#walking back from breakfast with my mom on New Year’s Day thoughts

[fl0ralsex]

can everyone just leave me be in my grief and feeling. stop expecting me to be anything other than forlorn. i’ll go back to being able to offer a more pleasant and palatable affect soon but just give me time to be this so i can move through it. if no one is able to hold me in it right now, i need to be able to hold myself. and for that i need both my arms and i can extend nothing.

[sergeantbarnessdoll]

The Truth Is Out » Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Pairings: Dad!Bucky Barnes x Mom!Reader (soon to be husband and wife) with daughter Jamie and the Avengers

Summary: Bucky finally finds out the truth about why you left HYDRA and he also finds out he’s the father of your 5 year old daughter.

Warnings: mix of Fluff and a little bit of Angst, language, mentions of sex (18+), mentions of HYDRA, flashbacks, crying, kissing, nicknames/pet names

A/N: Italic text is flashbacks.

Written on my phone. I’m sorry for any mistakes.

Header made by @buckys-wintersoldier

GIF IS NOT MINE! Credit goes to the creators. I found it on Pinterest.

“Y/L/N, the Winter Soldier is in the lab and he needs to be stitched up.” Alexander Pierce tells you.

You nodded and got the supplies you needed to stitch up the Winter Soldier. The door was closed and locked the second you walked in the lab, making you furrow your eyebrows and turn your head towards the door. You shrugged it off and got the set supplies up.

“I’m Y/N. I’ll be taking care of your injuries. Can you tell me your name?” You asked him.

The Winter Soldier furrowed his eyebrows and blinked a couple times, trying to remember his own name.

“My name is James Buchanan Barnes, but my nickname is Bucky I think.” He tells you.

“It’s nice to meet you, Bucky.” You say with a smile.

You woke up to the feeling of your 5 year old daughter, Jamie, jumping on your bed to wake you up. You smiled and sat up. You pulled her onto your lap and gave her kisses, making her burst into a fit of giggles.

“Let’s get ready for the day. Pick out your outfit.” You say.

“Ok, mommy.” Jamie says.

You gently put her on the floor and she ran to her closet to pick out an outfit while you got dressed. Jamie came running out of the closet and held up the outfit she wants to wear today.

“Go choice, baby girl.” You tell her.

Jamie got dressed and then ran back to her closet to get her favorite sneakers. You helped her put them on and tie them.

“Are you hungry?” You asked her.

Jamie nodded her head yes.

“What would you like for breakfast?” You asked.

“Umm…” She thought for a moment. “Donuts!” She says excitedly.

Donuts are Jamie’s favorite food. She held your hand as the two of you got on the elevator and went to the main floor of the Avengers Compound. You stopped in your tracks when you seen someone from your past talking to Steve. James Buchanan Barnes, the now former Winter Soldier. You haven’t seen him in 5 years. Bucky made eye contact with you. You shook your head to snap yourself out of your thoughts.

“Y/N, wait a second.” Steve stops you from walking out of the door. “This is my friend Bucky. He’s new here.” Steve introduces you and Bucky.

“We uhh- we know each other.” You say.

“Really? How?” Steve asks.

“She was a nurse for HYDRA.” Bucky tells him, not taking his eyes off of you.

There was an awkward silence and then Jamie yanked on your hand to get your attention.

“Is he your friend, mommy?” Jamie asks curiously, looking up at you.

Bucky looked down at your little girl with wide eyes when he heard her voice.

“Yes.” You answered.

Jamie let go of your hand and walked up to Bucky.

“I’m Jamie. What’s your name?” She asks.

“Bucky.” He tells her, looking down at her.

“Let’s not bother Bucky, Jamie.” You picked her up. “Let’s go get some donuts.” You say.

Bucky watched you walk out of the door with Jamie in your arms. He was in complete shock. He didn’t know what to say.

“You don’t have to fake injuries to see me, Bucky.” You say with a giggle.

“Who says I’m faking?” Bucky says in a flirtatious tone.

You playfully rolled your eyes at him as you continued to patch him up.

“Did you just rolled your eyes at me?” He asks.

“So what if I did? What are you going to do about it?” You asked, biting your bottom lip.

“I might have to kiss you for that.” He says, his voice low.

“What’s stopping you, soldier?” You asked with a grin.

Bucky leaned forward and kissed you. The kiss took your breath away.

“Bucky?” Steve waves his hand in front of Bucky’s face to snap him out of his thoughts.

“What?” Bucky asks, blinking a couple times.

“Are you ok?” Steve asks. “You zoned out for a couple minutes.” He says.

“Yea, I’m fine.” Bucky says.

You were the only thing on Bucky’s mind for the rest of the day. He had so many questions to ask you. He was happy to see you and happy that you’re alive. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the small footsteps of your daughter, running into the lounge room. Jamie smiles when she seen Bucky. She climbs up onto the couch next to him.

“Hi, Bucky!” She says.

“Hi, Jamie.” Bucky says.

“How do you know my mommy?” She asks curiously.

“We used to work together.” He tells her.

“Where did you guys work?” She asks.

“Your mommy was a nurse and she would patch me up when I got hurt.” He tells her.

Jamie managed to make conversation with Bucky before you walked in the lounge room. You stopped in the doorway when you seen the two of them talking.

“Jamie, it’s almost time for bed. Go to your room and put your pajamas on and I’ll be there in a few minutes.” You say.

“Ok, mommy.” Jamie carefully slid off the couch. “Goodnight, Bucky.” She says with a smile.

“Goodnight, Jamie.” Bucky says, smiling back at her.

You and Bucky were left in silence for a few seconds before you walked out of the room to Jamie’s bedroom to see her already in her pajamas and choosing a bedtime story for you to read to her. She found one and handed it to her. You tucked her in before taking a seat in the chair next to her bed and read the story. About halfway through the book, you glanced at Jamie to see her sound asleep. You closed the book and put it on her bookshelf. You gave her a kiss on her forehead and turned on her nightlight before leaving her room and closed the door behind you. You went to your own room and got ready for bed. You laid in bed for a while, lost in your own thoughts before falling asleep. Bucky was laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, also lost in his thoughts. He sighed loudly and closed his eyes to try to get some sleep.

The next morning, Bucky walks in the kitchen to see Jamie eating her breakfast at the table. He didn’t want to disturb her so he walked past her and got some coffee. Jamie looked up from her food, smiling widely when she seen Bucky.

“Morning, Bucky!” Jamie says cheerfully.

“Morning, Jamie.” Bucky says, giving her a smile.

“Sit with me!” She says excitedly, pointing at the empty chair next to her.

Bucky hesitated for a second before taking a seat next to her.

“Where’s your mommy?” He asks her.

“In the hall. She got a call and told me to wait here like a big girl.” She tells him and goes back to eating her breakfast.

You froze when you walked back in the dining room when you seen Bucky sitting next to Jamie, not that you have a problem with it. You just didn’t hear Bucky in the kitchen when you were on the phone.

“Can I be done, mommy?” Jamie snaps you out of your frozen state. “Can I play on my iPad please?” She asks politely.

“Yes you can.” You answered.

Jamie carefully got off of the chair and ran to her bedroom to get her iPad. You grabbed her plate and went to the sink to clean it.

“She has your beauty.” Bucky says, putting the coffee cup in the sink.

“What?” You asked, making sure you heard him right.

“I said, Jamie has your beauty.” He repeats.

“Thank you.” You say quietly, loud enough for him to hear.

You quickly dried your hands and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Bucky alone. You walked down the hall to the conference room and sat down in one of the chairs, slouching in it and exhaled a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“Are you ok?” Natasha asks you.

“Yea, I’m fine.” You say, lying through your teeth.

Natasha and Wanda could tell you were lying. You know better than to lie around them, especially Wanda.

“You know I can read minds, right?” Wanda reminds you. “So tell us what’s on your mind.” She says.

“Fine.” You gave in. “Can you two keep a secret?” You asked.

They nodded, waiting for you to tell them what’s on your mind.

“Remember when I told everyone that I didn’t know who Jamie’s dad is?” You asked.

They nodded again.

“I lied. I know who her dad is.” You say.

“Who is he?” Natasha asks.

“Steve’s best friend Bucky.” You say quietly, making sure no one else heard you.

They stared at you with shocked looks on their faces.

“Are you sure he’s Jamie’s dad?” Wanda asks.

“Yes.” You answered. “He’s the only guy I’ve slept with.” You say.

Meanwhile, Bucky was lost in his thoughts. He was wondering why you left the kitchen in such a hurry. It’s almost like you’re trying to avoid him. He’s not sure what it is, but whatever it is, he’s going to figure out what it is.

Later that day, Bucky found you in the lounge room watching TV by yourself. He walked in the room and sat down next to you.

“Are you avoiding me?” Bucky asks.

“No.” You lied. “Why would I be avoiding you?” You asked.

“Cause you’re barely talking to me. We used to talk all the time a few years ago, but now we’re like complete strangers.” He says.

You looked down at your lap, fiddling with your fingers. Bucky just scoffed when you didn’t say anything.

“That explains why you left me.” He says, standing up.

“I didn’t leave you.” You say, standing up too.

“Then explain why you left without telling me.” He says.

You stood there in silence while Bucky was waiting for an answer. He walked out of the room when you didn’t say anything. You followed him down the hall.

“Bucky, wait!” You grabbed his arm. “Let me explain please!” You begged.

“Then explain.” He says.

There was no way of getting out of this conversation so you might as well tell him the truth.

“HYDRA threw me out.” You say.

“What do you mean they threw you out?” Bucky asks.

“They fired me when they found out about our secret relationship.” You tell him.

You remember that day very well…

You were approached by Alexander Pierce and Brock Rumlow. You were too busy working that you didn’t even know that they were behind you.

“Is there any reason why the Winter Soldier isn’t doing as well as on missions and training like he used to?” Pierce asks you.

“I-I don’t know.” You lied. “Could it be the serum?” You asked, pretending like you didn’t know anything.

Brock yanked you up from the chair and turned you around so you were facing Pierce. His hands held your upper arms tightly, holding you in place. Pierce examined your facial expressions. He knew you were lying and he wanted answers. He’ll get those answers out of you one way or another.

“I’m going to ask you again.” He walked closer to you. “Why isn’t the Winter Soldier doing well on his missions?” He asks again.

“I-I don’t know.” You lied again.

Pierce chuckles to himself and smacked you across your face, making whimper in pain and leaving a red mark on your cheek.

“We could’ve avoided the consequences if you had just told me the truth, but it looks like we’re doing this the hard way.” He says.

“I am telling you the truth.” You lied again.

He smacked you again.

“I see your lips moving, but I don’t hear you telling the truth.” He says.

It took everything in you to not say anything about your secret relationship with the Winter Soldier, but you knew if you didn’t say anything soon, you’d be beaten bloody or possibly dead.

“We’re together!” You blurted out, unable to take the beating anymore. “We’re in a relationship!” You tell him.

“Get rid of her.” Pierce says to Rumlow.

You squeezed your eyes shut and rubbed your hands over your face as you came back to reality. Your eyes started to water. Bucky didn’t know what to think. He wasn’t sure if he should be mad at you or hug you. For the sake of starting an argument, he walked away to clear his mind. You let out a shaky breath and a couple tears rolled down your cheeks.

Over the next couple weeks, Bucky has been avoiding you. Also, the Avengers have been gossiping about you and Bucky amongst each other without the two of you knowing. Everyone goes quiet when the two of you walk in a room.

“Are we not going to talk about the elephant in the room?” Tony says.

“What elephant?” Steve asks.

“Y/N and Barnes.” Clint says.

“Also, her daughter looks like him.” Sam says.

Wanda and Natasha sat in silence while the guys talked. They knew the truth about Bucky being Jamie’s biological dad, but Bucky and everyone else didn’t.

“Hey guy!” Everyone went quiet when you walked in the room. “What’re you guys talking about?” You asked.

“You and Barnes.” Tony says.

“What about me and Bucky?” You asked with wide eyes.

“You and him look very friendly and I mean very friendly.” He says with a smirk.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You say a little too fast.

“You sure?” He asks.

You opened your mouth and then closed it when Bucky walked in the room.

“Why’s it so quiet in here?” Bucky asks, looking around the room at everyone.

“No reason.” You said a little too fast, making him furrow his eyebrows.

“We’re going to leave the two of you alone.” Steve says.

Everyone left the room, leaving you and Bucky alone. The awkward silence faded away when Jamie ran in the room, stopping in front of you.

“I finished my lunch, mommy. Can I watch cartoons please?” Jamie asks politely.

“Yes you can.” You say with a smile.

Jamie smiled and ran out of the room, leaving you and Bucky along once again. Awkward silence filled the room again. Bucky couldn’t take any more of the awkward silence so he just left the room. He wasn’t too far down the hall from the conference room when his enhanced hearing picked up what the Avengers were talking about.

“Is it a possibility that Barnes could be Jamie’s dad?” Natasha asks, pretending like you didn’t tell her and Wanda about it earlier.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Steve answers.

“There’s no “I don’t know” or “Maybe” about it. Jamie clearly looks a like Bucky.” Sam says.

“Maybe Y/N isn’t ready to tell him or she doesn’t know how to tell him.” Wanda says.

“He has a right to know if Jamie is his daughter.” Clint says.

Bucky was frozen in place and his eyes went wide. He didn’t know what to think. He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled. The only thing on his mind is that he’s a dad. He’s happy about it, but he’s pissed that you never told him. Bucky opened his eyes and immediately went back to the room you’re in. You looked up from your phone when you heard Bucky’s footsteps enter the room.

“I’ve known you for a long time, but I didn’t know you were this fucking selfish.” Bucky says.

“One, I’m not selfish.” You stood up from the chair you were sitting on. “And two, I’m a lot of things, but selfish isn’t one of them.” You say.

You tried to walk past him, but Bucky grabbed your arm, stopping you in your tracks. You looked up at him. His eyes were filled with anger.

“I don’t know what your fucking problem is, but let go of me!” You say, raising your voice at him.

“You’re not leaving this room until I get answers.” He lets go of your arm. “Sit.” He says, pointing at the chair.

You stared at him for a few seconds before sitting down. He sat down on the chair in front of me.

“How old is Jamie?” Bucky asks.

“5.” You answered.

Bucky took a moment to do the math in his head. 5 years ago, you and Bucky had a sexual encounter when he was the Winter Soldier.

“Was this when I- he took your virginity?” He asks, referring to the Winter Soldier.

“Yes.” You say quietly, loud enough for him to hear.

“When did you find out you were pregnant?” He asks.

“Shortly after the Avengers took me in.” You say.

That’s enough for Bucky to know that he’s Jamie’s biological father. He slouches back in the chair and rubs his hands over his face.

“So it’s true.” He sighs. “I’m Jamie’s dad.” Bucky says, looking you in the eye.

“How- How did you find that out?” You asked with wide eyes.

“Did you forget that I have enhanced hearing?” He asks sarcastically. “I heard the Avengers talking about me possibly being Jamie’s biological father.” He tells you. “Is it true or not? Am I Jamie’s biological father?” He asks.

“Yes.” You answered.

Bucky scoffs and stood up, walking towards the door, making your eyes go wide.

“Wait!” You quickly jumped up from the chair. “What are you going?” You asked, following him.

“To tell my daughter that I’m her dad.” He says.

“Wait, please!” You pleaded.

“She has a right to know that I’m her dad, Y/N.” He says.

“I know. Just let me talk to her first.” You say, trying to reason with him.

“Fine, but I’m in the room.” He says.

You nodded in agreement. You and Bucky went to the lounge room where Jamie was watching cartoons.

“Jamie, sweetie?” You say.

“Yes, mommy?” Jamie asks, looking at you.

“Mommy has something important to tell you.” You say.

You shut the TV off and sat down on the couch next to her. Jamie turned around so you had her full attention.

“Remember that one time you asked me who your daddy is?” You asked.

Jamie nodded, waiting for you to continue.

“Well umm… I know who he is.” You say.

“Who is he?” She asked curiously.

You looked at Bucky and back to Jamie before answering.

“Bucky is your daddy.” You tell her.

Jamie stared at you for a moment before sliding off of the couch and walked up to Bucky, stopping in front of him and stared up at him.

“You’re my daddy?” Jamie asks him.

Bucky looked from Jamie to you. You nodded, giving him the ok before crouching down to her height.

“Yes I am.” Bucky confirms with a smile.

She wrapped her little arms around his neck, giving him a hug. Bucky immediately hugged her back. A smile grew on your face as you continued to watch the cute father daughter scene happening in front of you.

“I’ll give you two time to get to know each other.” You say, standing up and walking out of the room.

You decided it was a good idea for them to have some father daughter time. You went straight to your bedroom. As soon as you closed your bedroom door, you broke down in tears. You felt horrible for not telling Bucky and Jamie that they’re father and daughter sooner.

After your little moment, you used work to distract yourself from feeling like a horrible person. You were about halfway through what you were working on when you heard giggling coming from the hall and coming into the conference room where you are. You looked up from your work to see Jamie and Bucky.

“Mommy!” Jamie says excitedly.

“There’s my baby girl!” You cooed as she climbed onto your lap. “Did you have fun with Bucky- daddy?” You asked, correcting yourself.

“So much fun!” She nodded. “We went to the park and got ice cream and oh! We fed the duckies!” She tells you.

“That sounds great sweetie. I’m happy you two had fun.” You say, looking from her to Bucky.

Jamie yawned and laid her head against your shoulder.

“You tired, munchkin?” Bucky asks her.

Jamie nodded and held her arms out towards him, wanting her daddy to pick her up. Bucky carefully picked her up from your lap and carried her to her bedroom with you following behind them without him knowing. You watched from the doorway as he tucked her into bed and read her a bedtime story. You smiled to yourself, seeing how amazing he is with her. Jamie fell asleep halfway through the story. Bucky put the book on her nightstand and gave her a kiss on her forehead. He turned around, rolling his eyes when he seen you standing in the doorway. You took a couple steps back so he could walk out and close the door behind him.

“Now you don’t trust me alone with my own daughter.” Bucky says with a scoff.

“That’s not the reason why I was watching you, Bucky.” You say.

“What’s the reason?” He asks. “You were standing in the doorway and watching me like I was going to take Jamie and leave.” He says.

You scoffed and shook your head before walking away. Bucky tilted his head back and groaned before walking towards you and grabbing your arm, stopping you in your tracks.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you of that.” He apologizes. “It’s just-” He sighs. “I have a lot to make up for from the past 5 years with Jamie and you.” He says.

“You have nothing to make up to with me. You should be making it up to Jamie.” You say.

“Yes I do.” He says.

There was a moment of silence between the two of you. You and Bucky were looking in each other’s eyes. Bucky’s right hand cupped your cheek, caressing it. He slowly leaned in, kissing you passionately. You forgot how soft his lips are. Your hands grasped his shirt, clutching the fabric in your hands. Bucky put his vibranium hand on your waist and carefully backed you up towards the wall. You quickly melted into his touch.

“Mhmm, sorry.” Bucky says breathlessly, pulling away from your lips.

“Why are you sorry?” You asked breathlessly.

You tugged on his shirt, pulling back in for a kiss. Your lips moved in sync with his just like that use to. Your mind began to wander to the last time you and him kissed. You and Bucky were so lost in the kiss that you two almost forgot your daughter was sleeping in a bedroom in the same hallway as you two.

“Wait, stop…” You pulled away from his lips, leaving both of you breathless. “We- We should take this slower.” You say.

“You’re right. We should.” Bucky says.

You and Bucky gazed in each other’s eyes for a moment before going to your own bedrooms.

“One more thing…” You turned around and so did Bucky. “Jamie has your last name and her middle name is Rebecca. I thought you should know that.” You tell him.

“You- You named her after me and my sister?” Bucky asks, getting a little emotional.

“Yes. I thought you deserved it.” You say with a smile.

Bucky approached you and hugged you tightly. You hugged him back.

“Thank you.” He says in almost a whisper.

“You’re welcome.” You say softly.

You two separated and went to your own rooms. For once in your life, you felt like a weight has been lifted and you also felt relieved. Bucky on the other hand, is beyond grateful for his daughter and you. He does wish that he found out about Jamie sooner, but he’s glad that he knows about her now. He hopes that you and him can move forward for the sake of yours and his daughter.

🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

-Bucky’s Doll

[redocity]

Hi!💐 I don’t remember if your request are open or not! (If it’s not then it’s okay <3

I was wondering if I can request a buck X reader maybe a own a dog together maybe the dog loves the reader more then buck and buck is losing it because the buck will do anything to be with the reader 😭but the dog is is like (No that my mom stay away) and it’s kinda like they going to war with each other 😭😭and reader is like ) umm it’s a dog buck)

Thank you!❤️💐

ATTENTION THIEF — E.BUCKLEY

it was buck’s idea to rescue a dog, but it was you it’d gotten attached to. buck wasn’t all to happy with this new ‘arrangement’.

evan buckley x fem!reader | 1.8k | fluff | masterlist.

Buck had never thought he'd be jealous of a dog. Not in a million years. He was Evan Buckley, firefighter extraordinaire, lifesaver, and—he liked to think—irresistible to anyone he set his sights on. But here he was, locked in a silent, brutal war with a four-legged furball over the love of his life—you.

It had started out sweet. The two of you had decided to rescue a dog together, a 7 year old goofy Golden Retriever named Max. You'd always wanted a dog, and Buck thought it would be a fun addition to your life, something the two of you could share.

Except Max had other plans.

At first, Buck didn’t notice. Max seemed friendly enough, licking Buck’s face the day you brought him home and wagging his tail enthusiastically whenever Buck walked into the room. But things quickly changed. Slowly, subtly, Max began staking his claim—on you.

