#today he’s a bit more snuffly and sleepy

[pangur-and-grim]

I got snubbed!

[magicandpizza]

💙 Blue: Serenity or 💜 Violet: Spirit, if you haven't done those already!

Hello lovely! I have absolutely no clue what to do for purple, so here's blue instead!

💙 serenity

For as long as Jesper can remember, he’s been in motion. As a child, he was always helping (hindering) his da around the farm or pestering his ma in the kitchen, learning how to care for the animals and harvest the jurda, or being taught to cook, to shoot, to use his gift. 

When he fidgeted at the table during dinner, his ma would laugh and ask if he had ants in his pants, and his da would grin at his wife and ruffle Jesper’s hair.

In Ketterdam, that eternal restlessness turned into an itch under his skin that ended with dice and debt and Kaz fucking Brekker. He never thought he’d be the type to slow down and take a breath, lounge around in bed in the morning and enjoy the peace and quiet. 

But then a certain demolitions expert came stumbling into his life, with his messy hair and pretty doe eyes and his way of looking at the world. He forces Jesper to pause when they’re out and about so he can inspect a plant, excitedly telling him all he knows about it and stopping mid-sentence with a blush rising to his cheeks, until Jesper nudges him with his shoulder and prompts him to keep going. He points out birds flying overhead and historical buildings, and Jesper marvels at the wealth of knowledge that he keeps inside his head. At night, he curls up next to Jesper and asks him to read to him, and Jesper has never been able to focus for more than a paragraph at a time, but somehow it’s easy to do with Wylan’s head on his chest. 

Which is how he finds himself basking in the rare warm glow of the early morning sunshine, trapped in bed with Wylan sprawled half on top of him. His left arm is going steadily numb underneath Wylan’s weight, but he just feels so damn happy and peaceful, he can’t bring himself to mind. He especially doesn’t mind when Wylan makes a frankly adorable snuffly noises as he slowly wakes, his fingers flexing where they rest on Jesper’s chest as he curls impossibly closer. 

“Good morning, darling,” Jesper murmurs. His arm finally a bit freer, he uses his new range of movement to dance his fingers down Wylan’s bare spine. 

Wylan hums and presses a sleepy kiss to Jesper’s shoulder. “Plans for today?” he asks. 

“Absolutely nothing,” says Jesper, and for once it doesn’t bother him.

“Perfect.”

[botherkupo]

Fictober, Day 3

It's been weirding me out that I'm a day behind (for my timezone), so you're getting two today.

(Can also read and get subscription alerts on FFN or AO3 -- penname is Boogum)

Day 3: "Now? Now you listen to me?"

"Now?" the woman on the laptop screen said. "Now you listen to me? Oh, that's so typical of you …"

Adrien shifted, almost dislodging Marinette. His lips twitched into a smile as he glanced down at her. She was curled up against him, eyes closed and a bit of drool clinging to her lip. The blanket they'd been sharing on her bed had somehow got wrapped around her, leaving more than half his body exposed. Not that he was complaining. His Chat Noir suit kept him warm enough, and her shared body warmth did the rest. Still, it was pretty late and he didn't trust his eyes to stay open much longer.

"Hey, princess," he whispered, "I gotta go."

She made a snuffly sound and burrowed her face more into his chest, wrapping her arms around his middle as if he were a teddy bear she wanted to squish hug. It was very, very cuddly. It was also impossible to move without dragging her with him.

"Are you awake?" he asked suspiciously.

She shook her head.

He bit back a laugh and tried to peel her off him (gently), but she only tightened her grip.

"No," she mumbled, voice groggy with sleep. "Stay."

"You know I can't."

"You're warm."

She said it like that was the end of the discussion.

His smile widened and he lightly poked her head. "You should be warm enough, Miss Blanket Thief."

She did not lessen her grip. In fact, she wriggled like a sleepy, blanket-wrapped caterpillar until she was on his lap. "Warm," she breathed, face still hidden against his chest, and indeed had all the appearance of a cat settling in for the night.

Adrien blinked. Okay, he could admit he was quite a physically affectionate guy, but this was a lot of cute girl in his space. The fact they were on her bed didn't help.

"Um … Marinette?"

Soft snores drifted to his ears.

