#tough guy Joel would be the exact same way tbh

[qveerthe0ry]

Thinking about abandoning all my WIPs to write a fic about Joel having a Man Cold to cope with my husband having a Man Cold irl

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does tommy ever feel the wrath of joel’s pregnant wife or does she reserve that specifically for joel? I feel like tommy would get on her nerves a little bit 😂

I was waiting for someone to ask this! Tbh I think preggo wife saves her wrath for Joel simply because shes comfortable with him and can relax and let her guard down. With Tommy alone....

Tommy Dealing with Preggo Wife

Warnings: just language and Joel and Wife being insecure in their own (slightly toxic) ways

- - - -

You were super pregnant at this point. A couple weeks away from making Joel a doting husband to a doting father, and he was probably more on edge than you were. Your anxious little poor husband Joel, freaking out that he needed to take a weekend trip away, and the only person he can rely to watch over you--

"I don't need to be fucking baby sat--!"

-- his sweet, helpless, innocent little pregnant wife, is unfortunately, Tommy.

"Ok listen very carefully," Joel starts, now having Tommy's full attention like he's about to ask him to do his first heart transplant. "She doesn't go anywhere unless you decide. She eats what you put in front of her, and you don't take her shit. She's gonna be bitchy and whiny and crying. She needs to rest. Rub her shoulder, put her feet up, whatever. But you gotta tough through and just make sure she understands that you're in charge. And what you say, goes. Got it?"

He knows Joel is relying on him to take care of his most precious belonging...who also is the devil. "Ok...ok. I mean it's like a... like watching a toddler, right?" Tommy asks, unsure about the whole thing.

"Yeah... a pregnant one that weighs more than ya and swears and probably will slap you a lot."

Joel smacks Tommy's shoulder lovingly with an encouraging smile.

Tommy feels even more hesitant. but he knows that he just needs to channel his inner Joel this weekend: stern, unmoving, and commanding, and he'll do just fine navigating you.

Joel hugs you real tight and kisses your forehead, inhaling your hair deeply as if to etch it into his brain. "I love you, baby, I'm gonna miss you so--"

"Later fucker." you pat his bum and wave him off as you waddle away in his large T shirt towards the freezer drawer, pulling out a Ben and Jerry's fudge pint with wet lips and a grin.

Tommy shrugs and helps Joel out to the truck with his bag. he waves goodbye as his brother backs out the driveway, shouting "YOU'RE IN CHARGE!"

I'm in charge, I'm in charge, he chants to himself, taking a deep breath before entering your house again.

"Alright!" he claps his hands together awkwardly but with a tone leadership. "We are going to stay in bed today,"

"Mall," you grump though a big scoop of ice cream.

"W-what?"

"M'goin ta mall. Yur takin mee," you nod towards him casually, gulping another spoon.

"uhh-h." Tommy looks around anxiously. Was this part of the test? He should put his foot down, yeah, Joel said you go no where unless Tommy explicitly said so. "N-no."

you swallow. "'Scuse me?"

"N-no? I mean... no! I said, we are putting you in bed, and what i say, go--"

"Thomas Miller," you say, and an eerie sense of fear swallows Tommy, sending shivers all over his body. Despite the 90 degree forecast, its like someone just tossed his insides into a freezer, and you were locking him in.

"Y-yes...maam," he whispers, feeling small.

"We can either do this... the hard way," you tilt your head with a sinister gaze towards him, as if referencing that bit of "Joel" he's trying to channel inside. "Or, we can do this... my way." The way you smile at the end is somehow even more threatening than the chilled tone you're having with him.

It was like when he and Joel broke his grandma's vase, and rather than yelling at them, she had the exact same terrifyingly threatening voice, and it made Tommy sleep with one eye open for a week.

"What will it be, Thomas."

He remembers to breathe shakily through his nose, licking his parched lower lip.

He doesn't want to be known as the guy who got beat up by his pregnant sister in law.

-

"Do you want a pretzel?" you ask kindly.