It was small things at first. Max would always sit right by your feet, leaning into you, while Buck got left with empty space. When Buck tried to get some cuddle time on the couch, Max would leap in between, forcing Buck to the side, his big golden head resting contentedly in your lap.

"Aw, Buck, look how cute he is!" you'd coo, scratching Max behind the ears. Buck would try to smile, but inside, he felt a little pang of irritation. Cute? Sure. But there was something territorial in the way Max looked at him, as if saying, Back off, buddy. She's mine.

Still, Buck tried to shake it off. After all, it was just a dog.

But then things escalated.

One morning, Buck had woken up early, hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed. He cooked your favorite, carefully arranging everything on a tray. As he made his way to the bedroom, he imagined your face lighting up with gratitude and love.

But when he got to the top of the stairs, he froze. There you were, still asleep, but you weren’t alone. Max was curled up beside you, his head resting on your stomach, looking perfectly at ease in Buck's spot. Worse, when Buck tiptoed closer, Max cracked open one eye, stared at him, and then let out a low grumble.

"Really?" Buck whispered in disbelief, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

Max's grumble only got louder, as if to say, Don’t even think about it.

Buck blinked, looking from Max to you, still peacefully unaware of the brewing battle beside you. He sighed, backing away with the tray, defeated.

—

It only got worse from there. Any time Buck tried to show you affection, Max would be there, inserting himself into the moment. Trying to hold hands? Max would shove his nose between you. Trying to kiss you? Max would bark until the two of you had to laugh and pull apart.

You thought it was adorable.

Buck thought it was sabotage.

"Am I seriously competing with the dog?" Buck asked one night as he flopped onto the couch, rubbing his temples.

You glanced up from your book, a smile playing on your lips. "Buck, he’s a dog."

"Yeah, but look at him!" Buck gestured wildly to Max, who was sitting by your side, looking smug. "He’s doing it on purpose. He’s trying to steal you from me!"

You chuckled and set your book down, moving to sit beside Buck. "I think you're being a little dramatic."

"Dramatic?" Buck huffed. "You didn't see the way he growled at me this morning! I tried to sit next to you in bed, and he nearly bit me!"

Max yawned innocently, stretching out on the floor as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

"He's protective, Buck. He loves me."

"I love you!" Buck shot back, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "And I can’t even get a minute alone with you without him getting in the way."

You gave him a sympathetic smile and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "You know I love you too, right?"

Before Buck could respond, Max was on his feet, barking loudly and nudging his way between you two as if sensing the affection and wanting to claim it for himself.

"See?!" Buck threw his hands up in exasperation. "This is what I’m talking about!"

"Alright, alright," you laughed, pulling Max back gently. "Max, down." He obeyed but continued to stare at Buck, as if daring him to make another move.

Buck narrowed his eyes at the dog. "It's on, buddy."

—

From that moment, Buck became determined to win this war. He’d do anything to reclaim his rightful spot as your number one.

He tried spoiling Max with treats, thinking he could bribe him into submission. But Max would take the treats, then immediately return to you, acting as if Buck hadn’t just handed him a piece of bacon.

He tried taking Max out for extra-long walks, hoping to tire him out so he’d leave you alone. But no matter how long the walk, Max always seemed to have boundless energy when it came to staying by your side.

One evening, Buck tried sitting on the couch with you, waiting until Max was in another room before sneaking in for some cuddle time.

The moment you leaned into Buck’s arms, Max barreled into the room like a furry missile, leaping onto the couch and wedging himself between you two with a satisfied huff.

"Are you kidding me?!" Buck groaned, glaring at the dog. "I can't take this anymore."

You just laughed, patting Max on the head. "Come on, Buck. You can share."

"Share?" Buck looked at you like you'd lost your mind. "He's trying to kick me out of my own relationship!"

You leaned over and kissed Buck’s temple. "Well, I have enough love for both of you."

Buck grumbled, eyeing Max, who was currently wagging his tail, victorious.

"Fine," Buck muttered, leaning back against the couch with an exaggerated sigh. "But this isn’t over."

Max wagged his tail harder, as if agreeing.

And so the battle continued—Buck versus Max, two stubborn competitors vying for your attention.

—

One Saturday morning, you woke up to the sound of a vacuum whirring outside the underneath the loft bedroom of Buck’s apartment. You blinked, confused, and glanced over to find Max still snuggled up beside you, blissfully unaware of whatever Buck was up to. Curious, you slipped out of bed and padded down the stairs.

In the living room, you found Buck in full cleaning mode—vacuuming, dusting, and even scrubbing the windows. His face was set in a determined expression, and he looked up as you entered, flashing you a grin.

"Morning, babe! Just thought I'd get a head start on the chores," he said cheerily, though the way he kept glancing at Max made you suspicious.

You raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms. "Buck, you never clean this early. What’s going on?"

Buck shrugged, a little too casually. "Nothing, just... you know, being helpful. Thought maybe you'd appreciate some undistracted time together after this."

Just as you were about to respond, Max trotted into the room, stretching lazily before sitting right at your feet. Buck’s smile faltered, but he recovered quickly.

"Great timing, buddy!" Buck said, grabbing a lint roller from the counter. "You’re getting a makeover today."

Max tilted his head in confusion, but before he could react, Buck started running the lint roller over his golden fur, collecting loose hairs like a man on a mission.

"Buck, what are you—"

"I read online that dogs love being groomed," Buck explained with feigned innocence, holding up the roller like it was some prized weapon. "I’m bonding with him. You know, man to dog."

Max blinked up at you, clearly unimpressed, and let out a quiet whine.

You stifled a laugh. "I think he’s fine, Buck. You don’t have to—"

"Nah, he needs this. I’m sure he’ll thank me later.”

Buck was relentless, following Max around with the lint roller, determined to prove his point. But Max, who had started out merely confused, now seemed outright annoyed. He’d walk to you, Buck would follow. He’d lay down, and Buck would be right there, rolling away at his fur.

Finally, Max had enough. With a grumpy huff, he darted out of the room and curled up in his bed, out of Buck's reach.

Buck watched him go, then turned to you with an accomplished grin. "See? Problem solved."

"Uh-huh," you said, shaking your head with an amused smile. "You realize this is a little ridiculous, right?"

Buck dropped the lint roller and flopped onto the couch dramatically. "What do you expect me to do? He's always there! I can’t get five minutes alone with you anymore."

You walked over to stand between his legs, gently running a hand through his hair. "You don’t need to fight him for my attention, you know. You’re still my number one, Buck."

He gave you a skeptical look. "Tell that to Max."

You leaned down to kiss him softly. "I think you’re forgetting how much I love you."

Buck’s expression softened as he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer. "I just miss having you all to myself sometimes."

Before you could respond, there was a soft bark from the hallway. You both turned to see Max peeking around the corner, watching the two of you with a curious tilt of his head.

"Don’t even think about it," Buck warned, holding you a little tighter.

Max, clearly unbothered by the threat, padded over to the couch, hopped up, and wedged himself between you and Buck with expert precision. Buck groaned loudly, throwing his head back against the cushions.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

You burst out laughing, scratching Max behind the ears as he settled in. "Guess we’ll just have to get used to being a package deal," you teased, nudging Buck with your elbow.

Buck shook his head, but there was a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "This isn’t over, Max."

Max licked Buck’s cheek, wagging his tail in response, as if to say, Bring it on.

[lee-laurent]

Caught (Red-Handed) - Quinn Hughes

Summary: Sneaking out to see her boyfriend isn't as easier as she thought it would be

notes: i know this is a cliche plot. but i have writers block. so here we are. sorry :/ cute little summer romance tho with some drama

content: fluff, angst, kissing, mentions of sex but no actual smut, mentions of being a "puck bunny", slight age gap, supposed cheating (it's not really. you'll see)

Veronica Zegras was head over heels in love with Quintin Hughes. She had been since Jack and Trevor were in the USNTDP and she'd met him when going with their mom to pick up Trevor from the Hughes' house.

In fact, when she thought of that day it still made her heart flutter all these years later.

"Wanna come in with me? Officially meet the Hughes? They have a son your age... Luke, I think," Julie smiled at her daughter.

"No."

"I wasn't really asking, V. Let's go."

The girl sighed, following her mom to the front door. Veronica hated meeting new people.

"Julie! Hi! And this must be Veronica," the blonde woman that opened the door smiled widely.

"Hi," Veronica waved slightly, peering behind the woman into the house.

"Come in! Come in! The boys are just cleaning up the game they were playing in the basement."

Veronica followed her mom, to the living room. Her eyes falling on the teenage boy fiddling with an Xbox controller.

"This is my oldest, Quinn. Quinn, this is Trevor's sister, Veronica."

"Hi," he paused his game, smiling shyly.

Veronica felt her cheeks heat up. He was so cute! She felt herself squeal on the inside when he smiled at her. She wasn't one for talking about boys with her friends, mostly because all her friends thought Trevor was cute (ew.) but she was definitely going to tell them about this Quinn character.

"Trevor! Your mom is here!"

"COMING!"

The sound of loud footsteps running up the stairs filled the room, but Veronica had yet to take her eyes off the cute boy sitting on the couch.

"What's Ronnie doing here?" Trevor questioned. Veronica cringed when she heard Jack laugh at her nickname.

"She's going to her friend's house. Now hurry up before we make your sister late."

"Whatever," Trevor rolled his eyes, "Later, Jack. See ya, Quinn."

"Bye. Bye, Veronica. It was cool meeting you," Quinn smiled.

"You too," she blushed, rushing out of the house before her brother noticed.

"What're you thinkin' about?" Quinn asked, brushing some of her hair from her eyes.

"Hm?"

"What're you thinkin' about?" he repeated, a smile covering his face.

"You."

"What about me?"

"The first time we met."

Quinn laughed, "When I didn't even get off the couch to say 'hi?''"

"Yeah, but I still thought you were cute."

"Oh, I knew."

"What?! You never told me that!!"

"You were blushing the whole time. It was funny."

"You're so mean," she pushed him away teasingly, pouting at his words.

"I am not. You love me," he pulled her closer to him, pressing kisses all over her face. She giggled, finally planting one on his mouth.

"I do."

"Do what?" he smirked.

"I love you, Q."

"And I love you, V."

Quinn leaned in, kissing her hungrily. She wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to roll her onto her back. She giggled, breaking the kiss. He rolled his eyes, going in for another one. Just as his hand was sneaking under her shirt, the door swung open.

"God! You two are like fucking rabbits," Luke complained, shielding his eyes with his hand.

"Shut up," Quinn spat, pulling the covers over them to give them at least some decency.

"Keep this up and it'll be Trevor that walks in next time."

"What do you want?" Veronica sighed.

"Trevor is up. Thought you might wanna go back to your own room for when he decides to come 'wake you up,'" Luke suggested. "If I walk in you two having sex one more time, I'm never helping you again."

"We weren't having sex."

"You were getting there," Luke scoffed, closing the door as he walked off.

"See you for breakfast, babe," Veronica kissed Quinn one last time, pulling her long shirt down to cover her ass as she ventured down the hall to the room she was supposed to be sleeping in.

Luke had found out the two were dating two months prior and had promised to keep in under wraps, mostly because Quinn threatened to kill him if he told anyone. It wasn't that the couple didn't want to tell Trevor and Jack, it's just that they liked being in their own little bubble. And Trevor would actually freak out if he found out his 20-year-old sister was dating a 24-year-old. He was weird like that. Trevor knew she had a boyfriend, but he didn't who he was. He didn't even know his name.

"Morning, Q! How'd you sleep?" Trevor asked, annoyingly awake for it only being 8:30.

"Great," Quinn sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"V still sleeping?" Jack asked Trevor, slicing some strawberries for breakfast.

"Probably. She was probably up all night texting her boyfriend. Mom said they're doing a 'long distance summer' or some shit."

"She's still seeing him?"

"Yeah," Trevor shrugged, stealing one of the berries. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Just thought she would've ended things by now. Your sister isn't known for her commitment," Jack replied, pulling the bowl away from his friend.

Quinn rolled his eyes at the remark. He knew standing up for her would seem suspicious, so he kept his lips sealed. Sure, before she'd made the move to Vancouver the year before, Quinn would also question Veronica's commitment issues, but their relationship was proof that it was all just in the boys' heads.

"Her puck bunny era ended," Cole laughed.

Trevor chuckled, "Yeah, like a month after she moved to Vancouver. Guess the Canucks just aren't her type."

God, he couldn't be more wrong. In fact, the front man for the Canucks was the definition of her type.

"I'm going to wake her up."

"Have fun."

Trevor bounced up the stairs, knocking aggresively on the door of the room his sister was staying in, "Rise and shine, bitch!! Boat day!!"

"I'm coming!" she yelled back, fixing her hair in her phone camera.

"Hurry up before we eat all the food."

"Your fat ass would!" she retorted, pushing past him to go downstairs.

"I'm not fat! Jack, tell Ronnie that I'm not fat!"

Jack laughed, almost choking on his toast, "He's not fat, Ronnie! Jeez!"

"He eats like he is," she winked at Quinn, grabbing the piece of toast he was about to bite. He rolled his eyes, reaching for another.

"You finally gonna wakesurf, Ron?" Luke smiled cheekily.

"Hell no! And risk my life in front of you idiots, count me out."

"Bet you'd look hot doing it," Jack teased, earning a slap to the back of the head from Trevor.

"No, she'd look average as usual."

"Shut up, Trev. Fucking annoying ass," she mumbled to herself, stealing more food from Quinn's plate.

"Get your own," he grumbled, using his arms to guard his plate.

"But the food from your plate tastes better than food from my plate," she whined, trying to manoeuvre her way past his blockade.

The bickering between Veronica and Quinn was so usual that nobody even batted an eye, choosing to continue their own conversations while Veronica attempted to wrestle Quinn for his food.

"PUT ME DOWN!" she screeched, hit at his bare back as he marched outside with her thrown over his shoulder.

"If you promise to stop stealing my food," he smirked.

"NEVER!"

And with that her body hit the lake with a loud SPLASH! Veronica surfaced, coughing to clear the water from her nose. The rest of the boys had gathered at the sliding glass doors to the back porch, laughing loudly at the scene in front of them.

"I hate you!" she sputtered, pulling herself out of the water. She peeled her soaked t-shirt off, chucking it at Quinn. He laughed, admiring her figure as she sauntered back to the house, hair dripping wet.

The group gathered on the boat, Veronica changed into dry clothes. She hated sitting there all wet and cold, especially with the wind from the boat. Quinn was driving and she was sat in the passenger seat as always... Quinn's passenger princess.

"Why does Ronnie get to sit next to Quinn?" Trevor whined, "Maybe I wanted to sit next to Quinn."

"Pretty privilege. You'd never understand," Veronica sassed, pulling her sunglasses off her head.

"Who told you that you're pretty?" Trevor scoffed.

"My boyfriend."

"Are we sure he's real?"

"Rude! He's very real."

"Yeah, he's just Canadian," Jack laughed.

"My boyfriend doesn't go here. He's Canadian," Cole joked.

"Shut up!" she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hate you dumbasses. Should've gone on a girls' trip."

"Alright, who's surfing first?" Quinn asked, ending the petty argument about how real his girlfriend's boyfriend was.

"Are you sure you're not mad?" Trevor asked again, watching as his sister rummaged through the fridge for vodka he'd hidden from her.

"I'm not mad, Trev. Just drop it."

"I didn't mean to embarass you in front of the guys. I swear."

"Trev, I said it's fine. Where's the alcohol?"

"You're not drinking."

"What? Why not?"

"Cause you always get wayyyy too touchy-feely when you drink."

She rolled her eyes, going to find her boyfriend. He'd get her alcohol. Her knuckles rapped against his door.

"Come in! Oh, hey, baby. What's up?"

"Trev hid the alcohol from me," she starfished on his bed.

"Why?" he asked, pulling out some regular shorts to change into.

"He said I get too 'touchy-feely' when I drink."

"I mean..."

"Shut up. You're supposed to be on my side."

"I'm not saying I'm on his side, babe. It's just... he kinda has a point."

"Quiiiiinnnnnn."

"Why don't you do that water bottle trick you showed me?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I won't say anything. Just... try to keep your hands to yourself."

"But what if I wanna touch my super hot, hockey star boyfriend?" she smirked, placing her palms on his chest.

"I'd strongly advise against it. But... if you come to sleep in here tonight, I won't argue," he replied, leaning down to kiss her.

"I love you, Qball."

"Love you too, V."

Veronica had emptied a quarter of a plastic water bottle, filling the rest with vodka. It was a trick she'd made in high school, one that her brother still hadn't picked up on. She was sat next to Quinn, slowly sipping at her 'water.'

Luke, who was also underage, was allowed to drink. But not her. Whatever. Quinn would make up for it. He always did.

"How's school?" Cole asked, sipping his beer.

"Oh, it's good. Almost done."

"You, uh, you live on campus?"

"No, I have my own place."

That was a lie. She lived with Quinn.

"How's that? Lonely?" Jack questioned.

"Not really. I have friends that come over like every day."

"And her boyfriend," Trevor smiled.

"Yeah. And my boyfriend."

"How long have you guys been together?"

"A year back in June," she grinned, noticing the blush covering Quinn's face.

"Damn. Getting serious?"

"Uh, I guess."

"He gonna meet Trev soon?"

"Whenever he's ready," she nodded, taking a much larger sip of her drink.

"Who? Trev or your boyfriend?"

"Both," she cackled, side-eyeing Quinn.

The rest of the night went smoothly and Veronica was just about to make her way down the hall to Quinn's room. She had brushed her teeth, put on her cutest pjs (one of Quinn's old Canucks shirts and a pair of tiny shorts), and fixed her hair from the lake water.

"Hey, babe," he smiled, putting his phone down on his bedside table.

"Hi," she beamed, sliding into the bed next to him.

"Nice shirt."

"Thanks. I stole it from this loser I know."

"Loser, huh? I would've guessed he was like super cool and hot."

"Meh."

"Oh, that's it," he laughed, attacking her with kisses. He pinned her wrists down, their teeth clashing as they kissed. It was sloppy and they were both a bit tipsy, but God did they love kissing. They'd do it all day, every day if they could.

She hummed, feeling his hands reach under her shirt. They skimmed the skin of her chest, his lips coming down to press wet kisses along her neck.

She gasped at the feeling, "No marks."

"I know," he groaned, "Can I take this off?"

"The shirt?"

"Yeah."

"Sure," she helped him pull it over her head, laying back down on the pillows.

"Fuck, you're perfect, V."

"That's all you, Q."

Just as he was about to snake his hand higher up her thigh, the door opened.

"You didn't lock it?!" she whisper-shouted.

"No?"

"What the hell?!" Trevor jumped, covering his eyes.

Quinn was quick to pull his shirt off, using it to cover his girlfriend.

"You can uncover your eyes," the older boy sighed.

"What is going on?! Veronica! You HAVE A BOYFRIEND! You're cheating on him with QUINN?!"

She rolled her eyes, "No, Trev-"

"You clearly are!"

"No, Trevor. I'm not cheating on my boyfriend. Quinn is my boyfriend."

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, surprise?" she shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

"Your boyfriend of a year?"

"Yeah."

"The boyfriend Mom said gave you a promise ring?"

"Yeah."

"There's no way."

Quinn flipped his phone around, showing his wallpaper to Trevor. It was a picture of the couple at family skate, laughing at something someone behind the camera had said.

"WHAT?!"

Veronica laughed, making Trevor frown.

"This is insane. I'm going to bed. This is just a weird dream," he walked off.

"I wonder what he's gonna say in the morning when he finds out it was real," Veronica giggled.

"Doesn't matter right now. Now, where were we?"

[soulaires]

Double Trouble | A.W

PAIRINGS – dad!aaron warner x mom!reader

SYPNOSIS – meet the new addition to the warner family; angel and death.

ⓘ :: domestic fluff, warner is stressing bro, big sister dior!!, allusion to sex, chaotic duo, married life, pregnancy, used the word ‘mama’, suggestive themes!!!, this is VERY LONG,

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Now that I already finished this, I can actually post the divorce au, yeah it’s coming soon! (just need this to be up for days so you guys can get used to the twins before the divorce one) anyway, please comment and reblog!!! Means a lot to me ❤️‍🩹

You are very much sure as fuck that Aaron Warner is gonna get you pregnant once again after you made that promise

So, weeks later after you quickly realized that you are starting to get more grumpy, moody, missing your period, hating the random smells and just craving some unusual food, you ran to the bathroom as your husband and daughter is down in the kitchen making some pancakes

You found two pregnancy test in your drawer, the two untouched pregnancy test that you have bought years ago prior to your pregnancy with dior

When you saw two red lines indicating that you were pregnant, you were extremely happy.

instead being nervous or having a break down (just like you did in your pregnancy with dior) you were so excited to break the news your daughter and husband

you smile to yourself and looked at your belly, despite the bump not being visible you put your hands on top of it and smiles.

“Welcome to the family, baby warner. Mommy loves you already.”

you think to keep this a secret for awhile, intending the day for dior to spend the whole day for her achievements in her daycare

Not wanting her to feel jealous or feel being replaced

You know that she would be happy since she's been wishing for it but hey, better safe than sorry.

You carefully placed the tests back in the drawer and took a deep breath. The delicious smell of pancakes wafted up from the kitchen, where your husband, Aaron, and daughter, Dior, were busy cooking breakfast. You think that keeping this up yourself for a while would be fine, telling the news later on.

Making your way downstairs, you could hear Dior's giggles and Aaron. You paused at the doorway, taking in the sight of your husband and daughter laughing together as they flipped pancakes. Dior, with her golden curls bouncing, stood on top of your husband's feet, concentrating hard as she poured batter onto the hot griddle, while Aaron guided her little hands.

