#this show sits with miracle of teddy bear at the very small table of shows that Get It re: trauma

[twig-tea]

Still sitting with the perfection that was the Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo ending. There are so many messages in this series that I needed, I feel like this show reached out and gave me a hug:

You are enough

You are not evil or deserving of suffering because you made a selfish or bad choice as a child

If you did do something bad you can apologize for it and make amends, it does not have to weigh you down forever

You deserve to move on and find happiness

Your accomplishments (or lack thereof) do not make you any more or less worthy of love

You are on your own timeline for happiness

Your early 30s is still young for finding love and pursuing your dreams

You are not responsible for not stopping your own abuse that you suffered as a child

You will not become your abuser if you let yourself be angry about your abuse

You can and should feel angry and use a safe outlet for that anger

You don't need to be pure or virginal to deserve love

You deserve to have wants and needs and to have those heard

You deserve physical safety and you do not need to earn your place in your home

Just being with you is a gift

Your presence has made life worth living for other people

You have people who love and care about you in your life even when you don't think you deserve it

You are enough

[alygatorwrites]

can I request a lil something? during the end of the manga or after the timeskip if you haven't read it yet, reiner still has feelings for historia and reader has one-sided feelings for him.

pieck gives reiner a small hint, saying he's wasting time while there's someone close to him that cares for him and points to you. he doesn't understand at first and maybe is conflicted about his feelings for you because of historia. reader is cool about it as she doesn't expect him to reciprocate her feelings.

a rollercoaster of emotions later, maybe there is a happy ending tho? i am curious to see what you can come up with 😭😭 i have dreaming of this scenario before bed and i can't help but get jealous of his crush on historia abjdsndks maybe you can help reiner reciprocate reader-chan's feelings or not

thank u so much aly 💖🥺

reciprocation

pairing: reiner braun x reader

a/n: OMG yesss! honestly, i was kinda annoyed at how reiner still had a crush on historia. i know that isayama wanted to show how everything went back to normal, but i was hoping that reiner would have a bigger role in the allied nations instead of being "dumbed down" to having an obsession with her. MAYBE THATS JUST THE JEALOUSY SPEAKING LMAO 😭 i was hoping this would be longer, although school has been killing me so im really sorry!! i hope its okay 💗💕 thank you honey!

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as reiner is handed historia’s letter, you fold your hands on the table and watch him without a word. when he reads the lines and smells the parchment - jean saying something snarky afterward - you say nothing.

you want reiner to be happy: you want to see him at ease like this more, face soft as the leaf of the page flits from his pinched fingers.

and so you let the man speak about historia like she’s a damn goddess, gushing over her handwriting, and keep your goddamn mouth shut. ignore your jealousy. your feelings.

the truth is, you’re in love with reiner.

you can’t even remember how it happened, but you can remember the first time you looked into those hazel eyes, and how you knew that they were going to stick with you for eternity.

you’ve come to accept his crush on the queen, though. reciprocation was never an option in your mind.

when jean begins to chew reiner out for lusting after a married woman, and reiner says something about jean being a horse, pieck’s gaze lands on you. “you’re rather quiet,” she says softly, resting her head on her palm.

you shrug, turning away from her. “i’m just tired.”

pieck catches your chin between her lithe fingers, and turns you to face her with a tiny smile. the young woman is very perceptive, and you’ve known her long enough. 

that’s when you notice the twinkle in her eye. she’s planning something.

pieck releases your jaw then, sitting up in her chair. “you’re wasting your time, reiner,” she says suddenly. “there’s already someone you know who cares for you.”

you pretend to not hear pieck - and definitely pretend you don’t see her faintly point at you through your peripheral. the movement of her fingers is barely there, but you catch it.

damn you, pieck.

the way you’re now pinned underneath armin, jean, connie, and reiner’s stares makes your stomach tie itself into knots with bubbling reluctance. shit, this is awkward. you want to run away.

still, you peer over to study reiner’s reaction. he looks confused at first, the contours of his face unreadable. you swear you see connie facepalm at the man’s cluelessness.

then reiner’s expression slowly changes: his eyes widen in awe, lips parting slightly, and brows knitting together. he seems genuinely surprised - and conflicted.

conflicted? why?

there’s no time to explain yourself though, because the door creaks open and annie steps in. her words fall on your deaf ears, and when everyone stands up to leave, you’re the first one out of the room. work beckons you as always.

two days pass.

you’ve been busy filling out tons of paperwork pertaining to the allied nations, so when you’re finally given a day off, you take it with open arms. 

freedom at last.

you lean against a bench outside of headquarters, enjoying the salty breeze that flutters along your skin. it’s dusk, the sky covered in a gradient of neon colors as the sun dips below the horizon.

you haven’t seen reiner since that day in the conference room. you wonder how he’s doing, what he’s thinking, how he’s holding up -

“hey.”

speak of the devil. you glance over your shoulder toward the voice, low and familiar.

reiner approaches you, clad in his uniform: the suit hugs his large frame perfectly, showing every flex of his muscles, and his blonde hair is neatly parted. the black tie looped around his neck just pulls it all together. it has you weak at the knees every. single. time.

“hey,” you answer, giving reiner a smile as he stops beside you.

and that’s when your heart lurches at the sight of him.

the sunset highlights reiner’s profile in gold, a heavenly shine that settles upon his blonde lashes and the flawless slope of his nose. the flecks in his irises sparkle – a beautiful mixture of soft browns and muted greens. the only thing you can do right now is admire the man. 

his words are what breaks you out of your daydream.

“work has been crazy lately, huh?” reiner says, focused on the candy-floss clouds and their fluffy shapes.

“well - yeah, pretty much. i don’t want to look at a pen or a piece of paper ever again.”

“that bad?”

“you have no idea. i almost regret marley and paradis reconciling.”

reiner chuckles gently at the joke, but it’s strained. his forehead remains creased, and he’s not really smiling. the emotion there is more … doubtful. it’s like he’s having some sort of inner conflict.

hopefully reiner’s not acting cautious because of the other day. you know he doesn’t return your feelings, and that’s totally okay. you’re happy enough being with him like this. “i’m not mad or anything, y’know.”

reiner stiffens at that. there’s a white flash of teeth when he chews on his lower lip. “i know.”

“good,” you hum, breathing out a sigh of relief. your core twists with envy when you force a grin. bite it back. tease him like always. “so about historia … ”

reiner’s eyes go wide almost comically, and you hear the breath in his lungs leave his firm chest in one exhale. there’s a light blush staining his cheeks now. it’s funny; he’s so goddamn big, yet he’s such a teddy bear.

“y-yeah,” reiner mutters. you observe the way his brows pinch together as he awkwardly shifts in place. it takes a while before the man composes himself again, which is strange.

is he scared or something? what the hell?

“pieck,” reiner hesitates for a moment. the golden strands of his hair ruffle in the wind and he appears ... well, lost. “was she being serious?”

the question is a shocker - jeez, he could have at least let you prepare yourself. a firm ‘no’ almost slips out, but you’ve never been much of a liar. not to reiner, anyway. crossing your arms against your chest, you inhale sharply and nod. avoid staring at him face-to-face. “yep.”

“ … why me?”

reiner says the words with a mixture of spite and anguish, a casual and rumbling voice. you immediately turn your head, frowning. “what?”

“i’ve done so many horrible things.” reiner exhales heavily and stares down at his hands; perhaps he’s imagining all the blood they’ve been stained with. “i betrayed everyone. i killed innocent people - all because i was selfish.”

it’s no surprise that reiner is broken after everything he’s been through, but it pains you to know that he continues to suffer in silence. whatever war is raging inside his ribcage tears him apart piece by piece, and you wish you could carry the burden. 

there’s probably nothing you can say to convince reiner that he was just a kid, a victim of circumstance. there’s nothing that can persuade him to see himself the way you do.

so you decide to tell reiner why you love him. 

you explain the amount of admiration you hold for him. tell him that you love the way he just wants to be someone his comrades can lean on, like a big brother. tell him that you think he’s the most gorgeous person you’ve ever seen and how you think he deserves the world.

the way you spill your guts out snaps every nerve in your body. you don’t say everything you want to – but you tell him enough. a dark flush spreading across your face, you find the courage to look at him.

the world seems to stop on its axis when you find reiner staring right on back. the intensity of his eyes is stunning; they’re lit up with astonishment and affection.

god, the affection. you see it clear as day. maybe one of the greatest regrets in his life is how he forced himself to see you only as a friend.

that’s when he reaches out to you.

reiner retracts his hand twice, unsure, before slowly brushing his fingertips against yours. the touch is so feather-light that you almost can’t feel it. it’s a test - he’s waiting to see if you pull away. you can’t even move if you wanted to, because his fond gaze keeps you rooted to the spot before him. 

when you don’t recoil, reiner finally moves to gently hold your hand; his palm is so much bigger than yours, and your fingers slot together perfectly, like a jigsaw puzzle’s final piece. 

heart thrumming like a hummingbird has been stuffed into your chest, you’re almost at a loss for words and come to a realization.

this utterly amazing man likes you. always has. 

but reiner shoved away the feelings for one simple reason; you deserved ‘better.’ focusing on the old crush he had on historia was a distraction - an attempt to convince himself to stop thinking about you.

because looking at you everyday and not being able to act upon his feelings was too painful.

