#total spin cycles

[fraudulent-cheese]

So to my absolute dismay, i realised there weren't any spinning GIFs of the team escope members.

So i made some.

You're welcome.

[cecoeur]

it's hell on earth to be heavenly them's the breaks, they don't come gently

[da-riya]

Tried to be sneaky and just translate and copy the English wikipedia page but I feel this sloppy work would be found out

[rafecameronssl4t]

ok hear me out........

dcc!reader watching Rafe get hurt during a game. Maybe they get into a small fight before the game and it gets into Rafe's head a little too much and throws off his game mindset

Feel free to totally ignore this if you're not vibing with the idea! Anyways I love all of you're writings, keep up the amazing work queen!!!!!!

Duties to whom? || Nfl Player!Rafe Cameron x dcc!reader

A/n: thank u for the request i love it!!!

Warnings: angst,

Word counts: 1,795

MASTERLIST (nfl!rafe x dcc!reader au masterlist)

The locker room felt stifling, the tension between you and Rafe thick enough to choke on. You stood in front of the mirror, carefully fixing your lipstick with steady hands despite the storm brewing inside you. “Just get out,” you said bitterly, dabbing at the corner of your mouth before tossing the tissue onto the counter.

Rafe, still in his uniform, stared at you in disbelief. His hands were on his hips, his chest rising and falling as though he’d just come off the field. “What?” he snapped, his tone laced with frustration. You turned your head slightly, catching his reflection in the mirror. “Have you forgotten that we have jobs to do, Rafe?”

“Jobs?” he repeated, his voice rising as he took a step closer. “We haven’t even finished—” “Well, I’m finished!” you cut him off, spinning around to face him fully. Your eyes burned with the remnants of the argument that had spiralled out of control. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore, so just go.”

Rafe’s scoff echoed in the small room, his head tilting back in exasperation. “Unbelievable.” You turned back to the mirror, refusing to meet his gaze. The silence stretched out, broken only by the faint hum of the stadium crowd filtering through the walls. “You always do this,” he muttered, more to himself than to you, but the accusation hit its mark.

“Do what?” you shot back, spinning on your heel. “Stand up for myself? Refuse to sit here while you act like you’re the only one who’s stressed? God forbid, right?” Rafe ran a hand through his damp hair, his frustration palpable. “That’s not what this is about, and you know it.” “Then what is it about, Rafe?” you snapped, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Because I’m tired of having this same fight over and over again. It’s exhausting.” For a moment, he didn’t respond. His jaw tightened, and he looked at you as though searching for the right words, something to break the cycle you were both caught in. “You think this is easy for me?” he finally said, his voice quieter but no less intense.

“Balancing all of this? The games, the media, us? I’m trying, okay? But every time I slip up, you act like I’m the bad guy.” You blinked, his words catching you off guard. “Just please,” you said, voice cracking as you turned to face him. “Get out, Rafe. I can’t perform like this!”

Your words hung in the air, and for a second, his expression flickered with something softer—regret, maybe—but it was quickly replaced by a storm of his own. “And you think I can?” he roared, throwing his arms up in exasperation, “you think it’s any easier for me?” “Well, you’re going to have to, aren’t you?” you snapped, your voice sharp as a whip.

The anger in your tone startled even you, but you didn’t care. You were too far gone, too wound up from his relentless push and pull. You turned back to the counter, furiously zipping up your makeup bag with enough force that the sound echoed in the quiet room. The air between you was suffocating, charged with unspoken feelings and unresolved tension.

“I don’t even know what you want from me anymore,” Rafe muttered, his voice quieter now but no less intense. “I want you to stop!” you said, turning around to face him, your boots clicking loudly on the concrete floor as you moved. “Stop acting like everything’s about you! Like your stress is the only thing that matters. I have a job too, Rafe, and you—” Your voice faltered for a moment, but you pushed through.

“You’re making it impossible for me to do it right now.” He stared at you, his jaw tight, hands resting on his hips as if he was holding himself back from saying something he’d regret. You didn’t wait for a response. You couldn’t. Grabbing your pom poms, you stormed past him, your boots echoing with each step. “Good luck out there,” you threw over your shoulder, the words biting and sarcastic.

“Yeah, thanks for the support,” he called after you, but there was no real venom in his voice. Just frustration, layered with something that sounded an awful lot like defeat. You didn’t look back. You couldn’t afford to. Not with the performance waiting for you just outside the tunnel and the man who could unravel you with a single glance standing behind you.

~

From the moment Rafe walked out onto the field, you could tell his head wasn’t screwed on properly. Even as you called out formations and checked on the other cheerleaders, your eyes kept drifting toward Rafe. Something about his movements was off—less sharp, less calculated. The usual precision that made him one of the best in the league wasn’t there, and you knew exactly why.

The argument in the locker room had been raw, cutting deeper than either of you realised at the time. You thought you’d tucked your emotions away, but the nagging guilt wouldn’t let up. And now, watching Rafe stumble through a game he’d normally dominate, it was clear he was still carrying the weight of your words.

This wasn’t how you wanted him to play—frustrated and reckless. By the second quarter, it was painfully obvious to everyone that Rafe wasn’t himself. His passes were less precise, his footwork shaky, and his frustration was evident in every misstep. The crowd, normally electric in their cheers for him, began to murmur uneasily.

“C’mon, Cameron,” one of the announcers said over the loudspeakers. “What’s going on with him tonight?” You swallowed hard, your chest tightening as you watched him try to shake it off, slapping his helmet and pacing on the sidelines. You could see it in his body language—he was spiraling.

And then it happened. Midway through the third quarter, the Cowboys’ defensive line broke through, faster than Rafe had anticipated. He dropped back, eyes scanning the field for an open receiver, but his timing was off. His hesitation cost him. A linebacker barreled into him with full force, slamming him to the ground.

It happened to close to you, the impact was deafening, the sound of bodies colliding and helmets crashing together making your stomach lurch. The crowd gasped, the air heavy with tension as the trainers and medics rushed onto the field. You froze on the sidelines, your routine momentarily forgotten as Rafe crumpled to the ground.

You watched as he tried to sit up, his hand clutching his shoulder, pain etched into his features. The trainers helped him to his feet, and he waved off their attempts to cart him out, insisting he could walk. But the stiffness in his movements, the way he cradled his arm, told you it wasn’t minor. You didn’t even think about it.

The moment halftime hit, you were running toward the tunnel, ignoring the whispers of the staff your and the curious looks of the crowd. When you found him in the medical room, he was sitting on the edge of a table, his shoulder iced and his jersey pulled halfway off. He looked up when you entered, his expression darkening for a moment before softening as he took in your worried face.

“You’re supposed to be with your team,” he said flatly, though his tone lacked its usual bite. “And you’re supposed to be on the field,” you shot back, stepping closer. “Are you okay?” He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Took a hit. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” “Rafe…” Your voice broke slightly, and you stepped closer, your eyes scanning him for signs of serious injury.

Rafe looked away, jaw tightening. “I wasn’t focused,” he admitted, his tone low and bitter. “That hit? It’s on me. I let our fight get to me.” Your stomach churned. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I didn’t think—” “That’s the problem, isn’t it?” he cut in, his eyes finally meeting yours. “You didn’t think. You just threw all that at me and expected me to shake it off like it didn’t matter.”

You flinched but held his gaze. Your guilt surged, and you bit your lip, unsure of what to say. Finally, you reached out, your hand brushing against his uninjured arm. “I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I didn’t mean to throw you off. I was just… angry, and I took it out on you.” For a moment, neither of you spoke. Then, Rafe let out a heavy sigh, running his uninjured hand through his hair.

“Look, I know I wasn’t perfect out there tonight. But I can’t play when my head’s a mess. And you…” He trailed off, his voice softening. “You’re always in my head, and maybe that’s not always a good thing, but it’s the truth," A soft chuckle escaped his lips, breaking the tension, and despite yourself, a small smile cracked across your face. You stepped closer, hesitating before resting your hand on his good shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” you said quietly. “For making it harder. For not realising how much you care.” Rafe glanced up at you, his eyes searching yours. “We’re both under a lot of pressure, but we can’t keep doing this." You nodded, your throat tight with emotion. “I’ll try harder. I promise.” He gave you a small, tired smile, the tension between you easing just slightly. “Me too.”

The sounds of the stadium filtered in from the hallway, a steady hum of cheers and announcements. It was a stark reminder that both of you had jobs waiting, responsibilities to uphold no matter what had just unfolded between you. “I gotta head back before Kelli and Judy ask for my head,” you sighed, the weight of your position tugging at you. But before you turned away, you leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

It was brief, but it held everything you couldn’t yet put into words—an apology, a reassurance, a promise. Rafe’s lips quirked into a lazy grin as you pulled back, his usual cockiness tempered by the warmth in his eyes. “I’ll survive,” he teased, his voice rough but lighter than before. “You know me—tough as nails.” “You’ll be okay,” you murmured, your hand lingering on his uninjured shoulder for a moment longer.

It was a gentle touch, meant to steady him, to remind him that no matter what had happened earlier, you were still here. He nodded, his grin softening into something almost boyish. “I always am.” With a reluctant sigh, you turned and made your way back toward the tunnel, the click of your boots echoing in the corridor. You could feel his eyes on you, watching as you straightened your shoulders and stepped back into the bright lights of the stadium.

[sheliesshattered]

I'm reblogging this because I need to once again vague-post about this old friend/business partner of my dad's, whom I have codenamed "Lazlo"

(I gave him a codename specifically because he's so ridiculously Googleable and once you have his name it's a very short process of elimination to figure out my dad's name and thus me and Jack and our whole family. and I like to have some amount of online privacy, unlike some people, Lazlo.)

I met Lazlo like. twice. maybe three times. nearly 30 years ago. I do not remember what he looked like at the time, and he would only know who I am if I namedropped my dad. and then he would know instantly because yeah it was three decades ago but only like two or three companies ago, and you don't forget shit like 'the guy who you started and sold two start-ups with'

but anyway.

despite not having spoken to codename Lazlo since a year beginning with a 1, every few years he just. crosses my path. inexplicably.

and I mean, we work in semi-related fields, so it's not that surprising that we would know people in common or whatever. but no. it's never anything that normal when Lazlo suddenly bursts through the metaphorical wall of my life like the fucking Kool-Aid Man

it's always something much weirder than that. and it always seems to come in clusters that makes it feel like goddamned kaiju attacks. the last major cluster was in the summer of 2016, back when I could actually call my dad and say 'wtf why is Lazlo haunting my online existence??'

it's happened a few times since then, just scattered Lazlo sightings out in the wild, and every time I think about what I wrote in this first vague-post about him, how I'm just noticing the same guy going by in the spin-cycle of life and going wait what every fucking time. you'd think I'd get used to it. but no.

which brings me to the cluster happening now.

so a couple of weeks ago I was working my through my very slow rewatch of The West Wing, and a line from Leo McGarry caught my attention, because he mentioned a bit of 90s-invented technology that exists in our real world, but that I never stopped to think about existing in the alternate timeline of TWW. tech that, in the real world, was invented/shepherded by that phantom in my life: Lazlo

I had to pause the episode and go on a wikispiral to doublecheck, but yep, in the real world, the tech that Leo just namedropped was created by the start-up company that Lazlo founded after he sold the second of his two start-ups with my dad. the one that kind of literally caught on fire and led to a panicked phone call to my dad in ~2003, the details of which are in the tags of the post I'm reblogging.

does that mean that Lazlo exists in the universe of The West Wing?? it kind of has to, right? does that mean my dad exists in TWW, since it was the sale of their two start-ups together that allowed Lazlo to strike out on his own for the next start-up??? do I exist in TWW????

I had a moment of just staring blankly at the wikipedia article, and then went back to the episode and tried to remember wtf Leo had been saying before a single word set me off into a tailspin

so then today I find out that Lazlo is once again in the news because his company is being bought. sure, fine, in 2016 his company was the main reason that I couldn't avoid random Lazlo sightings online, couldn't even avoid him here on fucking Tumblr, so sure, his company is in the news again. fine. whatever.

but I learned about this news because the CEO of the start-up that my little company is contracting for posted it in his company's discord. with the comment that the sale is only happening because Lazlo wants to move on "and do his weird shit"

the CEO of the company that my company is contracting for does not know that I know Lazlo

and I am decidedly scared to ask what "weird shit" Lazlo might be up to this time.