"Are you pretending to be asleep?"

The snores paused, then got louder. He couldn't help but smile. She was adorable.

"You'll have to get better at acting if you want to convince me you're asleep," he teased.

A groggy sound and her hugging him closer was all he got for his efforts. "My kitty," she mumbled. "Stay …"

Flutters stirred in his stomach. She'd never called him "my kitty" before. She'd never called him kitty at all. Not that the nickname was new to him. Ladybug called him that teasingly sometimes, but this was different. This was like being enfolded into warm, warm softness. Like being claimed as someone precious.

Like finding home.

His expression softened and he wrapped one arm around her, allowing his other hand to trail through her loose hair. Well, maybe he could stay for a little longer …

[hymn2000]

Close To You - Mini fic

Endgame has made me sad and I wanted to write something soft and happy so here you go. I wrote this really quickly and with no real plan (evidently) but thought I’d post it anyway. Part of my Frostiron and Spiderson AU, of course. Set not long after the adoption.

Word count: 1778 (see, I said it was a rush job)

Characters: Tony Stark, Peter Parker, Loki

Warnings: none(!) Themes: Family stuff, fluff, parenting stuff, parenthood, adoption, family

Also on AO3

-

“Up every morning at five, it’s a wonder that we’re still alive. Stretching and yaw-ning, in this cold mornin’, it's back to the dreary old drive.  And it’s poverty, poverty knocks-”

Clap clap.

Tony opened his eyes at the sound, and found Peter stood in the doorway.

“Hey kiddo”

“Hey dad... Am I interrupting?”

Tony smiled and sat up. “Come here, kiddo”

Peter went and sat beside him on the sofa. Tony put an arm around the boys shoulders and gave him a squeeze.

“How long were you stood there?”

“Oh, I don’t know. About twenty seconds? I could hear you singing from the other room...”

“Poor you”

“I like hearing you sing. You should do it more” Peter said. “You used to sing to me a lot, like when I first came to live here. Remember?”

Tony nodded, turning the music player down. “Yeah, I remember”

He rested his head against Peter’s, thinking, and then pulled the boy onto his lap and hugged him close.

“Oww, dad! Do you have to squeeze so hard?” Peter whined, pretending to mind.

Tony held him tighter, and kissed him hard on the cheek. “I love you”

“I love you too” Peter went quiet for a moment or two, before saying; “Daddy’s not back till tonight, right?”

“Late tonight, he said. Why? Are you plotting something?” he loosened his grip so he could look him in the face. “What are you thinking?”

“Can we go out? I mean, we haven’t really done anything for a while, not just you and me”

Tony felt Peter’s forehead. “You’re still a bit warm, chick. I don’t think you’re up to gallivanting”

“Please?”

“You can pout and give me puppy-dog-eyes all you want; the answer’s still no”

Peter sighed and flopped against his chest. Tony held him close, one hand on his head. Peter sighed again, contentedly this time. Tony kissed the top of his head.

“We can still do something together without going out” he said.

“What like?”

“Well” Tony thought for a moment. “We’ve got one hell of an over the top billionaires swimming pool downstairs. Daddy’s not around, so I don’t mind reacquainting myself with those puzzles and stuff behind the waterfall”

Peter sat up. “Really?”

“Yeah, sure. Just for a little bit: I don’t want you making yourself ill again”

“I’m fine! I’m better now. Mostly. I’m gonna go and get my stuff”

He stood up and rushed to get his swim gear together before Tony could change his mind.

-

Peter was so used to playing games alone that he found he’d near enough forgotten how much better it could be to do things with someone else. Tony had been so busy with work recently that he hadn’t been able to spend much time with Peter at all. 

They spent hours down in the pool, getting so involved in the games and puzzles that time faded into nothing but a concept. It was oddly refreshing forgetting the world around them. Just for a little while, it was as though they were the only people on Earth.

-

Loki arrived home that night to find his little family cuddled up on his bed. 

“Aw, what an endearing display!” he said, throwing his work bag down with a thud.

“Oi, foghorn leghorn, keep your voice down” Tony said, shaking his head at him.

“Oh dear, is he asleep?”

“He was until you came in”

Loki merely bared his teeth at him and turned his back on them, pulling his shirt over his head and stepping out of his jeans.

