#today's the last day though! hopefully i have more time to draw

[mirkyy]

SO WHAT IF I CRY thank you so much ,, , , , , it's really great to hear this,,,

I want to send some love to @ryanugg He's a very talented and good person with great artwork. His support and positivity in the community helps other people a lot and he deserves to be mentioned in such a wonderful project like this one <3

@ryanugg !!!

[illdothehotvoice]

Ouugh I can't believe I have to go to school in two weeks there were so many things I wanted to accomplish over break and I just didn't lol

[liketolaugh-writes]

Sick Day Once A Year

I might be too much in love with the Death Echoes trope. So, have a whole bunch of Bruce taking care of Danny. It's basically a sickfic with extra hurt/comfort.

It takes place in the same verse as More Like Home but probably won't happen until after the plot of that fic is done. At this point, Danny has been living with Bruce for a little under a year.

-----

At noon, Alfred called Bruce to ask him to come home early. Bruce turned around and walked out of the board meeting without even looking at anyone, but did throw a distracted 'family emergency!' over his shoulder. He might have carefully cultivated his airheaded Brucie persona, but even then people knew that he took his kids seriously.

He ignored the board member that grumbled 'enough fucking family to have an emergency every day if he wants.'

"What is it, Alfred?" Bruce asked, once he was clear of the board room and in the elevator. Calm. Calm. No running. Brucie doesn't run.

"Master Danny declined to specify the nature of his sick day this morning," Alfred said, in a dry tone that didn't do a bit to hide the worry underneath it. "Apparently the anniversary of one's death is rather... physically harrowing for a ghost. He's admitted that he'd like to have you here."

But of course he hadn't asked for it, because that would require bringing up what he was. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Ten minutes at most."

"I'll let him know. Come prepared to spend several hours in his room, if not the rest of the day. He indicated that he may be well enough to eat by eight or nine o'clock, but even then..."

Meaning he expected to be debilitated until then. "Understood. Should I bring anything?"

"He's not aware of anything that will help, but some topical analgesic might be of use. I will see if I can find anything else to try."

"He's in pain?" Bruce's brow furrowed. Alfred hesitated before answering, which made Bruce's heart sink.

"He is... physically reliving his death, he says, and will be for most of the day. He is in quite a bit of pain."

"These kids will be the death of me," Bruce muttered. Danny hadn't even hinted at anything like this when he asked for the day off. Bruce made a mental note to keep him off patrol the next night as well. The elevator stopped, and he took off at as quick a walk as he dared. "I'll be there in ten."

"Yes, Master Bruce." Alfred hung up, hopefully to return to Danny.

On the way, he collected a few items that seemed promising: IcyHot cream in the strongest available formula, both heat and cold packs, a variety of compression bandages, and some muscle relaxers from the Batcave infirmary.

Bruce knocked on Danny's door. Cool air drifting out of it indicated either Danny or Alfred had turned the thermostat down lower than usual. Fortunately, Bruce had grabbed a jacket just in case.

"'M in," Danny mumbled, barely loud enough for Bruce to make out.

He pushed the door open and was unsurprised to see Alfred seated beside a miserable-looking Danny. He was surprised to see Danny in ghost form, as it wasn't a form he typically spent recreational time in, particularly when he was unwell. Perhaps it made the ordeal easier. Danny was curled up in his bed, on top of the covers, with his jumpsuit removed and a set of soft pajamas in its place. Alfred was running one hand through Danny's soft white hair, slow and comforting, while his other held one of Danny's.

"Hey, chum," Bruce called out quietly, drawing Danny's attention to him. "Heard you're hurting today." Danny hummed unhappily instead of denying it, which was concerning. "Think you'll be able to eat anything for lunch? Applesauce, bone broth, yogurt? Maybe with ectoplasm?" Danny didn't seem to have any intention of leaving ghost form.

Danny started to shake his head, but stopped to consider when Bruce brought up the last point. "Applesauce and ectoplasm," he mumbled. "Maybe. Nothing after like, two, though."

Alfred gave Bruce a warm smile and gently extracted himself from Danny. "I will see to it," he promised. "Do you need anything else, Master Danny? Master Bruce?"

Danny shook his head mutely, and Bruce said, "I'll text you an update once we've tried these." He hefted the bag he was holding. "If you could bring me lunch when you can, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course," Alfred promised. "I hope you feel better, Master Danny."

"Thanks, Alfie."

Alfred left, shutting the door gently behind him, and Bruce took his place, setting the bag at his feet for now. Danny didn't stir from his leaden sprawl, not even to lift his head.

"You didn't have to leave work, y'know," Danny mumbled, half into the pillow. "I'll be okay."

He didn't apologize, Bruce noted. That was progress. "I know I didn't have to. But someone should be here with you."

"I don't-" Danny choked, his hands squeezing into fists as his whole body shuddered and jerked as if tased. Danny panted through the spasm, his whole body rigid, and when it was over he slumped down and let out a weak moan of pain, making no attempt to continue arguing. It took Bruce a moment to remember to breathe, reminding himself forcefully that this was no attack.

"I brought you some stuff," Bruce said, softer. Danny grunted in discontent. Bruce leaned down and opened the bag anyway. "IcyHot lidocaine cream and muscle relaxers." Danny shook his head without looking. Bruce wasn't surprised. He hadn't realized Danny was in ghost form. "Both heat and cold packs." Danny hummed in mild interest but didn't open his eyes. "And compression bandages."

Danny blinked his eyes open to consider them. His usually neon eyes looked dull. "Worth a try," he muttered after a moment.

Good. Something was better than nothing. "Do you need help sitting up?"

Danny's mouth quirked in a dry smile. "Not yet."

He pushed himself up with a grunt, and shrugged off his pajama shirt with intangibility rather than lift his arms. Bruce had to suppress an immediate and visceral reaction to the glowing lines that coiled up his left arm, which he had only gotten glimpses of before; a telltale Lichtenberg permanently etched onto Danny's ghost form. In contrast to the rest of him, which had dimmed to about the light of a glowstick, the Lichtenburg mark was painfully bright.

"Where do you want these?" Bruce asked, lifting one of the rolls of elastic bandaging. Danny cocked his head and considered it. Then he gestured silently, indicating his left arm from his wrist to his shoulder, and twisted to give Bruce access. With the ease of long practice, Bruce started to wrap it. "Anything I should expect?"

Danny watched him unroll the bandages for a minute, around and around, getting halfway up Danny's forearm before he answered. "The pain comes in waves. They'll keep getting longer, more severe, and closer together until around four, and then they'll die down completely about two hours after that." He paused, watching Bruce loosen the bandages around his elbow before moving on. "It won't ever get as bad as actually dying, but it's still pretty bad. And I'll be really emotional for a lot of it, especially when it hits peak."

"When are you not." The words were out before Bruce could think twice about them. Fortunately, Danny laughed, tired but genuine.

"You've got me there. How many rolls of bandages do you have?"

"I brought three. Alfred can obtain more if necessary." Pretty bad, Danny said. Bruce had no desire to experience pain that Danny described as 'pretty bad.' His tolerance was high even for their family.

Danny shook his head. "That should be okay. Can you do my back too?"

"Yes, but I'll need to be closer." Danny scooted to make room, and Bruce shifted to sit next to him, then tapped a spot low on Danny's spine. "Starting here?" Danny nodded. "Alright. Is there anything else I should know?"

Thankfully, Danny seemed to genuinely think about it, but eventually he shook his head. "I've only had two of these," he reminded Bruce. "There's more stuff I don't know, probably."

Ah yes, a frustrating constant. The elusive nature of comprehensive information about ghosts. Even Constantine had large gaps in his knowledge, which Bruce would grudgingly admit was rare for the man. This? This was definitely not in the introductory handbook. Was Bruce now obligated to share information in return? Hn.

Danny squinted at him. "What did Constantine do now?" he asked.

"Constantine."

"You have a very distinct 'thinking about Constantine' face."

"Hn."

Danny smiled briefly, then yelped, curling up like a bug and accidentally dislodging Bruce's grip on the bandaging. Instinctively, Bruce tucked Danny against his side, and Danny shook and twitched against him, a desperate whine tearing itself free as Danny rode out the wave of pain. Bruce all but held his breath until Danny finally slumped again, breathing heavily. His chill crept through the jacket Bruce had slipped on before coming in.

"Ready to keep going?" Bruce prodded, once Danny's breath evened out. Danny laid there for another few seconds, then nodded and pushed himself upright with a wince. Bruce picked up the dropped end of the bandage, tightened what had come loose, and kept going. "You're sore?"

"Ha." Danny lifted his arms slightly, enough to make room for Bruce to work. Bruce shifted and encouraged Danny to rest his arms on Bruce's shoulders, and Danny did, leaning against him. "Yeah, I wake up pretty achy already, even though I don't start getting spasms until ten. Just to make sure I have a really miserable day."

Uncharacteristically bitter, Bruce noted, but unsurprising under the circumstances. He didn't comment. "Remarkably, we don't currently possess any upper back bandages. I'll ask Alfred to retrieve one if you're happy with the results. We do have shoulder and wrist bandages." Bruce finished wrapping Danny's torso but didn't pull away.

Danny turned his head to squint at the bandages peeking out of the bag. "Why'd you bring so many?"

"I know how you died," Bruce reminded Danny evenly. Electrocution implied muscle pain, and Bruce had suspected his left arm would take the brunt of it. Danny shuddered, a natural one this time, and pressed himself against Bruce for comfort. Bruce dropped an arm around his back, holding him. A minute or two passed, and then Danny pulled away with a sigh.

"Okay."

Right, yes. More compression bandages. These went by much faster, simply needing to be strapped on, and soon Danny's hand and shoulder had joined his left arm and mid-back in compression. He seemed satisfied with that and laid back down on the bed, somewhat more relaxed than when Bruce had first come back in. Bruce hesitated, then shifted closer again and set his hand on Danny's upper back, carefully trying to smooth out the painful knots that had developed there. Danny 'mm'ed softly but didn't otherwise react.

Alfred knocked on the door, and Bruce called him inside when Danny made no move to. Alfred pushed open the door and brought in two plates, one for Danny and one for Bruce. Bruce accepted his with a nod.

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said quietly. "Danny, are you up to eating?"

Danny didn't answer at first, but then shifted around to glower half-heartedly at the bowl Alfred had brought. Then he buried his face in Bruce's arm, grumbling, and Bruce's mouth twitched in amusement. It disappeared when another tremor wracked Danny's body, and the young teen bleated in pain, his grip tightening painfully.

Bruce forced himself to breathe evenly this time, and massaged Danny's hand with his own, pressing through the thick bandage. Danny slumped, panting, and with care, Bruce shifted his hand to massage all the way up Danny's arm, coaxing the tension out of the muscles there until he reached Danny's shoulder, skipped past the compression bandage, and pressed his fingers into Danny's back. Danny didn't say anything, but he pressed into Bruce gratefully and stayed relaxed. Somehow, still, Bruce was startled when Alfred joined him, cupping Danny's temple in one hand.

"Master Danny?" Alfred coaxed, more firmly than Bruce had. "Can you stomach some applesauce?" Danny whined, a softer-toned protest than the low keens of pain he'd let slip. "I know, but you will feel worse if you don't eat anything. I don't think you want that."

Danny grumbled something that sounded like 'no' and acquiesced, allowing himself to be propped up just enough to poke the glowing applesauce with a spoon. He brightened a little at the reminder that Alfred had added ectoplasm, and started to eat. Bruce followed his example and worked quickly through his sandwich.

"I see you're making good use of our extensive collection of medical garments," Alfred said to Bruce, making Bruce snort quietly. "Will you be needing anything else?"

"If he's satisfied with the improvement from these, we'll need one for his upper back as well," Bruce said. "I'll let you know."

"Perhaps after this, the collection will be complete."

Danny got through about half the applesauce before he pushed it away, and Bruce set it on a clear spot on his nightstand before Alfred could pick it up. He glanced up at the butler. "I'll see if I can coax more of this into him later."

Alfred gave him a small smile. "Very well. I'll check in later to see how the two of you are doing."

Bruce nodded, and Alfred left to attend to the manor. Bruce turned his attention back to Danny and considered him. He had a few more questions - why Danny was staying in ghost form, if there were any physical effects from this - but nothing that couldn't wait until Danny was less ill. He picked up his tablet instead. "Would you like me to read to you?"

Danny tilted his head up to look at him, then nodded. It was barely twelve thirty and he already looked exhausted, pale even for his ghost form and cradling his left arm protectively. Bruce hoped he'd be able to sleep at some point, but that seemed unlikely until the pain had passed, which apparently would not be for hours.

Bruce picked up his tablet and quickly downloaded a book. Danny had mentioned wanting to read 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' a few times, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. "The story so far: in the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

Danny snickered softly.

As always, reading to his kids made time pass a little faster. It also gave him easy access to the digital clock, and with the note function innate to the Kindle app, he could keep track of the time and Danny's progressing condition, most importantly the interval between spasms and the relative severity of the pain.

After half an hour, he noted that the current interval period was about twelve minutes and asked Danny, "Are the compression bandages helping as much as desired?"

Danny nodded. He'd pulled a thin blanket over himself after a while, mainly for comfort, and his hold on his left arm was still loose enough that Bruce believed it was more psychological than physical for the moment. "Hurts less when I can't jerk around so much. One for my upper back would be good. The shoulder one isn't quite cutting it." He made a face.

Bruce shot off a text to let Alfred know. "Anything else you want?"

Danny wrinkled his nose. "Heat pack?" he asked, softer and more tentative, as if there was anything Bruce would say no to right now.

And that was simple enough. Bruce activated one of the handheld heating packs and handed it to Danny, who shuffled around a little before putting it on his neck, by the junction of his shoulder. Bruce picked his tablet back up and continued reading.

Alfred returned about twenty minutes later with the requested bandage, and Danny didn't protest when Bruce went to help him sit up. He wasn't weakened, Bruce judged after a minute, but there was a minute tremble in his muscles that indicated the pain was ramping up even outside of the periodic spasms.

