#this is the third time this week this has happened

[insertdisc5]

TIMELOOP GAMES REAL!??!??!!

hi i made a timeloop game called In Stars and Time and this is a whole post about other timeloop games you can also play.

some i liked. some i loved. some i didnt like. all are worth playing and like also listen the second friends and family heard i was making a timeloop game, i got bombarded with timeloop media recs. so here is a sampler in no particular order! NOTE: knowing some of those games are timeloop games is a spoiler. but. you are here. for timeloop games. so timeloop games you shall have

Outer Wilds

If you need to play one timeloop game, it's this one. Please play it blind. I swear to god you won't regret it. it's timeloops in space!!! it makes you think!!! there are so many "HOLY SHIT WAIT I GET IT NOW" moments!!! please just go play it please please please. some of the best environmental storytelling in a game. so many hints in plain sight. JUST PLAY IT

[way more timeloop games under the cut]

Oxenfree

I didn't actually like Oxenfree very much. But also it stayed in my mind for weeks after I finished playing it. that's how you know it's a good game. I really enjoyed the dialogue system in this, and how much the loop affected the characters. and it got so spooky!!!

Hikeback

i'm in the credits for this one because i was one of the inspirations heehee <3 i loved playing it… short little game about trust, self-sabotage, and never-ending cycles. highly recommend it

The Stanley Parable

Listen babes it absolutely counts. I replayed it a bunch while making ISAT, and I got immensely inspired by the dialogue, and how it catches you off guard sometimes? You get SO SO used to the narrator's "All of his coworkers were gone. What could it mean?" at the start of every game, and then for no reason instead it says "A soft wind blew outside and perhaps rain started, and if it did it stopped shortly after. Stanley hoped that he would one day see weather." like WHAT THE FUUUUCK IM GETTING CHILLS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

12 minutes

ok i know we all made fun of this game when it came out because the story is batshit insane HOWEVER!!!!!!!! i REALLY REALLY LOVED how doing the same actions multiple times would have slightly different outcomes. If you battle someone, the first time you get knocked out in one hit and the loop restarts. the second time you try, you evade the first hit, but get knocked out. the third time, you last a little bit longer, and a little bit longer, until you can pretty much hold your own against your enemy. And it applies to so many things in this. Retrying different things to see how they would change was a delight.

this game is also so bad its almost good, and if you're interested you HAVE to play it with friends so you can yell about how bad it is together.

Zero Escape

it's just a good series ok. escape rooms, and also time loops! the 3rd game in particular goes deep into The Math of how timeloops would work, which i think is interesting. sometimes timeloop games just go "yeah you can timeloop dont worry about it" and others go "OK HERE'S THE HOW AND WHY IT WORKS" and both are interesting!

START AGAIN: a prologue

this game has almost everything i could wish for in a timeloop game. depression. lines repeating. dying brings you back. you get new levels and skills because you're aware of the loops but your party members don't. so you get overpowered next to them and they Notice. just. party members who dont know about the loops still noticing something is wrong. you are acting differently than yesterday. you look sad. you are acting weird. you know too much. how did you know where the keys were? how did you know this would happen? what's wrong? talk to us. and oh my god this game has a sequel? which will probably have Actually Everything i could wish for in a timeloop game? i can't wait. who made this? (its me i made this)

Ghost Trick

ok its not really time loops and more time travel and only for 4 minutes HOWEVER!!!! you should play it. you know you should play it because everyone says so. so go play it

Elsinore

im sure its a great game but ive never seen/read hamlet. so thats a failing on my part. because. you absolutely need to know hamlet to understand this game lol i did like the whole "make sure to find out which events are Important and which ones aren't so you can have The Perfect Loop"! very fun. or it would be. if i. knew. hamlet

The Forgotten City

a friend kept recommending it to me and i didn't like it. its good! just not for me. but if you like to think a lot you should play it. another "make sure to find out which events are Important and which ones aren't so you can have The Perfect Loop" game

Gnosia

Gonna be real. I didn't like the story very much, in part because the game lets you choose your gender but still acts like youre a straight dude. HOWEVER the gameplay was very inspiring to me. Every loop is pretty much just an among us meeting, and you have to find out who the imposters are or everyone dies and you loop again. and sometimes you ARE the imposter, so you need to make sure no one finds out. or you loop again. rules get added as time goes on too. i REALLY loved how quickly the loops stacked up. seeing "loop 100" was such a nice moment. ive been here so long! i tried to recreate that somewhat for my own game…

Loop Hero

Technically not a timeloop game, but a loop game. It still absolutely counts because it's about loops and memories, and what are loops and memories together if not a timeloop. You have your little guy going through a closed loop, battling enemies, getting cards, and making the world whole again by using those cards to make forests, towns, lakes come to life. I am famously a Story First Gameplay Second kinda player, but I did play this 45h for the gameplay alone. I learned a lot about battle balancing and randomness by playing this!

You and Me and Her: A Love Story

you know doki doki litterature club? this came before. and one might say. it's. better. in some parts (and i say that as someone who LOVED ddlc!) i won't say much except it's a dating sim but with timeloops. with a lot of what it implies. why are you dating this girl a second time? a third time? a fourth time? choose another one already! it was such a fascinating game to play, and is incredibly meta in the way it talks about dating sims and visual novels. had a lot of very impactful moments however, i played the hentai version. some of the worst, most cringy sex ive ever read and heard. however, one might say the sex is an integral part of the game and its deconstruction of hentai/dating sims…? no. just play the steam version which doesnt have the horrible sex scenes and you will have a great time i think (or play the hentai version. if you like. to watch. horrible sex scenes???)

Higurashi

knowing this is a timeloop game is a massive spoiler. however, this game is more than a decade old, so,,, honestly if you havent played higurashi what are you doing. i know i just spoiled you on it but i was also spoiled on it and i can GUARANTEE YOU that you will still have an amazing time. one more thing. you gotta play with the original sprites or you're a fake fan

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

starts as a visual novel/management sim/dating sim kinda thing, until you realize that every replay is a new timeline. so the main character can save people, because they remembered about them dying in a previous one. i wish the timeloop would affect the game/story more (let me find a certain character quicker once ive found them in a previous playthrough!!!), but timeloop aside, it's a very fun game to play!!!

that's it! hope you will find a nice timeloop game you like

[misfit0789]

Miserable

Alessia Russo x Reader

Summary: R is tired of being left out at work so they talk to Alessia about it.

Word count: ~ 1k words

Warnings: Shitty bosses, other than that none

Just a short one while I work on a couple longer fics.

Y/n POV

"Y/n, I'll see you at the party tomorrow, right? The one we got for finishing that training?" I look up from the report I'm working on to see my supervisor leaning on my desk. I push back my chair and lean back in my seat looking at him.

"I never knew there was a party even happening. I knew there was a possibility of one but not that one was happening," I say confused. He looks at me surprised.

"Really? I'll forward you the invite," He stands and returns to his desk. I roll my chair back to face my computer and open my email waiting for the invite to arrive in my inbox. I refresh the page and open the email once it loads. I scoff lightly when I see the invite was originally sent two weeks ago.

Seriously? This is the third time I've been left off something in two weeks!

"Thanks for sending it over. I was one of the first done with the training I'm confused how I was missed on the invite." I call back to him as my desk cube is in front of him only separated by the divider.

"I'm not sure, but at least you have it now," he says going back to what he was doing. I sigh and go back to the report.

Later that afternoon…

I sat in the last meeting of the day with my supervisor and other team members who are in the office and not remote today. I open my OneNote to capture the notes from today's meeting before looking up as the lead for the meeting begins to speak.

"So, in out meeting from the other day we discussed-" I immediately stop listening when the other meeting is mentioned the notes long forgotten.

I was never in another meeting with these people. I thought this was the first one.

This is getting ridiculous. I have been fere for over a year and I have been left out of almost everything that has to do with this project and yet they expect me to know what is going on. I'm over it.

I sit quietly and patiently wait for the end of the day so I can go home.

Time Skip

"Babe! You're home!" I smile hearing the voice of my girlfriend of five years.

"Hi, my love," I set my computer bag down on the bench by the door and open my arms to catch her as she runs to me from the kitchen. I wrap my arms around her body tucking my head into her neck, as her arms wrap around my neck holding me close to her. I let out a sigh of relief in her arms tightening my hold on her waist. She holds me having a sense that I need this.

"Rough day?" She whispers into the quiet between us. I nod, she turns her head pressing a kiss to my head. "Why don’t you go freshen up, we'll order take out and spend the night in bed. I nod again and reluctantly release her from my hold before moving towards our ensuite to shower and change.

Once I was showered and changed into an old college t shirt and basketball shorts. I walk into our room to see Alessia in an old jersey of mine from when I played softball in high school and a pair of underwear. She is sat leaning against the headboard, bags from my favorite takeout place in front of her, Law and Order SVU queued up on the TV in our room. I slowly move towards my side of the bed before flopping face down into the mattress.

"What happened today, baby? I've never seen you this bad after work," Alessia asks running her fingers through my hair. I take a minute before I turn onto my side, propping my head up on my arm to look up at her.

"Remember how a few weeks ago I told you that the team was told if we completed all the training before the other teams, they'd give us a pizza party?" She nods, "Well apparently we did that and were given the party, which is tomorrow but they sent the original invite two weeks ago. And now there was other meetings besides the one they sent me to today about the project that they have not included me on. I was lost the entire meeting on what they were talking about because it was a continuation of the previous meetings. I have been with this company for over a year, and they have been excluding me from the start! My supervisor is an ass and won't tell me anything, and he seems to be avoiding me at all costs. Anytime I ask anyone on the team a question they act as if talking to me or helping me is some big inconvenience for them. I just can't take it anymore." I proclaim, dropping onto my back. I lay my arms over my eyes and release a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry baby," I feel the shift in the bed as she moves closer before feeling her hand splay across my chest. "This job was only temporary until you had everything together to be able to open the café. It's all about done now, so tomorrow call them and tell them you quit. We have enough savings to work with until we have money coming in from the café. The girls and I will help in any way that we can. There is no sense in you staying somewhere you are miserable," I remove my arms from my face to look at Alessia. When we make eye contact, she offers me a reassuring smile before she leans down to capture my lips in a kiss. I place my hands on her waist and maneuver her to be straddling my hips.

