#warmed my litte heart right up

[coline7373]

[souliebird]

[[and then I met you || Ch. 25]]

Series: Daredevil || Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader || Rating: Explicit

Summary:

A one-night stand years ago gave you a daughter and you are now able to put a name to her father – Matthew Murdock. Everything is about to change again as you navigate trying to integrate your life with that of the handsome and charming blind lawyer’s and Matt realizes he needs to not only protect his new family from Hell's Kitchen, but from the world.

chapter masterlist

Words: 4.4k

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It is a beautiful Sunday morning at the Bronx Zoo - the sun is shining, the weather is warm, and there is hardly a crowd to speak of. Tourist season is over, and the school year has just started, so all the locals who would be here with their kids are otherwise preoccupied. Navigating through the pathways has been a breeze and there has been no one to block your view of the animals.

Another perk from the lack of patrons is the opportunity for a unique interaction at one of the exhibits Minnie was the most excited to visit.

“You has…you have very pretty fur,” Mouse whispers to the massive lowland gorilla that is mere inches from her face. There is a thick glass barrier between them, but you can’t help but feel a little bit nervous, especially with how the great ape has her full attention on your daughter. Large soulful eyes are focused on your little one as she gives compliment after toddler compliment. 

“It's a lot of colors and it looks really really soft,” Minnie continues on, nose practically smooshed flat against the glass. “I bets you gotta brush it lots. Mommy brushes my hair, but I can do it myself. Like a Big Girl.”

The gorilla responds by chewing on some leaves that she has in her hands. It is what she has been doing since she came down from the trees to sit right in front of you five minutes ago. This, of course, doesn’t deter Minnie at all and she asks, “Does your Mommy brush your hair, too?” 

As she has her imaginary conversation, you steal a glance at Matt.

After you learned about his senses, you thought joining you at the zoo would be torture for him. Even though the exhibits are kept clean, you know they must smell awful and there are loud birds screeching everywhere. It is completely different from the city noises he must be used to, and you even packed ear plugs and ibuprofen for if it became too much, but to your surprise, he seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself. 

Minnie has taken on her role as his Guide, excitedly explaining what each animal is and what they look like, to the best of her abilities - making you oh so proud. You’ve noticed that as your daughter takes in the sights, Matt will tilt his head minutely - his tell that he is intently listening to something. Occasionally, he’s asked a question - usually pointing to an animal Minnie did not describe and asking what it is. You’ve found lots of hidden creatures that way.

You cannot imagine what inputs he must be receiving from the gorilla in front of him. You know humans and great apes are closely related, but how does that come across to Matt? The smell must be different, but is he able to distinguish between her heartbeat and the heartbeat of someone observing her? Do her lungs sound human? 

Can he tell if she’s sick or well taken care of? Is that something he can determine in an animal he has no history with? 

He must sense you looking at him because he tilts his head towards you and grins. Your heart squeezes in your chest and your stomach does a sort of funny flip. 

He is so handsome and charming, and you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. You weren’t prepared to get into a physical relationship with Matt, but you don’t want to roll back on it. 

You like how touchy he has been all morning. It hasn’t been anything obscene or inappropriate, but his hand has found its way around your waist more than once. On the subway, standing in line, or even just watching the animals, if you were next to him, he’d wrap you up and pull you a little closer. His hand would rub up and down your side and each time you’d feel like a little picture-perfect family on an outing.

You haven’t kissed in front of Minnie, but you have both been sneaking them in - when you woke up, when you were making breakfast, when Mouse was preoccupied getting ready. 

You feel giddy and like you belong in a teen romance movie. This is something you haven’t had in such a long time - or ever really - and you don’t want to ruin it by overthinking.

You made a deal with yourself that morning - you were going to enjoy your trip to the zoo with your family and you were not going to overanalyze sleeping with Matt. It will be a tomorrow problem.  

Right now, you are going to soak in all the goodness that is happening - including the pleasant ache in your core from getting thoroughly fucked.

You break yourself out of your own head and take a small step, so you are properly beside Matt. You reach up and wrap your arm around his bicep, leaning into him a little as you ask, “Who would win in a fight - you or the gorilla?” 

“Oh, the gorilla,” he whispers back. “She’s all muscle and teeth. One good whack would easily break bone and even I’ve heard the stories about angry primates. I’m not that reckless.”

You have to bite your lip to keep from smiling too much, then you lightly squeeze his arm and tease, “Exactly how reckless are you?”

You don’t realize the innuendo until the words leave your lips and then you can’t take it back. Matt’s grin only grows, and he ducks just slightly so he can nuzzle into your ear to purr, “would you like to find out?”

Your face heats up and you have to hide your face in his shoulder, so you don’t die from absolute embarrassment. He gently pulls his arm from your grasp so he can instead wrap it around you and hold you firm against him. He rocks you slightly and you conclude that yes, Matt is very much enjoying his time out at the zoo. 

In front of you, the gorilla stuffs the last of her leaves in her mouth, chewing slowly as Minnie babbles away about hair care. 

“..and if you braids it, it makes it super-duper wavy after,” she wisely tells her new friend, “You could be really poofy. Like a flower.” She pauses, then you watch her as she watches the great ape stand back up and start to walk away. You expect her to be sad, but instead, your sweet girl just calls out, “Okay, bye-bye, I love you!” before whirling around to beam up at you. 

“Can we go see the mices now?” she asks, all sunshine and rainbows. 

To your great amusement, Minnie is dead set on following the plan she made. She only wants to visit certain animals and she must see them in a certain sequence. She brought the map of the zoo you bought her all those months ago - the one she’s drawn all over and has practically memorized - and they are your marching orders. You and Matt are more than happy to follow her lead - especially because she does not want to see any of the birds, which saves you a lot of walking. 

“Let’s go to the Mouse House,” Matt agrees. 

You have to pull away from him to be able to walk and your little Mouse goes right for your hand so she can hold it. She has been extra good all day about holding your hand and staying by your side - loudly saying she’s a Big Girl and can follow all the rules. You’ve been very impressed with her determination and definitely plan to reward her for her behavior. 

Matt falls into line beside you as you begin to lead the way, lightly grabbing at your elbow. You feel a tad bad for taking up so much space on the path, but luckily there is no one around. 

“What did you think of the gorillas?” you ask as you make your way to the next exhibit. 

“They’re amazing!” Mouse says with the biggest little grin, “She was really big and pretty and soft and went…she went,” she proceeds to make soft little grunts like you imagine a monkey would make, but you didn’t hear the gorilla make any noises beyond chewing.

“She really liked you, huh?” Matt teases with a little hum, his own smile as large as his daughter’s. 

“She did!” Minnie absolutely preens, “She’s my favorite!” 

Every animal has been her favorite, but you do think, for the moment, the gorilla does take the cake. 

“You’re favorite, huh?” You muse, “I don’t know, I think the tiger was really cool.” The cat had been much larger and vibrantly colored than you expected, and you had been a little bit starstruck by the apex predator. You might just see if there are any tiger shirts in the gift shop.

“He was sleepy!” Minnie proclaims, and it is true - the tiger was enjoying a midmorning snooze.

“What about you, Matt, who has been your favorite?” 

He makes a show of tilting his head back and forth as he thinks, “My favorite? I liked the elephants - I didn’t expect them to be that large and using their noses like that is…unique.” 

“It’s called their trunk!” Mouse eagerly tells her father, repeating what the zookeeper told you. “They can use it…to… to …to… grab things and drink water!” To emphasize her point, she raises her free arm up to her face and mimics an elephant’s trunk waving around. 

“That is impressive,” he says, “can you do that with your nose?” 

Minnie halts, then screws up her face to try to wiggle her nose. She purses her lips and pushes them around, but she does not succeed in independently moving her cute little nose. She does not give up right away, proceeding with multiple attempts before declaring rather cheerily, “Nope!”

You both laugh at your daughter’s antics as you start walking again. As you get closer to your destination, your little one gets more and more excited - she takes bigger steps, and you can tell she wants to run towards the building. 

At first, she thought one giant mouse lived in the Mouse House, but you explained it held lots of little houses for different types of rodents. Now, you think, she is determined to make sure all her tiny brethren are happy in their homes. She takes her role as Mouse Princess very seriously, after all. 

Like the Congo Forest, the Mouse House has a scarce population of humans. You let go of your daughter’s hand once in the darkness of the building so she can run up to view the first set of new friends. Once she is thoroughly distracted and talking to the little creatures, Matt moves. 

He lets go of your arm to slip behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. You rub at his forearm as you pull your phone out - you don’t want to miss any cute moments of Minnie with her subjects. As you bring up the camera app, Matt nuzzles at your neck, placing a sweet kiss there. 

“Good day, so far?” He asks against you, and you can’t help but smile and duck your head a little. You aren’t used to affection, let alone public affection, and his attention makes you a bit dizzy. 

“So far, so good,” you whisper in response. To distract yourself from how solid Matt is against your back and how he’s practically wrapped around you, you start tapping at your phone to get it to focus in the low light. “Are you having a good time?”

He hums into your skin, then gives another kiss, “the best time. Doesn’t smell nearly as bad as I thought it would and the animals seem well taken care of.” 

“It’s AZA accredited,” you instantly chime, and he huffs against you. You did so much research about the zoo beforehand, so that you could answer any questions Minnie had. So far, she’s had zero. 

“I don’t know what that means.”

You angle your phone to get a picture of Minnie and the enclosure she’s looking into, and whisper back, “It’s like the board that makes sure the zoos are humane and everything is done properly.” 

He hums again, then buries his nose into the crook of your neck. You try to not shiver, but you do end up pressing back into his hold as you watch your daughter. You fall into a pleasant silence, swaying slightly in Matt’s arms, as Minnie moves between the different displays. She has no apparent interest in learning the types of animals she’s looking at - she goes right into talking to them. When she gets a little too far away, you gently guide Matt down the hallway, all while he stays wrapped around you. 

“I like your feetsies,” Mouse tells an elephant shrew, and you turn on your camera to record her interrogate the little creature. “How many toes do you have? I can…I see…I see three toes. Do you have three toes? I gots five. But they go in shoes. You don’t haves shoes. Where are your shoes?”

You and Matt follow Minnie all through the Mouse House for almost thirty minutes. You let her take her time - you are in no rush to go back out into the heat, and you want her to not only enjoy herself, but tire herself out. She’ll get a burst of energy after lunch, but by the time you leave for the day, you hope to be a zonked-out toddler. 

At the last of the exhibits, Matt gently nips at your throat before mumbling against it, “I have a surprise after this.”

You have no idea what he could possibly have up his sleeve, but whatever it is, it is making him start to grin and get a bit of cockiness to his voice. So, to tease him right back, you play dumb.

“After this?”

“After the Mouse House,” he confirms, squeezing you and rocking you in place. You start to smile at his teasing and let yourself enjoy it. 

You hum, then begin to trace your fingers over one of the hands on your hips as you question, “A surprise? After the Mouse House?”

“A surprise after the Mouse House.”

That, of course, gets Mouse’s attention. She whirls around, eyes going wide with toddler excitement as she asks, “A surprise?”

“After the Mouse House,” Matt repeats, a mix of pride and smugness in his words. You can tell he is enjoying this interaction and that funny feeling in your heart and stomach return. 

“Is it a pony?!”

You pull away from Matt just as he starts to laugh, and as you do Minnie hurries over to take your place. He scoops her up into her arms, and with all the fondness in the world, tells her, “No, it’s not a pony.”

She dramatically flops over his shoulders with a big pout, then, like it was all a joke, hurriedly moves to hug him around his neck and with pure toddler innocence tell him, “You’re better than a pony!” 

Always ready for their sweet moments, you snap multiple pictures as Matt hugs his daughter back tightly and you just barely hear him whisper back, “I think you’re better than a pony, too.”

As always, it takes him a few moments to release Minnie and set her back down. She instantly latches onto his hand and begins to shake it vigorously, “I wanna know the surprise!” 

Matt is quick to concede to her demands, “Okay, okay, sweetheart. Let’s go to the surprise.” 

You put your phone back into your purse so you can slip over to the pair and offer your arm to Matt. He takes it just above your elbow, and you start towards the exit of the Mouse House, Minnie skipping along on the other side of Matt.

You’ve not walked with Matt before where he is the one to lead you, but you are sure to be in step with him, so no one takes a second look. His cane is folded up and tucked into your purse, so you don’t think anyone would guess he is blind just by looking at him, but your anxiety tells you someone is always watching and one little slip up will have people questioning you. 

Once out in the sunshine, Matt directs you back towards the gorillas again. You are confused about what could possibly be back that way that you don’t already know about, but you trust him.

“For your surprise,” he says to Minnie as you walk, “you have to be quiet, okay? We can't be loud and attract other people because this surprise is a secret.”

That has you even more curious about what could possibly be going on, but you focus on your daughter’s reaction to the request. You know she knows what a secret is, but you don’t remember if you’ve ever asked her to keep a secret before.

Mouse’s free hand goes into her mouth as she thinks over Matt’s request, and you try to not gag. Her fingers must be covered in all sorts of germs, and you should have been more on top of sanitizing them. A nice lesson in hindsight.

Moments later, she drops her hand, and she looks up to Matt and squints suspiciously, “can Mommy know the secret?”

Pride streaks through you at her question and you might get a little bit teary eyed. She never fails to amaze you with how her mind works and what information she takes in. The fact she’s aware she shouldn’t keep secrets from you is probably the highlight of your week - Matt eating you out included.