My dad had a business partner in the mid and late 90s whom I met like a handful of times, he probably wouldn’t even remember my name. I mostly remember him because his last name made up part of a password my dad’s business used for a long time, you kinda had to spell it to yourself to type it correctly. In the ~20 years since, he’s repeatedly popped back up in my life in some completely different context, each one more bizarre than the last. And every single time I go what?? wHAT??? like it can’t possibly be the same guy, can it? over here too??? how does this keep happening???? No one knows. There is no sense in the universe. It’s just me, noticing the same guy going past in the spin-cycle that is life and going wait what.

[kings-highway]

Fighting off severely suffocating boredom at work so here are some haikyuu headcanons and shit for some of my favourite characters and ships with no particular theme

Asahi and Daichi do a lot of very casual bets or gambling with each other, and Daichi almost always wins. And if he doesn’t win, he’s nonchalant enough about it or is able to spin it so that Asahi doesn’t even really process it as a genuine win. Asahi is constantly looking for a chance to “beat” him but the harder he tries the more it seems Daichi keeps winning. 

I think, and I’m not afraid to say it, I think Tanaka can sing. Even if he has no interest in it and doesn’t even know this himself. 

A list of characters I think can sing beyond well, like, just, stupidly well: Tsukki, Ushijima, Oikawa, Semi (obviously), Fukunaga, Asahi, Kita

A list of characters I think can’t sing quite as well but have a lot more fun: Suga, Daichi, Kuroo, Yamaguchi, Matsukawa, Tendou, Atsumu, 

A list of characters I think can’t sing at all, and have the most fun: Bokuto, Futakuchi, Noya, Hanamaki, Hinata, Tora

Tendou cannot swim. I actually hold this one right up there beside Ushijima having a bee allergy in that you’re safe to assume it’s true in all my fics unless proven otherwise. Tendou can’t swim, Ushijima can be killed by bees. Perfect. 

Iwaizumi has an anger response to his own jealousy because he hates that he’s a jealous person. He spends so much time trying to verbally tell people like “no jealousy is bad, trust in a relationship is important and being possessive isn’t a good thing,” and then he’ll turn around and see a guy just like, handing Oikawa something he dropped and will immediately cycle through: “oh, he needs to take ten steps back right the fuck now before I kill him - goDDAMNIT HAJIME THAT’S NOT NORMAL-”

On the topic of jealousy for some of my favourite ships… 

A list of characters I think do experience a heightened degree of jealousy: Iwaizumi, Tendou, Noya (specifically when he’s not in a relationship and doesn’t know if the other person Asahi likes him), Aone (but he just gets sad about it and doesn’t do anything), Tora

A list of characters I think experience a totally normal amount of jealousy: Suga, Oikawa, Bokuto + Akaashi both, though Akaashi hides it better, Kenma (but mostly for the best-friendship stuff with Kuroo he’s not worried about him as a boyfriend. He can get another boyfriend. He’s not sure if he can find another person who knows every food order he has and doesn’t make him talk to waiters)

A list of character who really think their boyfriends should experience more jealousy and be a little more concerned about the fact that they could, like, totally be getting hit on right now: Suga, Tendou

A list of characters who really don’t understand why they’re getting yelled at for trusting their partners and feeling safe in a relationship they’ve worked hard to curate healthy communication in: Daichi, Ushijima

Suga’s first kiss was with Daichi but about a year before that he had lied to look cool and said he’d kissed one of the basketball girls and it’s been fifteen years of a relationship now and Suga hasn’t had the guts to start unraveling this very minor detail and just continues to tell the story of this fake first kiss even to groups of people who weren’t involved in the initial lie and don’t know Daichi. 

Iwaizumi regularly donates blood, and he got the other Seijoh 3rd years doing it, and then it spread and it’s like a weird group activity but when they convinced Kindaichi and Kunimi to come along for the first time Kindaichi discovered he has a phobia of needles and then Kunimi fainted after his blood was drawn and he tried to stand up. 

Tendou once tried to give himself scurvy just for the challenge of trying to avoid vitamin C. He only failed because he got bored and stopped caring. 

Oikawa kept a journal all throughout middle and high school, and to be little shits, Matsukawa and Hanamaki stole it to find either blackmail material or just something to make fun of him for, but what they actually found was a really genuine journal filled with a lot of really normal but affectionate thoughts like “Wow the team is so good, here’s all the reasons why, I really think these guys can take us to nationals, I hope my own ego doesn’t stop us from winning” and a series of long, thoughtful insights about his day and his friends and his future plans and goals and there were technically things in there they could gossip about (like confirmation on a few pages regarding his crush and/or relationship status with Iwaizumi) but overall they just felt really bad about it so they never told anyone they’d opened it. 

I know everyone really loves filipino Iwa, but hear me out: Indian Iwa. i have more thoughts on this. maybe for another post.

Atsumu once spiked a serve into Kita’s face so hard his nose started bleeding and he had to sit out the rest of practice because he couldn’t get it to stop. Kita kept insisting it was fine but the bruise on his face the next day made Atsumu want to resign from the school entirely. 

Daichi is the only Karasuno third year to hold a job before graduation.

Kita has a really low pain tolerance but a really high level of “mind-of-matter” ability. 

Daichi has a really high pain tolerance.

Tsukishima also has a really high pain tolerance. 

Tendou has a very low pain tolerance but he’s a masochist so it’s okay.

Oikawa has a higher pain tolerance than Iwaizumi, and this is set directly below “height” on the “things I hate about Oikawa” list Iwa keeps

Michimiya probably would chat with the boys more but she keeps coming to their gym and seeing things like Noya throwing Asahi around, Kageyama throwing Hinata around, Daichi screaming he’s going to ban them all from the club, Tanaka is never wearing a shirt, and Yachi is always near tears and every single time she just decides to not bother.

Anyway idk i guess that’s all. Part two? Idk you tell me. 

[lonely-cowboy]

hi!! how are you? i just wanted to tell you that i am obsessed with your writings omg :’((( i can’t even put into words how happy i am to find your account, the way you write connor is just <33

i was wondering if it’s okay to request something where connor is being protective over fem!reader?maybe some hurt/comfort with fluff in the end <3 I don’t have a specific scenario in my head, so it’s totally up to you, and i would love anything you decide to write for this request!!! also, you are totally free to ignore this if you don’t feel inspired enough by this request, it’s absolutely okay! ♡

thank you! have an amazing day and please sorry for my english, it’s not my first language

ugh thank you my love this is so sweet to hear!! i'm so sorry it took me so long to post, midterms have not been fun my friends. i fear this is not my best work, but i hope you can still enjoy our silly android boy <3 you have an amazing day too!!

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

helping hand

pairing: connor (rk800) x f!reader

summary: connor comes to help you when you don't need him. again.

word count: 1.6k

warnings: graphic(?) violence (connor shoots a guy oops)

author's note: i write way too many first kisses and this is no exception. prepare for silly goofy domestic married fluff in the future bc that's what i live for

masterlist ⟡ requests

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

You could’ve handled it all perfectly fine on your own. You didn’t need Connor’s help, you didn’t want Connor’s help. You were entirely capable of taking down a runaway vigilante on your own.

Sure, maybe it was stupid of you to run off on your own to the crook’s last known location the second the call was made. But he had been only three blocks away from you. What were you supposed to do, wait for backup? Of course not. You had the opportunity to catch a known criminal, so you took the risk. It was all part of the job.

You found yourself at an empty construction site with your gun drawn and pointed at the runaway criminal. You inched closer to your target– some crazy, murderous, anti-android protestor, there were a lot of those these days– slowly drawing your cuffs. You reached forward to restrain his wrists, fingertips brushing against his skin.

And then you were on the ground. You had been practically tackled, your temple striking the rocky earth hard enough that it looked like the world was spinning.

You sat up uneasily as you tried to orient yourself. Who in the world would have shoved you like that? The only indicator was your attacker’s quick “Sorry, Detective.”

You grunted in frustration as your vision cleared, focusing on the one person you did not want to see: Connor.

In all the time it took you to readjust, Connor had taken the vigilante to the ground. He stood overtop the criminal who groaned between crazed laughter. Connor’s foot pressed firmly into the criminal’s chest, a gun– that certainly did not belong to the android– pointed directly at the laughing man’s face.

You moved slowly from the ground, holding your surely bruised side. Your gaze was locked on Connor’s trigger finger, anxiously anticipating gunfire. You feared what it could mean if Connor pulled the trigger. 

“Connor,” you warned quietly, your voice steadier than expected. 

As you approached, you noticed the twitch of his finger. His LED was cycling through every color imaginable, his brows furrowing and unfurrowing as he held the criminal’s gaze.

“Never even think about touching her again,” Connor spit, his voice so cold that it frightened even you.

The pinned criminal only laughed, an ugly wheezing sound as Connor’s foot dug deeper into his chest. “An android in love, huh? Never thought I’d see–”

Connor’s foot rose quickly, stomping hard on the crook’s face until he was knocked out cold. From the impassive look on Connor’s face, you could tell he was practically seething. But that didn’t matter. Now was not the time to comfort him because you were equally as angry. 

With an agitated huff, you shoved Connor by the shoulders as hard as possible. He barely moved at all, only adding fuel to your fire.

It was then that Connor seemed to snap out of his daze and remember you were there. He turned to you abruptly and discarded the gun, his hands finding their place on your biceps with a firm grip. His eyes immediately scanned over your frame, analyzing you for any damage. The only damage he found was what he had done.

The crease between his brows returned as he reached up to touch your throbbing temple. When he pulled his hand back, his elegant fingers were tipped with your blood.

“Did he do this?” Connor questioned, an edge of doubt in his voice.

“No, Connor,” you snapped, shaking off his hands. “You did this! And it wouldn’t have happened if you had just let me do my job for once!”

His LED blinked a steady red. Funny how it matched the blood on your temple.

“Detective, I was only trying to help,” he reasoned feebly.

“I don’t need your fucking help, Connor! I was handling this just fine on my own! And then here you come to save the day yet again, all knight in shining armor! Acting like I’m your damsel in distress, in need of saving!”

“Did you know he was armed?” Connor asked dismissively, quizzically cocking his head in a way that usually enamored you but only seemed to irritate you now. 

You opened your mouth to retort, but nothing came out as you processed Connor’s words. Armed? No, you hadn’t known he was armed. But if you admitted that then you would’ve looked stupid, like you needed Connor’s help. Like you were some damsel in distress.

When you didn’t answer, Connor gestured to his forgotten gun. “That was his. He was preparing to shoot you.”

“I could’ve easily disarmed him,” you scoffed, crossing your arms arrogantly. “I’m a trained professional.”

“The probability of success was 29%,” Connor stated matter-of-factually. “A majority of outcomes would have resulted in your death, Detective. I couldn’t take that risk.”

“Then maybe you’re not cut out for this job,” you growled. “This job is all about taking risks, Connor. I knew that when I signed up, and you should too.”

Your harsh tone made Connor pause, though he was quick to recover. He was determined for you to understand. 

“If I can prevent your death, then I will. I won’t let your pride stop me,” he said.

It was your turn to pause, lips pursing into a thin line at the reality of Connor’s words. You knew he was right. He was right, he was right, he was right. But you refused to acknowledge that. 

When you opened your mouth to speak, nothing came out besides a yelp.

So quickly you could barely process what happened, Connor’s grip on your arms tightened as he spun you around. One arm wrapped around your shoulders to pull you into his chest protectively while his other hand moved to your holstered gun.

A single shot was fired. And an accurate shot, you guessed, by the sound of a slumping body.

Peeking past Connor, you found the body of your runaway criminal, a bullethole pierced right through his skull. You made note of the gun beside his fallen body, the same gun Connor had carelessly discarded.

You felt Connor return your gun to its holster before his hand moved to your chin. He turned your attention away from the dead body, forcing you to focus on him instead.  

“I know you’re capable, Detective,” Connor murmured, his voice full of a fondness you hadn’t noticed before. “But that doesn't mean I can’t help. I feel better knowing you’re safe than assuming you are.”

You swallowed hard as you held Connor’s steady gaze. His free hand moved to brush your aching temple. His touch was so gentle you could barely feel it as he wiped away the blood with a frown.