"Ah... no--no that's okay--"

"I'm getting you one, honey, just say Thank you."

"Okay. T-thank you."

Tommy bites into the cinnamon sugar one with the extra glaze you had ordered, and he had never felt such sweet heaven.

"Joel used to yell at me for my sweet tooth," he admits as the two of you stuff your faces and waltz slowly down the mall halls.

"Me too!" you bump his shoulder heartily.

Tommy lets out a relaxed sigh. From the moment he agreed to do whatever it was you wanted, the weekend had been fantastic. Turns out, you're not only super fun to blast kareoke to the worst songs in the car, but also all full of warmth, laughter, and even more suprisingly, extremely generous at offering to spoil him rotten like a mother with her favorite child.

"What can I make you for dinner?"

"Wha--no I'm supposed to cook for you--"

"Tommy stop please. I want to make you something. You have to be stuck with me all day walking like a slow penguin. I want to do something for you. You deserve it. "

You hadn't noticed Tommy pausing along your walk, watching you in awe as you waddled about, gently caressing your tummy absentmindedly as you window shopped.

This was the demon that Joel complained about every hour of the day???

And even more concerning was: how did someone like JOEL manage to score a girl like YOU???

You were so peaceful, generous, kind, loving, all smiles and willing to take care of him.

Was he doing everything right or everything wrong?

The two of you return home, with Tommy hauling more gifts that you had bought him. He really wasn't able to protest, with you somehow disappearing from sight conveniently, to his horror that he somehow lost you like a puppy in the park, and then finding you suddenly swiping your card at a register.

He should feel bad, truly, but you were just in such a good mood, he didn't want to seem ungrateful. And he also.... really liked all of it.

"Oh these are so fuckin nice!" He cheers, pulling out the new sneakers you had just bought in it's wrapping paper. "Mine are--"

"Old and ratty, yes I know that's why I bought them. Sick of your nasty shoes trailing my house--"

"S-sorry--"

"Bought you some fuzzy slippers too so you can switch out when you come in."

"Im not really a slippers guy..."

"You are now."

You ended up making a quick spaghetti, slapping him away every time he tried to hover in the kitchen. "I wanna stand! good exercise!" you nod with a smile.

And it seemed like you meant it. Despite babyzilla cooking and ready to burst out, you were light on your feet in the kitchen. Like a ballerina dancing and swaying, you hummed to a tune in your head as you tasted the sauce on the spatula. You were in the zone, in your world. and it was genuinely... beautiful. He understood it now, when people say pregnant women glow. the entire time, Joel always said you did, but he only ever saw how tired the pregnancy made the both of you.

Was... Joel the problem?

After a hearty dinner, Tommy washed up the dishes. You said your goodnights and headed to your master bedroom, tucked in, and lights off just as Tommy gathered his pillows down the hall in the guest bedroom.

He sighs, laying on his belly and inhaling the fresh linen before closing his eyes.

Not more than a few moments pass before he hears some sniffles down the hall. Then again, a cough and whine.

He sits up and heads down to your room, the door cracked and dark. he flips the light switch on to see you sitting upright in your bed, rubbing your eyes.

"You okay?" he asks softly.

"M'good!" you give him two thumbs up. "Night!"

He nods and flips the switch off again, turning away. he doesn't make it two steps before he hears your unmistakable crying.

He turns the lights back on to see you wiping fat tears from your cheeks, sobbing into your shirt--Joel's shirt.

"Hey...what's wrong? Are you okay? ya in pain? What can I--"

You pull your face up, lips trembling and all tear soaken. He sees your clutching one of Joel's jackets in your hands, wrapped tightly like you don't want it to leave you. A completely emotional mess as you huff and puff.

He puts the pieces together. "Ya miss Joel, don't you--"

"I MISS HIMMMMMM!!!!!!!!" you wail, erupting into a long cry into the air with slunked shoulders and larger tears strolling down from the creases of your closed eyes.