"What would I ever do without you in my life?" I whisper into the air between us once we part. She chuckles and presses another kiss to my lips before answering.

"Probably live a miserable life," I chuckle and nod before wrapping my arms around her, holding her to me as she buries her head in my neck pressing light kisses there. I let out a sigh knowing that things are going to change for the better.

[aroaceleovaldez]

What is the PR disaster in question that made Rick announce TSATS? I wasn’t active in the online fandom at that point

Of course! This was awhile ago so it figures people don't remember it/aren't familiar:

Basically a couple years back (2020) the fandom had some posts circulate discussing the ways different characters in the Riordanverse were written poorly or offensively. There was a masterpost that went around tumblr but the two major points people were particularly focusing on were Piper and Samirah (particularly because Piper had featured prominently again in Trials of Apollo recently and the third MCGA book had further emphasized and discussed Samirah being Muslim, since it was supposed to take place during Ramadan). Basically each had multiple posts breaking down the ways they were depicted incorrectly or offensively. The entire fandom for a little bit was VERY intensely discussing this (and it's around this time the "RR crit" tag got very popularized on tumblr - it did exist before, but suddenly was being used VERY frequently - cause it was that wide-spread - though the discussion took over basically every side of Riordaverse social media on different platforms). People really wanted Rick to respond to these criticisms, so he did!

He made two blog posts, one about Piper and one about Samirah. He has since deleted both so the links are to archived versions. The short version: he essentially tried to justify his poor research and double-down that he hadn't written them offensively, actually, people were just being mean to him. The fandom, of course, reacted poorly to this.

[Further elaborated events under the cut since this got a bit lengthy]

(Fun fact, this all happened within a month or so of the time i posted an open letter on aphobic tropes in the Riordanverse that Rick replied to, and then he immediately followed with announcing that Reyna was intended to be ace-coded [which cause a LOT of fandom debate] before Rick dipped for a couple of weeks, and then came back to post the blog posts in response to Piper and Sam stuff. So I like to jokingly refer to this as "The time I imploded the fandom/drove Rick off of twitter." Twas I that set the house ablaze.)

Rick fully left social media after this and the LT Musical social media manager became Rick's social media manager for the time being.

So this all happened June/July of 2020. Tower of Nero would end up being published in October of 2020 and a few months after that Rick would state that he was done with the series and wouldn't be writing any more series installments involving Percy, and also that he wouldn't be writing a Nico quest following Tower of Nero as it "wasn't his place to" and encouraged the community to write their own versions of Nico's story.

The community continued to circulate the tumblr posts and discuss the topics of Rick's offensive character depictions, and this is also where we see the dramatic shift in how the fandom depicts Piper in fanwork (though in most cases it is admittedly not an improvement 😬) because of all this discussion. This is also around the time when the fandom brought Viria under scrutiny claiming that she was whitewashing Piper as part of the same discussions, through the justification that she was drawing Annabeth as having tan skin (which she does canonically), and if Annabeth has tanner skin then Piper then that's whitewashing Piper? Except they were using completely separate images of not fully rendered Piper art versus Annabeth in dramatic lighting, so it's all very awkward and poor logic, and did actually get kind of racist. A lot of people were calling it "Tannabeth Blackchase" (yeah, i know) or similar and a common sentiment you'd see repeated is "Don't draw Annabeth as having darker skin than Piper, because that's offensive/racist/whitewashing." (Note: it was not phrased "don't draw Piper as having lighter skin than Annabeth" - we also won't get into certain offensive depictions of Native Americans, but I digress). But yeah, the Annabeth stuff in all that did not age well at all.

Anyways, in October of 2021 however Rick would announce that he was co-writing The Sun And The Star - with a lot of heavy emphasis on how Mark Oshiro works as a sensitivity reader, and some false advertising from the official social media that Mark Oshiro was the first time a non-Riordan author would be collaborating on the series (disregarding the ghostwriters completely). One of the big criticisms in the breaking down of issues in Rick's writing was his lack of ever seeking a sensitivity reader, and fans claiming that a sensitivity reader could solve a lot of the problems. This was basically Rick's "look! I totally listened!!!!" (though it did little to actually improve things, based on the book) and in TSATS as well Piper gets a large cameo at the end where the text very directly addresses a lot of points made in criticism of Rick's writing of her.

We also then of course got the CoTG trilogy later, explicitly stated to be for advertising purposes for the show.

So basically, short version: Rick came under scrutiny for a lot of offensive writing within the span of two months, made some bad blog posts doubling down about it, left social media. TOA ends. Rick says he wasn't going to continue the series/write what would become TSATS. Community celebrates the end of of the franchise but also continues to discuss Rick's poor writing and the blog posts at length. Rick suddenly announces TSATS and Mark Oshiro's involvement. Everybody gets distracted from being mad. Show announcement stuff also happens and the discussions peter out.

[stellewriites]

Part Two

Summary: When John gets an unexpected invite to his ex-wife’s wedding, he scrambles to find a suitable date to take with him to ward off old ghosts from his past.

Notes: trans John, fat reader, subtle transphobia from minor characters

John was sat in his flat watching a Match of the Day rerun for a football game he’d missed while away when his phone buzzed on the kitchen counter.

His head swivelled over to it to see if it buzzed again, determining it unimportant enough to ignore for the time being when it stayed silent. Kate always called, so it wasn’t work and anyone else that was texting him after 9pm could wait.

It buzzed a second time, then a third and a fourth in quick succession and he felt curiosity twinge at the base of his skull. He pushed himself up, ignoring when one of his knees popped, and grabbed his phone.

Your name flashed up on the screen and he opened the chat without hesitation.

>> the photos from today, don’t forget to swap them out :)

He flicked through the photos you’d sent before picking one at random to save.

John sat back on his couch and agonised over swapping his lock screen.

It was currently an old photo of Charlotte from their honeymoon, and it had stayed that way this entire time in spite of the divorce. He had kept her there even when he’d removed her photos from his desk and was unable to put any up in his new flat. His little secret. Though he knew Kate had seen it despite his best efforts to leave his civilian phone at his flat or turned off during his office hours.

But now…

He felt almost queasy as he selected the new photo. It felt like the first of many final nails in the relationship’s coffin that John would have to deal with over the next month in the lead up to Charlotte’s big day.

It felt like he was mourning a relationship already six years dead.

---

John adapted quickly to seeing your face on his phone screen at the end of the day over the next two weeks, even if he did miss seeing Charlotte’s cheery smile, and found it just as easy to accept seeing your name pop up more and more frequently when you messaged with a new question you’d thought of regarding the wedding or your fake relationship.

It was easy to talk to you, he found. Easy to let his guard down just a tinge and to try and bury the hurt he felt.

>> what’s a childhood story you’d have told me about a couple months in?

<< I fell out of a tree when I was 12, was meant to be grounded at the time so I had to walk home with broken ribs and a scraped up arm and leg. Tried to pretend nothing had happened when my mum got back from work, but it didn’t fool her.

>> i broke my arm climbing a tree too, maybe one of our dates should’ve been at a forest climbing adventure place lol

<< You wouldn’t have wanted to be wined and dined?

>> sure but it can get a little boring

>> you wouldn’t have wanted to hypothetically stare at my arse cinched in climbing gear?

>> were there food options for the wedding? like on planes? i’m not a veggie so you dodged a bullet if you chose a main with meat but i do love pasta if we’re able to swap last minute

<< Everyone loves pasta.

<< And no, think it’s an open buffet.

>> i’ll bring a doggy bag for snacks on the way home then

>> waste not, want not

<< Say that in front of my dad and he might just add you to his will.

>> this is the dress I have in mind, what do you think?

<< Good choice.

>> glowing praise, john, i’ll take that as it won’t cause a scandal among the locals

<< Don’t think you’ll be the one causing a scandal, Sunshine.

It was in a rare occasion he’d texted you first that you arranged to meet up a second time. He’d asked about the plans you’d mentioned a few days back and was currently waiting for a reply while he tried to slog through his own work.

>> was super excited for the play today but I think I might have to cancel my tickets, my friend was driving us there but her kid has gotten sick so she can’t go now :/

<< Where were you going?

>> it’s at a park on the other side of the city with the outdoor stage, i could grab a couple of buses but i don’t know if i’d make it in time

John put down the dry sandwich he was eating and looked at the meeting reports he’d been ignoring for the last ten minutes while texting you.

<< I’ll come pick you up.

>> really??

<< Sure. Send me your address and I’ll be there soon, Sunshine.

John had barely parked up outside your house before you were opening the door and giving him an excited smile and wave.

“I love stuff like this anyway, but this community group have put on some amazing portrayals of Shakespeare’s plays over the years despite their low budget and they make it so accessible with cheap tickets and the outdoor venue. It’s cut down so the teens performing have a better chance at remembering their lines, but it’s always one hell of a forty-five minute show. I think it’s Othello this time, but honestly I’d watch anything,” you rambled as you buckled your seatbelt. “It’s always good to support local art.”

“So we’re seeing Shakespeare?” John confirmed.

“It’s at the open air theatre inside the park.”

“Been a while since I went to the theatre, longer than that since I’ve been in a park.”

“What do you do in your off time?” You asked with a snort.

“Don’t get much off time,” John said easily, unbothered. It was him after all that had decided work would become his priority.

“Well then I’m glad we’re getting to see this together,” you said. “I’ve had a pretty long week too.”

“Hm?”

At his inquisitive hum you fell into complaining about your managers and the long, tiring shifts you pulled.

It didn’t take you long in the car to get to the park however and you were soon jumping out. You gaped a little when John got out and joined you at the front of the car.