“Of course, Mommy can know the secret,” Matt tells her instantly, “We should not keep any secrets from Mommy. It’s important she knows everything so she can keep us safe and happy.” 

As he says that, he squeezes your arm a little and you know he is talking about himself as well. You remember all the times he’s told you he doesn’t want to keep anything from you, and you know he’s telling the truth. He’s been very open with you about everything, even if it has taken some time for everything to rise to the surface. You don’t blame him for that at all - the things he keeps close to the chest are pretty important and you more than understand him not telling you on day one.

But he did tell you, and he has been honest about not being ready to divulge everything just yet, and that is what matters. 

“Mommy keeps us safe and happy,” Minnie mimics and you have a feeling that is going to be added to her repeated phrases.

“Mommy keeps us safe and happy,” Matt repeats, then adds, “Can we be quiet, though, so other people don’t know?” 

Mouse nods and you have a feeling that whatever Matt has planned is going to get her extremely worked up. 

You end up in a very secluded inlet, away from the main path, surrounded by trees, and part of you wonders if you are meant to be able to come to this spot. There is no one else around and you don’t know what sort of surprise Matt could possibly have that requires you to come here.

Your questions are answered only seconds later, when a friendly voice comes from above you.

“Hi, there!”

You jerk your head up, and hanging there upside down from a tree, is Spider-Man. 

Your daughter loses her fucking mind. 

It’s like it is in slow motion - Minnie gasps with her whole body before dropping Matt’s hand. She turns to latch onto his pants, instead, and begins to pull on them over and over with enough force you think she’ll rip them. You don’t know if she remembers that she’s supposed to be quiet or if she’s so excited she can no longer vocalize, but she starts to whisper-scream.

“Daddy, Daddy! It’s Spidey-Man! It’s Spidey-Man!!!”

You try to not go slack-jaw in your own amazement as the vigilante lets go of his web and drops to the ground right in front of your daughter, doing a backflip in the process. 

“That’s me!” Spider-Man declares, and he sounds way younger than you thought he would. “I heard it was your birthday, so I had to come and say ‘Hi’!” 

You rip your eyes away from the hero to stare at Matt and he looks like he is trying to not look smug as hell. You have no idea how he pulled this off - this is the real Spider-Man. The fake ones can’t hang from webs and sneak into zoos. 

Does he work with Spider-Man when he’s out as Daredevil? And did he actually request for the man to come say Happy Birthday to Minnie? Does that mean he knows who Spider-Man is behind the mask? And vice versa?

“It’s my birthday!” Minnie chokes out and she sounds like she is about to start crying. You know she loves the hero, but you did not think he would get such an intense reaction. You turn your gaze back to her, your own excitement growing in your belly.

“Happy Birthday, Minnie!” Spider-Man tells her in the cheeriest voice, before crouching down and throwing open his arms, “Do you want a hug?” 

He barely finishes getting the words out before Mouse is letting go of Matt to launch herself at him. He wraps her up in a hug and she just clings on. You want so badly to take a picture, but you respect that this is a secret meeting just for your baby. 

You’ll just have to commit every moment to memory.

Matt has let go of your arm, so you turn so you can grab onto his bicep again. You lean against him and let yourself grin like an idiot as you watch your daughter with her hero.

“Your Dad told me that you’re really smart and like to learn new things,” Spider-Man says to the top of Mouse’s head. You wonder exactly how much information about your family was exchanged, but that’s something you can review later. 

Minnie just barely nods against the man’s chest, and you can hear her start to talk, muffled against his suit, “I knows my ABCs and how to count ands I can do one plus one.” 

“You can do one plus one?!” 

“Elmo taughts me,” she explains in the sweetest and watery voice, “Its two.”

“That’s amazing,” Spider-Man tells her, “Keep watching Sesame Street, it has a lot of good lessons. Do you like Beaker and Dr. Honeydew from the Muppets? They were my favorites when I was little like you.” 

Minnie squirms against Spider-Man and you expect her to pull away, but apparently, she is just getting more comfortable, because she nuzzles back into him and goes, “Meep, Meep.” 

You laugh into Matt’s shoulder, overwhelmed with how sweet she is. Matt gently pulls his arm from you so he can yet again hold you close. You hand moves from his bicep to his chest, and you curl your fingers into his shirt, over his heart. You can’t tear your eyes away from your daughter to look at his expression, but you have a feeling it is a lot like yours.

“That’s right, ‘meep, meep, meep, MEEP,’” the vigilante does a good Beaker impression, causing a round of giggles. “Well, because you are so smart and your Dad is a pretty cool guy, I got you something I think Dr. Honeydew and Beaker would approve of.” 

Your eyes go wide at the statement, and you cannot believe what you heard - Spider-Man, the famous New York vigilante, got your daughter a birthday gift?

Apparently, Minnie can’t believe it either, as she pulls back just a little so she can look up at him, and asks in the tiniest voice, “A presents?”

“A present!” He explains, then, so fast you barely see him do it, he flicks out a hand and shoots a string of web up into the trees where he has been waiting. Then he pulls and a box comes flying back at him. He expertly catches it, and you can see it is wrapped in blue wrapping paper that has white sparkly snowflakes all over it - clearly Christmas themed. You don’t think Minnie cares at all, because when it is held out to her, her little brown eyes just get so big.

“For you! Happy Birthday!” 

Mouse looks back at you for permission and you quickly nod. She delicately takes the gift and once it is fully in her grasp, tears into it. As soon as it is free of its prison, she holds it up in triumph, “A mibo-scope!”

It is indeed a miniature microscope - at least that is the main picture on the box. You think it is one of those ‘Baby’s first science kit’ type things and you just know you are going to spend so much time over the next week hunched over it with Minnie. 

“What do you say, sweetheart?” Matt gently prompts and she instantly throws herself back into Spider-Man’s chest. She drops the box in the process, but the vigilante has lightning-fast reflexes and catches it before it hits the ground. He sets it aside before properly hugging your daughter again.

“Thank you, Spidey-Man! You’re…you’re the bestest! Bestest-bestest! I loves you!” 

“Aw, thank you! I love you, too!” 

There is a gentle pressure to the top of your head, and you realize Matt has turned his so he can press his lips there. You shuffle even closer to him, tightening your grip on his shirt. 

As you watch your daughter hug her favorite super-hero, you realize you have never been this happy before in your life. Everything in this moment is perfect. You would not change anything at all, and you do not think you would change anything that lead up to this moment of time. You wish and pray you could trap the day in a bottle and hold it in your heart forever. 

You and your precious Winifred Love are blessed that not only is Matthew Murdock a good man, but he is also a good father. 

---

a/n:

And that concludes Season 1 of 'and then I met you'!

Next, we are onto Season 2 and diving into the Sokovia Accords and how it will affect our perfect little family.

Special thanks to @ebathory997 for their help with information about the Bronx Zoo and special shout out to @bellaxgiornata @mattmurdocksscars @she-likesorchids and @loveroftoomanyfandoms for all of their amazing support <3 You guys are amazing and I could not have written any of this without y'all.

--

tags:

@midnightreids @cloudroomblog @yeonalie @thychuvaluswife 

@petrovafire39 @ghostindeath @roxytheimmortal 

 @allllium @waywardcrow @thatkindofgurl

@anehkael @akilatwt @lostinthefantasies @reluctanthalfwayoptimism @ethereal-blaze

 @nennia-2000 @seasonofthenerd @abucketofweird  @mattmurdockstateofmind @imagineswritersblog @hazelhavoc @smile-child-13 @allst4rsfall @hashcakes @kezibear @mapleaye @sammanna @gamingfeline @moon-glades @nightwitherspring @phoenix666stuff @dare-devil

@ladyoflynx @hobiebrowns-wife @sarcasm-n-insomnia @lillycore

@dorothleah @mattmurdocksstarlight @mars-on-vinyl @mywellspringoflife @sleepdeprived-barelyalive @simmilarly @soupyspence @darkened-writer @akila-twt

@murc0ckmurc0ck @groovycass @sumo-b98 @just3rowsing @tongueofcat @zoom1374

@theclassicvinyldragon @aoi-targaryen @lunaticgurly @nikitawolfxo @shireentapestry @snakevyro @yondiii @echos-muses @honeybug-victoria @the-bisaster @ristare 

@mrs-bellingham @eugene-emt-roe @cometenthusiast @stevenknightmarc @yes-im-your-mom @hunnybelha @actorinfluence @capbrie @prowlingforfood @jupitervenusearthmars

@

Specialagentjackbauer @yarrystyleeza @ofmusesandsecrets 

@mayp11-blog @danzer8705 @thinking-at-dusk @remuslupinwifee @akila-twt  @nommingonfood @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @dil3mma @allllium 

@

two-unbeatable-beaters @kiwwia-wiwwia @1988-fiend @xblueriddlex @loves0phelia @ninacotte @lovelyygirl8 @littlenosoul @ednaaa-04  @ astridstark13

 @lovingkryptonitehideout @moongirlgodness @soocore @bluestuesday

@starry-night-20 @rebeccapineapple @writtenbyred @cherrypie5 @capswife @silvercharacterchaos @resting-confused-face

[firelilyfox]

Crush

Dune : Paul Atreides x female reader

Warnings: None / just fluff

You have a crush on Paul & he might have the same feeling about you

This is my first fanfic on this platform & my first about Dune. Please forgive me for mistakes (English is not my first language)

comments/reblogs are appreciated :]

If you have any ideas what scenarios I could do next then let me know because this is fun!

——————————————————-

The sun was setting as you finally arrived. It was a long and hard day and you are longing for some comfort, but everyone of your friends was busy with drinking and making fun of the believers like Stilgar. Even your best friend Chani was nowhere to be found.

Only he was there. Paul Arteides.

The One. The Voice… or some bullshit like that. You weren’t one of the believers. In your eyes Paul is just a normal human being with a talent for big speeches.

You never really talked to him more than three words because the thought alone made you nervous. Since he joined the Fremen two months ago you had a little … crush on him. And obviously you weren’t really good at smalltalk. Especially when all of your people have eagle eyes on the boy you wanted to talk to.

But tonight he was alone. Nobody paid any attention to him as Paul was sitting in a shadowy corner by a small fireplace, sipping a drink. For a second you wanted to turn away and just going to bed like every other night, but something tells you to do the opposite.

„Can I join you?“ You asked bravely.

Paul looked up with a little smile on his face. „Please do. I’ve been waiting.“

You hesitate for a moment, frowning but you sit down right next to him. „What where you waiting for?“

He chuckled softly. „For someone like you to talk to me.“

„Someone like me?“ You asked confused and watching his smile getting even brighter. Paul has that kind of smile, that makes you want to smile too instantly. All you can hope for is that the flickering light of the fire conceal you’re blushing.

„Yeah. Someone who truly dislikes me.“

You smirked. „What makes you think that I dislike you? Oh, mighty Duke of Arrakis?“

A warm laughter escaped his lips and for the first time ever you really saw his face light up in enjoyment. „Oh please don’t say that. It sounds awful! I only said it because I was in the heat of the moment.“

„I liked it.“

His laughing froze for a moment and he looked surprised. „You liked it? Are you having a stroke or something?“

„No!“ You laughed. „I really liked it. Sure it was a litte … dramatic but in the end you have a talent to bring people together and give them hope. That’s pretty impressing.“

He shrugged his shoulders. „Nah, I’m just good at telling people what they want to hear I guess.“ He hesitated. „Chani told me that you weren’t one of the believers and that you think this whole Lisan al Gaib thing is just bullshit.“ Paul is offering you his cup and you accept to take a sip. Immediately the taste of wine fills your senses. While you process his words you lick some of the wine from your lips and catching him starring at them.

Did you just imagine how his gaze darkened for a second or did that really had an impact on him?

You clear your throat because all of the sudden your mouth got dry again. „You talked to Chani about me?“

A crooked smile shows on his lips. „Yeah I did. I was … I wanted to…“

„I thought you were good with words?“ You say to mock him with success.

„I am good with words! But you have the talent to make me forget what I wanted to say and how.“ His eyes are locked with yours and you are able to feel how your heart skips a beat.

You wanted to say something but your mind were blank. Paul moves closer to you, slowly to make sure that you were able to stop him at any time.

„I like how you unsettle me“, he whispered. You could feel his breath against your lips. „Every time I see you I find new strength. But I never found the courage to talk to you.“

„But you … you always seemed so … full of courage“, your voice was not more than a scratching.

„I’m good at pretending“, Paul swallows hard and his eyes darted to your lips again. „Sometimes.“

„Sometimes?“ You asked.

„I can’t pretend that I don’t want to kiss you right now.“

You wanted to say something, but before you were able to even catch a breath his lips laid on yours. Soft like the morning wind in the desert. His hand holding your cheek and pulling you closer as you gave in to the kiss. Your fingers find their way up his chest and into his curled hair.

A little moan escaped your throat as he intensifies the kiss and as an answer to your reaction, you could feel him smiling against your lips.

„I think Muad’Dib is enjoying his time with the Fremen!“ You two were interrupted by some drunk Fremen men cheering and applauding from afar.