Bruce helped him get the new compression bandage on, and then paused to smooth out some of the building tension there. Danny leaned in gratefully - he was much more physically affectionate than most of Bruce's children, he'd come to realize, except perhaps Cass and Dick. Bruce kept an eye on the clock, and made sure to get Danny down before the next spasm hit. Danny groaned, the sound drawn-out and wavering unhappily, and clung to Bruce through it before falling into a shivering, panting slump.

Alfred ran his fingers through Danny's hair, nodded to Bruce, and left quietly, as harried as ever when one of the kids was suffering.

"You happy like this, chum, or do you want to lay back how you were?" Bruce asked Danny quietly. Danny grunted, then squirmed further into Bruce's lap. It was a little eerie, Danny being so light and cold in this form that Bruce could have mistaken him for a lap full of snow, but it made Bruce smile for a moment. "Alright."

He settled down and picked up his tablet to resume reading, noting the time and event before he continued.

A part of Bruce, a not-so-small part, was furious that Danny had meant to handle this alone, without anything to even try to ease the pain; it reminded him of when nine-year-old Tim had caught a bad strain of flu, and how confused he had been when Alfred insisted on him staying at Wayne Manor to be cared for. This might not have been particularly dangerous, it was true, but Danny was miserable now and only promised to get more so through the day.

He wondered briefly how Danny had spent the previous two such events. Certainly not with his parents, there being no human explanation for this. Could he even be home for it, in the comfort of his own room, or did he have to go elsewhere? Had he been alone for either of them? It unfortunately seemed likely, especially if he hadn't known about it in advance the first time.

Even with the bandages stabilizing half his upper body, Danny's groans and whines slowly progressed into low keens of pain, and he started to clutch at himself through each one, gasping for breath like it was the only thing that would bring him comfort. Bruce shifted so one of his hands rested on Danny's shoulder, where a gap between the shoulder and upper back bandages seemed to be creating a sharp spot of pain that Danny kept trying to get at. He massaged it carefully without looking away from the tablet, and Danny relaxed a little, panting.

At two thirty, Danny started to cry, exhausted tears shining on his cheeks and faint, breathy sobs following each spasm. At three, Bruce noted that the interval had decreased to six minutes, then set the tablet aside and transferred his attention to comforting Danny.

"How are you feeling, chum?" he asked quietly.

"Hurts, God, it hurts," Danny choked out, trembling like a leaf and his better hand clamping down on his shoulder again. "'S so cold, Bruce. It's in my bones. Shouldn' be in me."

Cold. Ectoplasm? Bruce wasn't sure. Danny had never described his accident at length. "Heat pack?"

Danny nodded jerkily, so Bruce leaned forward, careful not to jostle him, and grabbed a few. He lifted the blanket enough to place one on Danny's upper back and one on his lower, then noted the time and the request. If this was indeed a yearly event, a thought that made his blood boil, they'd need to be better prepared for it next year.

A stray thought crossed Bruce's mind. Did this happen to Jason as well? Jason had never referenced anything of the sort, but he also knew that Jason never went out on the anniversary of his death. Bruce would know; he'd specifically looked out for him the first few years, before the habit became apparent, and still kept half an eye out since.

Danny cried out, no longer making any effort to muffle the noise, and seized and jerked through another long episode. Bruce counted silently. Up to thirty-three seconds. When it was over, he sobbed and curled closer to Bruce.

"Why'd they have to build that stupid portal?" Danny choked out. Bruce ruthlessly clamped down on another wave of rage at the eldest Fentons. "God. A-ah. This sucks. I wanna go to bed. I want it to be over." His voice cracked.

Sleeping pills, or a sedative? They wouldn't work on Danny's ghost form either, but depending on why he wasn't reverting to human, they could try to get him to sleep through as much of the day as possible. Something to discuss later on. "It's 3:16." Danny whined in protest. "I've got you. What hurts the most?" He checked on the heat pack by Danny's neck, making sure it was still in place.

"My chest hurts," Danny sobbed quietly, his face wet with tears. "My heart is stopping."

Unfortunately, Bruce couldn't help with that. He set his hand on Danny's chest anyway, and Danny reached up and clutched at it, apparently finding comfort in the futile gesture all the same. Even his hand trembled.

"'M scared, B," Danny confessed after another minute, almost too quiet to hear. Bruce's chest tightened, and he breathed through another wave of frustration and hatred before he could soften his voice enough to reply.

"You're going to be fine, Danny. You'll be in pain for a few more hours, but that's all it is."

"'M already dead," Danny murmured. From inflection, Bruce deduced that it was meant to be self-soothing.

Bruce's throat ached. "...Yes."

At four o'clock, the interval dropped to two minutes, counting from the end of one spasm to the start of the next. It barely gave Danny time to breathe, and he tossed and turned until Bruce moved both of them so Danny could sit up and hold onto him, crying into his shoulder. Danny held on with bruising force - and no more, as careful as Clark even now - and jerked, hands tightening and loosening in Bruce's jacket with the ebb and flow of relived pain.

You did this to him, Bruce thought at the elder Fentons, more than once.

At exactly 4:36 - Bruce was keeping as close an eye on the clock as he could manage - Danny screamed. Bruce immediately recognized the sound from an echo audible in his Ghostly Wail. Bruce's jacket tore under Danny's hands, and a horrible, quaking tremor seized Danny in an unmistakably fatal grip. Bruce counted the seconds and held Danny too tightly for him to accidentally shake himself loose.

Forty-six seconds. That was how long the worst spasm held him. Bruce assumed that was also how long it had taken Danny to die.

In contrast to the other times, when it finally released him, Danny pressed in closer instead of loosening his grip, and sobbed hysterically.

"No, no," Danny choked out, and "Please, I don't wanna-" and "Dad, Dad."

What did you say after something like that?

"I've got you," Bruce settled on. "You're safe. You're with me."

Danny calmed down slowly, sobs dying down into heaving breaths and then into a deep but labored rhythm that closely matched Bruce's but seemed to take much more effort. The next spasm that hit was much lighter, lasting only eighteen seconds, but it still sent Danny into renewed shudders and tears, holding on tightly.

When Danny seemed calm enough, Bruce shifted him enough so that Bruce could hold him in one arm, then pulled his tablet back over and logged the time of death, length of the accompanying fit, and what had followed. Interval immediately increased back to more than ten minutes (Bruce had unfortunately missed the precise time) and period decreased to eighteen seconds.

Danny set his head on Bruce's shoulder.

After that, things got much easier. At 5:15, Danny removed himself from Bruce's lap to lay down. He removed all of the heat packs and passed them to Bruce, but kept the compression bandages on. He didn't reach for the blanket but hummed gratefully when Bruce pulled it over him anyway, and Bruce sat on the floor beside him and debated returning to reading aloud.

"Whoa. You two look wiped."

Bruce looked up. Duke had opened the door to talk to them, probably too worried by what he'd seen through the door to remember to knock first, and his expression was pinched with worry. "Duke. Anything on patrol?"

"Uh, some movement I'll tattle to Jason about, but nothing big." He studied them with concern. "How's Danny doing? I didn't realize he was this sick."

Hm. Had Alfred declined to explain what had happened? Bruce glanced at Danny as the teenager hummed unhappily, but Danny didn't say anything else, so Bruce provided, "He's had a long day. I expect he'll go to sleep soon. We'll debrief tomorrow."

"Debrief?" Duke frowned at him, understanding immediately that there was more than what he'd been told, but then he glanced at Danny and just nodded. "Alright. Feel better soon, Danny. Get some rest, okay? I'll let Alfred know how you're doing."

Danny's hum this time was more positive.

At 5:30, Danny fell asleep. At 5:45, Dick came in to check on them and left once he'd come to look at Danny's sleeping (calm) face, and at 6:15, Cass came in with a plate of food for Bruce and a few granola bars for Danny. For when he wakes up, she signed.

A little while after 6:30, Bruce fell asleep without meaning to.

[togrowoldinv]

Secret Santa

Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader

When Natasha gets your name for Secret Santa, she tries to think of the perfect gift for you

Note: I’m back! Well, technically I never left but I’ve been up to my ears in studying for the cpa exam. I took what was hopefully my last exam today, and let Natasha come back into my brain lol. Enjoy this holiday fluff!

Natasha Masterlist 1, Natasha Masterlist 2, Natasha Masterlist 3, Main Masterlist

“Okay, on to the topic of the Christmas party. What if do Secret Santa names this year?” Tony suggests.

“What does that entail?” Steve asks what everyone else is thinking.

“Well, we’d all write down a few things we like. It gives the person who gets your name an idea of what you want,” Tony explains.

“I like it,” Steve agrees. “What does everyone think?”

A chorus of sures and okays follow.

“Y/n, can you take care of it?” Steve asks.

You agree easily. You’ve always loved the holidays so the idea of helping the Avengers have a good one is exciting. Especially since it’s your first year with the team.

You get everyone’s names on notecards and spend the rest of the day getting everyone to fill them out with gift ideas. Wanda helps you collect them from the team before the next team meeting the next morning.

“Okay, everyone I have all of the names here. Draw one and whatever you get is what you have. No switching allowed,” you tell the team, mainly Tony.

You eyeball him as you say it and he at least pretends to look offended before he grins.

When you get to Natasha, you smile at her shyly.

“What if I get my own name?” She asks with a smirk.

She reaches into the bowl of names before you can answer. Her expression is unreadable as she looks at the card.

“Good?” You ask.

“It’s good,” Natasha replies.

You move on and keep going until everyone’s been picked. You got Wanda, which should be super easy.

On the other hand, Natasha got you. She thinks about it for a few days before deciding that she doesn’t want to get you anything on your list. She decides to go to your best friend on the team for advice.

“You got a second?” Natasha asks, knocking on Wanda’s open doorframe.

“Oh,” the girl is caught off guard. She doesn’t spend much time talking to Nat aside from about missions. “Sure.”

Natasha walks in and closes the door behind her. She sits down at Wanda’s desk across from where the girl sits on her bed.

“Is everything okay?” Wanda asks.

Natasha doesn’t immediately assure her it is and she gets worried. “So, I got y/n for secret santa.”

Wanda’s tenseness goes away and she can’t help a little smirk forming as Nat is talking.

“And I know she has things on this list,” she says. “But I don’t think a single one of these things is good enough for her. I don’t know what I should get for her, but she deserves the best gift.”

“Natasha,” Wanda interjects. “You’re taking this way too seriously.”

“Oh,” Nat expresses. “She- well she loves Christmas, right? I saw how excited she’s been about the tree and then the secret Santa and the movies. All of it. I want it to be special for her.”

“That’s really sweet,” Wanda says. “You like her, huh.”

“Can you help me?” Natasha keeps the focus on the conversation at hand. She does like you though.

“Of course. Anything for y/n.”

“Thank you,” Natasha says, feeling the relief set in.

The two brainstorm ideas for a couple of hours. When Wanda shows late for your usual nightly dinner, she wears a grin.

“What?” You ask her. “Fun with Vision?”

Wanda chuckles and you share a laugh with her.

“Who’d you get for Secret Santa?” You ask her.

“I can’t tell you,” she says.

“Sure you can.”

“Who’d you get?” She counters.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Sure you can,” she mocks you.

The rest of the days leading up to Christmas go by fast. Unfortunately everyone had to go on a mission on Christmas Eve, so you’re all exhausted on Christmas Day morning.

Tony postponed the gift exchange until later in the day, and everyone is much more rested by then.

Even with the hustle and bustle, you notice Natasha hasn’t made it to the get together yet.

“Hey Clint, where’s Nat?” You ask the archer. He was working closely with her on the mission.

“I think she just needed to take some time alone.”

“Oh, okay.”

You go about the party for a few more minutes before deciding to go check on Natasha.

You go to her room and knock on the door. She takes a minute to answer, but finally the door opens to reveal a distressed Natasha.

Her hair is messy and she’s wearing a hoodie and sweatpants. You haven’t seen her this way before.

“Hey,” you say. “We missed you down there.”

“Sorry,” she says. “Uh, come in.”

Her room is clean and exactly like you expected it. There are a few photos of Natasha and Clint’s family on a dresser, but that’s really the extent of the decor.

“Are you okay?” You ask her.

“Yeah, just a bad mission.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Nat says. “It’s a me problem.”

“Hey, we’re teammates. And- we’re friends. It’s an us problem.”

Natasha can’t help but smile a little at that. You make her feel better by just being here.

“I don’t think I’m in the party mood. The guys aren’t so sensitive to my feelings.”

“Hey, that’s alright. I’ll just take your gift if you want me to. I’ll make sure it gets to the right person,” you explain.

“Oh, actually I had you. And I didn’t get a gift off of your list.”

Your eyes go wide. You didn’t even consider that Nat would get you. Thinking back to your list, you hope she didn’t find anything you wrote down as lame.

“Not because they were bad ideas. It’s just- I wanted to do something more meaningful,” she reads your mind.

Natasha crosses the room and grabs a box out of her closet. It’s wrapped nicely.

“You wrapped that?” You ask.

“You seem surprised,” Nat jokes. “I have skills.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” you say before blushing a bit. She smirks.

She hands you the box and you sit down on the edge of her bed together to open it. Nat watches you shyly as you open the gift.

“Natasha,” you whisper as you reveal the gift.

It’s a beautiful locket necklace.

“Open it,” she says.

On the inside of the locket, there’s a photo of your family. Your favorite photo to be exact.

“How did you-“

“Wanda helped,” Nat says. “I know you’ve been missing home since you joined the Avengers. I thought you’d want to have a piece of them with you on missions.”

“Natasha, that’s- well that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me,” you say, fighting back tears.

“You like it then?”

“I love it. Thank you,” you say sincerely. “Will you put it on me?”

Nat nods and takes the necklace from your hands. She unclasps it and stands behind you to put it around your neck. Her hands are gentle as she clasps the necklace and brushes against your skin.

“Beautiful,” she says when you stand and face her.

“You are, yeah,” you surprise her by saying. You dare to reach out for her hand. She takes it easily and interlocks your fingers. “I wish I got you something.”

“Oh, I think you just gave me the best gift,” Natasha says.

“I did?”

“Mhm,” she confirms. “Come here.”

Natasha leans in, pulling you closer to her with the hand that’s free by the back of your neck. Her gentle hand from before has a bit more urgency.

You can’t help but smile as she kisses your lips. Finally, both of you think. Finally.