“is this okay?” reiner asks lowly. there’s a slight pinkness to his cheeks, the color of a selfless love.

by some miracle, you manage to nod dumbly. “yeah, of course. it’s fine.” it’s amazing is what you actually want to say.  

reiner squeezes your hand at the reassurance, a sigh escaping from his throat. “i really—”

you wait for him to finish, but he doesn’t. reiner just searches your profile for signs of discomfort, and then untwines your hands to bravely swipe a thumb along the length of your cheekbone. 

there’s no time to speak because he’s already leaning down.  

the sensation of reiner’s lips pressing against yours lights your skin ablaze; you can feel the curling flames of passion sear your soul, made even more intense by the warmth of the sunlight on your back.

it’s natural, it’s tender, it’s warm.

reiner’s breath rattles into your mouth when you rest both palms against his solid chest and deepen the kiss. the musky smell of his aftershave and cologne envelops you completely, and fuck, it’s so good. your arms wrap around him, fingers passing over the sharp slopes of his shoulder blades.

as much as you wish the kiss could go on endlessly, there are people gathering outside. avoiding any unwanted attention from nosy strangers is very much appreciated.

you pull away to nuzzle your nose into reiner, and he rests his chin on your shoulder, protective arms moving to loop around your waist. it’s such an intimate caress that it sparks your brain into overdrive.

as the rushing sound of the breeze comes back to your ears through the quiet, you tuck the kiss away to be remembered forever. that’s all there is to it. being close to reiner like this - swaying together like wildflowers in the wind - is more important than anything else.

“i like you,” reiner murmurs.

the suddenness of it makes you laugh, and you can feel the upward quirk of reiner’s lips - a whisper of a peaceful smile and a sweet, sweet promise.

[plus-size-reader]

Lightweight

Natasha Romanoff x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 1475 words

Warnings: alcohol?

Summary: Natasha has the sweetest, most lightweight gf who gets a little too enthusiastic about Thor's liquor

I really love the HC where Bucky and Nat are really close, and used that a lot in this one. It just makes me happy. 

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To say that you weren’t what people expected when they thought about Natasha’s partner was an understatement.

The two of you couldn't have been more different, but she always said that was why you worked so well together. Where she was a bit rough around the edges and aggressive, you couldn't have been softer. While she was a literal assassin, you taught kindergarten in a small school downtown.

Really, there was no reason for anyone to think the two of you would have ever crossed paths.

...and maybe they wouldn't have, if it hadn't been for the party.

It was no secret that Natasha wasn’t super vocal about her private life, and that didn’t really change much when it came to you. While she didn’t hide you away, or pretend that you weren’t part of her life, she just didn’t believe in oversharing in the way certain other avengers did.

She was private.

She always had been, and it seemed easier to keep those sorts of things to herself, even when they made her as happy as you did. Maybe it was because she was paranoid, and worried for your safety, or being selfish and keeping you to yourself.

In any case, it was fine for a while, but over several months, you two got more and more close, and keeping you away from the Avengers wasn’t an option.

They were her family, and she wanted you to feel close to them. She wanted you to be able to get to know them and vise versa, that way maybe Steve would stop trying to set her up with all kinds of random people.

Admittedly though, this wasn't what Nat had in mind when she suggested that you come with her to the party Tony was throwing.

Speaking of, at the moment, you were standing on the table in Tony Stark’s apartment, surrounded by all her friends, dancing like a maniac and carrying on. It was quite a scene, but no one was really surprised.

If there was one thing that they had picked up on in the last few hours of the event, it was that you were very clearly a lightweight.

From the moment you walked in the door, they all knew that you had no place in this world, in Natasha’s world. You had sensible shoes on, and not a hair was out of place. As far as the Avengers were concerned, you'd wandered in from the street, searching for the Barnes and Noble.

Anything would have made more sense than you actually showing up here on purpose.

Though, when you walked through the door hand-in-hand shortly after a very dolled up Natasha, everything sort of snapped into place for them. She had been talking cryptically about a new partner she was seeing for quite some time.

The pieces fell into place organically from there.

You entered slowly, surveying the place with quick eyes darting back and forth. It was like you were going to miss something if you weren't careful. It wasn't until you laid eyes on Clint that you visibly relaxed.

A second friendly face made it a little easier to not have to cling to your girlfriend all night long.

Luckily, the cocktails came pretty quickly after you did and that helped you loosen up even more. "Who's carrying Y/N to the car tonight?" Clint laughed, tossing an arm around your shoulder, making it clear he was joking with you.

The others laughed as well, though they didn't know that the man was drawing from personal experience. The first time you three got together and had dinner, you drank a glass of wine and nearly had to be carried out to the car.

It was funny looking back, though in the moment, you had been so sick that you slightly winced at the memory.

He often joked that getting you drunk was like giving a baby a lemon for the first time, except there was no limit to how many times they could get a laugh out of it. That was about the time that Thor brought out a special treat, something he had been waiting to share for quite some time in hopes that it would provide some much needed entertainment.

Though, this was much better than he could have even expected.

Somewhere along the line, the music had gotten turned all the way up and was blaring through the speakers while you danced, without a care in the world.

You couldn’t even handle regular beer and wine, with hard liquor being out of the question. It only followed that something out of this realm was going to be much harder to handle.

“You-” you slurred, somehow trying to scream over the music. Everyone else was remaining rather calm, all things considered, just watching the situation unfold. Steve and Bucky were still as sober as can be, with Thor, Banner, and Tony hardly feeling anything.

They didn't seem to even bat an eye as you made a fool out of yourself, finding the entire exchange endearing if nothing else.

However, Nat, who you were now pointing out, was anything but calm. All she could think about was you tripping and falling off that table, or getting hurt in some other way. Even if you didn’t somehow break your neck, she knew you would have a killer hangover tomorrow.

“You, are so beautiful” you stammered, finishing your sentence which was a miracle at this point. Your had been stuttering and blanking through several songs that she knew you knew by heart, which was usually when she cut you off.

It was sweet, sure, but she could hardly even react before the laughs set in.

“Awe, you hear that ‘tasha” Barton grinned, gesturing up at you with the tail end of his beer, which he had been nursing for the last hour. He had never been much of a drinker, especially not since having kids.

He was just soaking it all in.

"You hush, I love her so much" you tutted, earning another gaggle of laughs from the surrounding group. You didn’t care that she was a killer, or that she had a past more blood soaked than anyone else's you'd ever known.

All you cared about was her, and the way that she made you feel. You knew that she was no threat to you, or anyone else, as far as you were concerned.

Natasha couldn't hurt a fly, at least when you were in her presence. You really thought that she was a good person, and knowing that made her feel like less of the monster she'd come to believe she was in recent years.

You believed in her, and that was enough for her.

Still, that sort of loving, reassuring was hard to focus on while you were fighting with the buttons of your blouse. "Okay sweetheart, let's get you down" Bucky suggested, shooting the redhead a glance for permission which she gave gratefully before he helped you down from the table.

He never would have touched you without some kind of allowance but he had been around enough intoxicated young ladies to know that nothing good ever came after they started stripping.

The large man lifted you from the table without any problem at all, making you gasp before erupting into a fit of giggles. "Hey, get your hands off me you big teddy bear, I'm taken" you grinned, clearly amused with yourself.

Bucky said nothing, only setting you down on the couch where he'd been sitting a few seconds ago. Perhaps out of second nature, he headed toward the front door to get your shoes, just like he'd done for Steve all those years ago.

Believe it or not, he had never been able to hold his liquor either, and Buck had spent a number of nights scooping his little buddy up of the floor and cleaning vomit out of his car. Seeing you in a similar state just triggered some old instinct in him.

"You need help getting her home?" Tony asked finally, talking to Natasha. Even if he had asked you, you weren't paying him any mind. You were too busy admiring Steve's blue eyes for anything like that.