Your husband noticed you first, smiling softly, “good morning, my love.” hearing the word ‘love’ your daughter beamed and ran towards you.

“Mommy love!” she said as she hugged your legs looking at you with those adorable doe eyes, “momma uppie!”

Picking her up, "Good morning, my loves," you said, stepping into the kitchen giving your husband a kiss on the cheek while your daughter demanded your attention.

Aaron turned and flashed you a warm smile. "G’morning! You're just in time for the best pancakes in the world, courtesy of Chef Dior."

Dior beamed with pride. "Mommy, I made them just for you!"

You walked over and gave her a big hug, feeling an extra wave of emotion knowing she would soon be a big sister. "They smell amazing, sweetheart. Thank you."

You joined them at the table, and as they started serving the pancakes, you felt the weight of the secret you were carrying. You can't wait.

Later that day, the house was finally quiet. Aaron had just finished putting Dior to bed, her gentle breathing filling the nursery with a sense of peace that contrasted starkly with the earlier chaos. He lingered for a moment, watching her tiny chest rise and fall, before turning off the light and gently closing the door behind him.

Meanwhile, you were in the master bathroom, your heart pounding with a mix of excitement and anticipation.

You knew you had to share this moment with Aaron and Dior sooner or later. The thought of seeing Aaron's reaction, of watching Dior's little face light up with the news of becoming a big sister, filled you with excitement. You quickly devised a plan to break the news to them in a way that would make the moment unforgettable.

Aaron was in the living room, reclining on the couch with a tired but contented look on his face. He smiled as you entered the room, patting the space next to him. "Hey, how’s our little troublemaker?" he asked, referring to Dior.

"Fast asleep, finally," you replied, sitting down and snuggling up to him. "She put up quite a fight, but you handled it like a pro."

He chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around you. "It's all worth it, you know? Even the crying and the sleepless nights. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

You took a deep breath, feeling your heart flutter with anticipation. "Aaron, I have something to show you," you said, your voice trembling slightly with excitement.

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? What is it?"

You stood up and hurried back to the bathroom, retrieving the two pregnancy tests. When you returned to the living room, you held them behind your back, trying to contain your excitement. "Close your eyes," you instructed.

Aaron chuckled but complied, closing his eyes with a playful smile. "Okay, eyes closed."

You carefully placed the pregnancy tests in his hands, watching his face intently as he opened his eyes and looked down. For a moment, there was silence. Then, his eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find the words.

"Are you serious?" he finally managed to say, looking up at you with a mixture of shock and elation.

You nodded, tears of joy welling up in your eyes. "Yes, Aaron. We're having another baby."

A wide grin spread across his face as he jumped up from the couch, pulling you into a tight embrace. "Oh my God, this is amazing! We're going to have another baby!" He kissed you passionately.

"We have to tell Dior tomorrow," you said, your voice filled with excitement.

It was tomorrow morning, time to tell dior. You can't help but be giddy about it and feel anxious. You guys went to her room with a knock on the door and kisses.

“Hey, princess,” Aaron said softly, sitting down on the edge of her bed with Dior in his lap. "Mommy and Daddy have something very special to tell you."

You sat down beside them, smiling at Dior as she woke up fully, curiosity replacing her sleepiness. "Dior, do you remember when you always talked about how wonderful it would be if you had a little brother or sister to play with?" you began gently.

Dior nodded, her eyes wide with interest. "Yes, Mommy."

"Well, guess what?" you continued, taking her tiny hands in yours. "Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy. You're going to be a big sister!"

Dior's eyes lit up with excitement and wonder. "Really? A baby?" she exclaimed, looking between you and Aaron.

Aaron nodded, beaming with pride. "That's right, sweetheart."

Dior's face broke into a huge smile as she clapped her hands together. "Yay! I’m going to be a big sister!" she squealed, throwing her arms around both of you in a tight hug.

You laughed, tears of joy streaming down your cheeks as you held your family close. "Yes, baby, you're going to be the best big sister ever," you said, kissing the top of her head.

Aaron and Dior took turns placing gentle hands on your belly, speaking softly to the new life growing inside you.

Dior would always look up at you with doe eyes . "Mommy, can I tell the baby I love them?" she asked.

Your heart melted at her words. "Of course, sweetheart," you said, leaning down so she could whisper to your belly.

"hi, baby," Dior whispered. "I love you."

You kissed her forehead, feeling a deep sense of peace and happiness. "Hi, Dior. We love you too.”

The rest of the morning was a blur of laughter and plans for the future. Dior couldn't stop talking about all the things she wanted to teach her new sibling, from how to ride a bike to her favorite bedtime stories. Aaron held you close, his hand resting protectively on your stomach, as if he could already feel the new life growing inside you.

Dior and Aaron would be so protective!!!

She would always look after you, giving you some check ups with her doctor toy kit while you and aaron go along with it (your husband is her assistant apparently)

she would scold her dad when she mess things up

obviously, your husband won’t let you do anything in the house just like before

they are both clingy and always pay attention to your needs

There was a get together to tell all of your friends and dior happily announced that she will be a big sister!!

juliette and nazeera were very happy for you and already planning for the gender reveal

delalieu then gave his best wishes for the new addition, giving hoth of you and your husband a hug. Then your daughter and james came running to snatch him to play

while kenji, fucking keni was obviously ecstatic and boasting that there will be a new baby that would have him as another favorite (oh little does he know)

Haider and kenji obviously teased you and warner for it cuz apparently the little shit “know how baby made” and they were amused lols

you guys went to Warner's mom tomb to tell her

and it was such a cute moment

When it was time for the gender reveal, sonya, kenji and nazeera had planned it out to all of you

The sun was shining brightly as everyone gathered in your backyard for the gender reveal party. A large black balloon, filled with either blue or pink confetti, floated in the center of the yard, waiting to be popped. Your husband stood beside you, holding your hand. “Alright, everyone! It’s time to find out if its a boy or a girl!” Aaron announced, his voice filled with excitement. You scanned the crowd, expecting to see dior’s eager face among them, but she was nowhere to be found. “Hey, where's Dior?” you asked, a hint of worry creeping into your voice.

“love she’s he—?!” your husband stopped as he frantically looked around, “Princess!?” he shouted. Haider, quickly stepped forward. “I’ll go get her, habibi, she’s probably inside.” he offered, heading inside the house.

“okay, thank you!” you smile softly

“wait let me come!” kenji shouted as he sprint inside. Moments later, the back door opened, and Kenji and haider appeared with Dior, who was holding another balloon, identical to the first one and you hear some gasp and ‘wooooo!’ ’omg omg’ from your friends You exchanged a puzzled glance with aaron. “What's going on?” you asked. “oh my gods” aaron chuckled lightly as he realized and gave you a kiss. Dior beamed up at you, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Mommy, Daddy, there are two babies inside you!” You gasped as the realization sank in. You felt a surge of emotion, tears welling up in your eyes. "Twins?" you whispered, barely able to contain your joy.

Dior nodded vigorously. With shaking hands, you and aaron took hold of the two balloons. Dior stood between you, her face glowing with happiness. “Ready?” aaron asked, looking at you and Dior. "Ready," you both replied in unison. "Three, two, one!" Aaron counted down. With a loud pop, blue confetti burst from both balloons, raining down over you. The yard erupted in cheers and applause as everyone celebrated the news. "We're having twin boys!" you exclaimed, pulling aaron and Dior into a tight embrace.

Now you know it's a twin, you are starting to worry because twin??? Really???

You have no idea how you are going to survive

but aaron always assures you, always there for you

your moods and craving have gotten more extremes than your last pregnancy

and you are more horny than the last

Aaron would tease you to the fact that it is a twin

“mhm, fucked you so hard that it turns out to be a twin, huh mama?” he would whisper in your ears to tease you.

you are easily irritated like you always have something to say in every move your husband does and dior is just giggling beside you

“why do you sit like that?” you asked, “what’s wrong with the way I sit, honey?” he replied, eyebrow raised.

“I don’t like that color, aaron.” you scowl at him. “aw, I’m sorry sweetheart. I will go change, m’kay?”

one time you asked for aaron for a divorce so you can listen to the sad songs and relate cuz you wanna cry

he did not like that.

You really can’t sleep well because everyone and everything just gives you the ick

If you aren’t sleeping well, neither is he.

When you’re tossing and turning, he’s right there with you, sharing in your restlessness. Even if all he can offer is silent moral support, he can't truly rest knowing you're uncomfortable and exhausted. At the very least, he can help you up to pee every other hour or massage and squeeze your hips together for some much-needed relief or get you a water and your food cravings at god knows what time

If you have a sudden craving in the middle of the night, he’s the type to jump out of bed and head to the nearest store, no matter how inconvenient, just to bring you exactly what you want.

you and dior are incredibly enthusiastic about setting up the nursery, from choosing the perfect crib to painting the walls a calming color. You spend weekends together, assembling furniture and imagining the twins' arrival.

Mostly dior designing things—her passion is interior design you know.

He and dior regularly talk to your belly, telling the twins about their day, making up silly stories, and expressing their excitement to meet them. It’s a nightly ritual that always makes you smile.

He joins you in your pregnancy yoga classes, not just to support you but also to learn how to help you with stretches and breathing exercises that will make you more comfortable.

Every week, he insists on taking a photo of your growing bump, creating a beautiful timeline of your pregnancy. He loves capturing the journey and looks forward to showing the photos to the twins one day.

He sets up special nights for you, complete with foot massages, warm baths with soothing scents, and your favorite comfort foods, ensuring you feel as relaxed and loved as possible.

He never misses a prenatal appointment, always holding your hand during ultrasounds and asking questions to make sure he’s as informed and involved as possible.

When it's time for the big day (labor)

Throughout labor, Aaron whispers encouraging words, reminding you of your strength and how proud he is of you.

He massages your back and hips, just as he did during pregnancy

Between contractions, you lock eyes with Aaron, both of you silently communicating your love and support for each other.

When it’s time to push, Aaron is right there, holding your hand, counting with you, and providing support.

The moment the twins are born, you both are overwhelmed with emotion. Tears of joy and relief stream down Aaron's face as he hears their first cries.

Dior (with delalieu) is brought into the room to meet her baby brothers. She’s cautious but fascinated, gently touching their tiny hands and just staring at their little features.

She’s so fascinated and curious to the point she’s asking lots of questions like

Did I look like this when I was a baby?

When will they be able to talk and play with me?

Can I hold them? How do I do it?

Daddy, do they understand me when I talk to them?

How did they get in your tummy, Mommy? (she was so close asking where they came from and how they got into your tummy)

growing up, they are a MENACE

they are basically kenji’s karma fr

Dior is 3 years older!

Whenever you ask them who they are they just play around and its not funny

“hi, sweet boy, what’s your name?” you asked one of the twins .

“azie!” answered azrael. But when you turn to saint, asking the same question he answered “aziiee!!”

“that’s not funny, saint” your husband mused

Despite their names, Saint and Azrael are the total opposite. Saint, ironically, is the mastermind, he is NO SAINT. always the trouble maker.

Azrael, despite being named after the angel of death, is a total saint.

Azrael nicknames are; azie, and az!

Saint nickname are; santi!

you often wondered if they got switched up fr

Azrael is a shark type of baby (he’s a dolphin #1 hater so don’t go to him saying they are better than sharks. Dior and Saint def use it against him)

“Dolphins are waaaay better and cute! Look at my dolphin!” Then dior shows her pink and purple dolphin plushies that she got from barbie.

“Noooo, dolphins are evil!!” he argued and then he yapped about that issue

while saint is the dinosaur type (he knows his dinosaurs like a nursery rhyme. he used them as an insult, he often gets in trouble cuz of it)

“you’re a kid—” kenji jabbed (yes, he is having beef with a child)

“and you look like Oryctodromeus!” saint fight back, earning laughs from you and your husband.

“Saint, what did you do?”

“But daddy I just told him he looks like balaur!”

both big f1 fan, one is a max verstappen stan and one is a lewis hamilton. Guess which is which lol

Don’t ever mention Abu Dhabi 2021. Civil war will start again fr

Kenji, is their favorite target. They love sneaking up on him, setting up elaborate traps, and watching him react.

If kenji kidnapped dior when she was a kid, the twins definitely kidnapped him for funsies

that parent and teachers meeting are HELL for the both of you

they are protective over dior !!

They are her #1 defender, protector, and fan

they are very clingy, had their “no daddy, she’s our mommy!” phase

They play princesses with their big sister !

they play Barbie with their make-up story line so much DRAMA

Does her hair actually

Whenever aaron kisses you they are blocked by them

If you and aaron have a little time together with dior (like in sweet dreams) then its worse with twins hovering over you and having your attention

He’s kinda getting antsy and pouty over that fact

“hey, she’s my wife before she’s your mother!”

“That’s my wife. Look! We are married!”

Your home has evolved into a maze of hidden pranks and booby traps. Aaron, often finds himself caught in it. (It was meant for him, anyways.)

Aaron and dior often blame the twins when they make a mistake (accidentally breaking your precious plants, the vase, one of your make up, eating your sweets and etc.)

When they were in elementary school and got into trouble and more trouble slipped that needed to be signed they hid it.

Saint had presented one slipped to sign and then he mastered yours and aaron’s signature to forge in the future.

but azrael on the other hand, never presented one and made a single new signature that could be either yours or his to present to the teacher.

But when they get into really bad trouble aaron will always ask you to wait for him so he can join the twins in one of your scolding sessions.

hubby 🤍

Hey, love, i just dropped off dior into her ballet class. How did the meeting go? I am on my way home.

you

Deep trouble. We are on the way home. Take care and drive safe, honey.

hubby 🤍

Thank you, love. Wait for me before you scold them, yeah? Love you.

you

Oh I don’t think so. They really did it this time. Love you too.

hubby 🤍

my love, my gorgeous wife, my sweet darling,

I know you are angry but please let me be there when you scold them, okay? You can scold us three together.

But don’t worry! They say sorry for making you a flower bouquet (courtesy of their big sis) and letters!

Menace on social media

SCARE AWAY POTENTIAL SUITOR FOR DIOR

Uno night is at war with them

Dior would drag the boys into one of her nature trip

Whenever your husband needs to make you forgive him he has the boys as his back up

like when he serenaded you they are in the background playing instrument

Dior handling you the flowers she made

they had a tantrum for not being in you and your husband’s wedding

You and Aaron agree to not tell them who is the first one to be born so there would be no superiority. Your husband told them once they turn 18

🏷 :: @ravisinghs-wife @ab-baybay @aaronwarnerobsessedmylove @cosmicswan @nomournersonefuneral @corpsedoll777 @lilyevansstudygroup @arinexeisnotworking @reminiscentreader @seaveysoceaneyes @luvv4evaabaemh @kindnessspreads @imaseabear

to be added to my A.W tag list please let me know through my inbox, private message or comment!

[squinch-depraved]

schlatt x single mom!reader part 1 (aside from my post about how you met)

(this will be going up on my ao3 once it's ready, i'll probably edit it and format it differently and stuff so don't be surprised if it's a lil different but tumblr gets the first version)

(if anyone has an idea for a title for this series lmk pls eek)

even though daphne’s alarm clock went off at the same time every morning with the same exact song like, well… clockwork, it still infuriated you to no end. having to wake up to “crazy frog” every damn day since you made the mistake of showing it to her almost a year ago now was bad, but what was worse was how for the past few weeks, you would stub your toe or shin or whatever it may be on one of the dozens of packed up boxes strewn about the cramped studio apartment you shared with your daughter on your way to turning off the godforsaken hello kitty alarm clock. if it weren’t so special to the both of you, you would have chucked it out of one of the two tiny windows you had ages ago.

“up, daphydil. we gotta be at the cafe in 20, opening’s in 2 hours. now, c’mon girlie,” you gently coaxed her out of bed. she was small for a five-year-old, golden brown ringlets messily framing her face and hanging in front of her forever wild eyes. a soft smile played at your lips as you stroked her hair. “there’s my beautiful girl. alright, can you be ready in 10 minutes? i bet you can’t. i bet you can’t so much that if you are ready to go in 10 minutes, shoes and everything, i’ll let you ride on my back all the way to the store. does that sound good?” daphne grinned mischievously and nodded.

“can i have a muffin for breakfast at the store?” she asked.

must be a good day, you thought. she’s talking.

“of course, bear. i’ll make the blueberry ones like you like for both of us, how ‘bout that?”

“okay. stop taking up my 10 minutes, please.”

you laughed and rose off her bed. “that’s fair. the clock starts now, daph, gogogo!” you set a timer on your phone and chuckled to yourself again as she raced to her pile of boxes to pick out an outfit. she had the most eccentric taste for a kindergartener. well, she would be in kindergarten. you had yet to find a school that worked for her— sure, she had only tried preschools, but the amount of other kids there combined with the lack of your presence sent her into a shutdown for almost a week each time. so you decided to homeschool her. school didn’t start for another week, so you still had time to get things sorted. but it was going to be extremely challenging, running the cafe, teaching her, getting moved into the new apartment, and all the other stuff you had to attend to.

for a split second as you walked back over to your own pile of clothes, the man from yesterday flashed through your mind. you couldn’t stop yourself from going over his features while you changed into working clothes; something about him made you want to give him a chance. and so, before you knew it, you were responding to his “thanks again” text he had sent once you parted ways.

you: schlatt. if you’re free, meet us at this address for breakfast. would love to talk. if not, we’re there all day. thanks.

with that, you sent him the location of the store and chucked your phone onto the bed, hissing in regret and running a hand through your hair. the embarrassment was short lived, though, as almost immediately your phone dinged with a response.

jesus, eager much?

but being the hypocrite that you are, you dove for the phone, just as excited as he was.

schlatt: hey!! yeah, sure, i can be there in maybe an hour. see you then!

taking deep breaths, you slid your phone into your back pocket and strapped on your work boots, grabbing your bag and slinging it over your shoulder.

“i’m ready.”

“fuck!! oh, jesus, daph, i’m sorry,” you panted. “you scared the shit out of me, girl, you walk too quiet. alright, let me grab a few last things and we’ll go.” she nodded, smiling, and stepped out of your way. after you had locked the door behind you both, she raised her arms as if asking to be picked up and made a grabbing motion. with a dramatic sigh and a roll of your eyes, you squatted down and helped daphne climb on top of your back. once she was settled, you began the trek down the street to the cafe.

you wished more than anything you could see the world through daphne’s eyes. to her, pigeons were fascinating creatures that she could spew off facts about for hours. she was so full of knowledge and so willing to share it; it was how she showed her love. to her, a piece of trash on the ground could be turned into an accessory for a hat, or a decoration, or whatever it may be. she was endlessly creative and resourceful (where she got that from, you had no idea). to her, her mother was a hero. and, god, how you envied her ability to see you that way.

“we’re here!” you announced as you turned the key in the lock and stepped into the dark building. flicking on the lights, you leaned down and let daphne hop off your shoulders. “smells like coffee.”

“i hate the smell of coffee,” daphne mumbled.

“me too, bear. now, c’mon, we gotta get going!! we’re opening soon!”

she began her routine of sweeping the dining area first, and then the kitchen, and then the bathrooms while you turned on all the machines and let a few employees in the back entrance to help start everything up. opening always goes quicker than closing, so it wasn’t long before you opened the doors and let the regulars in.

but among them was schlatt. somehow you had forgotten he was coming, and daphne lit up when she saw him walk in.

“funny man!” she yelled, dropping the tongs she was holding and sprinting around to meet his fistbump from her station at the muffin display.

“daph!! now i gotta wash those again,” you grumbled. “hey, schlatt.” you sheepishly finished wiping down the counter and scanned the store for any customers. luckily, it was saturday, so there were only a few people already seated and enjoying their food; you had some time to talk before the next rush came in.

“child labor, y/n?? really?” he joked, eyeing the menu above you.

“it’s not child labor if you went through labor to have the child,” daphne spoke, repeating a phrase you had said in passing once to a friend.

“oh my god!! daphy, please, can you go make sure the mug shelf is all straight?”

she nodded, glancing at schlatt one last time before she left. he was trying to hold in his laughter, but let out a sputtering chuckle once she walked away.

you closed your eyes and took a breath before speaking. “i’m so sorry. i swear i said that once. like, genuinely one time and she says that whenever someone comments on her working. she’s too smart for her own good, i don’t know what to do with her.”

“you know, you do an awful lot of apologizing when there’s nothing really to be sorry for. she’s hilarious, from what i’ve seen. why do you always try to defend her?”

your face went hot and you stammered a few times. “buy me a drink first, damn, dude…” with a huff, you went back to scrubbing the spotless counter.

“i- fuck. i’m sorry. that’s too much. let me start over, please?” he leaned in a bit, resting his elbow on the surface between you. when you gave him a short nod, he sighed a bit with relief and nodded his head towards a blueberry muffin. “can i get one of those?”

you couldn’t help but grin at his choice of pastry as you packaged it. “anything to drink?”

“what’s your coffee order?”

“three cans of diet coke. i don’t drink that shit,” you tried to jest but it sounded bitter.

he blinked a few times and nodded. “good, me neither. i was willing to, though, let that be known.”

with a laugh, you replied, “noted. here, take a seat and i’ll bring you a lemonade? daph’s idea, she thought it would be refreshing to keep in stock for the heathens like us who don’t drink bean juice.”

“sounds good. i’ll be over here,” he called as he walked towards a table hidden away in the corner. you couldn’t stop smiling to yourself as you poured two lemonades, thanking the stars above you remembered to actually make some this morning. usually nobody ordered any until the afternoon.

setting the two glasses on the table as you slid into the seat across from him, you shot one final glance at your assistant manager, who was running the counter while you took a few minutes to talk with schlatt. luckily, she was too busy with a customer asking for a refill to make a face at you and your new potential suitor.