“I only wanted to keep you safe,” Connor explained, his voice holding a tinge of– was that regret? “And I only managed to hurt you myself. Maybe you’re right, Detective. You don’t need me. I’m sorry.”

Your hand moved to tug Connor’s hand away from your temple, holding him in your warm grip. His thumb rubbed against your knuckles soothingly as if it was second nature to him.

“I do. I do need you,” you insisted suddenly, surprising even yourself. One minute, you’re practically yelling at Connor for helping. The next, you’re reassuring him that you’ll always need him. You were confusing even yourself, you couldn’t imagine how confused Connor, the poor android. “I… I do. But… not all the time.”

Again, that crease between Connor’s brows returned, your lips forming a smile at the sight.

“I don’t appreciate you enough,” you continued with a defeated sigh. “I do need you. If it wasn’t for you, I’d already be dead, you’re right. You’ve saved me twice today. But that doesn’t mean I need you to swoop in and save me every single time. I can still handle myself.”

“I know… I know…,” Connor whispered, his eyes unfocused as if lost in thought.

You let a beat of silence pass, watching Connor expectantly. There was something he wanted to say, it was on the tip of his tongue. So you patiently waited until he found the words.

“I don’t want to lose you.”

An android in love.

The criminal’s words replayed in your mind as they suddenly came back to you. At the time, you hadn’t completely processed what he said, your anger outweighing any thoughts of reason.

An android in love.

“Was he… was he right?” you asked after a beat to which Connor tilted his head with a puzzled look. Damn him for not being able to read your mind and immediately know what you were struggling to say. “The guy. What he said… He said that you…”

“Are in love,” Connor finished, his tone flat and conveying not a single sense of love.

“Yeah…,” you shrugged.

“If love can be defined by a desire to keep you safe, then yes, I would say I’m in love with you.”

With you.

With you.

He was in love with you.

You couldn’t hide your wide grin, ignoring the warmth that had suddenly spread to your cheeks. Seeing your grin, the corners of Connor’s lips quirked into a small smile too. Your faces naturally moved closer together until your noses were brushing, the warmth of each other’s breath against your lips.

Connor leaned closer. Closer, closer…

He was going to kiss you, and you were going to ruin it.

“You know,” you interrupted, pulling back no more than an inch. But it was enough to make Connor frown. “I’d rather not kiss next to the dead guy.”

You couldn’t help but laugh as Connor’s smile returned, an affection glint in his eyes. His hand found yours, pulling you away from the scene.

“Backup is on the way,” he said. “They can handle this on their own.”

With his hand in yours, Connor led you away. He gave your hand a quick squeeze. It was a reassurance. A sign that you were safe with him, that he would do whatever it took to protect you. You returned his firm squeeze. Because you would do the same for him. 

[mingtinys]

gym partner lee chan

pairing : lee chan x gn!reader

fluff , humor , headcanon

warnings : mentions of food

word count : 0.7 k

requested ? no

a/n : gym dino has been on my brain for the past few days and i needed to write something

gym partner chan who asks you to hold his feet for situps just so he can kiss you between reps. then will expect the same when it's your turn. he calls them fuel for the next rep. who absolutely will spend 80% of the workout just chatting with you if you let him. and you do, because his voice is one of your favorite sounds and it makes the time breeze by.

gym partner chan who forgets to bring his own energy drink and ends up downing 60% of yours. despite you only offering a few sips. who is an absolute monster when it comes to lifting but nearly passes out three minutes into the stair climber. griping on and on about how the days you choose the workouts are pure torture. though, you've been known to say the same about his insane arm circuits. so putting in each other's least favorite workouts has become a vicious cycle of payback for the previous week.

gym partner chan who once dropped a weight on his foot because he was too busy staring at you in the mirror. having accidentally zoned out mid-set because he gets so mesmerized watching you. entranced by how your skin glistens when sweaty and your athletic wear clings to your body. so caught up in his daydream of kissing you the weight slips from his hand and bam. 25 pounds straight to the foot.

gym partner chan who purposely takes his shirt off to benchpress to show off his chest and arms, hoping you'll stare. and then teases you relentlessly for oggling at said chest and arms. even though it's totally just because you're spotting him. where else are you supposed to look!? gym etiquette and his safety are your number one priorities. it's not your fault his muscles just happen to be right there in full view. and you're certainly not one to complain about what others choose to (or not to) wear in the gym. really. it's totally innocent.

gym partner chan who has learned your limits. he knows exactly when to push you to work harder and when to make you take breaks. always so gentle and encouraging. reminding you to drink water and that you're doing well. who takes his job as your number-one hype man very seriously. never missing a beat when it comes to cheering you on. or commenting on how hot you look. who at times can be a stickler about technique. but only because he doesn't want you to injure yourself.

gym partner chan who likes to cling to you throughout the session no matter how much you complain about not needing his excess body heat when you're already sweaty. he takes immense joy in sneaking up behind you and pulling you into a back hug. lifting you up and spinning you around just to show he can. who, unprompted, will massage your sore muscles if you look particularly tense (only to turn around and ask you to get a knot in his back). any reason he can find to be touching you, he will.

gym partner chan who is incredibly tentative when you're having an off day. he will stop what he's doing in a heartbeat if he sees you getting frustrated or overwhelmed. because he knows you've set high expectations for yourself, but some days it's okay to take it easy. who lifts your chin and makes you look in his eyes while he tells you how amazing you are with a sweet voice. then makes you repeat it back to him for good measure. who cooks a post-workout meal with you, ensuring you eat well after working so hard.

gym partner chan who cherishes your post-workout naps together on the couch. the ones where he gets to let his body relax in the comfort of your presence. utterly exhausted, but in the best way possible. feeling both accomplished and deserving of the rest. his arms tightly wrap around your waist as he clumsily pulls you to lay on top of him. the ache in his muscles melting away with the warmth of your body against his. your gentle kisses against his jaw ease him to sleep. all the while knowing that there is simply no better feeling than moments like these.

taglist: @dontwannaexsist

[captain-huggy-bear]

i read your thought about period sex (with quinn i think) and i can't get clayton out of my mind 😭 i just feel like he would be so into that

Okay but you're so right. 18+ MDNI under the cut: Period sex, possessive Clay, Clay is a feral gremlin of a man, breeding kink a lil Totally happy to take requests/ideas/prompts at the moment in my ask box :) Writing Masterlist

I think with Quinn it's a practical thing, right? Like he enjoys it but ultimately it's a way of helping you out, it's a case of him not being bothered by the blood and so if you both want to have sex then great. If it makes you feel better excellent. But, if you don't want to be touched for the entire time he's cool with that.

With Clayton? Oh...it's feral, it's anticipatory. He's got your cycle tracked on his phone because he wants to know when you're about to go on your period, when you're ovulating, what phase of your cycle you're in. It's a possessive sort of thing with him, that he's allowed to touch you like that and at that time, that when you'd be repulsed by anyone else you want him. It's the way being covered in your blood makes him feel like he's owned by you, completely yours and you're completely his. It's how wet and hot you are at that time of the month, how most of the time you're completely insatiable and waking him up for sex and going to sleep after sex and even if he's away you're phoning him to hear his voice talk dirty in your ear., fingers between your thighs as you show it to the camera on face time. For Clayton, it's a bonus that it helps relieve your aches and pains, but the main crux of it is that it's for him, it's what he wants to do. He'd be a whiny baby if you didn't want to have sex at that time (respectful and always willing to accept it, but do expect him to pout about it). I also think he goes a step further, it's not just a willingness to get his dick wet in your blood, but he's willing to eat you out on your period as well, more than happy to taste all of you and know he's the only one who gets to. Happy to be completely coated in you. I think for Clay it's the combination of possessiveness mixed with his natural desire to take care of you and give you whatever you need.

"Fuck, baby...look at you..." The way Clay looks at your cunt is downright ravenous, blue eyes almost unrecognisable in colour due to how blown out his pupils are. His eyes are the fixed on the blood leaking from your slit like it's the best thing he's ever seen and not something most men wouldn't go near with a barge pole. He can't help it...God, you're so hot all the time, but like this? At your most vulnerable, letting him see you, touch you? Trusting him? The only man you'd ever let do this? It's enough to make his head spin, a little groan falling from the back of his throat at the way you push your face into your pillow, embarrassed but not once closing your thighs, not once denying him access to your cunt. Trusting him with your body.

Clay strokes two fingers over your centre, around your slit, blood and slick viscous and clinging to his fingers in a way that makes him throb in his boxers because fuck...the way you wriggle your hips, the little whine you let out, always so sensitive at this time of the month...

His patience simply isn't there, can't help the way he's stripping himself of his boxers, hand, fingers still slick with blood and cum, wrapping around his cock to tug, once, twice. Coating himself in you until he's hard enough, ready. He can't help the way he lines up, purpling head of his cock catching on your slit as he rubs himself over you, over your clit, over your centre. You're writhing under his hands that press your hips into the towel beneath you, every sensation ten times more sensitive, ten times worse (or better), almost overwhelming as you whimper under him.

He can't take his eyes away from the mess between your legs. How his dick is coated in you, your cunt clenching around nothing as he rubs his hands over your thighs and pushes them wider, spreading you so wide you feel a burn in the crease where groin meets thigh.

"Shit, you're gorgeous, baby, so good...fuck...you gonna let me fuck you, sweet girl? Make you feel good?"

He's a little mean when you don't immediately answer, fingers reaching out to pinch your clit hard enough to make you jolt, to make you moan out a 'please' that makes that dominant, possessive part of him preen. You're his, totally, completely and he knows that he's the only man who you've ever let touch you like this on your period, always so adamant it's gross, until him, until Clay was unabashed in his desire for you, until Clay made it clear he wanted you perhaps even more during your period.

The head of cock pushes into you slowly, as much as he wants to bottom out in seconds, he knows better. You're tight, pussy clenching and pulsing around him, pulling him in. So sensitive that each drag of him on your walls has you moaning, eyes closed, head thrown back so far that your neck is a perfect canvas for his lips and teeth to mark up.

"God, your cunt was made for me, baby..." It's mumbled against your skin as he inches in, teeth biting at your neck, your shoulder, sucking marks that will purple and bruise. Marks that will last at least a week if he has it his way, so that every man around knows better, knows you're not for the taking because you're his.

When he bottoms out you swear you can feel him in your stomach where your cramps had been, now just the overwhelming feeling of fullness, of Clay rocking lightly against you, "Shit, Clay, so deep..."

"I know, sweet girl...fuck, gonna make you feel good, promise."

His eyes are fixed where you're joined, fixed on the way his cock moves in and out of you with each thrust, disappearing inside of you only to come back messy. Fixed on the way he's messy, coated in you, in your very essence because as much as you're his, he is undoubtedly yours. Marked in your blood in a way that no one else is.

As he rolls his hips into you he leans forward, chains dangerously close to your face until he takes them between his teeth, biting them to keep them out of your way. Clay's hair falls in sweaty strands into his eyes, across your skin, tickling you in a way that has you giggling even as he fucks you stupid.

"You already dumb from my cock, baby?" He laughs at you, releasing the chains for a moment, just long enough to speak. You respond in whimpers and moans, pussy pulsing around his cock, pulling him in with each thrust and resisting his every pull backwards.

You feel so fucking good, his hand coming between the two of you to circle your clit, lighter than normal because of how sensitive you are. Even then you practically jerk in his hold, body spasming at the sudden influx of pleasure, at the lightest of touches but he doesn't let him, not until you're cumming around his cock, clenching so tight he can barely move.

He follows after, unable to resist the wet, throbbing heat of you, of the way his cum mixes with your blood, with your slick until you're entirely coated in him and he's coated in you and while he knows it's ridiculous. Knows you're at your least fertile, he still can't help but feel that possessive want to see it take, see this be your last period for a while while you grow round with his baby.

Clay rests his forehead against your own, not withdrawing from your heat, just resting his cock in you while the two of you catch your breath. You look so good like that, hair plastered back with sweat, cheeks boiling with warmth, mouth parted as you pant. So good with his cum deep inside you, the possibility of it taking...of you being completely and totally his.

"Feel any better, baby?" His hand finds your stomach, soothing little circles rubbing there, hinting at the cramps you'd been complaining about earlier in the day.

"So much better...fuck, Clay..."

