#tonight i was actually in an ok mood like it’s early i was gonna go to bed early and just relax

[apathyfairy]

i’m not even kidding everytime i experience any sort of joy whatsoever something bad happens it’s like in friends when phoebe was killing people everytime she went to the dentist but for real

[l223m0nade]

Bees (a stucky au snzfic)

ok

ok ok

so I saw this random thing on a tumblr post:

and it got its Stucky-idea hooks so deep in my brain. It just did. And the thing is my deepest inspo is honestly in the land of snz. (This fic kind of ends abruptly sorry but i want to do more and it'll probably end up on Ao3 w like a M or E rating 😳🫣 when and if that happens i'll link to it)

Stucky au, no powers, age gap, what I'm picturing in my head goes less with the words "silver fox Steve" and more with the words "dorky Dilf Steve" like 2012 Cap fashion with current Chris Evans face? in..a good way? and longhair early-20s burnout Bucky. I have some backstory headcanons that are just hinted at here, hopefully it's tantalizing rather than confusing.

anyway have 11.5k words of this and encourage me to write more bc i have fallen in love with these particular boyz. Some light existential angst but mainly idiots pining aka the sweetest sauce

~Fic~

Sam isn’t sure how much longer he can allow this to go on. His barback and the new semi-regular square dude are once again being all awkwardly flirty while pretending they’re not, like two sad lonely white...ducks, who never learned a mating dance and have zero game.

At least Square Dude has an excuse: he’s the most obvious newly-divorced newly-out family-type guy Sam’s ever seen. He’s clean-cut, with a ridiculously handsome square jaw, wearing well-made but unstylish button-down shirts and pants that make him look like he belongs in a Norman Rockwell painting. He started coming in about two months ago, quiet, friendly when ordering his one or two beers of the evening, and firmly shy when it comes to the inevitable overtures sent his way. It doesn’t take a genius to see that this is him dipping a first toe into the pool: coming to a relatively quiet gay bar, just to sit and watch men talk to each other and let the whole notion sink in.

By now most guys would’ve found someone to spread their wings with or gone elsewhere to find em, but Square Dude, whose name is Steve, seems content to talk to the guy who pours his beer about whatever DIY project Bucky is pulling questions out of his ass about.

The crush is painfully obvious, and suburban closeted Steve can’t be blamed for having no deal-sealing abilities, but Bucky has no such excuse. Sam has watched him pull stiff-backed business bros in five minutes flat when the mood struck him, with his big blue puppy eyes and his dark wicked smirk and long lean slouch. But with Steve all he appears capable of doing is asking him questions about crown molding as though those words mean anything to him while gazing at him like he’s beaming the words You could fix me directly into Steve’s skull. Steve, for his part, just doesn’t seem to be able to look anywhere other than Bucky.

As usual, anyone that tries to strike anything beyond a friendly conversation is kindly but firmly rebuffed. “He’s not ready for that yet,” Bucky had insisted with unnecessary defensiveness when Sam implied it was time for the new guy to move from spectating to participating in the relatively mellow flirting and hookup scene the bar played host to most evenings. “People go at their own pace.”

“The only pace he’s going at is towards you,” Sam smirked. Bucky glowered at his implication. “You gotta make it weird. He comes here to, like, practice. I’m part of that, in a chill, friendly way.” He shrugged and looked at the glass he was drying. “When he is ready, it’s not gonna be for me, it’s gonna be for someone actually in his league, like a...hot college professor, or something.” Sam had rolled his eyes and resolved to stop trying to help Bucky Barnes flail around in his mess of a love life anymore, for the hundredth or so time.

Tonight is busy enough that Sam can mostly be distracted from this bad sitcom, and not so busy that he has to yell at Barnes for being distracted. Still, there are a couple empties on tables in the Steve-less side of the bar, and after finishing the drinks for the people in front of him he turns, catching Bucky’s voice, in a tone of delight he uses when speaking with only one person, saying “Wait. Seriously? Bees?”

“Yeah!” Steve responds, equally puppyish. He’s tall and broad, sandy hair and beard just beginning to show a hint of salt-and-pepper. He looks like anyone’s fantasy fireman or lumberjack, at least in the context of a place like this. He also exudes genuine sweetness and vulnerability despite his intimidating muscled height.

Bucky Barnes, Sam’s barback and old friend, leans against the bar doing the helpless-goober-with-a-crush stare, a look on his face like Steve just announced he was a Nobel Prize winner. “No way. How do you keep bees? Just as, what, a casual hobby? That’s, like, a whole thing, you can’t be an expert in so many things!”

Bucky is all shaggy longish dark hair and stupid cheap graphic t-shirts, with a striking, animated face that is used mainly for sarcasm. He and Sam had been at the same high school a few blocks away, though Sam is older, and in the funny way of life they’ve wound up good friends. He’s working at Sam’s place because, in his words, he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing with his life. Bucky’s going through his own version of one of those fairly bleak lost periods of 20-something misery, but he’s smart and not a drunk and decent at what he does for Sam, and if he bangs a third of the customers he does it discreetly enough. Sam never knew dark-blond, broad-shouldered, bass-voice sad-eyed dudes pushing 40 were the kryptonite that made him unable to do anything including flirt, until Steve came in one day and Bucky sprayed himself with the keg he was tapping.

Steve chuckles— is this man blushing? “Oh no, I’m nowhere near an expert. But it’s pretty easy once they get established. Don’t need much from you. I’m not, uh, living at the place with the backyard where the hives are, right now….so….but they’ll be fine without me.”

Steve gets a little quiet and Bucky’s fangirl expression dims with distressed sympathy. It gets sad like this sometimes when talking to Steve. Recently divorced guys had this problem, where everything came back to the one topic. Steve’s not doing it pathologically, didn’t seem like, just genuinely realizing another change. Bucky looks stricken. He doesn’t always seem young, at newly 24, but sometimes it still shows.

Sam finally manages to catch his eye away from gazing at Steve to convey a quick head jerk of get-the-hell-over-there-and-do-the-job-I-pay-you-for, and Bucky peels himself away with an apologetic smile at Steve. Sam picks up the conversation with Steve as Bucky clears tables at top speed, hearing how he’s renting a place month-to-month not far away, not able to plan something more permanent just yet. He doesn’t say anything revealing, but it’s still easy to paint a picture of a small, empty apartment. Bucky’s not the only one with a soft spot for this guy, and Sam is warmed by the thought that his little bar offers him respite.

………………..

“That’s so sad,” moans Bucky a few days later. It’s just after opening on a weekday afternoon, and Bucky seemed quieter than usual so Sam is tantalizing him with what he learned talking to Steve the other day. “Did he say—you know he has kids?”

“Yeah, I know,” Sam answers. He’d been as offhand as a person could be about that sort of thing, but it wasn’t hard to see how he really felt. He was standing in the rubble of a sincere loving marriage to a woman with whom he had two 11-year old twins. Helped explain his rectitude when it came from moving from his spot at the bar, meeting someone other than the staff. Bucky’s eyes are pools of sympathetic anguish and Sam feels the need to say, “This kinda stuff happens to people, Buck,” earning an eye-roll for his patronizing efforts. “It’s good he’s coming here, learning about himself. I think you help a lot, for the record.”

Bucky starts and gives him a bewildered look. “What?”

This is aging him. Sam sighs, “He’s lonely. Maybe feels kinda lost right now.”

Bucky’s mouth gets a pained downward slant to it.

“He. Likes. You.”

At that, of course, Bucky gets uncomfortable, blushing and moving off to wipe tables somewhere away from Sam, rubbing his nose and clearing his throat like he’s been doing since he got there. He brightens when Steve comes in an hour later, and Sam rolls his eyes and leaves them to their game of mouse-and-mouse.

Steve is telling Bucky... how window insulation works. He thinks he asked, he hopes to god he did, at least. He’s been embarrassing himself for weeks, coming to this place almost every day. He’s kept it pretty well under wraps that although he liked the neighborhood simplicity, and talking to Sam, and got comfortable after the first few visits, the real reason he’s there more evenings than not is to see Bucky. With his bright grey-blue eyes and dark hair hanging past his chin, swinging against his cheekbones, with his smile and wicked sense of humor and his confounding ease in himself, the ease that gives Steve despair and hope for himself. With that mouth and that divot in his chin, and those last two thoughts are not allowed, because the need to put his thumb into that dot in his sculpted chin and kiss those ridiculously pink lips is urgent and unthinkable.

He doesn’t do that, he just sits and pines and chats awkwardly with him, and gets to know a few other regular guys and talks sports with Sam. He just likes talking to Bucky, it’s easy, easy like nothing has been in a long time, and he’s a creep, he’s a pathetic older guy using his experience to take advantage of a younger guy—

Only, he’s not actually experienced here, at all. And Bucky is so smart, he’s self-deprecating about it but it’s not like he and Steve aren’t generally on the same level beyond his inner glossary of home improvement terminology. He downplays the fact that he knows cars like an expert, insists the stuff Steve learned from keeping up an old house and the hobbies he picked up to stay sane is somehow far more impressive— Steve’s pretty sure he’s doing it on purpose, to make him feel less adrift and clueless. He has that way about him, of someone who looks after other people without realizing it.

Things were all dark there for a while, with the end of his marriage to Peggy. But he’s pretty sure he and Bucky are friends, and he feels bright when he sees him.

Tonight, though, Bucky seems just a little worn down. He’s wearing a waffle-knit shirt under his incomprehensible-thorny-calligraphy-t-shirt, as though he’s cold, and his eyes are tired. Steve waits for a reply to the last thing he said and looks to see Bucky with a dazed, spaced-out expression, before he shakes his head and rubs his nose, saying “Sorry, I thought I was gonna sneeze, what’d you say?”

Talking about the goddamn weather and window insulation was segueing into a real conversation, to Steve’s delight: “How my mom moved us out to Jersey so we could live somewhere better and I never forgave her.” Bucky gives a wide-eyed grimace of agreement and he can’t help the bright laugh that bursts out of him. “How about you, you grow up in the city?” He’d inadvertently spilled his guts about the divorce on like his third time in the bar, something that humiliated him to think of but Sam had simply said with an understanding face wasn’t too unusual, so Bucky knew the basics about Peggy and the twins, but Steve had felt clumsy asking Bucky about himself.

He rolled his eyes with his problematically attractive crooked grin and answered, “Aw man, I grew up practically around the block from this place. Went to high school at the big catholic cinderblock in the neighborhood. I was at school on the west coast for a couple years, but…” His eyes cast downward. “now I’m back.”

Steve remembers how bad it felt at that age, to not have accomplished enough fast enough. Saying that will make him sound like an old grey dad and even if that’s what he is he can still hold out a little hope of being something different here, so he just says, “Brooklyn’s a good hometown to come back to.”

That makes Bucky smile at him and look him in the eye, like he liked what Steve said, even like it made him feel better. Steve tamps his answering grin down to reasonable levels.

Bucky’s also been rubbing at his nose on and off this whole time, and he can see it give a little twitch right before he breathes out a “scuse-me” through hitching breaths, his eyes flickering closed. He pushes his nose firmly into his long-sleeved elbow. “hhh-hh-tdschuh!” He sneezes quietly and muffled. “Oh, snf, sorry,” he says, blinking and emerging from his elbow but not lowering it, the hazy ticklish look still on his face, breaths hitching. “Another—hhh—‘nother one?” He freezes, looking up at the overhead lights, nostrils flared, but after a second he deflates with a sigh. “Nope, nevermind. Snff.” Steve’s guts swoop. This crush is so unsustainable. He’s gonna fail to be cool and friendly and he’ll have to watch Bucky go all uncomfortable and pitying as he explains to Steve that he has six hot boyfriends who are not almost-forty almost-virgin losers who only know how to take up his time when he’s trying to work. According to his therapist these “harangues of negativity” are “unhelpful.” But Bucky looks tired and a little pale and like his nose is going to start turning pink and Steve is just trying to survive.

“Bless you,” Steve says softly in his gentle voice that’s so deep it takes Bucky by surprise and makes his stomach flutter every time he talks to him. He feels like he might be blushing.

“Thanks,” it comes out husky and he clears his throat hard, moving to the little sink to wash his hands.

“Allergies, or…?” Steve ventures, a little divot between his eyebrows of concern-more-like-pity.

“I dunno, something’s bothering my nose today,” he says lightly with a shrug. In truth Bucky has a good idea what’s making him sneeze. The fucking radiator that was supposed to heat his cheap shitty basement apartment had stopped working in the middle of the night, so he’d spent six hours until dawn shivering, and an itchy tickly feeling had been growing in the back of his nose and throat since around noon. It’s starting to evolve into a runny nose and an ever-present but elusive feeling of being about to sneeze, and he knows that means he’s coming down with a cold.

He sees some convenient glasses to clear and excuses himself with a smile so he can sniffle out of Steve’s earshot; he’s enough of a mess compared to Steve on his best day, he doesn’t need to show off his scraggly urchin runny nose aesthetic of tonight any more than he has to.

For the next hour, these light, tickly sneezes either sneak up on him or abandon him at the last minute, leaving his nose feeling like it’s going to start getting stuffy.

Steve watches Bucky do his job, sniffling, rubbing his nose, and sneezing furtively into his sleeve or collar; tucking the strands of hair that have come loose from his short ponytail behind his ears, and feels so helplessly tender for him that it can’t be normal or healthy even by desperate crush standards.

Bucky’s coming down with a cold. He seems to want to brush it off, but Steve can hear a slight change in the resonance of his voice that gives it away even if the tired pink starting to border his eyes and nostrils doesn’t. The place is getting crowded and he’s busy; Steve feels for him, as well as pathetically jealous of his attention as he banters with him in passing once in a while.

He glances up as Bucky heads in his direction with a short stack of empty glasses and sees his steps slow; he pauses, blinks up at the overhead light, eyes hazy, and then, wavering, starts to turn his face into his shoulder, before pausing again and then sighing and sniffing as the sneeze evaporates. He looks up and sees Steve watching him like a creep and laughs, “Damn, lost her,” and then as he continues behind the bar, “You havin’ fun watching me look stupid?”

“It’s agony actually,” he responds, gets a laugh, and feels the now-somewhat-familiar internal squeal of this is flirting! I’m flirting with a guy and I think he can tell! It’s painfully pathetic, but he can’t help but track the fact that Bucky knows plenty of the folks that come to Sam’s, that he’ll give anyone his attention if they ask for it, smiling and joking, but the only person he really goes out of his way to talk to, initiates teasing with, is him, Steve. It’s still nothing more than polite obligatory chatting, he’s sure— when you work at a bar this kinda thing is natural. Bucky is young and charismatic and gorgeous. His love life would probably give Steve enough combined envy and jealousy to cause heart failure, which would be perfectly appropriate because he is an old square divorcee. It makes him warm and bubbly enough that he seems to be Bucky’s favorite customer to pass the time with.

A guy down the bar gets his beer from Sam and sidles closer. “This seat taken?” he asks with a good-humored cocked eyebrow. This is why Steve actually started coming to this place: to meet people, to meet guys, in a way that, well, went somewhere. To call his own decades-old bluff. Not to moon over staff half his age who woulda been out of his league even if he was still in his twenties. He turns to the guy—his age or a few years older, attractively lithe with muscle, a hard but handsome face, and smiles.

Bucky gets busy for a stretch— Sam’s place is actually full tonight thanks to the playoff game. He enjoys the feeling of being a genuinely necessary part of the bar’s operation, when some nights it’s hard to believe he’s more than Sam’s charity case. Nights like this remind him that he has a real job, he’s decent at it even with a bum left arm; whether he’s living out his dreams or not he’s an adult with a job, a place to live, and people he cares about. Plus it distracts him from feeling sorry for himself for coming down sick.

His satisfied feelings fade when he looks over to the Steve end of the bar and sees Brock Rumlow talking to him. He scowls. Fucking Rumlow. He only ever comes on nights with games these days, but Bucky would be perfectly happy if he never came in at all.

It’s fine. Steve’s fine. He is a grown-up, significantly more of one than Bucky. Of all the people who have no need of his misplaced ineffectual chivalry, Steve has got to be last in line.

Maybe he finds more stuff to do in the general area of that end of the bar, and maybe he’s listening for Rumlow to say something dickish, or maybe he’s just a masochist and he wants to know firsthand if they hit it off. Sam is trying to point his “Don’t-be-Stupid” face at him like a flashlight beam but he resolutely ignores it while he replaces a couple bottles that legitimately needed it, ok, just because they’re in a convenient place doesn’t make that untrue.

“Yeah, I’m glad I found this place,” he catches Steve’s cheerful voice. A wave of bar noise obscures their next words, and then he makes out Rumlow,

“—actual sports on the TV. ‘Course,” the smile is audible in his voice, “the clubby places are good for at least one reason, y’know?” He quiets down to say it but not enough. Steve wouldn’t particularly like that, Bucky guesses, and then grinds his teeth as his brain helpfully supplies him with the memories of how easily Brock had charmed him, months ago. It wasn’t any kind of nightmare, but it was still probably his least favorite hookup to date: he’d been so happily focused on Bucky at first, then rough and selfish in bed, capped off by an unnecessarily clear implication that he wouldn’t be calling. Bucky knew the score with casual sex, but it had still given him enough whiplash to sting; it crossed his mind a few days later that it had been like Rumlow wanted him to feel like a dumb kid.

Steve has sputtered something about “not sure he’s looking for anything like that” while Bucky fumed about the past. He has to grab beers for a couple guys, and bending to get in the lowboy fridge makes his nose run suddenly, and flush with an insistent tickle. He manages, just barely, to squash the sneeze completely into a silent mmp! into his shoulder, andmakes a getaway to the bathroom. He blows his nose, but it won’t stop tickling, so then he stands there like an idiot, holding paper towels like they’re a book he’s reading, staring up into the lights and waiting to coax the sneeze out.

He can feel it coming but it still takes forever. At least the bathroom is empty. He wrinkles his nose exaggeratedly and sniffs and his breath finally starts to catch.

“hehh...heh...heh—heh-Uhh....huhh. Fuck.” There’s no way it’s not happening though, his goddamn nose tickles so bad— “hhHAh—EHSsschhooo!” It’s a ridiculous cartoony sneeze but at least it’s satisfying. He blows his nose again, then sighs. He’s definitely sick. Gonna be great sleeping in a freezing apartment. Turning into kind of a shitty night, he thinks with sarcastic pep.

When he leaves the restroom he can’t help glancing over to where Steve sits, and sees he’s now frowning at whatever Rumlow’s saying, looking politely uncomfortable on the way to annoyed. As he drifts back into earshot he hears, “….fun, but, if you’re looking for more than, um, casual, I dunno, kind of a dead end.” Then his pulse jumps as Rumlow looks right at him and finishes, “not dating material, trust me. Either way,” he leans in, “I think you can do better.”

Bucky closes the distance but puts himself behind the bar so he doesn’t immediately clock the asshole. His fists are clenched. Can he throw him out? If he doesn’t get away from Steve and shut up Bucky’s gonna end up fired and charged with assault, probably, but he doesn’t know if he can throw someone out on the grounds of being a jerk that he hates. Thank God, Sam’s caught on that something is up.

Rumlow doesn’t seem to have won Steve over, in any case. He’s turned cold and hard in a way that makes him look unfamiliar, and he says quietly but very clearly, “I think you’ve got the wrong idea.” He sounds like a straight Army Captain contemptuously shattering an underling’s heart immediately post-office-suckjob or something; in the morass of anger and panic it still registers with Bucky’s dick to his utter bewilderment. It definitely triggers some core memory for Rumlow, who turns the color of old milk before flushing and standing. He takes in the sight of Bucky glowering behind Steve and barks an ugly laugh. “It’s like that, huh?” he asks, shaking his head in mock pity. “Good luck with that rescue mission.”

Bucky feels like he did when Hank Ackerman pantsed him in 8th grade. Everything’s too bright and clear. He wants to cover his face and run into the back, but he’s rooted to the spot by the thought that that’s just what the dumb baby slut Rumlow’s been making him out to be would do.

“That’s it man,” Sam comes up beside him, smile on his face as though he’s just casually joining their conversation. “You’re done. Get outta here.”

Rumlow scoffs, takes a step towards the door, then turns with the beginning of a macho intimidation-lean in Sam’s direction. He’s hammered, Bucky hadn’t realized, and he can usually tell with people. He’s...kind of fucking scary. Had he gotten rougher around the edges, or had he been like this when Bucky went home with him? Jesus Christ.

Sam just returns his stare, all semblance of friendliness gone from his face. “Get out.”

Rumlow glares another second, but then he goes. There’s a reason Sam’s successful running a bar in the middle of the still-managing-to-be-seedy part of Brooklyn, as well as his finely tuned sensibilities to the unmet needs of Brooklyn’s grownup queer folks. He has the air, recognizable to serious troublemakers, of someone who will absolutely meet and raise any escalation. There were, in fact, a taser and a gun behind the bar, but Sam had never had to use them.

Steve stands up sharply, like he’s—what, gonna follow? Bucky opens his mouth to protest, but then—“Steve.” Sam’s got the side bar entry folded up and he’s intercepting his angry stride. “Please don’t.” He goes on, too quiet for Bucky to make out. Steve deflates and sits back down, taking a long drink of beer and then frowning at his knees.

Bucky consciously lets go of his tension as he sees Rumlow’s silhouette, walking outside, disappear from the last window on the right. He feels shaky, the way any kind of confrontation leaves him, and embarrassed as hell. He avoids Steve’s eyes for all he’s worth, scrubbing a hand under his nose and sniffing sharply.

Steve was just a customer. Bucky was just one of many people that Steve made polite conversation with in the course of a day. Feeling like this was just a consequence of getting that confused. Because he’s an idiot. He has to sniffle again. He also feels about ten times sicker than he did a few minutes ago, and successfully blinking away the brief prickle in his eyes just turns it into the need to sneeze.

Steve tries to breathe smoothly and calm down. This frat-boy rage is ridiculous, he still wants to go punch the hell out of that fucking creep. He must be drunker than he realizes, although deep down he knows it has more to do with the inarticulate surge of protectiveness he’d felt for Bucky since the guy had gestured to him with a jerk of his head as he crossed the room.

He hears a shuddering gasp and sees Bucky duck down to crouch behind the bar. His concern flares way up, but then he hears the three muffled sneezes, all in a rush, “hhhMPtchsh—hmptsschoo—hptsshhuh,”. He straightens back up, sniffing hard, more wetly than he sounded earlier. He’s rubbing his nose and glaring at the door, not looking at Steve.

“Bucky,” he says, frowning, determined to get this across, “what that asshole said about you—”

“Steve, snff, it’s fine, just drop it, okay, I’m asking you,” he meets Steve’s eyes with a downcast expression, before it flickers as his breath catches, and he sneezes again, half-pinched down into the collar of his shirt, “ihh-dtsschuh!”

His nostrils keep quivering and he lets out a shaky sigh of frustration before ducking around the corner out of sight with his hands tented over his nose and sneezing, “hiih-hih-HIDtschoo!...hih-HIH-TISchoo! ..heehh...heh—HEH—” the last one deserts him and leaves him sniffling. They’re still pretty quiet, but a lot heavier and spraying than the first sneezes Steve heard earlier. Bucky blows his nose and washes his hands thoroughly, and when he’s back behind the bar his nose is decidedly pink.