“holy shit, that’s fancy lemonade. is that mint on top?”

“yeah, daph says it ‘enhances the flavor profile,’ or some shit. she likes food network a lot.”

he eyed the green sprig and took a cautious sip, eyebrows raising once he made a decision on the flavor. “she’s really smart, man. i never woulda thought of this. how old is she?”

“five. she has autism; she’s always been crazy genius. i don’t know how to keep up with her, she’s already smarter than me,” you chuckled quietly. “she’s so creative, too. i can’t find a school good enough to teach her things, she has a hard time being away from me and it’s just a whole thing. speak of the devil, actually.” daphne was skipping across the dining area and sat down in the seat next to you. “hey, bear!”

“i’m not a devil, mama.”

“it’s an expression, baby. remember? like, ‘easy as pie?’”

“oh yeah. because we tried to make pie and it went really bad.”

you sighed, smiling, and rested your head in your hands. “yes, bear. ‘speak of the devil’ just means, ‘here comes the person we were just talking about!’”

daphne pulled out a notebook from her apron pouch and took a pen from your shirt pocket to write down her new phrase.

“what’s that?” schlatt asked her. “you’re five and you know how to write??” you opened your mouth to tell him, but daphne beat you to it.

“i like to write things down so i can talk better.”

“i think you talk just fine, personally.”

both of you flicked your eyes up to squint at him, curling your mouths in the same look of confusion and intrigue.

“oh my god, you two look identical making that face, that’s hilarious,” he mumbled through a mouthful of muffin. at the same time, daphne and you side-eyed each other and started laughing.

“mama says i talk just fine too, but nobody else ever did. now two people think i talk good. maybe you could be my dad,” she wondered aloud. you choked on your lemonade and slammed it back onto the table, spilling some onto the old, damaged wood.

“okay, daph. can you go get me some paper towels from the back to clean this up and then go see if anyone needs help putting sprinkles on the donuts?”

“i already looked, the donuts are done. but the syrups need refilling.”

“okay, go do that, bear.”

“mhm.”

she skipped away, oblivious to what she had just started, and returned a moment later with a roll of towels to clean up. it was silent until she left for the second time.

“you’re gonna trust a five-year-old to refill syrup bottles?”

“she’s actually steadier than i am. she came up with, like, a whole system, it’s really cool. and she’s not by herself, we have a highschooler that’s working with us for the summer, she helps her.”

thank god that’s the first thing he brought up.

“mm. listen, i understand how kids are, we don’t have to talk about what she just…”

“yeah. thanks. she’s, um… she just kinda says what’s on her mind; i can’t stop her.”

“i get it. so, uh,” he rotated his now half-empty glass a few times as he went over what to say in his mind. “why does your nametag say ‘owner?’”

with a glance down at your badge, you slunk down in your chair. “this is my parents’ store. they always wanted me to take over, and i kind of didn’t have a choice after mom fell down the stairs over there. they used to live above the cafe, now they’re in a home and i have to run this dump. at least i get to move out of my studio and into this place, though. if i can ever find the time to actually get my stuff from one place to another.” you sounded more and more dejected as you went on, unable to meet his gaze.

“i can help you move,” schlatt offered smoothly. you smiled, but shook your head.

“nah, man, we have a lot of stuff. it’d be too much to ask of you.”

“shut the fuck up, it’s fine. look, how about we make a trade? i’ll help you move if you let me take you out on a date.”

you blinked a few times in confusion as your face heated up. “m-maybe, dude. i dunno. look, we’re in a rush now, i’ve gotta get behind the counter and try to help my employees get this under control. i’ll come back in a bit.” you gestured to the line that was almost out the door and rose from your seat.

“lemme help!”

his words stopped you in your tracks. “what??”

“let me help,” he repeated, “it’s clear you need it, you’ve got three guys besides you and one of them is a toddler.”

he had a point. flustered, you waved for him to follow you. “just put on an apron and wash your hands.”

the rush of patrons took about an hour to deal with; they just kept coming. schlatt handled everything with grace, upselling people on pastries when they only ordered a coffee and making casual conversation with the usual customers that came in to ask about you and your family.

he was so much better at dealing with chaos than you thought he would be. for some reason, you were expecting him to dip out as soon as he could. it was hard to picture him wanting to hang around after learning about you and how complicated you were. but for some unknown reason, he stayed. you watched him with a soft smile on your face as he undid his apron and hung it back up before stepping around to the other side of the counter.

“wasn’t so bad,” he teased, flicking his head towards the lemonade dispensers. “gimme another one of those.” you pushed the hand that was extending a credit card towards you away and turned around to grab a to-go cup.

“you kickin’ me out?” he asked, holding a hand to his chest in mock offense.

“i can’t work right with you here. need to think. so, i guess, just… show up here at 8 tonight wearing something nice and ready to take me somewhere. you’re gonna help me move my stuff this weekend.” unable to look him in the eyes as your face burned, you handed him the drink and quickly crossed your arms when he took it.

“i am, huh?” he was grinning as he took the straw between his teeth.

“yes.” you swept some crumbs away with your foot and glanced at him for a split second.

“alright, y/n. you like steak?”

“i guess. haven’t had it in years, it’s too expensive…” you mumbled.

“perfect. i’ll see you at 8, toots. bye, daphne!” he waved to the girl who was sitting at the table with an elderly woman sketching something in her notebook.

“bye, funny man!” she called back, not looking up from her drawing. the woman across from her looked shocked at her words.

“bye, schlatt!” you waited until he was down the street before jumping up and down a few times and pumping your fists in the air.

“got a date?” the woman watching daphne asked across the nearly empty store.

“uhm. yeah, actually, i do, mrs. reid,” you stuttered.

“need me to watch daphne for you?”

“yeah, that would be super helpful, actually.” you brought her a new cup of tea and traded it for her old one. “on the house.”

“she’s been talking a lot more.”

running one hand through your hair, you sighed and sat down next to daphne. “yeah, we’ve been working on it a lot. something about schlatt makes her open up. anything to say, bear?”

she just stuck her tongue out in concentration and continued drawing pigeons.

“that’s okay, daphy. you don’t ever have to talk if you don’t want to.” with a gentle pet of her head, you stood up and walked back behind the counter to help a customer that had just come in. you were unable to stop yourself from running over the events of the morning in your head, focusing on how schlatt would smile at you and how he seemed genuinely interested in what you had to say.

you just have to be careful, you kept telling yourself. don’t get your hopes up.

it was too late. you couldn’t help it; your hopes were high. he made you feel… normal again. it had been almost six years since you felt that way. now you were just praying it would last, even if for only a night.

[merrybloomwrites]

Spencer Agnew - My Favorite Pizza Oven

Summary: Spencer and Y/N spend a weekend babysitting Courtney and Shayne's son.

Word Count: 728

AN: Welcome to the first of 9 weeks of ficlets! Come back every Thursday for a little fic of Reader x Smosh! Most are Spencer x Reader but there will be a couple Ian x Reader and Damien x Reader as well!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Courtney came up to you and asked if you and Spencer could watch her and Shayne’s son for a couple nights so they could go on vacation you immediately said yes. 

“Shouldn’t you check if Spencer is on board?” She asked. 

“Trust me, he’ll be on board,” you replied. You and your boyfriend had watched Ryan for a night a few months ago. Spencer had been asking for weeks when you thought the two of you might be able to babysit again. 

“Thank you so much! I’ll text you with the details.”

“Perfect! I’m looking forward to it!” 

“That’s because he’s always a little angel for Auntie Y/N and Uncle Spencer,” she said. 

“Because we absolutely spoil him and say yes to pretty much whatever he wants,” you replied with a laugh. “It’s our right as aunt and uncle!” You add and she conceded, joining in on your laughter. 

Later that night, when you filled Spencer in on your conversation with Courtney he got super excited and started listing all the activities he was hoping to do throughout the weekend with Ryan.

You just listened and sighed, hoping Spencer would behave and you wouldn’t have to rein in two excitable children. 

A couple days before your babysitting duties were set to begin, you and Spencer made a trip to Target after work to stock up on a few things for your home. You’d split up, wanting to get done quickly since it was getting late.

You always worry a bit about sending Spencer out on his own, never knowing what he’ll return with, and your fears are often valid. This time was no exception.

When you met back up, he was carrying a basket with the items on his list, as well as a Play Doh pizza oven set. 

“Are you thinking of getting into crafting now?” you asked, skeptically eyeing the item.

“It’s for Ryan!” he replied. “Shayne said he’s really into play-doh lately so I thought he might enjoy it. And I figured coming in with a new toy might help him be excited for a weekend with us, rather than sad that his parents are leaving.”

“That’s a really good idea,” you replied. You gave Spencer a fond look, as you’re reminded once again how thoughtful this man is. Even after years together you continue to fall more in love with him. Even while standing in the middle of a Target on a Wednesday night.

Two days later you arrived at Shayne and Courtney’s home with your overnight bags, prepared for a weekend of babysitting. Courtney went over all the instructions again, and finally you sent the two on their way to enjoy some time alone. 

As predicted, Ryan was a bit upset seeing his mom and dad leave, but Spencer quickly stepped in and showed him the new toy. It worked like a charm, and the two boys made lots of creations together.

Even better was the moment when dinner arrived. After making plenty of pretend pizzas, Ryan was ecstatic to see they’d be eating real pizza for dinner too! 

The weekend went smoothly, and that plastic pizza oven went everywhere Ryan went. Including the playground. He was truly obsessed. 

“I love this pizza oven!” he exclaimed during breakfast Sunday morning. “It’s my favorite!”

You couldn’t help but laugh as he reminded you so much of his dad in that moment. You had come up with a plan, a perfect way for Ryan to greet his parents when they got back home. 

A couple hours later, when Courtney and Shayne walked in the front door, Ryan had run up to them, new toy in hand.

“Hey buddy! I missed you,” Shayne said, hugging his son tight. “What’s that you got there?”

“It’s from Auntie Y/N and Uncle Spencer! It’s my favorite pizza oven!” All the adults began to laugh, as Ryan practically quoted one of his father's most famous lines.

Later that night, when you and Spencer were back home having dinner, you couldn’t help but think back on the weekend, and how wonderful your boyfriend was with the little guy. Your mind imagined what your future will be like, when you and Spencer have a little one of your own. One look at him told you he was thinking the same thing, and you knew you’d picked a good one.

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AN: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and can't wait to share more with you!

[pedrithink]

love is not easy (2) ✩ kylian mbappé

summary: everything seems more difficult when you are the shadow of your older sister and Kylian and her are in love with each other.

notes: don’t worry, it will have a part 3 (with happy ending) :)

@nightlockcornucopia @gaviandgrizisgirl @blubffsd @philipetchebest @sunnytkm23 @topguncultleader @http-isabela @bisexualbith @laylaynaynay130 @lovekm

(part 1) / (part 3)

Ky <3: Hey, are we going out tonight? There's a new pizza restaurant that opened and I want to eat all the new flavors with you.

You: I can't today, sorry.

Ky <3: Oh.

Ky <3: Another time then.

Ky <3: HEEEY, pretty. I have tickets to see the Beauty and the Beast musical. Let's go?

You: Hey, Ky. Sorry, but I have to review for the exam.

Ky <3: Oh, got it.

Ky <3: How about we go for some sushi tonight?

You: I've already made an appointment with a friend :/ Maybe another day. Seen.

Ky <3: Ice cream Saturday?

You: Not today, Kylian.

You: Sorry!

Ky <3: What's your problem?

Ky <3: I've been calling you out almost every weekend and you don't even make a point to set aside ONE DAY to be with me.

Ky <3: If I did something at least tell me so I can fix it, but don't leave me in the dark. It hurts.

You: I'm sorry, Ky. You didn't do anything, I'm just full of things to do.

You: Call Ana, I'm sure she'd be up for it.

Ky <3: What the fuck? I don't want to go out with Ana, I want to go out with YOU.

Ky <3: Is that so hard to understand?

You: I'll talk to you later, Ky. I need to get back to studying.

You turn off your phone and take a deep breath. Kylian has noticed your behavior and knowing you well, he won't settle down until he knows what's really going on. You understand the frustration he's been feeling because you've shared an 11-year friendship and you don't want it to end. You just need some time for your thoughts to reorganize themselves and for the loving feelings about Kylian to disappear from your mind.

Your thoughts disperse when you hear some knocking at the door and the figure of Ana appears. "Can we talk?"

You frown and take care to agree with a brief nod.

"It's just that you haven't been the same…I don't know." Ana says with a frustrated tone of voice, she makes clear when she lets out a sigh. "Did I do something? If I did I'm sorry, but I don't want to see you away from me. It's always been the two of us together against everything after we moved away from Mom and Dad."

You feel a huge weight on your shoulders for having made Ana imagine she did something, she is your best friend, but you just needed some time to yourself. That's all. "Ana, no. You didn't do anything, I swear. I'm just really busy with college."

Ana walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. "I know it's not just that.” Ana stares at you intently. "Kylian texted me that you haven't had a Saturday night together in almost two months, and it's been a tradition since you guys were 14." You take a deep breath and try not to feel bad about it. "What about that day at the breakfast? And seriously, you ALWAYS have something to say over breakfast." She lets another sigh fall from her lips and affirms. "I just want you to know that if anything is going on, you can count on me. You'll always have my support, always."

You throw your weight on top of Ana and remain hugging her for a few minutes. "I know that and thank you for everything." You hold her hands. "I guess…I don't know. I just need some time to myself, you know?"

She smiles and nods. There is no reality that you don't love Ana, she is your best friend and best partner in crime there could be. Since you moved to Paris, away from your parents, you have witnessed every good and bad moment together. You need her as much as she needs you.

After this conversation you had, Ana had to leave for some things at work, and you decided to finish an article for college. You had so much to do that you felt a little lost.

Halfway through your article, you hear the doorbell ringing and get up, a little confused, to answer it. Who would it be at 6:30 PM on a Saturday? Ana had the key, so you couldn't think of anyone else. Until you answered and found yourself face to face with a Kylian Mbappé with two pizza boxes and a mischievous smile on his face.

"Since you are running away from me, I decided to come after you." You widen your eyes a little and let a surprised expression take over your face. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

You, still a little stunned, to let Kylian go into the apartment. He faces you and watches your expression. "Aren't you going to tell me anything?"

"I don't know, Ky. I'm just a little surprised you're here unannounced." You say following his figure as he walks over to leave the pizza boxes on the kitchen counter.

Kylian turns to you. "Well, if I said something, you'd make up some other nonsense just to get out of answering me."

"That's not true…I'm just busy with college." You swallow dryly and try to help him get plates and cutlery. "What do you want to talk about?"

Kylian washes his hands at the kitchen sink and turns a little sideways to face you. "You're the one who should tell me, aren't you?" He says with a tired tone. "What's going on? And don't lie to me, that's all I ask."

You wait for him to finish washing his hands and move over to wash yours. "I don't know, Kylian. I guess I just needed some time to myself."

"Does that time mean without me?" Kylian lets a sad look take over the face you love so much and his tone of voice…sounded so brittle that you tried to explain yourself.

"No one, Kylian. I can't explain, I just…" You turn to him and make it clear that the problem is not him. "I've been feeling weird about everything and I just need to figure myself out, the problem isn't you or Ana, it's me. I'm the one who has to sort out my thoughts and I don't want to hurt you with my crazy head."

You bow your head after talking a bit about how you feel and Kylian tries to take both your hands and bring them close to his chest, you could feel every beat of his heart through your fingertips. "It was always you and me against the world, remember? When I lost my ground during the World Cup you held me by the arms and were my greatest source of strength." He pulls you close to him and fits his hands to your face. "Don't leave me in the dark, I'll take it if it's just to stand beside you in silence. But please don't push me away. Because I don't know what to do without you."

You let an exasperated sigh escape your lips and can only nod at him as you stare into those dark eyes. Your heart just wants to scream at him, "I love you. And I could never imagine someone with such intimacy and intensity, I didn't even know I had the capacity to love someone so much," but your brain commands you to push him away so that you don't suffer from the 99% chance that he will say he doesn't feel the same way.

Kylian pushes away this direct contact between you and pulls you over so that you both can sit and enjoy pizza together, like every Saturday of every month. Saturday was the sacred day for you to reserve a moment to spend together. It was always like this, you together against the fucking world.

You try to concentrate on what Kylian is saying, you really try. But, it seems your mind just tells you to throw the weight off your shoulder and tell him you love him. You hold on for a few more minutes, but you can't. You've tried.

"Hey, can you hear me?" You lift your gaze to him and whisper a "Kylian…", he just lets out a "Hm?" and lets his gaze fall to your trembling hands under the table.

Kylian takes your hands and lets a look of concern assume his face. Just as he was about ready to say something, you let go like a bomb about to explode. "I love you."

Kylian understands the way you mean it. You have already said "I love you" to each other, but he knew this time was different. He knew it from the way your hands trembled, the way your eyes filled with tears, and the way your voice sounded pleadingly. He knew.

"And I know it may sound crazy, but…it's been like this for 8 years and I can't hold it in anymore." Your voice sounds brittle and you try to hold back your tears, but two escape from your eyes. You close your eyes tightly to try to pull yourself together and continue, "I promised myself that this would never leave my thoughts, that it would be the single most intense secret I would ever keep from you. I just… love you. They say that true love transforms. How then could I doubt that you are my one, great love? You transformed and continue to transform everything in here. You gave me the joy of living, the pleasure of loving. I hope I can give you back at least a drop of the ocean of happiness that you have brought me since you came into my life. Even if it was unconsciously, you gave me the most beautiful way to love someone and I just want to thank you for it."

Kylian stands stunned in front of you and stares at every tiny part of your face, he doesn't know what to say and doesn't know how to act. He just stands there with his breathing fast and shallow, he didn't expect this and you know it.

You just hold his hands and smile weakly. This hurts more than anything you have ever witnessed in your life, but at the same time it is a relief that this weight is off your shoulders after so long. "Hey…" You whisper with a smile that hurts more than a knife through the heart. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything, just go home."

"But what about you?" That's the only thing he can think to say after you unleash a baggage of feelings on him and it makes you smile in the truest possible way.

"I just need a little time to think about everything and so do you, but know that nothing will change between you and me." You pull his body to the door and hand him his cell phone that was lying on the table in the living room.

After Kylian leaves you can only put your hand over your mouth and try to hold back a loud cry, you can only feel a burning in your chest and the pain of knowing that things will never be the same. To love and not be loved hurts, and it's not that pain that you take medicine and it goes away, it's the pain of the soul.

Ana comes home and almost gets into despair after seeing you like that, she can only take you in her arms and hug you to see if she can stop that painful crying that makes you shiver and your chest hurt.

You finally gave up this war and it hurts more than if he had screamed in your face that he would never be able to love you like that.

Kylian leaves the apartment with his heart racing and unable to think straight. When he gets home, all he can think about is "what have I done?" He should have spoken what has been in his heart for years, he just couldn't. He just couldn't react. He stood there and left you with a feeling of sadness, a torn heart and the thought that you were not loved back.

[marymary-diva17]

my past and future (2)

When you had thought you will never see the ones who hurt you, so much in the past for a long time or ever again it seems like you were wrong. As the ones from your past had come back seeking refuge from the return of old enemies, now you had to face them all over again after things had ended horrible between you and them. Now your life was going to change even more now, if the return of the RDA was not enough on you now your old friends and ex love have come back. Now after all these years everyone had changed but now it was time to see if it was for the better or worst.

Y/n " ......." It was early morning and the day of helping the new arrivals learn the ways of the water. The twins knew Jake is their father and that the sully kids are their siblings as well. It was easy to see that the twins were coming to their own terms when it came to the sully family as whole and as individuals.

Renya " mom we are going to head out to meet with others and the sully kids"

y/n " good but not before breakfast growing kids need a good meal"

renala " yes mama" the twins soon sat down on the mat as your served them breakfast, the kids seem happy about getting a chance to bond with their siblings.

renya " mama are you sure it fine if we bond with the sully kids"

y/n " yes it will be fine it will be good for you all to make friendship with other kids, I cant make you stay away from them as other mother might do"

renala " yes mother we will make sure not to let you down"

y/n " you kids never let me down now go have some fun" the children had nodded their heads towards you, they soon ate breakfast and soon went on with their day. You had watched from the home as they meet with their friends and soon took off towards the sully home.

y/n " oh great mother please watch over them"

With the children

tsireya " we are going to start with some basic and take you all for a swim if they fine with you guys"

neteyam " that good we are here to pull our weight"

tsireay " okay and yes we will love you to meet our friends they will be helping as well, this is renala and her brother renya"

lo'ak " hey"

renala " hello"

tuk " hey you are very beautiful and you have the same color as me"

renya " well yes we got them from our mother"

neteyam " now that I'm a better look you guys look like you can be from the forest"

aonung " you can ask them question later on we have should be getting to our lessons"

kiri " oh okay" the twins soon walked off their friends and the sully kids, it seems like they had gained the sully kids attention. The lessons soon stared the sully kids were amazed to see how well the twins, had been able to stay with the three metkayaian teens even due they looked omatacayia.

lo'ak " wow you guys are good swimmers how is that possible"

rotox " even they are forest navi they were born here spending thier lives learning the ways of water and the forest"

kiri " wow"

renya " yes but soon enough you will be good swimmers it take time" renya had finally showed his hands and bit more and his forehead getting the attention of the sully kids.

lo'ak " wait you have five fingers and eyebrows like I and my sister, and even our dad that amazing"

renala " yes it something we inherited from our mom"

tuk " who your mommy is has to be the very nice lady that helped us today"

renya " yes she our mom we got these features from here, so you don't have to worry about being bullied here for being different as our family different"

lo'ak " cool I never thought there were more avatar that were living so far out here and having kids"

aonung " Well as much is talks sounds amazing we have to get back to the lessons we can talk during our break" The sully kids seem to interested in the twin as they were omatacayia and had human DNA like them.

neteyam " wait so you are sixteen I'm sixteen as well"

renya " oh cool aonung also sixteen as well"

aonung " yeah"

lo'ak " you are twins as well wow that rare among navi"

renala " yes we are twins but renya is the oldest"

kiri " so if you were orb here and your mom is avatar then that means, your dad most of been metkayian right" the twins had gotten very quite and it seems like to was swore topic.

tsireya " the twins don't speak about their father"

kiri " oh I'm sorry I didn't know"

renala " it okay none of your knew it just us and our mom at all"

tuk " well our daddy seems to know your mommy they might be friends, so our daddy might know who your daddy is we can ask him ... come on we can go speak with him"

neteyam " tuk not now renya and renala might not want to know, about him right now"

renya " thank you for the offer tuk but we do know little about him since yesterday and that all, we rather not make our mom mad"

tuk " okay"

renala " hey why don't go see the IIu it will be fun and we can teach you to ride" the children had soon switch up the topic and mood, to something more cheerful and going on a new adventures as well.

somewhere in the village with you

y/n " you were on your strimwing coming back from some task, you always love going for a ride on your creatures.