Paul and you are giggling like kids. Both with red cheeks and swollen lips. „Your people like a good show, mh?“

„Only if the mighty Duke of Arrakis is involved.“

[kinda-super-hot]

I Want More. (2)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Pairing: Harvey Specter x F!Lawyer!Reader - friends to enemies to lovers <3

Part 2 Summary: Well, (Y/n)'s first day doesn't go as she had planned. She learns that she is office neighbors with Harvey Douchebag Specter. Luckily, she makes quite a few gal pals + Louis. Harvey brings her what might be a peace offering, and she learns they will be working closer together than she thought.

Warnings: overthinking - I think that's it but if you noticed something I missed, please let me know.

Word Count: 4038

I wake up from my first night in my new apartment to the sound of busy traffic and honking horns outside. “Blegh...” I mutter and force myself out of bed. Today’s the day- My first day on the job! “Ok, time to get hype.”

I hop to the bathroom and poke at my eyebags for a moment before doing light, office appropriate makeup. I’d picked my outfit out the night before and I had to squeal just at the sight of it laying on the bed. A hot pink dress shirt that I planned to leave more than a few buttons undone towards the top- just enough to not get written up! And a black pencil skirt for the shirt to get tucked into with some pointy, black pumps.

The way I see it, this is my first impression, and I need them to know not only do I mean business but I’m bold.

I take my time curling my hair and even make myself an egg to really soak up my morning. And finally, just as my toast pops up, I snatch it and walk out the door with my thin suitcase.

It’s a short walk towards the firm and I can’t keep the smile off my face. I beam at people walking in the opposite direction and occasionally get a smile back! Nothing could ruin this perfect morning. My optimism was not prepared for me to glance towards the building and catch sight of a familiar face, however.

 Time slowed, but my heart sure didn’t. Across the street and right in front of my new place of work was Harvey Douchebag Specter getting out of a limousine. I stopped in my tracks and let out an audible gasp.

I watch him walk until he disappears into Pearson Hardman. What. The. Fuck.

Ok, ok, don’t panic. He’s probably from another firm and just has a meeting with another lawyer. All I have to do is keep my head held high. Obviously, also actively avoid him if I see him, but otherwise, pretend I never saw him.

I take a deep breath and keep walking. My heart is RACING, but I won’t let him ruin this for me.

I walk through the glass doors and don’t see him. Good, he must have gone up already. I waste no time introducing myself to the lobby ladies, taking my employee picture, and getting my newly printed employee ID.

Ok, everything is going fine. We’re alright. I scan my keycard and make my way to the elevator. “(Y/N) (L/N)!” Shit.

I turn around, but thankfully, it’s a new face. “I thought that was you.” A beautiful, confident black woman glides over to me. She reaches her hand out, and I shake it with a smile, despite not knowing this lady. “Jessica Pearson.”

“Oh!” A real smile takes over my face and I shake her hand more enthusiastically. “It is so good to finally meet you. I must say, my first impression of the firm: very impressive.” I’m saying the absolute truth, but I also want to smooth talk her. “I’m thrilled to be working here, Ms. Pearson.”

She releases my hand and smiles at me, but her eyes say something different. I can tell that she’s a great lawyer just by this first encounter. Her face is warm and inviting but her piercing gaze says mischief in big, bold letters. “I’m glad to hear it. I have a very busy morning ahead of me, so one of our Junior Associates will be giving you the tour.” She looks over my shoulder and I turn to see a mousey, stout looking man. “This is Louis Litt. You will be working closely together on the same floor with both myself and one of our Senior Partners.”

I smile at Louis and reach my hand out, he beams at me, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Litt. I can’t wait to be working with you.” Once again, I try to flatter the person in front of me.

His smile grows wider, and he looks to Jessica behind me before his eyes dart back to mine. “The pleasure’s all mine.” He hesitates to release my hand, and I inwardly laugh at his awkwardness. “We can start the tour right away.”

We all get into the elevator and instead of getting off at each floor and showing me around, Louis pulls out some papers from his pocket. “This is a list telling you exactly what you need to know about each and every floor. What they work on, who manages it, and the phone number for the head receptionist if you ever have any questions.” I take the stack of papers from his hands, and find they are heavier than they look.

“Oof, thank you.” I have to re-straighten my knees from the new weight just placed on them. Jessica raises her brow in Louis’s direction. I flip through some of the pages. Everything he said was on here plus more. Something tells me he wants to show me the type of guy he is by giving me this surplus of paper.

“You’re welcome. Though, you won’t really need to travel to other floors,” He comments, “that’s what the lacky associates are for.” He nudges me with his elbow and lets out a laugh. I do as well, more to keep the cramped space from being uncomfortable than actually finding it funny. Jessica rolls her eyes, and I am obsessed with her refusal to put on an act for him. “No,” he clears his throat, “most of your work will be done…here.”

The elevator doors open, and I’m met with familiar sounds of clicking away at computer keys and phones ringing. I smile and step out onto the floor instantly. It’s everything my old firm was, but better. More advanced, more colleagues, more in general. I let out a pumped-up, “Yes!” and punch the air as discreetly as I can.

Jessica takes over swiftly by saying, “There’s more.” We follow her down a long hallway and pass an office with Louis’s name on it as well as one with Jessica’s name until I see one with my name. There’s a corner office directly to the left of it but I don’t bother looking at the name, I found what I was looking for.

“Oh, wow.” I breathe out to the furnished office that still felt empty. “I can’t wait to put my own flare in here. I can see it now,” I throw my hands out from my sides and walk through the office, I think out loud, “A vintage end table would be so cute here, maybe a fancy vase on top with some fresh carnations...” I ponder.

Jessica hums from the doorway and I turn to see a new person has joined my entourage. “Sounds cute, I can tell we’re gonna be friends.” The new woman is much more relaxed than Jessica and Louis. She has voluptuous, orange hair and a charming smile. “I’m Donna. I work for your grumpy colleague on the other side of this wall.” She knocks on the conjoining wall.

“Nice to meet you, Donna! I’m (Y/N) (L/N).” I look over her outfit. “And by the look of those shoes, we’re going to be the best of friends.” I give her shoes a pointed look and we laugh together.

“Oh, we needed a girly like you in the office.” She squeezes my shoulder. “You let me know if you need anything, and I will get it done. I’ll be your temporary secretary up until you get too many clients and we have to hire someone new. Though, I’m sure it won’t be long with a personality like yours.” She flips her hair and walks out.

“I love her.” I breathe out and turn to Jessica. She smiles before her eyes glance just above my head.

“What great timing!” I turn around, ready to greet whoever else I’ll be working with. “(Y/N), this is our Senior Partner, Harvey Specter.” My smile drops as I look at his face. He’s changed. There are lines on his forehead that weren’t there before. He wasn’t scrawny anymore, either, he’d beefed up. His shoulder width was probably double the size of mine. But when my eyes met his, I knew it was most definitely the same Harvey. “Harvey, this is our new Junior Partner, Ms. (L/N).” We both freeze in shock, looking each other over, analyzing what might have changed.

Tension. Unbelievable tension fills the hall, and I’m sure everyone has stopped what they’re doing to watch our interaction. Harvey’s face, that is usually so great at hiding how he feels, is failing him. His mouth is slightly agape, and his brows are raised the smallest bit. His big, brown eyes widen the more he looks at me. Stunned is the only way to describe him, and that doesn’t even begin to cover it. Though, I’m sure I don’t look much better.

The silence becomes awkward. I clear my throat, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Specter.” I reach my hand out sharply and remove my gaze from him, preferring the wall. What am I doing?!  “I’m sure we’ll work great together.” My tone is curt, and I have the best smile I can muster on my face. I look him in the eyes once more, silently urging him to shake my hand.

He recovers and clears his throat as well before shaking my hand. “I can’t agree more.” Oh god. I roll my eyes and remove my hand from his grasp. “If you’ll excuse me.” His face is back to being unreadable as he turns and walks into the office right next to mine.

No- I read the name on the glass: Harvey Specter. I clench my jaw; I have to get through this. I turn my head back to Jessica. “Well, what’s next?”

_

I received the grand tour of the floor and was then told by Louis to make myself comfortable. The company’s top paralegal would come to speak with me as soon as she was available. I gave him a tight smile before sitting in my office very distressed. “Fuck.”

I want to close my blinds so I can peacefully bang my head into the wall without anyone seeing, but I don’t want to seem closed off. I wonder if I should sit here any longer and wallow in self-pity. “Fuck it.”

I get up from my very comfortable, very expensive chair and leave my office. I can’t help looking over my shoulder as I walk away from it to see if he is still in his office, but all I see is an empty chair. Ok, that means I need to be aware. He’s probably prowling around here somewhere…

“Are… you alright?” I stop surveying my surroundings when a younger man with blonde hair and a skinny necktie talks to me from his cubicle. “You’re, like, scowling at the entire bullpen.”

“Oh, I-I’m sorry.” I fix my face before walking to the man’s cubicle. “I swear I’m not an a-hole, I’m just…” I stop myself as I continue surveying. I need a confidante. I stare right into his soul and bend down so we’re on the same level. “Can I tell you something you will never ever tell anyone else in your entire life?”

He retreats back in his seat a little flabbergasted. “You know, confessing to murder in a law firm probably isn’t the best idea.” I smile at his joke, cool kid.

“Oh, it’s much, much worse.” I stand straight again and lean onto my right leg with my hip jutted out. I smirk as he raises a brow, “So, there’s this guy-”

“You just got here and you’re already talking about guys you’re into?” A tall, tan brunette asks me with sass. Her eyebrows are raised, and her smirk tells me she’s my type of people. “I’m Rachel, top paralegal.” She reaches her hand out.

I shake it, “I’m (Y/N) (L/N), the new Junior Partner.” I smile at her before turning back to the associate I was talking to. “Gosh, sorry! I never asked your name?”

“You were going to confess murder to me, and you didn’t even know my name?” His brows furrow and I roll my eyes jokingly.

“I needed a confidante!” I joke though it’s not really a joke. “Trust me, I’ve had a really odd first day.” I turn to Rachel, “Though, I think I’ve found your replacement.” I return my gaze to the kid. “Sorry it didn’t work out; I’ve just met my match.” I shrug and nod towards my office, Rachel follows behind me as I walk in.

She giggles behind me. “His name is Mike by the way.” I sit in my new, cool chair and let out an exasperated sigh. I motion her to sit across from me. “I’m not a counselor, by the way, but I totally support a girl who needs a quick rant sesh.” She jokingly grabs a writing pad from atop my desk and clicks a pen that was formerly behind her ear. “And, trust me, you are way better off with me than Mike.”

I smile at her thankfully. She says nothing but nods her head, waiting for me to start talking. I groan dramatically and slouch in my chair. “Rachel- you wouldn’t believe what I’ve had to go through today!” She’s already writing on her pad. “My ex who I haven’t seen since law school is my office neighbor-”

Her pen drops from her hand, and she looks deep into my eyes as if making sure what I’m about to say is nothing but the absolute truth. “Harvey?” I nod and hide behind my hands. “Oh. My. God.” She breathes out in shock.

“Well, technically, we were never boyfriend-girlfriend,” she gives me a questioning look, “but we did kiss and go on dates.”

“So, boyfriend girlfriend?” She questioned and I could tell she got it.

“Exactly! But someone doesn’t like labels or commitment or head apparently.” I huff and sink deeper into my chair. When we were together, Harvey and I had the occasional heated make out, but had only just started having sex before we broke it off.

I look back to Rachel and her mouth is still wide open. “W-Well…” Her eyes are everywhere but me. She fidgets with her fingers in her lap, and I feel like I’ve traumatized the poor girl.

“Rachel, I know you’re not a counselor, but I expected more than this.” I can’t help but laugh as she gawks. “Don’t tell me I need to go back to Mike!” I joke and put my hands on my desk to lift myself out of my seat.

“No!” She yells and throws her hands out in front of her, urging me to be seated once again. I freeze before plopping back in my seat. “Mike is Harvey’s personal associate, he’s like his right-hand man.”

My lips create an O. If I told Mike, there’s a good chance he would have told Harvey. “Well, it’s a good thing you saved me when you did.” I smile at her and let out a sad sigh. “I’m really glad you’re here. You and Donna are gonna be my girls, I can tell.”

“Oh, Donna is the best.” She stops and winces before she continues, “She is also Harvey’s right-hand woman.” I let out an exasperated groan. “But! She’s all girl code! You can absolutely trust her so long as you’re not conspiring against Harvey… probably even then too.” I stand from my desk and move to her seat while giving her arm an appreciative squeeze.

“Thank you, Rachel. I’m super happy I get to work with you.” I pull her into a hug that she’s not prepared for which is evident when she lets out a squeak. She pats my arm awkwardly.

_

I get through the rest of the day, just getting adjusted to the system the company uses and setting up passwords for mandatory accounts. Only when it’s pitch back outside am I interrupted.

I sense someone at my office door, someone I’ve been expecting. “Ms. Pearson.” I smile but don’t look up from my computer. I’m not surprised by her dropping in.

“Ms. (L/N).” She greets back. I wait for her to continue but there is silence. My quick fingers slow their typing, and I look up at her, but she’s already looking at me expectantly. “Spill.”

I’m about to act like I have no idea what she’s talking about, but it’s like she reads my mind. She raises her hand to stop the lies I’m about to spew and squints her eyes. Scary. “I know him.”

“Well that much is obvious.” She glides to my desk before perching on the edge and crossing her arms. “But why were your reactions to each other so… hostile?” Her expression evolves from confusion to intrigue.