“Buck,” Steve says, and Bucky’s lips thin in exasperation— it’s not like him, compared to the guy Steve’s talked to the last few weeks. Whatever, he can’t help but say, “you do sound like you’re coming down with something, you should—”

“Steve, I’m fine,” says Bucky, in a soft tone that brooks no argument. Still tense, he turns to Steve with a crooked smile and says, “Really,” and it’s warm, if strained, between them again, and it seems like that’ll just have to satisfy Steve, and he says as much to Bucky who blushes and bites his lip for some reason.

Sam rescues Bucky by asking him to do inventory in back, letting him be sneeze and be dramatically in his feels without anyone around, especially Steve. The bar is slow enough now that he just shamelessly hides for the rest of the night. He’s constantly sniffling and sneezing and needing to blow his nose with the roll of rough brown paper towels back there, and even without that he’s too keyed up and pissed and miserable for human company, so it’s for the best.

He casts furtive recon glances to the bar where Steve sits, first craning his neck trying to spy Bucky, then brooding into his beer glass which makes Bucky feel like an asshole, then perking up at least a little shooting the shit with Sam, hopefully talking shit about Brock Dickface Rumlow. Then the misery wells up enough to get him to actually focus on work to avoid feeling it, and then it’s a few hours later and they’re closing up and he goes home to his little icebox and tires not to think about anything.

The next day, Sam chooses evil.

Steve and JB Barnes are both at least somewhat complex men, and it is always a bad idea to meddle in the affairs of others. But screw it, he’s had Bucky moaning in his ear for months now, and he was gonna have to recheck all his angry counting from last night, and these guys really seemed dumb enough to let the tension of mutual attraction strain between them until it just broke, some misunderstanding threw them both on the defensive or whatever, and they missed the chance at any of the fun part of connecting with each other.

So.

It isn’t a big surprise when Bucky calls him around 2, apologizing and pausing to make some gross “ihHgjshuhh!” noise, saying he was probably too sick with this cold to come in. What is a surprise, for poor Bucky, is Sam’s implacable response: “Duuude, I’m so sorry, but there’s some kinda convention in town and the place is packed, I need you here so bad, no matter what. You can take the next two days off, I’ll pay you.” He hears Bucky swallow back the what the hell and resignedly say ok. He feels diabolical. But hopefully it will be worth it. Steve usually comes in early on Thursdays, and he’d looked all hangdog-worried about Bucky the night before.

He’s been there twenty minutes already, chatting distractedly with Sam and staring at the TV screens but really looking all over the room like Bucky might be hiding somewhere. Bucky slouches in, ten minutes late, takes in the mostly empty room and gives Sam a betrayed glare.

“You really ndeeded mbe, huh,” he mutters as he puts his backpack away.

“You don’t even sound that bad,” Sam rejoins cheerfully, and Bucky’s mouth drops open with incredulity.

He moves some boxes around in back without issue. Then he tries to start prep by the bar. In a fifteen-minute period he has two sneezing fits that require him retreating to the bathroom to blow his nose endlessly and wash his hands. Sam decides that’s plenty sufficient. He and his customers are gonna pay a price in germ exposure for this stupid ass cupid skit he’s putting on.

“Steve, you believe this guy?” Bucky’s been avoiding Steve’s concerned hopeful looks since he got here. “He insisted on coming to work.” Bucky chokes in outrage, then coughs for real, while Steve moves a few seats closer. Sam turns; Bucky couldn’t look more betrayed if there was a knife with Sam’s name on it in his guts. Lord deliver him from dramatic white boys. “Did you take the bus here, Buck?” There was no other way for the guy to get to work, but he just replies flatly,

“Yeah.”

“You oughtta go home and rest.”

“Le me give you a ride, Buck,” Steve jumps in with the Air-Bud eagerness Sam had expected. They confirm it and bustle Barnes into a Civic while he’s sneezing too much to protest. Sam washes his hands metaphorically of the situation, and also very literally and thoroughly.

Steve’s car is a little old, and cold, and dusty. Bucky shivers as he buckles his seatbelt. He feels silently nervous and thrilled to be in Steve’s Car!!, but at the moment it’s hard to be anything but….sneezy���

“hhh-hh-hhmmPtchuh! S-s-sor-ry-hiihHIptchsh!” Holding them back when he feels like this just makes his nose more irritated and thus even sneezier. He stubbornly jams his fist under his nose to quell the tickle. He has some napkins from work, so a nose-blow is possible, but it doesn’t feel possible, not so close to Steve, who has it a million times more together than Bucky even on days when he isn’t falling apart on a cellular level.

“Bless you,” Steve says quietly. He looks at him reflexively, to see a small, sweet, sympathetic smile. “Ready?” Bucky gives a little nod and the car pulls out into the slushy road.

His nose is running onto his finger, it’s a crisis. This is why it’s always a terrible idea to leave the house when you’re really sick. “Ugh, I gotta blow mby ndose, I’mb sorry, I’mb so gross right ndow,” talking also makes his nose angry. Fucking Sam and his supervillain plan to humiliate him. What had he done to deserve this? He fumbles for the napkins with his less-dextrous left hand, the one he should have stuck under his nose, goddamnit, he’s gonna sneeze again…

“Psh, don’t worry about it,” scoffs Steve like the big huge dad he is, then with a sympathetic glance he turns the radio on, to the classic rock station, because of course, Bucky almost laughs even while racing to get tissues on his face before this giant wet sneeze overcomes him. The music is loud and it does help him feel less embarrassed.

“heh—HEH-KSSSHOOoo!” he gets the wad of napkins in front of him just in time. Blowing his nose after that demolishes them, but he feels a little closer to a human being.

“Bless you!” Steve chuckles. “Man you got a good bug, jeez!”

Why are he and Sam both so cheerful. “Thanks, I’mb glad you’re impressed,” he croaks.

“You have cold stuff at home?” Huh? When Bucky doesn’t answer he continues, “Tissues, tea, soup, medicine, you know?”

“Oh, umb, sorry, I’m tired,” Steve makes a sympathetic sound. “I usually just use toilet paper. I took the last of my Dayquil before work. I dunno if it even helped, all it feels like it did is mbake me jittery and sdeezy.”

“Why don’t we stop by a drugstore.” He sounded decisive.

“Oh, you don’t have to bother with that, really Steve—” he pauses to sniffle desperately. Technically he can afford a couple things, and he probably needs them. “Or—you could drop me off and I’ll get myself home from the store, that would totally be a big help—”

“Is the heat even on in your place?” Steve interrupts, shrewd-eyed. At Bucky’s wide-eyed sputtering response he continues, “I knew it. I used to be a broke Brooklyn kid, once upon a time. Only reason to come into work, am I right? Can’t believe landlords are still getting away with this shit.”

Bucky considers denial, then slumps. “S’why I’mb so much...hhh...worse...hh-huh-hudschuh! Snff-snff. Worse today. They said it’ll be fixed by tomorrow so...we’ll see, ha. I got a space heater and an electric kettle though, I can get in my blankets and drink tea and I’m fine.”

Steve is quiet, no response, and Bucky worries irrationally that he pissed him off. A few minutes of classic rock later, he pulls into the small parking lot attached to the drugstore, turns the car off, and turns to him, looking a little uncomfortable.

“Bucky I—” he breaks off and laughs to himself. “I know you have to be polite to customers, I don’t want to—” he makes eye contact, looking pained and rueful. “I’d like to think we’re friends. But I don’t want to put you on the spot or anything,”

“We’re friends,” Bucky interrupts gently. Steve’s face brightens like a sunrise and Bucky’s chest does a nice warm thing.

“Yeah? That’s...I’m real happy to hear it.” Steve says, sheepish but grinning. Then his eyes get the determined look that Bucky is starting to think means trouble. “Well the reason I asked is, as a friend, I really hate the idea of you trying to ride this out in an icebox apartment. I have heat. And a couch!” He hastens to add at whatever wide-eyed look Bucky’s giving him. “It’s just, I know it’s no fun being sick by yourself, and, well, honestly I wish I’d socked that asshole at the bar last night, and I really wish I’d clocked him as a jerk faster, and I’d feel a lot better if I could do something nice for you, and you really seem like you could do with some rest and medicine. Will you let me grab some stuff here and spend the night at my place—where there’s heat— and let me fuss over you?”

“Steve, that’s—that’s so nice, but I really can’t imb—snff—impose on you, and I gotta be so contagious right now…”

“I don’t care about that,” Steve says easily. “And I know you’re not gonna die on your own, but,” and, whoa, he’s deploying some kind of dignified mature version of puppy-dog eyes, it’s so sincere, and also so certain, that it starts to seem like the only sensible course of action is to let his gorgeous crush take him to his apartment while he’s the polar opposite of sexy, an unspeakable snot factory, and also possibly starting to run a fever.

….His apartment is gonna be so goddamn cold.

And lonely, incidentally.

And Steve is so nice. He’s literally, actually here, he seems to mean it that he wants to take care of Bucky’s sick bedraggled ass as some kind of friend-favor. There’s no way this is a come-on with him in this state, even if he can still muster enough energy to wish it was. No way Steve’s ever gonna want to fuck him after watching him snuffle through 200 tissues and mouth-breathe all evening, but he was nuts to think he ever would anyhow. He’s just that nice, and Bucky is that pathetic, and that might not feel great, but he wants to be Steve’s friend, he really does, and even through his own shyness he can see that the guy is pretty lonely.

“You, umb. You really don’t have to.” He says, watching Steve, who waits with obvious hopefulness. “But. Uh.” Steve raises his eyebrows and gives him a little smile, and Bucky finds himself returning it helplessly. “If you really don’t mbind. It could, potentially, be really ndice to take you up on that. You really don’t have to though!”

“I want to, though.” Jesus, he’s so sincere. Bucky feels some weird kind of protective way about the earnest honesty in his eyes.

“Well, then, okay. Thangk you, I really appreciate it.” He laughs, finally feeling how miserable it would have been to go back home and try to sleep in a cold blanket pile on his mattress on the floor. “Mby place sucks right now.”

“Alright then,” Steve beams. “Let’s get you a couple things and then get you cozy.”

Bucky’s nose is not okay with him using his face to talk instead of constantly blow it. It’s gotten completely blocked, and it’s tingling unpleasantly, and running so bad again he has to smush his knuckles under his nostrils. The tickle crests and his breath catches before he can do anything about it, but he clenches his jaw and forces it into a stifle. “hhh-huh-MMP!!” The problem with doing that is it just makes the tickle— “hh-mMP!” worse. “Ugh, sorry.” His hand is a dam against his nose at this point.

“Bless you!” They both step out of the car, but Steve hurries over to his side with a crinkle in his brow. “Why don’t you just stay here and I’ll grab a few things. Anything in particular, or just tissues and NyQuil?”

“Dyquil is just schndapps,” Bucky grumbles, then his brain catches up a little and he says “tissues,” fervently, and then it catches all the way up and he says “wait, ndo way are you buyig!”

Steve cocks an eyebrow like a handsome jerk. “You really wanna go in there?” With your current nose situation? He’s kind enough to not say.

He casts about for a moment—“Grab me a little pack and then I’ll go in!”

Steve gives him a skeptical look and says “Sure,” in a way that makes him think his orders won’t be followed, but he’s too busy squishing his nose more firmly and silently begging it not to make him sneeze again to keep arguing, or to protest when Steve opens the door for him and puts his car keys in his hand before dashing into the store with a promise to be quick.

He’s back not even ten minutes later, by which time holding his nose plugged and not letting his sneezes out has put Bucky in a state of perma-misery, stifling relentless sneezes every few seconds, unable to keep his eyes fully open. Steve tosses a box of tissues onto his lap before he gets all the way into the car because he is a saint.

“Guh,” Bucky says gratefully, pulls out a wad of about ten, and lets the miserable sneeze that had been building out into the nest of forgiving softness. “HehgSHOOmpff!!” And then blows his nose forever. Finally he feels like he can speak and have a face again; the little drugstore bag is now home to a dozen nasty used-tissue balls. “Well,” he says as he puts the last one in there, “wish I hadn’t had a witness for that.”

Steve just chuckles. “You’re fine,” he murmurs, his voice a soothing rumble. “I grabbed you a toothbrush, and I’ve got some stuff that can fit you for pjs.”

Bucky feels like he sneezed out the last of his strength. “You’re way too nice.” He sniffles and slumps against the window, looking at the familiar blur of orange streetlight. “I should be more worried you’re a serial killer.” Steve chuckles again, and he likes that, so he goes on, “Probly got a nice Jeffrey Dahmer setup at your place. Sorry if I don’t make a good steak.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Steve replies, sounding indignant. Then laughs for real, shaking his head, “I’m not gonna chop you up and eat you, I swear.”

“It’s fine. Just mbake mbe into soup,” sighs Bucky. That would be warm. He’ll just be a big hot pot of Bucky, and Steve will stir him and season him so carefully with his big strong hands. This is a weird train of thought. He might have a fever. But he can still hear Steve chuckling.

Steve pulls into his parking spot and the car shudders to stillness as he takes his key out of the ignition. Next to him, Bucky is asleep with his head mushed against the window. He’d conked out for the last five or so minutes of the drive. “Hey, Buck, we just got to my place,” he says softly, trying not to sound too bedroom-y. His eyes flutter open, the blue of them standing out, and Steve takes a steadying breath because Bucky is so good-looking it catches him off guard and overwhelms him sometimes.

His eyes are glassy-bright and there’s a flush high on his cheekbones, and as he shifts upright in his seat Steve reaches over and touches his forehead without thinking about it. It’s noticeably hot, but not burning. The twins’ childhood bouts with the flu gave him a sense of bad-fever heat. “Think you got a temperature,” he murmurs sympathetically. Bucky just blinks up at him, a little wide-eyed, and only then does he realize his big meaty hand is practically covering half his face. He feels himself flush to match Bucky, and for a second they just look at each other.

Until Bucky sniffs a miserable liquid sniffle and they both almost jump. “Sorry,” Steve mutters awkwardly, and Bucky’s saying the same thing at the same time. They both move to get out, “Just one flight of stairs up.”

“huh—tschumpf!” is Bucky’s answer, his nose buried in a new handful of tissues. “huhh, hUH—huh.” The second sneeze fizzles, leaving him blinking and frowning and wrinkling his nose snifflishly against the ticklish haze as he shuts the door. “Fuck. Sorry, scuse mbe.”

“Bless you.” It’s probably not normal to find someone so sick so adorable.

Steve leads him up and along the hall and then he’s unlocking the door, feeling giddy that he’s letting Bucky into his apartment, and then guilty for being excited, when the poor guy is just hesitantly accepting a much-needed favor. Bucky trails in behind him and then stands still while Steve sets the bag from the drugstore and started to turn to him, saying, “It’s not much, but—”

“ASHHOO!” Bucky’s sneeze interrupts and snaps him forward into his tissues, and then he just stays folded over for a second like it sapped the last of his energy. Then he straightens, rubbing his nose into the tissues and sighing. “Jesus, sorry,”

“Bless you! You don’t have to be sorry, you’ve just got a cold.” Steve has to hold himself still to keep from rubbing his back.

“You’re...hh-huh….? Snfff, ugh. Totally gonna catch this, I owe you way mbore apologies.”

“I won’t hold it against you,” he chuckles, toeing his shoes off. Bucky follows suit and he continues, “I stopped caring after raising toddlers, they’re little germ factories, you catch everything.” Why’d you bring up your old-dad status, Steve? “I’ll grab you some things to sleep in.”

An hour and one confrontation about Steve giving up his bed later, Bucky is ensconced on his couch like the king of cold-medicine commercials, surrounded by blankets and pillows and tissues and steaming cups and bowls. He feels a little more human, which is nice, but lets him access how incandescently awkward he feels at being rescued from his idiotic life like a snotty Cinderella. Steve has been flitting back and forth between the couch and kitchen, fussing over him to a truly excessive degree while exuding satisfaction and cheer, like some kind of calendar-model Santa with a caretaking kink. He was practically rubbing his hands together at the prospect of getting Bucky blankets and tea on his couch. Now he’s giving a rundown of his TV system standing next to the couch and it feels the tiniest bit manic and Bucky can feel himself getting a little too quiet but he can’t help it. After a minute Steve notices, and sets the remote down.

“I should stop babbling at you and leave you in peace,” he says with a bashful chuckle, turning to leave the room.

“No, I— you don’t—” Bucky doesn’t really have a response beyond ‘please chill out and hang out with me and let me picture cuddling with you,’ which will not be said aloud.

“You really don’t hafta feel like you need to entertain me, Bucky.”

“It’s not, I don’t,” he sighs and then sniffles. He doesn’t want to sit here and stare at the wall and stress about this, alone in this room in Steve’s goddamn apartment. He maybe should have thought about just how much he’d fallen for Steve before taking him up on this offer, because the concern and sweetness and fussing are starting to ratchet up his anxiety, because what if there was a chance it meant—

“Is anything the matter?” Steve crouches smoothly to be on his level and torment him with his eyes’ blueness. When all Bucky can do for a moment is flounder he looks more concerned, and a little downcast. “I really don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. If anything’s bothering you, you can just tell me.”

What the hell is an ordinary sinner supposed to do in the face of this much sincerity? Act like he thinks he’s a damn grownup, Bucky guesses, and girds his nervous loser loins.

“Why’re you—” he starts, frowning, then cuts himself off and tries again with a small, apologetic smile.

“It’s just...this is such an imposition, and you seem...kinda weirdly happy about it? I just don’t get why.”

One side of Steve’s mouth quirks up, making him look dry and self-deprecating and unfairly handsome. “You’re worried I’m gonna start talkin about Scientology, or put you in my basement dungeon?”

Bucky shrugs. “Kinda.” Just ‘cause he went home with strangers didn’t mean he had no sense.

Steve seems to cast about for an explanation, and he also starts to turn pink. “It’s—you’re just so—” and then he sighs and sits on the end of the couch, next to his blanketed feet, addressing his words to the wall in a rush. “Honestly, Bucky? I have a huge crush on you, and,” he laughs in embarrassment, decidedly blushing now, “I’m just real happy to have a chance to take care of you in whatever little way.” Now he does turn to look at him, pained. “I’m sorry, that must be so uncomfortable to hear. I promise you’re not my hostage! Please don’t make a break for it, it’s cold out and you’re so sick. I swear I’m not Cathy Bates in Misery.”

“Y—hihdsschuh!” The sneeze catches him by surprise, but he has wadded-up tissues in his hand already anyhow. He has to blow his nose, and he does it thoroughly to buy time. Steve stares stoically at the ceiling as though waiting for sentencing. Is this seriously Steve telling Bucky...he likes him?

“You…” he stops, sniffs. He needs a plan. He doesn’t have one. His mouth is gonna keep moving anyway, “You said, ‘you’re just so—‘, what were you gonna say?”

Steve looks confused for a second, and then just helpless. “Bucky, you’re just so sweet. I’m happy for a chance to do something for you because I owe you, you get that, right?”

“Owe me?” Bucky asks, nonplussed. Steve laughs with what seems like disbelief at his confusion.

“Yes, Buck! For the last few months! For taking pity on me that first night I came into Sam’s. You asked me a question about antifreeze.”

“Yeah,” Bucky murmurs. His world is rearranging itself. Steve remembered that?

“I feel—real self-conscious, I guess, coming into the “scene,” he gives it air-quotes and Bucky’s heart swells a little more, “by the route I have. Y’know, married dad who woke up one day and realized the stuff he repressed at sixteen might be the real him. Sam’s was the third place I tried to go into. I just felt so ridiculous, I still do— 39-year-old brand-new gay dude, it’s idiotic. I was practically gonna have a panic attack, I was definitely gonna leave and not try again and just...stop trying in general, maybe, to figure this new scary shit out. Except you were there, this—this smokin-hot guy, and you’re acting like you actually want to talk to me, and… so I stayed. And came back.” He looks Bucky in the eyes and it makes Bucky’s stomach clench. “I feel like you’ve been taking care of me this whole time, helping me ease into things, helping me not to feel bad about being completely uncool, asking me about stuff I actually know about instead of laughing at me because I’ve never heard of ‘poppers’,”

At that, Bucky has to give in to the giggle bubbling out of him, which inevitably leads to a short coughing fit. His first instinct is to keep laughing, rake Steve over the coals, but Steve is looking at him with a careful sort of expression, and it occurs to Bucky that just because he’s older and seems like he has it all together and has great posture doesn’t mean he’s immune to feeling vulnerable. And he looks like he’s feeling really fucking vulnerable right now. Acting like Bucky is worthy of this adorable schoolboy crush is absurd, but it’s not like it was so many eons ago that little baby Bucky Barnes was having his First Gay Bar experience, and he’d been scared as shit.

He already feels like he missed the boat on his life. Steve is starting over at 39. He’s so fucking brave. Bucky...somehow, unthinkably, Bucky is in a position where he could really hurt this guy.

“I’mb, umb. Snfff. Thing is, I’m a little surprised…” And Steve must think that’s the prelude to rejection because he pulls this sad little smile onto his face that’s the worst thing Bucky’s ever seen, and he has to make it go away, “It’s just, to hear you tell it I took pity on you and I’ve been talking to you to, like, guide you along and coach you because I’m some saint!” He smiles, starting to feel amused. “Steve— I just wanted some reason to talk to you, dude.”

Steve blinks at him. “What?”

He has to laugh, putting his forehead in his hand. “Sorry. I, just, I have not been operating under the assumption that I had a chance with you? And now it sounds like you’re telling me I do? While I sit on your couch filling your trash can with my disgusting tissue mountain?”

All he gets from the man is “...Huh?”

“You said ‘crush’,” he insists, and he’s not laughing, his heart is pounding actually. “What did you mean by that?” He’s gonna awkwardly say that he wants to fuck, and once that box is checked in his Gay Awakening, he’ll move on to actually date people actually in his league, and that’s maybe not gonna feel great, but, well…

Steve looks up from staring at his hands, makes eye contact, and he looks a little confused and a lot like he’s facing a firing squad. “I meant, I mean that…” he blows a breath out. “Jesus I have no idea what I’m doing. I mean that I’ve been trying to work up the courage to ask you out on a date, since pretty much the first night I met you.”

Bucky’s head does a record scratch and Steve scoffs and rolls his eyes, “But I guess instead I kidnapped you when you were sick and blurted this out to you while you were trapped on my couch waiting to be left alone to sleep. I was never smooth but I swear I’ve done better than this.”

A giddy feeling is rising up in Bucky’s chest, making him forget completely about how tired and crappy he feels. “Well, I am smooth,” he says, “I’ve got game. At least, I did, until you showed up and turned me into a giggling bimbo. What the hell, Steve.”

“This is starting to seem like a romantic conversation but I can’t tell,” murmurs Steve with his face still uncertain but a little twinkle in his eye.

Bucky’s nose is gonna ruin this, he’s surprised it gave him that long a grace period. “Yeah, snfff, real romantic, I’mb gonna—hih—fuckin’ sndeeze—heh-heTShoo! Againd.”