“Why my bed, anyway?” he asked, pulling his favoured black silky dressing gown on.

“Because we missed you?” Tony tried.

Loki looked at him, and couldn’t help but crack a smile. He sat down cross-legged beside them, giving Tony a big kiss. He finally broke away and looked down at Peter, quietly snuggled against Tony’s chest.

“You’re very quiet, chick” he said, pinching his cheeks. “Are you still feeling a little off-colour?”

“I’m jus’ thinking” Peter said, taking Loki’s hand and holding it tight. 

“And what are you thinking about?”

Peter shrugged slightly. “Just... stuff”

Loki looked at him, concerned, but he seemed happy enough; a little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, a contented, sleepy look in his eyes, his hair still fluffy from his recent swim...

Loki took hold of him under the arms and hauled him onto his lap, hugging him tight and ruffling his hair and kissing his cheek. Peter squirmed, but bore it. Tony laughed.

“Hey, give him back!”

“He’s just as much my son as he is yours” Loki said, holding him tighter. 

Tony shook his head fondly. He shuffled closer, knelt up, and wrapped his arms round both of them. 

“Whoever’s he is, he needs to go to bed: it’s late”

“Oh yes, I suppose it is, rather” Loki said, reluctantly loosening his grip and letting Peter wriggle free. “Go and get yourself sorted, my darling. We’ll check on you in a minute”

Peter scurried off obediently. Once the door closed behind him, Tony twisted round and straddled Loki, resting his hands on his shoulders.

“I know that look” he said. “Have you got a nice new little baby at the hospital?”

“Never mind the hospital babies: what about our baby?” Loki said. “How has he been today? He had me rather worried the other evening”

“He’s fine. Still a bit snuffly, but fine. He slept a lot yesterday and he’s been up and about more today. I’ve changed his bedding and kept him well-fed and he’s had loads to drink”

Loki looked a little surprised.

“I am a responsible parent when it suits me, you know” Tony said, but he smiled and kissed Loki hard. “We really are parents now”

“We’ve been his parents for ages”

“Yeah, but I mean, legally. Isn’t it funny that that paper in the office is all we needed to make him ours?”

“Our little boy. He’s been our little boy for a long time now”

Tony kissed him again. “I know it’s just a formality really, but... Well, it feels good having the adoption certificate, doesn’t it? It’s like, I don’t know, a receipt-”

Loki spluttered. “A receipt? Tony, my darling, you do come out with some right crackers sometimes”

“I didn’t mean receipt!” Tony said indignantly, but he couldn’t help laughing too.

“I think you mean, proof”

“I think you’re right”

“Oh, well, I usually am” Loki said, casting his eyes down and tracing circles on Tony’s chest with his finger. “Darling... I know our on-again, off-again surrogacy-esque talks are a bit of a debate spot. But on the same type of note... Well, you’ve already given me this baby, haven’t you?”

“I didn’t make him” Tony pointed out. “Contrary to popular tabloid belief. I just found him”

“Aren’t you glad you did?”

“I’ve been glad of it for years” he gave Loki one more kiss, and then wriggled away from him and stood up, holding a hand out to him. “What do you say we go and put this baby to bed?”

-

The ‘baby’ was ready in his night things, sprawled on his tummy on his bed, scrolling on his laptop. He offered his parents a small smile when they came into the room.

“Now now, Peter, it’s much too late for screen time” Tony said.

“You stay on yours up until the minute before you go to sleep, though!”

“Don’t be cheeky” Tony said softly.

“Let’s get you settled” Loki said.

Peter didn’t protest as Loki shut down the laptop and moved it out of his reach, and Tony lay him down and tucked the covers round him. Tony stayed on his side next to him, propped up on his elbow, and Loki mirrored him on the other side.

“Now then” Loki said, holding his hand. “What were you thinking about?”

Peter looked at him, and at Tony. “This”

“This?” Tony said, quizzically.

“Yeah” Peter nodded. “It’s still a bit funny thinking we’re an actual family now, legally, yknow? I know it’s just a piece of paper, but... It’s still important”

“It is” Tony looked at him properly. “I love you so much”

“I know. I love you too” he looked at Loki. “I love you, too...”