“Merry Christmas, y/n,” Natasha says when she breaks for air.

“Merry Christmas, Natasha.”

It doesn’t take long before you add a photo of Natasha to the other side of your locket. She’s with you always. Right beside your heart.

[thewulf]

Good News || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: So i saw somewhere where a woman got into trouble for "destruction of government property" but it's just her giving her military husband hickies, and i think this would be so hilarious with Jake Seresin.

A/N: This one came so quickly to me. It's just pure fluff. All the Jake Seresin fluff! Short but sweet. Hope you all enjoy :)

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Y/N

Word Count: 2.3k +

Your eyes flipped back to the calendar on the wall with a big red circle around today. You’d probably looked at that calendar a thousand times over the last six months as you waited. Waited agonizingly every single day praying you wouldn’t get a knock on your door or the dreaded phone call.

Jake had been deployed on a carrier off the coast of Israel in the Mediterranean Sea for the last six months. You knew it came with the territory when you started dating him all those years ago. It terrified you every single time he came to tell you he was off on a mission or going on orders overseas. You’d never show it, only your utmost support and confidence in the man. But you knew how dangerous it was. He told you about all the men and women he’s seen gone down and some never making it home in his short span as a pilot in the Navy. It didn’t just terrify you, it rocked you all the way down to your core. What if he didn’t make it home? He was a hell of a pilot, one of the best that was flying, but things didn’t always go your way. He knew that. You knew it. Everybody seemed to know it.

But today was the day. He was coming home. After the months of shitty less than communication and trying your best to stay distracted it was here. He was safe. He was alive. You’d talked to him just a few hours ago. Waiting.

Jake’s parents picked you up from your shared home just off base that’d been eerily quiet in his absence. They didn’t want you driving in your hyper-fixated state. They never wanted you driving when it came to these kinds of events. They knew how much it tore you up when he was gone on deployment. If you didn’t fly down to Texas they made sure to fly to you. Just to keep you company. You hadn’t a clue how you’d gotten so lucky to have them in your life. And hopefully in the future as family. You never pushed it though. You didn’t want him to panic and ran. And truth be told you’d be fine never marrying him so long as he was like this in your life. Your best friend and love wrapped up in one.

“Are you excited?” His mom asked seeing you nearly bouncing out of the backseat once the car rolled onto base.

“Oh Nancy,” you could only nod your head in confirmation, “I’m more than excited.” Your cheeks were starting to burn from the big cheesy grin you were wearing.

His dad, David, spoke up, “I know Jake is just as excited.” He smiled just feeling the excitement in the air. These days were truly the best. Six months was a long time to be away. The longest deployment he’d been on in years.

The three of you made small talk as David drove to the base. Once parked, you happily led the older couple over to where the sailors would stand before they waited to be dismissed. You watched as the hundred or so men and women aboard the ship departed to their designated formation. Your eyes scanned for your loved one. Your Jake.

Finally spotting him you waited anxiously as the rest of the crew lined up. You just had to wait it out another ten minutes or so. They had to officially be dismissed before they could break for the family reunions. These last few minutes always seemed to draw on for decades trying to be as patient as possible.

You kept your eyes on him as he kept his forward. You hadn’t a clue that he already spotted you moments before you did him. But he had to keep his attention forward. No matter how anxious he was to see his favorite girl again.

They second they were dismissed Jake made a beeline right for you. Your face lit up in surprise as he headed right at you. Your body responding by moving forward you jumped right into his arms once he got close enough. He was more than ready. He wrapped his arms right around you securing you tightly to his chest while your feet locked behind him.

“Jakey.” You grinned hugging him tightly, afraid he’d be gone from your arms again you cherished every second like this. It made you realize how much you really did love the man you were holding so tightly. How much you craved him, everything about him. You’d rather not have had him gone for six months though. That was far too long for your liking. As if you had any say.

“Honey.” He cooed gently rocking you side to side. One arm snaked around your waist, one arm gently cradling your head in his hands, “You’re so fucking pretty. How’d you get even more beautiful? God I missed your face.” Jake leaned down capturing your lips in his. As gentle as he normally was with you this was hungrier. He really had missed you. Giving your hip as squeeze you felt him smile into the kiss as you squirmed away from his grasp.

Once you stopped giggling you looked right into his eyes smiling dopily, “And I missed yours, handsome man.” You gave him a wicked smirk before doing the unthinkable. Jake had warned you time and time again how he couldn’t show visible marks on the skin, or the Navy could have his ass. And maybe even yours if they were angry enough. You’d known they were empty threats, but you’d never dreamed of potentially hurting his flying in anyway. So, you’d never leave any marks.

Sliding his collar to the side you decided to throw caution to the wind seeing everybody lost in their own world with their own families. Jake’s parents were even admiring all the reunions around them instead of having their eyes fixated on the two of you. They loved watching all the joy every time. Nancy always made sure that every sailor was feeling the love. That was just one of the reasons you’d fallen in love not only with Jake but his entire family. His mom was as sweet as they came. His dad just as caring but even more tough. It was no wonder Jake was the way he was. Albeit a little more of an asshole than either of them even combined.

“Ma’am. That is abhorrent.” A vaguely familiar voice made you focus on your surroundings once more, “This is Destruction of Government Property.” You heard a cough from behind Jake drawing you away from your boyfriends neck. The look you sent could’ve killed him if it were at all possible. Bradley fucking Bradshaw. Was he actually serious right now?

You felt Jake’s laughter in his chest before you heard it. Flicking your eyes up momentarily at him you kissed him on his cheek before flipping Bradley off, “I don’t care Bradley.” You continued flipping him off while Jake held you tightly to his chest.

“Sweetheart…” Jake tried to warn you. The government really did own his ass. But his Commanding Officer was cool. He wasn’t expected to be back on base for another few weeks… what did a few hickies hurt? You knew the drill, but it didn’t seem to matter as you clung to him like he was about to vanish at any second. He looked down at your doe eyed expression, “I missed you.” He finished realizing just how hard deployment really was on you. The two of you were going on year five together. He’d been a pilot for all of them. He’d flown his hardest missions during that time. Your support never wavered. But seeing you like this? Like you’d never see him again… it hurt him. It hurt knowing you were feeling like that.

“You’ll care when there are Naval Officers on your doorstep.” Bradley tried. He really did. But you really didn’t care. You missed him more than anything. You didn’t care that his parents were there watching. You just missed him. Missed his corny ass jokes and the soft touches he always threw your way. You missed the sweet smiles and laughter that came with being around him. 

“So be it. Worth it.” You giggled as Jake pinched your sides again bringing your attention back to the man you’d dreamed about every day.

“Eyes over here darling.” He made sure to flip Bradley off before holding you back in his arms once again. He wouldn’t let you drop your hold on him. He wanted you close. He didn’t care either. He’d craved you for those months. He’d forgotten just how bad deployment got. Bradley mumbled some incoherent words before disappearing off into the crowd.

Kissing his cheek once more you nodded, “Sorry Jakey.” Brushing your hands through his hair it felt like it really was just the two of you there. Like nobody else was around.

“No need to apologize.” He whispered in your ear sending immediate chills down your spine, “You didn’t answer my question though. How’d you seem to get even more beautiful while I was gone?”

You truly felt like a little schoolgirl was a nasty crush on a boy way out of your league. He was so sweet to you and only you. Not having a clue why. You loved watching him interact with everyone else. He was so different than the man who came home to you every night. But that was Jake. Tough as they come. Sweet as can be. The biggest fight the two of you had was when he came home and told you about the six month long deployment a year ago. You didn’t even fight you were just sad. Sad that he volunteered to go. Volunteered and didn’t tell you. The two of you worked through it though. You always did.

“Shush. You’ve just been trapped on a big boat for so long I’d be offended if you didn’t think I was pretty.” You wanted to kiss him so bad. You didn’t even remember the kiss you gave him once you spotted him walk off the ship. You blacked out, truly.

“Never ever.” He grinned, “I’ll never stop complementing my beautiful girl.”

You squeezed your arms around him pulling him so much closer. You’d melt into him if you could, “You’re too sweet to me Mr. Seresin.”

He shook his head, “Not enough, I’d say.” He took the lead this time leaning down to give you a soft, sweet kiss that was far too short for your liking.

“I love you.” You whispered to him feeling oh so happy. So beyond excited he was holding you in his arms once again. You tried to step away to give his parents a chance to say hello, but he only held you tighter. Shaking his head.

“Love you too, gorgeous girl.” He hummed placing a soft kiss on your forehead, “That was it, by the way.”

You scrunched your eyes together in confusion, “What?”

He nodded his head with that larger than life smile on his face, “You’re looking at Captain Jake Seresin. Command Ground Officer.” He emphasized ground with wide eyes.

“Jake! Congrats. You didn’t tell me! Does this mean you’re here? Permanently?” Looking at him expectedly. It hit you just how good it could really get once you knew he’d be sleeping by your side every night.

He nodded his head in excitement, “At least for this job. I’ll still be flying but more on the leadership side. Training. Preparing them.”

You didn’t think your heart could swell any larger in love. But there it went. Only Jake could do that. You knew it. He knew it, “You’re not kidding right? Like you’re being serious?”

“Yes sweetheart. So serious.” He kissed your nose this time. He missed you more than you could’ve imagined. It was an impossible six months. He didn’t want to do that anymore. He couldn’t be away from you anymore. Lucky for him he had options. They let him choose. He choose to ground himself from missions. It was time to grow up and move on. He’d accomplished everything he sought out to and more already in the air. Now he was on a mission to rise to the top. Admiral Jake Seresin had a ring to it. 

You wanted to squeal but knew you had eyes all over you. Anybody could’ve been watching, “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while J.”

“Just you wait.” He grinned ear to ear leaning down once more, whispering into your ear, “Won’t even be the best news you’ve heard all day.” Leaning all the way down he kissed you with a little bit more but keeping it PG. His parents were standing there a little annoyed that he’d chosen to be with you for so long before he even acknowledged them. But they knew. They knew the raw power of love. How much it could sway and dissuade. How deeply Jake was in love with you and how much you were with him.

“Oh? Do tell.” You pulled away looking at him curiously.

“You’ll see.” He wiggled his eyebrows just to egg you on.

You narrowed your eyebrows in on the man you loved so dearly, “You know how much I hate surprises.”

He laughed gleefully, “Oh darling, I know.” He pulled you back into him momentarily, “Promise, it’ll be worth the wait.”

“Promise?” You knew he’d keep true to his word, but you wanted to hear him confirm it.

“I promise you darling. Just you wait.” Squeezing your hand, he finally walked over to his parents bringing you right along with him. Only dropping your hand as he went in for the hug with his mom.

Taglist: @stuffingbuttsandshit @genius2050

[captainx-camino]

I'm taking Viktor to the Ball at a convention we're attending in January and, naturally, I needed a Ball outfit for that, so...

It's almost done! I'm gonna be putting the hammer symbol that Jayce has on his white coat on the back of this one and a few random cogs on the exposed breast of the coat before it's all said and done but WOO! Nearly there.

Which means, it's time for an outfit breakdown! (And a mental one. I only have a few more days until I have to pack and I still have to finish a different Jayce outfit.)

But, anyway!

I wanted to go with a princely look and I honestly think I just about nailed it.

-The coat and vest were purchased as to save myself time, since I decided to do this very last minute. I did take up the sleeves and fix the fit though so... *Shrugs* The corset vest is part of my outfit for my wedding next year to my own, actual lovely partner (who is also my Viktor). So, I already had that. Yippee.

-The shirt was just one I had in my closet that I had to take in since I've lost weight. So, already had and more fitting there.

-I did add the epaulettes to the coat, which I made by hand out of craft foam, fancy trim, and ribbon. (I layered a red ribbon over the gold trim for an extra pop of color).

-The tie was made by above mentioned partner, who made us matching ones for both our outfits. I made the little gear tie pin though out of an adjustable ring base and a couple random jewelry gears from a multi pack we have (that will also be used to decorate the breast).

-The capelette is based off The Blanket™️ and has red lining, just like said blanket does. I sewed in curtain ropes and decorative closures for some added pizzazz both where it's sewn into the capelette and where it clips around the body. The capelette also has a shoulder seam, as well as a lapel. Which was a pain in the ass. I do not recommend having to do either lmao

-The pants were also purchased, and have a double closer on the front in a very steampunk way (I wasn't about to attempt to make that in a crunch I'm already struggling lol) I will also probably be folding them so they're cuffed at the bottom, but we'll see how that works out in my final fitting.

-The shoes were thrifted and were all black when I got them. I used leather paint to paint them with the red panels, added gold trim, painted the outside of the soles gold, and there is a little hex crystal shape on the bottom of the soles that I painted blue. I also switched out black laces for maroon because they fit better with the look.

-The gloves are the same gloves I got for Jayce's black outfit and are getting a little clip added later, but otherwise nothing fancy or crazy has been done with those.

-And finally, the wristband is from Willow Creative and literally my favorite thing I have ever bought ever. I highly recommend them if you're looking for a good Jayce bracelet! Absolutely gorgeous.

For those curious, this is what's being cut out and added to the back of the coat (sorry it's a bad drawing I just needed to see what it would all look like together)

I have a couple different gold fabrics for the main body of the hammer and some nice brown filigreed damask for the brown. (White boarder will probably just be foam so it's easier to attach to the back.)

That will be added as soon as I have it completed, hopefully later today.

But yey! Jayce Talis Ball outfit!

I am so looking forward to dancing with my Viktor.

[angelbaby-fics]

Hi love, how are you! I haven’t been on tumblr much lately but I still love you and your work!! I’ve been dealing with some tough stuff with my health and have been little a lot more lately. Would you write Cg!Ransom as just turning into a melted fit of mush for the reader?Just like absolutely spoiling them and doing whatever they want when they don’t feel good?

Love,

🐣

Daddy's Day Off

Word Count: 750

A/N: Aww hello angel! I'm glad to hear from you again & I hope you're always doing alright 💕 eeep I love Ransom so much, especially in the cold months I just want to cling to him hehehe 💕

It was a busy day full of stressful meetings and Ransom was not at all pleased about it. As much as he loved being extravagantly rich, the people he had to deal with on a daily basis almost made it not worth it. Almost. One thought of you, your bright eyes and contagious smile, and Ransom was reminded that he’d go through hell just to make that happen. He checked the time on his phone, just an excuse to look at the background image really. It was a picture of you and him, a selfie he had taken while you were curled up with him on the couch - he smiled at the camera, but your loving gaze was locked on him. Every time he saw this picture it reminded him what he did it all for.