[ashwhowrites]

May I request Robin? The reader and Robin have been sneaking around together and hooking up, but when Steve catches them together he is totally confused because he did not see that situation-ship coming due to the reader only dating boys throughout high school. Steve being a supportive friend tells them to get dressed and meet him in the living room so they can all talk out what he unfortunately (for him) witnessed. The reader and Robin finally get everything that they have wanted to get off their chest about each other and confess that they don’t want to just sneak around anymore but want to be together. Steve is just sitting there in silence but at the end is like, “wow I thought y’all were just doing it. Didn’t think y’all were actually in love.” *cough* Phoebe Buffay *cough* hahaha

I hope this is what you wanted and you enjoy it. Thank you for requesting 🫶🏻

Love Phoebe❤️

Secrets and sneaking

Y/N had been down bad for Robin since they met freshman year. But she never told Robin that at first. Y/N never had experience liking a girl and it took her many years to come to the understanding of how she felt.

The things she felt for Robin, she never felt towards any boy she ever dated. With the first few guys, she figured it was because of them. But when it happened with every guy, she knew it was something with her.

With her and Robin graduating within the year, she didn't want them to head off to different states and never know what could have been.

Which led her to sneak around with Robin in bed sheets.

Robin had crushed on Y/N for years before she spoke a word on it. Robin watched her date boy after boy, pushing the idea of confessing further behind. It almost felt clear that Y/N was not interested in females at all. To Robin's prayers, something shifted and they got tangled in the sheets.

Neither brought up the conversation they needed to have. Robin was too scared to scare her off, and Y/N was scared to admit Robin was the only person she ever wanted. Robin liked girls and had liked girls. Y/N wasn't sure where she fell compared to the others.

Robin had a similar fear. She was terrified Y/N was experimenting and testing out the waters. Robin was the first girl she was intimate with and Robin didn't want to be used and tossed aside.

Admitting to each other seemed too much. So they slept together and didn't ask any questions. Robin wondered if Y/N was interested in anyone else and Y/N wondered the same. It was an endless cycle of circles, spinning and spinning without an end.