“You’re still thinking, aren’t you?” Loki said. “Is there something you want to ask?”

Peter looked at him, and nodded. “I don’t know how to say it”

“Just say it”

Peter looked at their hands. He felt so little, with Loki’s hand in his, and Tony’s rested on his tummy. He felt safe.

“You want a baby, don’t you? You’ve wanted one all the time I’ve known you, so...” he swallowed, still not quite able to look at him. “Do you feel like you’re missing out, ‘cos you’ve got me, but you never got to do all the baby stuff with me?”

Loki looked at him, and at Tony, and then back to him. Peter looked at him, and Loki kissed him on the nose.

“We didn’t know you when you were a baby. You’ve always been the you you are now”

“That’s not what I asked” Peter said, and then blushed, as it came out much sharper than he’d intended.

Luckily, Loki just smiled. “Darling, just because we didn’t adopt a baby, that doesn’t mean that you’re not our baby. You’re our little boy. You’re my little boy. And let’s be real for a moment here: even though we never knew baby you, we’ve definitely done lots of the baby things with you. Like kids telly, and pinching your chubby cheeks and doing silly things to make you laugh and tucking you in at night”

“And singing to you” Tony added, and he found himself tearing up. “We can sing you to sleep anytime you like, baby”

Loki let go of Peter’s hand and took Tony’s instead. Tony looked at him, and found he wasn’t the only one feeling emotional. 

“Do you..?”

“I’ve got a dreadful singing voice” Loki said, and he gave Tony’s hand a quick squeeze before taking Peter’s again.

Tony swallowed, stroking Peter’s hair gently. Listening to Tony singing oh-so-softly to him was all it took for Peter’s eyes to fill with tears too - such happy tears. He swallowed hard and held one dad’s hand while he listened to the others voice, looked into his eyes, and knew wholeheartedly that he was loved.

“On the day that you were born the angels got together And decided to create a dream come true So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue...”

*

[damenemo]

written for an anon forum years ago

Imagine two actors, starring together on a tv show set in medieval times, and falling in love... and then one of them catches a cold.

"I can get my own tissues, Caleb," Brent says petulantly, but he doesn't move away and takes the handful of tissues that Caleb pulls out of the box and rubs his nose into them. "Oh... you found the soft kind... that's snffSNFF that's a lot nicer than the snff sandpaper they put in the trailers..."

Caleb just shakes his head when Brent goes from slightly cranky to slightly needy in the space of about five seconds, and leans in to nuzzle Brent's hair gently as he snuffles into his tissues. "Yeah... looked like you were suffering a little on set today. Having to blow your nose on that horrible stuff." He pets Brent again, then hugs him a bit when he snuffles hard and then coughs from it.

"Ugh. God. Hate being all bunged up when I'm working. Always needing to choose between messing up my make-up by blowing my nose or sounding like an advert for, I don't know, Vicks syrup or something." He sighs and rubs his nose into the tissues again. "And blowing my nose in front of everyone. Hate that, too."

"You didn't sound so bad," Caleb offers, though, well, Brent really did sound pretty awful by the end of the day, his voice really hoarse and nasally and... really full of cold, mostly. "Could've taken a Sudefed to help with the stuffiness," Caleb points out, though he smooths a hand over Brent's hair before Brent can try and tell him he doesn't like taking medicine or being sleepy at work. "Mm... just have to blow your nose in front of me, now..."

"Sort of had to snff give up being embarrassed about that..." Brent still blushes a little when he needs to sit up to wipe his nose better and then let out a wet blow. "Lucky you don't mind too much..." He curls back in close with a little shiver. "...might take a pill tonight," Brent says grudgingly. "Keep the congestion from getting any worse... really can't snff afford to get sinus infection or anything..."

Poor Brent, he really doesn't tend to let on how poorly he's feeling, not in so many words, and that just seems to make it all the easier for Caleb to rub his back as he blows his nose, or pull Brent in close against his side when he's done. "I don't really mind... not at all, even. Hate to see you miserable," he adds, more quietly, and sort of fusses with blankets a bit when Brent gives another little shiver. "D'you need anything? I'm totally giving you medicine tonight... You need to sleep."