“Holy hell you’re tall, shit a brick,” you said, staring. You’d noticed he was broad at the café and he seemed to fill the cab of his pick-up, but he’d been slumped and seated both times so you’d assumed he was maybe creeping just below 6’ and the rest was his attitude that made him seem all encompassing. Looking at him stood up to his full height now was something else, even as he tucked his chin down and slumped his shoulders to speak with you. “I think we’ll have to sit at the back for this or someone might complain.”

John rolled his eyes but you saw the hint of a smile play at his lips as he agreed.

You led him eagerly to the crowd you could see gathering at the entrance of the outdoor stage; the front four rows of the small open air auditorium had been unfolded for the event, suggesting the size of the crowd expected. You both elected to take a seat on the back row as others started to head to the front, but he nudged you fondly when he saw you shift excitedly waiting for it to start.

John pulled out his phone when he felt it buzz in his pocket, but put it back when he saw it was just a reminder to sort out his tux for the wedding.

“Cute pic,” you said with a sly smile when you caught his lock screen. “We should take another, might be more convincing if we have more than one photo of us doing stuff together, right?”

John leant into your side and hesitantly wrapped his arm around you, stiff where it draped over the back of your seat, for the photo.

You were no better, your smile suddenly tight at the corners as you took a quick snap. You held your breath until he moved back, his aftershave surprisingly enticing and the warmth and weight of his arm too inviting.

It wouldn’t do for you to become attracted to John, not that it was something you could control, you knew. But maybe if you just wished it hard enough it wouldn’t make the weekend away with him more difficult than it had to be; falling for a man still blatantly in love with his ex never ended well for anyone.

You smiled a little weakly at him when nudged you again, nodding at the community group making their way onto the stage in front of the clapping crowd.

Maybe attraction would be fine you decided, already knowing how impulsively forgetful and weak-willed you got when your vibrator was between your legs - you could already imagine his name slipping through loose lips, and you couldn’t blame yourself for it as you sneakily took in his side profile - just as long as there were no real feelings from your side.

---

You’d graduated from texting to calling when John mentioned one night that he found it hard to multitask while at work. You’d offered to leave him alone and talk to him once he was done later but he’d been quick to interrupt, said instead that although he couldn’t text and write at the same time, he’d be fine talking and writing.

It’s how he found himself sat at his desk with his phone propped next to him on speaker, listening to you complain about the shitty restaurants near your work.

“I need to get back into meal prepping, or at least start buying something nicer pre-made to bring for lunch. If I have to eat another Greggs meal deal I think I’ll throw up, John,” you bemoaned.

“There’s a new place just opened up ‘round the corner to you, you know?” He said, checking over his team’s reports before signing them off. At your interested hum he continued. “Greek place I think. The sergeants went the other day, said it was a good menu and they’re usually quite picky about where they spend their free time together.”

“That sounds perfect, I’ll meet you there in twenty?” You asked rhetorically, already gathering your stuff to take your lunch break. “I can order for us both in case it takes you longer so it’ll be served by time you arrive. See you in a bit, bye!” You didn’t wait for him to confirm or reply in any capacity, too excited for a delicious lunch.

John stared down at his phone where the screen fell black through lack of use at the ended call. He took a moment to recount the conversation and where he’d gotten mixed up before reluctantly dropping his pen and grabbing his coat and keys.

He stopped by Simon’s office on his way out.

“I’m heading out for a quick lunch, won’t be back in time for that meeting with Laswell after all so you’ll need to take notes.” He waited for Simon’s nod before knocking once on the doorframe in thanks and leaving.

Sure he could’ve just sent you a quick text to correct you, or rang you back to explain it was just a recommendation and he didn’t have the time to join you.

But he didn’t want to. He wanted to go eat Greek food with you until you were humming happily and rubbing your soft stomach, comfortably full on more than a lukewarm pasty and sad looking iced donut. He wanted to hear about your day at work so far and what you’d been up to with your friends on Saturday evening when your replies had slowed down.

He wanted.

It had been a long time since John had felt that way. Given most of the people he’d consider friends were people he worked with and kept their personal lives close to their chests, it wasn’t often he wanted to do much more than spend a couple hours in a pub after a rough mission with them.

You were quickly solidifying yourself a space in John’s life as a friend, whether you knew it or not. Whether you liked it or not. And as a result, he didn’t want to leave you to eat on your own knowing you to be a social butterfly, even after such a short time. John was known to be protective - some had said possessive - of those he considered his. And being his friend meant that you would given the same effort of care and consideration that he gave his team, it just needed to be applied differently.

It wouldn’t be through proud shoulder pats after a mission well-done or through unshakeable confidence and trust when he put his life on the line stood side-by-side with the 141.

No, it would be pulling up to hole in the wall restaurants last minute so that you could spend your lunch a little happier than you were when you were sat at your desk.

He found you sat at the back table, the seat facing the front windows and door left free for him to take with silent appreciation.

The food was as good as Gaz and Soap had promised it would be and the sight of you scarfing down baklava before you had to head back to work had him grinning into his glass.

“Christ, I might have to get a to-go box of this for tonight,” you groaned lowly.

“Big plans?” John asked, clearing his throat.

“Just some DIY I’ve been putting off around the house, figure if I entice myself with a treat for after it’s done I’ll be more likely to actually do it.” You go to take your last bite before pausing and pointing at John. “And before you say it, I realise it sounds like how you train a puppy.”

John snorted, but a frown pulled low on his brow. “What needs fixing?”

“My front door is scraping low when I open it, hinges are loose I think. Nothing major but I’d rather not fuck it up, you know? But if I leave it any longer then I’ll need to pay someone to deal with some real damage,” you sighed. “So I’ve borrowed my neighbour’s drill.”

“I’ll do it for ya,” John offered out of nowhere.

“What? No, you don’t have to, you’re busy,” you declined.

“It’s fine, I’ll pop by later tonight. Just let me know when you’re home and I’ll swing by and sort it.”

“I, uh, ok. Sure, thanks, John. I appreciate it,” you said with a grateful, if not bemused, smile.

---

As soon as you opened the door that evening, John noticed how the bottom caught.

“Hi, do you want a drink? A tea?” You offered as you let him in.

“I’d love one, thanks, Sunshine.” He stepped inside and placed his drill case by the doorframe.

“Oh, you brought your own drill? You didn’t have to go home for it, did you?” You fretted as you headed towards the kitchen. “Did I not mention I’d borrowed my neighbour’s?”

“You did. But this was in the back of the truck from Simon borrowing it, it’s not a big deal,” John lied. He’d stopped off to grab it after your lunch together. “Wasn’t sure what your neighbour’s drill was going to be like, but I know this’ll get the job done proper.”

You bit back an amused smile and hummed your assent down the hall as you waited for the electric kettle to boil.

“Thanks again for helping out, John. I can get by doing my own DIY usually; not to brag but I’m kind of a pro at assembling IKEA furniture. Sometimes though it helps having a second person look it over too.” You walked back to the front door as you spoke and held his tea for him as he set up the drill to match the screws in the door.

“It’s no hassle,” he said before setting to work.

A quick three minutes later your door was once again in full working order, no longer sticking when it swung open and closed.

“Good as new,” he said. You passed him his drink, still hot, and grinned, leading him to sit on the couch for a moment. “If y’need anything else fixing up or looking at, just let me know. I’d be happy to help.”

“Opened the floodgates with that offer. You’ll be regretting it soon enough,” you said with a laugh. “This place is a bit of a fixer-upper, ‘s why I could afford it in the first place.”

“You’ve done a good job with it,” he said earnestly, looking around the cosy living room. Would be better if you weren’t alone, he thought suddenly, unbidden. He took a deep sip of his drink and avoided eye contact. “I like being useful, you might as well take advantage of it since no one else is at the moment.”

You smiled softly. “That’s all the permission I need.”

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he slipped it out to see a text from his mum.

>> Make sure your date isn’t wearing white, luv. I’m sure she’s a lovely girl, but we wouldn’t want to spoil Charlotte’s day would we? xxx

<< Her dress is green, nothing to worry about mum. xx

>> Green is a bold choice, must be quite the lady to pull that off! Give her my love. xxx

John sighed as he put his phone down and caught your eye in his peripheral.

He smiled tiredly to ease your worried frown.

“Just my mum checking in, she gives you her love,” he said.

“Mm. She gives you a headache,” you pointed out. “Wedding shit still?”

“It’s her prime focus right now. It’ll be done soon.”

“You want a paracetamol? I’ll top up your tea.” You reached forward for his empty cup.

“Got something stronger?” John asked hopefully.

You winced. “I’ve got a gin ‘n’ tonic in a can that my friend left the other day? Can’t even offer you a strong coffee because it’s decaf.”

“Jesus,” he groaned through a laugh. “Another tea it is.”

---

The morning of the wedding came sooner than you’d expected. The dress that you’d carefully hung on your wardrobe door to avoid creases all those weeks ago would finally be put to use.

You got up early enough to get yourself ready, nervousness unsettling your stomach enough that you stuck to only a slice of toast for breakfast with a strong coffee.

>> Setting off now, I’ll be at yours in 20.

<< you mean you’ll be here by 0900 🫡

>> Funny.

>> See you soon.

You chuckled to yourself as you grabbed your things so you were ready to go when John arrived and double checked everything was locked up for the weekend.

The knock on your door had your heart jump and pound double-time in your chest before you shook your hands out and told yourself to fucking chill. It was just John.

“Hi, you ready to— oh, you look, uhm…” John trailed off as he took in the flowing silk dress you’d bought. He’d seen it before, of course, but now seeing you in it and the way it clung to your curves and highlighted your plush tummy and wide hips had his tongue heavy and lost in his mouth. He swallowed thickly as he looked back up to your face, trying not to linger on the plunged neckline and what it did for your tits, and felt his cheeks redden when he noticed your own flustered, wide-eyed look as you stood and watched him. “You look very nice,” he finished lamely.