He couldn’t do it today though, he just couldn’t. You’d had a nightmare earlier, screaming yourself out of slumber in the wee hours of the morning. The rest of the night was spent with you curled up against his chest and him hardly sleeping, dutifully keeping watch on you to make sure you stayed at peace. It broke his heart to close you out of his home office that morning, your rejected face echoing through his head as he tried to focus on today’s planner entries. All he wanted was to be finished with this stupid workday and to spend the rest of it with you. Your love was the only thing that could relieve his stress after a long day of dealing with a bunch of a-holes. Yes, he needed his baby just as much as you needed him. 

To hell with it. Ransom sent a short email to his assistant to cancel all his meetings as he needed to take a personal day. With that, he shut his laptop and tossed his work phone into his desk drawer, nearly slamming it shut. He was so eager to get away from all this and just relax with you. When he opened his office door, he almost expected you to still be there looking up at him with tearful eyes, but like the brave and independent baby he’d raised you to be, you had already begun trying to distract yourself until Ransom was finished with work. 

You knew Ransom didn’t like distractions when he was in work-mode, so although you’d rather spend the day curled up with him just as you’d spent last night, you took it upon yourself to keep occupied. That’s how Ransom found you on the floor of the living room, the massive flatscreen tv playing a marathon of Bluey episodes above you. Every color of crayon was scattered all around you, a pile of already finished drawings stacked upon the coffee table. At the sound of Ransom’s heavy footsteps, your head shot up from your picture of a cat in a garden.

“Daddy, you finished already?” You asked hopefully.

“Daddy got a surprise day off, baby!” He replied, scooping you up into his arms. 

“What are we gonna do?” You asked, looking up at him with more love in your eyes than Ransom thought he deserved in his whole lifetime. 

“Anything you want, babydoll. I’m all yours.” Ransom carried you to the giant sofa, keeping you pressed against his firm chest as he swaddled the two of you together in a big plush throw blanket. 

He handed you the remote, happy to sit through any cartoon or cheesy musical if it meant making you happy. When he heard your tummy rumble after a while, Ransom grabbed the house phone and ordered your favorite pizza, without even needing to ask if you wanted it. He knew you better than he even knew himself. He helped you eat your pizza as you watched tv, something you rarely got to do at the same time. When you finished eating, he carried you to the kitchen to get you dessert and a bottle, not wanting to put you down for even a second.

Hours later, the credits on your second movie of the day were crawling across the screen, and Ransom was sure you were fast asleep, when suddenly he heard your tiny voice muffled through the blankets and his comfy thick sweater.

“Dada?” You asked, even smaller than you’d been this morning.

“What’s up, babydoll?” He whispered down to you.

“You gotta get a day off more often.” You mumbled, drifting into sleep.

“I will, baby. I will.”

[junhuiste]

experi-meant to be ⋆ park wonbin

pairing: wonbin x gn reader

tags/warnings: fluff, cursing, college au, laboratory environment, one mention of baking, 1600 words

a/n: i meant to publish this on valentine’s day since i had lab that day but i never finished it lol. there’s some microbio lab procedure jargon so like this is what streaking plates is if you want a visual lmfaoao. this is my first published work in like three years it feels weird haha + i might change my layout/header for fics but for now i’ll keep the same layout i've had for past fics

wonbin believes U are the uracil to his adenine—you should always be paired together.

| seunghan: dude 

| seunghan: lowkey i can’t come to lab bc my car won’t fucking start so i’ll have to make it up next week :\ but taehyun and his partner would probably be willing to help you out with calculations and clean up hopefully

Wonbin pants heading up the stairs into the classroom lab, cheeks immediately pink as he’s made a spectacle amongst everyone already sitting and tuned into the TA’s pre-lab lesson. Sighing as he processes Seunghan’s text, Wonbin turns to the drawing of bacterial growth curves on the whiteboard but is soon after preoccupied with the fact that there is no Taehyun on a stool. There’s just your backside entirely in front of him. 

Taehyun is one to set up all his materials before the TA even steps foot through the lab door so if he isn’t here now then that means—

“Guess you’re stuck with me for today.” 

Wonbin tries to swallow but it gets stuck halfway down his throat and is about to go into a choke type cough frenzy when he surprises himself and softly clears his throat instead. His thoughts are all just stuck there—in the middle of his esophagus, begging for them to travel back up to his brain so he has enough stamina to stick it through the four hour class. 

“No hate to him because Taehyunnie’s a tad faster at getting through the steps, so you know, we’re usually out thirty minutes early, but I can promise you I’m better at calculations. And I’m more precise with measurements,” you let out a small giggle before setting your backpack on the floor next to Wonbin’s.

The commotion of pipettes being thrown onto the surface, glass tubes clinking, and sneakers squeaking rushing to obtain their samples is right away drowned out in Wonbin’s ears by the sight of you perched atop the stool a mere few inches away from him. He tries to keep his chest from heaving at bay by taking his notebook out of his backpack and reviewing the method for today’s class. The solution is only short lived though, promptly taking notice of how you gather materials from the drawer while simultaneously reading through your own notebook. 

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Wonbin assumes his seat in the third to last row of his Virology lecture, close enough to the door that he can be among the first to leave as soon as “see you guys next time” leaves Professor Choi’s lips. He longs for the day (ideally it would be quite before the last week of classes but realistically that’s the best he has to offer for now) that he musters up just the slightest bit of courage to join you and Taehyun in the second row, where Seunghan also occasionally accompanies you two. It’s only the third week of this semester, but perhaps the sixth course of his over the past three years Wonbin’s seen you in. From Biochemistry to Rhetoric 2, he has never taken place at a desk next to yours. 

Wonbin’s always aching to know how you’d answer everything he could ever ask you, be it the attendance quiz question or your weekend plans—what time you usually roll out of bed, whether or not you stroll to the local farmer’s market near campus, if you’re spending Saturday with a special someone. He needs to hear you laugh at Taehyun’s cynicism about college. He needs to hear it up close, not having to strain his ear when he’s fifteen rows behind when you crack up at your friend during the five minute break Professor Choi gives the class. 

But Wonbin will take what he can get for now, and if that’s helping you fulfill your wish of completing the lab procedure as quickly as possible, he’ll do it. 

“I can do the calculations for us,” you begin, “would you mind getting our mutant strains at the front of the class and streak the Petri dishes?” 

Wonbin nods almost too enthusiastically and curses at himself for seeming embarrassingly desperate in front of you. Sure, he’d like to muster up the courage to ask you out, but today he’ll try to take it one step at a time.

When Wonbin returns with new plates to grow your bacteria on and two tubes filled with your bacterial strains, you scoot your chair closer to his to later show the finished calculations. He catches a whiff of your light perfume and almost falls out of his own chair. 

As he’s setting up the Bunsen burner for sterilization, you chuckle, “you know the real reason Taehyun’s not here today is because he left town last night to get a head start on the extravagant romantic weekend he has planned with Gaeul.”

“If there’s one way to use our one free unexcused absence, that’ll do it,” Wonbin replies. 

“Do you have any plans for Valentine’s Day, Wonbin? I mean if you did I just hope you wouldn’t leave me early like Taehyun did,” your eyes meet his for a brief second before flitting back to your notebook.

Wonbin’s grip on the matchstick to light the burner loosens. He just barely catches himself before the match could fall from his hand onto the lab bench. What he needed to get a grip on was his fucking sanity—he almost set the classroom on fire because his heart instead is aflame for yours. 

Taking a breath, Wonbin exhales when the flame turns to blue, finally lighting the Bunsen burner. 

“Nope, no plans,” he briefly turns to you. There’s a beat and he considers that asking you back would seem too forward, but he does it anyway. 

Upon seeing your grin before you open your mouth, he turns his attention right back to the tubes and plates in front of him. 

It’s so over. 

For a second Wonbin’s relieved, because he thinks he can actually get through the next two hours without overthinking his micro movements in front of you. Now that it’s over for him, maybe he can actually pay attention to the way the metal loop he’s holding makes contact with the jelly-like agar inside the plastic plate and not disappoint Seunghan with the results. However, it’s not realistic because even still, Wonbin takes note of all your beauty and remains completely bewitched.

“Honestly I wish...I mean Minjeong, Yunjin and I are gonna do a rom-com binge and bake desserts…but you know…not any plans with someone like that…” 

Your temporary lab partner tries to hide his smile and nods silently as he continues switching between spreading bacteria on the plate with the metal loop and then sterilizing the loop in the blue flame. 

The rest of lab goes smoothly as Wonbin tries to quell the embers within him for the time remaining. There’s forty minutes left but technically to you Wonbin knows time is dashing away and it should feel like there’s what but only ten minutes left to do everything. Your pair was a few steps ahead of the others, just like how it would be when Taehyun accompanied you every week. 

Wonbin has been psyching himself up the past two hours to finally ask you out but currently he’s stuck in his head and just can’t seem to get it out. Does he chase you after you’ve stepped foot out of the lab or should he leave you be? Or maybe he can try next week. He’ll keep telling himself that until there’s one day of instruction left and then he won’t see you for three months and then he’ll lament the entire summer to Seunghan that he didn’t say shit. 

He can do that…or just rip the bandage off at an agonizing speed. 

The last Petri dish that Wonbin holds is being wrapped in parafilm to prevent contamination. He’d been going through the motions of the procedure while simultaneously not paying attention to his surroundings, at his own self’s behest. You’ve already cleaned the entire lab bench and he doesn’t notice until he hears “see you in Virology,” and suddenly you’re slinging your backpack over your shoulder. 

It’s now or next week…or never—wait you know that Wonbin’s in your Virology class? What you said is ringing in his ears and it hits him all at once.

Petri dishes in hand and turning around, Wonbin freezes in his tracks.

“Um…”

Your eyebrows furrow.

“Do you want to hang out tomorrow?” his own mouth betrays him and suddenly it’s all coming out much too quickly for his liking. 

You’re about to answer but before you can even get a word in, “I-I don’t mean to interfere with your plans with your friends but uh, if you wanted to do something like that I’m down.”

Your lips press into a line and Wonbin is about to pass out from the threatening fluorescent classroom lights. 

“Park Wonbin…are you asking me out on a date?” He can practically feel his sweat melting the parafilm tape off and a vision of him dropping the Petri dishes in front of you, cracking open and shattering, exposing E.coli to everyone in the room flashes before him. He blinks once and calms his vice grip on the plates. 

“Yes. Yes I am asking you out on a date,” Wonbin looks down at your sneakers, not knowing where else to shift his gaze to. 

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then,” you smirk, slinging the other strap of your backpack over your other shoulder and saluting.

Park Wonbin swears his heart is on fire and does a backflip off a fifty foot cliff. A curve forming on his lips, he smiles slightly waving with the plates still in his hand, “see ya…”

You halt your forward movement and turn back around, “Wonbin?” he perks up again, “you should sit next to me in lecture on Tuesday.”

[ponderingmoonlight]

Dying ray of sunshine

Pairing: boyfriend!Geto x fem!reader, little bit of Gojo x reader

Word Count: 3k

Synopsis: The year after the incident with Toji has put your longtime relationship with Suguru Geto to the test. But one fateful decicion will change everything forever.

Warnings: hurt, death, injury

„Hey Satoru, so sorry to bother you. Do you have a minute?”

Your fingers trace along the leaves of your geranium mindlessly, the usual worry lines clearly visible on your forehead.

Last year was pure hell to say the least. The failed mission, Satoru almost dying and the fact that Toji defeated him so effortlessly truly messed with your boyfriend of five years, Suguru. Even though he still goes on missions and caresses everything with a loving smile you can’t help but notice the heavy bags under his eyes and the fair amount of weight he lost within the last year. You did what you could, you were always there for him, you offered him your shoulder. But it seems like all of that isn’t enough – you alone aren’t enough to help him.

“For you anytime. What’s up (y/n)?”, Gojo’s voice casually replies through the speaker of your phone.

What a sweet girl you are, Satoru always reminded his best friend how lucky he is to have you as his girlfriend. Kind, caring, passionate, striking, intelligent – what else could a man want? Even the fact that you are a non-jujutsu sorcerer can’t belittle that in his eyes. But the concerned tone in your usual so gentle voice makes him sit up and take notice.

“I was just wondering…Is Suguru with you? Haven’t seen him since four days and you know…I’m getting worried”, you stammer.

“Huh, four days? I mean, he’s on a mission as far as I know, but four days? Are you home?”

Your heartbeat picks up in agony. If even Satoru is surprised by Suguru’s behavior and becomes serious, it can’t bode well. Since last year he has been coming home to you more irregularly, not telling you were he’s been or why. You always let it slide, after all he went through hell and back. Maybe he needs space and time, maybe he’s secretly getting help from someone that understands his pain better than you can. But usually, he shows up after one or two days, knocking on your door and kissing you with the same affection as usual. Not today though.

“Yeah, I’m home all the time”, you reply with an awkward laugh.

“That’s weird. I’m kinda busy myself to be honest, but he’s working near your home tonight. Sure he’ll come over after that, no worries! But hey, call me if something’s up.”

No worries. That’s what you tell yourself over and over again after hanging up and desperately waiting for the evening. So there’s a curse around? You don’t understand Suguru’s work fully as you are a non-jujutsu sorcerer, not even able to see the curses he shows you from time to time. But what you do know is that if they sent him it must be something big. Hopefully he doesn’t get hurt…

Your stare into the cup of tea on the table. Oh, how much you loved your movie nights, bodies intertwined with each other while sipping on the tea Suguru made for you. You couldn’t think of anything better than being his girlfriend. What a nice man he is, with the kindest heart and the gentlest touch. So proud of his work as jujutsu sorcerer that has already saved countless innocent lives, always interested in the good of the community to the extent that he puts his own life on the back burner. Yes, Suguru was your jackpot, the first price of a lifetime. And even though times are rough, you will always stand beside him and greet him with open arms whenever he decides to knock on your door again. You’re not a jujutsu sorcerer, but still his girlfriend. And that’s what counts, right?