????? " y/n" you soon heard Jake voice you soon turned around and saw him he was with tonowari and tsu'tey.

tsu'tey " good dive and landing we saw you come in"

y/n " thank you"

tonowari " y/n has been able to adapt very well she had shown the clan a former sky person can learn the ways"

y/n " I had very good teachers so how is your lesson going"

tsu'tey " we are getting there it not easy but we are still getting the hand of it"

y/n " don't worry you will learn the ways but it will take time"

Jake " thanks I have fallen off a couple times"

y/n " that remind me of when we were learning the ways of the clan, and you had fallen off the direhorse a couple times" Jake had laugh at what you had said, a bright smile growing on his face.

Jake " yes"

y/n " those were good days I remembered grace got on your case called you a moron"

Jake " still a moron at times"

y/n " your have mature over the years I can give you credit for that"

tsu'tey " it great to see and speak with you again it been so long, since the last time we saw you"

y/n " yes it has been a long time since I saw all of you and it seems, like you all are doing well"

Jake " you seem to be doing good as well"

tonowari " yes y/n here has become an important member of the clan, and has help us understand these human invaders that have come"

Jake " wow"

y/n " yes but tonowari is being nice when I arrived here many years ago, they were dealing with the after effects of the human I had helped them and when the RDA came back I helped them again"

Jake " you always had that gifts of looking out for others and being there for them"

y/n " yes after all this time if hasn't changed"

Jake " I'm happy to know you are still the same person I remember"

tsu'tey " so how has life been here for you find anyone after ..."

y/n " no I haven't but I made a life here and found some joy"

Jake " I'm happy for you y/n and I had spoke to the others they will be here in couple days, they will love to see you again we all missed you" you had become silent you didn't end on good terms with all your friends when you left that was easy for anyone to see.

y/n " I will like to see them as well it has been so long"

Jake " maybe some day or night you can come over and have dinner with my family and meet everyone"

y/n " sure I will love that" Soon enough you had parted way from the three males, as there was other task you wish to complete. There were times when you ran into mo'at or neytiri as they will strike up o convention with you, but it still hurt to speak with neytiri.

Later that night

y/n " so how was the lessons"

renala " they were good mom we got to know the sully kids more, they learned we are twins and that your our mom"

y/n " ......"

renya " we are sorry mom"

y/n " it okay my son I'm fine with you telling them"

renya " we saw you speaking with Jake today how did it go"

y/n " it went well but there is still some hurt when I speak with him"

renala " hey mom maybe when are our guest are here we can find you, a new husband that tsu'tey guy seem very nice" you laugh at your daughter words making her laugh as well.

renya " yeah mom you deserve to love again"

y/n " well when the time right I will love again" the kids smile at your words which had made you smile as well.

???? " good evening" the family soon looked up to see Jake sully and his two sons standing there, you soon got up from where you are sitting and walked towards the entrance.

y/n " hello it didn't know we will be expecting guests tonight"

Jake " oh yes I had come by you drop off some stuff that you might think you will need, and my sons came along to help"

lo'ak " yes dad we walk by here with the twins today"

Jake " twins"

y/n " yes my children my son renya and my daughter renala" renya soon stood up and walked towards the entrance.

renya " I can take that for you sir come on guys I can show you, where to put everything"

Jake " okay" renya had taken the box from Jake and soon went deeper into the home with lo'ak and neteyam with him.

Jake " wow you have kids I"m guessing that your miracle"

y/n " yes they become my miracles" soon the boys had return talking about something.

lo'ak " hey dad y/n has some of the same human stuff you have even renya knows how to use them"

Jake " wow ... wait you kids have five fingers and eyebrows"

y/n " yes they inherited it from me"

Jake " wow"

neteyam " they are even the same age as me dad sixteen, with renya being the oldest"

renala " yes that my older brother"

Jake " sixteen years old so they were born a year after the war"

y/n " yes just like your son"

Jake " wow I'm happy for you y/n it good to see you have a family"

y/n " thank you Jake"

Jake " your son kiding of remind of neteyam and twins are very rare, as well coming from what I had been told"

y/n " yes that is true twins are rare but I had them born as forest navi but raised of reef navi" it seems like Jake was looking at the twins more but his eyes seem to be on renya as he looked like the second version of neteyam but a older version of lo'ak.

neteyam " dad we should be getting home mom will have dinner ready"

Jake " oh yes I will see you later and it was good meeting you kids as well"

renala " yes it was good to meet you as well sir"

lo'ak " see you guys tomorrow" Jake and his sons soon left the house but Jake kept on looking back at you, and the twins he had many question about the twins. He was going to speak to neytiri about this and later on you, as the twins were to close in age with the neteyam and you and him use to have a romance relationship as well. He really need to find out more about your life here and the twins, he knew he was not the only one who had questions about you and your life here.

[shesmyboot]

Baby Severide - Chapter 1: Growing an Entire Human

*Gif belongs to its rightful owner, it is not mine*

Pairing: Kelly Severide x Reader Summary: When Kelly accompanies you to an OB appointment, the doctor brings some unexpected news.

Words: 1,569

Warnings: Doctors appointments, not great writing

Read on Ao3 here

Notes: The first chapter of a few. The entire fic isn’t quite done yet. Honestly, I wrote this for me, so if you like it, great, let me know. If not, great too, just don’t tell me. Medical info and such may not be right, sorry :) tagging some friends and mutuals as to celebrate my return to writing

Next Chapters: Chapter 2

Tags: @morganupstead @district447 @mustprotectmattcaseyatallcosts

——

“Hey babe, you home?” Kelly called for you as he opened the apartment door.

“Hey I’m here,” you sighed as you chuckled softly.

“How are my two favourite girls doing?” He asked, setting his duffel bag on the floor before coming to snuggle up with you on the couch. 

“We’re ok, feeling like a beached whale though, baby.” 

“We are in the home stretch. Take it easy these last few weeks.”

“Oh we’re taking it easy all right. I sat on this couch all day and did nothing, but watch The Bachelor,” you laughed, “how was shift?”

“A car wreck, nothing major. Then I came home early for you,” he leaned over and gave you a peck on the lips before getting up from the couch.

“Where are you going?” You gave Kelly your best puppy dog eyes.

“Well I thought I was going to shower,” he chuckled.

“Can you get me some water and a snack?” 

“What about water and some breakfast?”

“Oh, the baby could really use some of your bacon and french toast.”

“You sit here, I’ll make us some french toast.”

“Don’t forget the bacon,” you teased as he went to the kitchen to start preparing your feast.

—

“Breakfast on the couch or the table?” Kelly called, plates clanging in the background.

“How about from our bed?” You laughed back, “I’ve had a long day.”

“You’re growing an entire human, that’s a long enough day as it is without you having to work from home too,” he brought the plates to your night stands and came back for you. 

You got up from the couch with his help and started to waddle over to the bed. 

“Hopefully only another few hours of working from home,” you sighed, getting under the quilt your mom made you as a wedding gift. 

“Heard from the doctor yet?” He asked, sliding into the bed with a coffee in his hand. 

“Called this morning. She got a cancellation for this afternoon at 3 to do another ultrasound and checkup so I don’t have go by myself,” you replied, digging into your stack of french toast. 

“Our daughter is the luckiest,” he leaned down to kiss your belly. 

“With your as her daddy, I have no doubt,” you moved your plate to your night stand and rested your head on his shoulder. 

“As of now, I’ll only be away for one more shift before she’s born.”

“How long is Boden giving you for paternity leave?”

“I’m only going to take six weeks. Then I’m gonna use up some furlough, so I’ll be off with you for about eight weeks.”

“I thought you had more time saved up.”

“I get 12 weeks every two years. If we have more kids, I want to have the time to be off both times, baby.”

“I don’t know if I want them that close together though,” you laughed. 

“Never know. We didn’t expect this one.”

“That’s true I guess. Hey, what time is it?”

“1:28, why?”

“I have a call at 1:30.”

“What do you need for it?”

“Just my laptop and AirPods.”

“I’ll grab them for you quick.”

He walked across the bedroom to the desk and brought you your things to start your call. He wondered out of the room so you could present in peace. 

Kelly walked back into your bedroom near the end of your call. You were just saying goodbye to some coworkers since your maternity leave officially started as soon as your call was finished. You closed your laptop and put it to the side.

“Ready to go?” He asked.

“One thing first,” you smiled.

“Which is…?”

“Can you tie my shoes please?” You laughed.

“Of course, but let’s get going. I haven’t seen the baby in a couple months.”

“I know, I know, my shoes are on the floor by the door.”

“Let’s get you up then, we’ve got to go.”

—

As you pulled up to the doctor’s office, a flutter of excitement filled your heart. Walking into the office, you always dreaded that the OB’s office was on the second floor. You had a seat and waited your turn. Kelly always made sure you were there early after all. 

“Mrs Severide?” A nurse called.

You stood up and Kelly held your hand into the exam room. 

“There’s a gown on the bed with a blanket. Please put the gown on, the doctor will be in soon,” 

“Thank you,” Kelly smiled.

The nurse left the room and you stood by the bed. Kelly sitting in the chair by your side. You started to change and your husband tied the sides of your gown together for you. He helped you onto the bed, draping the blanket over your legs and belly.

There was a knock on the door, “Hi, it’s Dr Calhoun.”

“Come in,” you answered.

Dr. Calhoun closed the door behind her as she came into the exam room. 

“How are the parents-to-be feeling today?” She asked.

“A little wobbly, but happy to finally be on maternity leave,” you laughed.

“And how are you feeling, Kelly?” 

“A little nervous, but excited,” he replied.

“Any concerns with the pregnancy since we last saw you? From either of you?” Dr Calhoun asked, pulling up your chart on the computer.

“Nothing that I’ve noticed. Just really tired,” you replied.

“That is to be expected, you’re in the home stretch.”

“Kelly said the same thing,” you laughed, “it does help my case of getting him to cook for me when he’s not on shift though.”

“Sounds like you’re doing well then,” she laughed, “let’s take a look at this baby girl.”

She pulled the ultrasound wand and gel out. Kelly held your hand.

“It’s gonna be a little cold, I’m sorry,” she announced. 

She squirted the gel onto your belly and flicked the machine on. Swirling the wand around your belly, she turned the screen so you could see the image.

“She’s bigger than the last time I’ve seen her,” Kelly laughed, kissing your hand. 

“She has grown a lot in the last month or two,” you smiled, “how’s she looking?”

“Active and growing well. Do you mind if I ask you guys something?” Dr Calhoun asked.

“Sure, is something wrong?” Kelly asked.

“Not at all. How big were you both when you were born?” She replied.

“I believe I was just under seven pounds, and I think Kelly’s mom said he was over 9 pounds. Why?” You replied.

“Your daughter is measuring larger than what we had originally thought. Almost nine and a half pounds. I’m worried about the risk of shoulder dystocia, and I’m thinking it may be easier on you and your baby if you opted for a c-section in the next week or two. A c-section isn’t an easier way out though and the recovery may be difficult.”

“But I’m only 36 weeks, shouldn’t we let her mature a little more?”

“Given her size already, she should be okay to deliver even tomorrow.”

“Kelly still has another shift left before he’s on leave. I don’t think I’m-“ you were starting to shift around on the bed.

“Babe, I’ll take some more furlough. It’ll be okay. Let’s just focus on you and the baby right now,” Kelly stroked your hair, “we’ll be okay.”

“Your baby has grown very well. I am not as worried about her progression as I am about your ability to recover and your baby’s risk of complications. I’ll give you a minute,” Dr Calhoun replied, walking towards the door, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She closed the door behind her and tears filled your eyes. 

“What do you think we should do?” Kelly asked.

“If the doctor thinks this is what’s best, I think we should do it,” you wiped the tears from your eyes. 

“I’m sorry I make such big babies,” he laughed, rubbing your belly.

“Just means we get to meet her sooner. I think we should do this.” 

“When do you want to schedule it?”

“After your next shift. Make sure you don’t have to take any more time off.”

“I would happily take more time off for you and our little girl.”

“Thank you,” your eyes started to swell with tears of joy. 

“Knock knock,” Dr Calhoun said, entering the exam room, “have you made a decision or would you like more time?”

“I think we’ve made a decision,” you smiled, “let’s do this as soon as possible.”

“Okay, I’ll leave some paperwork with the nurse at the desk. She’ll get you booked in and give you some instructions. See you both soon. Rest up. Oh and, as always, give us a call if something happens or if you have questions.”

“Thank you Doctor Calhoun.”

Dr Calhoun left the exam room and Kelly helped you change. You made your way to the front desk and booked your c-section. Saturday at 11:30am. Two days away.

Leaving the office, you felt excited. As Kelly started to drive you home, you noticed he seemed excited, but nervous.

“Hey, do you want to stop by 51 on our way home?” You asked, “to tell them the news?”

“Do you mind?” 

“Not at all. Then it gives you a chance to talk to Boden.”

Kelly made a u-turn back in the direction of the firehouse. You were only a few minutes away. He smiled from ear to ear as you pulled up. 

[insuke69]

/|MILES 42 HEADCANNONS P4|\

birthday edition

Warnings: Idk I'll just put in the warnings here if there are any. In this one the reader is younger than Miles (but turning 15 like him)

Implied female reader ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If its a school day then he is taking a cupcake with a lil itty baby candle, He took a lighter to light it and got yelled at.

Would use it as an excuse to shower you with gifts or things you wouldn't let him buy you (his family is STRUGGLING, he isn't rich but he still wants you spoiled.)

one hundred percent woulding fucking smoosh your head into the cake. -If you're mexican, that 'Que la muerda' tradition to bite the cake: He would take that chance, if he actually ruins your cake or makeup (if you wear any) then he apologizes a million times and offers to get you a whole new cake + Makeup kisses <3

HE REMEMBERS THE BIRTHDAY, he deadass only watched you put in a school survey where you put in your birthday and remembered since.

He wanted to do that prank where he pretended to not remember or something but it was hard to because of your passive aggressive quips about your birthday/age. Plus, he'd feel bad, knowing others probably wouldn't say or do much anyways.

Scenario (idk angst? just some boohoo about birthdays and Miles lighting it up by being himself) There you were: The day you waited all year for, Your Birthday! Except.. Oh? Mom or Dads alarm didn't go off to make that birthday breakfast that was a tradition at that point, that's fine, I'll have breakfast at school. Damn, it's raining, It's okay! I love the rain.! Fucking hell, the bus is full, never mind that, I'll just uhm.. stand aside in the full bus--getting shoved so people could exit or get on. Finally at scho- FUCK I stepped in a puddle, my sock is now wet in my shoe, It's alright, I'll get over it. Walking into school wanting a fresh vibe: Clothes moist and hair damp. You walk up to your small friend group, Half expecting them to joke about you being old since you were the youngest of the group.. nothing, like a normal day as they tease you for looking so wet from the rain and not a single mention of happy birthday. did they forget? Naw they are probably planning something.. right? Almost lost in thought without your friend group noticing you felt a hand yank your arm which pulled aside and into a warm loving hug. Miles! His comfortable embrace just ignoring how wet you were by the rain because you walked from the bus stop to your school, Visions academy. "Miles, Hey! What's with all th-" Before you could finish your statement he pulls back and opens his backpack to take out a red velvet walmart cupcake along with a small purple wax birthday candle. Still not having said a word but was visibly excited by that silly grin he always had when he knew you were going to love something. He sticks the candle into the icing of the cupcake and pulled out a black lighter to light the candle. "Happy Birthday, Finally, it's tiring to always say my girl is younger." Miles jokes playfully as he holds out the birthday cupcake to you.

If it isn't a school day then you wake up to see a text from Miles: "Hey mami, u up????" "I JUST woke up" "why?" "Get ready, we're going out, I'll be there in about 2 hours" The day followed to being out with Miles, he took you out for breakfast, went with you and your family to birthday lunch and your small family get together at the end of the day, there was not a moment where he wasn't by your side.

______________________________________________________________ @sukioyakio part four

[psychictheater]

Relationship Weight (Punkflower)

(Hobie starts to gain some relationship weight. Not just because of Miles. But because of Miles and his mother.)

(No Powers AU)

(Hobie is 21, Miles is 19-20)

(Was gonna be part of the Moving Out series but my old account was terminated by Tumblr)

-

Hobie stared at the now too small skinny jeans that wouldn’t move past his upper thighs.

“Miles ?”

“Yeah ?”

“You did the laundry last time, yeah ?”

“It was my turn, so yes.”

“I think you shrunk my jeans, love.”

Miles looked up from his phone to see that Hobie was indeed struggling with his skinny jeans. They seemed to be too small for him.

“I don’t think it’s the laundry, babe.” Miles replied.

“That’s the only explanation.” Hobie rolled his eyes.

“It is not.” Miles challenged. “Because if it is, how come the only clothes that have seemed to mysteriously ‘shrink’ are yours when mine are perfectly fine ?”

Hobie had to admit, Miles did have a point. He sighed.

“Then why are my jeans so small ? What else could it be ?”

Miles stared at Hobie.

“Hobie, the jeans aren’t the problem, I just don’t think that you can fit them anymore.”

Hobie stared back.

“Fuck you mean ? I’ve had these jeans since I was sixteen, there’s no way that they just suddenly don’t fit anymore.”

Miles sighed and decided to be blunt.

“You’ve gained weight.” He said, standing up and walking over to Hobie, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Hobie rolled his eyes and let out a ‘Psh’

“That’s impossible, I’ve been the same size since I was seventeen, ain’t no way.” Hobie said.

“And you didn’t have consistent meals until I moved in.” Miles challenged. “Think about it, you used to eat once, maybe twice a day and they weren’t even meals, sometimes you’d just eat an apple and go on about your day but now I cook you breakfast, I make you lunch, I make you dinner and every Sunday we eat at big dinner at my parents house and end up taking home leftovers.” He said “Not to mention the times Mom ‘coincidentally’ makes too much food and brings it over or when she comes over to cook to ‘give us a break’ you’re eating more than you’re used to and you haven’t even noticed.”

Hobie thought about it and what Miles said was true. When he was younger and living on the streets, he survived off of dumpster scraps and some leftovers some people were willing to give up to him. Then when he managed to get a place with Karl, they were both too busy to cook and too broke to afford take out so they mostly just ate peanut butter sandwiches or a bag of crisps.

And then Karl moved out to live with his boyfriend and Miles moved in and everything changed. Suddenly, the fridge was always full and he had actual meals to come home to and was eating more frequently if not constantly. And his body was changing because of it.

“I don’t like this.” Hobie said, crossing his arms. He didn’t like sudden changes in his body, the body he’s been used to for so many years and he didn’t have time or money to put aside for a new pair of jeans.

“You look great.” Miles assured, wrapping his arms around Hobie’s shoulders. “It’s not that big of a deal and it’s about time that you stopped being so stick thin all the time, it wasn’t healthy that you could slip into the same pair of jeans you’ve had since you were a teenager.” he smiled at Hobie “You look healthy babe”

“I get what you’re saying but these jeans have been with me for a long time, I can’t just get rid of em.” Hobie said with a bit of a whine

“We can try to stretch them out if you want or repurpose them, turn them into a jacket or a vest or something.” Miles said, knowing how Hobie never wanted to throw away things when he felt like there could still be a use for them. “That way you can embrace the change and still keep them around, just as something else, you’re not the only one who’s gained a little relationship weight, I have too, it’s a sign of happiness.”

“I guess you’re right.” Hobie said with a chuckle, placing a kiss on Miles’ forehead. “You’re so smart lovey.”

“Yeah I know.” Miles said, leaning into Hobie. Hobie wrapped his arms around Miles and held him close. They remained like that in silence until both their stomachs growled.

“Hey… we still have any of that cake your mom dropped off ?” Hobie asked.

“We should.” Miles said, looking up at Hobie. “You thinking what I’m thinking ?”

“Why don’t you go grab us some while I finish changing into some pants that fit ?” Hobie asked, smirking.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Miles said, letting go of Hobie and running off to the kitchen.

Hobie sighed with a smile of admiration. Maybe gaining a bit of relationship weight wasn’t so bad as long as it was happening with Miles.