The redhead only smiled in thanks before shaking her head. "No, I've got this." she smiled, making it clear to the rest of the group that this also wasn't her first time dealing with this from you.

"Let me know when you get home, and don't forget the water and aspirin" Bucky suggested, giving Nat a sideways hug before handing her your shoes. She smiled in thanks again, gathering herself while you muttered your goodbyes to all your new 'best friends'.

"Good to meet you sweetheart" Bucky hummed, helping you into your shoes while Natasha said goodbye to Clint and the others, thanking them for a great evening. Right now, you were on cloud nine with no signs of ever coming down, but they all knew you would be in a world of hurt in the morning.

[yandere-wishes]

Secret Admirer //Twisted Wonderland Yandere! Idia Shroud X Reader//

My first attempted at a song fic! This story is based off a Persian song called “Bade Man”. Both the song and Video show a lot of yandere tendencies so I decided to write two stories based off them. If you do decide to watch it please note that there is mention of suicide (Which I didn’t add in my own story) and stalker behavior (Which there is a lot of in this fic). Other then that please enjoy the story!

===========================================================

Idia's hand shook, sweat racing down his brow as he tried to accurately insert the miniature spy cam into the teddy bear's golden orb. Pushing the tiny device further in so it would remain anonymous. The little camera buzzed and glitched trying to come online and focus. 

Idia stretched his arm up trying to place the stuffed animal back on the top shelf where he had found it. Maneuvered it, checking the angle on his phone trying to find the perfect spot. Finally, at a position of 5 cm to the left, he had achieved the absolute angle, providing him with a view of your entire dorm room. The underworld god let out a sad sigh, he turned on his heels, habitually placing his fingers on his hips, digging his long chipped nails into the bulky fabric of his black sweater. Observing the room for a final time he gradually made his way to the door, mentally reminding himself to use the duplicate key to lock the door. Four steps from the door and he stopped, turning his head to look at something he'd spotted from the corner of his eye. There one shelf under where he'd set up the bear was a forgotten chocolate eyeball. His fingers twitched, trying to fight off the urges to grab it. You surely wouldn't notice if it was eaten, would you? You didn't have the most attentive mind nor the sharpest deduction skills. His long pale fingers slowly stretched to meet the sugary treat...

The blue screens were the only source of light in the pitch-black room. Their luminosity casted an eerie shadow over Idia's face. The flame-haired boy's eyes were glued to the screen, wait for you to return from your classes. He subconsciously reached for another piece of candy from the glass jar, mindlessly discarding the wrapper into the pile around his computers. He gazed at the time displayed on the corner of the screen. 

3:30 pm

classes finished fifteen minutes ago, so where were you? What was taking so long? No doubt those two Heartslabyul first years were keeping you busy once more. They were always circling you, always touching you in some form, they were like buzzards..worst actually. 

3:32 pm

you finally pried open the worn-out door to your so-called "dormitory"  walking inside, flinching each time you stepped on a creaky part of the floor. Behind the tiny cat-like terror skipped in. A large toothy grin danced across his furry face. He was going on about the A+ he'd gotten in the Alchemy test.

For a brief minute Idia's mind wondered to that very test, he was sure he had taken it. He sighed, the school was so troublesome and distracting, he'd just ask Ortho to retrieve his test later on. 

His attention floated back to you, his darling, his beloved...who he would continue to admire from afar. You carelessly discarded your school backpack and uniform coat onto the broken couch and headed for the kitchen. Idia leaned closer eyes soaking in every microscopic aspect of your body. Giggling slightly as he watched you peer into the fridge, hanging off the handle of the door and pouting at the lack of content in the fridge. Without looking he plucked his phone from the table and typed a reminder to get Ortho to buy you some groceries. 

You finally picked two eggs and some olive oil. Casually making your way to the stove, calling over your shoulder for Grim to set the table. You grabbed the lighter form the island and flicked it, trying to start a flame. 

Idia tensed, his eyes grew as big as the Heartslabyul mushroom saucers. He remembers passing by the kitchen, he remembers sparks from his hair landing on the stove. Initially, he'd disregarded them, believing they would become completely dormant by the next day. He hadn't thought that you would be making dinner. His heart skipped a beat, the tiny embers were sitting there,  ready to ignite at the smallest heat. 

His fingers frantically tapped at one of the screens, calling yourself hoping it would be a worthy distraction. His heart sank as he watched the dreaded cat pick up your cellphone. He ignored it pressing the hang-up option. 

His golden eyes flew back to the screen displaying your actions. He nervously shoved another two bonbons into his mouth. He ran a hand over his face, sighing trying to come up with something to do before his precious caught on fire. 

"Think, Think, Think, Think," his pale finger stabbed his forehead, do something! his thoughts screamed. Apahthcaly he cracked open an eye. He watched uselessly as you brought the lighter to the oven. 

There was a spark, blue flames spread along the surface of the oven like waves. You squealed and jumped back eyes gawking at the flames. They were familiar somehow...

"What happened!" 

The cat's screechy voice caused Idia to flinch, subconsciously his hand dove back into the bowl pulling out a handful of the wrapped goodies. 

The look on your face was one that tore Idia's heart into pieces, yet at the same time caused it to speed up tremendously. You hadn't moved an inch, eyes still wide and gawking at where the fire had been minutes ago. Your chest was rising and falling rapidly, breaths shaky and uneven. "T-the ghosts m-might be...playing some pranks again, yeah that's it! It was those ghosts!.... Ah!..(y-y/n) what.. what are..." Grim's voice trailed off, his gem-like eyes darted to (Y/N) after witnessing her sudden movement. She chucked the lighter at the stove, her hands balling into tight fists. She closed her eyes permitting tiny teardrops to race down her cheeks. 

"Can't I do any freaking thing right?" This was loudest Idia had ever heard (Y/N) raise her voice, though reasonably this was the angriest he'd ever seen her. Why was she so irritated over a small slip up? Was there something else weighing on your nervous that Idia had failed to notice? His golden eyes went back to monitoring your posture, recalling if you'd seemed off the couple of times he'd seen you in class or the hallways. His mind kept drawing blanks, you were always so cheerful and happy every time he laid eyes on you. Was there some subtle hint he was missing? Where you maybe as cursed as he was? The thought was unsettling and quite heavy on his broken heart. You didn't deserve to be cursed as he and his lineage where, you were too innocent, too pure...but alas you may very well be cursed just as he was, after all, you had the misfortune of traversing into this accursed world in addition to having caught his eye. 

After what felt like decades, your posture finally eased, the sniffling and flow of tears halted. You rose your head looking down at Grimm, a frail smile grazed your lips. "There's tuna in the fridge if you're hungry...." saying no more, you turned on your heels and trudged towards the doorless doorframe. "But, aren't you hungry?" the cat called after your concern laced his usually haughty voice. Idia could feel a nervous tik coming on, a cold wet substance fill is eyeball as it twitched uncontrollably. "Eat something dame it" he whispered to the girl on the screen. Taking his own advice he unwrapped another piece of candy and popped it in his mouth. He watched helplessly as you merely shook your head, continuing to march upstairs. Floorboards creaking from your weight. 

Idia threw his back, palms pushing over his cheeks, resing on his closed eyelids and applying apathetic pressure. He groaned loudly, watching you was consuming more time then he'd initially planned. The cameras where set so he could keep tabs on you, not to watch your disheartening days in the ramshackle dorm. Yet it proved to become an addiction rapidly. It was remarkably melancholic, the two of you were both leading your respective blighted lives waiting impatiently for some inconceivable miracle to rescue you. You could save eachother...but nither of you knew how. Thus you remain oblivious to his presence and he had to content himself with observing you from afar. This whole situation was much more tragic than anyone of the Greek tragedies he's read as a child.

By now, the sun had dipped behind the large school, disappearing from view for the night. Idia's once dark room had fallen into the color of the abyss engulfing him in endless darkness. However that notion seemed to escape the fire-haired third year as he remains immobile at his desk, orbs stilled glued to the blindingly bright lights of the multiple screens displaying different angles of the Ramshackle dorm. The object of his infatuation was changing out of their uniform tossing the blouse and skirt onto the bed as the grabbed an oversized T-shirt and some pajama shorts. Their footsteps echoed around the vacant room as they walked up to the shelf. Idia gulped fingers diligently shoving two tiny chocolates into his mouth. He watched as you reached up to grab the stuffed bear. Idia's sweaty palms covered his mouth, nails digging into the flesh of his cheek. He watched as you dropped the bear and let out a blood-curdling scream...