It was a cycle they planned to be on for life because at least it was together.

~~~

Steve always showed up at Robin's unannounced. Her parents were never home and somehow Robin became his best friend, and only best friend over the age of sixteen.

He didn't think of why Robin's door was closed and he didn't think of why he probably should have knocked. He flung the door open and the story on his tongue faded away as his eyes registered what he was seeing.

Y/N was on top of Robin's body, straddling her lap as their lips were locked. Both girls were in their bras and pants, their shirts tossed mindlessly to the floor. Robin's hands were on Y/N's ass and Y/N's hands were in Robin's hair.

Steve could barely believe what he saw. It wasn't a shock that Robin was with a girl. It was a shock that Y/N was with a girl.

"WHAT IS THIS!" Steve screamed, his hands flinging around in the air as his eyes were wide with shock.

Both girls screamed and pulled apart. Robin held the blanket up to their chests, covering the naked skin from Steve's eyes.

"Steve! Get out of here!" Robin said she could feel her skin burning with embarrassment.

"Oh no, you two get dressed and meet me downstairs." He said, his hand on his hip as he closed the door. "And don't think you two can jump right back in. You got 3 minutes!"

~

"Do you want to tell me what I just walked in on?" Steve asked

He stood in front of them as they sat side by side on the couch

"Something that isn't any of your business." Robin snapped

"Rob," Y/N said but Robin didn't care

"No, what we do is none of his business. I'm in the privacy of my own home and I can do what I want with who I want."

"When you make dumb decisions, that is when it becomes my business!" Steve argued

"Dumb?" Robin said as she stood up

They both glared at each other as Y/N remained on the couch

"You know messing around with her is a bad idea," Steve said, trying to keep his voice low

Robin rolled her eyes and scoffed

"Why is it bad?" Y/N asked as she stood up. She was a little hurt by the comment

"It's just...you had never been with a girl before. You've only been with guys and I don't think Robin should get tangled in that." Steve explained

"I'm not tangled in anything! I am well aware of what I'm doing," Robin fought

"Oh, you do?" Steve asked

"I do"

"Oh, you do now?"

"That's what I said dingus"

"Alright, so what are you guys doing?" Steve asked, his hands on his hips as he looked at the two girls.

"Having fun?" Y/N answered, but her tone was unsure. She looked at Robin

"Yeah having fun!" Robin agreed

"Oh fun! No one ever gets hurt when it's just for fun." Steve said as he rolled his eyes.

"No one is gonna get hurt, we both know how we feel and having fun," Y/N cut in

"Oh? So you know she has feelings for you?" Steve asked, his eyes on Y/N

"STEVE!" Robin yelled as she pushed him. She covered her face in horror

"She what?" Y/N asked as she looked over to Robin

"OH! Look at that, you aren't on the same page after all." Steve declared as he clapped his hands.

"That was not your place," Robin said through clenched teeth as she uncovered her face

"Since when?" Y/N asked, she grasped Robin's arm to turn her around

Now they were face-to-face

"Maybe like tenth grade?" Robin shrugged, "But you were always so focused on boys that I figured it was a shot in the dark so I never said anything!"

"Why didn't you after we..." she trailed off as she looked over to Steve, "Um got together." She finished as she looked back at Robin.

"I was scared. I didn't want to know if it was a mistake or not"

"Robin, you would never be a mistake," Y/N said softly, she stepped forward and placed her hands on Robin's cheeks. "I was scared too, that's why I never said anything."

"What were you scared to say?" Robin asked. Her breathing got caught in her lungs at the way Y/N held her face. How close she stood and how deep she was looking into her eyes.

"That I've been thinking about you every day since freshman year. That I've had these feelings for you that I never felt with a boy. That I think I fell in love with you." She confessed

Robin felt her heart race at her words. A big smile reached her face.

"I think I love you too," Robin admitted

They went silent as they looked at each other. Not noticing that they were leaning closer to each other. Just a second away from their lips touching...

“wow, I thought y’all were just doing it. Didn’t think y’all were actually in love.” Steve's voice cut through the moment.

Both Robin and Y/N rolled their eyes as they looked over at him.

"Oh right! My cue to go," Steve said, pretending to tip-toe out of the room.

"He's an idiot," Robin said as he walked out of her house

"Smart enough to see we were idiots," Y/N said

"He doesn't need to know that," Robin laughed. Her laughter died as she bit her lip.

"So uh...did you maybe want to go on a date?" Her voice was nervous as she stuttered.

"Absolutely," Y/N smiled as she leaned in

Steve forever took credit for them officially being together. It was even part of his best-man speech.

[bomber-grl]

Call Me Penelope cause You’re My Odysseus

Pairing(s): Leo Valdez x Gn!Reader (No specific Godly Parent

Word Count:4411

-

Leo… Leo.

Your thoughts wandered again as you patrolled the deck, the cool sea air nipping at your face. You’d told Percy to take a break—he’d been on edge lately, and you weren’t exactly complaining. Honestly, the more space you had between yourself and Leo Valdez, the better. Your face heated up every time he came anywhere near you.

You found yourself staring at the churning waves, hypnotized by the relentless cycle of them crashing over each other. Lost in thought, you didn’t even notice the steps behind you until—

"Hey!"

You jumped, spinning around in surprise. Of course, standing there, looking ridiculously charming despite the late hour, was none other than Leo Valdez, master of bad timing and probably worse pick-up lines.

Leo’s face mirrored your shock for a moment, but then, just like that, he slid into his usual smirk. The one that was half nervous, half confident—basically, classic Leo. He scratched the back of his head. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, voice a little higher than usual. "Didn’t think I’d find anyone else stupid enough to be up this late."

You couldn't help but laugh. "What are you doing up? I wasn’t aware they let you off the ship’s leash."

Leo blinked, the surprise lingering. "Oh, you know. Just fixing some stuff down in the engine room. Festus was acting all weird, and I had to check on the ship's defenses because apparently, nothing is stopping this whole quest from blowing the Argo ll up every five minutes. But, you know, minor stuff." He gave you a one-shoulder shrug that was probably meant to be cool, but just made him look like he’d forgotten how to stand.

You shook your head, grinning. “Still can’t believe you made the ship. Seriously, that’s pretty impressive.”

Leo blinked at you. Once. Twice. His mouth opened like he was going to say something, but then he just closed it again, visibly thrown by your sincerity. You could practically see his brain buffering. He shuffled a little, his hand rubbing the back of his neck in that endearing way he did when he was flustered. Finally, he stammered out, "I mean, I didn’t do it alone but Uh, thanks. That's... really nice of you to say."

And yeah, maybe you kind of like throwing him off balance. There was something oddly satisfying about making the charming, ever-flirty Leo Valdez pause for just a moment.

The thing about Leo? He was a flirt. A big flirt. He could try to charm anyone with a few slick words and a wink, but you learned pretty quickly that Leo’s confidence was just a shiny coat of paint over a ton of... well, feelings—and maybe some issues with his self-esteem.

You’d figured that out one day when you found yourself near him, as he was busily patching up something that had gotten busted in the last battle (because, naturally, everything on the Argo II was always getting busted). Of course, he spotted you and immediately called you over. Because why wouldn’t he?

And that’s how it went: You’d talk for a bit. But then Leo would try to flirt. Sometimes it was an awful pick-up line—so awful it actually made you laugh. And sometimes, he’d lean on something like he was trying to be extra suave and... miss. Then fall. Always a good time.

And on the rare occasions where he didn’t totally embarrass himself? He’d wait for your reaction, face half hopeful, half insecure.

Most of the time, you’d play it cool and pretend to be bashful—making him think he’d won. Other times, though, you’d flirt back. It started as a joke, really. He was always burning up, so one time you decided to play along, and the result? Well, he caught fire. Literally. You weren’t exaggerating. He was on fire, and you had to grab a fire extinguisher before the whole deck turned into an inferno.

“Leo,” you said, raising an eyebrow. “You know, if you keep setting yourself on fire every time I talk to you, I’m going to start charging for these rescue missions.”

He flashed you that crooked grin of his, his cheeks turning a shade of red you hadn’t known a person could turn. "I'm pretty sure I'd pay anything to get you to keep talking to me."

And there it was again, that flirtation. But beneath it? Was there something else? Something you couldn’t quite put your finger on yet? You didn’t know. But damn, Leo had a way of making you want to find out.

-

After one of the many, many exhausting days aboard the Argo II, you had one singular goal in mind: get to your cabin, collapse into your bed, and pray that nothing—nothing—would interrupt your much-needed sleep. It was a rare occasion when you could actually get some peace, and you were determined to make the most of it.

But of course, life had other plans.

As you walked down the hall, a distant murmur of voices caught your attention. You froze. Was this the part where you ignored it and moved on? Definitely. Were you actually going to do that? Absolutely not.

You crept closer, your footsteps barely audible. You could’ve sworn you were moving like a ninja—or at least what you imagined a ninja would look like if they had absolutely no stealth whatsoever. Anyway, it was too late to back out now.

You stopped at a corner, inching closer to the source of the voices. Your heart was pounding in your chest—not from the adrenaline, but from the fact that you had, once again, found yourself doing something questionable for the sake of curiosity.

You strained your ears and waited. And then—there it was. The voices of Leo and Jason, clearly in the middle of some deep conversation. You caught snippets of their exchange.

“...what about you and [your name]?” Jason’s voice floated through the air.

You froze, your eyes widening. You hadn’t been expecting that. At all.

Your heart did a little leap as you leaned in closer. “What about me and Leo?” you thought, trying to make sense of it.

Leo’s voice answered—there was a momentary pause before his usual confidence took over. “I like them. Like, actually like them,” he said, his tone laced with that trademark Leo half-cocky, half-nervous vibe.

You blinked. Your brain might’ve stopped working for a solid second. Did Leo just say—?

Before you could fully process the implications of what you’d overheard, you heard their conversation fade into something less distinct, a murmur of words lost in the distance. You were left standing there, a bit dazed, your face heating up. Your heart, too, was doing that thing where it sped up in an uncomfortable, almost violent way. The idea of you and Leo?

No. No way.

Your thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a fake, overly dramatic clearing of a throat behind you. You spun around faster than you had ever moved in your life, nearly bumping into the person who had caught you mid-espionage.

And of course, it was none other than Piper.

Piper. Cool, composed, and way too clever for her own good. The girl who always seemed to be two steps ahead of you. And judging by the smirk she was giving you right now, she had definitely been aware of your little eavesdropping escapade.

She just shook her head, looking at you with that amused grin you’d come to recognize. “Really? Eavesdropping now? That’s a new one for you.”

You opened your mouth to say something—anything—but nothing came out. Instead, you just gave her a sheepish look and shrugged, pretending like you were totally innocent in all of this.

Piper’s smirk softened into a smile. “Come on,” she said, tilting her head as she beckoned you to follow. “Let’s go. Before you get caught.”

You followed her down the hall, your mind still spinning. Leo? Actually liking you? You couldn’t even. This was... a lot to process. And now that you were trying to piece it together, your thoughts were as tangled as the ropes on the ship after a storm.

But Piper—bless her—seemed to sense your mental chaos. She didn’t bring it up again, instead chatting with you casually, like nothing had happened. She was way too good at pretending she hadn’t just caught you doing something totally questionable.

Still, as you walked behind her, you couldn’t help but glance back toward the hallway, where Leo and Jason’s conversation was probably still happening. You could almost feel your face flush again just thinking about it.

Piper glanced at you from the corner of her eye and raised an eyebrow. “You okay back there?” she asked, clearly amused by your dazed expression.

You nodded. “Yeah, totally fine. Nothing weird going on here. Nope. Not at all.”

She laughed softly, clearly not buying it. “Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever you say.”

And as you followed her down the hall, you couldn't help but wonder just how much Leo Valdez was going to mess with your head in the days to come. And just how much Piper knew about all of it.

-

The battle unfolded in the blink of an eye. One moment, you, Piper, and Leo were aboard the Argo II, navigating the skies with the hum of the engines beneath your feet. The next, a blast of icy power ripped through the air, and Khione and her goons attacked, freezing everything in their wake. Piper’s charmspeak wasn’t enough to prevent Leo from being thrown violently into the sky, his form disappearing into the distance with an eerie speed.

It was as if time had frozen, leaving you suspended in disbelief. It all happened so fast—too fast. It wasn’t until Piper’s desperate scream rang through the air, her voice cracked with fear, that the weight of what had just occurred hit you. “Leo!” she cried, reaching out as if she could pull him back through the chaos. But Leo was already gone.

The days following his disappearance felt like an endless blur. The crew did their best to carry on, but without Leo’s infectious energy, the Argo II felt eerily quiet. A hollow ache gnawed at you—frustration, fear, and confusion all bubbling together. You couldn’t help but wonder where Leo was, if he was even alive. Had he been lost to the winds of fate?

A week later, there was a commotion—shouted voices, the clattering of metal, the unmistakable sound of Festus’ familiar mechanical whirring. It was Leo. He had returned.

Leo, with his wild grin and grease-streaked face, stood beside Festus, both of them already hard at work in the engine room as if nothing had happened. You watched, your heart in your throat, torn between relief and a growing sense of frustration. You wanted to run to him, to yell at him, to ask him a hundred questions, but there was something in his demeanor that made you hesitate. The old Leo was back, but this version felt... distant.

You hadn’t realized how much you missed him until now. Sure, you had a little crush on him, but that wasn’t all of it. Leo had been your first real friend in what felt like centuries, the first person you’d connected with on a level that went beyond the surface. The way he could make you laugh even when everything seemed hopeless—that was something you never thought you’d find again.

But lately, Leo had been avoiding you. He’d slip away whenever you came near, his eyes darting to the floor or the nearest exit. It stung. And today? You had had enough of it.

You found him underdeck, his back turned as he tinkered with the ship’s machinery. Without a second thought, you shoved him hard against the wall. The impact rattled the room, and Leo's surprised gasp was the only sound that followed.

His eyes widened in shock, his usual cocky grin replaced by an expression of flustered bewilderment. You could practically hear the gears turning in his head, trying to process what just happened. But you were done waiting.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” you demanded, your voice unexpectedly cracking on the last word. It took everything in you not to shrink back from the vulnerability that slipped through, but you stood your ground, staring him down.

Leo blinked, clearly startled. The tough guy facade faltered for a moment, and you could almost see the invisible weight on his shoulders. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sure you’ve heard from the others, but I ended up on Ogygia when I got blasted out of here.”

Ogygia. The name echoed in your mind. The island of Calypso, the witch who had nursed Percy back to health years ago when you and Annabeth and apparently the rest of camp thought him to be dead. You’d heard the stories, but hearing Leo mention it made the hairs on your neck stand up. A sense of suspicion crept in.

“Yeah, and what about it?” you asked, trying to keep your voice steady, though your heart was racing.

Leo’s eyes narrowed, clearly frustrated that you weren’t already “in the know.” He threw his hands up in exasperation, though his tone was far less confident than usual. “Well... I met Calypso.” He spoke slowly, almost as if testing the waters, waiting for your reaction.

Your eyebrows quirked. “Uh-huh…” You crossed your arms, a half-amused, half-worried look on your face, but you could tell Leo was about to say more.