“Right, good, thanks.” You tried to force a laugh but your throat felt too dry, even as you grinned at his red cheeks. “You clean up pretty well too,” you said instead and reached your hand out to brush against the neatened trim of his beard, his muttonchops less pronounced.

He stiffened at the unexpected touch, not disliking it, but a memory of Charlotte doing something similar had him flinching back. Charlotte, he remembered, would usually only rub at his beard with a frown and ask when he was going to go clean shaven again.

You didn’t know that however and you snatched your hand back to your side as you felt a chill drop from your chest down to your toes like a bucket of cold water. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” you apologised.

“No, it’s fine. Just caught me off guard,” he said, trying to ease your suddenly tense shoulders and cursing himself for getting lost in old memories.

He led you to the car and held open the door for you, smiling when you thanked him and tucked in your dress to avoid its long length getting trapped in the door.

Once he was sat in the drivers seat he hesitated for a moment before turning to face you.

“‘M glad you like it,” he said with a quick gesture to his beard. “I was thinking about shaving it off for the occasion.”

You winced reflexively at the thought, teeth gritted and bared as you tried to picture him without facial hair. He let out a deep rumble of a laugh, throaty and unfiltered, as you tried to square your face back to a neutral expression, though your eyebrows wouldn’t pull back from their frown.

“I’m sure that would’ve looked… sweet,” you hedged carefully.

John only snorted.

You huffed and rolled your eyes. “Ok I’m a terrible liar,” you started, glaring when John muttered an amused, you don’t say. “If you want to shave and like how it looks, then we can detour back to yours and I’m sure you’ll look just as handsome in whatever photos you’re forced to pose for. But if you’re asking for my opinion? Then I think this suits you better, it’s more distinguished. You’d have looked too much like a banker if you’d shaved and wore a suit,” you said with an exaggerated shiver.

John hummed a chuckle, his shoulders shaking with it. “I’m sure the word you’re thinking of rhymes with banker, Sunshine.”

It was your turn to snort a laugh at that.

“Your words, not mine, John.”

“Cheeky. Put your bloody seatbelt on,” he huffed, a smile pulling at his lips as he started the car. “Suddenly thinking this drive might feel ten times longer than usual for some reason.”

You rolled your eyes and didn’t dignify his jab with a response. Tried not to focus on your pulse racing in excitement.

masterlist

[becausebuckley]

michelle's buddie fic recs: week 39!

yay more fics! guys i have to tell you this was an excellent reading week for me, so many brilliant fics!

two things: some of these fics aren't buddie but gen/a rare pair, but i figured i'd keep the title, since it applies to the majority of fics. i'll make sure it's clear which fics are for other ships! also, now that season 8 is airing, i've decided to keep the buddie fic rec list spoiler-free, and i'm setting up a season 8 rec list alongside it. this week's season 8 list can be found here!

this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading!

if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!

5 times buck and eddie thought they were on the same page +1 where they figured it out | WendyDarling95/@bi-buck-hi-eddie | 11.8k | E

"Ok but miscommunication trope where Eddie keeps trying to tell Buck he’s a werewolf and Buck thinks Eddie’s telling him he’s a furry. Buck would buy a fur suit absolutely" i'm genuinely not joking when i say that this fic was the highlight of my week. it's crack treated seriously in the absolute best way, i was howling (lol) while reading. brilliant <3

the book of love | colonoscopys/@colonoscopys | 8.1k | G

It was a pretty regular day. He had an eight hour shift the day before, slept in a little bit, ate dry toast and drank a black coffee before dropping Chris off at physical therapy for an hour. If he had known he was gonna die, he would have sprung for the hashbrowns in the freezer. time loop fic!! lovely lovely time loop fic!!

but you're holdin' me like water in your hands | TheGirlWithTheKite/@muddiedfoxglove | 11k | E

In which Eddie offers a helping hand when Buck's relationship starts to sour. (The Frogboiled Infideleddie Fic) frogboiled infideleddie?? yall the way i ran to this fic the second i saw it <3 so so so good

constant craving | Inell/@inell | 7.8k | E

Buck and Eddie have recently started dating, and it’s their third official date. While playing a game of pool, they make a little wager, and Buck gets to indulge a craving he’s had for years. i spent a lovely hour this morning catching up inell's recent fics and i highly recommend you do the same!! brilliant fics, both of the sweet and spicy variety <3

FREE MOUSTACHE RIDES | Killbothtwins | 5k | T

All is not well in Station 118. Gerrard is running the show, Christopher is gone, and, worst of all, Eddie has a mustache now. Somehow, it's only Buck who realizes how catastrophic this is. this is exactly the fic i needed to cheer me up earlier this week. so good, so funny!!

keep your brittle heart warm | Ink_Dancer | 8.8k | T

Buck convinces Eddie, notoriously a dog person, to adopt a cat. Buck then helps Eddie adjust to his new family member while the cat tries to meddle in their relationship. fics like this make me want to adopt a cat even more than i already do. so sweet, so cute, i love pinto bean <3

a little wisdom | Daisies_and_Briars/@cal-daisies-and-briars | 8.6k | T

Christopher comes home from Texas and needs his wisdom teeth removed, which leads to a larger discussion on hurt and comfort and needs that Eddie doesn't see coming. the diaz boys <3 i love them so much and they're so so well-written here!!

the more it hurts, the less it shows | ummrys/@ummrys | 2.4k | M

Eddie finally hears the story of Dr Wells, and Buck finally understands the depth of what happened to him. so well-written and a great look at the whole dr wells thing!!

nothin' but a little shut eye | Tizniz/@tizniz | 3.9k | G

Buck and Eddie accidentally nap together. And then keep napping together. buddie naps i love you so much <3 this is the softest cutest it's so good

put my heart inside your palms | markofalover/@markofalover| 3.1k | T

how an accidental pet name, a thoughtful dinner, and a shared shirt makes them get their shit together.. love is stored in the kitchen indeed <3 this is so so cute!

suddenly the only thing i saw was you | ipretendtobesane/@userbuddie | 8.2k | E

five times adriana diaz and may grant run into each other and the one time they show up together adriana/may?? the VISION holy shit. this is a brilliant fic and has probably my fav adriana diaz ever, it's just that good <3

[lexirosewrites]

hello, tis I, the anon that sends weirdly angsty ideas to you for slick sunday. I've been super busy and then was on holiday.

I started trying to write a brief version of this, but it kept getting overly long. (tried three times) So first. have the short version as either a teaser, or the only version if I never find a way to do it.

early industrial era england. Steve and Robin are omega twins of the Harringtons who are nouveau riche and mad about it. It's a given that they're both supposed to marry richer or marry peerage.

At the start of the season, Robin meets Chrissy, daughter of the Viscount Cunningham, one of the shyest alphas the town has ever seen, and hates that she'll never have a chance with this angel. Steve meets Eddie, the alpha son of a disgraced Baronet, who charms everyone he meets with his readings and his singing, and his just-acceptable level of exuberance. It's a meet ugly when Eddie knocks into Steve and dumps wine down his outfit. Steve refuses to admit he likes how hard Eddie works to apologize, in increasingly grand ways. Eddie sees right through the bitchy tone though, and keeps playing bard to this gorgeous omega. Eddie has a dangerous reputation as too much of a flirt, bc obviously hes only interested in Steve bc of the Harrington fortune.

Then the Creel's host a ball, and the Harrington's moved heaven and earth to get an invitation to a party hosted by a Duke, so Steve and Robin are on their best behavior.

They're expecting to maybe, maybe, meet a few Barons, and wave hello to Chrissy. A few dances, a few introductions. Instead they meet the Duke's son, Henry, a very handsome alpha, set to inherit, and recently widowed - such a tragedy, so young. Henry immediately shows an affinity for Robin, but it takes one look for Steve to see how much his sister hates/fears him. So Steve jumps in, and puts all his charm to good use. Distracts from Robin, who goes to greet Chrissy while Steve and Henry are dancing.

They both think that the single dance and the bit of conversation will be the end of that. It isn't. Henry sends cards and gifts and invites Steve to things. Richard and Diane are ecstatic, and Steve stopped being charming, personable, or even pleasant after their third encounter. He can't directly refuse, but he can try to get Henry to grow bored. When Henry comments to Richard that 'both your children as so amiable' Steve hears what he really means. That Henry plans to marry one of them, and all Steve gets to choose is if it'll be him, or Robin. Easy choice.

Steve is invited to stay at the Creel manor for a few weeks, and can't find a way out of it. And staying there is as good as announcing a betrothal

Meanwhile: Robin has talked to Chrissy, who, as it turns out, is a childhood friend of Eddie's, before his father lost all their money. And Chrissy is high enough in the peerage to have heard stories and whispers and gossip, all about the Duke's heir, and what happened to his first omega, that she died less than a year after marrying.

Robin, crushing on Chrissy, aware her brother really likes Eddie, knowing that this will fuck up her family's plans and future, looks at Eddie, and informs him that they're going to get Steve out of this.

Eddie, she expected to help immediately, and he does.

Chrissy insisting she'll help comes as a shock.

welcome back! love that this is the second Bridgerton-esque submission this week. something about historical steddie will always ensnare me 🥰

[atlasthegreatest]

A Night Out / Tara Carpenter x Male Reader

You would think dating for Tara would be easy, right? Wrong. Being asked out on a date by Y/n — the guy she'd been seeing for months was all she wanted to do. But it seems her extremely overprotective sister had other ideas.

Word count: 4056

A/n: This one was requested by @jacenradio7 I hope you enjoy it!

Tara paced in front of the mirror, smoothing down her dress for the third time in the last ten minutes. Tonight was supposed to be a simple dinner date with her new boyfriend, Y/n. It had only been a few weeks since they’d started dating, and things were going great. The problem? Sam.

Her older sister had a habit of scaring off anyone Tara ever dated. And this time, Sam had insisted on meeting Y/n before "anything got too serious."

Tara groaned internally, already bracing for what was about to happen. Y/n had no idea what he was walking into, and she wasn’t sure she could protect him from Sam’s interrogation.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. “Tara, you ready?” Sam called from the hallway.