You missed your home, your real home. You missed the nostalgic scent of your mother's perfume and your father's aftershave. Lately, the thought of your home had become a crushing force on your mind. You wanted nothing more than to head back home, then to sleep on your old bed, talk to your old friends, to just bask in the feeling of your old house. But Crowley still hadn't found a way for you to return. The headmaster did try but with the constant troubles caused by the other students, he just couldn't focus. Letting out a depressed sigh you walked over to the decaying shelf in the further corner of your room. On top of that shelf sat an old Teddy Bear, it resembled one you had back home. Who would have ever thought you'd find the very same toy in this twisted world. Retrieving the stuffed animal from the shelf, you smiled at its stoic face, playfully you moved it around watching your reflection from different angles in its golden eyes. As the right eye remains in place, the left eye kept seemingly following you, curiously you tapped the eye. The golden ord whizzed stretching out while spinning trying to get a better look at your face. A camera! There was a camera placed in the bear's eye! You dropped the stuffy, shakingly stepping away from the spying bear. A loud high pitch noise echoed in your ears, making your heartthrob. It took an endless moment before you realized that it was, in fact, yourself who was making the dreadful noise. Your hands covered your mouth trying to stop the sound, you gulped as your eyes filled with tears. 

You back hit the wall, having nowhere else to go you sunk down wrapping your arms around your shins, goosebumps ran across your skin, spiking your flesh causing a cold sweat to break over your body.  Someone was watching you...Someone had been watching for god knows how long.

"(Y/N)!" Grimm's panicked voice barely reached your ringing ears. You remained curled in your tight ball. The cat-like monster ran over to you, pawing at your arm trying to get you to talk. "What happened? Why did you scream!" His pitchfork like tail wrapped around his tiny body. Hesitantly you pointed to the tumbled over bear. Your voice cracked as you tired to speak "C-camera...there's a camera in the b-bear's e-eye." Grimm's eyes widen as he ran over to the spycam to investigate. 

Idia watched as the tiny cat hoisted up the bear, clawing at the eye camera. The blue screens glitched for a second, the went back to broadcasting the room. Idia turned the deal on one of his speakers trying to better hear what Grimm was whispering to you. "Someone was in the house" the cat mumbled into your ear. "I had candy on the third shelf and now only the wrappers are left". The cat's words only caused you to sob harder, your mind being overtaken by panic to such extents that you could hardly move. The grey monster shook your numb hand trying to get a reaction out of you. "We...we need to call the headmaster..." at Grimm's words you banged your head against the wall, fresh tears flowing from your eyes. Slowly you nodded, "On the count of three, run like all hell for the front door...we don't know if there are any other cameras, it'll..it..it'll just be safer to go to his office.."  Using the wall for support you stood up, eyes never once leaving the bear. You took a final shakey breath...

"one.."

Idia's eyes widen, you weren't serious where you?

"Two.."

A lone tear rolled from his eye...no please no

"Three!"

Idia watched helplessly as you and Grimm ran down the stairs, disappearing out the front door.  

 Nervously Idia turned off the screens. His heart pounded so hard that he was sure it would crack his rips and burst right out. He had lost you...he had tried to keep an eye on you, to be with you in the only way he knew how..and that had caused you to run away...Anger bubbled in his veins, his fingers twitched as he stood up "DAME IT" his voice sounded throughout the Ignihyde dorm, causing the rest of the students to stop whatever they were doing and listen to the rare sound coming from their dorm leaders room. 

Sinking down to the floor, Idia let the tears roll out from his eyes, his throat burned as he let out another frantic scream. How could he have been so stupid? So useless?

"Big brother?" Ortho's curious voice caused Idia to cease his screaming, reluctantly he turned his head to look at his little brother. Ortho walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him. His large golden eyes scanned the turned over chair and broken candy jar. "I-I lost her..." Idia's voice trailed off as he leaned his head on Ortho's metal shoulder. His posture sunk into his brother's cold hands. "I-I" his tears kept coming, trailing down his cheeks. Calmly Ortho wiped the teardrops from his creator's face. Bloodshot golden eyes met sympathetic golden eyes. "Big brother...why do you do this to yourself? If you really love her you should go see her in person.."

The younger Shroud's words tugged on his brother's heartstrings. The cursed older brother reluctantly pressed his face to his creations chest and mumbled: "I...I really should".

In the unholy hour of midnight, Idia found himself, leaning against a tree in the Ramshackle front yard. His golden eyes watched as his darling frantically tried to explain to the mask-wearing headmaster what had happened hours prior. His shaky legs dragged the God of the dead to a tombstone that was closer to the window. Crunching by the marker Idia lolled in the sound of his beloved's voice. Silently he whispered a promise to himself.

"One day I will make you mine my love...one day very soon"

[onthesandsofdreams]

High Society Drinks

Pairing: SanSan Rating: T Summary: Sansa smiled to herself as she readied herself. Today, it was the second anniversary of her and Sandor’s first date and, Sandor had decided to take her out to dinner to mark the occasion. Words: 1216 Notes: Last chapter, thanks for all the support guys!

Read @ AO3 | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Sansa smiled to herself as she readied herself. Today, it was the second anniversary of her and Sandor’s first date and, Sandor had decided to take her out to dinner to mark the occasion.

She thought that how they had managed to get there. The first date, was a moment of Sandor calling himself weak. But Sansa proved him soon that she did liked him, that first date they had gone and watch a public performance on the city’s park. They had spoke for hours after that, they even had gotten dinner together because they spent so much time together that day.

Sandor had been a bit closed off, but that hadn’t stop them from getting to know each other. Sansa knew that Sandor thought she would be difficult when it came to dates, so she managed to steer him into dates she liked, but weren’t overly expensive. They had gone to a book fair and they both had come out with armloads of books, they went to the movies, they went to concerts (pop music for her, rock for him), they went to small dinner places – her favorite was a fifties styled one, the milkshakes were heavenly, visited museums, they went to doggy walks together, they had gone to a fair and she had been quite happy when Sandor had gone a big blue teddy bear for her and, they had quiet dinners at home. Sandor had been a surprising good cook. He had even once taken her to a brewery that had food, she had now found an appreciation for a local dark ale.

Sansa had managed to take him to some higher end spots, but those were not very in your face. The theater had been a hit, it probably help that it was a comedy. The art show she took him, Sandor had been quite curious about the glass pieces, they had spoken about them for quite a while after that. A three star restaurant that Sandor had appreciated it – but maybe that was because it was a steak house.

Arya had looked at her as she had grown a second head, but Sansa was well pass not caring. She liked Sandor and Arya’s scowling wasn’t going to change it. In the end, Sandor had even managed to win Arya over when he took her to a medieval fair and let her try and fight him with her own sword. Sansa had watched, dressed as a princess from a long-gone era, Sandor won and much to her surprise, he gave her a blue rose.

They also saw each other a lot in The Crossroads, Sansa had taken to going when Sandor was not working too, and they would sit at the bar, drink and sometimes dance. It had been funny when one drunk idiot tried to hit on her, he has strode towards her and tried to be smooth, “Hey babe.”

Sansa had rolled her eyes, “I’m here with my boyfriend, so don’t even try.”

“Aww come on babe, there’s no one here.”

Sandor had growled, “I’m here you dumb fuck.”

The man had simply stared at them, as if he was being the victim of a joke. Sansa had grinned and grabbed Sandor’s face and kissed him deeply. He had finally had grown comfortable with public displays of affection.

The man had scrambled away as if he were on fire. They both had laughed.

And today, Sandor had simply said that they were going to a special spot and she needed to dress up. Sansa had gone shopping for the occasion, she opted for a cobalt blue dress, black strappy heels and curled her hair and let it mostly alone. She opted for cat eye make up with red lips, and she was ready right on time, she didn’t like when Sandor waited for their dates.

Sandor had been the picture of perfect manners when meeting her family, her father had surprised her and say that he actually liked Sandor, her mother took her time, but she came around and found him to be a good man for her. Her brothers actually liked him, a first and a miracle in itself. Sansa was happy that her family had given their approval. It had helped that eventually, Sandor opened his own gastro pub and was being successful enough that he was contemplating a second location.

And Sandor arrived right on time. “Hello Little bird, ready?” He looked quite handsome, a deep wine colored shirt and tie, black suit and hair neatly combed, he offered his arm when taking her to his car.

“I am, and I’m very excited. I can’t wait to see where we’re going.”

Sandor smiled at her, “It’s a good place, it was recommended to me by someone I trust. So, I know that you’ll like it.”