[nattinatalia]

Jack Harlow x Reader : BALLOON FIGHT AND CARNE ASADA

It was a sunny and hot day in Louisville, it was rare for this time of the year so you were about to soak it all in and take full advantage of the weather.

You had woken up earlier than usual with the kids. You three planned breakfast and gifts in bed for Jack, which he loved and let out a few tears due to the letters and gifts the kids made for him.

Originally you were all just going to head out for dinner but Mia had suggested doing something fun in the backyard, which you agreed and texted your in-laws to cancel the reservations and made a quick run to the grocery store to buy everything you needed.

You were starting up the grill when the backyard fence was being opened. “What’s all this?” He comes up to the table and dips a tortilla chip into your homemade guacamole. “I thought we were going out for dinner?”

You smile, “Your daughter had a better plan.”

“You set all this up at the last minute?” He looks around at the backyard and sees three tables decorated with table cloths, balloons and centerpieces.

You nod, “Target and dollar tree are my best friends when it comes to DIY.”

“Who’s all coming because all this looks like a party.” He wraps his hands around your waist.

“Mhmm, only your parents, Clay, Urban and the girls.” You swat his hand away. “Jackman, stop.”

“Well that’s a new one.” He murmurs around your neck, sucking on it. “It’s always, Jack, don’t stop, faster.”

You roll your eyes “Can-“

“Dude, you two went at it last night at Urban’s place. Give it a rest.” Clay yells from the kitchen.

“I need my Father’s Day gift.” Jack pulls away from your neck.

“You got your gift.”

He shakes his head. “You know what I’m talking about.” He grinds into your ass. “Jack Junior didn’t get a gift this morning.”

You snort, “Please never say that again.”

“Yes, please do us all a favor and never repeat that again.” Maggie says, glaring at her son.

Jack pulls away immediately, blushing and scratching at his neck. “MOM, when did you get here?”

“The moment you started sucking on her like a vampire.” She shakes her head, but goes to hug him. “Happy Father’s Day son.”

“Thanks ma.”

“DADDY, DADDY, DID YOU SEE WHAT MOMMA BUY US?” Ezequiel yells, running from the kitchen to the backyard.

“Careful not to run around the kitchen or grill baby.” You remind him.

“Sorry.” He whispers, walks towards Jack. “She gots us balloons. We do em with water?” He asks excitedly.

“Ohh that would be perfect little man, plus with this weather we really need to cool off a bit.” Jack tells him.

“Yeah, you definitely need to cool off.” Maggie teases him, you can’t help but chuckle at that and see how red your husband got.

“I’m gonna go start filling these up with water, come on Ezequiel.”

************

“Papi, dis you like the drawing I made yous?”

“Of course I did little mama.” Urban tells Cassie, as they’re walking into The Harlow household. “They’re going to go up on my studio walls.”

Cassie gasps, “That’s cool.”

“What’s cool?” Jack asks.

“Tio Jack Jack.” Cassie runs to him. “I mades daddy drawings and he putting ems in his picture tudio.”

“That’s definitely cool.” Jack furrows his eyebrows. “But where’s my drawing?”

Cassie smiles. “Didn’t forget yous.” She diggs through her little backpack and pulls out a paper. “Look.” She points at the paper.

Jack bends down to her level to admire her work. “This you signing.” She points to a figure holding a microphone.

“This is my daddy” she points to the figure holding a camera. “This me.” She points at a figure holding a sign. “Cheering yous.”

Jack smiles and hugs Cassie. “I love it, thank you so much.”

“It go up in your singing tudio.”

Jack nods, “I’ll make sure of it.”

Cassie nods and sees Mia and EZ so she runs off yelling for them.

“Pretty good kids we got huh?” Urban asks, giving Jack a hug.

“Oh most definitely.” He hugs him back. “Did you get what Mia and Ez made for you?”

Urb nods, “Good thing I was already crying. How are they so thoughtful like that? Those three amaze me all the time.”

“Dude you’re telling me? It’s mind blowing how caring they are and how much attention they do.”

They both stand in the middle of the kitchen, staring into the backyard and taking everything in.

“Come on cry babies, we have a war to win.” Mia breaks them out from their deep thoughts.

***********

You have filled two medium sized storage bins with water as Jack and Urban took turns, filling water balloons and putting them inside of their individual bins.

“This is about to get ugly” Brian laughed, and Maggie nodded as you offered her a margarita.

You, Maggie and Michelle sat at a table far away from the splash zone, sipping on your drinks watching them goof around.

“Dude you’re outnumbered, no way you’ll win this Urban.” Clay yells.

“Tio Clay you’re mean.” Mia says, placing her hands on her waist. “I’m gonna make teams.”

Ez groans. “You no bossy Mia bug.”

“Quiet Cheesy.” Mia sasses back. “Okay, Nino Urby and Cassie. Abuelo with Tio Clay, and daddy with Cheesy.”

“What about you Mia?” Jack asks.

She smiles. “I take turns being in the teams, make it fair.” She suggests

And just like that, the game of water balloons war starts. Lots of yelling, laughing and even curses, which of course Mia reminded them they’d have to pay up after the game.

“Okay, time to eat.” You yell.

“But mommy, we tied we need to win.” Ezequiel whines out.

“Yeah mommy, we need to win.” Jack smirks.

“You’ll continue your game after you eat.” You start assembling the food for the kids. “Don’t make me repeat myself Harlow.”

“That means you daddy.” Ezequiel whispers.

“No, she’s talking to you little man.” Jack adds laughing.

You turn around, lifting your brow. “I’m pretty sure I’m talking to the both of you.”

Cassie and Mia share a look and giggle, making their way to the table. “Looks good Nina.”

“Thank you baby.”

Everybody starts piling up, taking turns serving themselves food. You had made carne asada, some chicken and grilled nopales. Of course beans, rice with salsa and tortillas on the side.

You were all finally seated and started to eat, sharing favorite memories of Urban and Jack with the kids. Laughing and even crying at some of the shared moments.

After everyone was done eating, the kids wanted to resume with the water balloon fight and of course the dads couldn’t just say no, they were enjoying themselves as well.

“Join us?” Jack asks you.

You shake your head, “Hell no, you Harlow men don’t go easy. I’ve seen how hard Ezequiel was trying to throw that balloon.”

“You bes in our team momma.” Ez runs up to you, handing you a blue water balloon. “Come hurry, we have to hide.” He says running away.

“I want to see you all wet and messy, come on.” Jack winks, tugging at your hand.

You smirk, pulling him in closer. “The only one who’s going to be wet and messy is you.” You lift your hand and splash the balloon on top of his head, and you run off to where Maggie and Michelle are with balloons in hand.

“OHH IT’S ON BABY.” Jack yells, running after you.

You can see him running after you quickly, his curls sticking to his forehead, drops of water coming down from the top of his head and rosy cheeks.

It almost made you stop and continue admiring him from up close, almost, but not entirely. He may make you go weak at the knees, but when it comes to competition, he’s not getting off that easily.

“So it’s the moms versus husbands then?” Urban asks, smirking.

“Don’t smirk, we’re not losing.” Michelle crosses her arms, a balloon in one of her hands.

“I know you’re competitive baby, but don’t get mad when we win.” Urban points his finger at her.

“Enough chit chat.” Maggie yells. “It may be Father’s Day, but the three of you will lose and that means you’ll be on clean up duty.”

Jack, Urban and Brian groan.

Clay is sitting to the side with the kids. “Should we get involved?”

Ezequiel and Cassie shake their heads no, but Mia answers. “Do we want the dads to win?”

“It is daddy’s day.” Ezequiel shrugs.

“But they always win.” Cassie groans.

Mia nods, “So we help the moms?”

Clay smiles, “You guys are evil.”

The three of them then turn to face him, smiling. “We get it from you, tio Clay.”

Clay fake gasps. “Mia.” He laughs, “You’re right.”

The four of them look ahead at the commotion, then they look at each other and nod running off.

Clay stands up. “Hey fuckers.” Jack and Urban turn to face him. “Happy Father’s Day, but y’all are going down.”

“ATTACK THEM.” Mia yells.

“Hiiii” Ezequiel says, sneaking up behind Jack.

“Now cheesy!!!.” Mia yells, and that’s when EZ throws a balloon at Jack.

Jack felt the balloon burst against his back, gasping as the cold water fell down his shirt.

“Hey! It’s Father’s Day!”

“Sorry daddy!” Ez and Mia giggled as they went to hide behind their tio Clay.

“Where’s my Cassie?” Urban asks, looking around.

“I’m here daddy.” Urban quickly turns his body to where Cassie is standing.

“Are you supposed to get me from all the way over there?” Urban smirks.

Cassie shakes her head. “I’m not.”

“I am fucker.” Clay yells and throws a bucket of water all over his front.

“HAPPY FATHERS DAY.” Mia, Ezequiel and Cassie yell, laughing as they run away.

••••••••••

TAG LIST

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[theblackhate]

Knowledge pt.8

check here for the other parts!

Summary:

The story begins the same for everyone, on the day of the ceremony, one of the most important for all the kids who take part in it every year, and Michelle will not miss the opportunity to leave behind a faction that she did not feel belonged to her.

On her journey, however, she will encounter someone who will make her initiation feel like hell.

Pairing: Eric Coulter x reader

Word Count: 5.5k

As usual, Michelle didn't sleep that night, but it wasn't for training this time. She spent most of the night on a rooftop she had discovered while exploring the faction, relishing the peace it brought.

She felt anxious, almost scared at the thought of seeing her mother—if she showed up at all.

She stared at the horizon before her, occasionally scribbling in her notebook. Many found their city depressing and grotesque, with its various buildings and areas destroyed by the war years ago. For Michelle, though, they served as inspiration for her drawings.

However, her intricate designs began to take on a different tone from those she created in her old faction. They seemed to grow darker, more complex, and detailed as the days went by. Initially, she thought it was just a coincidence until she realized it was her state of mind, a reflection of the new reality she found herself in.

Dawn arrived sooner than she would have liked, and she reluctantly got up from the rooftop, heading toward the base's entrance. She stopped when she heard a faint mechanical noise, turning abruptly to locate the source.

She looked around, confused, until her eyes settled on a camera a few meters away. She approached it, swearing she had seen that camera pointing towards the end of the rooftop, not towards the door.

"What are you up to?" she muttered, peering closely at the device. 

The camera swiveled slightly, its lens focusing directly on her. Michelle's heart raced. She had always been cautious, but this felt different—like she was being watched, scrutinized. She stepped back, trying to think clearly. 

Was it a security measure? Or was someone spying on her?

She shook off the uneasy feeling and made her way to the entrance. She had a long day ahead, and dwelling on the camera would only distract her from her tasks. But as she walked away, the sense of being observed lingered, a shadow that would follow her throughout the day.

She raised an eyebrow, unaware of who was behind the camera, and continued on her way inside the faction.

When she reached the mess hall, she was surprised to see most of her companions already having breakfast, an air of lightness and cheerfulness among them. She took her usual seat next to Sunny, who was eating toast and chatting with Max and Tina, both of whom were also in high spirits.

“There you are! I was looking for you earlier. You weren’t in the dormitory or the gym. Where on earth did you go?” Sunny asked, sipping from the mug she held in her hand. “Ready? For the visits? Maybe you can introduce me to your parents! My mom would be thrilled to meet you.”

“I’m not going,” Michelle replied. Sunny's mouth fell open, confused.

“What do you mean you’re not coming? Your parents will be there!” Tina exclaimed, receiving a bored look from Michelle. “You don’t want them to come all this way for nothing, do you?”

Michelle shrugged, lowering her head and starting to poke at a piece of bread with jam, trying to buy some time. A thousand thoughts crowded her mind—the idea that her mother would actually come to the visits seemed highly unlikely.

But if she did come, what would she say? What would she do?

During breakfast, she withdrew into her thoughts, considering all the possible scenarios, until she felt a gaze piercing into the back of her head. She looked up, scanning the cafeteria for anyone who might be staring at her so intently.

“Why is Eric looking at you like he wants to kill you?” Michelle snapped her head towards Tina, who was looking behind her.

“Yeah, what did you do?” Max added, also observing the young leader.

Michelle turned slowly to see Eric's cold, calculating eyes fixed on her. His expression was unreadable, but there was a clear intensity that unsettled her. She forced herself to meet his gaze, trying not to show any sign of discomfort.

"I don't know," she muttered, breaking eye contact and turning back to her friends. "Maybe he's just in a bad mood."

"Or maybe," Max said, lowering his voice, "he knows something we don't."

"Like what?" Sunny asked, leaning in closer.

Michelle shook her head, trying to dismiss the growing tension. "I don't know. But whatever it is, I’ll deal with it later."

The rest of breakfast passed in relative silence, the cheerful atmosphere now tinged with an underlying tension. Michelle's mind raced with questions and uncertainties, the unease from the rooftop camera still lingering. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was brewing, something that would soon force her to confront more than just the possibility of seeing her mother.

Michelle slowly turned to see where the two were looking, and, of course, it was Eric. He watched her intensely, not so much aggressively, but more...curiously?

Sunny scoffed, "Ignore him. He's making our initiation a nightmare. I don't know what you did to piss him off, but I'd be careful."

Michelle nodded slowly, maintaining eye contact with the blonde until Lauren distracted him with an elbow to the ribs before standing up and silently leaving the cafeteria.

"I didn't do anything..." Michelle whispered.

"You must have done something. I don't think he's such a jerk to target you for no reason."

"Max, have you seen him?!" Tina exclaimed. "He's a total asshole. He's probably pissed because she climbed the ranks so quickly."

Max furrowed his brow, looking confused. "But shouldn't he be happy about that? I mean, the better people are, the better it is for the faction, right? Not that she's anything special."

Michelle looked at him, feeling a bit offended, and Max quickly corrected himself. "No offense, but there are people with way more talent than you, and yet he doesn't torment them constantly. You even helped him win capture the flag!"

"Ugh! Shut up, Max, you're not helping," Sunny snapped, standing up from the table. "Michelle, are you coming? Our parents should be arriving soon."

Reluctantly, Michelle stood up, ignoring the knot in her stomach as she walked toward the Pit; the chatter and laughter of her companions filled her ears. She distanced herself from the crowd, finding a more isolated, quieter spot.

Within minutes, the Dauntless faction was filled with exclamations, laughter, and chatter, even some tears. Michelle broke away from Sunny, leaving her to search for her parents among the crowd. Various colors invaded the monotony of the faction, like a splash of paint on a black canvas.

Michelle's eyes scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face. Despite her earlier resolve to avoid this meeting, a small part of her hoped to see her mother. The anticipation gnawed at her, mixing with fear and anxiety.

As the crowd continued to bustle, she found a quiet corner to sit and observe, her sketchbook in hand. She doodled absentmindedly, her mind swirling with thoughts of what she would say if her mother did appear. Would she be angry? Sad? Relieved?

Michelle watched as the families reunited, hugging each other as if they hadn't seen each other in centuries. A pang hit her heart; a false hope formed inside her when she spotted a man in the crowd dressed in black and white, with wavy hair and the posture of someone who knew he held power.

She pushed herself off the wall she had been leaning against, vainly hoping that the man was her father. However, that hope was crushed when one of her initiation companions embraced him.

She felt foolish for believing that her father, who had disappeared years ago, would miraculously return just to see her. She still hadn't come to terms with his absence, unable to accept her mother's words, assuming he had probably ended up in some building in another part of the city, killed by the factionless.

Michelle clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she bit her tongue against the irritation building inside her. The Pit, despite its immense size, began to feel claustrophobic, as if all the air inside had been selfishly stolen by the happy families who continued to laugh and chat.

Her ears felt like they might bleed.

At that moment, she decided that this was not the place for her. She gave up on the idea of searching for her mother in the crowd because, deep down, she knew the woman would never set foot in the Dauntless faction, let alone come to see her of all people.

Unnoticed, Michelle slipped out of the Pit, heading towards the gym she now knew like the back of her hand. In no time, she found herself bare-handed, her jacket discarded a few meters away on the floor, standing in front of a punching bag.

She was overwhelmed with a multitude of emotions, something she wasn't used to. Was it sadness? Anger? Disappointment?

Resignation?

Michelle took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Her fists itched to hit something, to release the pent-up frustration inside her. She approached the punching bag and started to throw punches, each hit harder than the last.

With every punch, she tried to channel her emotions—sadness for her father, anger at her mother, and disappointment in herself for still hoping against hope. The rhythmic thumping of her fists against the bag became a cathartic release, a way to express everything she couldn't put into words.

Tears of frustration mixed with sweat as she continued her assault on the bag. Her thoughts swirled in chaos, each punch a desperate attempt to make sense of her feelings. She punched until her knuckles were sore, her breath coming in ragged gasps, but she couldn't stop. It was the only way she knew how to cope.

In that moment of raw emotion, Michelle felt a strange sense of clarity. She might not have her family here, and she might never find the answers she sought, but she had herself. She had her strength, her resilience, and her determination.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

As she slowed down, her punches becoming weaker, she leaned against the bag, trying to catch her breath. The gym was silent except for her labored breathing and the faint echo of her punches. She wiped her face with her sleeve, the sting of tears and sweat mixing together.

Michelle took another deep breath and started again. She let out her frustration, even if it was just for a moment.

“What are you doing here, rookie?” Eric’s cold voice echoed through the gym, freezing Michelle in place before she could continue her workout.

“What does it look like?” she retorted quickly, her fists pounding the heavy bag with increasing force. She imagined her mother’s face as the target, the hate she felt for that woman growing stronger each day. Every thought of her mother brought a new reason to despise her.

Despite the anger fueling her, Michelle stayed alert, now aware that she wasn’t alone. The young leader seemed to have singled her out from everyone else. She heard his footsteps approaching cautiously, his boots echoing in the gym alongside the thuds of her punches.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him stop beside her. Realizing the potential trouble she could be in for speaking out of turn to Eric, she decided to remain silent and avoid looking at him. She was aware that her current mood was not suitable for a confrontation.

Eric’s stance grew more rigid. “Oh,” he huffed provocatively, “so now we’re playing the silent game, rookie?”

Michelle finally stopped when Eric blocked the heavy bag with his arm, his piercing blue eyes fixed intently on her. A faint blush crept across her face, and she lowered her gaze, hoping he would leave her alone.

“Hm?” Eric persisted, having clearly caught her full attention. “What’s wrong? Has that little mouth of yours finally run out of things to say, or was it never capable of speaking up?”

Michelle lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, her anger still palpable. “Why do you think I switched factions?”

Eric looked almost surprised to hear her voice and grinned mischievously. “Ah, here we go. The rookie finally speaks. Was it so hard to answer your leader? Or was that too much to ask?”

He shook his head, a satisfied sound escaping him as he finally released the bag and placed his hands behind his back. Michelle, tired of the game Eric seemed to relish, moved toward where she had dropped her jacket. When she reached for it, Eric’s hand intervened, grabbing the jacket and tossing it aside, toward the door.

She turned to face him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “You wanted to train? Fine, then train with me. Let’s go.”

Eric removed his jacket, tossing it near where Michelle’s had landed, and then kicked off his boots, gesturing for her to do the same. Hesitant and confused, Michelle complied, wondering why, all of a sudden, Eric wanted to spar with her. Was this his chance to take her out? Was his hatred for her really that intense?

She followed him onto the mat, quickly assuming a defensive stance. “Take off your hoodie,” he ordered, and she complied, letting the black hoodie fall next to the mat.

Before the hoodie even touched the ground, Eric lunged at Michelle, throwing a right hook that she narrowly dodged. She knew Eric played dirty, but she was determined to play even dirtier.

Michelle responded immediately with a direct punch to the solar plexus, but Eric, with his superior experience, grabbed her wrist, twisting it and pulling her into his chest. He wrapped an arm around her neck, immobilizing her.

“You’re fast, but not fast enough,” he whispered into her ear, his voice strained from the effort of holding her in place. Michelle began to feel the air slipping away, her vision dimming. In a desperate move, she drove her head back with all her strength, striking Eric directly in the nose.

The blow wasn’t enough to cause serious damage, but it was enough to make Eric’s nose bleed and free her from his hold. Michelle wasted no time and went back on the offensive, landing punch after punch. Eric tried to regain control, but she had memorized the slight twitch he made before attacking.

They fought relentlessly for what felt like an eternity until Michelle managed to knock him down with a strike to his legs. However, Eric grabbed her and pulled her down with him.

The situation flipped as Eric ended up on top of her, his grip tightening around her throat and slowly choking her. Terror gripped Michelle as she realized her initial suspicion wasn't far off the mark.

She fought desperately to reverse the situation, but Eric was significantly larger and stronger. As the black spots began to cloud her vision, she repeatedly struck Eric's arm, praying he would relent. To her immense relief, the young leader finally loosened his grip on her neck.

Michelle scrambled away, propping herself up on her elbows and coughing violently. She stayed in that position for a few seconds, catching her breath, until she felt Eric rise and watch her. “Do you surrender?” he challenged, his tone taunting.

She shook her head, resolute not to give in. She heard his footsteps muffled by the mat as he approached; Eric was trying to catch her off guard while she was still on the ground. As he grabbed her hair to resume the fight, Michelle swiftly pulled a small dagger hidden in the lining of her pants.

With a quick, decisive motion, she shoved Eric’s arm aside and lunged at him, determined to use every means at her disposal to win. Gripping the cold metal of the dagger firmly in her sweaty hand, Michelle prepared herself to confront Eric, ready to turn the fight in her favor.

With a quick and precise motion, Michelle aimed the dagger at the exposed flank of her opponent. But Eric, reacting instinctively, blocked her arm halfway. A moment of stalemate followed as the two faced each other, breathing heavily in the charged atmosphere.