“Yeah, one second!” Tara took a deep breath, grabbing her purse and heading out of her room. She opened the door to find Sam leaning against the wall, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

“Relax, Sam. Please don’t scare him off,” Tara pleaded, giving her sister a look.

“I’m not going to scare him. Just… making sure he’s the real deal,” Sam replied with a smirk. “You’re my little sister, and I need to know he’s not some weirdo.”

Tara rolled her eyes but followed Sam downstairs, dreading the inevitable. Y/n was already waiting at the door, flowers in one hand and the other hand in his pocket, looking a bit too relaxed for someone about to meet Sam Carpenter.

“Hey,” he said with a bright smile when Tara appeared. He then extended the flowers to her. “These are for you.”

“Hey,” Tara responded, her nerves easing slightly at the sight of him. “Thanks.” She said, smelling the flowers with a small smile. He had a calming effect, always so laid-back, but she doubted even Y/n could stay that cool around Sam.

Y/n turned to greet Sam, offering a polite nod. “You must be Sam. Tara told me a lot about you.”

Sam eyed him for a moment before speaking. “Good to know. I hope most of it was flattering.”

Tara shot Sam a warning glance, but Y/n didn’t seem phased. “Only the good stuff. Protective older sister and all,” he said, his easygoing smile never faltering.

“Protective is an understatement,” Tara muttered under her breath, earning a chuckle from Y/n and a side-eye from Sam.

“Alright, let’s get to the point,” Sam said, motioning for everyone to sit down in the living room. “I just have a few questions for you, Y/n.”

“Sam—” Tara began, but Sam held up a hand, cutting her off.

“No, no. I’m sure Y/n can handle it,” she said with a pointed look.

Y/n sat down on the couch next to Tara, looking more amused than nervous. “Fire away.”

Sam leaned forward, elbows on her knees, as if preparing to interrogate a suspect. “So, how did you two meet?”

Tara winced. This wasn’t so bad yet, but she knew it was coming.

“We met through some mutual friends at a party,” Y/n answered easily. “I thought she seemed pretty cool, so I asked her to hang out.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “And you’ve been dating for how long?”

“A few weeks now,” Y/n said, his tone calm and friendly. “We’ve been taking things slow.”

Tara appreciated how collected he was, but Sam was far from done. “And what are your intentions with my sister?”

There it was. The dreaded question. Tara could feel her face heating up, but Y/n didn’t miss a beat.

“My intentions?” Y/n repeated with a chuckle, glancing at Tara before looking back at Sam. “I like Tara. I think she’s smart, fun, and has a great sense of humor. I just want to spend time with her, get to know her better, and see where things go. No pressure, no games.”

Tara’s heart fluttered at his response. It was honest, and she could tell he wasn’t just saying it to appease Sam. He meant it.

Sam, however, wasn’t quite convinced yet. “No games, huh? Because if I find out you’re messing with her, I won’t hesitate to—”

“Sam!” Tara interrupted, glaring at her sister. “Seriously, enough. I’m not a kid anymore. I can handle myself.”

Sam’s expression softened just a bit, but she wasn’t ready to back down. “I know you can, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to look out for you. That’s my job.”

Y/n gave a small nod. “I get it, Sam. Really, I do. I’d probably be the same way if I had a sister. But I promise, I’m not here to hurt Tara.”

Sam stared at him for a few more seconds, clearly trying to decide if she believed him. Finally, she leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. “Alright. But I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

Tara let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension in the room ease up slightly. “Okay, interrogation over. Can we go now?”

Sam smirked, clearly satisfied with herself. “Fine. You can go. But be back by 11.”

“Sam,” Tara groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Okay, fine. Midnight. And don’t make me regret it.”

Tara quickly grabbed Y/n’s hand and pulled him toward the door before Sam could change her mind. “Thanks, Sam,” she called over her shoulder, practically dragging Y/n outside.

Once they were in the car, Tara let out a long breath. “I’m so sorry about that.”

Y/n laughed, shaking his head. “It’s all good. I kind of expected it, honestly. She just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

“Yeah, but sometimes she’s too much,” Tara replied, though her irritation was starting to melt away. “I appreciate that she cares, but she doesn’t have to scare everyone off.”

“I wasn’t scared,” Y/n said with a grin. “I actually think it’s cool that she’s so protective. It means she cares a lot about you.”

Tara looked at him, surprised by how well he handled everything. “You’re… really not fazed, are you?”

“Nope,” he said confidently. “Besides, I’m not going anywhere.”

Tara smiled, feeling her nerves from earlier completely disappear. Maybe this was exactly what she needed—someone who could handle her overprotective sister and still want to stick around.

As they drove off for their date, Tara felt lighter. Sam had done her usual interrogation, but for the first time, Tara was sure that Y/n would pass the test.

—————————

As they drove toward the restaurant, Tara’s nerves finally began to settle. Y/n had passed Sam’s interrogation with flying colors, and she couldn’t help but feel relieved that, for once, her sister hadn’t scared off her date. The car hummed softly beneath them as the city lights blurred by, casting a warm glow on the evening ahead.

“So, how traumatized are you after that?” Tara asked, a teasing smile playing on her lips as she glanced over at Y/n.

He let out a soft laugh, keeping his eyes on the road. “On a scale from 1 to 10? Maybe a 4. Sam’s tough, but I get why she’s like that.”

“I think you’re the first guy who’s ever said that,” Tara admitted, shaking her head. “Most of them don’t come back for a second date after meeting her.”

“Well, they clearly don’t know what they’re missing,” Y/n replied smoothly, giving her a sidelong glance that made her heart skip a beat.

Tara smiled, grateful that he didn’t seem shaken by Sam’s protective behavior. She knew her sister meant well, but sometimes it felt like overkill—especially when it came to dating. She wanted to believe that Sam trusted her, but after everything they’d been through, Tara understood why she was always on guard.

As they pulled up to the restaurant, a cozy little Italian place with twinkling lights strung above the outdoor seating, Y/n parked the car and turned to her. “Ready for some carbs and wine?”

“Always,” Tara replied with a grin. “I’ve been craving pasta all week.”

They stepped out of the car, and Y/n quickly moved to her side, his hand finding hers in a casual, easy gesture that felt completely natural. Tara’s heart fluttered again, realizing how comfortable she already felt around him. It was rare for her to connect with someone so effortlessly.

Inside the restaurant, the warm glow of candles and the soft hum of conversation created a cozy, intimate atmosphere. They were seated at a small table near the back, away from the hustle of the busier sections. As soon as they sat down, Y/n reached across the table, his fingers brushing lightly over hers.

“I’m really glad you convinced me to stick around after Sam’s third degree,” Y/n said with a grin, his hand resting on hers. “I thought I was walking into some kind of trial.”

Tara laughed, her earlier nerves fully replaced by a sense of ease. “Honestly, I think you handled it better than I did. I usually end up apologizing for her five times before the night’s over.”

“Well, you don’t have to apologize for her. She’s just looking out for you,” Y/n said, his expression softening. “I respect that.”

Tara tilted her head, studying him. “You really don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” he replied, squeezing her hand gently. “It just makes me want to stick around even more.”

For a moment, Tara was speechless. No one had ever responded to Sam’s protectiveness like this. Most guys ran in the opposite direction, but Y/n was different. He wasn’t intimidated, and he didn’t seem bothered by the idea that Sam would always be watching over her. In fact, he seemed to understand it.

“So, tell me,” Y/n said, breaking the comfortable silence. “What’s it like having a sister like Sam?”

Tara smiled at the question, leaning back in her chair. “It’s… complicated. On one hand, she’s my best friend. She’s been there for me through everything, especially after what happened in Woodsboro. But on the other hand, she can be… a lot. She’s always worried about me, always trying to protect me. I know she means well, but sometimes it feels like she’s waiting for something bad to happen.”

Y/n nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of his water. “I can imagine that’s tough. But you’ve been through a lot together. That kind of bond doesn’t just disappear.”

Tara appreciated his understanding. It wasn’t often that someone outside her family truly got what it was like to live in the shadow of everything they’d experienced. “Yeah. It’s a weird balance between loving how much she cares and wanting her to back off a little. But, honestly? I wouldn’t trade her for anything.”

“That’s good to hear,” Y/n said with a smile. “Because from what I’ve seen, she’s a pretty great sister.”

“She is,” Tara agreed, her heart swelling with affection for Sam, despite the frustration she sometimes felt. “She’s just… Sam.”

“And I can handle that,” Y/n said confidently.

Tara felt a rush of warmth at his words. Y/n wasn’t just sticking around despite Sam; he seemed to genuinely respect her and what she meant to Tara. That was a new experience, and it made her feel even more certain that she was on the right path with him.

Their conversation shifted to lighter topics as they ordered their food. Tara found herself laughing at Y/n’s jokes and stories, completely wrapped up in the moment. By the time their plates arrived, she realized that, for the first time in a long while, she wasn’t looking over her shoulder, waiting for something to go wrong. She was just… happy.

“So,” Y/n said after a few bites of his pasta. “What’s the next hurdle? Is there, like, a family meeting where I have to win over your cousins or something?”

Tara laughed, shaking her head. “No, I think you’ve survived the worst of it. Sam’s the main gatekeeper.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” he teased, but there was a softness in his eyes as he spoke. “I’m really glad I got to meet her. It makes me understand you a little better.”

Tara felt her heart skip again at his sincerity. “I’m glad, too. And I’m glad you’re not running for the hills after tonight.”

“Not a chance,” Y/n said, his voice firm. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Tara’s smile widened as she looked at him, realizing that, for the first time in a long time, she felt like things were falling into place. Y/n wasn’t just another guy who would come and go—he was someone who understood her, someone who was willing to embrace her life, complications and all.

As they finished their meal and lingered over dessert, Tara couldn’t help but feel hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something real.

By the time Y/n walked her back to the door later that night, the air was crisp and cool, a perfect contrast to the warmth she felt inside. They stood on the porch, neither of them quite ready to say goodnight.