Another sneeze teases out, and then he has to blow his nose for about ten years. “Bless you,” says Steve all quiet and bedroomy in his deep voice, and he’s definitely smiling, sparkle-eyes, leaning towards him the tiniest bit, but still looking like Bucky’s leaving him hanging a little, unsure, and he can’t help the wave of doubt he feels.

“Steve, you—” he stares at the blanket on his lap. “I’m a mess. You’ve accomplished shit, you have a real goddamn job, I—I’m just, ok, we’re both adults, but I feel like a screw-up kid compared to you.” He takes a deep breath and says what he doesn’t want to, “I’d be...pretty damn flattered if you wanted to hook up. I kinda can’t imagine you actually want to date me.”

He dares to look up and Steve looks more serious. He doesn’t say, “no shit.” He says, “I won’t argue if you say you don’t want anything, but I sure don’t agree with how you describe yourself. I don’t want to hook up—at least, not just that— I want to date you, get to know each other better, because I like you. I trust my judgement, when I think someone’s a good person.”

He says it so simply, and Bucky finds himself believing it despite himself, and a warm happy fire is kindling under his ribs. “Well, shit,” he murmurs, “it’s starting to seem like you’re asking me out.”

“It’s...starting to seem like you might be saying yes? If I am?” Steve looks agonized and Bucky’s doubts are no match for the giddiness fizzing up inside him, and he lets it show on his face with a grin, and whatever that looks like makes Steve kinda gulp and scootch up closer to him. Bucky makes a show of giving a slow, considering nod. Yes.

Steve has this soft, nervous little smile on his face, but his eyes hold something weighty, almost burning, as he moves even closer, and it’s just, it’s really, wow, Bucky has maybe never been taken seriously in quite this way by anyone before, it makes his knees feel watery and kindles something in his core. “I know you’re sick,” he rumbles, “but I feel like I gotta kiss you,” and how is it that the softer he speaks the deeper his voice sounds? He brushes his curled fingers over Bucky’s cheek because that’s how close they are now and this isn’t really Bucky’s life, is it? “What if I was to kiss you, right now?”

It’s hard to tell with the sexiness melting his brain but he realizes Steve is actually asking, because he’s a gentleman— a gentleman Bucky wants to be taken apart and turned inside out by. “Then you would be a guaranteed victim of my plague,” he breathes. “But I wouldn’t stop you, I’m not that selfless.”

“Sounds like a dare,” Steve murmurs, and tilts his head and presses their lips together.

It’s a short simple kiss but they each give a quiet gasp at the contact, and then stay there a moment. Steve’s beard isn’t huge but he feels it, like a firm underline to the shockingly warm plush pressure of his lips. He thankfully tragically remembers that congested people can’t make out and pulls away after just a brief press of lips, but not before giving a soft lick to Bucky’s, full of promised things to come.

They sit there a few inches apart and breathe. Bucky feels like a vibrating tuning fork. He just barely stops himself from shakily saying “wow,” like a highschool virgin, but when he sees Steve looking at him with lips still parted and a gobsmacked expression he changes his mind and lets it out anyway, “wow,” with a giddy grin.

“Yeah,” Steve breathes, blinking like he got hit with a cartoon hammer, going from pink to red, and then he swoops in and kisses Bucky’s cheek, and then stands, going, “Excuse me, just gotta go...out of your sightline, and. Do something cool. And serious. No victory dances.”

…..the next morning…….

Steve could hear Bucky in the shower, sneezing three times, but not sounding—four times—nearly as heavy or exhausted as the night before. A few minutes and one loud noseblow later, he came out wrapped in a towel, mercilessly bare-chested, his nose bright red but his eyes clear and cheerful. Steve’s attention caught on his chest as his nipples tightened in the relative chill as Bucky said sheepishly, “forgot my clo-hothes—” his voice swooping to a breathy quaver on the last word, “hhh-hh-hehh—EHisSHOooh!” he turned as far away from Steve’s part of the room as possible and sneezed over his shoulder. “Snnfff. Excuse me, sorry.”

“Can I lend you some warmer stuff, just for now while we eat breakfast? There’s no way you’re not still sick,” Steve fussed, forcing himself to round the kitchen island slowly and casually instead of rushing over and wrapping him up in his arms and kissing his red nose that was twitching again. He quelled it with another sniff that sounded a lot less congested than the previous night.

“Ah, I’m ok. I felt really bad yesterday, but I slept so well,” he said with a warm grateful smile at Steve that went to his toes, “I don’t feel shitty and run-down anymore, just all, like, shnuffly.”

Steve chuckled helplessly and went over to rub his shoulder. “You’re adorable.”

“No way!” Bucky glowered, but then a few drops fell from his wet hair to his chest and neck, and he shivered into a sneeze so quick and light it sounded incomplete, “hih—tish!” followed by “ih-hihtchoo!” and he blinked, taken by surprise.

“That was... the cutest thing that ever happened,” Steve said truthfully.

“Shuddup— heh—edschoo!”

[manygeese]

ok I know it’s been a while but we’re back at it again with the Sally and Esperanza au (inspired by @poppitron360)

basically if you missed the first one, Leo and Esperanza move to New York, Esperanza meets Sally and they fall in love 🥰 when Leo and Percy are eight and nine respectively, Gaea swallows them up, they go to CHB, Leo gets claimed instantly, Percy has to wait until 3 years later when he gets the TLT quest and saves his moms from the underworld

ANYWAYS! What would HoO look like in this AU?

The first thing I’d change would be who gets the Hera Swap Treatment™️. And ALSO! Who would be in the Seven in general. I think, instead of Percy (to enforce the familial tragedy lol make him suffer), Reyna would be in the Seven. So in this AU, Leo and Reyna get swapped.

So the Lost Hero trio would be Reyna, who wakes up on this unfamiliar bus with no clue where she is but a gut feeling something is wrong. Annabeth, who is searching undercover for her boyfriend’s brother (AKA her partner in crime). And Piper, who also has no clue what’s going on but is really bummed that the people she thought were her best friends don’t seem to know her anymore.

Really interesting opportunity to discuss Reyna’s connection to Rome, since Bellona doesn’t have a Greek equivalent. Who would she be claimed by? How would she fit in? When they hold campfires, does she feel a distinct sense of camaraderie that she’s longed for for so long?

Also, concept: Reyna, Annabeth, and Piper stop by the Jackson-Valdez household before making their way to California. Percy’s just like “sure, you can crash for tonight. Gods know you’ll need the rest (and my mom’s special blue cookies for good luck)”. But Piper’s just like “what HAPPENED? Why is this apartment so SAD?” Like the happiness has just been sucked out. Esperanza isn’t even there, she’s at the garage, pretending like her son is at home. Sally is looking through baby photos and stress writing and doing a million different things because maybe by the time she actually thinks about her son he’ll be in her arms again.

The Son of Neptune (or Son of Vulcan, in this case) trio would be Leo, Jason, and Hazel I think because I have a distinct image of Hazel and Jason having awkward cousin vibes. Like, “their older siblings play Mario kart together on Christmas so they’re friends only because of proximity” cousins. And Leo’s over here doing horribly crooked cartwheels to lighten the mood.

I have Thoughts about Son of Vulcan in this AU omg. So many Thoughts. Jason and Hazel finally getting each other when they kill Alcyoneus together, while Leo is fighting for his life to free Thanatos and kill all these freaky-deaky monsters. Jason and Hazel freaking the fuck out when Leo chugs gorgon blood like it’s whiskey. Jason and Leo finding Hazel standing on a rock surrounded by cereal babies. Hazel side eying Leo wondering if he’s her old crush from grade school back in the forties. Just. Son of Vulcan trio.

Another thing, I think these two books should happen at the same time because I think it’d be interesting to let both of the swapped heroes integrate more. Like, give me fearless leader Reyna whipping her (tween) troops into shape, but Camp Half-Blood just being like “dam this lady’s super cool but she needs to chill the FUCK out. stop training my eight year old brother in sword fighting he’s gonna kill me the next time I have to wake him up early”. Give me an unconfident Leo learning to be a leader after being in his brother’s shadow.

also I yapped to @puzzled-pegasus about this so here you go

[the-firebird69]

When it comes down to it, you're sitting there holding in there, and we're going. to take advantage of it. and you're having a little war. The storm is gonna come in. We're gonna use it as cover. like we did last time. We made big advances. We took a lot of your stuff. from here. We got a lot of solid answers. and we definitely do not want to hear from you.. You're vermin. And that's what it is. We're going to go to town on you in a moment. to take you down.

--- Today, our son got a pretty good dose. It was. about 2.5. three times. and about 1.7 4 times. And 1.32 times. The first added up to 45 minutes. The second added up to an hour and a half in the. 3rd added up. to about three hours and the third is 1.3 rad and it's adding up right now. So you're getting your **** kicked. and it's going to hurt. With him, he has a poisoning. And you do too. And the sodium dumb you think you're getting medical treatment. But he came down. from about 74%. And he's gonna be done off gas in momentarily. And he went to about 68%. and Then we'll go down to 67% in a moment. And it wasn't aware. he was exposed to such high doses. but he really didn't go that far. for that long. And you started to eat things and drink things out there. And the result is better. and we need our guys to get on it. It was nice. It will help him and he'll do better. He's going to be. in a much better mood. by tomorrow. It'll be 65% or 64. Tonight will be pretty heavy rabbit. It's raining and it doesn't go too far. It's good to have a break. Let 64% is pretty low. Even in 65% here. start healing a little and notice. some people are actually healing. and they are reducing the amount of lipoma. and A lot of them discontinued the medicine. many years ago. some of them kept doing it. and they not doing this well, but there's a few who stopped doing it. early on. No, no. And they're not doing that great. because the radiation is a bit much The clones can't handle it anymore. And There's going to be facing each other. trying to get to the Midwest. many, many times this week alone. and they will die. And BJA is going to be pushed. to go after the stashes and caches. And he will be pushed. very hard.. There's a band of weather coming. He's pretty severe, but it lasts for 15 minutes. and the water is being pushed out. It's cumulative. But right now, it rushes out It's gone in an hour. But true. The levels held higher. than would be. This poses a problem for this area. And we don't like it. but it's draining a lot faster than it used to. I need a small rapid storms. blasting the muck out. And soon it will be gone. Right now, it's gone down to about 200. in the bottom left of the night in many places. One foot 6. It makes a big difference. There's a lot of stuff going on. And his equipment needs replacing. his apartment's a piece of crap. It's too low. The people here suck. with our mental patients. The management renting the place sucks. Tonight we heard him Bello NOOOOOOO and then he dies tonight. And he's threatening our son. And Austin and said, I met him. and he didn't. So we're gonna get rid of him. He's coming up pretty soon too, Furry little guy. Now he's had arguments with this inane **** **** **** One day he said, tell your master that they're dead. He said, no. And said, can you take this place. So, the **** said it to him. No sunset. OK, am. kept on glittering anyways.

ctd

[nurseydexunsolved]

the line between

“this coping mechanism was invented by neurotypicals and is never going to work for me and bending over backwards to try and force myself to fit into it is self-sabotage”

and

“this coping mechanism is not natural and possibly harder for me to implement than for neurotypicals, but it’s important to try and once it becomes a habit will be extremely beneficial” is

PAPER THIN

[lifewithdavefarts]

DaveFarts - Episode 19 “Quick Session” [Episode List]

Dave comes back from work and he’s late for a date with Dana. To make things worse, he can’t find a gift he bought for her anywhere. Tim helps… and Dave decides to thank him with a quick treat (or… threat?).

Want to feel like Tim? Click on the links in the story to hear the power of Dave's farts!

POV: Tim

Quick Session

I was doing some chores in the living room (I finished working earlier) when I heard Dave hastily open the front door and step inside the house. 

“Honey, I’m home.” he said, speed-walking through the room and heading directly upstairs.

“*sigh* We don’t talk like we used to.” I replied, faking a sad tone of voice.

Dave had a busy day at work and in fact he got home a bit later than usual. He has a date with Dana tonight so he’s in a rush. I soon heard noises coming from the bathroom upstairs, a sign that he was speed running through his pre-date preparations. Did he at least take his clothes off before stepping into the shower? The guy was going fast.

I was instead having a pretty normal day. I finished working early as I said, so I started doing some chores around the house, then I’ll get a pizza and fire up some Entflix for the night. Yep, don’t be too envious, dear reader, but that’s what living like a King feels like.

I made myself comfortable on our trusted couch and reached for my tablet, ready to enjoy the free time I earned today, but before I could aimlessly browse Entflix’s catalog, I heard Dave coming downstairs. He looked like he was panicking for some reason.

“Dude you ok?” I asked.

“I’m freaking out man.” he said. “I have to be at Dana’s place in like 30 minutes…”

Dana has been Dave’s girlfriend for years at this point, so clearly he wasn’t nervous about just seeing her. We still call them “dates” but when you’re this far in a relationship you’re just a couple hanging out.

“And?” I asked again, trying to understand why he was being so nervous.

“And I can’t find it, Tim!”

“What? Your dick?” I very maturely joked.

“The necklace, you dickhead!” Dave replied.

“I don’t think it’d look good on you to be honest.” 

“Can you be serious for one second?”

When Dave, of all people, tells me to be serious, maybe it’s time to listen.

“I bought a gift for Dana, it’s nothing, it’s not even her birthday, but it’s a necklace she talked about some months ago and so I finally got one.” Dave explained.

“Aw… you’re adorable.” I guess I really want my bro to punch me today.

He scoffed and just started rummaging through the room. “We have to find it.”

“Wait.” it’s actually not the first time he talked about this. “Isn’t it the same necklace that-“

“YES.” he cut me off. “It’s the one YOU reminded me to look for ‘cause I already couldn’t find it two weeks ago.” his was clearly annoyed. “So if you go ‘I told you so’ I’m gonna punch you.”

Here we are, readers. It’s gonna happen. “So violent.” I joked.

“You leave me no choice! I’d threaten you with my farts but it’s not even a threat in your case.” he joked back, finally a glimpse of a smile drawn on his face, a smirk of someone who knows he just landed a low blow.

“Let’s…” I said, trying not to stutter like an idiot. “Let’s just find the thing.”

Dave joking around my kink somehow pulled me back into the real world ‘cause I was just now noticing that my friend was wearing a pair of jeans and white sneakers, and quite tight white shirt. It’s not like Dave was super muscular or anything, but he did have a nice body figure, and the shirt helped. Average yet good-looking, which my eyes appreciated.

We (well… I) then fully focused on looking for this necklace. We split up and as quickly as possible searched the whole house (it wasn’t as big as it looks, fortunately). The more minutes passed, the more Dave seemed to get nervous. He also got a message on his phone, which didn’t help (hopefully not work-related). He wasn’t angry or anything but he wasn’t in a good mood that’s for sure, almost like he didn’t want to disappoint Dana -this is more about him than his girlfriend though, as he wanted to buy her something for months.

Rummaging through the things I just put in order kind of hurt, but thinking like a housewife actually helped! As we ended up back into the living room, I’ve had a lightbulb moment.

“Wait.” I said. “We are not looking for the necklace itself, right?”

Dave turned to me, still nervous. “No genius we’re looking for a-“

“A tiny blue box?” I cut him off this time, looking at him with the all smug aura I could muster.

My friend’s eyes opened wide in disbelief, as if I started flying in front of him. “Where is it?”

I was ready to have a long monologue about how the house was a mess and how me doing “those boring chores” saved his life today, but I didn’t want to gloat that much, so I just pointed at the small desk (at its drawer, actually) by the front door, explaining that I found the box earlier today without realising what it was, and how I put it inside said drawer.

When Dave opened the drawer and reached for it, he let out a loud sigh of relief, holding it as if it was The One Ring. He put both his hands on the small desk and stood there for almost 30 seconds, in silence. He then finally turned around, sporting his usual smile.

“Thanks bro.” he said. He was in a good mood again.

He (carefully) left the box on the desk and stepped back into the living room, and we both collapsed on the couch.

“That was close” he turned to me, casually touching my shoulder. “Thanks again.”

“Now, I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’, but-“

But nothing. It was Dave’s turn again to cut me off, the way he does best. Spreading his jeans-clad legs, he simply ripped a loud, relatively short fart. Despite being ripped directly on the couch, the sound was actually quite clear.

He just stared at me, waiting for my awkward reaction, sporting a silly smirk on his face, his classic “I’m gonna tease you now” smirk. It was just a game for him, which I both hated and appreciated.

“Isn’t Dana waiting for you?” I said, my voice cracking only sixteen times.

“Actually.” he chuckled. “She texted me a few minutes ago. She’s gonna be late, we have time…”

“We…?” I asked, but I knew where this was heading… of course it was.

Dave laughed again and he adjusted his position on the couch, lying down, as if I wasn’t even there: he wrapped his long legs around me and pulled me down, as he showed off his jeans-clad ass in my direction, with my face ending up really close to it. A familiar view, yet I’ll never get used to it.

“So yeah I can threaten you a bit, but clearly I’m not gonna punch you… so guess what?”

He raised his legs just enough to fully showoff that denim ass in front of me, as if he wanted to make sure that my face was perfectly aligned to that. I could see my friend’s smirk while he narrowed his eyes as he started to push, one of those difficult “post-work farts” that sometimes are too big to be ripped all at once.

But for Dave, that was almost effortless: the fart was huge and loud, and I could feel the vibrations all over the couch and, well, my face. I tried to keep my eyes open as the ass roared in front of me, closely inspecting the seams and textures of Dave’s jeans, and even that small red tag on his right pocket. 

As I said, I’ll never get used to how lucky I am.

The fart lasted 11 seconds and the silence was only broken by Dave’s whistling in relief, well aware of how big that was. 

“Feeling threatened yet?” my bud joked.

If by “threatened” he meant “horny” then yes, absolutely.

“Maybe you should just punch me.” I replied.

Dave laughed and once again adjusted his position a bit, making sure that his denim ass was in front of me.

“Believe me, you’ll wish I was punching you after this one.” there, that smirk again. “Ready?” 

I was not, but it’s not like I had the time to think about it, as my face was once again blasted with a second, loud rip. I thought he was done, but his ass just wanted to me feel stupid -then again, he’s Dave, he’s *never* done.

This one was a bit shorter, around 9 seconds, but felt like ages. I backed just a bit to have a better view of that wall of jeans in front of me and my friend’s face who, as usual, was amused by me being still awkward (and, well, with my face literally in his ass). At this point he wasn’t holding me down with his legs anymore, but it’s not like he needed to.

“Hold on.” he suddenly said. He looked around, as if he was waiting for some kind of signal, said “signal” being sure that what he was brewing was yet another big one. He looked back at me, smirk drawn on his face. “I think I feel another one coming…” he almost whispered.

As he said that, he lied down on the couch even more, planting his ass on my face. The jeans’ seams and textures tickled my nose, the stench of the previous blasts burning my nostrils. But I felt it, I felt him pushing one more out, and he did deliver, as usual.

Yet another loud, long fart, up close and personal, even more than the previous ones. Almost made me deaf, the sudden thunder making my face shake. I swear at one point it sounded like a car engine going fast, really fast.

The longest fart for today, Dave saving the best for last as usual.

I guess this way his own way to thank for helping him… but I’m pretty sure he was gonna blast my face soon or later anyway. He knows I like, he know’s it’s gross, but he can’t help to find… me, hilarious. Disgustingly hilarious.

As the fart faded into silence, Dave adjusted his position again, this time setting me free as he sat down normally on the couch. I did the same, hoping he’d ignore my startled face… which he did, since he was checking his phone as if nothing happened.

“Fuck.” he said. “Dana texted me again. She’s waiting for me.” 

He quickly got up and ran towards the front door. I followed him, making sure my boner didn’t get in the way.

I tried to speak normally. “I thought she was late?”.

“She was, and then she texted me she wasn’t anymore, but I couldn’t hear my phone because apparently my farts are just too loud for both of us.” he explained, trying not to laugh like an idiot as he finished the sentence.

“Dave…” I simply said. I was ready to say my usual awkward “Thank you”, as I tried to hide my boner, but instead I went for the kill. “I told you so…”

My bro reaction was quick: he immediately punched me on my shoulder.

“Told ya I was gonna punch you.” he said, winking, as he stepped outside and closed the door behind me.

“You never said so!” gotta work on my comebacks.

For being a quick session, Dave sure took his time to rip some pretty long farts. I guess he really likes to threaten me.

End of Episode 19

[triptuckers]

Our room - Kaz Brekker

Request: yes! “Hiiii so I saw this tweet early And I can’t help myself imagine the crows eating dinner or whatever and kaz slipped “can u get me my hat it is on our room” or something else this is just an example feel free to change it. Sorry this idea is so freaking messy 😬 and obviously if u don’t feel comfortable or just don’t want to do it is ok no worries 🥰” @montsepliego Pairing:  Kaz Brekker x reader Summary:  sometimes you can tell someone you love them without actually using the words ‘I love you’ Warnings: none Word count:  707 A/N: this is SO CUTE thank you for requesting this, enjoy reading! :)

Everyone is feeling a bit down. The last few jobs went terribly, and it brought everyone’s mood down. Even Jesper seemed less cheerful. No one talks much.

Finally, Nina decides to takes matters into her own hands. 

She rises from her chair and grabs her coat off the table.

‘Get up!’ she says, putting on her coat.

Everyone’s looking at her, not really wanting to do anything besides sit in silence, waiting until an appropriate time to go to bed.

‘We’re going out for drink!’ Nina announces, clearly not taking no for an answer. 

‘Nina.’ says Matthias. ‘I don’t think anyone is in the mood for drinks.’

‘Hush.’ says Nina. ‘We can go out for drinks, or stay here and proceed to sulk. Either way, I’m going out. And I don’t like to drink alone.’

Inej is the first to get up. ‘Probably the best offer I’m going to get.’ she says, also putting on her jacket.

‘Alright.’ you say. ‘I’m in.’

You get up and walk over to the corner of the room where everyone usually keeps their coats. When you open the closet, you frown when you can’t see it.

‘I swear I left my coat right here.’ you say. ‘If it’s one of those new kids messing around again, I’m gonna start hitting people.’

‘It’s not there.’ says Kaz. you turn to look at him. ‘You left it upstairs in our room.’

All of the crows, including you, look at Kaz in shock. He’d never referred to his room as “ours”. Sure, you did stay there a lot. You liked to keep him company while he was working.

And it’s true you are barely found in Kaz’ room. But it had always been his room, not yours. 

You see Jesper frowning and opening his mouth to say something, but you’re quicker. You knew Kaz wouldn’t appreciate Jesper’s curiosity and need to know every detail about his personal life.

‘I’ll go upstairs and get it then.’ you say, smiling. ‘I’ll meet you guys outside.’

You head upstairs and when you enter his office, you see your coat on the couch. You quickly put it on and take one last look at the room, a faint smile on your lips. 

When you get back down, they’re all waiting for you. 

You smile at Kaz and all of you start walking toward your favourite bar. Nina and Matthias are walking in front, followed by Inej, then by Jesper and Wylan and you and Kaz are last.

The two of you hang back a little, creating some distance between the group. You walk in comfortable silence for a while, Kaz’ cane making the only sound as it hits the ground with every step he takes.