“I don’t know if I’d call it hostile…” Her expression doesn’t waver, and I cave. I can’t help but spill every secret I have when she looks at me like that. “…but I swear, when I applied for this job, I had no idea he worked here.” I finished my story out of breath and worried about what she would think of me and my character.

“Hm.” She thinks for a minute before standing. “Hm.” Again, she hums in thought before briskly walking out of the room. My mind is racing but there’s also not a rational thought.

_

I walk into the firm the next day wearing another pink top, this one more pastel. I refuse to cower down, especially to Harvey.

“Good morning!” I say to just about every associate in the bullpen. When I finally reach Mike, my smile grows tenfold. “’ Morning, you.”

He pulls out one of his earbuds. “Still don’t know my name?” He asks playfully but doesn’t look up from his computer.

“Mike,” I speak. He nods but still won’t look at me. If this is Harvey’s right-hand man, I need to be on good terms with him, and maybe get some info, too. “So, you work for Mr. Specter?” I try to be nonchalant while getting information. He stops clicking at his computer and gives me a weird look. “What?”

“Mr. Specter?” He pulls his only earbud from his ear and leans back in his chair. “That’s awfully formal.” I don’t like this. He gives me a quizzical look before he comes to some sort of realization. “That’s why you guys were so weird yesterday…”

“What?” I can feel myself start sweating and my voice is at least two, maybe three pitches higher than before. “We weren’t weird-that’s a weird thing to say- you’re weird.” I huff and can tell he’s not buying it. “Ugh, how obvious was it?”

He ignores my question. “How do you know him? One night stand?” I can’t help but grimace at the thought, “No? Oh, you must be the girl from France.” A pang of unexplainable hurt goes through my chest. He’s not mine, never was actually, it’s pointless for me to feel- “Jealous.” His eyes widen, “You loved him.”

My throat tightens and my mouth runs dry. “You have some nerve.” I fight to keep my voice level. “When you’re done making assumptions about me, and being an overall smartass, see me in my office.” I walk away from him.

I pull out my phone, contacting Louis to tell him I’m in the office so he can come talk to me about what duties would be passed on to me. As I do so, I see a figure out of the corner of my eye right outside my office door. One that’s awfully Harvey shaped.

I stop texting to make sure my eyes aren’t failing me. Sure enough, Harvey is leaned against the glass wall that separates me from the bullpen. In his hand is a drink carrier with what looks to be two hot coffees. He’s wearing a navy-blue suit and a… pastel pink tie that matches my shirt to a T.

He looks at me and pulls his body from the wall. His face is unsure, not very Harvey-like. “’ Morning.” He extends his arm with the coffee in it towards me. I can smell the delectable caramel macchiato that he knows I love. I eye the cup suspiciously, and then I eye him suspiciously.

“’ Morning.” I take the coffee and look at the familiar label. It was no Starbucks, that’s for sure. No, this coffee was from Samson’s Brewery. The same mom-and-pop coffee shop that we would go to during late night study sessions. This coffee place is on the literal whole other side of town, he didn’t go out of his way for this… did he? No, he definitely either door-dashed it or sent a driver.

His eyes don’t leave my face as I inspect the beverage. Once I deduce it’s not poisoned, I look up at him. For the first time since seeing him, I’m not a panicked mess. I just look at him, his gelled hair and puppy dog eyes.  I’m staring. I avert my gaze and mutter a, “Thanks,” before pushing past him into my office.

I stop myself from closing the door behind me. He won’t. He won’t walk in. I sit in my chair and put the coffee on my desk. I stare at it intently, trying not to remember the late nights we spent together. But I also stare at it, so I don’t look at the door, so I don’t look to see if he’s still there.

There are three quick knocks at my door. I look up with hope I can’t mask, only to be disappointed. “Hey, girly.” It’s Louis. I look over his shoulder, but there’s no one.

“G’morning, Louis.” I smile through the pain. “How are you doing?” I side-eye the coffee on my desk like it’ll disappear if I leave it alone too long.

“Same old, same old, I just convinced a major pharmacy company that they needed to break a deal with…” He drones on for a little bit, bragging to me about accomplishments I could do in my sleep. “But, anyway! I came to tell you about the workload you’ll be taking on. Seeing as Harvey is the closest Senior Partner on the floor, you’ll be shadowing him for the next few days. Just until you think you’re ready to fly solo.” He says that like it’s nothing, and I guess it would be for anyone else.

“So, like an associate?” My face scrunches up. “Why can’t I just shadow you, then? Aren’t you in charge of the associates?” I cross my arms.

He chuckles. “I wish, but we’re both Junior Partners, for the time being-” He winks at me. Poor guy, I’m sure he’s been waiting to be Senior Partner for a while. “So, you technically need trained by a Senior Partner.”

“Great.” I have a tight-lipped smile and unconsciously reach for the coffee on my desk. I bring it up to my lips and hum at the nostalgic taste before I even realize I’ve done it. I stop mid-sip and lick my lips guiltily.

“What coffee place is that from?” Louis gets closer and squints at my cup. When he doesn’t recognize it, he pulls away. “The best coffee around is Roaster-Roos right down the way,” He uses his thumb to point over his shoulder. A coy look flashes across his face, “I could go get you one if you want.”

“No. No, this is fine, thank you.” I say a little too quickly. I hold the cup closer to my chest and grip it a little tighter. He shrugs and I clear my throat, “When does this shadowing begin?”

“ASAP.” He snaps and turns his back to me to walk out the door. “Harvey’s in the office right next to yours,” He pivots outside the door to face me again. “He’s kind of cocky, so let me know if you need anything.” He smiles with raised eyebrows. I nod hesitantly in discomfort before he goes to the left and disappears from sight. A long exhale leaves my body. “Why me?”

[gravedigginbbydoll]

An Extra Step

Eddie Munson x Bilingual! GN Reader

AN: Heyo! So, I was randomly inspired to write this little blurb. I'm sorry for being AWOL so much, grad school has been kicking my ass. I promise to update my current WIPs as soon as I can. Anyways, this is based on myself being bilingual :) In the blue text is when the other language is spoken. I kept it vague and not specific so that other people who may be bilingual or have English as a second language could relate.

CW: mentions of food, mentions of family, mentions of childhood, no gender mentioned, pet names, kissing, emotional, fluffy

It started as a tiny thing, a little nudge from deep within. It was a warm summer day in Hawkins, you and Eddie relaxing in the trailer. Wayne had given you two your own trailer (right next to him, of course), and you had a jar on the table, coins and dollar bills stacked up in it, determined to get your own place one day together. Preferably a house or apartment, but that was a worry for later. You and Eddie were lounging about, you perched at the kitchen while Eddie was sprawled out on the sofa, attempting to cool off. You leaned against the counter, reading a postcard you’d received from a family member. You giggled at the message they wrote, peaking Eddie’s interest. He smiled, turning to you, sitting up a bit. 

“What’s so funny, babe?,” He asked, cocking his head in that golden retriever way, his eyes curious. 

You bit your lip, unsure how to explain. “Uh well… my cousin wrote me a postcard,” You explained, shrugging. 

Eddie walked over, looking over your shoulder at the note before he deflated a litte. “Oh. It’s not in English,” He stated, a bit disappointed. 

You nodded, biting your lip, thinking. You explained the joke briefly, giggling while doing so, but Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed and you felt your heart sink a bit. 

You never told Eddie, but sometimes you felt like you lost yourself little by little without your first language. Jokes translated incorrectly, you were unable to express certain things in English, and you felt like a part of yourself was dimmed. You wished Eddie could understand your family and even your own moments of frustration, when that little piece of you slipped out, only for him to look a bit confused.

You shook your head, smiling awkwardly, and putting up the letter. “Nevermind…It’s not as funny in English.” You put up the card, taking Eddie’s hand over to the couch. “C’mon. Let’s watch a movie.” 

Eddie could see the pain in your eyes when he didn’t understand your native tongue. He felt his heart squeeze each time, cursing himself for not learning it the moment he learned you had another piece to your puzzle. 

Which was what prompted the secret research. 

Fuck, Eddie had never even studied for school exams this hard. 

He started his search at the library, asking around and trying to see if there were any classes nearby. He learned there were some lessons and books around, though they had to be ordered and the meetings were three towns over. But anything to see you smile. 

Eddie poured over the books, kept a secret journal with all his notes from the clubs he attended (which truly were just people who spoke the language getting together to talk and exchange snacks, some of the older ladies pinching Eddie’s cheeks and smiling over at him.).

He knew you were suspicious, consistently glancing over at him confused when he would show up from the meeting late in the night, lying to say it was extra work hours. 

He poured over cassettes you had in your native tongue when you weren't home, learning the lyrics to your favorite songs. 

Hell, he even began trying to think in the language. (Easier said than done, he had no idea how you balanced the two)

But it was all worth it for that night. 

Eddie had taken the day off, gone to the international grocery store that was miles away, only to drive back, and begin prepping. He was making a meal he remembered you saying you missed, something near and dear to your heart and childhood. He knew it would take a bit of prep work and sweat, but Eddie was willing. 

He grinned to himself, heart swelling with pride. 

He couldn’t wait. 

When you walked through the door that night, you felt your heart stop. Familiar smells that you hadn’t smelled in years floated through the kitchen, your heart racing. You heard Eddie singing along softly in the kitchen, your native tongue clumsy on his lips, but making your heart swell, your eyes water a bit. 

“E-Eddie? What’s all this?,” You asked cautiously, eyebrows furrowed, eyes watering and blurring your vision. 

“It’s your favorite…I figured you deserved a treat!,” He replied…in your language. It was clumsy, the pronunciation not perfect. But your breath caught nonetheless. 

“You did all this…for me?,” You whispered, clutching tightly at your heart as tears rolled down your cheeks. 

Eddie smiled softly, walking over, softly running a finger under your chin to look up at him. “Of course. I love you,” He whispered back, his voice thick with emotion. 

Tears streamed down your face, vision blurred as you threw your arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder, your heart overflowing with emotions, your hands clutching at him. You whispered ‘I love you’ over and over, sobs racking your shoulders as Eddie held you, rubbing your back, kissing the top of your head. It meant the world to finally hear those words in your tongue and being able to whisper it back.

That night was filled with warm and full bellies, laughter and leading Eddie through pronunciation, learning of his secret little escapades (So that’s why he hadn’t been as hungry! Those little grandmas were stuffing him with food…) and showering Eddie with kisses. 

Never in your life had you felt so seen and loved. 

Eddie Munson was it for you.

[thehusbandoden]

Like Father Like Daughter -Dad!Hawks x Mom!Reader

Fluff upon fluff | 540 words | your daughter's name is Keiko (kay-ko)

Summary: you come home from a hospital visit to your very clingy husband and daughter.

Warning!: Use of Hawks' name

"Shhhh we can't let mommy see yet!"

"But daddy~!"

"Shhh baby bird- mommy's going to be home any minute-"

"What's this I hear?" You ask, stepping into your living room.

"MOMMY!" Two voices yelled, followed by two pairs of footsteps loudly coming your way.

"You're home~!" Keiko squealed, throwing herself onto you in a bear hug.

"Hey baby~!" You coo, wrapping your arms around your darling litte bird as you kicked the front door shut.

"Where's my affection?" Keigo pouted, causing you to roll your eyes adoringly as you openend your arms for Hawks to sneak into, landing right next to Keiko.

"You were gone for so~ long!" Keiko whined, attacking your face with kisses as she semi-aggresively shoved her dad out of the way.

"Baby- I was only gone for an hour or so." You chuckle, kissing her forehead sweetly.

"Exactly~!" Both of your babies whined, causing to roll your eyes once again.

"You two are so alike, did you know that Keigo?" You tease, kissing his' forehead as you made your way into the living room, curious to see what they were hiding.

"Wait! You did not get permission to go in there yet!" Keiko huffed, jumping out of your arms to block your way.

"I- need permission?" You ask, smiling as Hawks took the opportunity to leep back into your arms.

"Yes." Keiko replied, pausing to glare at her dad.

"Oh- then may I please go into my living room?" You ask politely, petting Keigo's head as he rubbed against you, fairly similairly to a cat.

"Yes, yes you may mommy. But only if you say that you're mine."

"Yes, hunny. Mommy is yours."

Keiko just grinned wickedly before turning back to the living room, skipping into the spacious room with a gigantic grin stuck on her face.

Walking in, you smiled as you layed eyes on a perfectly set up family movie night. The couch was covered in pillows and blankets, the coffee table was stacked with snacks, and the tv already had your family's favorite movie on pause.

"Oh- guys you're so sweet! But what's the occasion?"

"Well~ mommy it's the weekend! Which means that I can stay up late, right? And daddy says you haven't been feeling very good, so we thought that some cuddles and movies can help!"

"Oh- you two are so sweet." You coo, smiling up at Keigo who moved to ruffle your (as in both of yours) daughter's hair.

"Oh- speaking of~. What did the doctor say?" Keigo asked, warm, honey eyes now focussed on your -in his words- perfectly goregous face.

"There's nothing wrong with me, but~ I do have something to tell you."

"Oh oh! What is it!" Keiko asked, jumping up and down.

"After Keiko's in bed." You smile, playfully sticking your tounge out as Keiko pouted.

"Is it anything serious?" Hawks asked, a hint of concern laced in his tone.

"No no, nothing like that."

You continued to smile as your little family of three got situated for movie night, causing your heart to swell up with joy.