“I had a great time tonight,” Tara said, her voice soft.

“Me too,” Y/n replied, stepping closer. He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “So, when’s the next date?”

Tara grinned, her heart racing. “How about next weekend?”

“It’s a date,” he said, leaning in to kiss her softly.

As their lips met, Tara felt a sense of peace wash over her. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but right now, with Y/n, she knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

—————————

It was well past midnight, and Sam Carpenter sat on the couch, the dim glow of the TV barely lighting up the room. The house was quiet, except for the occasional hum of the fridge. She stared blankly at the screen, though she wasn’t really paying attention to the old horror movie playing in front of her. Her mind was somewhere else entirely—on Tara.

She had heard her sister come in about fifteen minutes ago, quietly tiptoeing to her room, probably to avoid a confrontation or further questioning. Sam couldn’t blame her. After the intense interrogation she’d put Y/n through earlier, Tara was probably relieved to have escaped unscathed.

Sam smirked a little, recalling how Y/n had handled himself. He hadn’t flinched or tried to sweet-talk his way out of her questions. He had been calm, respectful, and, surprisingly, genuine. That was new.

She sighed, leaning back against the couch. A part of her knew she was overbearing—hell, Tara told her as much all the time. But Sam couldn’t help it. After everything they’d been through, the idea of her little sister getting hurt again terrified her.

Y/n seemed different, though. For the first time, Sam didn’t get that sinking feeling in her gut when she looked at the guy sitting across from her. He was careful with Tara, in a way that didn’t feel fake or rehearsed. And Sam respected that, even if she didn’t fully trust him yet.

She shifted on the couch, running a hand through her hair. Letting go wasn’t easy for her. It hadn’t been since they’d survived Woodsboro. Since then, Sam had taken on the role of protector, whether Tara wanted her to or not.

But tonight had been a little different. Seeing the way Tara had smiled at Y/n, how happy she seemed, made Sam wonder if maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to be on guard all the time. Maybe Y/n wasn’t like the others.

Still, old habits died hard.

Sam grabbed the remote and turned off the TV, the sudden silence filling the room. She stood and headed toward her bedroom, pausing for a moment at Tara’s closed door. For a brief second, she considered knocking but decided against it.

Instead, she whispered softly to herself, “I just want you to be happy, Tara.”

With that, she walked down the hallway and into her room, hoping that maybe, for once, things might be okay.

Bonus chapter:

The following weekend, Tara found herself counting down the hours until her next date with Y/n. After their unforgettable night at the park, anticipation bubbled in her stomach. She had spent the week gushing to her friends about Y/n and their blossoming relationship, but now it was time to see him again.

As she stood in front of her closet, surveying her options, she could hear Sam’s footsteps approaching. She knocked lightly before entering, her expression a mix of curiosity and amusement. “What’s the occasion? Are you getting ready for a runway show?”

“Ha, very funny,” Tara replied, rolling her eyes as she tossed a shirt back into the closet. “I’m trying to find the perfect outfit for my date with Y/n.”

Sam leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “So, what’s the plan this time?”

“We’re going to this cool outdoor movie screening,” she said, feeling her excitement grow. “I can’t wait to watch Jaws under the stars.”

“Nice choice. That movie freaked me out as a kid,” She admitted, smirking. “You know, the ocean is a scary place.”

“Oh, come on! It’s a classic. Plus, it’s just a movie!” she laughed, trying to dismiss her fears. “You really need to lighten up.”

Sam grinned. “If you keep dating Y/n, I might have to watch Jaws again just to get in the mood.”

Tara chuckled, but then her expression turned serious for a moment. “You know, it means a lot that you’re supportive about all this. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course,” She replied, her tone sincere. “Just remember to keep your phone on in case you need me. I’ll be keeping an eye on the time, just in case.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise,” Tara assured her, but deep down, she appreciated her protective nature. It was comforting to know she cared.

After selecting a casual yet stylish outfit, Tara completed her look with a pair of comfortable sandals and a denim jacket, ready for a cool evening. She grabbed her phone, double-checking the time before heading downstairs.

When she stepped into the living room, she saw Sam flipping through channels. “You look great,” She said, glancing up. “Have fun tonight!”

“Thanks! I will,” she said, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. “I’ll text you when I get back.”

As Tara left the house, she felt a rush of freedom wash over her. The evening was hers to enjoy, and she couldn’t wait to share it with Y/n.

The drive to the outdoor venue was filled with laughter and music. When she arrived, she spotted Y/n standing by a food truck, scanning the area for her. The moment their eyes met, his face broke into a wide grin, and Tara’s heart soared.

“Hey, beautiful!” he called out, waving her over.

“Hey!” she replied, her excitement bubbling over as she walked toward him.

Y/n handed her a small tub of popcorn, his eyes sparkling. “I got you your favorite! I remembered,” he said, beaming.

Tara smiled back, feeling touched. “You’re amazing. Thank you!”

They settled onto a blanket in front of the large screen, the sun slowly setting, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and orange. As the film started, Tara leaned against Y/n, their shoulders touching comfortably. She felt a wave of contentment wash over her as they shared the experience.

Halfway through the movie, Tara couldn’t help but notice how engaged Y/n was in the film. She glanced at him, noticing the way he leaned forward, his eyes glued to the screen. It made her smile, realizing how genuine he was, even in his enthusiasm for a classic horror flick.

As the infamous music cue began to play, signaling a shark attack, Tara let out a small gasp, clinging to Y/n’s arm. “Oh no, not again!”

Y/n laughed, glancing down at her. “Just remember, it’s only a movie! You’ll be fine.”

But when the jump scare hit, Tara squealed, burying her face into Y/n’s shoulder. He chuckled, wrapping his arm around her protectively. “You’re safe with me,” he whispered, sending a thrill of warmth through her.

The movie continued, and after the climax, they shared playful banter about the characters and the absurdity of the situations on screen. Tara found herself laughing freely, feeling the connection between them grow stronger with every shared joke and comment.

When the credits rolled, the audience erupted into applause, and Tara felt a surge of happiness. “That was so much fun!” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Right? I had a blast,” Y/n replied, grinning. “You’ve got to admit that it’s way more fun watching it outdoors.”

“Definitely! And I can’t believe I survived the scares,” she teased.

They began to pack up their things, and as they stood, Y/n looked at her with an earnest expression. “I’m really glad we’re doing this. You’re a lot of fun to be around.”

Tara felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. “Thanks, Y/n. I really enjoy spending time with you.”

As they made their way back to the car, Tara’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a message from Sam.

Sam: How’s it going?

She smiled, knowing she was likely keeping tabs on her.

Tara: It’s great! Just finished the movie. I’ll be home soon!

Sam replied almost instantly.

Sam: Good! Remember, I’m always just a text away. Don’t let him get any ideas!

Tara chuckled, shaking her head.

“Everything okay?” Y/n asked, noticing her amused expression.

“Just my sister being protective, as usual,” she explained, laughing lightly. “She wants to make sure I’m safe.”

“Can’t blame her. Siblings can be tough,” Y/n replied, nodding in understanding. “But you seem to handle it well.”

“Most of the time,” she admitted. “But I appreciate that she cares.”

As they reached the car, Tara’s heart raced at the thought of spending more time with Y/n. Once they were inside, the conversation flowed effortlessly, touching on everything from their favorite music to their dream travel destinations. The chemistry between them felt palpable, and Tara couldn’t help but feel that this night was just another step forward in their relationship.

When they finally arrived back at her house, Tara turned to Y/n, her heart pounding. “Thank you for an amazing evening. I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” he replied, leaning closer.

Their gazes locked, and in that moment, the world around them faded away. Tara leaned in, and Y/n met her halfway, their lips brushing softly before deepening the kiss. It felt electric, filled with the promise of more moments like this one.

When they pulled apart, both breathless, Tara felt a rush of exhilaration. “Goodnight, Y/n. I can’t wait for our next date.”

“Goodnight, Tara,” he replied, his smile lighting up the night. “I’m already looking forward to it.”

As she stepped out of the car and walked to the door, she glanced back to see Y/n waving. She waved back, feeling giddy as she entered her house.

[bootsukki]

"AITA for pushing my best friend away?"

masterlist

warnings: english is not my first language!! use of (y/n), teenagers in love lol

This it my first time posting here and I really don't know how to use Reddit but...

I (17M) have been friends with this girl (17F) since my first year of high school. I've never been really sociable and I can only say that, until then, I had one friend but ever since I met her, I have considered her a really close friend.

We go to the same class and I’ve been getting this weird feeling whenever I see her or when we talk. It has been happening for a while now, but ever since we came back from break, it has affected me mentally. I can't concentrate on tasks and I need to prepare for my final exams and university entrance exams so I have decided to just, ignore her, I guess?

The thing is that the feeling has not gone away and it has grown and I don't know what to do. Maybe she's not the problem and I just have anxiety for the future? idk.

Am I the asshole for pushing her away without an explanation? I'm the worst with social interactions.

It was the middle of Tsukishima's third year, a time that should have been filled with the usual grind of studying, volleyball practice, and casual banter with friends. But lately, something had shifted. And it had everything to do with his best friend (Y/N).

She had been friends with Tsukishima for more than three years. Tsukishima could not remember what brought him closer to her, but he remembered clearly that he first noticed her his second day at Karasuno. (Y/N) was not afraid of challening him and his sharp tongue, and somehow, even when he didn't mean to, he let his cold demeanor down whenever she was with him. If he was being honest, being friends with her was easy and everybody knew it.

It was easy until he spent a week away visiting Akiteru. Then, he started to feel it - a weird and unfamiliar tightness in his chest whenever he saw her texts on his screen and the heat on his cheeks whenever he opened her Instagram story. He dismissed it as home sickness. Truth be told, he had not been away from home for more than a few days and even when they had no school, (Y/N) and Yamaguchi were always trying to hang out with him but, why would his heart skip a beat whenever his phone pinged with a notification?