Sansa smiled and climbed on his car, Sandor closed the door carefully and made his way to the driver’s seat. Once they were ready, they made their way through the city, and much to her surprise, Sandor took her to ‘Sapphire Island’. It was a new restaurant, but it was receiving high praise and already had a three star review, its chef, Brienne Tarth was being rained down accolades.

They were escorted to their table, and they sat down while perusing the menu. “I’m surprise you got reservations, Sandor.”

Sandor grinned, “I know Brienne, we both do broadsword and we’re on the same team, so when I told her I was looking for a spot to bring you, she placed the reservation for us. She’s great.”

Sansa smiled, “Well, that is very sweet of her. And of you, of course.”

They ordered their food and wine, and they had a marvelous time eating. It was a six course meal and ended with dessert, and Sansa loved every moment of it. But when food was done, Sandor surprised her again for taking her to the local botanical garden, they were having a night event and they had placed fairy lights among the flowers, giving the place a magical look.

And Sandor surprised her once more near the rose, he stopped and held her hand. “You know, Little bird, since you came to my life, it feels like for the first time ever, things are where they should be. And I never would have imagine to love anyone the way I do you, and I’m one hell of a lucky bastard.” He knelt and her eyes grew wide as he pulled a small box from his pocket. “Sansa Stark, would you make me the honor of marrying me?”

Sansa stared at the ring, it was a sapphire that matched her eyes perfectly, surrounded by a small halo of diamonds with pavé band, her vision turned blurry and she only managed to nod frantically. “Yes,” she managed to get out. “Yes, of course!” And with that, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him.

She would never had imagined, that letting Arya take her to her favorite bar would change her life so drastically, but she was not complaining. Sansa was happier than she had ever been and she had finally found her prince charming, even if he didn’t look like it.

Sandor Clegane was the man for her, always would be.

[quasieli]

Little Gifts

[AO3 Link]

Vex'ahlia could not wait for this year to be over. While the year did give her the greatest blessing she could ever ask for in the form of her daughter, it also delivered the hardest blow in the loss of her brother. Her highest high and her lowest low both happened in the span of these twelve months. For the new year, all she wanted was peace.

However, before she could say goodbye to this eventful year, she first had to survive the holidays. Vex had always had mixed feelings about this time of year; she had wonderful memories of Christmas with her mother and brother, but then feelings of, at best, disdain for the holidays with her father. But now she had Vesper, and Percival, and a whole host of new traditions and happy holiday memories to make. She tried to keep this thought as she worriedly prepared for her first Hanukkah. 

"I don't know the first thing about any of this," Vex tried not to let her voice sound like a whine as she looked to her friend for advice, all the while gently rocking her daughter in her arms, "I don't want to mess this up for him." Vex paused as she looked down at the sleeping baby, "Or her."

A gentleness had grown about Keyleth over the past year, learning to be kind to herself and to others as she grew and healed. She looked to her clearly distressed friend, a sister in every sense but biological, placing a comforting hand on her unsteadily shaking arm. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

Vex fought back the urge to roll her eyes, she knew Keyleth was just trying to help. "That's easy for you to say, darling," Vex chided herself, feeling somewhat bad about her tone, "I know this isn't a usual Christmas season, but it'll still be just Christmas for you."

"Well, it's not like you're getting rid of your old traditions," Keyleth supplied.

"I might as well," Vex grumbled, thinking back to the troubling holidays of her youth, "It's not like I have much holiday cheer, and it was never about the religion either. Perhaps starting fresh would be smart."

Vex looked down as Vesper began to stir, who let out a big yawn before settling back to a comfortable sleep. She smiled down at her daughter, the best gift she had ever received. 

"I know Percival and I agreed that we would hold both holidays so Vesper could get a chance to experience the joy of both, but I'm beginning to think maybe starting a new tradition will be best." Vex tried to make her voice sound more sure than she felt. She wanted this for Vesper, and for Percy. She saw how he lit up at the suggestion of celebrating Hanukkah together as a family, she didn't want to let him down. "I guess I just have a lot of studying to do."

As the end of the year approached, Vex found herself burying her nose in countless books and articles about how to make the perfect holiday for her family. She learned how to make the treats, she found the perfect gifts and even got a dreidel and gelt for her family to enjoy playing with. It was all going according to plan; until it wasn't. 

The first night of the eight day celebration finally arrived, and Vex was feeling anxious, wanting everything to go perfectly. While the day was originally meant for just herself, her husband and her daughter, it felt wrong to leave the rest of her family out. However, disaster seemed to strike as each of her extended family members failed to make it to Whitestone, each with their own valid reason that Vex could not fault any of them for.

As she paced around the main hall of the de Rolo family manor, Vex couldn't help but feel like she was already failing, despite the fact that it was simply that fate was not on her side. She was soon brought out her panic at the familiar, ever warming sound of her daughter's coos. She looked up and found her handsomely dressed husband holding Vesper in the doorway to the dining room. 

"Everything is going to be fine, Vex'ahlia," Percy relayed softly, crossing the floor to stand by his wife's side. He pulled her small frame close to him, Vesper nestled softly between them, kissing the top of her head gently to calm her. 

Vex let out an exasperated sighed, "I know, I know. I know Keyleth couldn't help getting sick, and Pike and Scanlan couldn't help their flight here getting snowed in, and all the other things that happened to stop this day from being perfect..." She paused, taking a moment to breathe after her last string of words came out in a single breath. "But was a nice first Hanukkah too much to ask for?"

"It's still going to be a beautiful night, Vex," Percy said as he passed a gurgling Vesper off to his wife, "We still have each other, that's all that we need. Why don't you two go get settled and I'll go grab the menorah?"

Vex nodded simply, watching as her husband disappeared down the hall. She turned to look to her daughter, scoffing half heartedly at the thought that at least Vesper is too young to remember this day. She placed a kiss on the crown of her daughter's head, amongst the soft sea of her dark curls. "Let's go, my love, we're going to be seeing some pretty lights very soon."

The pair got themselves comfortable in one of the grand sitting rooms on the first floor of the manor, Vex staring off at the table where the candelabra would soon be placed. As she began to falter back into her overly critical thoughts, Percy returned, now donning an old blue and white kippah and carrying the golden de Rolo family menorah in one hand and a small assortment of gifts in the other. Without saying a word, he crossed the room and placed the beautifully ornate chanukiah on the table before turning back and taking a seat beside his wife and daughter.

"I know it's not the tradition, but I thought we'd open gifts first," Percy smiled, placing a small, wrapped gift in the lap of each them. Vex looked up to protest, wanting to follow the traditions by the book, but Percy interjected, "I never have been and never will be a rule follower, Vex'ahlia. Let's start the night off with some smiles."

Vex knew he was right, melting into a calmer smile as she looked at the small boxes in front of the trio. "Why don't we open Vesper's first?"

Percy nodded simply, "That sounds like a lovely idea."

Together, the de Rolos each took an end of the bow that had been delicately tied to the box in the infant's lap and pulled it gently to open the gift. The pair carefully goaded Vesper's short term attention to the shiny gift, getting her to look long enough to see the small teddy bear emerge from box. The girl giggled gleefully as Vex placed the soft toy in her lap, the child immediately taking to the bear and holding it to her chest. 

The couple smiled at the sight of their contented daughter, nothing was better than seeing the smile on her face. 

"Okay, you next," Vex excitedly started, beaming up at her husband, "I really hope you like it."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I will," he replied softly, undoing the bow on the box just as he had for his daughter's gift. Taking the lid off the box, Percy was surprised to find a singular polaroid photo, showing him a young boy he had never seen, reading a book at an old desk. Somewhat confused, he looked to a blushing Vex'ahlia for an explanation.

"I know I didn't convert or anything, but I figured an act of tzedakah," she paused as she prayed to herself that she didn't butcher the word, beginning the thought again as recomposed, "I figured it would be a good start to the holiday. I donated to a charity in your name, allowing that young boy," Vex stopped and smiled as she added, "his name is Freddie, to get glasses to allow him to read all the new books that the donation also allowed for. He's got a thirst for knowledge, like a certain Freddie I know, and now he can actually go after all the things he wants to know."

A soft silence hung in the room as Percy looked back to the photo, smiling as he flipped it over and saw a scribbled "Thanks, Mr. Rolo" in a child's handwriting. He chuckled, sniffling as he wiped the pinprick of tears that was forming in the corner of his eye. "This is wonderful, Vex. Thank you for this."

Vex leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek, elated to see his reaction, "No problem, ya big softy."

Placing his own small box aside, Percy turned to Vex. "So, I have a bit of an unconventional request."

"Go on..." Vex chimed cautiously, quirking an eyebrow at Percy.

"May I open your gift? It has to be opened in a particular way and I want to make sure it's all perfect."