Eric’s eyes burned with fury, but there was also a glimmer of admiration for her resolve. Michelle, on her part, showed no hesitation; her eyes were ablaze with fierce determination.

With supreme effort, Michelle managed to free the dagger from Eric’s grasp and pressed on with her assault. This time, she aimed directly at his chest. Eric, skilled in close combat, managed to deflect the blow with his arm, leaving a shallow cut along his forearm.

The fight raged on, both combatants giving their all. Every move was calculated and brutal. Eric tried to regain control, attempting to overpower Michelle with his superior strength, but she refused to give an inch. Every attack was met with ferocity, every hold countered with determination.

In a moment of distraction, Eric failed to block Michelle’s next move. She repeated the same maneuver he had used earlier, forcing him against her chest and pressing the dagger’s blade against his throat.

Eric froze in place. “Not fast enough?” she whispered in his ear, releasing her grip soon after, panting heavily, and stepping off the mat, signaling that the sparring session was over.

“Playing dirty, initiate?” Eric asked in a serious tone, though Michelle could sense a hint of amusement in his voice. She shrugged, turning her back on him, and bent down to grab a water bottle from one of the benches.

She tossed him a bottle, which he caught and drank from as if he were parched.

Michelle returned to the mat, sitting down and continuing to sip from her own bottle, ignoring the sharp gaze Eric fixed on her. “I have to admit, you surprised me, initiate.”

“I have a name,” Michelle responded tersely, noting that since joining the faction, Eric had yet to use her name.

Eric chuckled bitterly, surprisingly sitting down next to her. “I’ll call you whatever I please, initiate,” he emphasized the last word, a bit disappointed by her lack of reaction. Clearing his throat, he tossed the empty water bottle a few feet away. “You didn’t answer the question I asked.”

Michelle turned towards him, raising an eyebrow. “What are you doing here, initiate? Shouldn’t you be with your parents, pretending to be the picture-perfect family, ignoring the fact that you might never see them again?”

She turned her gaze back to the empty space in front of her, biting her tongue, her thoughts seething with frustration. Eric’s presence was a stark reminder of why she was here and not back in the Pit with the others.

“I don’t have anyone,” she said bitterly, catching out of the corner of her eye that Eric was still staring at her, waiting—or rather, demanding—a response.

Eric said nothing, choosing instead to observe something he had never noticed before: a tattoo peeking out from the tank top she was wearing.

The intricate design covered almost her entire back, and Eric frowned, puzzled by the fact that he had never seen this tattoo in the shop, nor this style. “Interesting tattoo,” he remarked apathetically. Michelle turned toward him, finally granting him her full attention, and saw him leaning slightly back, propped up on one arm as he studied her back.

Inside, she felt a flicker of pride and decided to take a perhaps foolish, risky move. She knelt and turned her back fully to him, lifting her tank top and bra with her hands to reveal the entire design.

She couldn’t see his reaction, nor his expression to gauge his opinion on whether he liked it or not. “Is there a new tattoo artist? I’ve never seen this style before.”

Michelle felt a pang of disappointment as she heard his apathetic tone, as if she had just asked about the most boring topic in the world. She felt a surge of embarrassment, thinking she had misjudged the nature of his initial question.

She adjusted her clothes, rising from the mat as quickly as possible, chastising herself for the second time that day for hoping she had finally received a compliment from him.

She didn’t understand why she continued to cling to the hope that someday the young leader might find some sympathy for her. It was a false hope, and she should have done what everyone had advised from the beginning: ignore him.

Gathering her belongings, she left the gym, too lost in her thoughts to notice that Eric followed her until he grabbed her by the shoulder and slammed her against the cold wall of the corridor.

Eric’s gaze was furious. “I don’t know who you think you are, but don’t bring me this disrespect, especially after not punishing you for all the crap you’ve pulled. So either you cut out this superior attitude, or I’ll personally see to it that you’re thrown off the edge.” Michelle stared at him, biting her tongue to keep fear from overcoming her. “Do you understand?”

She nodded slowly, sighing in relief when he finally released her shoulder, which would likely bruise with the imprint of his fingers. She watched him storm down the corridor, turning back toward the Pit, and Michelle hurried back to her quarters, not in the mood to encounter anyone on her path.

Unbeknownst to her, however, Eric didn’t head to the Pit. Instead, he made his way to the tattoo shop, where, upon entering, he was greeted enthusiastically by Tyson. “Eric, getting a new tattoo?”

“Not exactly. Who did the tattoo on the back of the new initiate?” Eric asked, glancing around the shop, searching for any tattoos that might resemble the one he had seen a few minutes ago.

Tyson chuckled, leaning on the counter with his elbows. “Well, my friend, I think I’ve done at least one tattoo for every new recruit who’s come through here this year. But I believe I know who you’re talking about. Michelle, I assume?”

“Exactly,” Eric replied nonchalantly, and Tyson smiled.

“I did the tattoo,” Tyson said, and Eric’s expression grew serious. “How come I don’t see this new style of yours on any of these walls? Did she have to do you a favor to get something done by you?”

Tyson burst into a rough laugh, shaking his head. Eric didn’t appreciate the humor. “No, Eric. The reason you don’t see one of my new ‘masterpieces’”—he made air quotes with his fingers—“is quite simple. Yes, I did the tattoo, but the design isn’t mine.”

“I don’t have time for these guessing games, Tyson,” Eric replied, frustrated. Tyson, sensing Eric’s mood, restrained his amusement and looked at him calmly.

“She designed it herself,” Tyson said. Seeing Eric raise his eyebrows, he nodded. “She came in and asked if it was possible to do a tattoo if she provided a specific design. Of course, we said yes. That’s why it’s not on display; she designed it herself. The girl’s got talent. I have to admit, I hope she’ll come work here... we could use some innovation.”

Eric nodded and left the tattoo shop, giving a brief nod to Tyson behind the counter. He went back to his own affairs, though inside he didn’t want to admit that he wanted a tattoo as cool as the one Michelle had. Especially since he’d have to ask her directly for a favor.

A month had passed since the beginning of the initiation, and as the first module came to an end, Michelle had managed to secure third place in the rankings, savoring the satisfaction of having improved day by day.

She ignored the gnawing emptiness in her stomach that had formed after her last interaction with Eric over a week ago and concluded that she must be a masochist for continuing to seek the young leader's attention amidst the crowd, fully aware that each encounter ended with her being hurt physically or emotionally.

In the end, she couldn't let it bother her too much; she needed to focus on climbing even higher in the rankings to prove to everyone that she was better than they were. It was a personal satisfaction that grew each day with every fight she won and every compliment Four gave her.

That day, everyone gathered in the massive gym, forming a semi-circle with Four in front of them and Eric standing a meter away, casually flicking a throwing knife between his fingers as if it were a feather.

“Today marks the end of the first module, and anyone below the red line will be eliminated tonight. So, I suggest you spend these last hours with the friends you won’t be seeing again,” he said, surveying the reduced group of initiates. “The second module, as mentioned, will be mental and likely the most exhausting, so take advantage of these days off to rest. We’ll see you again on Monday.”

Michelle heard someone sobbing behind her but remained still, staring at the ranking list pinned to the wall instead of following her peers out of the gym. She felt an embrace from the side and immediately recognized Sunny’s familiar scent, wrapping her arm around her friend’s waist in return.

Sunny’s excitement was palpable, and Michelle couldn’t help but grin. “We did it!” Sunny exclaimed, hugging her tightly. Michelle rested her head on Sunny’s shoulder, soaking up the positive energy radiating from her friend.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t celebrate so soon,” a voice that was all too familiar made Michelle spin around sharply, coming face-to-face with Eric’s sadistic smirk. “The next module is just as tough, if not tougher. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of you”—he looked at Sunny—“not make it.”

Michelle stepped away from Sunny and placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her out of the gym in an attempt to shield her from Eric’s discouraging words.

“What an asshole,” Sunny muttered once they were out of earshot of the gym. “I’ll make it! Come on, I’m in seventh place!”

Michelle glanced at her friend and said simply, “Ignore him,” as they continued toward the Pit, where their fellow initiates and another group had gathered to discuss something.

“…tonight, at nine,” Michelle overheard someone say. As they reached the group, Tina approached them, grabbing both their wrists and leading them toward the clothing stores on the other side of the Pit.

“What are you doing?” Sunny asked, pulling away from Tina’s grip. Michelle followed suit. Tina looked at them as if they had just said the most ridiculous thing ever.

“We absolutely need to go buy something! Haven’t you heard?” Tina insisted.

Sunny huffed, “No, we just got here. Maybe if you’d let us stay where we were, we’d know what’s going on.”

Tina rolled her eyes. “There’s a surprise event tonight, and we need to be prepared. You know how it is—Dauntless here love to throw curveballs.” She grabbed their arms again, this time with a firmer grip. “Come on, you don’t want to be caught off guard.”

Michelle and Sunny exchanged glances, then followed Tina, making their way to the stores. 

Tina waved her hand dismissively. “Tonight’s a party to celebrate the initiates who made it through the first phase of the module, and we need to celebrate, girls!” she exclaimed, starting to dance without music or rhythm.

The two friends exchanged skeptical glances, but Sunny decided to join Tina, eager at the prospect of attending a real party rather than just going out for drinks with friends.

Michelle, however, wasn’t as enthusiastic as the two girls who eagerly moved toward the stores a few meters ahead, already discussing what they might wear to make a good impression.

She followed them quietly, pulling her jacket tighter around herself to shield against the biting wind that swept through the faction that day. The chill gave her goosebumps, and she sighed in relief as they entered one of the stores, finally escaping the cold.

“Come on, Michelle! Let’s go!” Sunny grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her toward the back of the store where various party dresses, skirts, and outfits were displayed, mostly in colors like black, gray, and red. “This one’s amazing!”

Michelle looked at the dress Sunny had picked off a hanger, a simple black, form-fitting dress that reached the ankles. She regarded it absentmindedly, nodding at the idea of seeing her friend wear it, which elicited a sarcastic huff from Sunny.

“We’re not torturing you, you know. It would be nice to see you dressed up for once, with a nice dress and some makeup to highlight your features,” Tina commented as she joined them with a couple of dresses in hand. “And who knows, we might finally find you someone.”

Michelle raised an eyebrow, looking at Tina with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. “Find me someone? Like who?” 

“Come on, it’s just a party,” Tina said, shrugging. “Besides, it's not every day you get a chance to dress up and have fun. You never know who you might meet.”

Michelle rolled her eyes at Tina's persistence, trying to escape the pressure to conform to the social norms of the event. She didn’t understand why it was so important to put so much emphasis on something like this. She loathed the attention, even though in the quiet corners of her mind, her thoughts often revolved around someone.

"Sunny only has eyes for Four, and I’ve got my eye on someone too. You’re the only one missing out!" Tina pressed on, ignoring Michelle’s clear signals of discomfort. "Isn’t there anyone you’re interested in?"

"No," Michelle replied, attempting to shut down the conversation.

Tina stopped and gave her a serious look. "I don’t believe you for a second. I mean, there are so many guys and girls around. How is it possible that no one interests you? I saw you talking to that tattooed guy—older than us?"

Michelle sighed, frustrated by Tina’s relentless curiosity. Grabbing a few items at random from the racks, she retreated into a changing room, finally free from Tina’s incessant chatter. Inside, she looked at the clothes she had picked out and wondered if trying something new might not be so bad.

One of the items was a dress similar to Sunny’s but shorter and with a cut that made her feel like a sausage. She tossed it aside and decided to try on the sleeveless, form-fitting turtleneck and pants. As she looked at herself in the mirror, a hollow feeling gripped her stomach, stirring up memories she wished she could forget.

Struggling to remove the pants, which reminded her too much of the Candor style, she accidentally bumped into the changing room wall with her elbow. She heard Sunny’s concerned voice on the other side. 

“Everything okay?”

“Yes,” Michelle snapped, her frustration mounting as Sunny continued to knock on the door. “Why are you in your underwear?”

Sunny looked her up and down with an almost disgusted expression. “And you thought you could wear those to a party?! You really don’t know how to dress, do you?” She took the pants from Michelle's hand and disappeared into the store, returning shortly after with five different skirts. “Now try these on and come out so I can see how they look! It’s so nice to do something normal for once.”

Michelle tried on the first skirt. “Hmm, not convinced. Turn around? No, it makes your butt look flat. Ew.”

Then the second one. “Cute, but it’s too formal and long.” 

“How so? It reaches your knee!”

Then the third. “This one you can keep, it’s not bad. A bit basic, but it actually goes really well with that top.”

Then the fourth. Michelle shot down the critique before it could even start. “I can’t walk in this,” she said, trying to pull down the thick material of the denim skirt, which seemed to lift an extra centimeter with each step she took.

“I’ll give you that one.”

And then the last one. When Michelle emerged from the changing room, her friend’s eyes lit up. She jumped up from the couch and gave a brief applause. “This is the one! Come on, look at yourself!”

She grabbed Michelle by the shoulders and led her in front of the full-length mirror. Despite her reluctance to admit it, Michelle found the skirt really cute. It was her style—black and, although very, very short, it had built-in shorts to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions.

What she liked most was the faux belt, which added a raw touch that contrasted with the rest of the outfit. She felt her friend’s fingers brushing her hair away and didn’t think much of it until she saw Sunny’s shocked expression.

“And when did you get this?!” Sunny exclaimed, staring at the tattoo that covered Michelle’s entire back like an intricate map. “It’s not my style, but it’s beautiful—huge, really huge.”

“A while ago,” Michelle said apologetically, heading back into the changing room to put her old clothes back on. She emerged with the other two girls, ready to prepare for the actual party.

[teaberrii]

Chapter 9: Dinner for Two

After ending a five-year relationship, you pour all your energy into work. Your latest assignment? Staying at a popular bed-and-breakfast to gather information. It should be a piece of cake... If only the owner isn't the man you scolded on the street.

Jing Yuan/You

Chapter notes: Mention of suicide

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

You’re sitting in a chair in front of a mirror in a room at the back of Jingliu’s gym. She’s leaning close to you, meticulously doing your makeup in a way that you’ve never thought to do before. You usually stick with one style: natural. But this time, you have a slightly bolder look that makes you look like a princess who just stepped out of a novel. You look at Jingliu’s reflection, and your eyes meet hers when she also looks in the mirror.

Then, with a little smile, she says, “Are you curious? It’s okay to ask.”

“Well, um, your eye…”

Jingliu puts the brush on the vanity table and stands behind you, her hands on the back of your chair. “I was in an accident after the Global Games.”

“No…! No! What do you mean she’s blind? That can’t be! That—”

“Please, calm down.” A nurse tried to pry a distraught middle-aged woman away from the doctor.

The angry woman rudely shrugged the nurse away. “Answer me! She—”

“She’s only partially blind,” the doctor said as calmly as he could. “...She’s lucky that she’s alive.”

Jingliu, dressed in a hospital gown, had half of her head wrapped in bandages, including over one of her eyes. She was disoriented and confused when she woke up. It wasn’t until minutes later that she realized she was in a hospital. But she could still see it, still hear it. The sudden car that ran a red light. The sound of tires screeching, loud honking, and nearby screams.

It’d been painful, but she got out of bed and heard her mother outside. So, Jingliu slowly opened the door and limped out to hear what was going on.

“We’ll do more tests once she’s awake.”

“...Mom.”

Everyone turned, and Jingliu’s mother immediately walked up to her. “Jingliu! How… How are you feeling? When did you wake up?”

But, Jingliu only had one person on her mind. “...Where is he?” She said her boyfriend’s name. “Is he okay? I want to see him.”

Her mother looked down, and her face turned a little pale. “...He’s…”

That’s a moment Jingliu can never forget. Having won Gold at the Global Games in Wushu, her longtime boyfriend, one of her biggest supporters, had taken her out to celebrate. But the day turned tragic, and her road to recovery got worse when the rescue team found a ring in the crash.

Jingliu had gone unexpectedly quiet after she told you she’d been in an accident. You guess she’s reminded of that terrible day, and you’re about to change the subject when she says, “It’s been nearly over a decade since then, but it’s how I came back to Xianzhou. I grew up here, and… it was a safe place for me.”

“It's very different from the city. That’s to be expected, of course, but I do feel a strong sense of community. Everyone knows each other, it seems.”

“There are pros and cons. I’m sure the reason why you’re curious about my situation is because you heard someone talk about it.”

“You got me there.”

“Good news. Bad news. Whatever news… It travels fast.” Jingliu has a kind look in her eyes. “Just be careful of what you want people to be talking about.”

Her phone buzzes, and you watch her take it out. Her eyes scan whatever is on the screen before she puts it back into her pocket.

“Jing Yuan should be here any minute,” she says. Somehow, you doubt that message was from Jing Yuan. “Ready to go?”

As soon as you open the door and turn the corner, you see Jing Yuan talking with the brothers. His eyes immediately land on you. The brothers also turn, and Dan Feng lets out a low whistle.

“Not bad, not bad,” the older brother says.

Dan Heng nods. “You look good.”

Jingliu comes up behind you. “She does, doesn’t she?”

Jing Yuan walks up just as Jingilu leans against the counter. He leans over and whispers in your ear, “You look beautiful, as always.”

Your eyes meet his just as Jing Yuan leans upright. You keep your eyes on him and with a confident, little smile, you say, “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“I guess we don’t get any compliments.”

Dan Heng gives his brother a deadpan look. “...Did you have to ruin the moment?”

“All right. Now, I’m going to have to kick all of you out,” Jingliu says. “It’s closing time, after all.”

You and Jing Yuan are alone in the car as it weaves through the town. The brothers, likely out of courtesy, are walking back to the bed and breakfast after grabbing takeout.

“Is Yanqing joining us for dinner?” you ask.

“Blade’s looking after him tonight.”

“O-oh, is he?”

Jing Yuan gives you a mischievous look. “Are you nervous?”

“About what?”

Suddenly, he takes your hand, and you immediately turn to him. “You tell me.”

You quietly scoff. “Hands on the wheel, General.” Yet, you don’t pull back.

The thought of his hands roaming your body sits in the back of Jing Yuan’s mind, but he refuses to entertain that.

“All right.” Jing Yuan puts both his hands on the wheel.

You chuckle. “Didn’t think you’d be that obedient.”

Then, before he can stop himself, he asks, “Should I not be?”

It’s for a second that your eyes meet, and you have to face forward as you feel your face warm. Jing Yuan pulls up to a small, cozy house that combines modern and traditional elements. There’s a single light at the end of the driveway, helping you see that the outside of the house is a warm colour mix of beige and brown.

After Jing Yuan parks the car in the garage, he opens the door for you leading into the house. You step in, and you smell freshly cooked food mixed with a little cedar.

“Is that chicken I smell?” you ask.

“Good guess.”

You follow Jing Yuan into the living room where you immediately notice the minimalistic design. There are a couple of ink paintings on the cream-coloured walls, a fireplace in a corner, two couches adjacent to each other, and a large light in the shape of a ball hanging from the ceiling. Once you’re in the dining room, you see two plates and utensils placed across from each other on a small, marble dining table.

“Would you like some wine?” Jing Yuan asks.

You sit at the table. “Sure.” When he comes back with a large bottle of red wine, you say, “I thought you were more of a beer kind of guy.”

Jing Yuan effortlessly opens the bottle with a corkscrew and fills your glass. “Wine is for special occasions.”

You look outside and see a little garden in the back. Jing Yuan brings in the food, and you immediately turn upon smelling something fresh out of the oven. There’s baked chicken breast sprinkled with basil, Salmon Bread, fried rice, and more.

“You prepared all of this in one day?” you ask in disbelief.

“I cook almost every day for Yanqing.” Jing Yuan sits across from you. “So, I’m usually prepared. I already had some of this prepared before I invited you over.”

You put a chicken breast on your plate and slice off a piece. After taking a bite, you nod in approval. “Not bad, General.”

“There’s also dessert,” Jing Yuan says. “So… Save some room.”

“Ooh, what’re we having for dessert?”

Jing Yuan puts an elbow on the table and slightly leans closer. “That’s a surprise.”

“Keepin’ secrets now, are we?”

“It’s a Xianzhou delicacy.”

“My expectations are even higher."

“You won’t be disappointed.”

You and Jing Yuan continue working away at the food, talking about whatever comes to mind. You learn that his parents are frequently overseas and he was raised by his grandmother until she passed when he was in high school.

“Was she the one who encouraged you to learn Wushu?” you ask.

“No, actually. I went to Jingliu myself.” You reach for the Salmon Bread, and Jing Yuan brings the plate closer to you.

"She told me that you showed up in scars and bruises..."

"I can still remember the look on her face when I did. That was right after I got jumped."

A young Jing Yuan was walking home with his nose in a book when he heard footsteps. He looked up and saw his bigger, male classmate step out from behind a building. Upon hearing something behind him, Jing Yuan turned and saw three more classmates walk up.

“...Would you leave her alone?”

Jing Yuan turned. “What are you talking about?”

Then, his classmate said a girl’s name. Jing Yuan knew her as the outgoing, popular girl in the other class. A lot of the guys liked her, but she only paid special attention to Jing Yuan.

“Stop trying to show off in front of her.” The kid walked until he was in front of him. “You’re an eyesore.”

Jing Yuan sighed. “Taking your jealousy out on me won’t do you any good. Rather, it makes you—” His eyes went wide as a hard punch to his gut caught him off guard. He doubled over and felt someone knock him to the ground from behind.

“Did they get punished?” you ask.

“I should’ve reported them. That would’ve been the logical thing to do. But…”

“You wanted to get back at them.”

“...That’s right."

Then, with an intrigued look, you ask, “Did you win the next time?”