He exhaled sharply, dragging the words out like they were heavier than lead. “And I may have promised to come back and rescue her... on the River Styx.”

You froze. For a moment, time itself seemed to stop. “You what?!”

The words came out of your mouth before you could stop them, and your anger flared in a way you hadn't expected. Your heart pounded in your chest, the frustration that had been building for days erupting in an instant. “How could you be so stupid, Leo?!" you snapped, desperate for him to understand the gravity of what he’d just said. "You can't be serious!”

Leo seemed startled by the harsh words, but he braced himself, like he’d been expecting them all along. “She needed my help! She’s been stuck on that island for centuries!” His voice was a little defensive, but there was an underlying note of... concern? You exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from your shoulders. It was clear Leo just felt a sort of kinship with her, the way he always did with anyone who needed saving.

Despite your growing coolness, Leo still felt the need to add, “I don’t... like her, though.”

Your gaze snapped back to him, and for a moment, it was like nothing had changed between the two of you. You found yourself struggling to hide a grin. “And why are you telling me this?” You tried, but amusement was creeping into your voice.

Leo rubbed the back of his neck, his usual nervous gesture. “Well, I just didn’t want you to think I—y’know—had some... thing for her.”

Of course. Only Leo would accidentally dig a hole for himself in the middle of a serious conversation.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “And why would I think that?”

He blinked, his blush spreading to his ears. If you hadn’t been in the middle of this conversation, you were pretty sure his face would’ve caught fire.

You grinned, shaking your head as you reached out to sling your arm around his shoulders. “C’mon, let’s go eat. I’m starving, and you’ve got enough ‘I’m a walking disaster’ moments for one day.”

Leo groaned, but the way his eyes twinkled told you he was secretly relieved. Just another day in the life of Leo Valdez.

-

You met Reyna. She, Nico, and Coach Hedge had taken the task of getting the Athena Parthenos to Camp Jupiter a while ago. They were all heroes in their own right, but the last thing you wanted to do was sit around and wait. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of uncertainty and battles, you made it back to Camp Half-Blood. But of course, peace would never last.

Not here. Not with the war that was brewing on the horizon.

In fact, peace didn't even stand a chance. It didn't last more than a few moments after you stepped foot back on the camp’s familiar soil. The battle found you again, just like it always did. You were carried from one fight to the next, running on adrenaline and the relentless desire to protect your friends. Monsters fell before you, and the injured campers you helped were a reminder of what was at stake. But even as you fought, you couldn't shake the feeling that something worse was coming.

Then, you heard it.

A loud bang, a crackle in the sky that sets your teeth on edge. You looked up instinctively, already knowing in the pit of your stomach what was going on. Gaea was being fought, her chaos spilling out over the world. Some of your closest friends were out there, battling the earth goddess herself.

But this—this was different.

The air felt colder, the ground seemed to tremble underfoot. Something had shifted. Your stomach twisted into a knot. Something was wrong, deeper than any battle or monster or war you’d fought before.

And before you could even make sense of it, your attention was yanked away. A shout pierced the chaos—someone calling for help, a camper in trouble.

You didn’t hesitate.

There would be no backing down now. You couldn’t give up, not when you’ve already made it this far.

-

Your gut had been right. The battle raged on, but the worst news hit you like a tidal wave. Leo was gone.

It wasn’t just the usual chaos of battle. This was different. Leo. The guy who could fix anything, who joked through every crisis, who had always been one step ahead of the rest of you. But now? Now he was gone. And the words hit you like a punch to the stomach.

You should’ve known. You should’ve realized that something was off. Leo had been acting strangely lately, slipping into moods you’d never seen him in before. Those long silences. The way he kept pushing people away like he was trying to make himself disappear before the inevitable. And now it all made sense in a way that felt like ice down your spine.

Was this it? Was this what he’d been planning all along?

You couldn’t bring yourself to believe it at first. Leo—a martyr? The thought felt wrong in every possible way. Leo wasn’t the kind to give up, to throw himself away for a cause, no matter how noble. He always had a plan. He always had a way out. But now, as the reality settled in, you couldn’t help but wonder. Was this his plan all along? To go out in a blaze of glory? To save everyone at the cost of himself?

It was impossible to reconcile the Leo you knew with the Leo who might have done this, who might’ve sacrificed himself for the greater good.

But as the news spread and the camp was left to mourn, a heavy, bitter ache formed in your chest. You thought of all the times he’d smiled and cracked jokes, of all the times you’d fought side-by-side, laughing and shouting together. And now... Now there was nothing.

It felt like the world was missing a spark. A spark you knew as Leo.

You pushed the grief aside for the moment—it wasn't time to break down. Not yet. But the thought lingered, gnawing at you. Was this really his choice? And if it was... would you ever be able to forgive him for leaving you behind?

-

Two months had passed.

Each day bled into the next like a long, gray smear, and the world had become nothing but the aching void of Leo Valdez’s absence. The loss was a cold weight in the pit of your stomach, a stone that no amount of time could make lighter. Time, it seemed, only deepened the wound.

Camp Half-Blood had continued, as it always did. The camp was used to death. Demigods were used to death and grief, everyone had to learn to carry their burdens or they’d drown. They had learned to march on, even after losing their closest friends. But you? You couldn’t do it. Not this time.

Leo had been different. He had been your Leo, your spark of light in a world that had so often seemed too dark. And now he was gone. And nothing could fill the hole he left behind.

Amidst your grief you had heard of Apollo's appearance at camp. From what you could gather, he had been punished for Octavian's actions and made human. Even more funnily enough, he was a servant to some hot-headed girl.

But you didn’t care. You couldn’t care about Apollo’s strange fate or his odd little master. The only thing that consumed you was Leo. The only thing that mattered was that Leo was gone, and you were left behind in the ruins of it.

Days turned to weeks, and then weeks into two long, endless months. You stayed in your cabin mostly, not wanting to face the world outside. You couldn't bring yourself to do anything but wallow in the grief. The other campers had tried to help, of course. Some had dropped by to check in on you. A few even brought food, but you couldn’t eat. You didn’t want to eat.

And then one morning, when the sun was barely peeking over the horizon, you finally decided—today, you would leave the cabin.

You stood up slowly, the ache in your chest never leaving. You had gone days without food, but something in you told you it was time to stop. Time to start existing again, at least for a while.

You stepped outside, the crisp air hitting your skin. The camp seemed as alive as ever, filled with the sounds of training, laughter, and chatter. But to you, it all felt distant. The faces of your friends, Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, they all seemed to move through a fog. They had all moved on, in their own ways. But you couldn’t.

And you didn’t care about the camp’s new gossip, either. It wasn’t important. It wasn’t Leo.

But then, as you made your way towards the mess hall, you overheard a conversation, sharp and full of whispers. “Leo’s back. He’s really back.”

Your heart skipped. Your breath caught. Leo?

You hurried towards the Big House, ignoring the pull of your doubt. When you arrived, there was a crowd of campers, gathered in a long line stretching out in front of the door. And, in the center of it all, there he was.

Leo.

You blinked, and for a moment, it felt like your heart might stop. Was this real? Was this... really happening?

He looked the same, but different. His usual cocky grin was there, though he seemed a little subdued, almost unsure. His hair was a mess as always, and his shirt had the usual grease stains from his latest invention. But there was something new about him—something that made your chest tighten.

The line shifted a bit, and it was like everything fell away. The campers were giving you space, stepping aside. You moved forward, not even thinking, just needing to be close to him, needing to see him, to know that this wasn’t a dream.

"Leo?" you whispered, barely able to get the word out.

His eyes locked onto yours, and for a moment, he looked stunned, like he couldn't believe his own eyes. Then, in a move that was so typically Leo, he shot up from the bench where he had been sitting, his arms wide open.

“[Your name]” he exclaimed, and before you could even think to react, he wrapped you in a hug. “You won’t believe what’s happened, but—”

You slapped him.

It wasn’t a gentle tap, either. It was a full-on smack, the kind you only give to the person who hurt you most.

Some campers nearby snickered. But you didn’t care. You had to do it. You had to make him feel how angry and hurt you had been all this time. How he had left, without a word, without a goodbye.

Leo froze, his expression turning to one of surprise, then to embarrassment. “Ow! What the—” He rubbed his cheek, eyes wide. “Okay, okay, I deserved it”

You stepped back, your breath shaky, but now that you’d slapped him, something else took over. Something that drowned out all the hurt, the anger, the loss. You threw your arms around him again, pulling him close, holding him tighter this time.

“Don’t you ever leave me like that again, Leo,” you said, your voice breaking. “Do you hear me? I thought... I thought I lost you. You can’t just... just disappear.”

Leo chuckled softly, his voice low and full of warmth, despite the seriousness in your words. “I mean... I didn’t mean to disappear. You know how I am—always making things explode and running off to save the day.” He pulled back slightly, looking at you with that trademark mischievous grin. “But I’m here now. So... does this mean we’re together now? Like... officially?”

You stared at him, blinking in disbelief at his question. For a moment, you almost wanted to laugh—except all the emotions bubbling inside of you weren’t exactly funny.

"Yes," you said, pulling him in and kissing him fiercely, because you couldn’t hold back anymore. Because you needed him. Because you needed him to know you still loved him, even after everything. Even after all the pain.

When you pulled away, Leo was grinning, his usual cocky smile back in full force, despite the tears you both had been holding back. "So... does that mean you're not going to slap me again?"

You could’ve slapped him again. You really could’ve. But instead, you just smiled, shaking your head, and murmured, “No. But I’m never letting you go again.”

And this time, you meant it.

[fraudulent-cheese]

Oh and a couple peeps on discord requested more spinnies!!!

specifically, Alejandro was requested by @perpetualexistence, Bridgette by @codysninthtoothbrush, DJ by @horse-plinko and Geoff by @/bvnny_b33 on discord! And Brody was made by me specifically, so i could have all 3/3 of Polysurfers >:3

[lets-try-some-writing]

In your Young Titan Au, I find it so beautiful with the idea of Optimus creating hot spots on a planet he loves (Earth). I wonder what his Titan like powers or abilities could be. Or how he would repel Megs from him when it comes to the buckethead's schemes.

Oooooh okay a request for part two. Gotcha. Previous part here.

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Decepticons incoming!" Smokescream screamed, bolting down from the half completed outer wall of the developing settlement. Ratchet perked up instantly, abandoning his scans of Optimus's new spark chamber to assess the situation. They knew the Decepticons would find them eventually, but Ratchet had hoped that the false signals they sent out would buy them more time. At least long enough for the budding settlement to complete its outer frame.

"Fortify the walls! Keep the newbuilds out of potential firing range!" Ultra Magnus moved before Ratchet could. The Commander strode forward, the team swiftly obeying him and rushing to stand along the walls. Ratchet cursed as the Nemesis came fully into view. How in Primus's name were they to stand against that? Optimus was still so exposed. His spark chamber wasn't even fully encased yet. All Megatron would have to do was launch one well aimed missile and Optimus would be done for-

"Stay calm. Creator has this under control." Ratchet's spiraling thoughts were cut off by the calming voice of the newbuild who greeted them weeks ago. The newbuild smiled as if nothing in the world were wrong, his painfully familiar optics cycling in relaxed manner as he looked from Ratchet to the skies. He was small still, having not gone through his first reformat yet. To Ratchet, his commentary was beyond foolish.

"You are young, Pax. You don't know what the Decepticons are capable of or what they will do to us if they can get on the ground." Ratchet hurried to his pedes, assessing Optimus's spark chamber again. It was huge, most certainly meant for a Titan. Already Optimus's spark was growing to fill up the basic shell that had grown around him. He had no chamber walls, nor did his settlement yet have more than the framework for what would eventually become buildings. He was completely and totally exposed, his very spark a burning beacon to all who might witness it.

There was no covering or moving him. Optimus was firmly rooted. Yet, the Prime, if he could even be called a Prime anymore, did not seem worried. His spark did not spin in anxiety or stress, instead sending out waves of ease that were completely at odds with the situation. It didn't ease Ratchet a bit. For all he knew, Optimus was blind, deaf, and unaware of the situation. No titans had ever been documented forming in this manner, but it was a well known fact that without a city frame to see and hear through, the Titan was effectively stranded. Especially without a speaker.

Optimus's frame was still forming, having barely gotten anything close to skeleton completed in the form of building framework. He had very few sensors, save for the cables that slithered across the ground, helping to form what would one day become a mighty living city... if they all survived at any rate. The Prime turned TItan needed protection- protection Ratchet could not see the team being able to provide.

There was a reason the Titans of old had armadas to defend them.

"They will kill your creator, Pax. Megatron has a grudge against Optimus that far predates you, and he will stop at nothing to see his rival fall." Ratchet frowned, readying his welder. It wouldn't be much, but when the worst inevitably came to worst, he would fight until his spark went out. Looking at the Nemesis now looming not far away, Ratchet could see Vehicons starting to come their way, with Starscream likely at their head.

"Take the rest of the newbuilds and head toward Jasper. Choose Earth alternate modes and travel until you find a human male named Agent Fowler. He will take care of you after we fall." The Vehicons were approaching fast. The team were ready, each with blasters raised along the wall. But it was not going to be enough. There was no way it could be enough.

Pax, curse him and his similarities to his namesake, didn't so much as twitch as he stayed right by Ratchet's side. The medic could feel his optic twitch in growing agitation.

"I said take the newbuilds and go-!"

"It is fine. Creator has this under control."

Pax cut him off with a faint smile, his finials perking up as if he were observing the weather on a casual walk. He may have been boxier than his Creator, but by the Allspark, he had all of Optimus's attitude before he took the Matrix.

Ratchet wanted to grab the newbuild and throw him. But as the rest of the newbuilds started to gather around, he hesitated. There were perhaps seven at the moment, but they were all stoic, none at all concerned. It set Ratchet surprisingly on edge, especially as the team began to fire at the incoming attackers.

"Pax, please. You and your siblings are the future. You can't fall here." Ratchet tried to plead with the eldest of the newbuilds, but Pax maintained his smile, totally sure of himself. Ratchet looked to the rest, seeing that they were similarly unphased. If Pax wouldn't leave, neither would they.

Loyal glitches.

"Fine. Stay behind me. If the worst comes to worst, you run. Hear me?" He received no answer, but Ratchet readied himself regardless. If this was to be his funeral, he was going to take at least a dozens Decepticons down with him.

"It's alright, Ratchet. Creator is calling for his Speaker. It won't be long now." What?

"Starscream!" Someone screamed, Ratchet couldn't tell who. The next he knew, a blast went off mere feet away from him, forcing him to step back and reassess just in time for one notorious seeker to land where the blast echoed a moment before. Ratchet was unable to get a word in before Pax spoke up.

"Welcome. Optimus Prime greets you." If Ratchet's optics could get any bigger, they would have as Pax and the rest stepped aside, leaving a path to Optimus's very spark. He grunted, rushing to stand in the seeker's way. But before he could, many small but strong arms pulled him back, each muttering something vaguely soothing.