The liquid in your cup begins to draw pretty little circles. What is he doing right now? Hopefully he’s alright. Maybe you should ask him out, go on a nice date, perhaps the sushi restaurant you both loved so much. He can’t say more than no, right?

Your eyes dart to the tea that begins to spill out of your cup, face going pale in an instant at the noticeable shock wave that makes the ground under your feet shutter. What’s going on? An earthquake? Alarmed, you jump up and sprint towards the door with quick steps. You need to get out as soon as possible.

A wave of chaos hits you like a wall as soon as you open the front door. Screaming, crying, the unmistakable scent of blood that hangs in the air. Your thoughts are racing, blood pounding in your ears. That isn’t an earthquake. Curses? It has to be a curse.

What about Suguru?

Like in trance, your feet carry you outside despise the ringing voice inside your head that begs you to go back inside. You need to find him, now.

“But hey, call me if something’s up.”

Satoru. Maybe he’s able to help. Your hands desperately cling to your phone, trembling fingers calling his number.

“Oh, hey (y/n)!”

“Satoru. I-I…Somethings up! People die, I d-don’t know…Suguru didn’t come home!”, you stutter, tears pooling your eyes when reality hits you.

The screams grow closer with every second, making your whole body shake in thick fear. Fuck, you need to get out of here. But where is it safe? You can’t even see who or what is attacking these people, it’s all a blur.

“Hey, slow down (y/n). Where are you? What’s going on?”

“I’m home…I was home. They all just…die. I can’t, Satoru. I-I don’t know! Where’s Suguru?”, you cry out, almost tripping over your own clumsy feet.

“Listen, I-“

“Oh, there you are, my little ray of sunshine.”

Your mind needs a few moments to comprehend the voice behind you.

“Suguru?”, you breathe out, slowly turning around.

There he stands, in his uniform, wearing the same bright smile he usually does. God, he’s alive. He’s fine. Letting your phone drop carelessly to the floor, you dash towards the man you’ve been missing for days.

“You’re alive! I thought something bad happened!”, you bubble, arms finally wrapped around his large frame again.

“No need to worry about me, (y/n). It’s you who you should be worried about”, he happily announces, gripping your body so tight that you can feel your ribs cracking under his cruel touch.

All the screams, the crying and the acid smell of death in the air seem to be gone. Instead, all of your senses are directed towards him and the way his suddenly so rough hands makes your body cry out in pain. He is covered in blood, even though you can’t see any injury. Suguru looks happier than he has in a long time, smiling as bright as a few years ago.

“B-but I’m fine. I’m not injured, Suguru. Come on, let’s get out of here and call help. Is it a curse? Would you mind not hugging me so tight? It hurts.”

Your voice is shaking in fear and foreboding. Can it be…that Suguru is somehow responsible for this mess? No, absolutely impossible. He would never do something like that, he is a great man that saves people’s lives rather than taking them. No. This.can’t.be.

“It’s me, (y/n). I finally found my true destiny!”

The desperate grip of your hands around him loosens, limbs going numb in realization. He has to be joking, this is just a nightmare, right? He would never do that.

“Your destiny?”, you question, glossy eyes searching for a single spark of sarcasm in his gaze.

“There is an easy way to get rid of all curses, I should have thought of that sooner. (y/n), I will simply kill all non-jujutsu sorcerers!”

You can’t believe your ears. Suguru murdered these people. People like you that aren’t able to see, control or kill curses. You feel like the ground has been pulled out underneath your feet, breath shaky and fast. Your Suguru, the man you fell in love with over five years ago, the man you supported for so long wants to kill you.

“What about your family, your parents? They are non-jujutsu sorcerer as well”, you murmur.

He gifts you with one of his breathtaking smiles, the ones that got your knees weak in an instant and made sparks fly around you. Right now that’s the chase too, but not out of love. Pure fright and disappointment are pumping through your veins.

“Oh, don’t worry! I already killed them.”

His fingers yank your chin up harshly and force you to look at him. Oh, his beautiful tender eyes. When did they turn this dark, this solid? Your heart is already shattered into a million little pieces, your past, present and future slipping through your fingers with every word of him. You can tell that he’s not lying, that this is not a dream. No, you can’t wake up and hide in his strong arms. You can’t move together in a cute cottage and buy the dog you always wanted. You can’t invite Satoru over and throw a party. All that, completely crushed.

“Don’t take this personally. If you weren’t a monkey, I could let you live.”

You can’t believe your ears. Did he just call you a monkey?

“But I’m not a monster, I will give you a small chance to survive for the moment. When I let go, run for your life.”

“Is this you, Suguru? You’re not the man I fell in love with”, you breathe out.

You desperately try to hold back your tears, to stop your body from trembling uncontrollably in his arms, to stop yourself from gasping for air like a fish on land. But you can’t. The aching that hunts down your whole figure seems to eat you alive from the inside. The last five years play like a movie in front of your eyes. How could it end like this? How could he become like this?

“Come on, let’s meet up with Satoru. I’m sure we can fix this. I know you didn’t feel well the last months, but if you let me hel-“

“Run, (y/n). Before I change my mind.”

His words are a fade whisper, eyes closed in a despairing attempt to forget the way you wore your dazzling smile and how delicious you looked in your sundresses. Oh, how much he wants to feel the softness of your hair one last time, how much he would like to lose himself in you only once. But he knew you would be the biggest obstacle of his plan. Suguru must eliminate you, kill you on the spot, right here right now. But his shaky hands can’t. Not yet.

“Get lost!”, he yells and pushes your body away from him, down onto the blood covered ground.

Your knees burst immediately, eyes veiled in tears. Everything hurts, it’s like you’ve forgot how to walk or run. Your body simply refuses to move. He wants to kill you. Suguru, the best friend you’ve ever had, the man you shared everything with, that knows your body like nobody else is here to end your life if you don’t start running away now.

What reason do you have to be alive? What is the purpose of a life without Suguru in it? Your fingers dig into the dirt underneath in search of something to grasp, of something to hold onto. You never expected this to happen. Is it your fault? Could you have saved him from this path? Maybe there is a way to get him back, your Suguru.

“I will come back for you, darling”, you mutter, getting on your wobbly feet.

With one last glance into his lovely face, you run as fast as you can. Away from your hometown, away from the house that hides so many memories, away from the man you love more than anything else, the one that is hunting you down in order to kill you. ______________________________________________________________

“Woah, easy (y/n). Why do you look like you’re haunted?”

“You came”, you reply, struggling for air while almost running Satoru over.

Your weak body collapses onto the ground in an instant. For how long did you sprint? Maybe minutes, maybe hours – you can’t tell. All that you know is that your frame will never hurt as much as your heart does. God, the way he looked at you, the disgust on his face when he called you a “monkey”. Fresh tears swell up your eyes once more.

You should have been there for him, you shouldn’t have given in. He was your boyfriend for five whole years, didn’t he deserve a girlfriend that that doesn’t give up on him so easily? Maybe it’s all your fault. Yes, maybe you are the reason for the path he has taken.

“You called. Let me help you stand up, okay? Oh, what do we have here? Someone’s been following you. Let me care of that. That’s why you so stressed? Look, he’s only this tall and actually pretty cute… Yep, there you go, killed him off.”

“Satoru.”

The sound of your voice choked with fear makes Gojo’s guts turn. Fuck, what did happen to you? What did your eyes see that make them go this blank? Why are you covered in small bruises? Surely not because of that stupid little curse. And that blood that sticks to your blue sundress…

Beep beep beep.

Damn, why does his phone have to ring now? Nothing can be that important.

“I’m kinda busy right now”, he barks into the speaker.

“Shut up, you need to get your ass back here. Right now”, Masamichi’s voice responses with an unknown seriousness.

“What’s up? Need to talk to (y/n) first”, Gojo growls, visibly rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.

“Is she with you? Bring her here, right know”, he yells and simply hangs up.

“Satoru, Suguru…He…I…”, you stammer.

Without thinking twice, you grab his pants and press your head against his knees while the scorching pain in your core buries you alive all over. Uncontrolled sobs escape your mouth, salty tears staining Satoru’s uniform with ease. He instantly kneels down in front of you, hides your head against his chest while gently placing his hands on your shaky back.

“Come on, tell me.”

Something really bad happened, that’s for sure. Gojo never saw you like this, so broken up and emotional. And that blood on your blue summer dress, even though it doesn’t seem to belong to you. What about Suguru? Is he alright?

“Suguru…killed them.”

His eyes widen in shock. Are you joking? You are being ridiculous, surely he just tried to save them from that curse and some didn’t make it.

“The curses? Yeah, you know that’s kind of his job.”

“He killed the people! Every single one of them! His parents…His parents are dead! He wanted to kill me, Satoru. He called me a monkey, explained that he will eliminate all non-jujutsu sorcerers!”, you cry on top of your lungs.

Suguru? No, impossible. He’s his best friend, always keeps his morals high. Suguru would never kill innocent non-jujutsu sorcerers, especially not you. His best friend told him over and over how much he adored you, that he’ll marry you someday, that you are his ray of sunshine. He would never do that.

But still. At the moment, you are clinging to his uniform for dear life, eyes filled with cold terror and agony, body covered in bruises and blood. You would never lie to him.

“(y/n), I’m sure you’re confusing something. We’re talking about Suguru, not me.”

“I wish it wasn’t true. I-I wish it was a nightmare…”, you mutter against his chest.

“I’ll talk to him. We’ll figure this out.”

“It’s all my fault, Satoru. I didn’t listen, I never asked more about the incident. He had some rough months, lost a lot of weight. He wasn’t fine and I knew it…I knew it and I did nothing to change it!”

Your body collapses against Gojo, his smell sorely reminding you of Suguru and the way his broad chest felt against your fingertips. This shouldn’t be happening, there must be something you can do. Maybe a good talk will convert him back to Jujutsu High, back into your open arms.

“You did nothing wrong, (y/n). You were always the best girlfriend for him and took everything so well. Don’t you dare to credit this to yourself, you hear? Come on, let’s go to Jujutsu High. Maybe they know something. We will sort this out, yeah?”

Satoru takes off his glasses and gifts you a tender smile. After all that he’s been through and the horrible news he received, his smile beams with optimism and truly makes you believe that you both can save him.

Oh, you just have to. ______________________________________________________________

Bonus

“You know what the worst is? The fact that you wanted to end (y/n)’s life just like that. What is wrong with you? You always told me that she’s your ray of sunshine, the best thing that ever happened to you. And then you want to kill her because she’s a non-jujutsu sorcerer?”

“She might have been my girlfriend, but I can’t just spare her because of that! I also gave her a chance to run away this one time. I find it quite gracious.”

“Are you actually listening to yourself!? You’re talking about (y/n)! Even now she defends your ass everywhere, she blames herself for what happened that night!”, Gojo screams, hands curled into fists so tightly that his palms begin to bleed.

“Tell her it’s not her fault. I made my own decision, she could have done whatever she wanted. Letting her go was the hardest challenge of my life, but necessary in order to get closer to my goal. You understand, Satoru? Take good care of her, but I have no use for a monkey.”

[dailywusiala]

english translation of this paywall-hidden interview:

find the german version here

Jamal Musiala is only 21 years old, but he is already a key player for the German national team. He has only just moved into his first own apartment. A conversation about growing up in the public eye and dreams outside of sports.

After training with the national football team, Jamal Musiala arrives in high spirits for his interview with WELT AM SONNTAG at the Adidas Homeground, the training facility of the German Football Association in Herzogenaurach. Inside the building, golf bags are lined up for the players to use during their free time. Musiala examines them closely. "I need to stay up to date when it comes to equipment," he says with a smile.

A few days later, he will play an outstanding international match, scoring one goal and assisting three more in a 5-0 victory against Hungary in the Nations League.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Mr. Musiala, do you play golf?

Jamal Musiala: Yes, but I haven’t played in a long time. Thomas Müller and Harry Kane, my teammates at FC Bayern, are very good golfers. Thomas is the better of the two – at least that's what he says (laughs). So I definitely need to practice again to get on their level.

WAMS: There’s a stereotype that golf is more popular with people over 30. Do you feel too young for this sport?

Musiala: Not at all. Golf is just fun.

WAMS: You’ve already won the German Championship four times, two European Championships, played in a World Cup, appeared in 34 international matches, and over a hundred games for FC Bayern – and you’re only 21. Recently, you moved out of your mother’s house.

Musiala: Yes, I moved from my mother’s house into an apartment. It’s a bit different now, but I like it. I really enjoy having my own peace, as we say in English, my own space where it’s quiet. What I really miss, though, is my mom’s delicious food. But I’ve found a good solution – and I enjoy cooking myself now and then.

WAMS: Are you a good cook?

Musiala: Not at all (laughs). But, like with golf, I just enjoy it.

WAMS: But you can manage to make your beloved Maultaschen?

Musiala: Yes, they’re easy. But I can’t eat them too often.

WAMS: At the Euros, you were the top scorer with three goals, along with five other players. Have you set up a trophy room in your first apartment yet?

Musiala: I don’t have much space, so I’ve left all the trophies at my mom’s house.

WAMS: Others your age are just moving into shared apartments, studying, or starting apprenticeships. You debuted in the Bundesliga at 17. How much do you actually experience the everyday reality of your generation?

Musiala: I’ve been in the football world from a young age, so I don’t have many friends outside of sports. I’d like to have more, but you can’t force it. Friendships are important to me. As a teenager, I was in the FC Chelsea Academy, and that’s where friendships formed that have lasted to this day. That means a lot to me.

WAMS: If you hadn’t become a footballer, what do you think you’d be doing today?

Musiala: Funny that you ask, because I was just thinking about that a few days ago. I would definitely do something creative. Maybe study architecture or work as an architect. I always enjoyed drawing in school.

WAMS: Your first own apartment, your fifth season with Bayern, your fourth year in the national team – your nickname "Bambi," which teammate Leroy Sané gave you because of your skinny legs, no longer really fits. Does this current phase of your life feel like growing up?