You can’t help but to sneak glances at him.

‘Our room?’ you say after a while.

Kaz looks at you and shrugs. ‘Well, you rarely spend the night in your own room.’ he states.

‘True.’ you say. ‘But you’ve never referred to it as our room.’

‘It is, though.’ he says. ‘Everything that’s mine, is yours.’ 

You blush at his words. Kaz was never one to say a lot, and he didn’t often talk about his feelings. He did show you he loved you, sometimes even told you without using those exact words.

Like lending you his coat when it was cold outside and you didn’t feel like going to your room to get yours. Or when he’d bring you coffee after he’d noticed you suppressing a yawn. 

And then there’s the tons of glances your way, how he holds your gaze when he catches your eye. The small smiles only you saw.

And the ways he told you he loved you without actually using the words “I love you”.

Our room.

Everything that’s mine, is yours.

He was a man of little words, and not much verbal affection. 

You can’t help but to feel pride as you think back to all the times he showed you he loves you. You try to hide your smile, but it’s almost impossible. 

Walking down the streets of Ketterdam with your friends and Kaz, you couldn’t be happier. You couldn’t wait to go back to the room on the top floor of the Slat after you’ve had enough drinks. 

Tonight, you didn’t even need alcohol to have the feeling you’re floating.

A/N: If you want to request something, make sure to read my house rules Here’s the list of characters I write for. Everything that I have written can be found on my masterlist. Please don’t repost my work, as I spend much time and effort on it!! Thank you for reading! Much love, Marit

[spyoikawa]

I couldn't find your rules so I understand if you ignore this bc it includes something you said you won't do. Anyways,can i request Saiki & Aren planning a date with their s/o but it starts raining and everything is kinda messed up but their s/o enjoys the gesture itself besides not going at they planned,how would they react to that?

have a great day♥

Hihi I'm sorry this took so long! I love this request it's so sweet!

Also these are kinda long cause I couldn't decide between scenario or hcs, so get comfortable

Saiki and Aren on a "Ruined" Date

♡romanic♡

Saiki (italics is saikis telepathic dialogue)

It's not often that saiki is very romantic

Although you spend a lot of quality time together, you couldn't really call them dates, it was more of a routine

However school had just ended so he wanted to take you on a nice date before the summers antics started

He was going to take you cherry blossom viewing, and after his last attempt with nendou, kaido, and aren, he knew to get there early

Although you had to wake up early in the morning to prepare, saying you were thrilled was an understatement! You're happy enough just to be with saiki, but to go on a date was amazing

Stepping outside, something felt kinda off, the air was humid and the sky was an off color but you chose to ignore it

Saiki himself was a bit on edge, there weren't many thoughts coming from the park that was usually packed by this time for viewing

And lo and behold it was almost empty

Somethings not right

You jump a bit at his random interjection. Looking around you realize he was right, the park was awfully quiet for this time. But hey! Maybe you beat the odds and got here early!

No we didn't. We're here later than when me and the others came last year. Even Bookstop Fujiwara, Muscle Creator Andou, Stuffed Animal Leaver Kishida, and Marking Matsumura aren't here.

At this point you're completely lost- who?! But it's fine. You're at the park and you have a seat. The date will continue!

Until it didn't.

A couple raindrops fell before it started pouring-

But there's no way in hell this would stop saiki, he could clear skies in an instant

Until he couldn't.

After many attempts, time loops, earth resettings, spawned umbrellas, and curses later it still rained and he looked defeated

You felt bad watching your boyfriend try over and over again to let the date continue, but nothing seemed to work.

"Kusuo, it's ok you know! It's the thought that counts, cmon, we can go to your place and read together"

We do that everyday though. I wanted to take you on a date just this once without interruptions. Let me keep trying

You were quite touched by his dedication, he really did care about this date. But you couldn't let him struggle anymore.

"Tell you what, if you really want to go on this date today, we can go to the Cafe, it has to stop raining eventually and we can come back!"

He still seemed a bit grumpy at the plan change, but a date's a date, and he was glad you're still willing to go out today despite the weather

You really were his favorite nuisance

Aren

Unlike saiki, aren is a romantic

He likes to keep his s/o on their toes with spontaneous ideas and fun

For tonight's idea, he wanted to take you star gazing

He prepared a nice picnic dinner himself and was ready to take you out

Now although his random dates were fun, they usually had one obstacle

No one checks the forecast

"Hey aren..." you started looking up as you rode on his bike with him outside the city, "dont you think the sky looks kinda-"

"Don't look up."

He swore he could remember someone he passed on the street mentioning rain on the way to pick you up, he wishes he listened to them now. It's embarrassing to prepare such a nice date for you, only for it to be ruined by his ignorance.

Eventually you got to the spot he had planned and the weather was starting to make itself known, it was chilly, windy, and dark

He didn't think to bring a flashlight hoping the sky would be bright enough-

He was dedicated. It wasn't raining yet so you could at least have a late night picnic. He took off his jacket and handed it to you (like the gentleman he is), and began setting up the blanket to sit on.

Both of you jumped as lightning flashed in the distance and now he was really getting worried.

"Im sure it'll be fine that's over the city"

You had also heard people saying it would rain tonight, and although you trusted arens judgement, it wasn't looking too good.

Although the clouds covered up the sky, your dinner commenced

Things were actually going pretty great, just the comfort of eachothers presence made up for the incoming clouds

*drip*

"Fuck."

You both scrambled to quickly pack the food back into their containers and covered yourselves with the blanket

Despite the fact that the blanket was slowly getting wet and cold and the ground was a bit damp, it was actually quite nice watching the rain. You leaned over to pop a joke about that to lighten the mood, but looking up you realized aren looked disappointed.

"Hey whats wrong?"

He jumped a bit and quickly wiped his expression, throwing on a loose smile. "Oh nothing, sorry about this haha... I really should've made sure it would be a nice night before taking you..."

Your heart broke a bit seeing the smile slowly fall off his face. You really weren't upset by this at all. You were happy just sitting with him here, and plus, where's the fun in spontaneous dates without the occasional bump in the plan?

"Aren it's fine I really don't mind! I'm glad we went out here and had a date. It's a bit wet, granted, but don't let it ruin your mood!"

Even though you voiced to him it was fine, he still couldn't seem to cheer up.

"Yeah but it's pouring, eventually the blanket will get soggy and I can't drive back in this weather, so now we're stuck here"

You leaned over to rest on him and held his hand.

"We're stuck together at least"

He was gonna cry-

You were way too happy about this, but at least you're happy

Even if not right away, he eventually rose his spirits to make sure he didn't ruin this for you

He really did love you, and he couldn't wait to find more ways to show you

[emkay512]

Just For Tonight

What if it had been Liam’s idea to have house Beaumont sponsor Riley in his social season? And what was Liam’s night like after he dropped off Riley in the very first chapter?

A/N: I watch a lot of rom-coms and chick flicks and couldn’t stop thinking about Liam and came up with this 🙃 This exists in my OUAT universe, so I’m using those tags, I hope that’s ok and you enjoy!

Thank you at @sfb123 and @queenrileyrose for pre-reading and giving me that extra confident boost! I think I was marinating on this too long! Lol 😅

Warnings: Some language, but that’s about it.

Tags: @burnsoslow @bbrandy2002 @ao719 @kat-tia801 @sincerelyella @charlotteg234 @neotericthemis @queenrileyrose @kingliam2019 @iaminlovewithtrr @amandablink @iluaaa @jared2612 @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @secretaryunpaid @ladyangel70 @gkittylove99 @texaskitten30 @shanzay44 @ofpixelsandscribbles

Word count: 1,676

Liam’s head was swimming. He and Riley just piled into a cab to escort her back to her apartment after their midnight rendezvous with the Statue of Liberty. That kiss she gave him on the ferry had him dizzy, he was losing his inner fight to remember his duty bound responsibilities and wanted to embrace her again, but he also didn’t want to lead Riley on.

As if Riley was reading his mind, she broke the silence and asked, “hey, Liam?” Liam focused his gaze on her in reply, “what if just for tonight, we indulge in ourselves a little?” Liam lifted his brow in confusion.

“How do you mean?”

Riley was feeling quiet vulnerable with her idea, but in keeping with her own suggestion, she explained, “I have a feeling about you. That you’re used to putting your priorities and desires dead last in life. I’m even a little afraid that you may come to regret this night with me because you will convince yourself you had over indulged by allowing a little personal pleasure in your life. I’m saying, don’t do that. And I won’t either. I’m not sorry for opening up to a prince I know I’ll never see again. So… so how about you do the same?” Riley felt her cheeks blush and she looked up at him to see his eyes soften, knowing he was moved and would agree.

“Ok.” Liam smiled genuinely, she was completely right, and now thanks to her, he wouldn’t allow himself to feel any shame for enjoying this night. “Ok, Ms. Riley Brooks, I’ll do the same. Just for tonight, I will feel no shame for enjoying myself, for letting my heart call the shots for once.”

“Good.” Riley almost felt her eyes well up with tears from both the most sincere happiness she was feeling mixed with sadness of the night ending. Just then, the cab slowed to a stop right in front of her stoop. “Well, this is me. Good night, Liam. Thank you for the unforgettable evening.”

“Riley,” was all he could whisper before they both leaned in, closed their eyes, and surrendered into their goodnight kiss. Liam had relaxed completely, and it was Riley that deepened the kiss. She had parted her lips for him and he allowed himself to touch his tongue to hers, reveling in her sweet taste. He took one hand to cup her cheek and his other hand around her waist, both hands pressing her body as close to his as possible.

At the sound of the cabbie clearing his throat, they parted, both a little out of breathe. With smiles on both their faces, they said at the same time, “well, good night.”

They awkwardly laughed, and Riley touched her hand to his 5 o’clock shadow and said, “I think you are amazing, and thank you again for tonight.” She offered him the sweetest smile and then moved to exit the cab.

Liam replied as she was making her move out, “goodnight, Ms. Riley, and just so you know, I will never regret this night.” It was the right thing to say, as he saw nothing but elation on her face as she gently shut the car door and turned to walk into her apartment.

After giving the cabbie the name of his hotel, Liam leaned back in the backseat of the cab with nothing but stars in his eyes. He couldn’t believe the night he just had, and he was too far gone in his euphoria that he wouldn’t allow himself to think back to the reality that awaits him. Just for tonight. Just like they had said. He would allow himself to close out this night on his love sick high.

Upon his arrival back to the suite he was sharing with his friends, Maxwell was the only one still up. Liam could swear that his good, cheery, friend, Maxwell Beaumont, operated on constant energizer bunny batteries and actually didn’t sleep.

“Well, well, well… couldn’t quiet pull off the next-morning-walk-of-shame, my prince?” Maxwell knew Liam hated the formalities among his friends so he knew right away that Maxwell was in a full ball-busting mood. But Liam didn’t care. And to his dismay, Maxwell noticed. “Whoa. What the hell is that dopey look on your face!? You did get laid??” Maxwell was sincerely perplexed because he knew that a one night quickie was unlike Liam, but he could think of no other explanation.

Liam chuckled and shrugged, knowing he was unable to shake the grin off his face. No, he didn’t get laid. But he did get kissed. Twice. By a woman he knew he wouldn’t shake from his thoughts, for probably the rest of his life. Just for tonight. He continued the mantra in his mind. He’d let his mind wander to the idea of seeing her again. “Calm down, Max. She just showed me a very lovely evening. She pulled off a trip to the Statue of Liberty. Just for me.” Maxwell was not missing the stars in Liam’s eyes and couldn’t resist in fucking with him a little more.

“Huh, so your tryst involved another lady? Ya know, Lady Liberty? Kinky.” Liam rolled his eyes, that’s not even creative or funny, he thought to himself. “Wait, so how in the hell did you pull that off? I know you get shit done, but a last minute late night boat ride in a foreign country to impress a girl? How did you do it?”

“I didn’t. It was all the other way around. She called in a favor to impress me, and as you can see, I was quiet taken.”

“Well damn, sister’s got some moves! I mean, look at you, I’ve never seen you so smitten!” Maxwell was still muttering some mockeries at Liam, something about Liam being a smitten kitten. But it was something else he said that stuck out to Liam. Sister. Maxwell had call her a sister. After a second, a wild idea popped into Liam’s mind.

“That’s it! That’s it, Maxwell you genius!” Maxwell blinked up at Liam, very unsure what part of his rambles got Liam so excited. “House Beaumont still needs a sponsor for the social season, right?”

“Uh, yeah. That’s right.” Maxwell was clearly not putting two and two together.

“Catch up, Beaumont! Her! Riley! What do you think? We could catch up with her in the morning and ask her to join the season under your house. Well?”

Maxwell was grinning from ear to ear. He thought it was such a good idea that he was disappointed he didn’t think of it. “You’re on. You and I can find her in the morning before your early flight back and if she says yes, I’ll bring her back here to get the guys caught up and she’ll fly back with us.”

“Genius! Ah, I could kiss you right now Maxwell! I’m gonna try to catch some sleep before the morning.” Liam said while pumping his fist in excitement and he half jogged into a separate room to fall asleep.

The next morning, Liam and Maxwell caught sight of Riley walking up to her bar. Maxwell still had a curious amount of energy in him and next thing Liam knew, he was jogging ahead to Riley with his hand in the air to get her attention. “Hey! Hey, Riley!” Liam kept his pace as Maxwell rushed ahead.

Riley whipped around to see Maxwell charging at her. “Oh, hey. It’s you. One of Liam’s friends, Maxwell, right?”

“Yep! Good memory! Anyway I’m glad I caught you. I’m here because I want to formally invite you to Cordonia to participate in all the festivities for Liam. Normally you wouldn’t be allowed to join, but I want to sponsor you!” Maxwell could see the shock and confusion on her face as he continued to explain. “I’m from a noble house, but I don’t have any sisters so we don’t have anyone in contention to marry the prince. Instead we get to pick any girl to sponsor, and I pick you!”

“Wh-why me?”

“I’m not doing it just for you.” Just then Liam caught up and strode into the scene.

“Good morning, Ms. Riley Brooks.” Liam used his most husky and calm voice possible. He knew he was about to be asking a lot out of her.

Riley instantly picked up Liam’s voice as he walked up and greeted her, “Liam? What are you doing here?”

Liam approached and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his lips for a quick kiss. He met her eyes as he explained, “I’m here to do the same thing my good friend, Maxwell, is here doing. I want to convince you to come to Cordonia. Everything he said is true. You can participate as his sponsor.” Riley moved her eyes from Liam and looked just over his shoulder at Maxwell, she was trying to decide if he was someone she could trust and someone whose house she wanted to join. She saw a very promising and honest smile on his face, and she felt comfortable. She then looked back to Liam, who was still holding her hand.

“I… I don’t know.. that’s a big commitment..”

“Look,” Liam said quickly not wanting to lose his momentum. “I’ll level with you, Cordonia won’t be like New York, but there’s something about you. About us, that I trust. There’s something here Riley, why not give it a shot. Come on, I know you feel it too.”

She most certainly felt it too and she thought about last night and the opportunity that could be ahead of her, versus her current shitty bartending life in New York, and she came to her decision. “Ok,” she smiled and looked him in the eye, “I’m in.”

“Yes!” Maxwell shouted from behind them, “go pack your bags, this is going to be the adventure of a lifetime!”

Riley looked at Liam and said, “I guess we’re shooting for more than just for tonight, huh?”

Liam replied, “heh, yeah I guess you’re right.”

[potionsprefect]

Away in D.C

Pairings: Ethan Ramsey x Victoria Clarke

Word count: 3.7k

Summary: Ethan has to leave for a medical conference and the family learn to deal with it.

Rating: General Audiences

Category: angst, fluff

He ended the call and put his phone down, running a hand over his face.

It was confirmed he was needed in Washington D.C for a 4 day medical conference.

“Confirmation?” Victoria said from her spot on the bed.

Ethan looked at her. “Yes, 4 days in Washington.”

Victoria gave him a small smile as she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. “We’ll be okay. You’ve had to do this before.”

“That was when they were really small. They’ll remember this one.” Ethan replied.

“It’ll be ok. I’m here and I’ll make sure they have the best time whilst your away.” Victoria said leaning in to kiss Ethan’s neck.

“I really don’t want to go though.” Ethan sighed.

“I know you don’t baby. But you have too. It’ll be over before you know it.” Victoria said.

The older the twins got, the harder it was to leave them. The last time Ethan had to go away for a conference, the twins weren’t old enough to remember. Now they were at an age where they would realise Ethan wasn’t around and it would hit them hard.

“Come on, let’s go tell them.” Victoria said getting up, gently grabbing Ethan’s hand pulling him up. The two made their way downstairs where their two young children were playing with their toys.

“Hi Mommy, Daddy.” Luke smiled up at them. Lily was concentrating on her Barbie dolls.

“We’ve got something we need to tell you. And you’ve got to be very grown up about it.” Victoria said sitting down and pulling Luke into her lap, Ethan did the same with Lily.

“What’s wrong?” Luke asked, noticing a change in mood.

“I’ve got to go away for a few days. I have something really important to do.” Ethan said.

The twins looked between Ethan and Victoria, Lily cuddling against Ethan the more she looked at him.

“Is it to do with work?” Luke asked.

“That’s right. But I’ll be home before you know it.” Ethan said.

“And I’ll be here to make sure you’re both okay. We’ll have the best weekend ever.” Victoria replied.

Luke smiled although Victoria could tell he was forcing it but Lily seemed to be taking it the hardest. She buried her face into Ethan’s shoulder, his arms tightening around her tiny waist, holding her close.

Victoria could sense that Ethan would talk to Lily so she turned to Luke. “How about we go find Jenner?” She suggested. Luke jumped up at that and raced into the kitchen. As Victoria followed him, she briefly looked back and could hear soft sobs coming from Lily.

“I found Jenner!” Luke exclaimed as the golden retriever licked his face making him giggle.

“Thats great. Mommy needs to ask you something.” Victoria picked him up and sat him at the kitchen table. “Are you okay with Daddy going away? It’s okay if you’re not, Mommy’s here to help you.”

“I know he’ll be back. Daddy always comes back.” Luke said, pretending to race his car along the kitchen table.

“It’s great that you think that. Lily’s a bit upset by it all so you’ll have to be extra nice to her and we can both cheer her up. I know! Shall we make a list of things to do this weekend and then we can tell Daddy all about them when he comes home?” Victoria suggested.

“Yeah!’ Luke grinned. Victoria grabbed a notepad.

“How about we have a pyjama day on Saturday? We can watch all your favourite tv shows and films?”

“Yeah! And can we have pizza?”

“Why not? How about ice cream as well? And on Sunday I’ll cook you your favourite meal.” Victoria said.

“Yes spaghetti!”

Victoria laughed as she made notes, this also included time on their climbing frame in the garden and going to the park as well as endless amounts of cuddles.

“Mommy will Lily be ok?” Luke asked.

“She’ll be fine. She’s just a little sad that Daddy’s going away but he won’t be long.”

Back in the living room, Ethan was comforting Lily who was holding onto him as if she didn’t want to let go.

“I don’t want to go away either Lil. But Mommy’s here and she’ll look after you.” Ethan forced Lily to look at him.

“I don’t like it when you’re not here.” Lily said.

“I don’t either sweetpea. But sometimes we have to do things we don’t really want to do.” Ethan replied stroking Lily’s hair.

“Like when Mommy makes me eat vegetables?”

“Yes exactly like that.” Ethan chuckled. “I’m gonna miss you too, but we can FaceTime with Luke and Mommy every evening. Does that sound okay?”

Lily nodded, a smile forming on her face. “When do you go?”

“I leave tomorrow night and come back Monday evening. I promise you the time will go very quickly. How about we do something tomorrow before I leave? Just you, your brother and me?” Ethan suggested.

“What about Mommy?”

“I already asked Mommy and she said it was a great idea.” Ethan smiled. Truth be told, Ethan knew Victoria would say yes because it would mean her having time to herself.

“Okay.” Lily smiled throwing her arms around Ethan who hugged her just as tightly back.

“Shall we go and see what Luke and Mommy are up to?” Ethan asked.

“Okay.” Lily replied. She hopped off Ethan’s lap and headed to the kitchen, Ethan following shortly behind her.

— — — — —

Ethan made his way down the stairs, luggage in hand and set it down by the front door. It was pitch black, the outside being lit by the street lights.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drop you off at the airport?” Victoria asked coming out of the living room.

“No it will just make the goodbye even harder.” Ethan sighed wrapping his arms around Victoria.

“Try not to have too much fun.” Victoria smiled leaning against his chest.

“Impossible without you.” Ethan chuckled slightly leaning down to press a heated kiss to Victoria’s lips.

“Text me when you land.”

“Of course. I better get going.”

As if on cue, the kids ran into the hallway, throwing their arms around Ethan as he bent down to hug them.

“I’ll miss you both so much, promise me you’ll be good for Mommy?” Ethan looked at the twins.

“We will. Promise you’ll think about us?” Lily looked at Ethan, green eyes staring into blue.

“All the time, I promise.” Ethan smiled. Ethan gave the twins one last big hug before standing up and opening the door. “I’ll see you all in a few days.” Ethan headed out the door.

“Bye!” The twins and Victoria chorused before they shut the door.

“Go to the window and wave to Daddy.” Victoria instructed. The twins ran into the living room and climbed onto the sofa waving as the taxi pulled out the driveway and round the corner.

Once the car was out of sight Luke went back to his racing car whilst Lily flopped down onto the sofa and cuddled her teddy.

“Come on, let’s get you into bed.” Victoria picked Lily up who rested her head on her shoulder.

“Mommy pick me up too!” Luke said holding his arms up. Laughing, Victoria picked him up and carried them up the stairs.

It didn’t take the twins long to get ready for bed. As they were brushing their teeth, Lily asked “Mommy can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

“Is your bed not comfy enough?” Victoria knelt down so she was eye level with her daughter.

“It is. But Luke and I don’t want you to be lonely.” Lily sighed.

“We don’t?” Luke said, a mouth full of toothpaste. Lily nudged him, silently urging him to play along. “I mean yes we don’t!”

“That’s very sweet of you. And I don’t see why not.” Victoria smiled.

The twins grinned as they finished brushing their teeth and made their way to Ethan and Victoria’s bedroom.

“Did you both enjoy your day at the petting zoo with Daddy?” Victoria asked as she tucked the twins into Ethan’s side of the bed.

“Yeah we saw lots of animals.” Luke said.

“He even bought us something from the gift shop.” Lily replied.

Victoria smiled as she listened to their stories of today. It wasn’t long before both of the twins began to drift off to sleep and with a final kiss on each of their foreheads, she quietly crept out the room.

Victoria tidied up the living room and turned on the TV. She watched a few episodes of a new crime drama that was airing, until she felt exhaustion creeping up on her a few hours later and decided to go to bed.

Victoria slipped on her pyjamas and brushed her teeth before quietly making her way into her bedroom. Her heart swelled at her two young children cuddled up against each other fast asleep.

As Victoria hit the pillow, her phone lit up with a notification.

Landed safely, speak to you tomorrow x

Smiling, Victoria fell asleep.