Vex paused for a moment before silently agreeing, trusting whatever her husband had planned. Vesper, who had been sat between both her parents, was now moved entirely to her mother's lap as her father took the small, shiny box from Vex.    

Percy sighed heavily, fidgeting with the ribbon on the box as he looked up at the two most important people in his life. "Hanukkah is not about materialism or gift giving, it's about celebrating life and the miracles that allow it to keep happening. I find myself blessed everyday for the two miracles that sit before me. Ourshayna Vesper, a gift to us everyday with her infinite light. I could not be a luckier man for having both her and you, Vex'ahlia, with me, everyday. Our family is a blessing, and this gift, I hope, will allow that blessing to continue."

Carefully, Percy began to untie the ribbon on the box, Vex intently staring down at it, wondering what it could possibly be. Percy's usually steady hands shook as he pulled out the small item from inside. Before Vex could catch what the item was, Percy moved from her side, kneeling on one knee before her. Vex gasped, throwing a hand up to her mouth, her other arm still wrapped securely around Vesper. 

Percy's hand steadied as he revealed a black, velvet box in his palm, pulling it open to reveal a shining gold ring with a circular cut opalesque gem at its center. Smiling up at his world, Percy asked, "Vex'ahlia, let the blessing of our family continue and marry me?" 

Tears were already streaming down Vex's cheeks as she stared at the mystifying sight before her. Not knowing what to say, Vex stuttered out a laugh before adding, "But we're already married, darling."

"Yes, but this time, marry me in front our family, let them all be a part of that blessing." 

Vex sniffled, not hesitating for a moment before nodding. Teeming with joy, Percy removed the ring from the box and placed it upon his wife's shaking hand. Rejoining the pair on the couch, the de Rolos kissed deeply, their daughter hugged safely between them. 

"We agreed on small gifts, I know that, but I don't need anything when I have the best gifts in the world right here with me." 

[elisaphoenix13]

Everlasting Spirit (Ch.1)

"Mama!"

Stephen groans softly when Valerie continues to call for him from her crib. "Tony...the baby." Without opening his eyes, he reaches out toward Tony's side of the bed when his husband doesn't answer, and his hand meets cold sheets. "Tony?"

The sorcerer cracks his eyes open to look on the engineer's side of the bed and frowns when he finds it empty. He grabs his phone from the nightstand to check the time and his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline when he finds that it was past ten in the morning. Stephen stretches out the kinks that had formed while sleeping and then asks Victor to open the blinds that Tony no doubt asked Friday to keep down until Stephen woke up on his own.

"Ma!" Valerie repeats.

Stephen sighs. "Yes cub. I heard you the first time."

He sits up groggily before slipping out of bed, motioning for Athena to stay when the wolf lifts her head curiously. He steps over to the crib and lifts Valerie from it, and lays her on the bed near Athena while he grabs some diaper supplies from the closet. The wolf noses the baby curiously and Valerie coos when Athena starts to lick her, and Stephen gently grabs her muzzle to push away with a click of his tongue.

"Stop that."

Stephen ignores the wolf's annoyed huff as he changes his daughter's diaper, and then he picks her up and holds her in one of his arms before he heads out of the bedroom. Athena follows dutifully once she hops down from the bed and the sorcerer puts his youngest daughter in her high chair so he can give her some cereal puffs to snack on while he makes breakfast for him and Tony. He naturally asked Victor if his husband even ate breakfast just in case by some miracle he had, but his AI confirms Stephen's go-to assumption. Tony only had coffee.

The doctor cooks bacon, eggs, sausage, and hash browns after feeding his wolf her breakfast, and looks over to the elevator when it opens and Sam walks onto the floor.

"Hey Mama Bear. Have any orange juice up here?" He asks.

Stephen points to the fridge with the spatula in his hand. "We should if Scott hasn't gotten to it. Late breakfast?"

"More like a second one. I worked up an appetite while I was working out with Steve and Bucky."

"You're more than welcome to join us. I always make extra." Stephen offers as Sam walks over to the fridge and grabs the carton of juice.

"Thanks. Beats the cereal I have."

Stephen fills a plate for Sam as he sits at the island, and just as he sets the plate in front of the darker male, the elevator opens again. Tony walks out with Tibbs on his shoulder, and makes a beeline for Valerie to kiss her all over her face and earning a quiet giggle from the baby. Stephen had to partially tune out his husband when he started speaking to their daughter fondly in Italian, but still found himself smiling regardless. Tony constantly spoke to their children in different languages so they could learn them (Peter and Harley being fluent in quite a few because of it), but also just to show affection. Italian was his primary language for that. For the kids and Stephen, although some things were kept behind closed doors when it came to the sorcerer since the three older kids were fluent.

"No topolina, those are for you." Tony kindly rejects Valerie's silent offer of her cereal puffs as the engineer sits in the chair closest to the highchair. "Get down furball."

Sam snorts when Tibbs hops down to the floor from Tony's shoulder. "Your older trolls at school?"

"You know, I think they're possessed because Friday didn't wake me up to make sure they got up and all that jazz." Tony starts. "I woke up by myself and she told me they got up, ate breakfast, and left for school."

Stephen gives Tony a look. "The boys took Diana to school?"

"They walked Cassie to school too. I called their schools to make sure and they all said the kids were accounted for." Tony confirms and Sam swallows his mouthful of food before responding.

"I agree with the boss. They're possessed."

Stephen chuckles as he turns off the stove and fills a couple more plates with food for him and Tony, and then carries them over to the table. While possession was a real thing, Friday eased Stephen's mind when she told them they the kids were acting like they normally did, but Harley wanted to give their parents some time to sleep in. It was one of the times he stepped into a mature role so Tony and Stephen could take a well deserved break, and the sorcerer was already trying to think of a way to thank their oldest son.

Peter did similar things to Harley when he wanted to help his parents relax, but cooking was not one of them. Stephen was almost positive the spiderling gave up on cooking after he burnt that casserole so long ago and had Dum-E bury him in fire extinguisher foam. Diana just played quietly until Cassie was awake and then went downstairs to play with her until Tony or Stephen called her back upstairs.

He didn't know how they got so lucky, but they were. They had amazing kids, and even though they all fought like typical siblings and got into some trouble (especially superhero trouble when it came to the boys), there were days they behaved long enough to let their overworked parents rest. Other times they saved each other's lives, like Harley had done for Peter when he was impaled by the Rhino. They fed and changed Valerie sometimes, built and played in pillow forts with Diana and watched endless amounts of Disney movies, and Harley sometimes helped Peter on his patrols.

Speaking of patrols.

"Tony." Stephen says softly to get his husband's attention.

"Yeah?" The engineer responds as he feeds Valerie some eggs.

"Can you take a look at my suit? Last time I was dimension hopping, one of my legs didn't get covered properly."

Tony looks over at the doctor and holds his hand out until Stephen removes his nanotech bracelet and hands it over. "Did it stop altogether or did the nanites try to cover your leg…?"

"They tried, but there were still holes."

"Some of them probably just need repairs. I'll give it a look once we're finished eating." Tony promises.

Stephen nods and watches his husband return his attention to their daughter once he pockets the bracelet, and they both find her patiently waiting for some more of Tony's scrambled eggs. They were pleased to find that she was not a very picky eater and generally enjoyed anything they offered her with the exception of green beans and lemons. They only knew about the lemons because Harley one day decided he wanted to see how his baby sister would react after chewing on a lemon wedge, and Valerie had the typical response. A puckered mouth followed by a look of betrayal that had her three older siblings (and even Cassie) howling with laughter. By some miracle, Valerie wasn't put off from orange slices because of it, but she would still eye them warily if her brothers were the ones feeding them to her.

Just like she watched Quill carefully whenever he fed her something green. She still hadn't forgiven him for feeding her green beans.

Sam finished his breakfast and thanked Stephen before heading back downstairs, and Tony thanked the sorcerer with a kiss after putting his plate in the dishwasher. The engineer went back down to the lab to take a look at Stephen's suit, and the doctor himself cleaned up the kitchen and his daughter before allowing Levi to take her. The cloak coddles and swings the baby while Stephen sits on the couch to read, and Athena joins her master on the couch and lays her head on one of his thighs. Stephen enjoyed the periodic coo from Valerie as he read his novel and gently pet his wolf's head, and when the giggles and coos die down into silence, Levi gently deposits her into the nearby playpen. It wasn't quite time for a nap, but she would play with her teddy bear until she either fell asleep or demanded her mother's attention.