He tightens his lips awkwardly, not wanting to let out a chuckles. Turns out big scary pregnant "later fucker" wife really did love that dumbass. Its also probably the first time he sees bags under your eyes, like you were hiding your exhaustion. When Joel is around, you almost never looked tired. Just pouty and groutchy like a spoiled senior cat.

Maybe Joel wasnt the problem, but the solution. He knew how to take care of you, knew what you needed when you needed it, knew when to put his foot down, and even when hed watch you two bicker and bitch, joel knew exactly how to get you in bed wrapped around him like gumby. Every. Single. Night.

He rubs your arm soothingly.

"Why"-hiccup--"did he"--sniffle--"leave me!"

"He aint leave ya, just had some work."

"HE HATES ME!!!!!!!!!"

He shakes his head, knowing you're inconsolable. rather than trying to reason, he brings you to his shoulder so you can cry your heart out on him as he hugs you. "There there," he hums, swaying you two side to side.

like a crying toddler indeed.

"M'sorry," you whimper, rubbing your eyes with your balled fists. "Wakin' you up, me crying like this. I can't--I can't help it some times..." your voice waivers, face warm in embarrassment that you're burdening Tommy so much.

"Don't sweat it. You did a lot today. Can I get you anything to cheer you up?" he suggests, expecting a trip down to the freezer for a nice tub of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cr--

"Can you get the jar of pickles?"

That...is fine too.

He brings up the largest jar of dill pickles he's ever seen in his life, sets them in your lap. He pops open the sturdy lid for your eager fingers to pull a long dill out and slink it into your lips. the satisfying crunch echoes in the room as you munch.

You start crying again. "I Fucking HATE Pickles!" you groan angrily before taking another generous crunch with a confusingly delightful hum. "Like--I hate it, but they're good?"

He chuckles, taking a piece. He pauses, eying you fearfully as if he made a wrong move not asking your permissions to take one of your hated yet coveted pickles. You nod, and the two of you crunch down on the peculiar snack.

"It's probably from the baby..."

"Fuckin' weirdo." you pat the rounded hump of your tummy and swallow the rest of your slice. Though, the way you stroke along the skin so delicately with a little smirk, he knows you're already in love with your "fuckin weirdo" baby more than anyone could love anything in this world.

Tommy never really thought about the word "uncle" until this moment, and the first emotion he has to associate it with, is excitement.

"Mkay. I'm done now." You hold the jar out to him so he can close it. "Thank you, Tommy," you say sweetly with the gentlest, sleepiest smile. "I really appreciate it."

THIS IS THE ANGEL JOEL HAS THE NERVES TO COMPLAIN ABOUT????

He swears, if Joel comes back and calls him up later saying how insufferable you are, he may just have to size up and smack his big brother.

Tommy pats your head, tucks you in again and turns of the lights.

-

The next day you make Tommy take you to breakfast and get him as many pancakes and French toast he can stuff his face with. A spoiled little brother indeed, and as he swallows another lump of the best breakfast eggs he's ever had, he wonders how sweet life would have been with a big sister like you spoiling him every day instead of Joel making him do chores and shit.

Its not until Joel is meeting the two of you at a lunch spot that Tommy remembers exactly what Joel always groans about.

"Hi baby!" He grins, rushing to give you a big hug for the first time in two days.

And despite your crying for him last night, you only retort with "sup fucker" casually and near bored, as if you weren't sniffing his jacket and Wagging your imaginary tail in disguise.

Joel purses his lips sarcastically, knowing you mean well, and Tommy laughs. You two definitely understood each other way better than he thought.

"Im gonna wash my hands, you two get a table," Joel says, and disappears down the back entrance.

Your waitress greets you just as Tommy is helping you slide down into the booth, big baby belly and all.

"Just three waters, please,"

"And a pepsi! Lots of ice. Two pepsis actually. And bread. And maybe like uh milkshake to start off?--"

The waitress glances at Tommy with a raised brow, wondering if you're genuine or not. He shrugs and nods, noting "she's pretty far along if ya can tell."