Musiala: I don’t mind the nickname Bambi; anyone can still call me that. Of course, I’ve grown with experience and I’m no longer the Bambi player. I’ve been through a lot at a young age, and hopefully, there will be many more games and titles to come. Consistency is key, and I do everything I can to maintain that. I rely on good routines and take care of my body.

WAMS: It’s said that you also do a lot of individual training in addition to your team practices.

Musiala: That basically started in our garden when I was a child. My dad played football himself and always told me, "Your coaches will do everything they can to help you become a pro, but the extra effort, the extra miles, you have to do yourself. No one will force you to do that. That drive has to come from within." I thought that message was cool and it made sense. I still take it to heart and always think about what I can do to take another step forward. No matter how many titles I win or how much my status changes, my work ethic and mentality won’t change. I’ll always look for ways to improve and stay open to learning and growing. This mindset has always worked well for me.

WAMS: You also do neuro-athletic training. What exactly do you train?

Musiala: It’s mainly about stability and movement. We train my eye speed, which is very important for my turning movements and positioning on the field. The faster my eyes move, the quicker I can anticipate. The first touch of the ball is often decisive, and this training helps me execute the ideas I have on the pitch.

WAMS: You mentioned your routines earlier. What do they look like?

Musiala: For example, I have a set routine on matchdays. I always take a nap in the afternoon, and then I recite my affirmations. I always step onto the pitch with my right foot. And if I’ve scored a goal – whether for Germany or Bayern – I wear the same pair of boots in the next match until I stop scoring (laughs).

WAMS: What affirmations do you say?

Musiala: They’re affirmations that I’ve tried out and developed over time, and they work well for me.

WAMS: Can you share one with us?

Musiala: Sorry, that’s like making a wish when blowing out birthday candles – you’re not supposed to tell anyone.

WAMS: Who is the most important advisor in your life?

Musiala: I listen a lot to my coaches and teammates, and to the feedback from my family and close friends.

WAMS: Young adults your age are often referred to as the “TikTok generation.” Do you check the feedback on social media?

Musiala: Not much. After a match, I do look at the comments sometimes. Using social media is normal, I think, but over time I’ve learned to distance myself from it. I don’t need it. Negative comments can bring you down.

WAMS: So you haven’t left an angry or praising comment on your idol Stephen Curry’s social media accounts yet?

Musiala: (laughs) Now that you mention it, maybe I’ll do that with a fake account. No, Curry knows how good he is. What he did at the Olympics was incredible. He represents top performance and entertainment. And he never makes unnecessary moves just to show off. He always focuses on the team. That’s the standard I want to live up to as well. I want people to come to the stadium and enjoy watching me, while I always give everything for the team. I can learn a lot from Curry.

WAMS: Do you watch a lot of NBA?

Musiala: Every Warriors game. I’m a real fan. I’m really excited for the season to start again in October. I thought the Warriors would make a few more trades, get a few more players, but okay – we’ll see how the season goes.

WAMS: Teammates and coaches describe you as very down-to-earth. Yet your rise from talent to star was rapid; over five million people follow you on Instagram, and you’re seen as the future of German football. How do you manage to stay grounded?

Musiala: That has a lot to do with how I was raised and how my parents brought me up. I just stay the way I am – open and respectful to people. You always get that back. Fame and money might change the lifestyle a bit, but not my values and attitude.

WAMS: With Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer, Ilkay Gündogan, and Toni Kroos having retired from the national team, are you now expected to step up as a leader? Is that what coach Julian Nagelsmann is expecting of you, despite your young age?

Musiala: At the Euros, I realized that I can take on more responsibility. But all of us have to take responsibility on the pitch. We help each other. The more experience I gain, the more I’ll grow into a leadership role.

WAMS: Nagelsmann recently announced the new team council, and you’re not part of it – which record national player Lothar Matthäus criticized.

Musiala: That’s totally fine with me. We have a very open relationship with each other and with the coaching staff. Whenever I want to express my opinion or it’s asked for, I’ll say it. I don’t have to be part of the team council to be a leader. I’ve known Julian for quite a while, and we get along really well.

WAMS: After the quarter-final exit at the Euros in Germany, Nagelsmann set the goal for the 2026 World Cup: "We want to become world champions." How realistic is that?

Musiala: We can definitely win the title in 2026. With a bit more luck, we would have at least made it to the semifinals at the Euros. As a team, we've made good progress recently and will continue to develop over the next two years. We’ve learned from the Euros and want to go far in the World Cup.

WAMS: What are your personal goals for the coming months?

Musiala: I always want to be better than in the previous season. I want to further improve my strengths and work on the things I didn’t do so well recently.

WAMS: What are those things?

Musiala: Decision-making – making the right decision quickly on the field; there’s still room for improvement. That’s crucial in football. I also want to get into more scoring positions. That worked well during the Euros. I definitely want to get into the penalty area more often. That’s why I was very happy to score a “simple goal” recently for FC Bayern in Wolfsburg, where I was in the right place to tap it in.

WAMS: You once mentioned a principle for your play: no dribbling in your own half.

Musiala: That’s not always the case, but it's generally true. Recently, at Bayern, I’ve been positioned deeper during build-up play, so sometimes you need to dribble to start an attack and pull an opponent out of position. I do what the situation requires. In football, anything can happen, something unexpected. Intuition and anticipation are crucial.

WAMS: You were influenced by English football as a youth – and you’ve moved around quite a lot in your young life…

Musiala: … very often, yes.

WAMS: You were born in Stuttgart, then moved to Fulda because your mother Carolin began her studies there. From there, she took you to Southampton for an Erasmus program, then back to Fulda. Chelsea scouted you, and you moved to London – and eventually to Munich when you joined Bayern. Where is home for you?

Musiala: That’s something we’ve often asked ourselves within the family. For me, home is where I live. And where my family is. They are the most important thing in my life. We have a very close bond. That will never change. I have a younger sister and a younger brother. The fact that we siblings tease each other for fun will never change either.

WAMS: Are you already thinking about starting your own family?

Musiala: I’ve always been a family person. But I haven’t thought about starting my own family yet. I don’t have a timeline for that. I like my life the way it is right now. Football, occasionally going out with friends – it’s perfect for me at the moment.

WAMS: One of your best friends is Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United, and you were recently on vacation together in the USA. He recently told a fan that he tried to convince you to move to United.

Musiala: Friends always joke and dream about playing on the same team one day. The teasing goes both ways: I also told Josh to come back to Bayern. But you shouldn’t take that too seriously.

WAMS: Your contract with FC Bayern runs until the summer of 2026. How much would you like to play for a global club abroad someday? Your friend Jude Bellingham moved from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid.

Musiala: I’m very happy at FC Bayern and fully focused on our goals with the club and the national team. I don’t give much thought to where I’ll be playing in five years. In the football world, things can change quickly.

WAMS: Mr. Musiala, what is a dream you have for your life outside of sports?

Musiala: I would love to go on a world tour. You need time for that, though. Between seasons, I only have a maximum of three weeks of vacation, and that’s not enough. It was exciting to visit the USA for the first time. For example, I was fascinated by Las Vegas. I’m also very interested in many Asian cities. Discovering countries and cultures is fun and broadens your horizons. Someday, I’ll travel a lot. In ten to fifteen years, I’ll start planning that more seriously.

[lucy90712]

Road to recovery- part 8

Masterlist

Part of me was hoping that the hate would slow down a bit but of course it didn't. Every time I checked any form of social media all I saw was people posting about how much they didn't like me and assuming that I'm only friends with Pablo to gain something. I thought I'd be able to handle the comments but I just can't there has been so many more than I thought there would be and people have said such hurtful things about my appearance and my character. Pablo keeps apologising and asking if I'm ok and I just keep telling him I'm fine which is a bit of a lie but I can tell he already feels bad enough I don't want to make him feel worse by telling him how I really feel. The worst part about it is that everyone seems to be drawing attention to the things I was already insecure about which hasn't helped my mental state at all.

Today though I have a chance to cheer myself up a bit as I have a big check up with my doctor to see how my recovery is progressing. I think it's going pretty good so hopefully he agrees and says something positive as that would really lift my spirits. I've been nervous about the appointment today as well which has really made the last few days even more challenging on my mental health but I'm trying to stay positive as I know wallowing in sadness and anxiety won't do me any good. 

Alonso came to pick me up a bit before my appointment; when I got in the car I expected him to tease me about everything that happened with the game this weekend but he didn't instead he asked if I was ok. I was going to lie to him too but because he's my brother he knows exactly when I'm lying so I had to tell him the truth. It was kind of nice to get all of my feelings off my chest and Alonso was really supportive and gave me some good advice. He's been through things like this before with getting hate for his performances out on track so he told me to just delete the apps off my phone for a bit that way I'm not tempted to look at what people are saying. In fact he stole my phone and did it for me as I think he knew I probably wouldn't do it myself. 

Once I had my phone back I went into the hospital on my own leaving Alonso to wait in the car for me. The wait for my appointment wasn't long at all and then I went in and was immediately taken for some new scans to see how everything was healing. After scans I was subjected to a load of tests on my range of movement, how much weight I could put on my leg and how much pain I was in. The testing was rigorous and honestly quite exhausting as it's been a long time since I've done this much movement with my knee but for the most part it felt good. After I had done everything the doctor left for a while to review it all and look at my scans which left me just staring at the wall hoping to hear good news. Just as I was daydreaming the door opened again and the doctor came back in, his expression was impossible to read which for some reason filled me with a few more nerves.

"Ok Lola things aren't progressing as we would like them too internally you aren't healing as quick as we thought you would and your movement isn't at the range we would expect it to be" he said 

"What does that mean?" I asked holding back tears 

"For now it doesn't mean too much this can happen as we can't always accurately predict how quickly people will recover but we will set another one of these appointments in a few weeks and if we aren't seeing improvement you may need a second surgery so that we can see what's going on" the doctor explained 

"Ok" was all I could manage to say 

"I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but don't let it discourage you if you keep working hard you won't need the surgery" he said 

We scheduled my next appointment and that was as long as I could hold it together. All of my emotions that I'd been holding onto for the last few days came out all at once, as soon as I left the hospital doors I burst into tears and I couldn't do anything to stop them. I made my way back to where Alonso parked but before I could get into the car Alonso had got out and wrapped me in his arms. He tried to get me to stop crying and tell him what was wrong but I just couldn't he tried everything to help me all of which had worked before but today nothing could stop me. Eventually he gave up and let me get in the car so we could go home because right now all I want is to just go home and get to grips with my emotions as I clearly have a lot to process. 

As much as my eyes were filled with tears I could tell that Alonso didn't take the turn to take me back to my place which meant he was going to take me somewhere in hopes of cheering me up. I really didn't want to go wherever it was he was planning to go but I was sobbing too much to tell him to take me home. We went a bit further before the car stopped and I looked round a bit as at first I didn't recognise where we were but then I saw Pablo's house and realised we were just down the street. I should've known Alonso was going to bring me here but this is the last place I want to be I don't want Pablo to see me like this. I knew we said we would help each other out but I know for a fact Pablo is doing better and I know he's in a better place mentally and I don't want to ruin that by projecting my problems onto him that wouldn't be fair. 

Alonso had to practically drag me out of the car and down the road which was rather easy for him as I'm not strong enough to put up too much of a fight. We walked down the street to Pablo's house where Alonso left me to ring the doorbell, part of me was hoping that he wouldn't be in even though he said he had no plans today. Of course after just a few seconds the door opened and I locked eyes with Pablo who straight away rushed over as quick as he could and wrapped me up in his arms. I wanted to stop crying but for some reason I only cried more once I was in Pablo's arms it was like he made me feel safe enough to truly let all of my feelings out. Pablo said a few words to my brother before taking me inside and allowing him to leave. 

Pablo took me to the sofa and allowed me to settle into his embrace with my head buried in his chest so he couldn't see my tear stained and probably red and puffy face. His hand was gently stroking my back trying to calm me down while he whispered comforting words in my ears. It wasn't anything special what he was doing but hearing his words and feeling his hands on me did wonders in helping calm my emotions which I didn't have any control over. As my tears began to slow down Pablo kept rubbing my back and he even wiped some of the tears from my face that he could reach as I was still hiding most of my face. I never would've thought he would be so good at comforting me I mean he's always so hyper and full of energy I never imagined that he'd be any good at keeping calm and radiating that onto others but clearly he is. Once I had completely stopped crying and my breathing was getting back to normal Pablo put a hand under my chin and got me to look at him.

"Can you tell me what's wrong I hate seeing you so upset and I want to help" he said 

"The doctor said my knee isn't healing properly and I might need another surgery if things don't get better" I said still sniffling slightly 

"I'm sorry that sounds awful but that's not the only thing on your mind is it" he probed further 

"No that's it" I lied 

"Don't lie to me please just tell me what's wrong I'll do whatever I can to help and I won't judge you you know that" he said 

Damn why doesn't he have to be able to read me like a book.

"Ok I've been getting a lot of hate since we were seen together at the game and it's been getting to me a bit I thought I could handle it as I'm used to criticism but I can't some people are just so mean" I admitted letting a few more tears fall 

"I knew it was getting to you people on social media are assholes because they don't feel the consequences of what they say but none of what they say is true" he said 

"But they keep talking about how I must be using you or how I don't deserve to even be friends with you which that part is kind of true" I rambled 

"No it's not true I can't even imagine what my life would be like without you I love spending time with you just because you aren't famous doesn't mean you don't deserve to be friends with me and despite what they say I know you aren't using me I know you would never do that" he said 

"And before you say anything all of the things they say about your appearance aren't true either you are beautiful inside and out and they are just jealous" he added 

Hearing him say that put a smile on my face. Pablo has never really complimented me before he's told me my outfit was cool a few times but he's never called me beautiful so hearing it made me feel a lot better about myself. He must've noticed that I was finally smiling again as he told me I looked pretty when I smiled which only made my cheeks heat up but luckily my face was already red from crying so Pablo probably wouldn't have noticed. Although I kind of wish he knew how he made me feel because as time goes on it's getting harder and harder to hide my true feelings from him. 