— — — — —

The early morning sunrise woke Victoria up the next morning. Luke and Lily were still fast asleep as Victoria quietly got dressed. When she went back into her bedroom she gently roused the twins from their sleep.

“No Mommy I’m not awake.” Lily pulled the duvet over her and Luke.

“Sounds like you are to me.” Victoria chuckled.

“It’s too early.” Luke whined.

“Okay, I guess I’ll just eat all the pancakes.” Victoria pretended to walk away.

“No I’m up, I’m up!” Lily jumped out of bed and ran to Victoria, Luke not far behind her.

“Okay then let’s go make some pancakes. Do you want to hold my hand?”

“No we’re big now we can do it ourselves!” Luke replied.

The three made their way downstairs to the kitchen, Jenner jumped up and licked the twins’ faces making them giggle.

“Mommy can we have blueberries with them?” Lily asked.

“Of course you can.” Victoria smiled.

“Daddy let’s us have syrup as well.” Luke said.

“Luke! That was meant to be a secret!” Lily cried.

“Does he? Well I’ll be having words with Daddy.” Victoria pretended to be stern.

“Don’t be angry with Daddy Mommy. He was being kind.” Lily looked up at Victoria.

Victoria crouched down so she was at her height. “I can’t stay mad at Daddy for too long.”

The twins giggled and Victoria dished them up their pancakes, which they ate at lightning speed.

“Can we go watch a film now?” Luke asked.

“No Luke we have to get dressed and brush our teeth, right Mommy?” Lily sternly told Luke.

“Actually Mommy has decided we can have a pyjama day today, but you do need to brush your teeth.” Victoria said.

The twins raced upstairs and quickly brushed their teeth before they hurried back downstairs.

“What film do you want to watch?” Victoria asked.

“The Lion King!” The twins excitedly said. Victoria chuckled as she put the DVD into the player.

Victoria sat in-between the kids who snuggled up against her. As the film played, Victoria phone pinged, it was a message from Ethan.

How are you doing?

Smiling Victoria replied all okay, watching the Lion King for the millionth time.

I usually watch that with them, guess they’re missing me.

They’re not the only ones.

“Who are you texting Mommy?” Luke asked noticing Victoria was looking at her phone.

“Daddy. He wants to know if you two are ok.”

“We are! But tell him I miss him.” Lily said.

“I will sweetheart.”

The twins continued watching the film as Victoria text Ethan. Has the conference started?

It didn’t take long for a reply. In 5 minutes, are the kids behaving?

Victoria laughed a little as she text back. They are, and they miss you a lot.

The three little dots appeared at the bottom of the screen before Ethan’s message popped up. I miss them too. And you as well.

Victoria’s heart swelled at the comment. She knew Ethan wouldn’t be away for long but she missed him terribly nonetheless.

Luke and Lily continued to cuddle up against Victorias side as the film played out. The last time Ethan went away they weren’t old enough to realise but Victoria definitely noticed a change in mood between them and the minute Ethan walked through the front door, their tiny faces lit up.

Victoria knew they would have the same reaction when they reunited with Ethan on Monday.

— — — — —

Sunday soon rolled around and Victoria was currently reading a medical journal as Luke and Lily played with their toys.

“Make way for Captain Destroyer as he captures the Barbie palace!” Luke enthusiastically said as he crashed his action man into Lily’s Barbie palace.

“No! My Barbies! What did they do?” Lily hugged her Barbies to her chest to protect them.

“They’re mine now!” Luke went to grab them.

“No! Mommy!” Lily looked at Victoria.

“Luke leave her alone.” Victoria looked up from her book.

“But-“

“I’d think carefully about what you’re about to say.” Victoria said sternly.

Luke huffed and threw his toy onto the floor. “I’m bored.”

“I know. How about we build a fort? I used to make them all the time with Uncle Will and Auntie Sarah.”

“Yeah!” The twins jumped up.

“Okay. The first essential for a great fort is blankets. Can you go find some for me?” Victoria asked.

The twins eagerly ran out the room and up the stairs as Victoria took some of the cushions from the sofa and moved some of the furniture so it was closer together. The last time she has made a fort was when she was a kid. She had forgotten how fun it was.

“We’ve got them!” Lily said running back into the living room.

“Where’s Luke?” Victoria asked, noticing the young boy wasn’t with his sister.

“I’m under here!” A muffled voice said. Victoria pulled the blankets off him chuckling.

“Why don’t you put them under there and I’ll grab some fairy lights.”

Victoria headed upstairs to one of the spare bedrooms and found some old battery operated fairy lights. She brought them downstairs and hung them around the fort so there was more light.

“Wow it looks so cool!” Lily said looking round.

“Are these the kind of forts you built with Uncle Will and Auntie Sarah Mommy?” Luke asked.

“Yes. We used to build forts all the time as kids. Although Uncle Will didn’t like it when we brought lots of pink things in there.” Victoria laughed.

“Have you and Daddy ever made a fort together?” Lily asked.

“Ah well, I’ve always tried to persuade Daddy but so far I haven’t been able to. Maybe the three of us can persuade him one day.”

“How did you and Daddy meet Mommy?” Luke said cuddling up against Victorias side, Lily doing the same.

“I met him when I first started working. Although he didn’t really like me at first.” Victoria put her arms around her children.

“Why not?”

“He thought I was annoying and I thought he was very grumpy.” Victoria said which made them giggle.

“But Daddy is always so funny.” Luke said looking bewildered as if his Dad could be anything but fun.

“That’s because you two are his angels and he always saves his best features for us three.” Victoria tickled them making them laugh. “I know. Shall we take a picture and send it to Daddy?”

“Yeah!”

Victoria grabbed her phone and held it up. “Say cheese!”

“Cheese!” The twins grinned.

Victoria looked at the photo. “What do you think?”

“Great!” The twins beamed. Victoria sent the photo.

“How about I get started making the spaghetti?”

“Yes!”

Victoria chuckled as she headed out into the kitchen, As she put a pan of water on to boil her phone lit up with a notification.

Wishing I was with you x

— — — — —

Much later on in the day, the twins were fed and bathed and were in their pyjamas watching TV.

“Look who’s calling.” Victoria said holding her phone up in front of the twins. Their eyes lit up when they saw Ethans name.

“Daddy!” They cried when Victoria accepted the call and Ethan’s face popped up on the screen.

“Hi guys! How are you?” Ethan smiled.

“We’re good. Mommy helped us build a fort and then we ate spaghetti!” Luke said.

“I see. And how is Mommy?” Ethan chuckled.

“Mommy’s fine.” Victoria smiled.

“We miss you Daddy.” Lily said in a quiet voice as she cuddled her teddy.

“I miss you too sweetheart. I wish I was with you.” Ethan smiled.

“You’ll see Daddy tomorrow night Lil.” Victoria cuddled her.

“Daddy are you having a good time?” Luke asked.

Ethan laughed at that. “As good as can be.” He then went on to explain everything he had been doing even though Victoria could tell he was exaggerating. However, that didn’t matter when she saw the excited look on her children’s faces.

Victoria could tell the twins were getting tired so she suggested ending the call, promising them Daddy would be home tomorrow night. She carried them to bed, gently kissing them on their foreheads.

“Wait.” Luke suddenly said as Victoria was about to shut his bedroom door. She watched him get out of bed and head to his dresser and pull out a framed photo. On closer inspection, she realised it was a framed photo of them as a family.

“Why have you got that?” Victoria asked.

“So I don’t miss Daddy too much. And so he doesn’t get lonely.” Luke snuggled against the picture.

Victoria’s throat became thick with emotion and she felt tears forming in her eyes. Blinking them away she quietly crept out the room and once she shut the door, she let the tears fall.

It was remarkable to see how grown up the twins were. Naturally they were sad, Victoria wasn’t expecting anything less and some of the time, she knew the smiles were hiding that they were missing Ethan. But they had been so mature over the last few days and Victoria was proud of them.

She knew she was raising them well.

— — — — —

After another day of parks, food and endless amount of cuddles, Victoria, Luke and Lily were in the car on their way to the airport to pick up Ethan. Ethan’s flight got in at 8 and Victoria made sure she left with enough time to spare. The twins were in their pyjamas, Victoria deciding they could win that battle but were wrapped up in their coats.

Luke and Lily were so excited that Ethan was coming home today. In the morning, they went out and bought some of Ethan’s favourite foods, the twins made him a welcome home card for him to see when they arrived back. They managed to tire themselves out at the park in the afternoon, Luke even went down for a nap but Lily refused (‘If I fall asleep Mommy I’ll miss seeing Daddy so I have to stay awake.’)

5 minutes before they arrived at the airport, Lily had begun to doze off.

“Go to sleep Lil.” Victoria said as she pulled into the airport carpark.

“But Daddy…” Lily yawned as she shut her eyes.

“Will be here when you wake up.” Victoria said smiling at her. She pulled into an empty space and got out the car, heading to Luke’s side first helping him out of the car then gently lifting Lily out of the car, pulling her close as the little girl laid her head on her mothers shoulder.

“Can we go now Mommy?” Luke asked tugging on her hand.

“Yes, hold my hand.” Victoria said, Luke obeyed immediately.

The family walked through the airport, heading to the board where the arrivals were updated.

“Can you see Daddy’s plane number?” Victoria asked Luke as the young boy looked up at the board.

“No. Where is it?” Luke said.

“I can. It says it’s arrived.” Victoria pointed up at the screen.

“Does that mean Daddy’s home?” Luke’s eyes lit up.

“Yes sweetheart Daddy’s home.” Victoria smiled.

The family moved towards where the arrivals would filter out. The automatic doors kept opening and closing, passengers reuniting with loved ones.

“He’s not coming!” Luke said looking up at Victoria.

“He will, you just need to be patient.” Victoria ruffled his hair, glancing at Lily who was still fast asleep in her arms.

More and more people walked out until Victoria saw the one face she had been waiting for. Luke had seen him too.

“Daddy!” Luke ran to Ethan, the latter knelt down to greet his son, pulling him into a tight hug. Victoria couldn’t make out what they were saying to each other but her heart swelled at the reunion.

Holding Luke’s hand in one and pulling his suitcase in the other, Ethan made his way over to Victoria.

“Someone tried desperately to stay awake all day but inevitably fell asleep.” Victoria chuckled gesturing to the sleeping Lily.

“I don’t mind She’ll have the best reaction when she wakes up.” Ethan smiled pressing a short kiss to Lily’s head then pressed his lips to Victoria’s.

“Good to be home?”

“Definitely.” Ethan replied. He picked Luke up and with suitcase in hand, the family made their way out of the airport. “Pass me the keys.” Ethan said once they had reached the car.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind driving.” Victoria asked.

“I want to. It’s the least I can do.” Ethan smiled.

Victoria didn’t argue with that. She put Lily in her carseat then climbed into the front. Ethan’s hand found hers, lacing their fingers together.

“So tell me. How boring was the conference?” Victoria grinned as Ethan found the interstate.

“Almost as boring as all the other ones. I certainly won’t be going to anymore anytime soon.” Ethan chuckled.

“I’m glad. We’ve missed you. They’ve been good as gold though.” Victoria smiled as she looked behind her. Luke had also fallen asleep.

“I knew they would. And it wouldn’t be a trip away if I didn’t have a present to bring back.”

“Another piece of memorabilia.”

“Of course.” Ethan laughed. “It’s good to be home though. My place is right here.” Ethan squeezed Victoria’s hand.

Smiling, Victoria relaxed back in her seat as Ethan drove their family back home where they belonged.

— — — — —

I have all the feels after writing that 🥺🥰

Thank you so much for reading! Let me know if you would like to be tagged or removed

Tag list:

@ohchoices @openheartfan @queencarb @genevievemd @iemcpbchoices @choicesaddict5 @schnitzelbutterfingers @alina-yol-ramsey @stygianflood @malakemads-blog @gryffindordaughterofathena @magicalshepherdtreeprofessor @openheartfanfics @rookie-ramsey @sophxwithers @caseyvalentineramsey @romewritingshop @ethansramsey @codykosuckmytoe @mrsethanfreakingramsey @coffeeheartaddict @mm2305 @nikki-2406 @maurine07 @nishas-paradise @replayfootsteps

@choicesficwriterscreations

[kodzukenscorner]

can i get a headcannon of kenma, kunimi, bokuto and kageyama when the power is out and what you guys do together? (can be nsfw but im ok with whatever you are comfy with)

Kenma, Kunimi, Bokuto, and Kageyama during a blackout (SFW & NSFW)

a/n: anon baby I threw in some nsfw just for you 😘 under the cut cause oof this got long

wc: 1,663

✶   ✶   ✶   ✶   ✶

Kenma

Big surprise, you’re at his place watching him play a game

His screen suddenly turns off along with all the lights in the house

He sighs but doesn’t really care, he was playing on his switch anyway

He just grabs it and starts playing handheld and you are big sad

Now you can’t even watch him play unless you watch him over his shoulder like a creep

So you head over to his chair where he’s sitting and crawl into his lap

He lets you straddle him while he stays focused on his game

You’re a little upset at how he can stay focused on games even when the power is out so you start to move around a bit in his lap, trying to grab his attention

He just holds you closer in response so you decide to be a little more daring and grind your crotch against his

You can feel him tense up a bit but other than that, you don’t get much of a reaction

You do it again only this time much more obvious and harsh and you can hear him take in a sharp breath

You chuckle a little and keep grinding on him, whining his name, asking him to put his game down

He bluntly whispers in your ear that if you want him to fuck you, you’re gonna have to do the work yourself

Kenma is hardly ever that straightforward so that sentence alone was enough to get you all hot and bothered

You waste no time at all getting both of your pants off with no help from Kenma who is still diligently playing his game

He does sneak a peak when you undress and smirks at how horny you are

You climb back onto his lap and set yourself down on his cock

You’re mewling at how good it feels just to be his cockwarmer

You slowly start moving yourself on his dick, moaning at every little move you make

You start moaning his name to get his attention, taking off your shirt once he glances at you

It gets harder for you to keep going and all you want is for him to just fuck you

Once you feel like you’re about to cum, you watch Kenma put down his switch

Apparently his switch “died” heh sure kenma

But you’re not complaining because he’s finally fucking you the way you were begging him to

Kunimi

You guys are just doing some studying in his room, he’s at his desk and you're on his bed, silently working

He was on the bed with you but he started dozing off so you made him sit at his desk so he would focus

The rain outside gets stronger and then the power just fizzles out

He groans and tells you he’s gonna go to check the power box

You try to insist on coming with him and he tells you to stay put, you pout but agree to wait

He gives you a hug before he walks out and tells you he doesn’t want you to get hurt walking around in the dark

ha simp

He comes back a few minutes later with some flashlights and cleans up his desk

You both know you’re not gonna be getting anymore studying done so he leaves a flashlight on his nightstand and joins you on the bed

He says you might as go to sleep early since the power is out and pulls you down onto the pillow with him

You are not feeling tired...at all.

It’s like 8pm and this boy is really soundly sleeping??

After laying wide awake for 30 mins you start messing with him hehe

You start kissing any open expanse of skin you can see: his neck, cheeks, nose, etc

it’s free real estate 

He wakes up annoyed at you for interrupting his beauty sleep

He glares at you while you smile sweetly up at him like you did absolutely nothing wrong

He realizes you probably aren’t tired and decides to tease you right back

He rolls over so he’s on top of you and starts kissing you agonizingly slow

After a couple minutes of a surprisingly heated makeup session, you’re practically begging him to touch you

He’s having the time of his life watching you squirm under him

He is going to give you what you want but you can bet he’s going to take his sweet time undressing you

He just likes hearing how you desperately call out his name every time his hands get close to your waistband

When he finally gets down to it and slips into you, you are a whining mess

Honestly, you could cum right then and there but manage to hold on a little longer

Kunimi moves slow but his thrusts are harsh and he doesn’t seem to be losing his composure anytime soon

Meanwhile, you’re coming down from you first orgasm and you know that you are nowhere near done for the night

Bokuto

This big baby is watching a movie with you, but it’s hard to watch a movie with Bokuto because he’s constantly laughing and talking over it

Not that you’re complaining, you love to spend time with him on rainy days like this

He even insisted on building a pillow fort with you

So there you are watching your movie, in your makeshift fort, cuddled up in his beefy arms

You’re watching the movie on his laptop and you turned off the lights to set the mood so neither of you actually notices when the power goes out until after the movie

Once you two finally crawl out of your cave you’re both shocked to see the power for the whole neighborhood is out

Bokuto says this is the perfect opportunity for you to cuddle up in the pillow fort...even though you spent two hours doing just that

But hey! Who are you to complain?

How often do you get his undivided attention like this with no practice or other distractions around?

You two grab a bunch of snacks from the kitchen and crawl back into your fort, munching on different chips and cookies

You’re smiling at him like the lovestruck fool you are while he insists on telling a scary story

He brought a flashlight out and used it to light up his face from below, spinning some ridiculous tale about a haunted house

You keep giggling at how cute he is and he starts to complain about how you’re not scared at all

You laugh even more and he starts pouting, saying you need to be scared so he can protect you!

You pull him back down with you and hug him saying how scared of the dark you were just to please him

He holds you tight while basically yelling that he’ll keep you safe and nothing will hurt you

You look up at him and pull him down for a series of quick pecks on his lips

His smile grows bigger after each kiss until he pulls you into a long passionate one

Somehow this guys kisses always leave you breathless, no matter how many times you’ve done it before

When he pulls away, you’re quick to pull him back for another, needier kiss

He can feel how much you want him and nibbles at your lower lip to tease you

When you whimper he knows exactly what you want

He pulls away the tiniest bit so he can look you in the eye while he strokes your cheek

The unusually serious look in his eyes and the way his hand is planted firmly on your ass lets you know you won’t be able to move around much tomorrow

Oh well, at least your strong boyfriend will happily carry you around all-day

Kageyama

Y’all are chilling at his place, you were just outside tossing a ball for him to set

You guys came back inside for the night to rest up and suddenly the lights go out

You’re both confused because it’s not raining? 

You suggest you guys should go check out the fusebox and Kageyama insists that you come with him down to the basement

Down in the basement, you both realize the fusebox is blown and there is no way the power is coming back on tonight

You don’t think much of it and head back upstairs together and start looking for candles to light

Kageyama is...following you like a puppy

He still has the same calm expression on his face but he’s clinging to you more than he usually does

After lighting some candles and setting them down in the living room you settle onto the couch with him and he sits right next to you

Then it hits you...

He’s scared of the dark

That is not at all what you were expecting but you think it’s cute either way how he’s stuck to your side but won’t admit it

So instead of teasing him about it, you just curl into his side even more 

You can feel him physically relax under your touch and wrap his arms around you as he rests his face into the crook of your neck

He leaves little butterfly kisses across your neck as a way of thanking you for staying with him

Things get a bit heated when his kisses become more intense and travel down to your collarbones

It’s hard for him to keep his cool when you keep letting out little whimpers and moans

His hands find their way up your shirt and down your pants simultaneously 

He loves to hear how flustered he can make you with just his fingers

And boy.... does he know how to use those fingers 👀

He won’t go much farther than fingering and teasing you because he’d much rather just have you in his arms for most of the night, talking about your day

Your voice is soothing to him and he’ll listen to it until he falls asleep

[dinogoofy]

Kabal × reader

Flowers for broken hearts

It's an angsty one boys

Ok, just for reference, this is gonna be a really weird timeline, and we're gonna pretend that revenent kabal was revived with Jax, but went straight back to the black dragons, ok? Ok.

Like normal, sexual scenes are implied but not explicit.

TW for violence.

----

You had always loved mornings, but honestly it was only because of the man you woke up next to each day. 

The birds were tweeting softly from outside the window, and you tried to stretch in the warm, early morning sun, only to find out that you were stuck. 

Your fiancé's warm body was curled around you loosely, still asleep. You smiled, he definitely deserved the rest, especially after last night. You snuggled into Kabal's bare chest, breathing in the scented remnants of the awful Axe cologne he still used. 

Kabal hummed at the movement, holding onto you a bit tighter and nuzzling into your hair. 

"Good 'morning, sunshine." He groggily spoke, rubbing your back up and down as you cuddled close to him. That early morning voice of his never failed to make your heart flutter.

"Good morning, handsome." Kabal smiled, kissing your head. You sighed, content in the warm bed. The fuzzy, happy feeling in your chest blooming as you pressed your face into his neck, lightly kissing his smooth skin. You could feel the rumble in his chest as he faintly chuckled, somehow pulling you even closer to him.

"Tryin' to get me going this early in the morning huh? Such a naughty girl…" You gasped, fake offended as you slapped his chest.

"Kabal!"

"What? You and I both know you find me irresistible-" You laughed, covering his mouth with your hand and pressing your forehead to his. 

"Oh, shut up! Stop being such a cocky bastard, or I might just stop kissing you all together!" You could feel his smile from underneath your fingers. Before you knew it he had flipped you over on the bed, your back pressed into the cushion as he leaned over you. His loose, long black hair falling around the two of you like a curtain.

"If that's the case, I guess I'll have to start stealing them from you, Dear~" The bubbling laughter in the room was infectious as Kabal pressed kisses to your forehead, nose, cheeks, eyelids, anywhere where he could get really. The fuzzy feeling bloomed once again, and for a moment you were reminded that this was indeed your happy place. You caught his face in your hands with some effort, and pulled him into a soft kiss. 

Kabal eagerly pressed into you, sliding one of his hands up your arm to gently lace with your own hand. What a wonderful way to wake up.

Unfortunately, the soft moment was cut short as His phone started to ring. Kabal broke this kiss for a moment, and heavily sighed. Pressing one last quick kiss to your lips before getting out of bed. You frown at the loss of contact, but didn't refrain from ogling his butt as he stood. 

"My eyes are up here, Babe." Kabal jokes, not even turning back to look at you as he picks up his phone, opening his dresser in the process and grabbing some pants.

"Stryker, whatcha got for me?" It felt like your heart sunk into your stomach upon hearing the name. It was supposed to be Kabal's off-day! The whole reason the two of you had moved to the country just outside of New York City was so Stryker would stop calling kabal into duty so randomly.

You knew how important this job was to Kabal, so you never protested when he did leave. You put up with him during the awful, random merc jobs that he had while working with the black dragon. You couldn't be mad at him for working an extra shift for the station every once in a while.

At least you don't have to worry about that Kano asshole and the black dragon showing up unannounced. You thought. At least there's that.

Kabal let out another heavy sigh as he hung up the phone, running around the room to gather his things in a hurry. He looked worried.

"Is everything alright?" Kabal shook his head as he threw a shirt on. Rushing over to press a kiss to your head.

"Something weird is going on in the city. He mentioned something about Outworld fusing with earthrealm… or something like that. Said I needed to get my ass over there right away." Kabal cupped your face in his hand, running his thumb along your cheekbones in a soothing manner as you frowned.

"Just come back in one piece, ok?" You tried not to let your voice waver as you spoke. Kabal chuckled, leaning down to give you a hug.

"I'll do my best, sweetheart." Your chest tightened as he let go of you to rush out the door.

"I love you." He turned around with a bright smile on his face.

"I love you too." And just like that, he was gone.

It kinda felt like he took your heart with him.