Then, it became worse. Back at school, his heart quickened whenever he heard her laugh or when her hand would softly brush his trying to reach a pencil. It made no sense to him and the uncertainty gnawed at him, annoyed as well. He needed to concentrate on getting a good grade for his university entrance exam and needed no distractions.

So, he began to isolate himself and push her away.

It started small—avoiding eye contact, muttering curt answers when she asked how his day was. Soon, he stopped texting her back, stopped waiting for her after classes, and made excuses when (Y/N) asked to hang out. She didn’t seem to notice at first, still bright and hopeful, assuming that Tsukki was just being his usual, antisocial self. But then she started frowning more, voice dropping when asking him if there was something worng and sighing whenever her texts weren't answered.

Tsukishima opened his laptop to see that his Reddit post had comments on it and opened it quickly.

"Hey! YTA bruh."

"you have feelings for her lol i can feel it from this side of the screen... weird feeling and can't concentrate on tasks!! bro, you are in love with this girl but yeh, YTA for pushing her away without saying a damn thing so you need to fix this if you want her to be your friend or girlfriend lmao good luck"

"you're just a teenager in love, talk to her"

Like her? Not even like her, LOVE her? Tsukishima shook his head, blushing sightly at the sight of those words on his screen. He didn't like her like that, right?

Tsukishima turned his computer off, laying his head on the desk, closing his eyes. The closer he got to (Y/N), the harder it became to ignore those feelings happening inside him. He hated it. He hated the vulnerability that came with trying to find out his true feelings for her, because, even if he wanted to avoid them, they were completely true.

Since the beginning of their friendship, he always found her pretty and as time passed as he got to know her, he knew he was completely fucked.

Why did he let it get so hard? He could never tell her. What would she say? She would probably reject him and ruin their whole friendship and that what something he did not want at all. Not now that they were going to the same universitry but he was not like Kuroo, who told him stories about his university flings or Bokuto, who had no problem telling anyone what he felt.

(Y/N) deserved someone better than him, someone that could communicate their problems and love her unconditionally. Tsukishima sighed deeply, moving from his desk to his bed, looking at his phone, trying to find her last messages that he had not responded. If he told her how he felt, she’d probably laugh it off or, worse, feel sorry for him.

And so, he kept her at arm’s length, until one afternoon.

"Tsukki, wait!" (Y/N)'s voice rang out and Tsukishima froze. He had just finished volleyball practice and was walking back to the volleyball club room when he heard rapid footsteps walking up the stairs.

He turned slowly, adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat, looking at the shorter girl, still in her uniform, up and down.

"What?'" His tone was flat but she didn't back down, instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him angrily.

She stepped closer. "You've been avoiding me." Her eyes searched his face for an answer. "For like... two weeks now. Care to explain why?"

Tsukishima clenched his jaw, hands tigheting into fists at his side. She was completely right and the truth was sitting like a weight on his chest. He had no escape now and had to make a decision: tell you the truth and suffer the consequences of her rejection or lie and hope she believes his lie.

He was about to open his mouth but the sight of (Y/N)'s face stopped him. There was no sight of anger but of concern and hurt that broke his heart. He was a complete asshole.

"Did I do something to upset you? I-"

"No." Tsukishima replied, heart pounding. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then?" She stepped even closer to him, little space between them. "I don't understand why you've been pushing me away and not answering my texts or even looking at me."

He couldn't tell her. He couldn't but her saddened eyes bore into him, desperate for an answer and he crumbled under her gaze, like always.

"You need to talk to me, Tsukki." She whispered. "Please."

"I..." He took a deep breath, eyes darting away from her face. "I like you."

The silence that followed felt deafening and she blinked, stunned at the soft words spoken by the boy. He turned away, heat rising to his cheeks.

"I don't expect you to like me back." he said "But I... I suppose I needed to tell you even though that may have totally ruined our friendship."

(Y/N) stepped closer to him and, trembling, hugged him from behind, his, still, sweaty body, jumping from the sudden closeness of her body to his.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was gentle and low, as if she was hiding her face too and her touch sent a shiver down Tsukishima's spine.

"It's stupid, right?"

She giggled, shaking her had. "You're an idiot, Tsukishima Kei." She stopped hugging her for a second and he turned, eyes widening at her rosy cheeks and big smile. "I've liked you for a year now."

"What?"

She blushed again, looking into his golden eyes. "I thought you'd never notice or that you didn't want to hurt my feelings."

Tsukishima stared at the girl in front of him, trying to process her words. He didn't know what to say to her. He had never had a girlfriend or even had a girl approach him like this. He had his first kiss with a girl on Kageyama's birhtday party last year but that was it.

"I... I don't know how to proceed." He admitted. "The... Boyfriend-girlfriend thing? I'll screw things up."

She laughed softly and nodded. "You want me to be your girlfriend?"

"Duh."

She smiled and nodded again. "That's okay. I don't know either but... We'll figure it out?"

For a moment, Tsukishima stood there, watching (Y/N) as she played with the sleeve of his jacket. He cleared his throat, trying to maintain some control at the thought of (Y/N) being his girlfriend but he took a step closer, reaching for one of her hands, interwining his fingers with hers while his other hand went to her face, caressing her cheek softly.

His heart thudded heavily in his chest as (Y/N) stood on her tiptoes, tilting her head slighty and eyes closing as her lips brushed against his, tentative, as if she were asking for permission and he froze once again, but, without a second thought, he leaned into the kiss, his hand slipping from her cheek to her waist, pulling her just a bit closer.

Just as he was about to pull away, a loud, familiar voice echoed down the hall.

"WOAHHHH! WHAT IS THIS?!"

Tsukishima froze, his lips still hovering close to (Y/N)'s as his eyes snapped open in horror. Both of them quickly turned to see Hinata standing a few feet away, mouth agape, eyes wide in shock and delight.

Before either could react, Yamaguchi came jogging up behind Hinata, looking confused.

"Hinata, why are you yelling—" His words died in his throat as he took in the sight of (Y/N) and Tsukishima, still standing too close, cheeks flushed from the kiss.

"Oh," Yamaguchi said, a grin spreading across his face. "Ohhhh."

"Tsukishima!" Hinata’s voice was full of glee, as if he had just stumbled upon the best gossip of his life. "You were kissing (Y/N)!" His tone was incredulous, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

"I knew something was up!" Hinata continued, practically bouncing in place with excitement. " I never thought I'd see the day!"

Tsukishima pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the heat rise to his face. "Shut up, Hinata."

But Hinata was on a roll. "Kissing in the hallway, huh? That’s so unlike you, Tsukki!" He paused dramatically, eyes widening even further. "Wait—are you dating?!" Hinata gasped, then leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "So, how long has this been going on, huh? How many secret kisses? How many dates? Tell me everything!"

Tsukishima, already at his limit, glared at Hinata with a deadly expression, his lips pressed into a tight line. "If you don’t shut up in the next three seconds, I’m going to kill you."

But Hinata, fearless as ever, just grinned wider. "You’re in love, Tsukishima! Admit it! You’re all soft now!"

Yamaguchi snickered, clearly enjoying the sight of his usually stoic best friend looking so flustered. Hinata, sensing he had pushed enough buttons for one day, held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay! I’ll stop! But seriously, this is amazing! I can’t wait to tell Kageyama!"

"Don’t you dare," Tsukishima growled, his voice dangerous low, glaring at the orange-haired ball of energy. But as much as he wanted to snap, he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips when he looked down at (Y/N).

He rolled his eyes, squeezing (Y/N)'s arm as he walked past her, heading towards the club room. "Wait here, I'll walk you home."

Hinata, ever the observant one when it came to emotions, pointed dramatically at Tsukishima. "See! He’s smiling! He likes this! He’s totally in love!

"Hinata, shut the hell up."

****************************************************

update: hey reddit, I looked at all your comments and decided to talk things with her which was great. Made her my girlfriend and had our first date yesterday, it was great and I think she enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for all your advice.

[mandoriana]

WHAT IF... Merlin and Arthur had children.

So, I wrote a post about an alternate universe where Arthur and Merlin had a night together, leading to Merlin having a magical pregnancy known only to Gwaine, Lancelot, and Gaius. But in this universe, Merlin wouldn't tell Arthur about their children, and Arthur would die without knowing he had heirs with the most important person in his life. However, I felt a bit sad about this tragedy and thought it would be interesting to imagine what Arthur's relationship with the children would be like if Merlin had told him or if Arthur had found out.

Anyway, after Merlin and Gwaine fled together in the middle of the night, Arthur would first be worried, thinking something had happened to Hunith or something else. Then, he would be sad that Merlin didn't trust him enough to call him, and then he would interrogate Gaius and Lancelot, knowing they were the closest to Merlin. Gaius would lie, saying that Merlin needed to be taken elsewhere because the "parasites" were worse and Gaius couldn't do anything to help (this was the lie he told Arthur to justify Merlin's belly). So, Gaius sent Merlin to another doctor. Arthur would question where Merlin was sent, but Gaius would refuse to answer. Of course, Arthur wouldn't fully believe Gaius, which would make him question Lancelot. Lancelot wouldn't mention the pregnancy but would be responsible for informing Arthur about Merlin every week.

In the first week, Arthur would hold on, living calmly though anxiously. In the second week, Arthur couldn't stand being without Merlin anymore and would send a letter to his uncle Agravaine, asking him to "guide" Arthur as the king's advisor. Agravaine would kill Uther in the third week, and everyone would believe it was a peaceful death, but in reality, Agravaine suffocated Uther. In the third week, Arthur would try to communicate with Merlin because he needed him by his side during that difficult time. By then, the whole kingdom would be worried about their new king, as Arthur would be increasingly bitter and sad. After a month without Merlin, Arthur would stop speaking unless it was to give orders. Morgana would be trying to infiltrate the kingdom through Agravaine, but Arthur would barely notice due to the lack of Merlin to warn him, although he also wouldn't fully trust his uncle, as he would be irritated with everyone who wasn't his servant and friend.