"My older sister was the same way. I'll get that in. You two...sorry I shouldn't say it but you two make a cute couple--" she says kindly.

Unfortunately, its exactly at the same Joel returns and hears that last bit, directed towards you and Tommy.

She walks away just as you catch Joels bewildered expression, conveniently with Tommy's hand on your bump and another around your lower back (supporting you into the booth of course but JOEL doesn't see it that way with this new context).

You and Tommy open your mouths to dismiss the claim and misunderstanding, but ever defensive Joel just shoves Tommy aside, slides into your booth next to you and slams your hand into his lap, his bear paws enclosed around yours. Tommy quietly slides into the opposite end, met with Joels flaring nostrils and billowing steam coming out of them.

The younger Miller realizes that slapping some sense into Joel and "sizing him up" was a total pipe dream. He'd be lucky to live long enough to an uncle at this point.

You gotta defend your poor brother in law. "The waitress just saw--"

"Cute couple, huh," he seethe with gritted teeth his entire seething focus at Tommy rather than paying any mind to you.

"Joel stop, Tommy was REALLY great to me this weekend--"

"Oh I BET he was," he grunts, turning towards you with a scowl. "S'that why he got new shoes on?" Joel damn well knows Tommy didn't just pony up and buy new shit for himself this weekend, given he refuses to buy himself anything new for years past it's expiration.

Tommy knows he's never allowed to baby sit you alone again at this rate.

"She was crying last night saying how much she missed ya," Tommy blurts.

You kick his shin under the table, not wanting to let Joel know what a pathetic groveling mess--

"Wait really!?" he nuzzles closer to your, as if all the anger in his body dissipated at the notion his poor little wife was calling out for her hubby.

Tommy chuckles and nods. "We shared some pickles in bed, ain't that right?"

You slap your face just as Joel rears his once again flaring red face towards Tommy. "You did WHAT in WHERE????"

- - - -

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TDB Rewatch: The New Rachel

Hmmmm....  Hm. Hm. Hm.  I have lots of thoughts, but I’m not entirely sure where to start.  Now that we’ve entered season 4 -- the show feels different.  The show feels different at the beginning of every year, but this one may be the most awkward?  I mean, it really feels like they’re trying to do two shows -- and I know I’ve talked about it before, the smushing together of Glee the College Years with Glee the New Class, but the unfortunate thing is that neither one is very developed, which hurts both parts. 

I wonder if too many people are missing -- I mean, do I miss Puck, Quinn, or Mike? No, not really.  I do think Mercedes, Santana, and Finn’s presence is really missing though.  And while I think it was intentional to have the tone be about something missing -- I think maybe the change is too abrupt to feel satisfying.  

It’s also weird that despite missing half the cast, it feels like there’s a lot shoved in here, something that’s going to be a part of the show until we get to the back part of season 5.  Nothing gets to breathe as it should - also a hindrance.  

At the same time, I can already tell it’s not season 3 anymore.  There’s a bit more maturity in it -- it’s not all fluff and happy times, and while there is a heaviness looming over it (that’ll break around the break up), the style of storytelling feels more enjoyable.  I’m not sure if I can make sense of it, but yes, I’m glad to be past the aggravating tone of season 3.  

Thoughts: 

Let’s start with Rachel -- if this had been a show where it’s only about Rachel, I’d be okay with it.  I don’t think her supporting characters are very interesting, but Rachel is finally, finally struggling with things, and that’s a good place to start a character, especially after all the nonsense of season 3.  I will take more issue with it as the show goes on -- does Rachel arc really go anywhere? I’d argue not really outside of her personal relationships, and the non-tension of getting Fanny, but those are thoughts for later in the season.  For now, I think it’s a concept that works, and as usual, if only Glee had built on the potential.