“You aren't going to scold me?”

You shrug. “I agree you should’ve reported them, but… a little revenge doesn’t hurt.”

“Encouraging violence, are we?”

“Hey, stop twisting my words.”

Clink!

After taking a sip of your wine, you put your glass down. Jing Yuan does the same and says, “I did get my revenge, but everyone got hurt that day. That’s to be expected. After that, we never messed with each other again.”

“I’d say that’s a win.”

“...And what about you?”

“Me?” You chuckle. “Are you asking if I ever got into a fight at school? Not exactly.”

“Not exactly?”

Your lips form a neat line. “It was in university… when my ex and I just started dating.”

“You told me you two were just friends.”

You were sitting across from your friend, a girl whom you hadn’t spoken to since high school. You weren’t exactly close, but back then, you talked with her enough to consider her a friend. She’d ended up going to a different university in the city, so you two didn’t talk as much as much as you did. She texted you the night before, asking to have coffee and catch up as the semester was coming to an end.

“Well, we were,” you said.

“...But, you knew I liked him.”

That was true. You did. But nothing happened.

“That’s—”

“I thought we were friends.”

You frowned. “Did you tell him about how you felt?”

“...Not yet.”

“...Then, I don’t see what the problem is.”

She glared at you. “I didn’t even get a chance.”

You really didn’t want to say it, but… “If he did like you, we wouldn’t have happened.”

“A lot of drama started happening after that,” you say.

“...Do you mind if I ask why you two broke up?”

You finish the rest of the food on your plate. “We weren’t working anymore. Might be a little cliché, but we weren’t the same people anymore. We tried to make things work, but it wasn’t happening.” You glance at him. “...Do you mind if I ask what happened between you and your ex-wife?”

“Long story short… I wanted to do something different, but she wanted me to stay at my job. And… she also wanted another child when I didn’t.”

His wife came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a dress for bed. Yanqing was staying with his grandmother that weekend, leaving Jing Yuan and his wife to have some quality time together. His wife walked up and put her arms on his shoulders.

“...What're we doing tonight, Handsome?" 

Jing Yuan took her wrists and put them at her side. "Getting a good night's sleep."

Her shoulders fell. "Yanqing would love a sibling, you know."

"We've talked about this. Yanqing would love a sibling? Or, would you love to give him a sibling?”

She sighed. “Don’t you want to grow our family, Jing Yuan?”

He didn’t.

“...Let’s get some sleep.”

His wife stepped in front of him when he tried to turn off the lights. “Something is bothering you. Why won’t you talk to me?”

“I did.”

She crossed her arms. “It’s about that bed and breakfast fantasy of yours, isn’t it?”

Jing Yuan hated the way she put it. Fantasy? It was like she was mocking him.

“It’s not a fantasy,” Jing Yuan said flatly.

“You have a family.” She scoffed and sat on the bed. “It’s time to come back to reality, Jing Yuan.”

“I asked if you could give me a year. If nothing happens or I’m not successful, I’ll find a new job. You agreed. But now it seems like you’re going back on your word.”

"I'm not! I just... I still don't think it's a good idea. It's not safe, Jing Yuan. Do you understand?"

"I understand the risks. That's why I'm meeting you halfway." Jing Yuan sat next to her. “You wanted a child, and I agreed.”

She turned and put her hand on his cheek. “And now we have Yanqing. He’s our everything. Don’t you want to give him more?”

“What about your word?" When she said nothing, Jing Yuan continued, "You agreed, so I already put in my resignation letter.”

“...Already?!”

“My last day is the end of the month.”

“...She was livid,” Jing Yuan says.

“I’ve been curious… What made you want to open a bed and breakfast anyway? You were a Director at an IT company… That’s… I mean… That’s a position some people can only dream of.”

“There were questionable practices that I found out about when I was promoted. I was expected to be a part of that or else I’d lose my position.”

“Yikes…”

Jing Yuan nods. “I’ve always wanted to start a business. And since I didn’t want to stay there, I wanted to take a chance.”

“...Did your wife want you to stay? Even after you found out about the shady practices?”

“I told her about what I knew, and she encouraged me to stay.” Jing Yuan looks you in the eyes. “That was when she was still working at Star Rails.”

“...You shouldn’t leave.”

Jing Yuan was sitting on the couch adjacent to his wife. He’d just finished telling her about some of the questionable practices that he recently discovered and reasoned that a company wouldn’t last if they continued with their shady ways. Of course, Jing Yuan also didn’t want to end up in the crossfire, considering he was now in management.

“At least not until you find something else,” his wife continued.

"This is an opportunity. I want to open a bed and breakfast.”

It was written all over her face. Annoyance. Frustration. Anger. Every time he brought this up, she made it clear she wasn’t happy.

“Every company has some corruption going on,” his wife finally said. “It’s normal. It’s… It’s just how it is.” 

“...Is something wrong?”

His wife looked at him, and he saw her fidget. “Why are you asking?”

“It’s a hunch.” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Is something happening at work?”

She sighed. “No… It’s… It’s just that the project failed.” She turned to him. “Have you… heard anything from Caelus?”

“No. Why?”

“I figured he’d talked to you.” She picked up her tea. “After the project fell through, I thought he’d tell you about it.”

“I plan on meeting him in Xianzhou next month. I’m heading back to visit.”

She looked away again. “I see.” Then, she stood and walked into the kitchen.

“I… never saw Caelus,” Jing Yuan says. You look up from your soup. “By the time I got here, he… was gone.”

Gone? As in…

“The empty lot you saw,” Jing Yuan continues. “That was where his hotel used to be.”

“...What happened?”

Jing Yuan looks down. “He took his own life.” You almost drop your spoon. “After a full investigation, they ruled out any foul play.”

It takes you a moment to process this, but you finally say, “...I’m so sorry.”

A short pause.

“A year after that, my wife and I divorced.”

“That must’ve been a huge shock of... everything to the community.”

"It was. Rumours and speculations were flying everywhere, but there were quite a few people who were convinced Star Rails had something to do with what happened to Caelus."

“...Did your wife ever bring this up?”

“No. She was just as shocked as I was when she found out what happened.” The pause and the slight narrowing of his eyes make you think Jing Yuan has something more to say. “She stopped talking to me about her work after that. Eventually, she left and found a new job.”

A short silence followed as you and Jing Yuan finished the rest of the food. You and Jing Yuan are stacking the empty plates together when you say, "...This explains why everyone seems so hostile."

You help carry the empty dishes to the kitchen. You’re standing next to Jing Yuan as he says, “This is what I wanted to tell you this morning.” After washing his hands, he looks at you. “You’re suspicious that Star Rails is hiding something. I'm not sure whether it’s related to Caelus, but I suspect there's another reason why they sent you here.”

You sigh. “In other words… things aren’t as simple as they seem.” A short silence later, you ask, “What about you? Do you think Star Rails had something to do with what happened to Caelus?”

“I do.” You look him in the eyes, a little surprised at the honesty. He holds your gaze and says, “As I said, you aren’t the first person to visit.” You get a whiff of his cologne when he steps closer. He leans down until he’s at eye level with you. “...But you’re the first to question them.”

You put a hand on the counter beside you. “...But maybe the others did, you just didn’t know it.”

“On the contrary. One of them tried to convince me to enter a partnership with them. Another tried to poach some of my employees.”

“Looks like they all failed.”

“...So, I’m trying to keep my wits about me.” Your eyes land on his lips, and your breath catches in your throat. “And it looks like you’re trying to do the same.” Your eyes meet his, and you allow him to slowly cage you in against the counter. Then, in a low voice, he asks, “Do you still think I’m pretending?”

You could’ve kissed him. You wanted to, in fact. But, instead, you slightly lean forward, your hand underneath his chin. “And how do I know I’m not falling into one of your traps? Trying to seduce me… Helping me… Saying all of these sweet things.” You dare to lean closer. “What secrets are you after?”

“Whatever you’re willing to tell me.”

And then he kisses you.

His lips are softer than you imagined, needier than anything you’ve ever experienced. One of your hands finds his chest while the other snakes around him. Jing Yuan pulls you close with one hand in your hair and the other on the small of your back. Slow. Sensual. The way he takes your breath away and gives it back, teasing you with the sweet caresses of his tongue until you make it clear you’re ready for more.

Seconds pass. Minutes feel like hours. When your lips finally leave his, you have no sense of time or space. Your mind’s in a daze and your eyes can’t leave his. It’s then you realize that you’re sitting on the counter, and Jing Yuan is standing between your legs. It’s a blur how or when you got into this position, but you aren’t complaining.

“I never expected a kiss like that on a first date,” you say breathlessly.

“...Would you like more?”

“What about dessert?”

He unexpectedly claims your lips again. Then, with a small smile, he says, “I already had mine.” His voice goes slightly lower. “...Although I’m satisfied, I can always go for more.”

This time, it’s you who kisses him. But you pull back before he kisses you back. “...I still want my dessert, General.”

He helps you off the counter. “How can I say no?”

◆◆◆

Wearing a tank top and shorts, Dan Feng has a towel draped over his damp hair as he enters the living room. Dan Heng and Welt are watching a movie with a bowl of popcorn on the table.

“Where’s March?” Dan Feng asks.

“In her room,” Welt answers.

As the movie goes on, Dan Feng heads upstairs and gently knocks on March’s door. When there's no response, Dan Feng tries opening the door. It’s unlocked.

“March?”

He opens the door a little wider and sees March on the bed with her laptop. She has her earphones in and Dan Feng guesses she’s watching something by how intently she’s staring at her screen. As soon as she sees him, she pulls out her earphones and pushes her laptop screen downwards.

“Did you knock?”

“Yeah,” Dan Feng deadpans. “What are you doing up here? We’re watching a movie.”

“...I know. I said I didn’t want to join.”

“Why?”

March puts her laptop aside. “Why are you suddenly so curious?”

Dan Feng enters her room and sits in an empty chair. “Why are you suddenly so defensive?”

“Me? Defensive?”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re jealous that your man, Jing Yuan, is going on a real date.” March throws a pillow at him, but Dan Feng catches it with ease. “Did I hit the mark?”

“I wish I had that much time on my hands to be concerned about his love life,” she deadpans.

“Then, what’s wrong?” Dan Feng tosses the pillow on the bed. “It’s not like you to miss out on movie night wherever we are.”

“I’m… I’ve been thinking about things.”

“Really? Shocking.” March shoots him a look, and Dan Feng returns it with a smile. “What about?”

“Nothing that concerns you.”

Dan Feng scoots the chair a little closer. “Seriously, March. What’s up?”

March gives him another look but sighs in defeat. “My old manager contacted me a few days ago.”

“...What did he want?”

“...He asked if I had any interest in coming back to the entertainment scene.”

Dan Feng narrows his eyes. “Why would he suddenly contact you?”

“I asked him the same question,” March says quietly. “Apparently, they’re creating an idol group.”

“And he wants you to be a part of it?”

“He said I fit with the image.”

Dan Feng crosses one leg over the other. “Now, that’s suspicious. Surely, there are other girls to pick from.” When March stays silent, Dan Feng leans closer. “...You’re thinking of doing it?”

“...You mean to become an idol? Not… exactly. But, I’ve been thinking of going back.”

“I’m sure you have your reasons, but you’d be going back to the same industry that destroyed you.”

March sighs. “Let’s not talk about it.”

“Listen…” She turns to Dan Feng as he awkwardly scratches the back of his head. “You know we’d want you to be happy”—he looks at her—“with whatever decision you make. We’re on your side.”

March holds his gaze before chuckling. Then, she puts Dan Feng in a headlock and says, “Trying to act cool, are you?”

“What?” Dan Feng gently pushes her away. Then, with a small huff, he stands and turns away. “That is the last time I'm trying to make you feel better.”

She laughs and gets off the bed. “Hey.” The serious tone makes Dan Feng turn to look at her. “...I appreciate it.”

Dan Feng puts a hand inside his pocket. “C’mon. Let’s go before they eat all the popcorn.”

◆◆◆

You’re looking at the paintings and photos in Jing Yuan’s living room as the man went to change. Halfway through having dessert, you’d somehow flustered him and the cream ended up on his shirt and pants.

There are quite a few photos of him and Yanqing. In one of them, Yanqing is wearing a soccer jersey and Jing Yuan has his arm around him while they’re smiling at the camera. Another is one of him and Yanqing camping at a lake. There are also photos with Blade, Luocha, and the other friends you’ve met at Xianzhou. However, there are two people who you don’t recognize: a man and a woman who can pass as twins. 

They’re wearing similar clothing, and there’s a photo of them with Yanqing when he was very young. You’re about to look closer when a phone goes off. It’s not yours, and you quickly realize it’s Jing Yuan that’s on the living room table. You ignore it, but when it continues and doesn’t stop, you can’t help but be curious who it is that seems desperate to get a hold of him. Eventually, you walk over and glance at the name on the screen.

It’s a woman’s name.

Then, you hear footsteps, and you turn and see Jing Yuan in a white and brown sweater and black pants coming down the stairs. “Is someone calling?” he asks.

“Yeah… They seem pretty persistent.” Jing Yuan walks over and picks up his phone from the table. His expression visibly changes, so you ask, “Who is it?”

After a small sigh, he says, “It’s my ex-wife.”

Chapter 10

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @lxry-chxn @seirenspinel @immahuman @queencybow @grimreapersscythe @nqctre @winterpein @asakenajustexistshere

[merrybloomwrites]

You Can Start a Family (Extra: Pet Loss)

Summary: When one of your cats suddenly dies, Harry, Mitch, and Sarah are there to comfort you.

AN: I started writing this story back in January when one of my cats suddenly passed away. I wrote it to kind of process that loss. Decided it was finally time to share it. Kind of a heavy one, but I felt like it's been a while since I posted some good hurt/comfort.

Previous Chapters:

Main Story: One ; Two ; Three ; Four ; Five ; Six ; Seven ; Eight ; Nine ; Ten

Sickfic Part 1 ; Part 2

Mitchrry Prequel

Fan Reactions

Holiday Blues

Mitchryy Reunion

Getting High

First Earthquake

Mitch x Reader Cockwarming

Harry x Reader First Time

Word Count: 1.7K

CW: pet loss, grief

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You’ve been through your fair share of traumatic events, each leaving you with another loss, another hole in your life. Even though there were people around you each time, you felt so alone. Their support tapered off after a few days, or weeks. They said they were there for you, but life happens. You’re supposed to move on, and people have their own things to worry about. 

That’s how it always went.

Until you met Sarah, Mitch, and Harry. They never stopped supporting you. When the grief became too much, even years after the loss, or when your nightmares kept everyone awake, they never left. They held you. They sang to you. They knew when you wanted them around and when you just wanted to cuddle your cats. 

Your two little calicos, Tilly and Teddy, had been by your side for years. You rescued them shortly after you lost your mom and sister. They always knew when you needed some extra cuddles or laughs. 

They weren’t senior cats, but they weren’t kittens either, having already been a few years old when you rescued them at the local shelter. 

It’s a completely normal morning, you’re getting ready for work when you hear Tilly start to heave. You’re no stranger to the sound of cats puking, and Tilly will on occasion eat her breakfast too fast, causing it to come back up. You walk over, planning to comfort her, when suddenly she starts to shake. You may not be a vet, but you know a seizure when you see one. It only lasts a few seconds and you immediately stroke her fur, reassuring her. 

You call out for the others and they’re by your side in seconds. 

“What’s wrong?” Harry asks, sounding slightly panicked. 

“It’s Tilly, she just, I thought she was going to puke and just just started seizing. It’s too early in the morning, her vet’s not open, I don’t know where to take her,” you reply frantically. Tilly’s in your arms now, panting, something she never does. 

“Found a place that’s open,” Mitch says, showing Harry something on his phone. 

“Okay, let’s go,” he says and helps you stand up. 

You wrap Tilly in a blanket and turn to Sarah, saying, “Can you stay and watch Teddy please?”

“Of course, I’ve got her. I’ll call the vet and tell them you’re coming.” 

The three of you rush out to the car, Mitch behind the wheel and Harry with you and Tilly in the back. 

The drive is tense, everyone’s quiet. There’s just the sound of you reassuring the cat cuddled in your arms that everything will be okay. 

The next 30 minutes pass in a daze. The vet takes Tilly from you the second you walk in the door and the receptionist leads you and Harry to a private room. You wait a few minutes, hand clutching Harry’s tight, and then the door opens. The vet doesn’t have to say anything for you to know that it’s bad news. 

He begins to explain what he thinks happened, that Tilly likely had a heart condition. After she passed they had done an ultrasound and confirmed her heart was enlarged. He tells you that this condition is rarely found in time. That it almost always ends in tragedy like this. 

You listen closely, and while you’re absolutely devastated by the loss, it is some consolation that nothing you did caused this. 

Harry watches you closely as you calmly and decidedly discuss next steps, choosing the cremation option and signing all the paperwork. The doctor then asks if you want to say goodbye to Tilly and you say yes. 

“Do you want me to come with you, love?” Harry asks. 

You shake your head no, needing this to be a private moment with your baby, something you do alone. The vet leads you to an exam room where your cat lays, wrapped once again in her blanket. You spend a few minutes petting her, placing a few last kisses to her head, and saying goodbye. When you’re ready, you wipe away your tears and are led back to the lobby where Harry is waiting. 

You settle the bill with the kind receptionist and another staff member brings out the blanket. You thank everyone for helping and walk back out to the car, Harry following behind. 

You get in the passenger seat across from Mitch but don’t greet him, can’t bring yourself to form any words right now. He rests a firm hand on your leg, giving a reassuring squeeze, and you give him a small smile in return.

The drive home is quiet, no one knowing what to say and you hold onto the blanket like it’s a lifeline. When you get home Teddy comes running to you. 

Leaning down, you pick her up and carry her to your bedroom, closing the door behind you. Now home, sitting on your bed, you finally let yourself break down. Sobs rip through your body as you stroke Teddys fur in an attempt to soothe both of you. 

Mitch, Sarah, and Harry all stand in the living room, unsure of what to do but hopeful that you’ll turn to them when you’re ready. 

Half an hour passes and your sobs turn to sniffles. Finally, you make your way out of the bedroom and onto the couch between Harry and Sarah. 

She begins to rub your back and you lean into the touch. “We’re here for you, whatever you need,” she says, and you believe her. For the first time, there are people who are there solely to take care of you during a difficult time. 

This brings back the tears, and you begin to cry again, this time not only from sadness about Tilly, but about all you’ve had to suffer alone in the past. Suddenly you’re surrounded, the three of them all holding you in one big, clumsy group cuddle.

Time passes and you look up, eyes meeting Harry. 

“It wasn’t my fault, right?” You need to ask, the guilt still eating you away. 

“No, baby. It was not your fault. The doctor said there was nothing you could do. This is never caught until it’s too late. You didn’t do anything wrong.” His words are so strong, so sure, and help ease some of the guilt. It will take some time to fully believe that, but you know Harry will be there to remind you of the truth each time you need it. 

“I want to get Teddy tested,” you say. “See if she has the same condition.”

“Do you want me to call your vet? I can fill them in and get an appointment for Teddy,” Mitch says. 

“Yes please,” you reply, relieved to have something taken off your plate. In the past, everything fell on your shoulders. Every decision, every phone call, every bit of planning, it all fell on you. 

But now, not only did Mitch anticipate what needs to be done, but promptly gets up to take care of it so you don’t need to worry about it. 

He comes back a few minutes later saying, “Teddy has an appointment tomorrow afternoon. They’ll do a blood test to check if she has any signs of the condition.”

You thank him for his help before extracting yourself from the embrace you’re still wrapped in with Harry and Sarah. 

“I don’t know about you guys, but I could use some tea,” you say. 

“I’ve got it baby,” Harry replies and walks to the kitchen. He first brings in glasses of water, telling you to hydrate. Next is some fruit. Then the tea. And finally eggs and toast. The coffee table is filled with dishes, another sign of how the others take care of you, and while you don’t really have much of an appetite, you find you’re able to eat a sufficient breakfast. 

You spend the rest of the day at home. The others don’t crowd you, but one of them is always close by in case you need them. They don’t question when you randomly walk up to one of them and lean against them, silently asking for a cuddle. 

You pass Harry in the hallway and turn to him. He happily opens his arms and the two of you stand there, Harry holding you close to him, until the intense wave of sadness passes. 

Later, you find Mitch sitting on the couch writing in a notebook. You sit next to him, resting your head on his shoulder. You’re content to just be near him, watch him work on another new song. You’re especially soothed when he occasionally turns to press kisses to your head. 

When the exhaustion hits in the afternoon you find Sarah, asking if she’ll come lay with you. She’s more than happy to hold you in bed as you nap, Teddy curled into your other side. 

You go back to your normal routine the following day, but Harry, Mitch, and Sarah all notice that you’re a bit more clingy and tired than usual. They keep an eye on you, anticipating when you’re going to need them so you don’t even have to ask. 

Almost two weeks after her death, you get the call that Tilly’s ashes are ready. You go to the emergency vet that day after work, texting your group chat to let the other three know where you are. 

They’re all busy out of the house, but they drop everything to be home when you get there. You’re grateful for this. Picking up that little box makes it feel more real, more final. 

Walking into your home and seeing the others there to support you has the waterworks falling once more. They each take turns wiping your face and kissing the tear stains running down your cheeks. 

This isn’t the last time you’ll cry over this loss, become so overwhelmed by grief that the feelings are just too much. But no matter when it happens, someone is always there to help you. 

Loss and grief have been such a large part of your life, but now with Harry, Sarah, and Mitch by your side, you can move through the feelings, rather than drown in them.

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AN: Thanks for reading! I have a few more extras planned for this story!

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