It's been a long time since Kabal walked out on you. It's been rough. The tears, the heartbreak. He hadn't contacted you. No voice-mail, no messages, nothing. You had started to wish that Stryker hadn't even told you that he was alive. But he did. And now all that's left to do is get over him.

That wasn't quite as easy as you thought it would be. 

"Hey kabal, I'm just...calling to check in on you. Call me back soon, alright?"

"It's me again. I know I've been calling your work phone a lot, but I'm really worried."

"Could you please, just- just pick up the phone? Just once? I miss you."

"Our wedding date is- was supposed to be next week. I...I won't be mad if you come back this late… just please, come home."

"It's… *hic* it's me again um… we um… went out tonight. They told me to give it a rest. Heh, but I know this line's still active! Stryker *hic* told me so. He wouldn't lie right?"

"..."

"I'm going to stop calling this phone soon. If you can hear this...I… *sigh* nevermind. This is useless. I'm sorry."

----

After Kabal left, you saved your money and quit your job. Turning the land around your home into a flower farm, you had already lost so much, why not give back to yourself? Your favorite hobby became your favorite job, and soon enough you had made enough money to build a little shop on the property just a little closer to the road. And my oh my, was business booming.

"Hey Mrs.Cameron! How've you been?" Mrs. Lissy Cameron and her wife were once your wedding planners, and then they became your #1 customers when you opened up shop. She smiled at you, and you carefully took the premade bouquet of flowers from her to ring it up on the register. 

"I've been wonderful! Sarah's been asking to come here all week, so I figured we might as well stop by on our way back home." Her wife scoffed, playfully swatting at her.

"Please, we both wanted to drop by. Lissy has been obsessed with your hyacinth bouquets since you did the floral arrangements for Janet's wedding." You giggled sweetly, telling them their total and carefully bagging their flowers. When you looked up to take Lissy's card however, the two of them looked worried.

"Is everything ok?" Sarah sighed at the question, reaching out to take your left hand. Your chest started to squeeze up. 

"You're wearing it again." You solemnly looked down at the ring on your finger. Letting out a curt, sad laugh. You hadn't noticed that you had put it on this morning. You were kinda on autopilot when you woke up after sleeping through your alarm, and had to rush to open up shop. It must've been simply out of habit. It had taken a while to stop wearing it, as it partly carried the hope that he would be back. But he wouldn't be, and you knew that. But every once in a while… 

"I hadn't even realized. Thanks for letting me know." They gave you a pitiful look as you slipped the ring off your finger and set it next to the register. Lissy gave you a soft smile when you finished ringing them up. 

"Hey, Sarah and I were going to get drinks tonight with a few friends. You could tag along if you'd like? I'm sure you'll meet some interesting people." Lissy wiggled her eyebrows at you, and you laughed when Sarah slapped her arm for it. Sarah turned and gave you a soft look.

"You don't have to Honey," She paused. "But it might be good for you to get out of the shop sometime. We barely even see you outside this place." You tried your best to smile at them, but it came out sorta lopsided.

"I'll think about it." Lissy gave your hand a reassuring pat, taking the flowers and waving goodbye as she and Sarah went out the door.

"Take it easy!" You smiled sadly at the words. 

"I'll try." 

----

Today had been the busiest day you've had in a while, but it felt worth it in the end as you closed up shop. The setting sun casting a warm glow through the many windows. Creating a perfect, calm setting to close everything up. You tidied the flowers that were left over from the day, replaced the water in the vases, even swept. 

You had gone out and turned on the sprinklers for the bushes and blooms outside, coming back inside to mop before you had to run back out again to turn it off and finally, finally turn in for the night. 

The water sloshed around as you set the bucket down to start mopping near the counter. When you stood, your eyes caught on the ring again. 

That stupid, beautiful, ring that never failed to put a damper on you mood. You slowly staggered toward it, gently picking it up in your hands to examine it.

It had always been the most beautiful piece of jewelry you owned, it was a shame that it wasn't used for some other couple. Preferably one that actually worked out in the end. As you traced the outline of it you started to wonder where Kabal was right now. Was he ok? Was he married so soon? Did he have kids? Or maybe he was just dead. You didn't know which one hurt worse.

You sighed. You couldn't keep doing this. You couldn't keep finding it, and thinking about him, and bringing the pain all back to the surface again. You just couldn't. You set the ring back down. Maybe you should take Lissy's offer up. Drink your woes away.

A noise caught your attention, kicking you out of your thoughts. A clay pot rolled across the floor as you looked up.

"Hello?" You called out. No response. You slowly grabbed the bat you kept underneath your counter, and started to creep over to the other end of the shop, walking through the giant, open doorway that separated the sunroom, where the flowers are kept, from the shop.

There didn't appear to be anyone there when you got over that way, and you sighed, relaxing for a second. You leaned down to pick up the pot.

"Gotcha!" Suddenly a pair of arms forcibly wrapped around you. You screamed, and one of the arms suddenly moved from your waist and clutched your throat.

"Keep it down, or I'll fucking kill you." Still panicked, you managed to wrench an arm out of the man's grip and sharply elbow him in the side. He groaned in pain, and the split second he loosened his grip was enough for you to break from his hold and slam the pot down in his head.

He yelped in pain this time. Holding his now bleeding head. You held the bat in both hands now, ready to swing again. 

"Get out of my shop! NOW!" You barked at him. He chuckled in a creepy, unhinged way. Smiling up at you with disgusting yellow teeth and spitting on the floor.

"I'll be damned if any of Kano's bitches tell me what to do!" You couldn't even process the words before he lunged at you again, you tried to dodge swiftly. Unfortunately, he was still able to grab one end of the bat. He used it to yank you closer and knock you to the ground. You desperately tried to push him off as he wrapped his cold, dirty hands around your throat, pushing all of his body weight there. 

You tried to kick at him, but he wouldn't budge. Your nails clawed deep into the skin of his wrist, and even lashing out at his face had no effect. Your eyes started to get teary as you struggled to breath. 

All you could feel was a rush of wind, and the man had been knocked off of you. He was launched into one of your tables of flowers, breaking it in half as he landed. You coughed, gasping for air. Thankful that you could breathe again. You felt so sore, but you still sat up, baffled by the events. 

A new man was standing in between you and the attacker. He was clothed head to toe in frightening, thick gear, fists clenched. You wouldn't have known who it was. Especially not with the mask on his face, but when your eyes settled on the hook swords on his back… 

It couldn't be… 

A scream interrupted your thoughts. The new man holding your attacker up by his neck. He was screaming for forgiveness, for a chance to run. You stood, and the masked man stiffened, dropping the other into the mess once again.

"You've got two minutes to run." The attacker didn't even spare a glance at you before trying to bolt out the front door, slamming into it hard before frantically popping the lock open.

The masked man hadn't looked at you, but you, however, couldn't take your eyes off of him. He started to walk away when you called out for him.

"Kabal?" Your voice broke. He didn't turn back. He kept walking. Fury started to build up in your chest. You stormed over to him, grabbing him by the sheaths on his back. 

"Where do you think you're going?! You come back for two fucking seconds and plan to leave just like that? Without an explanation? Fuck you!" Tears were running down your face now. He stops in his tracks, but doesn't turn around. He calls your name. 

"That guy's gotta grudge against the black dragons-understandably. 'Managed to hack into some old files. He's been hunting down family and friends and killing them on the spot. Had a few 'mercs quit on us Kano gave me the order to kill him." He pauses. "That's the only reason I came back." You didn't flinch at the info that he was back with the dragons, but It felt like your heart shattered a second time when he spoke the last few words. This fucking asshole. you refused to back down. 

"You know that's not the explanation I'm asking for." He didn't respond. But he didn't move either. You stepped in front of him. Looking straight into the eyes of his mask. Tears were still streaming down your face, your hands were shaking, you were so fucking mad, and sad, and destroyed. You almost wished he had been dead. 

"Kabal. Where. The. Fuck. have you been." He sighed, and you couldn't tell if he was making eye contact- or even trying to, through his mask.

"Don't worry about it." You were clenching your hands so hard your nails started to bite into the skin of your palm.

"I swear to God, Kabal. You fucking left me without so much as a note. You're going to tell me why!" 

"I don't have to tell you anything." He pushed past you forcefully, making his way to the door. For a moment you just stood there in shock. What was wrong with him?!

"Excuse me?!" He sighed, walking over to your counter.

"I'm not doing this with you today." You were bubbling with rage, not able to even swallow your sobs. Kabal had stopped at the register, frozen for a moment, and you took that chance to reach out and grab him by the shoulder, forcibly turning him around.

"In case you fucking forgot, our wedding was supposed to be two months after you disappeared on me. Do you know how much that Fucking hurt?! Do you have any idea how much it hurts now, you piece of shit! God just- at least just TELL me why!" Kabal stiffened, and you knew he was starting to become angry. Or maybe he was sad. You couldn't tell. No one spoke for a long moment as you tried to wait for him to respond. He didn't. 

Your watery, angry eyes were glaring at him, and he watched as you walked behind the counter. In a moment of uncontrollable anger, you snatched the ring up and forced it into his hands. His shoulders slumped immediately when he realized what it was.

"Get the fuck out of my shop." Your hands were shaking, your face was still flushed, eyes red from the tears, but you didn't look away from him. He started to call your name, but you interrupted him.

"GET OUT!" Your voice had gone hoarse. Kabal didn't budge. Slowly, very slowly, he reached up to his mask. As he took it off. Your guarded expression immediately faltered.

His face was horribly scarred. You sucked in a breath from pure horror for a second. Burn scars all over his face. You looked at his hands, his neck. He was scarred everywhere. His face twisted in disgust as he analyzed your face.

"You really wanted to know that bad, huh? I left you because I already knew what you would think, what you would say if I came home to you like this." You were almost in shock, tears running down once again as you gently reached over the counter to touch Kabal's face. He flinched for a moment, but let you touch him. 

"What happened?" Your voice shook, horror evident on your face. His face fell for a moment as you touched him, so terribly gently. He hard look in his eye softened.

"What does it matter? I'm horrific." You let out a sad, snarky laugh. Cupping his face with both your hands, caressing his cheekbones just as gently as he did yours the morning he left.

"Don't you remember the night you proposed?" He sucked in a breath, and your hands gently pushed his short hair out of his face before you reeled yourself in. You wouldn't touch him like this. It didn't matter why he left you, he still did it. But even then, your heart ached for him. Damn, you needed to see a therapist.

"I had quit the black dragon. I was asking what you thought of me joining the NYPD." 

"And?" Your voice broke as you struggled to maintain a strict tone.

"...and?" You nodded tearfully, sniffling from all the crying. Kabal kept going. "We talked about my tendency to join violent fields. I… I had asked you if you'd still love me if I came home with bruises every night, just like I had used to." His face started to shift. You already knew he remembered what you were about to say. That flicker of anger started up in your chest as you spoke bitter words.

"I told you that I'd love you no matter how many scars, or bullet holes, or bruises you came home with, as long as you were coming home." Kabal's realization left a devastated look on his face, and no matter how bitter you felt, you couldn't help but reach for his hand. He held your hand back limply.

"...I kinda fucked that one up. Didn't I?" You laughed, a pitiful, angry noise.

"You did." You stopped for a moment. "You did." You felt numb as the words fell into a whisper.

"-But no matter how fucking angry I am, I don't think that statement ever changed, Kabal." He ran his thumbs over your knuckles, avoiding eye contact with you by looking down at them.

"... You'd really still love me after all this? After all the scars, all the time…" You pressed your lips into a line, sighing before squeezing his hand. His eyes started to water as your own began to dry.

"I..." It was difficult to say this. It really was. But you wanted him back. You really did. You wanted to give him that second chance. You wanted those sleepy mornings and the pillow talk and the awful food he cooks. You missed him so fucking much.

"It's gonna take a while, and certainly some couple's therapy, but Kabal…" You held his cheek again, lifting his head to look at you. You looked into his eyes and bit back what you were originally going to say. Letting out a pitiful laugh at yourself before doing your best to wipe that look from his face. You didn't owe him anything, but you saw an opportunity and took it.

"... I wouldn't mind seeing that ass in the morning again." Kabal was taken off guard for a moment, and you felt triumphant. He erupted in wonderful, happy laughter. Pulling you close from across the counter and kissing your forehead.

"How could I say no to that?"

.

.

.

"Kabal, weren't you supposed to take care of that one guy?" 

"Shit."

[yamithediaperdork]

Back to babyhood (kingdom hearts)

Sora woke with a start as his Micky mouse alarm went off. Looking around wildly and figuring out it wasn't a attack of some sort (he was kinda a dork for the first few minutes he was awake) he reached over and shut the alarm off and then sat there for a second, closing his eyes and building up for a reveal. He'd managed to keep his bed and pants clean for a whole 29 days so far, and if he was dry and clean, this would make it 30 and Rikku had promised to let him back in the master bedroom if he could prove he wasn't a big baby anymore. 'Moment of truth..' Sora thought and pulled the blankets back and then opened his left eye slowly and looked down, then both eyes. a big silly grin broke out over his face, he was all good! his white dino  print jammies weren't brown or wet and there was NO stains on the bed. "YES! HAHAHAHA! I AM KING OF THE BIG BOYS!" Sora cheered and jumped up and down on his bed, pumping his fists into the air. "would the king of the big boys like to get dressed and come out for pancakes?" Came his boyfriend/daddies voice and sora stopped jumping and locked eyes with Rikku, then jumped off the bed and ran over. "I did it! no poopie or pee and that means I get to sleep in bed with you tonight!" Sora said, super excited. "Mhmmm..as long as you stay clean during the day..and you know what happens when you get too excited. go get dressed and use the can, I'll go and finish making breakfast for my king." Rikku chuckled and winked, then ruffling Sora's hair he took off. 'hmmff..Of course I can keep my pants clean during the day! that's not even a concern anymore!' Sora thought with a huff. still, it was better to do what Rikku wanted then argue with him, just because he was out of diapers and pull ups didn't mean he couldn't take a trip over rikku's lap. Since he had to work in a little under a hour Sora decided to put on his uniform and save time. It wasn't as fun or colorful as a lot of his other outfits but it wasn't suppose to be. A pale blue shirt with the general store on the corners logo on it, and a pair of black dress pants..it wasn't even like he actually needed the job with all the money him and Rikku had made while saving the world. Rikku though controlled the money as back when Sora had been..well ok, a total big baby in a big boys body, he hadn't exactly been responsible with money. or much of anything. That's not to say that Sora really wanted for much, but Rikku would only dole out the cash in allowances with this month marking the first time he'd trusted sora to hold the money himself. The Job at the store was more about teaching responsibility to Sora as well as give him something to focus on and keep him from slipping back into baby mood. Getting him the job had been touch and go, as Sora was well known enough around town as a big baby no one was really willing to hire him. Rikku had pointed out to the store manger, Malcore, That with all the diapers and other stuff they had bought there over the years Sora deserved a chance.

Rikku smirked at how damn proud Sora looked as he walked out, and then chuckled as the so called big boy started to drool seeing the spread on the table. Don't get Rikku wrong, he was glad that Sora was finally returning to adulthood such as it was (the boy had never been the most mature 18 year old even before the diapers) but the constant dirty diaper smell in the house and having to change a minuim of 4 dirty diapers a day wasn't as fun as one might think. "heh, watch the drool buddy." Rikku said and came over with a dish towel and wiped sora's chin anyways for him. "O-Oh yeah..ehehe sorry..just..yowie wowie! Were you up all night cooking?" Sora asked. on the table there was a stack of pancakes, a dish with bacon, some slices of ham, a dish filled with scrambled eggs and of course two pitchers of Milk and OJ. "No, I just got up a little early and assumed you'd be a big boy and wanted to celebrate." Rikku said and kissed Sora's cheek. "And it's all for me?" Sora asked. "Well, I'd like to have SOME of it,guessing I should make my plate first?" Rikku laughed then added "Just don't go too hog wild, you don't wanna stuff yourself and be on the can all day at work..again." "O-Oh Malcore called you about that huh?" Sora said sheepishly. "Well Roxas complained about having to work the floor alone..Speaking of which, is roxas coming over again today after work?" "IIIII dunno. I'll ask him when i get there." Sora said and took a seat. Rikku let it drop and fixed himself a plate and then tried to look away as Sora wolfed down the food with such gusto you were swear he hadn't eaten for days. He wasn't the biggest fan of Roxas for a few reasons, the first one being that he was trying to encourage Sora to baby out. the second was that he knew for a fact Roxas was getting into the stash of left over diapers at the house, and helping himself. Rikku had been semi sure that Roxas was a little diaper thief back before Sora got out of his huggies, though it was hard to keep track of back then.. but with no new diapers coming in to replace missing ones he'd kept count. Still he was Sora's best friend and as long as he didn't end up making sora land back in diapers just so he didn't have to buy his own, Rikku would let it slide.

Roxas whined as he looked though his underwear drawer, and then under his bed..there was no two ways about it: he was out of diapers again. It just wasn't fair (at least in his twisted little mind) that Sora had to go and screw him over like this.Like, he put up with how toxic and stinky Sora could be, and watched the dumb baby shows with him (never mind Roxas actually liked the shows just as much and wasn't exactly a rosebush when he loaded his diapers) and now Sora had to go and ruin it all by trying to become a stupid big boy and cut him off from his supply of diapers! sure Roxas COULD of gone and brought his own diapers, but he'd seen the smirks and snickers everyone gave when Sora had been getting his and didn't wanna risk that. He did after all have a reputation to keep. So naturally like any clever baby, Roxas decided to do the only thing he could do..which meant turn sora back into a diaper baby so he could go back to stealing diapers from him without worrying about Rikku noticing. To THAT end he made a special lunch just for Sora, and had prepped some video's for his bestie to watch, and he'd have him loading his pants like a CHAMP in no time. Any guilt he might of felt over turning Sora back into a diaper filling baby was taken away by the anger of Sora making him have to go days at a time without a diaper to wear at home..and the belief that Sora would be happier in diapers. Really, more people needed friends like him.

Sora got a text from Roxas partway though his munching and smirked. "Don't worry about packing me a lunch today, Roxas made me one to make up for being a brat when i kicked his butt at chocobo racing on Sunday." Sora giggled. "heh, well at least he admits it..I thought he was gonna smash the controller before I told him to knock it off before I'd have to spank his butt." Rikku chuckled. "Anyways, I should go brush my teeth and start walking for work." Sora said, belching one last time and wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Breakfast was AWESOME, thanks da- Rikku." Sora blushed a little, catching himself at calling his boyfriend daddy, since that was what he did as a big BABY, but it wasn't always easy. Rikku just smiled and tapped his left cheek and tilted his head, and Sora took the hint. walking over he planted a big old smooch on Rikku's cheek then went off to finish getting ready for anther glorious day in retail.

Malcore yawned, he'd had to pull the night shift due to DT going back to collage and was mostly getting though on coffee. In truth if it hadn't of been for the fact  that Josh and DT had been forced to cut back on their hours he would of never hired Sora or Roxas. Lord knows what head office would of thought if they had seen what a massive diaper dork Sora had been before, and it wasn't hard to see Roxas was a diaper dork just waiting to happen, if he wasn't just one at home. Still, faced with risking coming into find the two playing in diapers in the baby section or covering all the hours himself, Malcore had made his choice. That didn't mean though as Sora and Roxas came in and went to clock in he didn't give them a once over..Sniffling the air and making sure there was no baby powder or 'other' baby smells, and of course eyeing their butts to see if they were padded. truthfully it wasn't hard to tell on that front, the diapers these two seemed to favor, or at least he'd seen sora wear/Roxas eyeball on the shelf, tended to be super thick diapers that left nothing to the imagination. assured that they weren't padded, Malcore went over what had to get done, and assigned Roxas on cleaning duty (As in sweeping the floors once a hour, and checking on the public bathroom) which, of course got a face from Roxas.. and then assigned Sora to handling all shipping and receiving stuff, in case any shipments came in. His work done, malcore walked out mentally praying that they could keep being big boys, he just didn't have it in him today to come in and have to put up with poopie diaper boys.

The boys handled the first part of the shift fine, they had a mild early morning rush of people stopping off for coffee or snackage on their way into work, not to mention a few kids/teenagers in school stopping off for the same. Of course a lot of these kids had seen Sora back in his diapered baby days and half of them seemed to be there least to pick up something, and more to see if he was back to being a big baby. (this of course made Sora huffy, But as Malcore pointed out, it brought in customers so Sora had better just suck it up buttercup.) with the morning rush over, the boys decide that despite what malcore had said, they would split their duties with each other, and So after best two out of three of rock scissors paper lizard Spock Roxas swept the floor while sora cleaned the bathroom, complaining the whole time. "Dear god, are they even TRYING to get it in the bowl! And they think -I'M- the one who should be in diapers!" came sora's wail from the bathroom, making Roxas snicker. "now now, don't be a sore loser..if you would pick something besides Spock you might of won a round." Roxas called back. "I call hack's!" Sora whined, but finished cleaning and came out. "would you feel better if we took our break early? I got some video's I wanna show you." Roxas said. "HECK YEAH!" Sora said, and despite himself, he wiggled his butt..a hold over from his little guy days.

they didn't go to the break room since well, with two of them on, one of them had to stay upfront anyways, so the boy's plopped down behind the front counter and Roxas took out some of the homemade chocolate chip cookies he'd made, trying to make sure he gave the tainted ones with ex-lax chocolate used for the chips to Sora, while pulling up the special video's he'd prepped for Sora to watch. what Roxas didn't know was that while he had taken the time to prep two batches of the cookies, one which was sure to have a boy fudging his pants and one without, he'd gotten distracted thinking about all the diapers he was gonna steal and had only packed his laxative laced baked goods. there was no way to tell from the taste alone, and as they munched away, Sora watched the let's play video's Roxas had sent hours mixing with subliminal messages that would encourage the return of big baby Sora. "oh man! these guys are SO good at mega-man! I never even KNEW about some of these paths they're taking! Roxas, come see this!" Sora squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down in his seat, cookie crumbs goes down the front of his shirt as ate like a piggy despite his big breakfast, if there was one thing you could count on, no matter HOW full Sora got, he'd always have room for sweets. "I'm good, I already watched it. You watch that and I'll keep a eye on the door." Roxas said, finishing the last of his cookies too. "your the bestest friend ever!" Sora coo'ed, and wiggled like a happy toddler. clearly the messages were going to work already. 'Like sandblasting a soup cracker.' Roxas thought with a smirk. "heh, and don't you forget it."

Sora just couldn't stop smiling and giggling as he watched, and found himself re-watching certain parts of the same video over and over again. it never even dawned on him once that the happy giddy feeling he was experiencing could be traced back to the video, or that his bestest buddy in the whoooole world was setting him up to be a derpy diaper boy. he was kicking his legs and moving his head back and forth, though found himself getting bored with the let's play video's and since Roxas was dealing with a couple of collage students who had came in, he put in some headphones and switched over to YouTube and started to watch some Barney. he was just past the intro of the episode he had brought up when he looked up and noticed the two guys, and Roxas looking at him, and all three were smiling big time. Pausing the video and taking the headphones out, Sora looked back. "uhhh, can i help you?" he asked. "heh, no no, but you have a lovely singing voice." one of the students said and started laughing. "I loved just how into you got." the other said. "I-I wasn't singing!" sora huffed and blushed hotly. "Uh buddy? we know your watching barney, or at least the intro." Roxas said, smirking and shaking his head. "you can go back to it, but indoor voice please." he added. "o-oh.." Sora said in a soft voice, and put the headphones back and and glued his eyes to the screen, though now it was less a desire to watch the show and more just to block out the collage guys.