"It's alright, doctor."

"Everything is going to be fine."

"This is part of the process."

Their words did little to calm him, but Ratchet found himself unable to struggle as Starscream stepped closer. He didn't appear malicious, rather... almost in a daze. His optics were wide, his wings dipped and his expression awed. There was not a hint of cruelty to be seen in him as he calmly, nearly reverently, approached Optimus's partially developed core.

Distantly Ratchet heard Vehicons transforming and landing a ways off, the team rushing forward to keep them contained. It meant very little as the seeker came a mere pedestep away from his Prime's very core. The air was so tense it could have been cut with a knife as Starscream reached out-

And Optimus reached back.

The world slowed for a dazzling second. And then, in a mere nano-klik, light came from Optimus and wrapped around the seeker. Starscream didn't even fight back as his frame started to shift. The adjustments were all subtle at first, but the longer the strange connection continued, the more Starscream changed. Power flowed from Optimus to his chosen, and amidst the process, Ratchet heard Starscream speak.

"Why me?"

Then, as if summoned, the newbuilds replied in a choir like tone.

"Because you are the last Prince of Vos, the last to have seen a Titan walk Cybertron's scorched surface."

One by one the newbuilds abandoned Ratchet's side, instead stepping up closer to Starscream as his spindly frame bulked out, bright red, white, and blue taking the place of gunmetal gray. They were all content, especially as Starscream's previously emaciated expression became filled out, fear and confusion changing to acceptance.

"Creator wishes to restore our people, to let seekers rule the sky and grounders roam the earth. He is tired of war... are you not also?" A deep silence echoed, not even the Vehicons daring to speak up as everyone, the team included, watched on. After what could have been a klik or an eternity, Starscream replied.

"Yes. I'm tired of fighting this meaningless war. I'm tired of cowering... I want this all to end." With those haunting words, Optimus's spark flared, his very soul blazing like a newborn star. As it did, Starscream's optics lit up a momentary brilliant blue, and the voice that escaped him was not entirely his own.

"Then join with me, son of Vos. You shall be my voice, and I, your safe haven." Not a word was uttered as Starscream surveyed those around him, his optics returning to their usual red. He looked over his frame, curious, but not upset. Ratchet wasn't sure how to feel, or even if he could feel anything at all as the seeker turned Speaker addressed his Vehicons.

"I... I will not be returning to Lord- Megatron. You may do so if you wish. But I will not fight against this Titan. Not on his or anyone else's orders." Ratchet had to reset his audials and optics, but it changed exactly nothing as Starscream stared at his former subordinates. They all stared back, the team still keeping their blasters trained on them.

Then, as if Primus himself wanted to mock Ratchet for having been worried at all, the Vehicons dropped to a knee, and Starscream smiled.

"That was the correct choice." Starscream grinned, his usual arrogance again rearing its helm as he sneered down at everyone, save for the newbuilds.

"Knockout had the right idea about joining the winning team." The team burst into accusations and various cries of confusion. Ratchet didn't have the energy to bother. Starscream was apparently an ally now, alongside a good half of Megatron's air forces. That made defending Optimus a whole lot easier, if uncomfortable.

Slag Optimus and his cryptic ways.

"See? Everything worked out." Pax, the smug little creature that he was, patted Ratchet on the shoulder. He looked so stupidly pleased with himself and seeing his expression, Ratchet could feel life draining out of his frame.

"My apologies, Megatron. But I will not be returning. I have a new master now, one who has promised me far more than you could ever offer in exchange for my services." Starscream tapped his audial, likely sending a message back to the Nemesis.

On one servo, his presence gave them a fighting chance. On the other, all Ratchet could think about the mech were two simple words.

Slimy glitch.

[whatsk-poppinhomies]

Pairing : Banchan x F!Reader & Jisung x F!Reader TW : Bangchans : pregnancy ; morning sickness ; general angst ;. Jisungs : menstrual cycles ; really bad period cramps ; Han being an asshole ;. BOTH : FLUFF AT THE END I SWEAR!! Word Count : Bangchan (2.1k) Han (2.2k) TOTAL : 4.3k Request : This is so heavily requested!! I'm sorry for keeping everyone waiting!! Chan's specific theme was requested so I'm fulfilling that one right now with this! I will do the other members as well, I'll get to them, I promise!!

Bangchan

Nausea was usually something that you were able to overcome quite quickly, you’d just drink a little bit of water and lay down until the feeling subsided. It wasn’t something that would keep you from doing the chores that you promised Chan that you’d do, it definitely would never stop you from making sure dinner was ready for when he came back from the office. Chan worked hard, and although he always told you that you didn’t have to do all that you did while he was gone, you thought that it was the least you could do. 

Today in particular was by far the worst day, and your attempt at swallowing back the bile in your throat as you normally would when you’d start getting that queasy feeling in your stomach was proven pointless. It was a miracle that you were even able to make it to the bathroom in time to lean over the toilet, your throat burning from the acids that came up from your empty stomach as you heaved over the seat. 

Throwing up was awful, but throwing up literal bile was the worst. Your head was spinning and your stomach felt way too tight from the constant retching, the feeling almost making you throw up again. The taste in your mouth was just as bad, and you pushed yourself up off the floor to drink the water from the faucet out of the palm of your hands. Beads of sweat clung to your forehead and you felt absolutely exhausted just from the physical exertion it took to throw up. A quick nap wouldn’t be bad, you’d wake up before Chan got home and you’d have everything done by the time he got through the door. At least, that’s how you planned on things going this evening. 

Of course he didn’t expect everything to be done for him when he came home from work, he didn’t start dating you so that you could be a maid and a chef for him, he genuinely just loved being with you. That didn’t mean that he didn’t appreciate it though, and some nights he’d even look forward to it, especially on nights like tonight. The new song he was working on just didn’t seem to line up right, he couldn’t find any source of motivation, he had been at work for hours but he hadn’t gotten anything done. He was annoyed, he was upset with himself, he was hungry, and he was tired. 

“Babe, I’m home.” He called out, kicking his shoes off after walking through the front door, his eyes finally glancing up and looking around when he realized just how quiet it was. Not just that, but the smell of dinner wasn’t wafting through the house… There was no smell at all, which was strange. Your shoes were still in the doorway, perfectly straight right next to his. Maybe it’s just because he was running a little late and you didn’t want to make dinner too early… You must be in the bathroom or something. 

He continued in through the house, making his way to the bedroom and slowly opening it. Now, deep down he knew that he shouldn’t be mad, you were his girlfriend, not his servant, but something about the sight of you curled up underneath the blanket, surrounded by toppled over laundry piles… It was infuriating. You really just decided halfway through that you didn’t want to do it and you just… took a nap. 

“Must be nice…” He said, just loud enough to stir you from your sleep, your eyes slowly opening before repeatedly blinking to get the sleep out of them. “Look who finally woke up? Did you have a nice nap?” You quickly jolted up, rubbing your eyes with the palms of your hands before looking around, your mouth falling open into a small ‘o’ when you saw him standing there. “Was one basket of laundry too much for you? Huh?” 

You scanned over the piles of laundry, whispering out a curse before scooting across the bed towards them, trying to refold and situate them as quickly as possible. “I’m sorry, I just wasn’t feeling well. My stomach’s been acting up lately… I don’t know what’s wrong.” You murmured, grabbing out balls of clothes that were still tangled up in the basket. “I’m thinking… Maybe-” 

“Maybe it’s because you’re lazy?” He cut you off, and your head whipped up fast to look at him wide eyed. “I mean, good god, who falls asleep while folding one basket of laundry?” His head shook as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know what, just go back to sleep. Clearly you can’t even do the simplest of things.” 

“N-No, it’s…” Tears were already stinging at your eyes as you rushed to fold the clothes in front of you. “I just don’t feel good… I don’t know what’s going on… I…” The heavy breathing was causing you to get nauseous again, the feeling of being attacked by him for something that both he and you didn’t even understand. He didn’t even know what was going on, he was never home, and now he was coming down on you. 

He yanked the shirt out of your hand, throwing it back into the basket before picking it up off the floor and carrying it to the door. “You think I don’t get sick? I still have to work. You’re just being ridiculous.” He mumbled, dropping the basket on the floor right outside the door. “It’s whatever though, just go do what you do best. I guess I’ll make dinner tonight after working all day too. Fucking fantastic.” He kicked the basket across the hallway before stepping out and slamming the door behind him. 

The sound of kitchen utensils being slammed against the counter and the fridge being opened and shut forcefully could be heard throughout the house, the constant loud noises causing you to jump, and you wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep even if you wanted to. You didn’t want to though, you wanted to talk to him because whatever was going on was starting to scare you. You had never been this sick for this long, and you didn’t have any other symptoms, it was just the random bouts of nausea. 

Suddenly the smell of ramen was filling the air, and you would usually love the smell of it, but right now it had your stomach turning as every single scent of the different spices filled your nose. “Chan…” You groaned, kicking the blankets off of yourself and heading out of the room. The smell hit you harder now and you covered your mouth and your nose, gagging silently as you moved into the kitchen and turned off the burner much to Chans surprise. 

“The hell are you doing?” He muttered, lightly swatting your hand away to turn it back on, and now just the sight of the red broth boiling in the pot had you retching. “What’s your problem?” He grumbled, moving you to the side as he stirred the contents in the pot, and you couldn’t hold it in anymore, leaning over the sink and throwing up, the force behind it sending the bile shooting out of your nose. “Hey! Hey what’s… hey!” He shouted, turning off the burner once more and standing behind you, holding your hair away from your face with one hand as he rubbed your back. 

“Fuck…” You sighed, turning on the spicket and washing out your mouth before grabbing a napkin to blow your nose. “I think I’m dying…” You whispered, a shudder running through you as you dropped down to the floor, leaning your forehead against the cold metal of the dishwasher. Your entire face was covered in sweat and you could barely catch your breath, that alone scaring you even more and causing you to breathe even heavier. 

“C-Calm down, it’s going to be okay.” Chan said, dropping to his knees in front of you, his hands firmly cupping your cheeks to look at you. “How long have you been sick like this?” He asked frantically, his thumb quickly wiping the tears from your cheeks. Your shoulders shrugged as you mumbled out a soft “a while” in response. “Jesus Christ… okay. We’re going to the hospital.” 

You laid on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, hating the fact that you were there but thankful for the lack of IVs. The doctor had taken a couple blood samples and those were the only needles that you had needed for the time being. Now you just wanted to relax, and as tired as you felt, the words that Chan had said earlier had you keeping your eyes open. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were feeling this way? Hmm? You told the doctor it’s been going on for a month and a half almost… How could you not tell me?” 

“You’re always at the office… you’re always working…” You muttered, balling up the blanket in your hands. “I don’t like bothering you while you’re working. You’ve got more important things to do than dealing with me.” You sniffled softly, quickly rolling over onto your side to face away from him, tears trickling down from the corner of your eyes. 

“What are you talking about? You’re extremely important to me, babe.” He cooed, not even bothering to try to roll you back over to face him, instead scooting the rolling chair around to the other side of the bed so he could see you. “All you have to do is call and I’ll come to you, I love you…” 

Your lips pulled together into a thin line as you looked past him. “I should have just laid in bed… went back to sleep and died. It’s what I do best…” He sighed heavily, knowing that those words were only in your head because of what hr had said earlier. He already felt awful about saying them, but now seeing you here like this, he felt even worse. 

“I don’t want you to do that… I want you to be here with me forever…” He whispered, reaching out to caress your cheek, his touch feather light against your clammy skin. “I’m sorry I spoke to you that way earlier… But once we find out what’s wrong and when you get better, I’ll make it up to you. Okay? I promise.” 

The knock at the door came and the doctor peaked in, a wide smile on her face as she waved to both you and Chan. It was a strange expression considering you literally thought you were on the brink of death, maybe she was just trying to lighten the mood before delivering the news. “So the results came back.” Chan nodded his head, his breaths becoming quicker as he waited for her to continue, clearly impatient. “Congratulations. You’re pregnant.” 

You blinked a few times, your mind struggling to process the information that was just given to you. Chan was also shocked into a state of silence as he stared at the doctor who was still smiling just as bright. “A baby… Is making her feel like this?” He questioned, and she simply nodded, walking closer to the bed and pulling a sheet of paper off the clipboard she was carrying, the words morning sickness printed in bold letters across the top and underneath a lengthy article about it. “Well… how… how far along is she? Why is she throwing up so much?” 

The doctor giggled lightly as she slipped the clipboard under her arm. “She’s about 4 months right now. Morning sickness can come at any time and it can be just nausea, or it can be actually getting ill. It depends on the person. I’d recommend setting up an appointment with your OBGYN as soon as possible though, just to get you in the system.” She nodded her head, backing up towards the door. “Congratulations again. Whenever you’re ready, you can head on out and sign the release forms at the front desk.” 

Once she was gone, Chan swiveled the chair back in your direction, still slack jawed at the unexpected diagnosis. “Well… You’re not dying, so that’s good…” He said softly, and then, as if the news had fully processed in his mind, his lips slowly pulled up at the corners, his hand holding onto yours as his thumb brushed along your knuckles. “I know this is unexpected… But I know we can do this… I love you, I know already that I want to have a family with you… and there’s nothing wrong with starting a little bit early…” He chuckled softly, standing up and helping you to your feet. “We’re going to be fine. Let’s get home and relax though, take a nap, I think you’ve earned one.”  going to be right here with you the whole time.”

Jisung

“Pookie butt!!” Jisung called from the living room while you were in the bathroom, waiting for you to come out before he continued. He was standing in the doorway, pulling on his shoes, waiting for you to come out to say goodbye to him. Once you emerged from the hallway and ran over to him, his arms were immediately around your hips, his face nuzzling into your neck. “I’m gonna be sleeping at the dorms tonight, I’ll be working late and I know you hate when I come in at weird hours, you get all panicky and scared.” 

“I do not!” You retorted, pushing back against his chest lightly as you looked up at him, but the smile he was wearing never failed to soften you up immediately. His laughter had you giggling along with him, burying your face in his chest as his hands lightly squeezed your sides. 

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t come at me swinging a baseball bat one night because I came in at 3 in the morning. You almost killed me, pookie poo.” He teased, and you couldn’t even deny it because it was the truth, and while you had apologized profusely for it for an entire month, now you were able to laugh about it with him. “You gonna be okay though? You gonna be able to sleep without the best boyfriend in the world laying beside you? Hmm? Can you do that? Do you need me to come home tonight?” 