Of course, today was a day for Stephen's attention. Valerie called quietly for him and the sorcerer had Levi pick her back up and bring her over to him, and he grabbed one of her books through a small gateway after he got her situated comfortably against him. Valerie had a full belly and a clean diaper, so now all she wanted was for Stephen to read her a book before she took a nap. It was an early afternoon ritual for her.

Stephen had to stop Athena from nosing the baby when Valerie fell asleep halfway through the book, but the wolf simply laid her head back on the sorcerer's thigh with another annoyed huff. The doctor ignored her as he carefully situated his daughter so that he can read again, and subconsciously listened to her soft breaths as she slept. It was one of the things that helped him relax...listening to his kids breathe. He mostly heard Valerie, especially since she slept in the master bedroom with him and Tony, but every once in a while he would catch one of the three older kids napping.

Whenever he had a nightmare concerning the kids, he went into their rooms to check on them and listen as a quick way to ease his conscious so he could go back to sleep. Then there were those rare mornings Stephen and Tony woke up to all four kids in their bed, and one time he woke up to find Valerie's foot in her father's face. Diana was comfortably snug next to Stephen, Peter had draped himself across both parents with his head on Stephen's hip (the sorcerer had been sleeping on his side that morning), and Harley laid across the end of the bed with Athena.

Tony and Stephen had never been so thankful for a king sized bed, especially when another one of those mornings found Cassie in their bed too. That only happened when Scott was out of town and Quill was off earth, and she usually saved Tony from a kick to the face by laying next to him and putting Valerie in between her and Diana.

Friday took a picture each time the kids were found on their bed.

"Doctor, Diana will be getting out of school soon." Victor suddenly says and Stephen gently nudges Athena so the wolf could get up. Once she jumps off the couch, the sorcerer carefully puts Valerie in her playpen.

"Is Tony still in the lab?"

"Yes. Should I ask him to come up or pick up your daughter?"

"No, I'll go pick her up. Who's currently in the tower?" Stephen asks his AI. "Actually, is Wanda here?"

"Yes."

"Ask her if she's willing to watch the baby for a few minutes, and if she is, have her come up."

There really was no if. There were only two reasons members of the team wouldn't watch Valerie, and one was if they were just about to leave, or if they were sick and contagious. Natasha had been sick a few weeks ago and had been grumpy the entire time because she loved spending time with the baby of the family. Especially when Quill wasn't hogging her. Of course, the god rubbed it in her face every chance he could, and when Nat was feeling better, she got sweet revenge.

All Stephen knew was that it had to do with sending Scott away to a fake meeting. Just after Quill returned from two weeks out in space. They had a very irritable god on their hands until Scott came home.

"You called?" Wanda says, interrupting Stephen's thoughts as she walks over to join him at the playpen.

"Yes. I just need you to watch her for a few minutes while I go pick up Diana. She's at the end of her nap so she might wake up while I'm gone."

"No problem."

Stephen thanks her and disappears through a portal, leaving Wanda with his daughter and an irritated wolf. He would be back in five minutes, the wolf could deal with not being able to come with him.

=============

"Tony."

The engineer looks up from Stephen's nanotech bracelet and finds Wanda standing by the door with Valerie on her hip and looking concerned.

"What's up Red?"

Wanda opens her mouth to respond, but Friday interrupts her. "Boss, you have a call from the elementary school. They're asking if anyone will be by to pick up Diana."

"Tony…" Wanda starts. "Stephen left to pick her up half an hour ago."

The engineer drops his tools and straightens. "Friday, where's Mom? Track his phone."

A few moments pass. "I can't find him Boss."

Tony stares at the nanotech on his workbench and tries to keep himself from hyperventilating. Stephen never made it to Diana's school? How? The sorcerer always portaled to the closest alleyway or empty street whenever he went to pick up their daughter and it was only a block away. Had someone been watching Stephen's movements and grabbed him?

"Oh my god!" Wanda uses her free hand to magically move a chair under Tony when he collapses. "Tony, breathe!" She commands when she rushes over to him.

He did. After he laid his forehead on Wanda's other hip and grabbed the back of her shirt to ground himself. It took him a few moments to gather himself so he could think again, but he didn't move away from or let go of the witch. He was afraid he would freak out again if he did.

"Friday, is Quill home?" Tony wheezes out.

"No Boss. He's currently in the middle of a shift at the station."

"Call him. Ask him to cut it short."

Friday did so after telling the elementary school that someone would be by to pick Diana up shortly, and the AI told Tony that Quill was on his way to the school. The engineer would only feel better once Diana got home, and while he knew there were others currently in the tower that were capable of picking up his daughter, Tony wanted to put a god between her and Stephen's supposed captors. That was the only explanation for the sorcerer's disappearance. He even had Friday send a message to Karen and Sara that the boys were to go home immediately after school, and then finally took a little more time to calm himself. Wanda said nothing as Tony continued to cling to her, she just threaded her fingers through his hair periodically when she wasn't amusing Valerie with her powers.

Her hands didn't shake though.

[hamilton-one-shots]

Hamilton High School AU 25

Once they arrived at the shop, they found that all of the lights were still on, though the sign said closed, and music was blaring from the inside.

"She's home, alright," Hercules chuckled. He lead Lafayette to the door and opened it, the music blasting out of the door.

His parents were dancing along through the clothing racks, spinning and bouncing. They may not have been the most skilled dancers, but it was sweet watching the pair act like lovestruck teens.

"Hey!" Hercules shouted multiple times, trying to get their attention. Eventually, he simply resorted to shutting off their music.

"You're no fun," Hugh grumbled, though Sarah was more than happy to stop the fun if it meant seeing her son again.

She dashed over and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. "My baby boy! I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, ma!" Herc wheezed out as she let him go.

She took his face and inspected it from very angle while bombarding him with questions. "Have you been eating well? Changing your clothes everyday? Changing your under-"

"Yes! Ma, I've progressed into adulthood. I can make sure I don't die," he interrupted, though the smile on his face said that he didn't mind the embarrassment. Yet.

Sarah nodded and turned to Lafayette with a wide grin, pulling him into a similar hug. "And you, Laffy Taffy, it's been too long!" She let go and held his shoulders, taking him in. "You have not changed a bit! You look lovely in a skirt! Is Herky treating you well? Is he making sure you're spoiled?"

Lafayette chuckled and nodded. "Don't worry, he's spoiling me. He won't let me stop him."

"I'm so glad to hear that! Now you keep him in line, now. If he gets out of line, you have my permission to hi-"

"Mom! Please! I'm doing my best to be a good boyfriend, I swear!"

Of course, Sarah didn't mean everything she said, she was just going out of her way to embarrass her son, and succeeding. "That I don't doubt."

"I'll hit him, if you want," Hugh piped up, pulling his son into a headlock.

"Hush, Hugh. Leave the poor boy alone." She turned back to Lafayette. "You two must be starving. The table's already set up. I'll join you two in a bit."

He nodded and pulled Herc out of his father's grip and into the kitchen. "I forgot how much I love your mom."

Hercules sighed and sat with Lafayette. "I'll always be five in her eyes. But, I was right, she adores you." He kissed Lafayette's cheek and held his hand. "You know, back in Ireland, nobody used to believe she was my mom until parents' night. It was fun watching their reactions when they realized I wasn't lying," he chuckled. The shop may have been small there, but in Ireland, the name "'Baire Mulligan ❤️'" was common in Ireland, particularly among teen girls and younger women.

Sarah danced into the kitchen, Hugh following close behind with a bright red face.

"Miss ma, dad?"

"Hush, you." He sat at the table as Sarah placed their plates before sitting at her own seat.

"Oh, you boys," she rolled her eyes. "Now, I want to hear everything. How's your brother, Taffy?"

Lafayette smiled. "He's doing great. He just started dating John last week. They're more than happy together."

"Is that so? I was going to ask how little Jackie was. Lord knows he needs a reason to smile more."

"Mom," Hercules chided softly. "John's fine..."

"Oh, hush. The poor boy hardly smiled last time I saw him. He needs something positive in his life. And Ally's no doubt a good force for him," she smiled warmly. She meant well, but the fact that Hercules and Lafayette knew exactly why he needed that change made things a bit awkward. Thankfully, she dropped the topic. "You know, Taffy, I brought a few new designs home from Belfast, if you'd like to try them on."

That helped Hercules perk up a bit. "You know Laf looks good in everything he wears."

"Your designs look good on him, Herc. You know, you don't give yourself enough credit, especially when it comes to Laf," Hugh piped in.

"Oh, come on.. You know I'm not meant for the stage," he chuckled awkwardly.

"Oh, hush, Herky. The designer is just as important as the model."