"heh, so are you like looking after him ot something or does he really work here?" The bigger of the two collage guys asked, sporting a brown crew cut. Just a few inches shorter, but with more of a barrel chest was a blond who was rocking a ponytail. "he's cute either way." the blond chimed in. "Yeah, he works here, but he's just a total dork. he gets paid in diapers." Roxas said, thinking up the lie on the spot. but his calculations, the cookies should be starting to kick in any second now, so he wagged his eyebrows. "in fact, any second now he's likely gonna start going off so we better get you two checked out befo-" he started when a super loud booming fart filled the store. only problem was it hadn't come from Sora, but Roxas who turned crimson. "heh, looks like there's more then one big baby in the store!" Blondie laughed. "Holy hell, did that hurt?" Crew cut asked, though he was holding his nose as a less then pleasure aroma had followed the blast of gas. "I uh..I er.." Roxas stammered, then quickly made his way behind the check out. "I-I think we b-better get you out of here b-before-" he tried to say only for anther back door blast to come out from his butt, a little wetter this time. as if taking it as a challenge, though he was engrossed in his show, Sora leaned to the side and while never taking his eyes off of the screen added to the hurricane of farts that was quickly rendering the store a toxic zone. "uh..I think we'll..get out drinks and snacks somewhere else.." Crew cut said, gagging a little and wiping at his eyes. "Yeahhh clearly the food here is tainted if you guys have been snacking on it." Blondie said, and the two guys left quick.

Sora drifted out of the zone he was in, when the smell finally hit him. he'd of course let out anther two farts before being knocked out of it, and Roxas had added in twice as many and was doing baby steps as he headed for the bathroom. "Hey Roxas, who cut the cheese?" Sora asked, clueless and was answered by a super gross and wet sounding fart from Roxas who froze in place, and had one hand on his tummy, and one on his butt, hunching over. "I guess that answers that." Sora said and slid out of his chair, on his way over to help his bestest buddy. or he was when a powerful cramp hit him and he hunched over, letting out a fart that sounded more like a foghorn then something that should of been possible for a human. "OWIE!" Sora cried out as it wasn't all that pleasant to let out, and Roxas whined and answered with a even worse sounding fart. "oh gawd, S-Sora..I think I'm gonna..gonna..." Roxas whined. "G-Gonna what?" the clueless Sora asked, shuffling slowly and getting up next to Roxas and then leaning on him, ending ANY shot Roxas might of had to get to the bathroom. "I'm gonna crap my pants!" Roxas wailed and then proceed to do so, bawling as the back of his undies puffed out and the back of his jeans showed what was happening. "M-me too!" Sora whimpered, and then bawled too as his bowels cut loose too and his own pants were ruined.

Being Sora's emergency contract and fairly responsible, Rikku always had his cell with him in case he was needed. Hence why even though he was relaxing in the tub, reading a novel he was quick to answer the phone when a call came though from the general store. It was hard to understand what was going on at first, though the wails and the sobbing, and Rikku had been cut off before he could even say hello, but soon enough he got the general idea of what had happened. It took about five minutes, during which time he got dried off and started to get dressed, but Rikku got both of the not so big boys calmed down to just gentle whimpers. "Sora, Buddy, You and Roxas get in the bathroom, I'll be down there as soon as possible with some clean pants..among other things. Ok?" "I..I..I DIDN'T MEAN TOOO! WAHHHHH!" Sora sobbed loudly, and in the back round Rikku could hear that he'd started Roxas up again. and so anther five minutes were used up as Rikku packed a diaper bag, there was only two of sora's diapers left. getting off the phone with the big babies he went out the door and right next door to where Roxas was living, and found the spare key under a flower pot right where Roxas had left it. he could of just just grabbed two pairs of Sora's pants but figured if a leak happened, he'd prefer it happen in Roxas's pants, not Sora's. he noticed a pink notice on the floor that had been put though the mail slot, but ignored it as he went into Roxas's room and while getting a pair of his pants, confirmed his belief that the brat was stealing diapers as he had a few wet ones in a trash can by his bed. "I'll have to put him on time out for that." Rikku said to himself and was heading back out the door when something on the kitchen counter caught his eye. coming into the kitchen he found a wrapper for some chocolate ex-ax, and there were cookies on the counter. recalling how sora had mentioned all they'd had were some cookies Roxas brought from home Rikku put 1 and 1 together. "..Forget a time out, he's getting his buns blistered!" Rikku growled. Storming out Rikku made his way double time to the store, now knowing he was gonna have to for SURE buy more diapers, there was no way those two weren't gonna be pooping their brains out al day.

Thankfully there was more then one potty in the bathroom, and Sora and Roxas were each on one, poopie undies and pants in the trash and holding onto the side of the potties while going again. "Oh gawd how do I still have bones left!?!" Roxas cried out. "I'm pooping lava!" Sora whined and whimpered. of course while Sora was clueless as to way he was pooping up a storm, Roxas knew full well why it was happening, and that this wasn't ending any time soon as he flushed. monkey see monkey do, Sora flushed too though even as they finished, both boys stayed seated, panting and gasping and exhausted. "Roxas..I dun think i want yer cookies anymore." Sora whined. "heh..fair..fair enough.." Roxas said, letting it go that Sora thought he was just a bad baker and not that this had been all by design, at least till he'd eaten them too. the boys sat there, willing their butt holes to close and suffered in silence, mostly. Roxas could hear the soft slurping noise of sora sucking his thumb. 'I hope that wasn't the hand he was wiping with..' Roxas thought and wrinkled his nose.

Rikku made it into the shop and was glad no one was inside, and nothing looked like it had been stolen. There was a awful stench in the air from the boys accidents and Rikku mused that it was likely the smell more then anything else had scared off any potential looters. He knew the place like the back of his hand, Sora had given him a grand tour (with permission from malcore) of the entire store after his first week, eager to show off, and besides that there was only the one bathroom for whole store that was shared by the customers and the staff alike. Making his way to the bathroom and taking shallow breath, Rikku paused to grab a few can's of air freshener. 'I doubt Malcore will mind me using these..better then coming into a store that smells like a diaper pail.' Rikku reasoned mentally, and then used up all of one can and half of the second. with THAT taken care of Rikku made his way into the bathroom and announced his arrival by making use of the second can and putting a arm to his mouth and nose. if it had smelled like a diaper pail out front, in the bathroom it was a dumpster of dirty diapers. "whew, you boys ok in here? you didn't break the potties did you?" he called. From the stall closet to him Roxas's voice started to answer he was ok, but it was drowned out by Sora's voice in the stall closet to the window. "Daddy!" Sora whimpered out, and the door open and the naked from the waist down save for his socks and shoes Sora ran out and glomped Rikku. Rikku smiled and set the can down on the sink, then wrapped one arm around Sora and used the other to pat the boys head. "Daddy I'm sowwy! I don't know why but my bum won't l-listen to me and i just wanna wear my diapies and hug you and and I don't think I'm a big boy anymore and i just wanna be your babbbby!" Sora whimpered and wailed, nuzzling his head into Rikku's chest and getting his shirt damp with tears. "shhh it's ok Sora..it's oook. We're just gonna get you and Roxas dressed, and then we'll finish out your shift, all three of us ok? Then I'll talk with malcore and let him know you'll be quitting." Rikku said and rubbed the big babies back, then tilted his head up and kissed his forehead. Switching his gaze to the stall that roxas was in, Rikku cleared his throat. "are you just gonna hide in there, or you wanna come out too? I can give you a hug if you need one as well." rikku said. he'd been half joking when he made the offer of course, but wasn't shocked when the door opened and Roxas took a spot on the side of Rikku and whimpered and sobbed too.

Getting both boys fully cleaned up, Rikku wasn't shocked when neither one of them protested to the diapers he'd brought (in fact both of them had gotten a little 'exited' while he was powdering them) but then there came a problem that Rikku for all his skills as a daddy hadn't foreseen. the pants barely fit over the diapers, and there was no way to button them or zip them up. "er..who wants to go pants-less for the rest of their shift?" Rikku asked, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly after the tenth attempt to get either of them zipped up failed. "oh oh! Me! MEEEE!" Sora said, holding up his left hand and giggling. now that he had been told it was ok to go back to being a baby, he'd grabbed it with both hands so to speak and gladly kicked off his pants. "Now everyone can see how cute my diapies are daddy!" he giggled and wiggled his butt. Roxas on the other hand, turned pale. "No! no no no no no!" he whined and as if it was somehow Rikku's fault for not trying hard enough, hopped up and down tugging on the dress pants trying to force them up. "Come onnn work with me you stupid things!" Roxas whined, looking like a huffy toddler and Sora giggled and snuggled into daddy watching the show. "er..Roxas..i don't think it's gonna work. you might as well give up before you-" Rikku started. he was cut off as a loud rip was hear and the ass of the pants ripped open, along with the crotch of them. "..rip them." Rikku finished, trying not to laugh at the look of shock and embarrassment on Roxas face. "I..but..DAMN IT!" Roxas yelled and grabbed at the rip and tore it all, venting his frustrations at the poor pants while Sora gasped and covered his ears. "Daddy! he said a bad word!" Sora cried out. "I think we'll let him have a mulligan on that one buddy." Rikku said and gave Sora a side hug. A side hug that apparently helped whatever was left in the boys system come out because Sora yelped and then hugged Rikku tight and buried his face into his side as he started to load his diaper. not to be out done and with the remains of his pant's in his hands, Roxas dropped to a squat and used one hand to brace himself on the floor as the other arm clutched at his tummy. the back of both boy's white and chocobo print diapers puffed out rapidly and the chocobo's vanished from the back and front as they wet themselves while loading their diapers. '..oh good. because one stinky baby wasn't enough.' Rikku thought sweat dropping as the wails started again. "DADDDDY!" Came the twin cries, at the same time and Rikku wondered if maybe, just maybe..the two had practiced to nail such perfect timing.

Helping himself to a pack of the extra thick nighttime diapers off the shelf, and keeping track of what he'd owe Malcore, Rikku got the big babies changed even as they hiccuped and whined. the sobs and complaints about the design of the diapers (have just generic moons and stars on them) were muffled as Rikku also snagged a package of pacifiers from the shelf and popped one in each boys mouth. red mouth guard for Sora, yellow for Roxas. the big babies sucked on their paci's and wiped at their tears with one hand, but also were (Squeal!) holding each others hands for support while Rikku got them changed. He tried to get them to stand up and find something for them to do once they were nice and safe in their diapers, but the boys legs were shaken and they both looked wiped. considering how much they had pooped out and how fast it had happened, it wasn't really all that surprising though really. Rikku added to his mental tab and got a couple of baby bottle off of the shelf and then some Gatorade and filled the bottles up. the electrolyte's in the juice would help them feel better in a bit, though they were both falling asleep. Looking around the store, Rikku spotted a play pen that was on display in the back and tilted his head. 'It'll be a little cramped..but it's the best I can do.' he thought. With the big babies fading fast and rubbing their eyes even as they sucked on their ba-ba's (Rikku had made use of paci clips and ribbons so the paci's just hung from the boys work shirts)  Rikku got them both up and set on either hip and carried them down to the playpen. "Ok sleepyheads, you two are gonna go night night for awhile ok? Daddy will be here when you wake up. I know the play pen is gonna be a little cramped, but it's the best I can do on short notice." Rikku said. there was no fight left in the big babies and they just slowly nodded. 'If they were only so cute and agreeable ALL the time.' Rikku thought to himself. of course just because Roxas was all cute and helpless NOW didn't mean he wasn't going to get punished later. it just meant Rikku was willing to let him work this this if for no other reason then bare bottom spanking a oversized big baby when they have the runs will ALWAYS end badly. Gently setting them in the playpen, Rikku couldn't help but grin like a fool and lean over the edge and watch as the more asleep then awake baby snuggled right into each other and let the ba-ba's drop and then (BIG squeal!) popped each others paci in the others mouth as they went off to dream land.'...OK..maybe having two big babies is gonna be worth the extra stink.' Rikku mentally gushed. grabbing a blanket he put it over the sleeping babies, and then went to work cleaning up.

Malcore was NOT happy as he made his way back to the store. the manger had been woken up from a dead sleep by a deliver man bringing certain ..packages.. to his place but when malcore had gone to take his wallet out to show ID he'd realized he'd forgotten it back at the store. Thankfully the guy cut him a break and let him get his packages but now the half asleep and grumpy Manger had to walk ALL the way to and ALL the way back to the store, because he'd been a dumb ass and let his next door neighbor borrow his car. "No good deed goes fucking unpunished." Malcore grumbled. walking into the shop he noticed a heavy fruity scent in the air and groaned. "Roxas, Sora, I swear if you two were playing fart war again Il.." Malcore started and then blinked as it was Rikku who was behind the counter, not one of his employee's. "oh uh..Hey Malcore." Rikku said. "is there a reason your behind the counter right now and not one of the two dorks i pay to be hind the counter?" Malcore asked. before Rikku could answer however there was a loud snore from the back of the shop. Holding a hand up to shush Rikku, Malcore walked over and looked down to the back of the store and yup, there was Sora and Roxas, asleep in a playpen. "..Do I wanna know the full details or do I wanna just save the head ache and fire them both and pray I can get someone else in to cover their shift?" malcore asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "..if it helps you've made about a $100 bucks off of them from everything I've had to buy and plan to leave with." Rikku said sheepishly. "Uh-huh.. I'll just be keeping their last pay checks, and you can sit here till I convince DT or Josh or Lute to come in. flip side, you can load up on what you need for them on the way out after I get a replacement in here." "heh, deal." 'And they wonder why I need my stress relief so much.' Malcore thought and headed for the office.

after about 45 minutes DT came into the store, looking pouty and smelling of baby power but dressed and ready for work. he did stop to gush and coo at how cute the big babies looked even if by that point Roxas and Sora had been changed into clean diapers and put into a black mage print onesie for Roxas, and a chocobo print one for Sora. they were also in a double stroller with lots of diapers packed in the undercarriage. Sora giggled and coo'ed as DT baby talked and tickled his chin while Roxas was red faced and sucking on his paci, hugging a teddy bear after finding out he'd been canned. "Who's a widdle cutie, who's a cute widdle big baby?" DT gushed and coo'ed. "hehehehe Meeee!" Sora gurgled in babyish tone and clapped his hands. "That's right! such a clever boy!" DT said and tapped Sora on the nose, then turned his attention to Roxas."Awww don't look so grumpy, your a big baby t-" DT started to say but Roxas shot him a look and DT gulped and moved away from the front of the stroller. "Er..yeah..so..I think that cuteness makes up for getting woken up." DT said, squeaking a little as he talked to Rikku "Right. you were were sleeping." Rikku said, giving a knowing look to the clerk. After all a professional daddy like Rikku knew a big baby when he saw one.

Wheeling the babies out of the shop they headed home with Sora going out of his way to wave hi to people and get attention from anyone they came across, the video had fried any sense of modesty from him and Roxas could only try and hide behind his stuffed bear as he thought he had a reputation to protect. Of course everyone on the block knew he was just as much of a big baby as Sora, but for the most part no one said anything because when confronted he had a habit of going into a high pitched whining denial speech and the whine could get SO high pitched dogs would howl. Making it back to Rikku and Sora's place first, Rikku got the stroller inside and then let the babies out while he unloaded everything from it. "Look uh..I'm glad you bailed us out and everything..but..I'm gonna go home." Roxas said, huffing a little as he stood there dressed like a big baby. "Well before you go, I figured you might want these..and know that I know what you did." Rikku Said, handing two of the large packs of diapers to Roxas and giving the big baby a look. The color drained from the big babies face and he stammered and whined a little as Sora who had been crawling over to go and play with some toys turned around and looked confused. "what did he do daddy?" the big aby asked. "Oh, nothing you need to worry about little guy. but he'll be coming over later to get punished for it. right Roxas?" Rikku said and looked Roxas right in the eyes. a wet fart escaped the blond and he gave a weak smile. "I.I..Uh..Yes sir." he said meekly. he briefly wondered about just trying to put it off and avoid contract with Rikku for like a week or so and see if this would just blow over. "And you know the longer you wait to take your licks, the worse it's going to be right?" Rikku added. 'Well shit.' Roxas thought. "I-I Understand sir." Roxas said, anther wet fart coming out and some bubbly ones coming from sora too. "if I was you, I'd either get my butt home before you end up unloading on the front lawn or just stay in here for anther diaper change." Rikku advised. Roxas went to say something but a bubbling fart had him change his mind and dash out the door, racing home.

Luck was on Roxas side, or so it seemed at first as he made it to his place and got inside before the churning in his tummy tum had him drop to his knees and start filling out the seat of his diaper once again. by this point he was basically used to the helpless feeling of crapping himself, though it still kinda hurt and burned. As he groaned and grunted and loaded his huggies, the door closed thankfully, he noticed the pink paper on the floor and gulped. even before he picked it up to read it he had a fairly good idea what it was going to say. he was maybe a month or two..ok 4 months behind on rent and had kept promising to make payments but then would go ahead and blow all his money on video games and the like. this mean he was the envy of every other boy on the block but as he looked the notice over, it also meant he had a week to move his stuff out. He was being evicted. "what did I do to deserve all of this!" Roxas cried out loud as he finished pooping his pampers and slowly got up to his feet using the wall for balance. a quick look in the kitchen and seeing the chocolate ex-lax wrapper reminded him. "..DAMN IT!"

Rikku was in the middle of changing Sora, who was busy sucking on his paci and playing with a stuffie as Rikku handled the the dirty deed, when the door bell rang. Since Sora was all clean and just waiting on a fresh diaper Rikku rubbed his belly. "you gonna be ok here for a second champ while I answer the door?" he asked. Sora nodded and went back to playing with his stuffie and Rikku made his way to the door quickly. It wasn't that he didn't trust Sora to stay put, it was more of he didn't wanna come back and find out he had peed all over himself. Opening the door Rikku was semi shocked to find Roxas back already, he hadn't been gone that long. A strong breeze blew and even if Roxas's diaper hadn't of been sagging in his onesie Rikku would of been able to tell that he was a stinky boy. "heh, you know, I'm not gonna change EVERY poo-" Rikku started, but was cut off. "I-I'm getting evicted..and..and..Can I move in with you guys for awhile?" Roxas asked, bottom lip trembling. "J-just till I get back on my feet!" Rikku thought about how Roxas had turned Sora back into a big baby, and gotten them both fired (though Sora again WAS gonna quit) and toyed with saying no. but in the end seeing the big baby scared and upset, he just couldn't bring himself to be mean. "I suppose so..but there are going to be some rules..but we'll go over them in a bit. first, let's get you changed into a clean diaper." Rikku said and ruffled Roxas hair. the big baby glomped him and Rikku just smiled.

Sora was more then a little excited at the prospect of having a brother to share his nursery with and babbled on and on about all the fun stuff the two of them were gonna do together as he sat on the floor in just a diaper and socks while Rikku changed Roxas. Rikku explained it was going to be din din time soon, the boys needed to get something in their systems and it was just easier to have big babies in diapers and socks while they ate. He also explained that as long as Roxas lived under his roof, he'd be treated JUST like Sora, which meant treated JUST like a big silly baby. no changing his own diapers, no using the potty, 7:30 pm bedtimes and the whole nine yards. If at any point Roxas had had enough and didn't wanna do it, he was always free to walk out the door. Sniffling as he heard the rules, Roxas thought about how all of this had started just so he could steal some diapers and pretend to BE a baby. Now he was trapped, with no job and no money..he was STUCK as a baby, It was a fitting punishment and fitting end for the blonds plans, and he STILL had a spanking to look forward to.  

THE END...For now.

[nolanscheeks]

“Happy Birthday” BB

**

Hey guys! So I know Brock’s birthday was yesterday but I had a midterm this morning so I couldn’t write till today. As always, this is completely made up! I didn’t proof read, so be patient with me.**

Warnings: light mention of smut

** “Good morning, birthday boy” you more or less screech at Brock the moment you see his eyes blink open just after 9am. **

“Good morning” he yawned, rubbing his eyes. You sat down next to where he nestled under the covers and leaned down to give him a kiss.  You love birthdays, any reason to bake a cake, buy things, have a party and celebrate is right up your alley. Unfortunately, this year there would be no crazy night out in downtown Vancouver, but that didn’t mean you weren’t going to do everything you could to make your boyfriend’s day special. His team has a game tonight so you guys had made a plan to celebrate the next day, an off day, but you couldn’t resist celebrating on the actual day as well. You’d set an early alarm for morning, as a couple you guys were usually up on the early side, but you wanted to make sure you got up even earlier so you could bake Brock’s favourite chocolate chip banana bread and make him a coffee to surprise him with when he woke up. 

“I made you banana bread for your birthday breakfast” you whispered in his ear, gesturing towards the bedside table where you had placed a few slices of banana bread and two hot cups of coffee.

“I thought we were gonna do my birthday tomorrow.”

“Who said we can’t celebrate today, too?” You playfully tapped the tip of his nose. Brock shrugged and pushed up into a seated position, back resting on the headboard, so you could hand him a cup.

“Thank you, y/n” he said, taking a sip. You grabbed your coffee as well and adjusted yourself so you were sitting next to Brock, leaning back against the headboard as well.

“Ok so,” you inhaled, getting a breath so you could recite your birthday plans for him, “we’re going to eat, then let’s take the dogs out and get more coffee, then we can watch a movie or something before your nap and then I have something for you tonight” you winked at him. The something was a bodysuit you’d picked up at Victoria’s Secret while Brock was at practice yesterday. Brock wasn’t a guy that cared if you got dressed up for him or not, constantly insisting you were just as, if not more, beautiful naked or in PJs but you wanted to spice it up for him, especially on his birthday.

“What’s the surprise?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You’ll see when you get home.”

“Is it a puppy?”

You laughed, “yes, Brock. I got you a puppy.” He grinned at you and rested his head on your shoulder. 

“We really don’t need another puppy” he gestured to Coolie and Milo, who were spread out on their huge beds that took up half the floor. 

“Milo is enough of a puppy.” Milo is a handful, always wanting to play, chewing the furniture, biting at Coolie, and whining at the door even after being outside multiple times. At his name, Milo jumped up and rested his face on the edge of the bed, tail wagging. 

“I guess that’s our queue” Brock chuckled, throwing his legs over the side of the best to get up. You hummed in agreement and got up as well, time for a dog walk. 

After a relaxing walk, well, as relaxing as Milo would allow, you and Brock settled on the couch with acai bowls for lunch and Gossip Girl, as per his request, on the TV.

“What time do you think you’ll be home tonight?” you ask around a bite of granola. Brock’s game day routine had been pretty standard the whole time you’d known him but with the protocols and new way of doing media he was getting home anywhere between 10 and 11:30pm after games. 