“I think I’ll manage.” You said between little fits of laughter, grabbing his jacket from off the hook and handing it to him before pressing a quick kiss to his lips, the one thing that would certainly keep him from teasing you for at least the next 30 seconds. “What time do you think you’ll be back home though? I’m gonna run to the grocery store and get some of your favorite snacks, nothing but the best for my hard working man.” 

His cheeks flushed a light shade of pink at your words, and he quickly kissed you again to try to distract you from noticing it. “This is why you’re the best girlfriend, best pookie poo, my one and only schmookem boops.” He nuzzled his nose against yours, clearly procrastinating, he hated having to leave you, especially if it was over night. “I’ll try to be back by the evening. We can eat some ramen and watch movies, hmm?” You nodded your head in agreement as you opened the door for him, giving him one last kiss before saying goodbye. 

That night you had started your period, and you had fallen asleep with your fingers crossed that the cramps wouldn’t be as bad as they usually were when you woke up. Of course, you weren’t that lucky, and when you did wake up in the morning, it was like your cramps were your personal alarm clock. You could barely even roll over to get out of the bed, and you knew that you wouldn’t be able to walk, let alone walk through the grocery store. 

You hated getting your period, it was a pain in the ass in every single way, shape, and form. It had completely slipped your mind that you were due for it, and you didn’t have any pain medication to even slightly reduce the pain from your cramps. You were practically bed ridden, curled up in the fetal position under the blankets, your breaths labored as you tried to get through each one that came so frequently that you weren’t even able to get a break. 

Just the simple task of getting up to get a drink of water left you doubled over in the middle of the kitchen, eyes squeezed shut as you tried to breathe your way through it just to get to the couch. Tears pricked your eyes as every minute your stomach would tighten up and your back would ache and you’d try your best to maneuver into a more comfortable position, but it seemed that there was no way that you could lay to rid yourself of the pain. 

You had tried to call Jisung, but his phone went to voicemail each time, clearly busy with work and you didn’t want to keep bothering him. You hoped that at some point he’d just call you back before he got home and you could tell him what was going on and ask him to bring you some ibuprofen. The only thing you could do at this point was try to sleep through the pain. 

When the door unlocked, you slowly opened your eyes, smiling up to Jisung as he walked through the front door, kicking off his shoes and going over to you. “Looks like you’re already ready for movie night. I’ll just get the snacks, you stay comfy.” He made little finger guns as he made his way to the kitchen, the sound of cabinets opening and closing as he searched, and if he had answered the phone he would know what was going on, but you didn’t expect him to be so upset about the lack of snacks either. “Where are they?” He called from the kitchen, and you slowly sat up on the couch, looking over the back of it to see him. 

“I didn’t get to go to the store today.” You said, the bright fluorescent bulbs that hung in the kitchen burning your eyes as they glowed behind him, so you quickly laid back down, keeping your eyes shut to try to fight off the headache that threatened to come. “I’m sorry… I just… I’ve been cramping and my head hurts so bad… I couldn’t make it to the store.” 

“Really?” He posed the question, and you thought that for a second he would show some sort of concern like he usually would, but instead he came back into the living room, standing over you as you laid curled up in the fetal position on the sofa. “You really didn’t go to the store because of a couple cramps? There’s girl idols that literally do entire dance routines when they have their periods and you couldn’t walk? Boohoo. Come on, get up. Let’s get the snacks.” 

He reached out to grab your hand, but you quickly pulled it away, your eyes opening just enough to glare at him. You weren’t used to him being so insensitive, and maybe he had a bad day at work, maybe he couldn’t sleep well last night, but whatever the reason, he had no right to practically insult you for not feeling well. “No. I’m in pain, and if you want to go get your fucking snacks so bad, then go get them… But you can go right back to the fucking dorms when you’re done shopping.” You snapped, pulling the blanket up around your face and closing your eyes. 

“Fine!” He retorted loudly, his hands flying up in the air with annoyance as he walked away from you. “But I’m getting really fucking tired of you using your period cramps as a reason to get out of doing literally anything. It isn’t even that bad.” It was like he was trying to piss you off, and it was working really well. He didn’t know shit about the way you were feeling, and for him to assume that you were acting just to get out of going grocery shopping was infuriating. 

“Would you just get the fuck out already?!” You shouted, only for your words to be followed by the door slamming shut, your headache only worsened by the sound of it. You hadn’t even gotten your medicine, and now you were alone once again, and the cramps were only getting worse, and now you were in pain and upset. 

“Weren’t you literally just back home?” Bangchan questioned when Jisung walked through the front door, and he could only assume that the oldest was talking about the fact that he hadn’t even been gone for more than an hour, and when he had left he had excitedly announced that he was having movie night with you. “Did you get Y/N the medicine she needed? She sounded really bad over the phone…” 

Jisung stopped in his tracks on his way to his own room, turning to look back at Chan. “What are you talking about? She called you?” He inquired, slowly walking over to the couch where Chan was sitting. “What did she say?” Obviously he was worried about you, and the only reason he didn’t run back into the house and apologize was because he was embarrassed. He felt like shit for going off on you, and he knew that you’d both need a bit to cool down. 

“She called Minho, asked him to bring her some Tylenol or something. She was crying… He felt really bad so he already left.” Chan explained, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Jisung. “What did you do?” He could read Hans face clearly, and while he wasn’t one to be nosy, he did want to make sure that nothing too serious had happened. You made Jisung happier than anyone else ever could, and he didn’t want that to be ruined for his friend over something small. 

“M-Minho?” Jisung stammered out the name, his hands running through his hair as he grew even more anxious. “Why would he go? That’s… That’s not his place… H-He can’t do that.” He was becoming frantic as his fingers continued to run across his scalp, becoming tangled in the strands that got knotted. “And she was crying?!” 

Bangchan nodded slowly, knowing that nothing he said or did would be able to calm him down now that Jisung was like this. He was practically spiraling and the only thing he could even attempt to do was tell him that it would be okay, although he was sure he wouldn’t believe him. “Look, if you’re so worried, then just go-“ But he didn’t even get the chance to finish the sentence before Jisung was rushing out the door, his shoes barely even on as he hopped on one foot down the hallway to get to the elevator. 

Although he knew that Minho meant well by going there to help you, it felt like he had crossed a line that no friend should ever cross. Going over to his house with his girlfriend when he wasn’t there. It was uncalled for, and even if you had called Minho to get you some medicine, Minho should have contacted him first. It shouldn’t matter that he walked out the door on bad terms, at the end of the day you were still his girlfriend. 

He rushed through the front door and he didn’t know how to feel, seeing Minho sitting on the couch with you had anger rushing through his veins, but it’s not like the two of you were cuddled up or anything, you were on completely opposite sides of the sofa. “Was waiting for you to come.” Minho teased, turning his head as far as he could to look at Jisung who stood like a statue in the doorway. 

He completely ignored the older member, moving to squat down in front of you, his hands grabbing yours tightly as he looked up at you with glassy eyes and dampened cheeks. “Why wouldn’t you call me? Why did you call him? Are you going to leave me? I’m so sorry, baby… I didn’t mean what I said… Don’t leave me…” 

Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked at him, lifting your intertwined hands to brush the tears from his cheeks. “You were mad… we were mad at each other when you walked out… I didn’t think you’d come rushing back to bring me the medicine. That’s why I called him…” You chewed on your bottom lip as you watched his eyes grow wider, almost like a puppy who was just told they were misbehaving. 

“I was a big dummy… I know how bad your cramps get, I was being an ass. I shouldn’t have compared you to anyone because you’re just… you’re amazing and beautiful and there’s no one else in the world like you.” He kissed along your knuckles before brushing his thumb against them, giving you a sad smile. “Will you ever forgive me pookie schmooks?” 

A sound of disgust came from Minho as he quickly got up from the couch, his face perfectly expressing how he felt. “You two are the cringiest people I’ve ever seen in my life and I’m leaving. Get well, Y/N. Goodbye weirdo.” He said to both you and Jisung, practically running to the door as if he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. His reaction was just the icebreaker the two of you needed to get over the awkwardness that was felt. 

“Did you… Get your snacks?” You asked nervously, keeping your eyes down, wondering if he’d act out again just from the snacks being brought up, but his head shook in response before it was laid against your lap. “Do you want me to go get them? I think the pill is starting to kick in…” 

“Mm… no.” He hummed, his smile growing wider as he looked up at you. “I just want to cuddle with you and make sure you feel good and stay feeling good.. We can order in tonight… I just want to stay with you.”

[oh-no-its-bird]

You know how when you spend a lot of time moving— on a boat, on a plane, in a car. Or doing a repetitive activity— dancing, skating, gymnastics; Later that night you can still feel the pull of movment?

You'll lay there and feel your body sway as it tries to keep it's balance through the remembered lull of tide and turbulance; Or close your eyes and imagine yourself falling into a spin in a way that feels so viscerally real that for a moment you can even feel the vertigo of going that fast. The movement so ingrained into your body and consciousness that you find yourself falling back into it whenever your mind quiets and your body falls still.

So anyways that but for Tobirama and Izuna's fighting. They've fought eachother since they were children, they know eachothers moves moves like the back of their own hands. After so many years it's such a familiar dance that when they go home and close their eyes, they can still feel their bodies being pulled into the well practiced movements. They remain still but can feel the way their hands fly through seals so viscerally that they have to be careful not to accidentally start cycling chakra.

Or they'll feel the familiar push and pull dance of battle so strongly that their muscles twitch as they're tricked into thinking they're still moving. The phantom pains and patterns of the fight they know so well

"I could fight you in my sleep" taken to it's extreme, it's quite possible that they could fall into the familiar and fight eachother in their sleep

Actually running with that, I think one of them should be a sleep walker but like. Instead of just walking around they start to phantom fight the other in familiar movements.

Where's my fic where Izuna sleep fights an imagined Tobirama I need that on my desk immediatley. Madara worriedly watches over his brother but, having read somewhere that its unwise to wake sleepwalking up (especially so when they're activley holding a weapon lmao) he just kinda. Watches over him. And after a couple times of this happening he starts to recognize a pattern in Izuna's movements, and after a little longer still he realizes Izuna is tracing through the same battles

Just a short thing of Madara idly watching his brother sleep fight, piecing together bits and pieces ab thus person he's fighting through the cues of how Izuna defends and attacks against them

Later for whatever reason, probably later in peace time, I need Tobirama and Madara to have a spar. And at first it's going kinda whatever, they're both very talented, but then Madara kinda gets a brain itch and remembers those sleep fights he'd always see Izuna moving through. And without even thinking ab it, he flawlessly replicates one of the moves exactly where Izuna would have (thanks sharingan)

And like. Ok so if this is an Izuna died canon compliant thing, Tobirama instinctivley reacts how he would with Izuna then probably goes dead white and immediatley loses the fight bc hes thrown off so fucking hard he can't compute

And if it's an Izuna lives you get kind of the same reaction but minus the angst. So Tobirama is totally thrown off, and his movment kinda just. Stutters. He mindlessly slides into continuing to try to react like he would to Izuna, this muscle memory that's so ingrained into him that he could quite literally do it in his sleep. But Madara isn't Izuna, so when he flips back into fighting like himself, Tobirama just totally fucks himself over

Madara almost fucking beheads him by going for the head in an easily blockable move when Izuna would have immediatley gone for his side instead, and so Tobirama instinctivley defends his side

He gets yelled at for that one but is too busy laying on his back staring up at the sky with a deeply offended, shocked and confused expression to hear any of it

Tobirama's one true infallible weakness: He's so used to fighting Izuna that if you manage to replicate Izuna's style of fighting in the right way and trick his muscle memory into flipping that switch, you can totally fuck him up and over

Anyways, Madara, who can replicate Izuna's moves bc smthn smthn sharingan and having seen him do that sleep fight against Tobirama so many times, using this as an excuse to drag Tobirama into tons of training matches where he absoloutley beats his ass. And Tobirama letting this happen bc holy shit he needs to be trained out of that bad habit

It goes both ways tho too, if someone does that to Izuna but w Tobirama's moves then he's FUCKED. Luckily no one can replicate the way he fights nearly well enough to do that, and Izuna's also aided by the fact that Tobirama is really tall so the pool of people who might be able to pull it off right is narrowed down even further bc your height and weight absoloutley effects the specific angle of how you fight and their blades might meet

Ohhh actually maybe that could be a thing too. Someone replicates Tobirama's style of fighting and fights Izuna, and Izuna keeps getting tripped up bc these are Tobirama's moves but they aren't coming from the right angle or with the right amount of force

Anyways that's ur word vomit for the day time to clock out 👍

[bonefall]

Bit of a random one but rereading the parable of the squirrels got me curious: how would clan cats (or just thunderclan in particular) view black/melanistic squirrels? Have any of them ever seen one? Im not sure how common they are in the uk, but i know they can be relatively prevalent in areas that have them sometimes

Black squirrels are nothing more than a simple morph! They get common in areas that have melanistic genes present as a result of simple genetic drift, though I've seen it proposed that black fur is an advantage in cold areas.

The gene is rare in the populations the Warriors come across, so they almost never see it. In spite of ShadowClan's unwillingness to control the gray squirrel population, ThunderClan is so aggressive about it that the pool stays shallow. Red Squirrels (pishkaf) do not have this gene. Only Gray Squirrels (chakchak) do.

So every time a black squirrel manages to occur, it's treated like a dire omen. Even ShadowClan takes it seriously.

Black as a color is associated with day and night cycles, because of Moon Shadow, Sun Shadow, and Shadowstar. Gray Squirrels are associated with war and benefit at the suffering of others. These things together herald great upheaval-- so cataclysmic that it would likely not be an "honorable conflict."

If you came to your Cleric with this omen, they would be struck with a look of terrible alarm. They'd be interested in its context, what it was doing, if it was eating anything, what its surroundings looked like. Someone like BB!Runningnose, interested in supporting Brokenstar's ambitions, might spin it as a positive sign.

Most Clerics would announce that the squirrel needs to be killed IMMEDIATELY, and launch a massive hunt to destroy it. What would come next would likely depend on the culture of the time, but for the most part I can imagine some sort of mass "purification" ritual. The whole Clan trying to identify how they can avoid the cataclysm, one of the few times where they see a glorious war as a bad thing.

The cat who kills the squirrel would likely earn an Honor Title. It's also very likely that the body of the animal is treated as a very powerful material-- burned to ash to prevent its use in forbidden magic or carefully preserved and made into something special, no in-between.

(Thinking about it... thanks for the idea I'll totally do this for Brokenstar's Cataclysm lmao. The sinew of the black squirrel is probably used to re-string Runny's acorn necklace.)