Pablo's POV

The pain in her eyes just shattered my heart. She's been my rock throughout every step of the way so far so to see her breakdown right in front of me really hurt. This whole time she's been the strong one never letting anything get to her but finally it's caught up with her and part of it's my fault because we got seen together at the game and now people are tearing her apart and one person can only handle so much. I feel so awful that I'm part of the reason she's so upset but knowing that I can be there for her and calm her down makes me feel a bit better. When she arrived she was hysterical and her brother told me he couldn't get a word out of her so he wanted me to try so that's what I did. I'm not very good at keeping myself calm at times let alone other people but I tried my best and after a while of just rubbing her back and whispering to her she calmed down. It felt good to be the one to help her because she's done so much for me that anything I can do to even remotely repay that I'll do in a heartbeat.

Hearing the way she criticised herself as well it pained me. She's the most beautiful and kind person I've ever met so to hear her say that she thought she didn't deserve to be friends with me hurt but what hurt more was to see that those horrible people got to her and made her feel insecure in herself. Throughout the time we've known each other I've always wanted to tell her just how beautiful she is but I've refrained as I know once I open the flood gates there's no going back. Once I start complimenting her I'm scared that I'll let my feelings show but today she needed it so I knew I had to take the risk. Seeing the smile that my compliments gave her made the risk feel worth it though as I'd do anything to keep her smiling 24/7.

Looking into her eyes as she smiled and blushed at my words made me feel some type of way. I've felt something for her since we first met and I've kept those feelings repressed until now but I don't know if I can do it any longer. She's just the most perfect girl I've ever met and I don't want to lose her whether that be to another guy or to the fear of what us being friends might mean for her. I have to tell her how I feel in hopes that as long as she feels the same way it gives her a reason to stick around even when things are tough like they are right now. As scary as it is I have to take the risk. 

[cconfusedkat]

(shaking hands, functioning on three iced coffees, not beta read we just die) (LIL BRO TREATING THIS LIKE AO3Anyways yeah i did not read anything i typed here a second time so my wording might Suck Major Kuss)

Hey chat! sorry my holiday depression unfortunately kicked in, i had a ,, relatively decent Eid (cuz i dont celebrate christmas) ...? so i hope everyone had a relatively better holiday than i did… 💦

My friends often tell me i look like my art and i kinda see it. Hooray! Meeting the artist! Except i took matters into my own hands of making my own collage because I Do Not Have Enough Storage Space For Any Other Editing App

Additional shitpost ❤️ the art I've been most proud of are not actually in here, really! I'm mainly proud of the fanart i made for the few smiling critters AU's aaaall the way back feb-march but. I guess the stuff i liked the most i did this year was probably for the one who wilts? Im trying to think of stuff earlier than that. I noticed i definitely had an improvement in art, and i learned i do have a preference of drawing certain ways now too lmao- the fun of art! I hope to improve more in 2025 :-)

Herm,, all jokes aside, im glad people like my art...?? I am not a very Secure artist myself (already taking me five minutes to type that out and consider myself as an artist) so im SHOCKED when people Actually like my things. My doodles. The sometimes rare occasion of real art i put out there. Like! Wow! Thats crazy

Id have to say the same for youtube- im currently at 456 subscribers 🥺❤️ that is huge to me,, i wouldnt have expected me posting for the first time in years on youtube would result to me getting this many subscribers? ? .???

Im very, VERY thankful for the people ive met this year through fandom and generally. Unfortunately—for the past few months—Ive hit a really low stump in my mental health that limits me from talking to people without getting super drained, even on social media i kinda struggle with being active again. I am thankful for the people that continue to stick around and know im the way that i am,, one day ill be mentally stronger and everyone is gonna see my growth as soon as i can ,, Actually leave my own home and hopefully start a new. I didnt really consider that until one of my friends shared its experiences with me and i GENUINELY realized i can run away and get better one day,, there is a light at the end of the tunnel,, there IS,, but not now. Not today. Not in a few months. Itll take me years to heal but 2025 and ongoing years as i get more freedom to do so,,

UHHHH UHHH. ASIDE FROM CHEESY RANTING OF HAVING HOPES FOR THE FUTURE, YAPYAPYAP- i got a drawing tablet (again another thing my friend inspired me for- technically two major things in a row it inspired me for- hope in the future and drawing BWAHAHA-) and uhhh. HmMMOOHHH YEAH I REUNITED MY MEOWMEOWS! HOORA🎊🎊🎊🎊

my 2025 goals are not just improvement in art,, but in hopes of getting a full time job (since my last full time UMM. did NOT work out well! How am i gonna learn to pay my taxes on my own dawg,) and trying to get a place of my own since i missed out on that two years ago (or one? One year ago? I DUNNO..!!!!) , therapy and trying to heal better compared to my terrible stumps of 2022-2024,, i dunno what else but. Maybe working on my social skills at some point 🗿🗿 a far fetched goal is moving out of state completely and also going on testosterone but that is farrrr from now </33

Thank you lot for following and keeping up with my goofiness i gen did not think an animanga nerd with a passion of indie and mascot horror games could reach 510 followers within one year HELPPP thats crazy

On less serious goals though i hope on watching more animes than reading manga in 2025 BWAHAHAGAHSAJD i read manga more and anime is Extremely Rare for me to watch but both jjk and Beastars have all ive been watching as of recent lol- trust i will be such a geek (girl Please that is NAWT something to look forward to) (YES IT IS. HAVE YOU NO WHIMSY?)

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Rose's Day of Asks

Gorgeous gif central. Past and present. Favourite cuties to gif?

Have a great Day💜

My favorite Rose, hello 🌹 What a beautiful day this Rose's Day of Asks is 😊

I love your ask for me, that had me slightly on the edge of madness because how am I supposed to decide on this? But there is no limit to how many cuties I can choose *insert evil laughter*.

Based on the number of sets I have created for each show, KinnPorsche should be in first place, but I wouldn't consider them "cuties". And as much as I loved giffing this show, they are not in my list of favorites anymore. There are cuties I made just one or two sets for, which are way higher in my list of favorites, like Sing My Crush - Baram x Hantae. I just loved catching their cute moments in my gifs.

Rose's Day of Asks: Past and Present. Favorite Cuties to gif.

Past

The shows may be from the past, but are still present in my heart. And to clarify, the past is everything from 2023 and before. I had to draw a line somewhere😅

Kawi x Pisaeng from Be my Favorite

Those two had me in a chokehold. Kawi's story of becoming the best version he could possible be was so good, emotional, inspiring and relatable. And Pisaeng's journey to love himself and be true to his feelings was so beautiful. I loved all of this show. And those two are just so CUTE!!!! I mean look at them:

Guess it is time for a rewatch...

Dongwook x Dohyun from A Breeze of Love

They have the cutes smiles and yes, the story might not be the most original, but it was one of my favorite shows from 2023. I loved their story and their love and just them. Dongwook was finally ready to be true to himself and his feelings for Dohyun and the latter understood what happend in the past, but that there was a chance for both of them in the present and future And they went for it and finally became happy together and them together is the cutes shit out there! And I loved giffing their moments. It felt like being a part of their journey, even though I made just a few gifs. They are in my heart forever!

Ai Di x Chen Yi from Kiseki

Those are the two biggest and deadliest puppies out there. The fact that they needed this fucking long to finally get together and as soon as they become a couple they are this whole cheesy lovebirds is just the ultimate cuteness. I mean Chen Yi allows Ai Di to die first and then won't be able to live without him for one teeny tiny second. And who wouldn't want to pinch Ai Di's cheeks?

Vice Versa

It is not so much the couple I loved to gif, but the show itself. I was totally amazed by the color concept for each episode and was obsessed with finding the perfect scenes. Talay and Puen were cute, but the show itself was kind of a mess and a little bit lost on its way to the final, and I love JimmySea way more in Last Twilight, but for the whole giffing part, this show was so much fun to work with.

Present (2024 and ongoing series)

I have to admit, I am in a little giffing-slumb for a few weeks now. Nothing serious, but I need to find my rhythm again after my long sickness and the overfilled fridays. On fridays I have a short work day and more time for my hobbies, but since today I am working part-time and hopefully I get more time for myself and my hobbies again. But I digress 😅

Starting this with the same pairing we left the past with:

JimmySea aka Mhok x Day from Last Twilight

I was so in love with this series and them until they fucked up the ending (imo). I am still not very fond of the ending. But I am still very fond of them until episode 9/10. I still love Mhok and think he is the biggest and cutest green flag out there. I loved to gif their journey of how they found each other. I cried with them and I laughed with them, and in the end I cried for them...

Myungha x Yeowoon from Love for Love's Sake

Just them! Them! Them! Them! Them! Them! Them! I love them. They were perfect. This show was perfect. And especially Yeowoon's facial expressions were pure perfection. It was a cuteness overload. Myungha still owns my whole heart and he was cute in his own way. This was, without a doubt, my favorite korean bl ever and one of my most beloved couples ever. My love for them is still as strong as it was when this series aired. I am still kind of obsessed.

I mean... look at them!

Qian x Yuan from Unknown

Okay, perhaps these aren't really cuties on the first look, but let's be honest: The first few episodes Yuan is such a cute puppy, orbiting around Qian. And Kurt is such a handsome young man. And don't get me started on Chris' smile - addicting. Yeah, I am kinda obsessed with them and their story. And this story is everything but cute right now, but for me these two are the cutest and I will gif the shit out of them! And I guess from epsiode 8 on, we will all lose our shit when their relationship change into something really... "cute".

Okay, these are a few of my beloved cuties I enjoyed giffing. There are way more and I could make this list go on forever, but I have to go to bed now 😅

This was such a fun ask! Thank you so very much! 🌹 And I hope you have a great day yourself! 🤍

[oldiesstationlover11607]

🎶Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gal🎶

Hey dude! It’s me. 💛. Your (self proclaimed) number one fan. So, I really loved the Spooky Jim story and its sequel. I can only imagine it was a hard character and stuff to write for because honestly we don’t know a whole lot about him (#justiceforJosh’slorecharacters), but you still managed to hit it out of the park, just like always.

So, I am actually going to shake it up…I will not be requesting TØP (*gasp*). Don’t get me wrong, I have ideas and I LOVE your work, but I know you’ve been writing them a lot. That, and I’ve been on a bit of a Danger Days kick recently.

So, my request. I was wondering if you could do a MCR Danger Days one shot for me. I was thinking that the reader could maybe be Dr. Death Defying’s daughter (adopted or biological) and they could possibly be in a semi-secret relationship with Party Poison. The other members of the Fab Four know about it, but Dr. D doesn’t. Anyways, maybe one night the reader sneaks out to meet up with Party (maybe to see a a Mad Gear and Missile Kid show. Maybe just because. Your choice!). Somehow or another Dr. D finds out about the relationship (my idea is that Dr. D figures out the reader snuck out and sent Show Pony after her and Show Pony finds out and tells him, but it can be anything), and we end up getting a protective dad speech of some sort.

Sorry if that is too specific. If it isn’t something you want to do, I completely understand. ☺️

Secrets in the Zones - Party Poison x DR D.'s daughter!Reader

Warnings: bit of angst lol

Word Count: 1337 - shorter sorry!

A/N: HEYY #1 FAN! I 100% agree, Josh's lore characters need more screen time and a larger voice! I want to hear Torchbearer talk - like PLEASE 🙏 I LOVE writing TØP but here's something different like you requested! I'd been super into TØP for the last year and I think the last time I was into the Danger Days lore was about a year ago so it was super fun to revisit this! I'm guilty of using chat GPT to help me with this as I was struggling a little bit hopefully it's okay. Enjoy! Can't wait for your next request! P.S. There's a Josh fic I just posted before this so definitely check that out bc I've treated you with two fics today :)

The desert was alive tonight. The cool air prickled against my skin, a sharp contrast to the day’s oppressive heat, but it was the sort of night I loved. It made sneaking out a little easier, less likely to draw the attention of anyone holed up in Dr D.’s bunker. My dad, Dr. Death Defying, was glued to his radio station, sending out messages and songs to the Zone each night, surrounded by his friend Show Pony. I stepped softly across the cracked, dust-covered floor of the bunker, slipping my boots on and making sure my jacket was secure. The neon patch on the back reflected my Killjoy name — Riot Rhythm — though my father preferred to call me by my real name, something that reminded me that no matter what, I’d always be his daughter and likely never a true Killjoy.

Tonight wasn’t just about escaping the bunker, though. It was about him.

Party Poison.

The leader of the Fab Four had stolen my heart without even trying. His fierce determination, his loyalty to his friends, the way he fought so hard against Better Living Industries… all of it had drawn me in. The others knew. Kobra Kid, Fun Ghoul, and Jet Star had all figured it out by now, throwing subtle winks and knowing nudges whenever they saw us together. The only person who didn’t seem to know was Dad, too focused on keeping everyone in the Zones safe. 

Slipping out the door, I made sure to avoid Show Pony’s makeshift patrol route. As Dr. D’s assistant and best friend, Show Pony had become something of a caretaker when my dad was too busy running the airwaves. The last thing I needed was for them to catch me sneaking off again. 

The roar of a motorcycle engine caught my ears in the distance. There, under the cover of night, I spotted him — Party Poison, waiting in the shadows. His red hair glowed like a fire under the moonlight, and when he saw me approach, he smiled. His smile was the equivalent of my dad’s transmissions–it brought hope. 

“You ready?” Party asked, voice low but playful.

I grinned, nodding. “You know it. Where are we headed this time?”

He leaned in close, his lips brushing against my ear. “Mad Gear and Missile Kid are playing at an old hideout past Zone 3. Figured we’d catch the show.”

My heart skipped a beat. I loved the wild, rebellious energy of the Mad Gear shows. It was dangerous and chaotic, everything that BL/ind stood against, which made it all the more thrilling. That and Party had introduced me to their music a few months ago, pirating me the cassette for my birthday.

“Let’s go, then,” I whispered, hopping onto the back of his motorcycle. As the engine roared to life beneath me, the wind whipped against my face, and for a moment, I felt completely free. With Party’s arms steady around me, I didn’t have to think about my dad or the constant threat of Dracs. It was just the two of us, racing through the desert, neon lights of the city in the distance fading into nothingness.

At the Mad Gear and Missile Kid show, the music was loud and wild. I stood close to Party, feeling the beat reverberate through my body. The chaos around us was exhilarating — masked fans dancing, shouting, living in the moment. Party pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around my waist protectively.