As you thought about your mini family, you sighed contently as you remembered; you were soon to be four.

Like this: Snuggles and Fried Chicken

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Do not copy, repost, nor plagiarize my work. Ask before you translate or use my work in any way, minus reblogging.

[milaisreading]

Hello~ Just want to tell you that your blue lock manager series is absolutely amazing! Feel that my life have became better since I found your blog. I already dropped some requests in your ask box, hope that was ok. x) and I definitely wanna read the part 2 about y/n's time with Bastards. I can imagine that Kaiser and Ness both want her attention (Ness is happy at heart that she likes him more that Kaiser and Kaiser wants go get her attention for himself finally) and Noa warm up for her too and now wants her to stay as official Bastards manager (poor real official manager, omg x)).

Oh, sorry, I can't be short not only in requests, which seems like a headcanons, not like requests, but also in my thoughts and messages. x)

Bless your blog! Wish you lots of inspiration! And feel free to talk and rant about bllk or manager to me if you want.

Author: Here ya go! They would all three honestly be a mess right after she leaves���� it's funny to think of it tbh. Hope u enjoy this one tho!

Warnings ⚠️ : reader uses she/her. Requests are open

⚽️Blue lock belongs to:Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura⚽️

Basically a continuation of this

'This is just like the first day at Blue Lock... I am about to throw up...' (Y/n) gulped as she nervously played around with the hem of her new uniform. It felt weird to be wearing the Bastard München one, when for the past months she had been wearing the one of Blue Lock.

'Is this what butterflies in the stomach feel like?!' (Y/n) thought as she waited for the coach to walk out of his office.

'Can't believe I will ne working for THE Noel Noa for the next 3 weeks! Should I ask him for an autograph for Isagi? No, that would be creepy! Haaaa I think Ego-san in the beginning was less stressful.' (Y/n) gulped as the door finally opened and the white-haired man walked out.

"Ah, you are here already. Pretty early too, I thought you won't be here until 8." Noa said, sounding genuinely surprised that (Y/n) was there earlier, since it was only 6.30.

"I always start earlier back in Japan. Sorry."

The girl said, sounding a little panicked that the man might find it weird.

"No need to apologize, it's good to that you did come earlier. It will give me now more of a chance to show you around. Come." Noel said as (Y/n) followed after the man.

'So cool!'

The tour around the stadium lasted for about an hour, with Noel giving her some introductions where certain places and rooms are, as well as what her role will be.

'Essentially I am doing what I did at Blue Lock, just for a professional team. I can do that!' (Y/n) perked up as Noel called out her name again.

"Yes?"

"If Kaiser says something uncalled for, tell me. He can be quite a handful." The French player explained as (Y/n) nodded her head.

"Thank you Noel-san, I will keep that in mind. I just wanted to know what the training plan was for the next 3 weeks? And if I can have a list with all the players? I want to be able to write the progress the players make during my time here."

"You won't be needing those, as I said you are just doing what you did in Japan-"

"I actually do that."

Noel blinked down at the girl as she felt her face turn redder in embarrassment.

'I shouldn't have said that?!'

"Ego makes you do all that?" The coach asked as the girl shook her head.

"Not really! I do it on my own freewill, I like keeping notes and analyzing." (Y/n) explained, which made Noel nod his head and then pointed at a nearby bench.

"You can wait over there, I will get you those things."

(Y/n) sighed in relief as she did as told and Noel went to his office to get the requested items.

'I wonder how the player here usually are. I know they are good,monsters more, when they play against other teams, but watching them train will be so cool!' (Y/n) thought, not realizing that two figures were approaching her, until...

"Ah! Ness, your little girlfriend is here." Kaiser exclaimed, putting an arm around the girl's shoulder.

"Kaiser, please leave her alone." Ness said, sounding a little annoyed as the girl looked at them both.

"Where did you two even come from? I didn't hear you."

"You looked lost in your thoughts, maybe that's why you didn't hear us. We came a little earlier to greet you." Ness explained. (Y/n) nodded her head, blushing a little as he smiled and removed Kaiser's arm from her. The blonde tsked a little as the two talked, still not over the fast that a girl picked Ness over him.

'Well I do have 3 weeks to change her mind.' Kaiser thought as he watched the duo talk over some random things.

"Good job you two. That was a pretty cool trick." (Y/n) said as she handed the duo their water bottles. It was the 2nd day by now and (Y/n) had made out a plan on what and how to do things. Noel was positively surprised how well she adjusted to the team and by the notes she had taken in the two days. Ness and Kaiser would act as her translators if one of the senior staff members told her something or to go to the store.

"You are doubting the great Michael Kaiser now?" The blonde wondered as Ness clapped a little.

"Well, the bar for you is low, so whatever you do will be interesting." (Y/n) said back, and to Kaiser's surprise Ness said nothing. He would usually attack anyone who offended Kaiser, but he couldn't bring himself to be the same with (Y/n). Something about the girl just warmed his heart, and he couldn't deny the small bit of satisfaction that she had picked him over Kaiser back then.

"Is that so? Then you will be in for a ride. Better keep your socks on unless you want me to knock them off."

"Hmmm..."

"So you finished the papers I gave you?" Noel asked at the end of the first week, surprised with how fast she had done the job. He expected her to need the whole 3 weeks to finish, but here he was holding them.

"Yeah, Ness and Kaiser helped me out with the translations and I got this ready too."

(Y/n) said, handing Noel the notebook she had been using for the past week. The man quietly started reading as a knock was heard and Kaiser barged in.

"Noel, is (Y/n) done yet? Ness and I are hungry!"

The man looked up from the notebook and looked at the blonde in confusion.

"What does she have to do with it? Just go and eat."

"She owes us food for being her translators." Kaiser argued as Ness peeked inside.

"This was Kaiser's idea."

Noel sighed and nodded his head, telling the three they are free to go. Once Ness and Kaiser pulled (Y/n) out, Noa kept on reading the notes, amazed with some of the things that caught her eyes.

"Hmm..."

"We are going to that food stand!" Kaiser announced as Ness stayed quiet while (Y/n) looked at it in confusion.

"Here? Alright, I would have expected you two to prefer some fancier place." (Y/n) commented as Ness patted her back and Kaiser handed her a piece of paper.

"I wrote down what you should order, now don't make my hours of teaching you German go futile."

"It was more Ness teaching anyways-"

"Technicalities. Now go." Kaiser said as he pulled (Y/n) along while Ness simply smiled along.

The 2nd week started off with the club having their day off, so Kaiser and Ness decided to use the opportunity to bring (Y/n) to some famous places in Munich. It was a rather cold day and while she wanted to refuse at first, Ness kept on asking so she caved in, to which Kaiser was a little offended.

"Are you still mad I told you no?" (Y/n) wondered as they ate breakfast.

"I am more offended that you told me no, while not even 3 minutes later saying yes to Ness." Kaiser argued, sending a side glare to the magenta-eyed eyed boy.

"I think those are skill issues on your part." Ness said, earning a laughter from (Y/n).

"Also, Ness was less aggressive about it." The girl blushed as she sent a few glances at Ness, who was flattered by the attention. Kaiser cleared his throat and leaned against his chair.

"Lovely, you two make me want to throw up-"

"Anyways, I made us a plan where we can go. We are in luck that today is less of a crowded day..."

With narrowed eyes, Kaiser stared at Ness and (Y/n) as the boy started explaining everything to her. It was honestly annoying how she was looking at him and hanging onto every word of his.

'Meanwhile she is pretending like I don't exist or isn't taking me seriously. Do I have to act nice around her to get some attention?'

"What...are you doing exactly?" (Y/n) asked as she walked into the storage room to get the equipment for the day. Kaiser turned around as he held the big box, surprised that she was here now.

"Helping."

"Why?" (Y/n) wondered, never expecting the blonde to pick up a box for her.

"Because I want to help you while you are still here." Kaiser answered simply and the girl nodded her head. His voice was a lot softer, making his words sound a lot more genuine than usually.

"I...uh thank you." (Y/n) said timidly and looked at her feet, a sight that made Kaiser stop and stare at her for a moment.

"Nothing worth mentioning." He smiled and (Y/n) followed after him, still in shock from his genuine words.

"Today's practice has left me a mess. I can't wait to sleep." Ness muttered as he leaned against the wall of the stadium, both him and (Y/n) waiting for Kaiser to finish changing.

"Really? I didn't notice it on you. You seemed to enjoy yourself a lot." (Y/n) spoke up as the magenta-eyed boy nodded his head.

"I did, football and playing with Kaiser makes me happy... a lot. But the day was just too tiring. Thanks for being here and helping us, I think it would have been a lot harder otherwise." Ness said, genuinely happy the girl was here with them, with him.

'I really wish I was in Blue Lock sometimes.'

"It's really nothing, I like helping you guys." (Y/n) grinned.

"Say.... why did I catch your attention of all people?" Ness suddenly spoke up, his face turning as red as (Y/n)'s was.

"I like your charisma...and the way you play football, it really looks like a magical performance."

'Also your smile is adorable!' (Y/n) finished the last part in her head, not daring to sat it out loud.

"Oh... I didn't think my play was that special. But thank you." Ness said with a soft smile.

"(Y/n), did you put up all the equipment?" Noel asked as the girl looked up from some papers the man gave her.

"Yep! I asked the assistant coach for some help though. Also! I finished writing down the plan for next week and I made an analysis diagram of the past two weeks. Kaiser went up with his speed and Ness became a lot swifter with his dribbling."

Noel looked at the said items again as (Y/n) continued speaking, the out of the blue patted her head.

"H-huh?" She stopped and looked up to see the man smiling softly at her.

"Great job. I will bring these to my office. Thank you."

"No... problem..." (Y/n) watched Noel leave with a flustered expression as Kaiser approached her with a pout and put a towel over her head.

"Hey?!"

"A bird pooped on you! Let me wipe it off!' The blonde said.

'Damn you,Noel.' Kaiser thought, glaring at the back of the man's head.

It was the third week now and Noel was nervously on the phone, waiting for Ego to answer.

"Yes?" Came the man's bored voice from the other side.

"I will cut to the chase. How much money do you want for (Y/n) to transfer to us?"

"Nothing, she is coming back to Japan this week. You all have a manager already. We need (Y/n) back here."

"Please Ego, she does a way better job than our manager did while he was here. Understand me too." Noel groaned, already dreading the day the man comes back. He wasn't bad or lazy... he just lacked the enthusiasm for the sport.

"I understand, but I do not care. (Y/n) is coming back this week." With that the man ended the call and the Frenchman sighed.

"Maybe she will have a change of heart in a month or two."

"Here! These are for you two." (Y/n) said, handing Kaiser and Ness two boxes. Confused, the boys took the boxes and observed them, one was blue and the other one was a light purple shade.

"What are these?" Kaiser raised an eyebrow as Ness kept staring at his with a lost look.

"I made some chocolates for you two, as a gift for helping me out these past 3 weeks."

With a red face, Ness started saying it was nothing and how they did just a normal thing. Kaiser felt his own face heat up a little bit too and he cleared his throat.

"It was nothing..." The duo looked at Kaiser, surprised by his soft tone.

"But why are you ficing us these now?"

"Huh? I am leaving for Japan tomorrow morning, what other time can I give them to you?"

"Tomorrow morning?!"

"And you didn't tell us anything?!" Ness and Kaiser asked in shock as (Y/n) raised her eyebrow.

"I thought Noel-san told you two..."

The two stopped talking and thought over her words, remembering that the man did mention something related to (Y/n), but they zoned out right after he said her name.

"Well, let's spend the rest of the time we have left with you." Kaiser said bitterly, pulling (Y/n) by the sleeve of her jacket.

"Yeah, let's make the best of what we have left." Ness added putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Do you two have to be this close though?" (Y/n) asked with a flustered face.

"Yes!"

[penny00dreadful]

So... some of you may have noticed my fics have come to a screeching halt the last couple of months which is not like me and I am here to explain myself.

Babygirl, I have been preparing.

The end of this month is my 1 year anniversary of posting in this fandom, of posting any of my work online after not doing it for like fifteen fucking years and it has brought me so much incandescent joy, I decided I had to do something for it.

(I've also hit like... several milestones which is fucking insane like you all know I'm just some cranky bog witch, right??)

I have been working on my WIPs for over the last two months. All... holy mother of god... like nine of them???

Some of these have been completed, some I am still writing and some are mostly done.

So starting from my anniversary date, 23rd October, every second or third day, I'll be posting a chapter of something.

I have so much material built up this shit could go on until 2024

@hbyrde36 called it my own personal Penny00Dreadful BigBang... and yeah kinda! 😅

I wanted to do this to show just how much I love this community. Your kind words, your support, your unhinged ramblings, your obsessive love, your talent (for free??) it's all amazing it's so amazing and I wanted to explode forth with my love for it so I figured why the fuck not do this stupid idea??😅

All of these will be posted both to tumblr and AO3 so subscribe over there to keep updated or follow me here!

OH! And let me know if you wanna be tagged! If you wanna be tagged for a specific fic or for everything I'll add you, whatever you want.

You've made me so happy and so warm for the last year. The way I know if I'm having a bad day I just need to hop onto this side of tumblr and everything will be peaches and gravy again.

I love you guys so much. 😘🖤

Updated Schedule - (18th Feb 2024)

Fic list with blurbs below the cut, this will (roughly) be the order they're posted in:

Return of The King - COMPLETE

Steddie Vampire AU with a twist! Vampire Steve comes back after falling to the bats. There is two more chapters left and those chapters have been completed.