"More tea? With honey?" Brent snuffles pathetically. "...I was trying not to be too miserable on set," he adds, curling into the blankets. "Everyone kept looking at me..."

"Because..." Caleb stops himself from saying anything like because they were worried about you or because you sound completely full of head cold because that's just going to make Brent go even more bashful on him. It doesn't really help that his cold's getting sort of noisy and messy. "Poor Brent," Caleb murmurs, petting the side of his face, "can't help being the center of attention... Um. You were sort of sneezing a lot," he adds, then pets Brent again.

Brent groans and curls tight around Caleb. "Stupid plague. Don't suppose we can get the episode rewritten to have a subplot of someone inventing tissues." He leans into Caleb's gentle touch. "You feel good. Warm. 's nice. snfff. snffSNFF. snifffleSNIFF. Ugh. Sorry..." Brent presses the back of one hand against his nose and reaches for the tissues with the other, snuffling heavily as he does so.

"Ooh, yeah, brilliant idea, m'sure that would work. We could get you handkerchiefs?" Caleb suggests, brushing Brent's hair off his forehead with one fingertip, then petting him lightly until he starts snuffling again. "I like keeping you warm... You get all affectionate. Here, it's all right," he adds, reaching for the tissues himself when Brent just fumbles with the box. He snags a couple, then a couple more, and leans in to wipe Brent's nose for him.

"Cay, snffSNFF , d-don't, I... huhhrrruschhh! hrrrushhh! hrrruschooosshhhh!" Brent sneezes at the tissues Caleb's dabbing against his nose - deep, loud, congested sneezes  "...sorry?" Brent croaks out.

Caleb really wasn't lying when he'd thought that Brent's cold was getting really noisy and messy. When he sneezes, it's all strong, powerful, uncontrollable sneezing, and Caleb can't help the way he just looks at Brent and sort of leans into the way Brent shudders against him. "Shh, there... It's um, s'okay," Caleb mumbles, "can't help it... caught such a cold..." Brent just looks so snuffly and apologetic, though, that Caleb lets him nose into the tissues and makes a few more little soothing noises instead of hugging Brent closer to him like he wants to.

"Stupid code... snffKOFF! " Brent takes the tissues from Caleb and wipes his nose a few times. "Umb. Could you... I deed sub bore," he mutters, pressing the crumpled tissues against his nose when he realizes they're too used to take the enormous blow that he needs to clear his nose.

"What? Oh... yeah, here, hold on a second...." Caleb forces himself to stop watching Brent and the way the cold's just utterly overwhelmed him, with his pink nose and his stuffy voice, and the way he even looks shy in front of Caleb now. Caleb gets a decent handful of tissues to Brent, gives him to him, and tries to take the used ones away, but gives up when Brent makes a fussy, snuffly noise at him and mutters something about being contagious.

Brent gratefully takes the fresh tissues and blows his nose heavily, several times, then rolls over to drop all the tissues in the bin. "Ugh, my nose ...." He buries his face in Caleb's chest. "Told you I had plague."

"You don't... okay, c'mere, with your plague ridden self..." Caleb just pulls Brent in close to him, maybe a little too eagerly, but he's warm and snuffly and sort of needy, and he curls himself up in against Caleb when Caleb rubs his shoulder.

Brent nestles in with relief and rubs his face into Caleb's t-shirt. "Feels better when I'm close to you," he admits.

"Yeah? Oh... really?" Caleb feels himself flush a little this time, especially with the way Brent nuzzles in against him. "I, um, do like looking after you... and, having you close by is... it's good. You make me... it's stupid. Worry over you and all." Caleb nudges Brent a little so he can pull the fleece blanket up over the both of them, then lets Brent nuzzle in close to him again. "D'you need your tea? Or shall I just cuddle you?"

Brent can’t quite bring himself to say what he wants, so he just wraps himself tightly around Caleb and nuzzles against the side of his neck with a few more soft sniffles. "Like being next to you," he mutters after a few moments.

Caleb makes a small, curious sound when Brent curls himself even closer, then a quieter, pleased sound at the light, almost ticklish, nuzzling. "I like... oh, um..." He leans into the nuzzling, then hugs Brent, then hugs him again at his little admission. "... really like having you close," Caleb replies, then shivers when Brent sniffles against him again.