Lafayette nodded. "What would a model be without the clothes that they show off? It's in the name."

Hercules's shy nature caused him to smile shyly at his boyfriend's reassurance, but Sarah smiled widely.

"I couldn't agree more, Taffy. I would love to see you in the things that my baby designs for you. Maybe I can try a few myself."

"It is my lucky night!" Hugh smiled.

Hercules rolled his eyes. "Settle down, Casanova."

"You're one to talk. I've seen some of your texts with Laf, all of your "I love you"s."

Sarah chuckled. "Aw, Herky, you're a romantic just like me. Now, don't think you're exempt."

"Say what? No, no, that's not for-"

"Oh, nonsense, you used to love dressing up when you were little. Where's that photoalbum?" She rose to her feet as she finished eating and came back with a dusty album, wiping it off before sitting beside Lafayette, who looked more than eager to see it's contents.

Hercules rose to his feet and began washing dishes with his father, trying to avoid the embarrassment to come.

The first few pictures show Hercules as a newborn cradled in Sarah's arms. "Oh, look at him... He was so precious. He was a miracle."

"You mean a surprise," Hercules piped in.

"I mean a miracle. A pleasant surprise. He was such a stunner. His cheeky smile hasn't changed a bit."

A few pictures later showed infant Hercules in a teddy bear onesie and various other costumes.

"Oh, he was so adorable," Laf cooed.

"He was! And he knew it. Just look at that smile."

Hercules's groaning was audible from the kitchen sink.

"Oh, you stop that! Look! Here you are making your first outfit."

He shook his head. "That left much to be desired.."

"I think it's cute. Not everyone is a master at the beginning. Remember when I was only starting to learn English?"

Hercules chuckled. "/That/ was adorable."

"I could not communicate with you. It was dreadful. We're not like John was with boxing."

"Yeah.. He was a master at that from the start."

Lafayette nodded.

Sarah smiled. "You all were definitely friends by fate. What are the odds that you all moved here one after another?" Of course, there was a year between each of them, as far as moving to New York, but it was fairly close. She yawned and glanced up at the clock. "Goodness, is that the time? I should be getting to bed."

"It's only 9, ma."

"Jet lag, sweetie." She rose to her feet and pulled Lafayette in for another hug, this one much more human. "It was great to see you, Taffy. You'd better come back soon."

"Of course I will." He smiled. "And I'll bring the others with me, don't worry."

"You'd better!" And she disappeared up the stairs, Hugh following her.

Hercules sighed as he walked Lafayette to the front door. "My parents are one of a kind..." He grinned deviously as Lafayette walked out of the door and grabbed his wrist, pushing him against the wall and kissing him passionately, his tongue sliding against his lips and hand in his hair. When he pulled away, he kissed Lafayette's nose. "I love you, baby.."

Lafayette, still in shock, leaned against the wall to hold up his own weight and nodded before stumbling to his car.

Hercules grinned victoriously and watched him before going inside and getting in bed.

By the time Lafayette got home, he finally regained his composure. He changed into his pajamas before texting Herc, laying with Rosie. [I see you're stealing tips from John.] [I applaud you.]

[You're more than welcome ;)] He smiled and went through the Facebook messages for the shop, reading through the requests. He tutted when he read one from Thomas Jefferson, but accepted it. [Jefferson's in the shop tomorrow. Bleugh.]

Lafayette frowned. [That sucks. Want me to come over? You know I can kick his ass if I have to.]

[Only if you're sure. You already deal with him in drama.] [I might kick his ass if he asks you to model anything, though.]

[I'll beat you to it.] [Maybe John should come, too? You know he's less hesitant about hurting him.]

[Good idea.] He switched to texting John. [Hey, Jefferson's in the shop tomorrow. Care to join? Moral support?]

John groaned, cursed by his inability to sleep through his phone's ringtone. He grabbed his phone and texted Herc back. [Yeah, sure, but what about Alex? I'm not letting him near Jefferson.]

Hercules pondered for a moment, then created a group chat labeled "Lex Protection Squad." [Herc: So, Jefferson's over tomorrow.] [Herc: John's right; we cant really have Lex and dick-for-brains in the same place.] [Herc: He's still sick though, right?]

Alexander mumbled incoherently in his sleep and buried his face into John's side as text after text beeped through.

"I'm sorry.." John muttered, silencing his phone before responding. [John: Yeah, and with your spamming, he'll stay sick, lol.]

Alexander whined. "Who are you texting this late?.." It was already almost 1 in the morning. Whether it was the sickness or sheer exhaustion, he clearly needed it.

"Just Herc. He accidentally texted me instead of Laf. Go back to sleep."

He nodded. "Yes sir.. I love you.." And like that, Alexander was out like a light.

[Herc: Oops, sorry : P] [Herc: Normally, I'd say just be honest, but...]

[Laf: We know what you mean.] He yawned and checked the time. [Laf: It is getting late. We should get to sleep.]

[Herc: Alright. Goodnight.]

[John: Night.]

In the morning, Alexander was actually the first awake for once and John was alone when he woke up, tucked in as if he were a wrapped present.

Alexander joined him a few minutes later, a toothbrush in his mouth as he sat beside John. "Hey.."

"Hey.. Why are you up already?" John asked as he wrapped his arms around Alexander's waist.

"I got sick again.." he responded as he ran his hand through John's curls.

John nodded and sat up, stretching and quickly getting ready. When he got back, Alexander showed him a new text from Jefferson.

[You can still go through with this you know. Just meet me at the back of the school at the end of the day. Agree and I'll leave John and Laf alone, baby. xx]

"He's going to be hell for you and Laf today.. I'm sorry.."

"Don't be. You know it's not your fault and Laf and I can handle him." He kissed his forehead, then went and fed Squirtle. "You won't do anything he says, right?.."

Alexander waited until John was done feeding the terrapin and turned around before holding out his pinky. "I promise not to do anything if you promise not to get involved if a fight breaks out."

John hesitated and shook his head. "I won't get involved unless I think you're getting hurt too badly."

Alexander thought it over. It wasn't unreasonable. He wasn't exactly a great fighter... He nodded and linked his pinky with John's. "I promise."

"So do I." He leaned down and pecked his lips.

Alexander smiled as he returned the kiss, then sighed. "Can't I'd just puke on Jefferson?"

John chuckled and walked out of the room with him. "If you can time it so he says something gross and you puke on him, I would love you forever."

"I'll try." He knocked on Lafayette's door. "Are you driving in this morning?"

Lafayette opened the door, pushing Rosie back inside with his foot as he finished tying up his hair. "Yes, sorry. I woke up late."

"Texting Herc at stupid o'clock," Alexander rolled his eyes and chuckled.

The three went downstairs and got a quick breakfast, small enough that even Alexander could finish it, before heading to school.

When they got there, they all headed to class together, though Lafayette wouldn't be joining them, and Alexander would've been lying if he said his sickness wasn't making him weak. He stayed glued to John's side and squeezed his arm as they saw Jefferson waiting outside of the classroom.

"Just the person I wanted to see. Did you get my text this morning?" he smirked at Alexander. "Are we doing this or what?"

Alexander shrunk down a bit and shook his head, John glaring at Jefferson and pushing Alexander behind himself defensively.

"Fine. Have it your way." And, in the blink of an eye, he grabbed John by his ponytail and yanked him forward. "Alex made me do this," he announced before throwing John to the ground, making him cry out as his nose slammed against the linoleum.

"No!" Alexander cried out as he ran to help him, Jefferson looking ready to kill him.

Lafayette grabbed Jefferson's arm and turned him around before kneeing him in his crotch and shoving him down, kicking him in the gut. "That was such a cheap shot! You are a disgrace." Before he could kick again, Jefferson scrambled to his feet, though he didn't look very willing to keep fighting.

He just glared at Alexander. "Fuck you, Hamilton," he hissed. "You're going to pay for that." He limped into class, sitting way in the back.

John sat up and took a deep breath through his nose. "I'm okay.. It just hurts.." He kissed Alexander's cheek and stood up, fixing his hair.

Any other time, Alexander would've been crying. He saw John get hurt because of him. But, instead, he was completely blank. He allowed John to lead him into class and sat in the front with him, right in Adams' line of sight as he walked in for class.

"... Alexander? ...I received a call from your father this morning saying you wouldn't be in. What are you doing here?"

"...Thomastriedtomakemehavesexwithhim."

".. Excuse me?.."

"Hesentmeabunchofabusivetextsandtriedtomakemegohomewithhim."

"...come with me, Alexander."

Alexander hesitantly pulled himself to his feet and glanced back at John one more time before heading out.