Comeuppance - COMPLETE

Dustin just wants Steve to be happy. So he tries to parent trap him with Nancy. Clearly they should be together. But Steve's heart doesn't even seem to be in it at all! How is he so bad at this? And Eddie is being less than helpful

Rookie Mistake - COMPLETE

My Steddie Established Relationship Spies AU oneshot that will have a multi-chapter prequel fic coming very soon after!

Eddie is "retired" and Steve has been injured on the job, so he's supposed to be taking it easy. How hard could a walk to the gas station be?

Before He Cheats - COMPLETE

Songfic! Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats

I literally have no excuse for this one. The rotted brainworms were behind the steering wheel with this one.

One evening, Eddie gets a call from some guy named Steve dropping the news on him that his boyfriend has been cheating on him. With this Steve person and Steve had no idea up until that day.

And Eddie rarely takes that shit lying down.

Steddievember Smut - COMPLETE

No Nut November is here! One can play however he wants. The other just has to wait for December to roll around. I have no other words to describe what this will be, it does what it says on the tin. I blame the STWG discord server. Currently we're looking at four little ficlets for this.

Cat and Mouse - COMPLETE

The Steddie Spies AU Prequel! How they got together and the extreme ups and downs their enemies/rivals to lovers journey goes through. I had so much fun with this one.

And They Were Roommates! - COMPLETE

omg they were roommates.

Steve and Eddie don't hate each other exactly. They just... tolerate each other. But one night Eddie doesn't come home for hours. Long after he's supposed to and it's not like Steve is worried or anything... he's just... concerned for a fellow human being... that's all.

Through The Valley - IN PROGRESS

Post-Apocalyptic AU. Eddie, Dustin and Nancy have a nice little community of survivors outside of Hawkins that they take care of, surviving day to day. Everyone's a little broken, missing the rest of their Party just hoping that one day they'll find each other again.

Devotion

Dungeons and Dragons AU. Steve is the golden boy of the small town of Hawkins. Harrington in name and now a Paladin with his very own oath to hunt down the Bard, the witch Eddie Munson and bring him back to justice under High Priest Henry Creel.

[glitterhammies]

LOGAN X READER ONE SHOT

NIGHTMARES

-READER HAS MUTANT HEALING ABILITYS AND IS A TUTOR ALONGSIDE STORM...

-FLUFF

You were having a restless night, tossing and turning, it doesn't help that logan is hotter than the sun itself. you couldn't find a position to get comfortable in. That's when you heard the low whimpers of logan, a sound you had heard all too many times and not in a good way. you knew that this meant he was having a nightmare. Logans nightmares were practically night terrors, more than once did he wake up screaming and frantically pulling back covers to find your warm embrace. Only recently did his claws start coming out when he awoke from these nightmares. 

You found yourself gliding your hand up and down his chest kissing just under his chin as a comfort, hopping he would feel your warmth and calm down. This wasn't working he was getting more frantic and you could see the visible panic on his face, just as fast as it happened logan was awake screaming in rage, his claws were visible. and your blood was trickling down them.

"YN, YN WHERE ARE YOU" logan gasped becoming frantic. he relaxed at the sight of your body on the floor but because tense again when he saw the mess he had made. three big gashes covered your abdomen, blood flowing out rapidly. 

"yn in so sorry I didn't mean to, your okay, your going to be okay" he whispered into your hair. He knew in his heart his would be true but seeing you covered in blood waiting for your healing abelites to take hold he could help but feel the panic rise. "Ill be okay, I'm fine don't worry" you gasped trying to keep yourself calm. You couldn't deny how painful this was, this wasn't the first time you have had a run in with logans claws but this was definitely the deepest they had gone so far. Your healing abilities took much longer to heal you compared to logans. you could feel your muscles and blood vessels knitting themselves back together as you spoke. 

" are you okay my love" you gasp holding logans face " it was the nightmares again wasn't it, where did you go this time" 

logan wouldn't look at you, simply wrapping you in a bear hug and not letting go staring off into the difference " I don't want to say, I don't want to make it real with my words. I'm just glad your here, I thought I had lost you". You were no longer bleeding and you were starting to see visible differences in your wound. " I'm okay baby I'm here aren't I, I'm not going anywhere. why don't we get back into bed" 

Logan simply looked at you with fear in his eyes, almost as if he moved you would vanish out of his arms "okay baby, okay" he lifted you up bridal style being careful of your wound which was now looking like a graze more than a laceration, it didn't hurt anymore maybe a dull ache but you didn't want to let logan know. You enjoyed the gentleness he displayed when he thought you were in pain. Your mutant abilities have definitely saved your ass multiple times when you thought you could have blead out but logan still treats you as if your made of glass, you wouldn't have it any other way. 

He placed you on the bed and crawled on top, putting all his body weight on top of you, suffocating you with his embrace. Usually you would jokingly roll him off you complaining about lack of air but tonight you knew he needed this. He needed to feel as close to you as possible, giving you gentle kisses up and down your neck stopping at just the point you like. Not advancing any further, you didn't feel like sex tonight. You would normally pounce on him if he showed any sign but tonight was not the night you were just enjoying having him in your embrace. 

"Are you feeling better logan" you ask. " not much I just need to know your really here" he groaned rolling over and pulling you into his chest. " try and get some sleep, keep me in your arms ill be right here when you wake up" you were yawning eyelids closing enjoying his embrace. you went off into a peaceful sleep knowing you were safe in logans arms. little did you know logan didn't sleep a wink keeping his eyes on you tracing his finger over your features admiring your beauty and the reality that you are next to him and not submitted to the horrors of his nightmares. 

-Thank you for reading my first wolverine one-shot I'm going to try and make more of these, mainly the type of stories i have been dying to read. Hopefully my writing will improve over the time because not gonna lie some of these are gonna be shocking. 

[holylulusworld]

G & CSP (4) - How to become a villain

Summary: After Steve messed up (aka talked to some other woman) he tries to make amends and get to know you better.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Villain!Reader

Warnings: implied smut, a little teasing/making out, idiots in love

Written for: Winter Break Advent: Day 7 - Close proximity

Catch up here: Blurb (3) - The first fight

Goddess & Captain Sassypants masterlist

“Don't you just want to let go and have the bad girl, a villain for once?" You purr and run your fingers through his hair to mess it up a little.

Your lips brush over Steve’s. You breathe against him but don’t touch his lips. If he wants a kiss, he must beg you for it.

He’s the one giving in first. Steve cups your face and presses his lips to yours. He devours your mouth, making you gasp against his soft lips.

Steve smiles at the memory. You opened up to him even more. And now, you crossed a line. Your flirty banter and all the teasing ended in a night of passion. (According to you.) Steve would call it making love.

“So,” Steve clears his throat. He’s still not back in your good graces. (at least not completely.) You took it to heart that he ruined your fifth date fight in the park. 

The bench you sat on that day didn’t make it out alive. The same goes for the woman’s car, her apartment, and almost her dog too.

The last one was an accident! 

You tried to rip her handbag off her shoulder only to watch her dog fly off the roof. Of course, you saved the poor dog just in time. 

She didn’t get it back, though. Let’s say Carl got the dog he always wanted, and the woman is missing an accessory she loved to carry around in a handbag. 

“Goddess, are you still mad at me?” Steve repeats the same line he said a hundred times already. “Please forgive me for messing our date up.”

You glare at him. “That wasn’t a date, Captain Sassypants!”

“Our epic battle then,” he grins when you melt against his warm chest. “So, do you want me to make things up again?”

You quirk a brow and lift the silky sheet covering his lower half. “You really are a super-soldier, huh? I didn’t think it comes with a mechanic dick.”

Steve chuckles at your comment. “It’s not mechanic, doll.”

“I don’t know,” you move your hand to his crotch to feel him up. “Litte Captain Sassypants is hard as steel!”

He grabs your hand to place it on his chest. Steve wants to talk about a few things with you.

“You never told me why you became a villain,” he softly says while you are busy running your right hand over his naked chest. “Every infamous villain has a backstory. Don’t they?”

Crap. You’re not prepared to give him a good lie. The truth is, you had a huge crush on Steve and started to commit smaller crimes to get his attention. One thing led to another, and you ended up with a whole bunch of crazy minions, a huge mansion, and a name everyone fears.

"A villain is in control. I had enough of feeling helpless. All my life people walked all over me. I got treated badly because of my powers. I belonged nowhere. Not even Shield wanted me. So, I became a villain and embraced my powers and being different from others,” you say. 

It’s not a complete lie. Your life sucked, and you got used to being an outcast. Everyone overlooked you until you decided to impress a certain hero with your powers and the crimes you committed.

“I see,” Steve wraps one arm around your body to hold you close to his warm chest. “Every villain has a backstory then.”

“What about you?” You lift your head from his chest. “Aren't you tired of being the golden boy and perfect minion to Shield, the Avengers, and everyone else out there?" You rake your nails over his chest, causing Steve to shudder. “Don’t you want to break out and run away sometimes?”

“With you?” He smirks and looks at you in his arms. “Imagine, the mightiest villain and Captain America run off for their honeymoon.”

“Whoa, slow down!” You grunt. “I conquered your body to weaken your resistance and make sure my minions can wreak havoc while you are busy with other things I never agreed to marry you.”

“You will,” he shrugs. “I know you want to be a good person. You only need someone to help you see you’re not evil.”

“I enchanted you,” you hum to yourself. “I’m even mightier than I thought. I made Captain America lose his mind!”

“That you did.” Steve agrees to not lose the chance to hold you in his arms a little longer. 

You’re a good person, he just knows it. Every time you take care of one of your minions or save someone standing in the line of fire he sees your true self.

Sadly, no one before Steve saw the light in you. They tried to extinguish it or turn it into a raging fire.

“Good thing I live in close proximity to the Avengers Tower. This way, I can keep an eye on you, Captain.”

“You’re still mad at me,” he sighs deeply. “Doll, I told you this woman meant nothing to me. She didn’t stand a chance against you.”

“Damn right,” you click your tongue. “I gave it to that bitch good. She will never try to get her greedy hands on someone else’s man-” You cough and try to play your slip-of-tongue cool. “I meant enemy.”

Steve poorly tries to hide the smirk creeping across his face. He nuzzles your hair and sighs again. “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing.”

“Goddess.”

“I kinda stole her poor dog. Little fart is much happier with Carl.”

“Little fart?”

“I didn’t name the dog,” you grumble. “Carl did.”

“You know stealing is illegal. Right?” Steve tuts, letting the hero and goody-in-two shoes show.

You chuckle darkly. “Oh, I did more than steal her dog. Do you want to arrest me now, Captain?” While you straddle his lap and place your hands on his chest, Steve watches you with adoration in his eyes. “Hey, stop looking like a love-sick puppy. We are not here to make love! You are my prisoner for the time being.”

“Oh, please don’t chain me up in the cold cell again,” he plays along. Steve knows you don’t like to give up control or admit feelings. Weakness is not an option. You had a hard life and won’t be weak ever again.

Well, maybe you allow yourself once in a while to be weak when you are in his arms. “If you are a good prisoner, you can stay here.”

“Phew, good.” Steve watches you lie back down on top of him. “I feared Tony must come to my rescue. You know him. He’ll call you my girlfriend again.”

“I dare him!” You exclaim loudly. “I’m your master and made you my willing slave. Nothing else.”

“I know, doll,” Steve runs his hand over your back. “I’ll tell him so. Promised.”

“Good. We don’t want your little friends to come over and believe they’ll get my cookies or shit. I won’t share my technology or minions with them.”

“Goddess, I need you to tell me what you did with that woman.” Steve already knows you wrecked her car and apartment.

“She had it coming,” you lift your head from his chest to grin at Steve. “I think she learned her lesson. No one touches my archenemy.”