However -- I don’t like Cassie July.  She’s another mean character being mean cause she can be mean.  We already have had Terri, Sue, Quinn, Santana, and now Kitty.  What the hell Ryan Murphy, really?  I guess it also frustrates me because you can show the realities of how tough the business is without having a washed-up angry wanna-be be mean to the main character.  I also hate that once again a failed performer is a teacher.  Stop it, show.  Stop.  

Annnnnd then there’s Brody.  Man, remember when we were happy because at least it was not Finn and no more Finchel? This does not hold up well at all.  I’ll admit - Brody’s introduction was pretty funny.  Then he started talking.  And it’s like - Rachel, ew, no don’t.... for the next seventeen episodes.  But more so than the questionable “advice” Brody’s gonna give Rachel over this arc - I just think he’s boring and has the personality of a block of wood.  Sorry dude. 

Also, NYADA is a scam school -- there’s no way that that chick singing Ava Maria would’ve been cut, she was fine, just needed work.  I get tired of this show presenting actually talented people as bad.  Meanwhile, you would not be singing Billy Joel in the same set as classical music.  It... just doesn’t happen like that? Yeah - get ready for a year of me nitpicking how music school does and doesn’t work.  I have to use my master’s degree for something. 

Meanwhile - back at McKinley, which is marginally more entertaining than the New York stuff at this point... 

Will is really the instigator for all the bad behavior over the years.  Seriously.  He really has no idea what’s going on with his kids.  Fosters this idea that there is a /star/ of the show.  (Even if he lamely tries to shut the ‘New Rachel’ stuff down).  Stops Jake from finishing his song -- which is really kinda rude.  And when he has a ton of interest in the club - doesn’t fill it with members.  Do you guys realize how big show choirs normally are?  A good group might have 20-60 people.  I realize - hey TV and can’t focus on everyone.  But let’s stop with 12 is the most limit.  That’s a chamber group.  C’mon. 

Meanwhile, Matthew Morrison looks like he can’t wait to get out of there.  Poor guy. 

The B-Cast (Sam, Artie, Tina, and Brittany) were b-cast for a reason.  (Oops)  I mean they’ll sorta come into their own, but it’s awkward right now.  Also - the show can’t seem to get past it’s season 1 premise, even if the show has evolved.  Everyone seems to be totally out of character this episode as they try to be a part of the cool kids because Nationals.  It doesn’t work with this group -- even with Brittany, where it’s obvious she’s not trying to be mean, but saying things that make sense to her.  I’m glad this whole idea was dropped after the first episode. 

Kitty’s irritating - they didn’t need a literal retread of Quinn/Santana.  While I don’t think Jake is Puck - Jacob Artist’s acting is a little cringy in this episode.  And - I don’t have an issue with Marley, but I’m not a fan of her mom giving pushing her issues onto her.  Unique is the most interesting out of the new cast -- and I do like that there is interaction between the old crew and the new kids, but after this it sorta becomes separate - which is another issue. 

And, as we’ve all said before, the biggest issue with the newbies is that they felt like they were created to fill the exact holes emptied by the previous graduates instead of letting them be their own characters (like they do in season 6).  It’s going to take a while for them to come into their own - and by then, it’s a little too late, tbh. 

Blaine is a little goober, a sweetpea, and a cinnemon roll.  He does deserve the New Rachel title - and it’s sad that Will will never recognize him for the welcoming leader that he is.  Oy.  

Kurt’s story, my god, I realize I’m biased here, I get it - but it’s the most interesting arc in the episode.  They could have done so much here -- going through leaving your home and going off to the big city to make it without the safety net you were planning on having -- including making the decision to leave your family and significant other behind.  It’s the story Rachel should have had - maybe I’m glad she didn’t.  Hm.  If only Kurt’s season 4 story had been more developed... 

The music of this episode was really good.  I unironically love Call Me Maybe.  And It’s Time is amazing.  I am also not someone who thinks that Lea Michele is miles beyond Melissa Benoist - they just have different styles, and Marley lacks a slight edge, but it mostly works.