Only when it was already the second day of his reign, Arthur would tire of waiting for Merlin and decide he was done waiting. He would wait for Lancelot to leave to fetch Merlin's letter and follow him from a distance, leaving the kingdom in the hands of Leon and his uncle. Of course, Lancelot wouldn't reveal the druids' hideout, but a druid would deliver the letter to him personally. Arthur would then follow the druid to the camp, and that's when he would see Merlin. Merlin, who has pointed ears, golden eyes, messier hair, smoother and paler skin, dressed like a druid and looking beautiful like an elf, and with a huge belly thanks to his 7-month pregnancy with Arthur's quadruplets.

Arthur: Merlin? *Arthur calls breathlessly at the sight of his friend who now looks almost ethereal.*

Arthur was at a loss for words to begin expressing himself. No druid would stop Arthur from approaching, as they were all aware of the prophecy and knew that "no half can truly hate the one who makes them whole." Merlin was also speechless upon seeing his beloved prince, now king, before him after so long apart. Usually, Merlin would be worried about approaching, fearing Arthur's reaction, but with his hormones and emotions controlling him now, Merlin tries to approach for a tearful hug. Arthur steps back, surprised by the sudden reaction, which makes Merlin withdraw, scared and crying.

Arthur: Merlin... *He tries to approach to apologize, but Gwaine appears and points his sword at Arthur* Gwaine!?

Gwaine: I don't know what you did to him, Arthur, but if you touch my friend, I'll kill you and then myself.

Arthur is furious at first until he notices Merlin still crying and looking desolate. Gwaine realizes that Arthur is not there to harm Merlin and lowers his sword to let the king pass. Arthur approaches Merlin carefully to prove to Gwaine that he does not wish to harm the servant. Arthur kneels beside his best friend, and as soon as he is close enough, he pulls Merlin into a desperate hug. Both were desperate to be together again.

Arthur: What happened? *He whispers against Merlin's curls*

Merlin: I... *Merlin stammers, feeling almost ashamed to speak* I have magic... *Merlin hesitates to continue, almost afraid, and Arthur tightens the hug to give him confidence* and... and I'm pregnant...

Arthur: What... but, you're a man, how...

Merlin *sobbing*: I'm not human... my body doesn't follow the same rules as a common human body and... and I needed to leave so no one would find out...

Arthur quickly connects the dots about the times they both drank to celebrate and ended up in the same bed. Arthur trembles as he realizes what Merlin means.

Arthur: You... you were hiding from me...

Merlin *nods between anguished tears*: I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I didn't want to leave you, but I was scared... I...

Arthur looks at Merlin, noticing the other man's knees bleeding from being on the ground. He steps back and stands up. Merlin thinks his king is going to leave or kill him and cowers before him. This breaks Arthur's heart, who just bends down and lifts Merlin in his arms.

Merlin: Huh? *looks confused*

Arthur: How many children are we expecting?

Merlin is too surprised to respond, and Gwaine, who is crying with relief while watching the scene between the two, speaks for him.

Gwaine *emotional*: Four, sir, there will be four.

Arthur's eyes shine with emotion and admiration as he looks at Merlin. He is upset to be the last to know everything, but he is so happy to have Merlin back and even happier to know he is going to be a father, that he couldn't care less about the painful revelation that his beloved hid from him.

Arthur: I'm going to be a father... *he whispers*

Merlin watches with shining eyes as Arthur seems to hold back from jumping for joy. Everything after that is quick. The druids pack their things and prepare to return to Camelot with the king, the knight, and Emrys. Merlin tells Arthur about his first months during the journey and says how difficult it was to stop himself from running to talk to Arthur. He also talks about all the cravings he had during the first months (Arthur makes a mental note to remember to ask the cooks to bring Merlin everything he desires). When they arrive in Camelot, everyone quickly "connects the dots" upon seeing Merlin with a pregnant belly and Arthur riding with him. At first, everyone thinks Merlin was a woman all along, but when they notice the servant's golden eyes, they simply know it's magic.

Agravaine: Sir...

Agravaine is the first to receive Arthur and his guests. He seems nervous about the presence of the druids, but even more nervous about the new presence of Merlin (remembering that Agravaine arrived after Merlin was already away from the kingdom).

Agravaine: Who is *hesitates*... the lady?

Arthur dismounts and picks Merlin up in his arms to carry him to Gaius.

Arthur: This is my spouse. *Merlin looks surprised at Arthur* He has been away for a long time, I decided to bring him back now that my father is gone and I am the king.

Agravaine stares at Merlin's golden eyes and protruding belly and immediately knows that Arthur's "woman" is going to be a problem for Morgana's plans.

Agravaine: Sir, she looks like an elf, *stares at Merlin with disgust* and you know that faerie creatures are not to be trusted...

Arthur: That's enough! Merlin is trustworthy, and I don't want to hear you speak about him in that tone ever again.

Arthur then carries Merlin to Gaius's quarters, ignoring all the looks they are getting. Gaius is relieved to see his boy looking healthy but terrified at the idea that Arthur might do something. Fortunately, Arthur proves his love for Merlin by stating that the druids will stay with them until Merlin gives birth.

The babies are healthy. Gaius assures Merlin and Arthur that their children are fine, and Arthur takes Merlin to his room, where he orders Gwen and George to be Merlin's attendants. Gwaine and Lancelot are assigned to be Merlin's personal knights. Agravaine questions whether it's a good idea for Arthur to give so much power to someone who isn't even his queen yet, but Arthur is no longer listening to his uncle. All Arthur can think about is Merlin and their children.

During the last months of Merlin's pregnancy, Arthur is the best companion possible. He loves Merlin, loves the children, and is always thinking about Merlin's desires and what he wants. And yes, he is giving too much power to the man he hasn't married yet, but who could blame him? Merlin looks divine and is all emotional and affectionate. Arthur has never felt so loved and cherished before. The two are more connected and in love than ever, and everyone in the kingdom can see how happy their king is, which makes them happy too.

Of course, not everything is perfect, and Morgana discovers the pregnancy. She connects the dots about who Emrys is and realizes that her best chance to take over the kingdom and seize Arthur's throne will be when Merlin is at his weakest, that is, when he gives birth to the babies.

The day finally arrives, and everyone in the kingdom is eager for the arrival of the heirs, excited to see their future sovereigns. The whole kingdom is celebrating, and all the knights and druids are on full guard, ready for any unexpected attack. Agravaine is outside the room waiting for Morgana's signal; Arthur and Gwen are in the room holding Merlin's hands and helping him endure the pain. Since the pregnancy is magical, the druids are present to feed Merlin with magic, as the babies are feeding off Merlin's magic.

The first baby is born, a boy with brown hair and golden eyes full of magic. When the baby cries, the candle flames burn brighter, and the whole kingdom hears the roar of a lion. The future king of Camelot is born, and his name is Gordic Pendragon.

The next to be born is a girl, a baby with black hair and eyes shining like gold. This is Princess Rowena, a beautiful girl who, when she screams at the top of her lungs, shatters windows, and the whole kingdom can hear the flapping of an eagle's wings.

The next to be born is Helga Pendragon, with golden hair and eyes full of light. Unlike her siblings, when she cries, the earth does not tremble, but flowers bloom, and everyone in the kingdom can feel a slight tremor under their feet as small flowers appear.

The last to be born is a boy with black hair. His birth causes anguish because, unlike his siblings, he does not cry or scream. Salazar Pendragon is held by the druids, who stop feeding Merlin with magic and start transferring the magic to the youngest of the family. There are long minutes of pure despair before Salazar finally starts to cry and breathe. His cry is not as loud as his siblings', but the sound of a snake echoes in the waters of the kingdom's rivers.

The druids blow a trumpet to celebrate the birth of Emrys's children, and the people rejoice. Unfortunately, this was the signal Morgana was waiting for. She leads her army of immortals against Camelot, and hell breaks loose, similar to the Kyuubi attack during Naruto's birth. Morgana appears inside the quarters where Merlin, Arthur, and the children are. She takes Helga as a hostage. The knights try to fight, but Merlin knows it won't work due to the magical nature of Morgana's army.

Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot fight Morgana and manage to make her release Helga. Still weak and exhausted, Merlin gets up and goes to the battlefield. With all his remaining strength, he uses his magic to paralyze the entire army, but this leaves Merlin vulnerable, and Morgana takes the opportunity to cast a fire spell that burns Merlin. The army remains frozen in time, but Merlin "dies."

[rainbowsmagicandshit]

Arthur, talking in his sleep: ...Merlin...mn...Merlin...no, you're the dollophead...

Gwen, his wife, lying next to him, eyeing Arthur out of the corner of her eye: ...

Arthur, still sleeping: ...Mm...Merlin...idiot...

[sebsrainbowbicycle]

My favourite thing at my job is when I disagree with a male colleagues suggestion, and then they spend 15 minutes explaining it to me because I must have misunderstood their intent, only for me to explain that I understood their very simple idea and still disagree.

[percki]

loveybug is too busy thinking about kissing to fight supervillains... anytime an akuma shows up she hits it with a comically large hammer harley quinn style until it's flat and she can go back to unsubtly flirting with chat noir

[offonaherosjourney]

Nothing against Greek/Roman mythology I like it a completely normal amount (aka way more than the average person), but my heart gets crushed every single time I start to read a post that opens by mentioning Venus or Saturn or Mars or something and I think I'm about to learn a Cool Space Fact™ but then the post turns out to be about a headcanon for a thousands year old blorbo

[critterofthenight]

sometimes it's so visible that supernatural was a weekly released tv show. at the end of every episode the brothers will be like "we'll get back to the main plot and we will win so hard!" and then at the start of the next episode they've been sitting on their asses in the bunker for two weeks and haven't found anything so they have to get out and fight the monster of the week rightthefucknow or they're gonna lose their minds.

[tittyinfinity]

when you're disabled, being financially abused by your parents never ends

[loafbud]

The first Splatoon game turned 8 yesterday!