Steve Rogers/Chris Evans/all CEvans characters Tags

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[taniavttv]

Rengoku Perfect Date HeadCannons

A/N: Hi Everyone, Since you all loved the Hugs/Cuddles series and Rengoku Birthday was on May 10th here is a new series How our Hashira boys will plan the perfect date for their lovers (you). I'll start with Our flame boy Rengoku🌸. Enjoy and Request are Open Thx 💗🌸🌸

🔥 So Rengoku is trying to plan the perfect date right? Well he tries to think of how he's gonna do it

🔥 He might ask Tengen for help since he knows how to make a Date look Perfect and Flashy right? so Tengen helps him

🔥 The date would be like a picnic where you two have privacy (yes he will give you love and affection😊) and there are cherry blossom trees around (Ohhh so cute😫🥰)

🔥 Rengoku would set up like a picnic blanket and bring the food even put flowers in the center for you

🔥He would send his crow to let you know to get ready since he is planning the date

🔥He loves it when you wear a red or Orange Kimono to match his hair and style

🔥He'll even choose your outfit if you can't decide what to wear and he will pick the perfect option

🔥 He loves to hold your hand as you two walk to get to your dates spot

🔥 He'll cover your eyes with his hands to guide you to your date spot to surprise you

Mini Dialouge here:

🔥Red-Rengoku

🔥💕Purple- Y/N (aka you)

[🔥"Surprise do you love it my little flame" -Kyojuro asked]

[🔥💕"Ohhh Kyo yes I do I love it Thanks - Y/N said and kissed Kyo on the lips ]

🔥You both sit down and he surprises you with food

🔥He is so sweet he'll feed you and you feed him (Omg so cute/sweet of Rengoku 🥰)

🔥He loves putting his hand around your shoulder to bring you close to him and cuddle

🔥 If you feel cold don't worry this man will give you his haori to wear to keep you warm

[🔥"Feeling warmer now Little Flame"]

🔥Loves to hold your hand and squeeze it to make you blush Oh my he find it adorable when you blush so cute

🔥Loves to tell you stories some about his family and also loves to tell you how much he loves you❤️🔥 (Awwww🥰)

🔥As The petals of the cherry blossom tree bloom they go to you and Kyojuro direction

🔥Some of the petals land on your hair and also Kyojuro hair too You find it funny how his hair is covered with petals and it's adorable

(yes this reminds me of Tengen and Hina so I decided let's do it with Kyo and Y/N yep)

🔥He'll take out the petals from your hair as you blush and he finds it cute (Y/N your so cute-Kyojuro said as he caress your cheek)

🔥 You want him to give you the petal ohh he'll give it to you too as long you give him the petals you take out from his hair

🔥He will even give you a gift like a bracelet or pendent or even ring (yes Kyo marries you🥰) so you can always think of him and have something of him

[You love the gift my love- Kyojuro]

[Yesss Kyo I love it ohhh I love you so much- Y/N]

[Aww I love you more My litte Flame]

🔥You both kiss after he gives you the gift

🔥He takes one of the flowers from the flower vase he placed on the center of the picnic blanket and puts it on your hair and Ohh my he loves how You look so stunning

🔥He'll tell you how beautiful you look and all and kiss your cheek and give you forehead kisses too

🔥Also next time you two go on a date you must bring Senjuro along (Please do this lil cutie needs to have fun with you two🥰💞🌸)

🔥 To seal the perfect date he'll give you a kiss on the lips (even tongue kisses too) and tell you he loves you with all his heart dearly and he means it alot yess

[Kyo this date has the perfect and the best Thanks I love you so much Y/N said and hugs Rengoku]

🔥[Ohh I love you so much more My little Flame (He kisses your lips) Your so perfect and pretty-Kyojuro said as you both cuddle]

[jessjad]

Christmas magic

Summary: Sometimes all you need is a little christmas magic to help you be at ease with the decisions you made.

Pairing: AU!Dean Winchester x Reader

Prompt: "Santa is real"

Warnings: none really, a little fluff and some wonders.

Word Count: 1439

A/N: Hello! :) This is my contribution to @spnfanficpond 's secret santa 2023. This is for @spnexploration. Originally, I had this planned out as a post-series Oneshot. But she asked for it not be, so... I had to change some things. 🙈

This is a AU-setting now and it's around season 13 age-wise. They're still hunters, though. Otherwise the plot I thought of wouldn't have worked. So, I hope you like it. :)

The christmas lights were twinkling throuh the whole house, it smelled of freshly baked cookies and the christmastree was already up and shining. It had such a strong feel of home now that Dean hat to shake his head a little in disbelieve. If someone had told him a year ago that he would have this kind of peace around christmastime, he would've not believed it.

But everything changed after he met Y/N. He never thought that she would be as interested in him as he was in her but one night out celebarting a very sucssesful hunt loosened their tounges. Dean didn't really know why he wanted this to be so serious at first, but seeing Sam being so happy with Eileen showed him over time that he missed something. When they both told him that they were having a baby, the older Winchester felt a crack in his heart.

And then, on one faithful hunt, he met Y/N. Not thinking she would stick around, she surprised him and stayed. From that point on he was lost. At first he was hesitant and feared that she would be hurt more than anything if he didn't keep his distance to her, but she did not shy away from him and in the end, they landed here. In their own house. Rowena warded the hell out of this place with her magic, of course.

Footsteps on the stairs in the hallway brought him back out of his thoughts and he started to smile when he saw Y/N appear in the livingroom followed by Sam and Eileen who held a litte bundle of fabric in her arms, their babygirl sleeping soundly.

"We're ready." Y/N said and gave Dean a small kiss on the cheek. "You still sure that you don't wanna come with us?"

"I'm positive, sweatheart." Dean replied and curled his arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer. "Me and the man upstairs don't have the best connection. We're not really compañeros."

"I... that's probably not the... right word you wanted to use, Dean." Said Sam and frowned a little at his brothers use of the spanish language.

"Shut it, Sam."

"Ok, guys. Can we go?" interrupted Eileen grinning.

"Sure." Y/N turned fully to her boyfriend and tried one last time. "Ok, last chance, Dean. Mr. Harris will be there too, playing Santa Claus and handing out presents."

Dean knew that she was trying to lure him out with that and he had to smirk.

"That sounds nice, try to bring me one with. I'll wait here and chop some more firewood."

Y/N sighed, but smiled lovingly up to him. "Ok. But don't overdo it. It's cold outside."

They kissed and then he watch the other three people leave to go to the christmas mass. After the door closed behind them, Dean put his warm wintercoat on and went out to the backyard. Y/N was right, it was really cold. He went over to the firewood, picked up his axe and started to split it.

Time past quick and all of a sudden Dean started to here some bells in the distance. He stopped with his work and started to look around, wondering where the sound came from, but he couldn't quite make it out. Just before he wanted to keep going with his work, he heared the fence door open. Have they already been back?

But it was not who he expected. Into the backyard came Mr. Harris fully dressed as Santa. Dean had to smile and shook his head a little. The lengths his beautiful girlfriend would go for him.

"Hello Mr. Harris." welcomed Dean and shook the other man's hand.

"Hello Dean." He replied.

"Did Y/N convince you to come over and give me your present in person?"

"No..." the old man laughed. "They're all still in church. But I wanted to come over here now. After all, Santa has to be in many places at the same time at Christmas."

"Well, what do I get, Santa?" Dean played along.

"I hope, you will like my present for you, eventhough it's not a physical one."

Dean chuckled. "Who would have seen that coming?" He turned fully to the other man and was now really curious what was about to happen. "So, what is it then?"

"My present for, Dean Winchester, is this:" He returned the smile, but then became a little more serious. "You did good."

Now Dean's smlie faltered and he started to frown. Putting his hands into his pockets of his jeans he needed a moment before he spoke again.

"What?"

"You've seen a lot of bad things in this world. From very early on your life was full of horror and nightmares."

"How do you know..." Dean said, but his visitor didn't stop.

"You had to go through a lot of things noone should go through. You had to make a lot of difficult decisions, but in the end, you always did good."

"Is... is this a joke?" Dean already going into hunter mode.

"No. Not at all." He raised his hands in a defensive position. "I know, you've seen many big bads in your carrer and I get that you think that I may be one of them too. But I promise you, I'm probably the only real good one out there."

Dean wanted to say something again, but he didn't get a chance to do so.

"And as the only good one, let me tell you: you're a really good man too."

The look in his eyes told Dean that he really meant it, he was sincere, and the defends that had build up a minute ago faded away.

"All the worries and guilt that you carry around with you... you need to let it go. All the decisions you made that you thought maybe weren't the right ones... you couldn't have done anything differently."

Dean felt a lump forming in his throat, making it difficult to swallow. Whatever was happening here was affecting him, making the big, heavy burden on his shoulders smaller and smaller.

"You saved so many lives, Dean. You have made so many people's lives better. And that alone makes you one of the best people ever. So be proud of yourself! And stop worrying too much."

Dean didn't know what to say, so he just nodded which the man infront of him returned. Then, it looked like he wanted to leave, but he turned around once more.

"Oh, and don't worry about Y/N. Her heart is yours. And it will stay that way for a very long time." He winked.

"How... how do you know that?" The Winchester managed to ask.

"Well, who do you think sent her to you on that hunt last year?"

Was he really serious? This was getting weird and ridiculous.

"Dean?"

Y/N voice sounded through the house and Dean looked over to the livingroom, seeing her standing there and taking her jacket off. The cold was really getting to him now and all he wanted to do was to go inside and take the woman he loved into his arms and let her bodywarmth wash over him.

But, when he turned around to say goodbye to Mr. Harris he was already gone. And than he could here the bells ringing again. What? That was really weird.

Dean went inside and greeted his girl just like he wanted to and she welcomingly molded into him.

"There you are. Are you done with the firewood?"

"Yep. Just need to take it inside."

"Great. Oh..." Y/N pulled away from his arms a little. "We brought Mr. Harris with us."

"What?" Dean looked puzzled at Y/N.

"Yeah. He started to feel dizzy in church while he was handing out his presents. He's in the kitchen now and Sam's calling his son to come pick him up."

"But... but he... was..." Dean looked quickly out into the backyard.

"Is this okay with you?" Asked Y/N with worry in her voice.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course. Go back into the kitchen. I'll just got and bring in the wood real quick."

"Okay." Y/N mood enlighted a little more and she gave him a short kiss on his lips before she left.

Dean hurried outside and took a quick look around but there was noone to be found. And then he heard a laughter from above his head. Looking up, Dean couldn't believe his eyes. Right there, infront of the moon, was the dark silhouette of a sleigh that looked just like Santa Claus's.

And for once in his life, Dean Winchester truly believed that Santa is real.

@lyarr24

[pacifymebby]

t r o u b l e / chapter thirty three

Sonya

Despite their disbelief, and perhaps in some ways despite my own, when my brothers raised their brows and smirked down at me like we were all in on some kind of in-joke, I remained determined. Standing in front of them with my arms crossed over my chest, tears streaking my cheeks and brimming in my eyes as I looked up at them both with a fierce kind of defiance. It was a look that had they been asked they'd have said they'd not seen from their other sisters. Only me.

"Sonya love, have you ever actually cooked breakfast before?" Chuckled Arthur not realising the cold glare he would receive from me until it was too late. Until the steely look in my eyes had left him swallowing a lump in his throat whilst Tommy laughed at his sudden shyness.

"Fen no one's asking you to cook breakfast eh, we've not got the time anyway... If you want to help why don't you go put the kettle on, nice strong cup of coffee will see us right." Said Tommy, his own expression a little softer though he was still smirking too, still laughing at me quietly, thinking I couldn't tell that he was laughing at me quietly.

So I fixed him with the same determined glare and I tried my best to strike the same icy warning into his heart. But his had always been impenetrable and so he didn't flinch. Only patted me on the cheek and let his lips tug into a small closed lipped smile before sending me on my way.

And because I wasn't Sylvie I did as I was told. Stormed through the hallway and into the kitchen, feeling the cool of the stone floor on my feet, wishing it would cool the humiliation burning inside me and on my skin so that no one else could witness my childish temper. The tears which had flushed my cheeks the way they would have done a little girl.

I put the coffee pot on the stove and lit the gas burner watching it with determined eyes. I held myself with my arms around my body, fingers grazing my shoulders, trying to hold myself together and soothe my wild emotions. It all felt so tight, so overwhelming, this choked up feeling in my chest and in my throat as I tried to hold back the tears.

They'd laughed at me, I'd wanted to help and they'd chuckled and dismissed my concerns the way they always had ever since I was a little girl. Me and Sylvie had always been those sisters, the ones who couldn't possibly understand, the ones who were too sweet for their own good and so we're affectionately smirked at and dismissed with ease.

Even now when it was Sylvie we were all so fucking concerned for. They still couldn't spare me a shred of seriousness.

I flinched when I felt hands on top of mine over my shoulders. A startled breath escaping me as my body stiffened.

"Use the cafetiere," Aunt Pol's voice was husky but warm, she sounded like she'd spent the night out in the gardens and when I remembered what Bonnie had told me the night before I couldn't help but smirk. "That's how I like to slow them down when their reckless schemes start running away with them." She rubbed her hands over my shoulders, holding me back against her in a motherly embrace. One which didn't help me hold back my tears. "Now, what's this I hear about you spending the night snuggled up with a gypsy lad eh?" She asked with a teasing light in her eyes when she spun me around to face her, trying to distract me by painting a blush on my cheeks.

I'd hardly thought of Bonnie since my brothers had returned to the manor covered in blood, that wild murderers look in their hollow features. Now that Polly had reminded me of the way I'd spent the early hours of the morning cradled in his gentle arms, it was hard not to think of anything else. Hard to ignore the twinge of guilt the butterflies in my tummy evoked.

So I looked at her with my head cocked and smirked.

"Could ask you the same question..."

And when I said that her eyes went wide and her smile grew to a grin of disbelief, her laughter a low chuckle as she feigned spanking my cheek.

"Cheeky little girl!" She laughed, though she didn't deny my suggestion and her smile told me everything I needed to know.

That Bonnie had been telling the truth. But more than that, she was happy. Really happy.

"You look so shocked Pol," I said slyly, my smile teasing now, my blush faded at the sight of hers, "don't you know no one gets to keep secrets in this family..."

I hadn't meant to wipe the smile off her face or leave her with a guilty shadow in her eyes. I'd only been teasing, thought we were in on the joke together but when I saw the way her face fell I felt another shard of guilt through my heart.

"Oh Pol I'm..." I began but she shook her head, smile twitched in the corner of her mouth.

"Don't be sorry love," she said, "I'm as sure it's true as anyone else..." she said taking the pot of the stove and filling the cafetiere. "There's a trolley love," she said, "and a tray... The trick is to force them to slow down... You want them to eat when they're in this state? You have to trick them into it... Fuckin thick headed cunts the lot of them..."