“Depends on how it goes and if I’m doing post-games” he shrugs, “got something you have to do?”

“No” you replied, smirking at him. 

“I’ll text you.”

“Perfect.” After finishing up lunch and a few too many episodes of Gossip Girl, Brock got up.

“Nap time” he held his hand out, “you should nap with me.” 

“Fine, but only because it’s your birthday” you conceded, taking the hand he offered and following him into the bedroom. You weren’t much for naps, sleeping in the middle of the day felt wrong and often let you groggy, but if he wanted to nap together today, you would do it.

You dozed a little, but not really. It felt like days had passed when Brock’s phone went off and he untangled himself from you. You watched him get ready and then kissed him goodbye as he went off to the rink. After closing the door you got to work. You melted chocolate to dip strawberries into, baked a cake, had dinner, walked and fed the dogs, showered, and got into your new lingerie all while the Canucks game played on your TV. You lit candles in the bedroom, so they would be dripping when it was time and set up the chocolate fondue. By the time you had everything ready the game-ending buzzer sounded and you began to watch your phone for Brock’s promised post-game text. The game had been a bit of a bust, a three-nothing shutout in favour of the Oilers, but whatever, that would slip Brock’s mind the moment he got home.

You idly watched your phone, waiting for his text, but by 10:15 it still hadn’t come. Brock had probably forgotten he was supposed to text you which wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, he was often guilty of forgetting small things. You’d been wearing nothing but lingerie, so you threw on a hoodie to keep you warm. Another five minutes passed by and then the front door opened and Brock entered. He shucked off his shoes and coat with a huff, greeting the dogs with a pat on the head instead of the usually enthusiastic hugs they were used to.

“Hey” you greeted, a little wary. He seemed pissed, probably an overflow from the game.

“Hey” he walked over to the fridge, grabbing a protein shake and popping it open.

“You forgot to text me” you teased. You had meant it as a joke, but at your words he tensed up. 

“Sorry” he snapped, “I was a little busy getting my ass hung up by the fucking Oilers.”

“I thought you played well” you tried to reassure him. You hadn’t watched the whole game, but what you had watched looked good.

“It doesn’t matter what you thought, we still got shutout.” He drained the last of his protein shake and the plastic bottle into the sink. Brock’s words stung a little bit. Of course your opinion doesn’t turn the loss into a win, but it wasn’t very nice of him to say your opinion didn’t matter. It also hurt that he had forgotten that you had promised a surprise. There was no point arguing though, he would cool-down and you’d get to have birthday sex, just maybe not tonight. You returned to where you’d been sitting on the couch and patted the seat beside you, beckoning one of the dogs to jump up. Sure enough, Coolie hopped up and cuddled into your side. 

“Your dad is in a mood” you informed Coolie, speaking as if he could understand you. You heard Brock scoff from the kitchen. You ignored him in favour of scratching Coolie behind the ears. 

“Baby” you were completely preoccupied with loving the dog when you heard Brock call out. “You did this?” He was obviously referring to your bedroom, set up like a scene from a romcom. You got up and joined him in the bedroom.

“Yeah” you admitted, “I thought we could have a little fun.”

“Fuck, I love it” he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around you, “and I love you.”

“Reach under my sweater” you instructed, wanting to guide him towards his surprise. He complied and you felt his arm snake up under the hoodie and grab hold of one of the straps connecting your bra and panties.

“Oh my god” he breathed.

“Happy birthday” you whispered, placing your lips on his.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it:)

[jaycewrites-192000]

Growl: Ch. 11

Warnings: None

Tag List: @theravencawsatmidnight @etroman @kaariqueen

(What I write about Kyotani's dad is completely made up)

It was Saturday afternoon, meaning it was time for Kyotani's punishment. But to him, it wouldn't be as nearly as bad of a punishment since Y/n was with him. She really didn't have to be here, but she was anyway. The two got to work at cleaning, Kyotani would mop the floors while Y/n would clean the windows. "You know Ken, this is a really weird first date." Y/n chuckled as she sprayed more window cleaner on the dirty window of the gym door. Kyotani's heart fluttered at the new nick name. "Yeah? Well, guess I'll have to really make up for it huh?" He said.

"Yes you will. I'm a lady, a lady shouldn't have to clean smudged windows." Y/n said, placing her hand over her chest in a classy way. "Shame on you." Kyotani rolled his eyes. "Pardon me madam. But you could have stayed home." He countered. "And miss out on time with my boyfriend? As if. And I never said this was a bad date." She moves onto another set of windows after finishing the first. "How sweet." Kyotani smirks.

"Oh hey, I bet your mom will be thrilled to know that we're together now. She was really laying it on thick how much she wanted us to date." Kyotani paused. That was right, his mom was desperately trying to get him and Y/n together. Well, mission accomplished then. "Yeah, it's going to be so annoying to hear from here how she was right. And my sister is just gonna be a bi-a jerk about it." Kyotani caught himsef.

Y/n giggled and made her way over to him. "How about after we finish this, you take me over to your place? We can all celebrate together." Before Kyotani could give her an ok, he stopped and thought about something. "Ken?" Y/n tilts her head. "Oh, uh, not today." He muttered. Y/n raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Kyotani hesitated before answering. "My dad is visiting tonight..." Y/n blinked a few times. 'Does...he not have a good relationship with his father?' She thinks. The last time his father was brought up in conversation, he acted this was too. "Ken, do you and him...is there something going on?" She didn't exactly know how to word it other than that. "We don't hate each other, if that's what you think." He tells her.

"Then what? If you don't mind saying." She asked. Kyotani sighs and sets aside the mop he held. Y/n walked behind him and sat on the stage part of the gym. She pats the spot next to her, Kyotani walked over and sat next to her. "He left when I turned 15. My mom and him just kinda...fell apart. And they got a divorce."

"Oh. Kentaro, I'm so sorry." Y/n placed her hand on top of his. "It's fine...I mean, I don't hate either of them for it. And they don't hate each other either it's just...weird you know? He only ever comes by ever few weeks during the weekends. Other than that, I get phone calls and letters from him. He moved to another city so, we don't see each other often. So you can imagine how awkward it gets." Y/n nods as she listens. She looks down at her lap and lets out a soft sigh.

"I wish my situation was even slightly like yours." Kyotani looks at her confused. "Divorced parents too?" Y/n nods. "Yeah but...me and my father...we don't talk at all. It's rare I even get a phone call from the deadbeat." Her eyebrows furrow, and a light scowl formed on her lips. "I'm sorry." She shakes her head. "This isn't about me."

"No it's fine. I've already explained my story. Go ahead." Kyotani insists. "Ok well...He left me and my mother when I was only 10. Mom caught him cheating with some woman he worked with. And apparently, he had been a bit of a drinker before I was born. After that, he would only drink now and then but whenever he did, me and mom didn't see much of him. After my mom found about the affair, she divorced him. And I hadn't seen him since."

Y/n continued. "My father was the one with the well paying job so, after the scandal he was fired. That's when my mom started working a lot more, so we don't talk as much as we use to." By the end of the story, Y/n was crying. "I'm sorry...I haven't really talked about this so..." Kyotani wiped her tears and held her close. "It's fine, you don't have to be sorry." He said in a hushed tone. Y/n laughs weakly, trying to lighten the mood. "Wow, when did cleaning the gym turn into a therapy session?"

Kyotani chuckles lightly and stroked the back of her head. "Since now I guess." Suddenly Kyotani's phone started to buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. "Speak of the fucking devil." It was his father. "He can wait." He was about to send him to voicemail before Y/n stopped him. "No it's ok. Go ahead. I'll get back to cleaning while I wait." Y/n hopped up and grabbed her cleaning supplies again. "You sure?" Kyotani asked.

"Yep!" Y/n beamed before getting back to cleaning. Kyotani looked at the screen again, sighed and then answered. "Hey dad..."

Y/n could catch small bits of the conversation. "Yeah....yep....Wait, really? Oh uh, I can't just yet....I'm at the school I uh, got into a fight so they're making me clean....I know...I know. Yeah ok, I'll be there ok? Alright bye." Kyotani sighed heavily before putting his phone away. "Looks like my dad decided to come early. Damn it said he wouldn't be here until later tonight." Y/n turns to him. "Was he upset? That you had gotten in trouble?" She asks.

"Yeah, but it's whatever. I'll just have to hear more about it later. Fuck." Kyotani leans against a wall. Y/n set aside the cleaning stuff and strides over to him. "Sorry." Kyotani looks at her. "You need to stop apologizing for things that aren't you're fault." He pets her head. "Besides, I did it for you. It's well worth the lecture." He then leans down and kisses her head softly. "Mhm." Y/n blushes brightly. Then a thought suddenly made it's self present in her head. She fiddles with her hands for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to ask this.

"Ken?" Kyotani hums. "Um...would you be opposed to me...meeting your father?" She mumbles the last part of her sentence. Kyotani eyes winded, he wasn't sure how to take that. You already met his mother and sister, so meeting his father shouldn't be such a bad idea. But, he wanted to spare her the awkwardness the night was sure to bring. "Y/n..." He says with a sigh.

Y/n shook her head. "N-nevermind. It's ok. That sounded a bit pushy, sorry." Kyotani scowled slightly. "What did I say about apologizing for things you shouldn't be sorry for?" He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes looking everywhere but her as he thinks. "Ok. You can come meet him."

"Really?" Y/n asks. "Yeah, just, don't say I didn't warn you." Y/n smiles and hugs him tightly. "Thank you Ken!" Kyotani couldn't help but smile and hug her back. "Don't mention it."

That night, Y/n were heading home with Kyotani. Unlike before, an overwhelming wave of nervousness came over her. She was actually going to be meeting his entire family this time. Before Kyotani could bring her to his home, she made a quick stop at her place to change into something more suitable. Kyotani told her it wouldn't be necessary, but she was not about to show up at his place and look a hot mess in front of his family. On the way there, she kept fiddling with heer outfit, making sure it wasn't wrinkled.

"You're nervous." Kyotani spoke up. Y/n paused her actions momentarily. "Yeah, no duh. I want to make a good impression. I know I've met your mother and sister already, but now I'm meeting your father too. And, we're dating so that makes this twice as important." She bring her hands down at her sides. "I want them to like me." Kyotani reached down and held Y/n's hand. "Come on, you're worrying over nothing. You know how much my mom likes you. And my sister does too, she just doesn't want to say."

"And as for my father, who cares if he likes you or not? I like you, that's all that matters. I wouldn't have fell in love with you, if I thought you were a shitty person. There is so much about you that I love. The way you smile, the way you laugh, you always know how to cheer me up, you make me feel loved Y/n. Not to mention you're really cute." Y/n's face turned bright red at his words, he was also a little red. "That should be enough for them. And if it's not, then screw 'em."

Y/n laugh. "That's a little mean, don't you think?" Kyotani smirked and let go of her hand, so he could snaked his arm around her waist. "Not when it comes to you." Before the two teens knew it, they had arrived at Kyotani's home. Kyotani glanced at Y/n, who was holding his hand tightly. "You ready?" He asks. Y/n nods, a determined smile on her face. "I'm ready." Kyotani knocked on the door, and waited. Shortly after, the door opened, revealing a tall man with the same buzz cut as Kyotani, only his was black and not blonde. His golden eyes, that matched Kyotani's too, fell from him to Y/n.

Assuming that was Kyotani's father, Y/n bowed her head in respect. "Nice to meet you sir." She greets him politely. "I apologize for suddenly showing up, but I thought it was time I formally met Kentaro's father." She looks back up, half expecting the same glare Kyotani had when she first met him. But instead, there was a warm and kind smile. "Ah, so this is the famous Y/n Kaori was talking about! Nice to meet you too young lady, the name's Botan." He held out his hand, Y/n smiled softly before taking it. "And just as pretty as I thought she was. Nice work son." Kyotani's dad gave his son a thumbs up.

Kyotani rolled his eyes, cheeks red. "Yeah yeah." He muttered. "Let's just go inside." Kyotani's dad lead the two in where they were greeted by Kaori and Natsuki. "Y/n! What a surprise! Come on in!" Kaori waved her hand, motioning her to come closer. "Hey." Natsuki nods at her before turning her attention back to her phone. Y/n couldn't help but wonder just what kept her glued to that thing. A boyfriend? Girlfriend? A stupidly overrated meme?

"See, didn't I tell you she was beautiful?" Kaori says to Botan. "Yep! Our son sure knows how to bag a good one!" He laughs. "You two...cut it out!" Kyotani hides his red face. 'Wow...they're so alike...' Y/n thought with an awkward smile. "Thank you for having me."

"Like I said, you're welcomed here anytime Y/n." Kaori smiles. "Now, have a seat. Dinner is almost ready. I hope you like (favorite food)!" Y/n's smile brightens. "I do, thank you so much!" It was a nice gesture, but she couldn't help but wonder just how Kaori knew that was her favorite meal. Maybe it was just insane luck? Whichever, she was excited!

"So you're really serious about my bro, huh?" Natsuki glances up at her. Y/n nods, placing her hand on Kyotani's. "I am. I intend on staying with him as long as possible." Natsuki sighs and turns her attention back to her phone. "Eh, hope you like dumbasses then, cause you're stuck with one."

"Natsuki..." Kyotani grits his teeth together. "What, it's true." Natsuki smirks. "Alright you two, no more fighting. We have a guest, we should make her feel welcomed." Botan says trying to calm the tension between the two siblings. "Oh I do feel welcomed, you guys are really the nicest family I've ever met. I'm a little jealous..." Y/n admits shyly.

"Well Y/n, you should start considering yourself part of the family now. Anyone who is willing to date our hot headed son, is family. Especially when they're so polite!" Kaori adds. "Now, who's ready for dinner?"

Y/n felt her chest fill with warmth, she hadn't felt this way in a long time. She had found herself a loving boyfriend, who loves her just as much as she loves him, and to top it all off, his family was so welcoming. It really felt like she was accepted into their lives as one of them. Who knows, maybe one day she really will become part of the family, if Kyotani decides to pop that oh so pretty question, and gives her his last name.

Until then, she was happy with what was right in front of her. And she didn't plan on letting go anytime soon.

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[amy-issen]

ok so here it is!! i spent the last week solely making and listening to this playlist like i was POSSESED because this ship is lovely and deserved a nice playlist!  if anyone wants to know why i picked each song, i’m going to ramble about it extensively in the read more, so check that out if you want! hope you enjoy it! also thanks again to @birbwell​ for letting me use her art for the cover!

i divided this playlist in a few sections so let’s start with the first one (section one: first meeting/pining) i. in the rain - joe hisaishi i wanted to start with a short instrumental track to set the mood, and i looooove howl’s moving castle score, so i had to pick this one! the fact that it has rain in the title also helps to reference how their relationship began! ii. with every breath i take - frank sinatra “every breath that I take is a prayer that i’ll make you mine” my sister is a big sinatra/jazz fan (and also a yakuza fan) so she helped me with picking a few of the songs here! this one is very romantic, elegant and beautiful and i thought it fit the mood (and it’s what i think tachibana listens to in his free time lmao).

iii. gold rush - taylor swift “what must it be like to grow up that beautiful? with your hair falling into place like dominoes my mind turns your life into folklore i can't dare to dream about you anymore” this one is my FAVORITE song on this playlist, and one of the first i picked because this song just fits them like a glove. it’s basically pining 101, and i love that what taylor said this song is about “daydreaming about someone then snapping out of it.” i feel like the first part could be from tachibana’s perspective and the second one from kiryu’s (also giving a bit of a glimpse into the future, with the mention of a coastal town they’ll never find together) iv. first love/late spring - mitski “so please, hurry, leave me, i can't breathe please don't say you love me mune ga hachikire-sōde (my heart seems like it’s going to burst)” this one was another song i picked very early on because i love mitski, and i needed to include her here. i just wanted something to symbolize the trust that tachibana and kiryu have to share to work together, and the feelings that emerge from it, if that makes any sense. i don’t think this has a specific perspective, because i feel like this could work from both kiryu’s and tachibana’s (mostly kiryu though) v. real estate - adam melchor “every time I wonder how i'd carry on without you i'm runnin' out of real estate tryna make all the right moves i don't wanna hesitate i would bet the house on you “ do you UNDERSTAND how satisfying it was to find a song named real estate for them?? come ooon. ok that’s not all of my reasoning for it but it’s like. most of it, lmao another song i felt was about trust and feelings. (also a bit of a glimpse into the future, because i’m sad) vi. i get a kick out of you - ella fitzgerald “i get no kick from champagne mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all so tell me why should it be true that i get a kick out of you?” another one my sister recommended. i originally was gonna go with sinatra’s version of this, but i love this one and it just wouldn’t leave my brain. again, one from mostly tachibana’s perspective, get this man to sing this on karaoke night right now. vii. like real people do - hozier  “i will not ask you where you came from i would not ask and neither would you honey, just put your sweet lips on my lips we could just kiss like real people do” this is one of my all time favorites from hozier and, again, it just fit perfectly. tachibana and kiryu have both lived some very... troubled lives so far, and while they’re depending on this trust they have in eachother, none of them really care to know about what they’ve done or who they are. this is mostly from kiryu’s perspective, specially with this metaphor of being rescued/dug up from the earth with the whole being found in the rain and saved by tachibana and his poor driving skills. viii. delicate - taylor swift “this ain't for the best my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me... we can't make any promises now, can we, babe? but you can make me a drink” y’all are going to have to forgive me for picking TWO taylor swift songs but COME OOOON this is another one that i picked early on because i could draw so many parallels between the lyrics and things that they both said in that car scene on chapter 9 (mostly tachibana though) and i kept harassing my sister with screenshots to prove my point and i’m gonna do it again

ANYWAYS i’ve made my case, and now we enter the second section of the playlist at last ( section 2: actual romantic/fluffy songs because this is a ship playlist) i. good old-fashioned lover boy - queen “dining at the ritz we'll meet at nine (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 o'clock) precisely i will pay the bill, you taste the wine driving back in style in my saloon will do quite nicely just take me back to yours that will be fine” is this a bit of a cliché? yes. did i want to include it because it’s very cute and i’d like to imagine kiryu and tachibana having a nice date night with no people trying to kill them all the time? also yes. i love this song.

ii. stay with me/mayonaka no door - miki matsuraba “you in your gray jacket with that oh-so-familiar coffee stain just as you always are the two of us reflect in the window display stay with me knocking on midnight's door i beg you not to go home tonight” (translated lyrics) is anyone not obsessed with this song lately? this is the only song here i’m blaming tiktok for making me listen to it lol. in any way, this song is deceptive because it sounds really happy but is actually quite melancholic. i thought it fit their relationship well, and it seemed like a good addition to the playlist with it’s 80′s city pop vibes.

iii. on melancholy hill - gorillaz (covered by matt forbes) “just looking out on the day of another dream where you can't get what you want, but you can get me so let's set out to sea, love 'cause you are my medicine when you're close to me" this is a gorillaz song but i went with this cover because it fit the feeling of the playlist a little better. another song that i just love very deeply and i thought fit the sentiment of kiryu being like “hey i know we have Big problems and you’re very sad in the moment but i’m here for you” iv. (i love you) for sentimental reasons - nat king cole "i think of you every morning dream of you every night darling, i'm never lonely whenever you are in sight" surprisingly, not one that my sister recommended, but one i found for myself while looking for quiet  romantic songs. i feel like this is tachibana's reply to kiryu being there for him and helping him. plus, idk i just wanted to imagine them slow dancing to this. v. positions - ariana grande (covered by travis atreo) "perfect, perfect you're too good to be true but I get tired of runnin', fuck it now, i’m runnin' with you" i picked this cover because i felt like using ariana's one would be a little goofy for this section lmao, but i really like this song and how it's about commitment and doing everything to make a relationship work. i just wanted to throw some sexy vibes before this playlist delved into depressing stuff. also if you telling me tachibana wouldn't absolute body a tiktok set to this song you're lying to yourself. (section 3: oh no this is getting sad) i. forever - labrinth "i'll live forever" i love everything labrinth makes, the euphoria soundtrack lives in my mind rent free and this is my favorite one. this barely has any lyrics so, again, mostly a track i picked for its intrumentals and feeling overall. mostly preparing you for the sad stuff ahead. ii. hong kong - gorillaz "you swallow me i'm a pill on your tongue here on the nineteenth floor the neon lights make me calm" this is my favorite gorillaz song, by FAR, and i think it's introspective vibe really fits tachibana's character. not really a song about relationship but i really wanted to include it because it's just such a GORGEOUS song. iii. fragments - severon another instrumental track! this one i stole from a playlist my sister made for a fic i wrote last year. again. sad vibes. iv. sign of the times - harry styles (covered by LANY) "remember everything will be alright we can meet again somewhere somewhere far away from here" i loved the synth-y vibe this cover had, while still keeping this song's sad "our lives are dangerous and i'm about to die" vibes. i mostly wanted to evoke the vibe from the scene where tachibana agrees to go with lao gui after kiryu gets shot. just really sad all around. v. so close - jon mclaughlin "we're so close to reaching that famous happy end almost believing this one's not pretend let's go on dreaming though we know we are so close, so close, and still so far" me? picking a song from disney's enchanted??? for a playlist??? it's more likely than you think. idk this song just gives me that vibe of being so close to being happy and together, almost reminiscing and wondering what could have been. but it just... won't happen. vi. as the world caves in - matt maltese "yes, it's you i welcome death with as the world, as the world caves in" oops, yes, i had to go there. just couldn't resist including this song, and i feel like it's really self-explanatory. vii. places we won't walk - bruno major "neon lights shine bold and bright buildings grow to dizzy heights people come alive at night in places we won't walk" again, i feel like this song speaks for itself. a bit of a meditation on kiryu's perspective on things that could have happened, things they would have done, that kiryu will just have to do alone from now on. viii. carry me out - mitski "i drive when it rains at night, when it rains, i drive and the headlight spirits they lead me down the styx so black it shines and carry me out carry me out"

possibly the saddest and the most powerful song in this playlist, because i just had to put a mitski song again. the image of kiryu carrying tachibana's body is just constantly in my mind when i listen to this, but i could also see this song being from the perspective of tachibana's spirit. ix. arms tonite - mother mother "i died in your arms tonight i slipped through into the afterlife it was nice" lmao this felt a bit like a cruel joke to include, but i didn't want this playlist to end TOO depressingly. it's a nod to tachibana dying in kiryu's arms, sure, but also it's romantic and possibly a little hopeful (tachibana lives au!!! orpheus and eurydice au!!! fuck it, idk!!)  xi. everybody wants to rule the world - tears for fears "there's a room where the light won't find you holding hands while the walls come tumbling down when they do, i'll be right behind you so glad we've almost made it so sad they had to fade it everybody wants to rule the world" not a recommendation from my sister, but it is her favorite song, and she was happy that i included it. another 80's bop with sad lyrics! i feel like this is a lovely summary of their story together and it feels like a nice little bow to wrap up the playlist.  i hope you enjoyed my long ass explanations! i might add songs later (or make an entire second playlist altogether for the fic i'm writing rn, but let's not get ahead of ourselves)