rest of his days as he pleases and visiting an empty grave, it’s kind of an easy choice for Eggsy.
Before he can think of the million of reasons he shouldn’t, Eggsy raises the hand he’s been holding on all along and bring it close to his lips so he can press a reverent kiss against Harry’s knuckles.
He hears Harry’s sharp intake of breath even over the blood that’s rushing through his ears and drinks in the way Harry’s cheeks turn slightly pink. It feels like a reward for his daring gesture and he doesn’t even try to stop grinning.
“I was thinking-” Harry tightens his grip lightly before continuing, as if he too fears the moment will slip through his fingers if he’s not careful enough, “- I was thinking, you could sleep there tonight, if you don’t have any other arrangements.”
He doesn’t have any and they both know it, or at least, Harry must strongly suspect it, but it doesn’t stop Eggsy from answering.
“I’d like that. A lot.”
It’s a good thing Karen comes back with their order in that exact moment and that the crepe looks absolutely delicious.
Because if it hadn’t been for that, he’s sure Harry would have forgone food entirely and dragged him to his flat so that he could devour him instead.
*
From what he’s seen between the heavy kisses they’ve exchanged on their way to the bedroom, Harry’s flat is pretty nice. A huge living room that’s been divided into a dining room too. A kitchen that seems well furnished. He even thinks he’s seen another door towards the front of the flat that could very well open to a home office.
Quite frankly though, he doesn’t really care about any of it.
What’s important is Harry’s skin under his fingers and his moans in his ears, two things he cannot get enough of.
If it hadn’t defeated the purpose of taking a shower after round four, he would be tempted to see if they can get a sixth round in before sleeping and trying out for morning sex, but even he doesn’t have that kind of stamina. Though he wouldn’t be surprised if Harry does. Not after tonight.
And anyway, if he’s being completely honest, he doesn’t want to give up on their snuggling together.
He’s seen Harry lost to passion a lot in the last few hours, either in this very same bed or in the shower, when washing each other inevitably turned to teasing which in turn led to round five.
But a sleepy Harry, all warm and affectionate… That’s a new first and he wants to commit it to memory.
They’ve been exchanging soft kisses for what must be an hour already, mostly because Eggsy cannot get enough of the feeling of Harry’s beard against his skin. It’s still not a look he would have imagined on Harry in a million years, but that doesn’t make him any less handsome. And Eggsy will have some reminders of just how much he actually likes the beard left on the sensitive skin of his inner thighs for days to come.
But now, exhaustion after what can only be called a sex marathon is finally taking its toll on both of them.
He’ll fight sleep for as long as he can though, unwilling to waste even a second of his time with Harry.
Harry with his bed hair and without his eye patch. His milky white eye is still as blind as it was a year ago, but instead of reminding Eggsy of the ugly way they had left each other before Harry’s brush with death, it’s a reminder that Harry came back. Even if he didn’t stay, even if he’s on the other side of the world, he’s still there, stubborn as ever.
He looks so relaxed now, not so much vulnerable as open. He’s not hiding anything from Eggsy now. He’s stripped down out of his armor and shed all of his masks.
Here, in this quiet moment seemingly out of time itself, he’s simply Harry.
With gentle fingers Harry starts brushing the lines of his face, his touch feather-like. It could be sensual, but Eggsy rather feels like something precious and cherished than the object of Harry’s desire.
Not that he doubts he is all of these things to him.
It’s just that right now, Harry sees him just as Eggsy sees Harry.
Right now, they are simply two men in love.
Harry’s fingers hover above his lips and Eggsy doesn’t resist the temptation to kiss the tips, to lean into the contact.
They haven’t talked since they’ve come back to bed after their shower and there’s still a lot he wants to say, but he knows that right now, were he to open his mouth, there would be only one thing that would leave his lips.
Come back home with me.
But he can’t do that to Harry. He can’t ask him to abandon the life he’s built for himself. Eggsy’s many thing, but selfish isn’t one of them. He can’t ask someone to make a sacrifice he himself is unwilling to make.
Harry’s other hand trails up his arm, tugging gently until Eggsy is lying half on top of him, head tucked under his chin. Before he can let go however, Eggsy grabs at his hand and links their fingers together. In their little cocoon of warmth and affection, he can feel himself losing the battle against sleep, but even then, he wants to hold onto the moment, hold onto Harry.
Morning and the end of this dream will come too soon.
He closes his eyes against the prickle of tears and if Harry feels them rolling over the skin of his throat, he doesn’t say anything.
Much like Eggsy pretends he cannot feel the silent word Harry’s lips are forming against his temple.
Stay.
***
Translation for the french
“C’est sûr que le milieu du chemin c’est la meilleure place où s’arrêter.”
“Sure, the middle of road is the best place to stop.”
“Et qui est ton jeune ami?”
“And who’s your young friend?”
“Karen, je te présente Eggsy.”
“Karen, meet Eggsy.”
“La même chose que d’habitude?”
“The usual?”
“Deux fois, s’il te plaît.”
“Twice, please.”
21 notes
·
View notes