“Glad you came out tonight,” he said, his lips close to my ear so I could hear him over the music. 

I smiled up at him, my heart swelling with affection. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

For a moment, everything felt perfect. But just as quickly as the moment came, it shattered when I spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

Show Pony.

My heart sank. They weren't here for fun; they were here for me.

I nudged Party, nodding toward the entrance. “We’ve got trouble.”

Party’s eyes followed my gaze and landed on Show Pony, who was skating through the crowd, scanning for me. “Shit,” Party muttered under his breath. “Let’s get out of here.”

The two of us slipped through the crowd, trying to make our way to the exit before Show Pony spotted me. But luck wasn’t on my side. Show Pony’s eyes locked onto mine, and in an instant, they were skating after me with determined speed.

“Riot!” They shouted. “Stop!”

I broke into a run, Party keeping pace beside me. The two of us darted out the door, but Show Pony was right behind me, cutting me off before I could get to the motorcycle.

“I’m not letting you leave,” Show Pony said, crossing their arms. “Your dad sent me. He knows you’re out here.”

My heart pounded in my chest, guilt washing over me. I hadn’t meant to sneak out and cause this much trouble, but I also couldn’t stand the thought of Dad finding out about Party and I this way.

Party stepped forward, his expression serious. “Look, we didn’t mean to cause any problems. We just—”

“Save it,” Show Pony interrupted. “I’ve kept this secret for too long Y/N.” They used my birth name, indicating this was it–this was serious. 

I bit my lip, unable to meet their gaze. “It’s not what you think.”

Show Pony sighed, their gaze softening just a little. “I’m not here to judge, but you can’t keep this from him forever. You know that, right?”

I nodded. “I know.”

Show Pony glanced at Party, then back at me. “Come on. Let’s go back. You need to talk to Dr. D.”

Back at the bunker, my heart raced as I stood before my father. Dr. D leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“So,” he said, breaking the silence. “You’ve been sneaking out to see Party Poison.”

I winced at his bluntness, but there was no use denying it now. “Yeah.”

Dr. D sighed, rubbing his temples. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I glanced at Party, who stood beside me, his usual confidence replaced by a quiet tension. “I didn’t want you to worry. I didn’t want you to think it would distract me from… everything else.”

Dr. D’s gaze softened, but his voice remained firm. “You’re my daughter, Riot. It’s my job to worry about you. But this… I don’t want you sneaking around, putting yourself in danger. If something happens out there, I need to know where you are.”

Party spoke up then, stepping forward. “I care about her, Dr. D. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

Dr. D studied him for a long moment before nodding. “I know you wouldn’t. But this can’t be a secret anymore. If you’re going to be with my daughter, I need to know she’s safe — and that means no more sneaking around.”

I felt a weight lift off your shoulders, relief flooding through you. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”

Dr. D sighed, standing up from his chair and crossing the room to us. He pulled me into a tight hug, his voice soft in my ear. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. You’re all I’ve got left.”

Tears stung at the corners of my eyes as I hugged him back. “I promise.”

Party stepped forward, resting a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll be careful, Dr. D. I swear.”

Dr. D pulled back, giving Party a long, hard look before nodding. “Alright. But if anything happens to her, you’re gonna have to answer to me.”

Party grinned, saluting him. “Understood.”

As the tension in the room eased, I finally allowed myself to breathe. The secret was out, but instead of the chaos I’d feared, there was understanding — even acceptance. And for the first time, I felt like I didn’t have to hide anymore.

Out in the Zones, the world was full of danger and uncertainty, but here, surrounded by the people I loved, I knew I’d be okay.

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[monoclesnapple]

Happy Birthday, Zai!

Bungo Stray Dogs Female Osamu Dazai X Gender Neutral Reader Summary: Celebrating Fem!Dazai's birthday with your daughter Beginning Note: It's short, but also better than nothing. Whether the daughter is biological or adopted is up to you. Haha, low effort, but I'm busy with other shtick and I'm trying to write things. Word Count: 534 (Fluff/Suggestive)

You and Dazai have a young daughter and are happily married to each other.

Seeing as today is her birthday, you and (Daughter Name) wanted to celebrate it, so the you both went out to buy a cake of Dazai’s preferred flavor.

She wanted to draw her mother a picture, which consisted of the three of you all together drawn as stick figures. It’s the thought that counts. You had your own gift, but left it for when the child was deep asleep.

When Dazai came home to see her family waiting for her at the dinner table, her smile already plastered on her face grew.

“Happy birthday!” You and your daughter say in unison.

Dazai walked to the two of you, kissing the girl in front of you on the head and pecking your lips before she looked at the small cake. It wasn’t too much that it’ll last a few days, but it could be served to all three of you evenly. “Well, well, doesn’t this look tasty,” she commented.

“I picked it out! And I drew you a picture, ma!” The little girl held out a piece of paper with a wide grin adorning her features. After Dazai took the paper and observed the contents, (Daughter Name) hugged her and waited for a response. “It’s lovely, I’ll keep it in my wallet.”

Dazai folded the drawing, pocketing it. You nudged the plate holding the cake closer to her, the pastry holding a single, lit candle. “You should probably blow this out before the wax gets on the frosting,” you suggested.

She nodded, placing a hand on (Daughter Name)’s head and leaning down to blow out the candle after making a small wish. Dazai cut three slices and you three started eating. She moved closer to your ear and whispered, “I look forward to what you have in store for me. Just know that I expect you to do whatever I say, you can take care of me another time.” She smirked as she straightened up and continued eating while you paused before lightly shaking your head.

After everyone finished, you all spent the evening together until it was your daughter’s bedtime.

You and Dazai tucked her in, taking turns in kissing her head before exiting to your shared bedroom.

There, you waited for a bit to ensure (Daughter Name) was fully asleep. At least she was a heavy sleeper, so you were able to have some nights to yourselves.

You’re always prepared, though, to get everything decent and cleaned should she ever awaken in the middle of the night. 

For now, you’ll give her the gift you had planned.

Initially, Dazai’s birthdays before she met you were always lonely and pointless, just another reminder that she’s closer to an older age and on the planet for another year.

Once you came along and celebrated them with her, she felt as though these days were actually nice and something to note as one more year with you. And hopefully more.

Finally, your daughter joined you both, and Dazai now looks forward to every birthday, always wanting to see her young girl’s adorable smile and your beautiful features. Wishing her a happy birthday.

[devox2564]

In Your Heart

Chapter 12

AN: It’s been too long away from Y/N and Jakey :) the past few months have been a bitch and I miss the little writing I had time for. Here’s a little fluffy chapter, and hopefully I’ll be more consistent. Maybe we’ll just take it month to month. Thanks for being patient with me <3 - E (this has had little to no editing)

The morning sun shines in a sliver between the curtains, casting a sharp light onto the bed. The dark sheets and downy comforter of Jake’s bed are warm with body heat. You feel him shift next to you and warm hands snake their way around your bare waist.

You yawn a “good morning” to him over your shoulder and he nuzzles his face into the curve of your neck, his lips trailing softly over your skin. It’s the last day he’ll be in town before the European leg of the tour. The two of you have spent the past three mostly confined in this very bedroom.

“You really expect me to survive the next three months without you?” you groan.

“You’ll just have to find another incredibly talented musician to warm your bed while I’m gone.” His low laugh rings out in the stillness.

Your silence is enough to let him know that the question was serious. He pecks his lips up up up to the curve of your jaw and he leans over to look at your face in the sunlight. Jake’s heavy lidded eyes study you for a moment.

“I’ll miss you very much.” He says finally.

“That’s not an answer to my question.” You reply with a placid smile.

“You’ll be working, hopefully finishing up the EP. I’ll be back before you know it. And you can come visit. Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, London, wherever you want to go.” his logic was infuriating.

You huff in response, though he knows you aren’t actually angry with him. You know how this works, and you were expecting it, but that doesn’t make it any easier. He lays back and draws his fingers lazily up and down your arm.

“What are we doing today?” You ask him.

“Exactly this.” He replies, “maybe sex, maybe food, we’ll see where the day takes us.”

“I couldn’t have planned it better myself.” You snuggle further towards him, intending to close your eyes again.

His hands move languidly across your arms, off your fingertips and down the soft curve of your upper thigh.

“More sleep Jake.” You mumble, your words muffled by your pillow.

“You’re sleeping the day away baby.” He croons as his fingertips move back up your body, barely brushing the underside of your breast.

Your skin prickles and your nipples harden at his touch, sore from the activities of the night before. He pulls you closer, pressing you into him. You feel him against you, against the small of your back. His lips and teeth really begin their work now, nipping and kissing at the delicate skin of your neck. All that you can muster is a low “mmmmm”, and he doesn’t need much encouragement to continue.

Taking your breast in his calloused hand, he plucks your nipple gently. Once, twice, three times before pinching harder, almost painfully so. But the bit of pain radiates through your body, drawing your wetness out from beneath the layer of sleep that kept it at bay.

“Hmm does she like that?” Jake purrs into your ear.

His fingertips close again around you, and pinch. Hard. A groan escapes your lips and your back arches into him further. You feel him pulse against you. This is just as much torture for him as it is for you, and that’s the way you prefer it.

Slipping his hand down, he caresses your leg and moves you, hooking it around and over his hip. Jake takes his time, running that torturous hand along the inner part of your thigh. Always close, but never close enough to touch you where you really need. Your hips buck involuntarily, silently asking him to touch you.

After what seems like an eternity, he finally obliges you. His fingers easily find your swollen clit, and swirl slow long circles around it. You moan, the morning summer sun now warming your skin. He dips into you just barely and then retreats, using your wetness to slick his fingertips. Tingling warmth radiates through you as he pleasures you slowly, as if he has all the time in the world.

…

The two of you are walking hand in hand along the sidewalk. Your stomach is almost painfully full after lunch and the early summer sun is almost hot enough for you to be worried about your exposed shoulders. Sweat beads on Jake’s brow, and the slight breeze has plastered a few strands of hair to his forehead. You free your hand to tuck the loose strands behind his ear.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.” Jake says, breaking the comfortable silence.

You look at him with a raised brow, encouraging him to go on.

“You know,” he begins mischievously “I feel positively terrible that you’re paying rent on an apartment downtown when you spend every night at my house.”

“To be fair, I stay there sometimes.” Your response is laced with the beginnings of a laugh.

“We stay there sometimes, and only when we’re too drunk to order a car back to my place.”

Your brow furrows, failing to find a good reason to argue with him. The past few weeks, you’ve grown more and more uncomfortable in the apartment. You’ve lived there for years, and only in the past six months has it felt less like home. Unease permeates the space. The hairs on the back of the neck standing on end for no apparent reason. The urge to check the front lock again and again. It makes no sense in your mind, and you usually just chalk it up to the fact that you’ve been on tour for months. Hoping that the homey feeling would return. But it hasn’t.

“What exactly is your point?” You finally fire back.

“I want you to move in-” He starts, and cuts you off as you try to interrupt him. “only after I get back from Europe. Unless you’d rather settle in while I’m gone.”

You settle back into your stumped silence. Your attachment to the apartment (despite not really wanting to be there) is associated in your mind with your mom, and the life you were forced to live without her. You have no real qualms with moving into Jake’s house, just that you aren’t sure you’re ready to let go of the place you’ve been healing in.

“Can I think about it?” You pause, the two of you reaching the steps of the porch. His brown eyes are twinkling with amusement as he watches you wrestle with his request.

“I assumed that you’d want to. When you decide, just let me know. I can have a moving truck at your house as soon as you say yes.” His grin sneaks into his face.

He knows you’ll say yes, you know you’ll say yes. He is so irritating. You roll your eyes. “You’re assuming I’ll say yes Jake.”

Jake pecks your lips and says “Because I know you, and I know you can’t resist me.”

You huff a little, crossing your arms across your chest in mock outrage. Laughing, he pulls you against him and kisses you slow. Despite your need to be difficult, you melt into him and return the kiss. All day, each kiss has been an opportunity to memorize the feel of him and store it away for later; the months that he will be gone.

Pulling away, you look into his eyes. “If I do say yes…” you pause for effect “can we get a cat?”

It’s his turn to roll his eyes, but when they return to yours and his mouth opens, he takes you by surprise. “I love you.”

His revelation takes you by surprise, but you laugh “I love you too Jake.”

…

The first two weeks with Jake gone are fairly normal. He was right of course. The four of you have been recording in the studio nearly every day from early in the morning till long after the sun goes down. It’s been hard to miss him because you’ve barely had time to eat or sleep. But you have been considering his offer. You’ve even boxed up some of your books and clothes in preparation for his return.

Tonight, you’ve returned to your apartment with takeout. Tabitha deigned to let the four of you off early tonight, citing the fact that she had a “hookup to catch”. Whatever the reason, you’re grateful for the free time. You consider calling Jake, but it’s just past 2 AM in London, and he’s either asleep (unlikely) or out with the guys (more likely) and you don’t want to bother him. You settle into your couch and click on the tv. Before you can dig into your food, your phone begins to buzz on the kitchen counter.

“Ughhh..” you groan and rise from the couch.

You cross the room, the tiles cold beneath your bare feet. Your annoyance gives way to confusion as you see a familiar name lit up across the screen. “Marianne is calling” the screen reads.

Your mom? No obviously not. It’s got to be a glitch or something. You swipe to answer and raise the phone to your ear. A shaky “Hello?” escapes your lips.

You listen, waiting for.. something, anything really. What do you hear? Nothing but the low hiss of breath on the other end of the call. You hang up, slamming your phone down on the counter and dashing into your room. A tinge of fear now crept up the back of your throat. When you reach the bedside table where your mother’s phone should be stored safely, your shaking hands pull it out and dump it unceremoniously onto the floor. You rifle through the drawer’s contents on the dense carpet. Tears begin to travel down your cheeks.

The phone isn’t there. There’s no one that could have it. You haven’t gotten it out in months, and Jake wouldn’t be able to make the call from overseas.

The hairs on the back of your neck are on end again. The feeling that you are being watched is back, and more sinister than ever.

THANK YOU FOR READING <3 You guys are the best.

Taglist: @freyjalw @edgingthedarkness @gvfmarge @sinarainbows