"Men in general or just my brothers?" I asked dryly as I arranged a vintage tea set and placed the cafetiere at the center of the tray on the trolley.

"There are some..." she mused, that twinkle in her eyes as she looked at me, "and when you find one you make sure to do much more than cuddle up on the sofa for the evening my girl..." she winked before sending me on my way.

I rolled my eyes, kept the thought to myself.

That I already had found one. That I already had done more than cuddle up on the sofa for the evening. That the evidence of that was growing in my womb cradled inside me. Terrifying me.

"Well well," chuckled John when I disturbed the peace in the dining room with the rattle of the trolley. "There was me thinking we'd spoiled you so much you didn't know where the kitchen was..." he teased, leaning back in his chair, his legs kicked up on the dining table as he scrolled his phone.

The kids were in the living room and the sound of cartoon network could be heard through the open doors. The television turned up a little too loud, probably on purpose.

I knew what they were like my brothers see, turn the TV up and shut the kids in the living room out of the way, let the kids think they're pulling one over on the adults by staying in there quietly, watching the TV all morning instead of going outside or doing their homework. They'd probably feel so proud of themselves, so mischievous and clever. Really it was just their dad's wanting them out the way for a few hours whilst they ironed out the details of their next dark deed.

"Ain't for you..." I narrowed my eyes at him but the smirk on my lips was enough to let him know I didn't mean it.

"Don't know if you've noticed Fen but I'm the only one here..." he grinned, the kind of shit eating grin he'd always been able to piss me off with. More so that morning because I knew he was right, I'd noticed Tommy and Arthur's absence the second I'd walked in.

The fact that I'd been breaking silence was enough to tell me that my brothers had once again tried to manipulate the situation, even if only so they could sneak away without so much as a coffee. So that they could push my concerns and Pols concerns to the side. Carry on charging ahead as if they were the only people in the world that mattered.

But whatever they'd been planning they'd failed. That much became apparent when Arthur came stumbling through the door, arms raised above his head in surrender ducking out the way of a whipped tea towel.

"Now you fuckin get in there, sit yourselves down and drink your sodding coffee! Your sisters been thoughtful enough to brew it so you'll bloody well sit down and enjoy it!" Scolded Polly following him into the room, turning with her hand on her hip to Tommy who stood in the doorway watching as his brother fell into a chair at the dining table. His freshly washed hair still dripping wet onto his new shirt.

Tommy chuckled, stroked his chin as he took in the sight of his defeated brother, as he looked between me and Polly and shook his head.

"Fuckin women..." he shook his head, a smirk on his lips which didn't fly with our aunt.

"Fuckin women are the only reason any of you daft cunts are still alive!" She said sharply, "now sit down Thomas..."

"Alright, alright.." he chuckled pulling a chair out from the table, sitting down slowly, too casually. Pols scolding leaving no mark on him as he folded the collar of his shirt down and finished doing up the buttons.

The two of them had clearly been so much determined to leave before we could notice, that they'd barely dressed themselves, shoes on before their shirts were tucked in or their watches were set.

"Alright," sighed Tommy, "we'll drink the fuckin coffee... " He sat back in his chair, arms resting on the arms, looking up at Polly with that quiet, smirking sort of challenge in his eyes. Like he was laughing at us both quietly. But he wouldn't dare laugh at Polly.

"Thank you Fen, you shouldn't have..." nodded Arthur a little stiffly, his voice gruff as he raised his empty mug in my direction awkwardly.

Tommy watched me as I reached for the press, pushing it slowly with a trembling hand. I couldn't tell you why I was so nervous but in that moment I felt all the weight in the world pushing down with me, felt like everyone in the room was watching me. Like the rising tension was dependent entirely on me. If I made one wrong move, pushed the press a little too quickly, if I spilt any when I poured them each a cup, the whole thin conversation would tear in two. I felt the words rush from me before I knew what I was asking or why I was asking it.

"You said he hasn't hurt her?" I asked in the same moment Arthur opened his mouth to break the silence too. We'd always been the same side of nervous.

"No Fen, he hasn't hurt her." Said Tommy calmly. It was unnerving the way his expression didn't change.

"Good," I said, I could hear the slight rattle of metal on metal as my trembling fingers hovered over the cafetiere. Knew I was only talking now to drown it out. "That's good."

"Thomas..." started Pol, she hasn't sat down, had remained standing there in my periphery, in shadow. When she spoke now it was with conviction, a desperation she was trying to hide from me and me only.

And then Tommy let out a sigh, one of those long drawn out sort of sighs. The kind I knew would be followed by a question. The kind of question I knew was going to start another fight. I just hadn't expected his question to be directed at me.

"What are you doing making us coffee for Fen?"

"Just drink your fucking coffee Thomas for fuck sake..." started Polly, the roll of her eyes enough to leave Arthur smirking like a naughty school boy. But Tommy didn't seem to notice at all.

"No really, Fen... what are you doing? You shouldn't be making us fuckin coffee..." and suddenly although he spoke quietly, I could see a kind of worn out frustration in his eyes. In the way he held my gaze when I froze with the cafetière hovering above Arthur's coffee cup.

"I mean, now that we're here brother, it has been a long night and a coffee would probably take the edge off the drive down..." Started Arthur, only trailing off when Tommy raised his hand to silence him, moved his cold eyes from me to our older brother without a word.

I looked between them, the cafetière feeling heavy in my hands as I found myself frozen. Waiting for permission to pour Arthur's mug.

"Didn't I always say that you and your sister, and Finn for that matter, didn't I always say that you three weren't gonna grow up into all this?"

"It's just coffee Tom..." started Arthur, his brow knitted in confusion.

I however already understood.

"No," Tommy shook his head, "no brother, it ain't just coffee at all.. see you think its just coffee to begin with and thats the trouble, you think its just one cup of coffee the morning after the night from hell but it ain't, that fuckin coffee is just the seed and before you know it its a hot cup of coffee whilst she's washing the blood from our shirts and then next time she's cleaning our wounds, and then maybe one day she'll learn to fuckin pull a bullet from our arm and patch us back up and then the next thing you know she's there at the very fuckin heart of it watching as the gun gets fired... and if you ain't fuckin careful the next time a gun goes off it'll be her finger on the trigger eh..."

I didn't realise I'd been pouring until I looked down and saw it spilling over the rim of Arthurs cup into the saucer.

"It's never just a cup of coffee..." finished Tommy looking only at me. Holding my gaze as I remained frozen like a deer in the headlights.

I didn't realise I was still pouring until it began to trickle over the edge of the saucer onto the table cloth.

"Shit...sorry Arthur..." I whispered when I felt his hand on my wrist to steady me, taking the cafetière from my hands and placing it down on the table.

"Never you mind love, never you mind..." he said warmly, a wry grin on his lips when John piped up.

"Aye Fen, s'only a fuckin coffee after all..." he sniggered, "christ Tommy, you think she's made you one cup of coffee so now she's got a taste for the criminal fuckin underworld... our Fen's gonna start sleeping with a gun under her pillow just cause she knows I take two sugars in me tea?" he was grinning, laughing into his sleeve but Tommy was still starring fixedly at me.

"Bloody theatrics Thomas," scolded Polly as she shook her head and sat down, her arms folded across her chest. "Enough fuckin theatrics, this melodrama ain't gonna bring my little niece home is it? If you care so much about what your sisters do and don't see I suggest you focus on Sylvie in the lions fuckin den eh?"

"Thats where we was going ain't it Pol.. you're the one who stopped us ain't you..."

Tommy reached across the table to pour himself a cup of coffee. He fixed me with the same determined sorry look in his eyes once more but this time I didn't look away. I couldn't. Something about that unspoken apology had me captivated by morbid curiosity.

I knew I wasn't going to like what he had to say for himself and yet I wanted to hear it all the same.

"I mean it Fen," he said without acknowledging Polly or Arthur, speaking to me as if it was only me sitting at that table with him, "You ain't here to look after us and I don't want you anywhere near any of this from now on..."

"I live here now remember Tommy." I said quietly, determined to hold his gaze despite the nerves that sparked inside me. "I can't fuckin leave."

"All the same... wasn't right you seeing us the way you did this morning, it wasn't right and I'm sorry..."

"Fuck your sorry..." I fixed him with a glare, fists clenched so that my nails stung my palms. And I meant it. Couldn't forgive him for dragging me all the way here, holding me prisoner in my own fucking family home only to announce so surely that I wasn't to be part of the family. That I wasn't to help at all. That my other brothers were giggling about all the ways in which I wasn't like them. That even my aunt was smirking a little because Tommy's melodrama had left me the butt of another one of Johns stupid jokes.

"Fen..." groaned Arthur seeing my temper, one which never really rushed me the way that Sylvie's did her. One which seemed to spring up in a flurry of tears instead.

Tears they could all no doubt see were brimming in my eyes then as I stood there trying to be angry instead of just hurt.

"Fuck your sorrys, you're my fucking brothers," I sniffled, "you found my sister..."

"Aye but we shouldn't have fuckin lost her..." Said Arthur, his gruff voice laced with a guilt I knew ran deep.

"Either way," I said, doing my best to hold myself together, my arms folded over my chest more to keep myself secure than anything else, "if I want to make you coffee I'll make you fuckin coffee."

For a moment the room was silent. Arthur looking at his hand holding his coffee a little too tightly. John looking down at his lap, his smirk still sitting unrivalled on his lips. Tommy still just looking at me, just watching. Somewhere behind his eyes the cogs were turning and he was organising and compartmentalising every feeling that had rushed out of me and into him.

I felt the flush or irritation, my anguish and embarrassment as the tears began to trickle down my cheeks and I began to cry. I was only humiliating myself. Only proving to them once again that Tommy was right, that I shouldn't be allowed anywhere near them or "it" because I wasn't made for this world. I was made for something else, some other life lined with cotton wool, softened by wealth and a good school.

I wanted to leave. Wanted to runaway from them again but as if he could read my mind Tommy pulled out the empty chair beside him and told me to sit down. And because the rush of anger had already left me, I did as I was told and I sat there, hands holding each other in my lap, starring intently at the empty coffee cup in front of me.

I didn't have the courage to look any of them in the eyes. Didn't have the tenacity to smirk along when John let out a chuckle and made some half hearted joke about the nuclear family.

"Y'know Fen," said Tommy, ignoring the chuckle John had drawn from Arthur, talking as if there wasn't a single other soul in that room but him and me, "you're all mam you are, ain't a shadow of our father in you..."

It was my turn to smirk then. Knowing what that really meant. Knowing that it was the kindest way he could possibly tell me I was least Shelby-like Shelby, that it was a wonder me and Sylvie were twins. That it was a wonder I was family at all.

"And thats a good thing sweetheart!" said Arthur leaning across the table to rub my shoulder, to pinch my chin and force my gaze up to his, "thats somat to fuckin smile about that is!"

Tommy had always said the same in softer words, assured me that it was a good thing but there were times I wasn't so sure. Time like just then, when I was sitting at a table with all of them, Polly with all her shadows and sinister memories, the troubles she'd survived because of her sharp spirit, my brothers who'd learned to breathe through the killing at an early age.

"Aye," nodded John, "imagine the hell you'd have put us through if you were both like fuckin Syl eh?"

I didn't say a word, just sat there trying to catch my tears on my long sleeves, trying to control the sobs which were always so difficult to catch up with once they'd started.

Tommy poured me a coffee and I tried to say thank you but when my voice caught in my throat my eyes welled up tearful once more so I shook my head, forced a tight closed lipped smile and did my best told hold my hands steady enough to hold my cup.

"Right well," said Tommy, both hands on the arms of his chair as he stood and broke the silence, "enough of my fuckin theatrics eh?" he said, "Arthur come on, we're wasting precious time ain't we, wouldn't want those lions to turn now would we..."

"Thomas..." said Polly, her voice shadowed with the same warning from before. Her chair scraped across the floor sharply as she stood. Her hand hesitant to reach out to her nephew. She looked desperate. A still and silent desperation, one which wanted to scream but couldn't. She was trying to control it but these days the darkness she felt inside had a tendency to seep into every corner of the room.

"Not now Pol, you're the one who wanted us to focus on Fen..." he said gesturing for Arthur to follow him as they turned to the dining room door and Polly began to scramble after them.

"Yes but Tommy!" her voice was shredded, shaking, she sounded so scared, too scared for that quiet early morning dining room, "Thomas wait! Tommy!" she called catching him, snatching at his shirt sleeve only to be shrugged off, ducking beneath his arm and snatching at his collar instead. Forcing him to a standstill as she looked up at him with fierce but desperate eyes. Wild, almost manic. It was a fear I'd never seen before. One which had me stand slowly, shakily to my feet. One which left a hollow feeling between my heart and my throat.

"Tommy please! Just... just fucking listen to me alright, you can't go!"

"For god sake Pol!" he snapped, his temper flaring as he tried to push her away and she tightened her grip, her fingers threatening to tear his clothes. "You want us to bring her home don't you?" he asked, cutting her off when she tried to argue, her 'yes but...' broken in two by Tommy's sharper tone, "don't you?"

"But not like this! Not now! Tommy you don't understand... you aren't listening to me, to what I've seen!"

And when she said those words I saw John roll his eyes. Heard him push his own chair back and felt his presence behind me, his hands on my shoulders.

"Cmon Fen," he sighed, "don't need to watch this..."

"Enough!" snapped Tommy, his voice lowering when he pushed her up against the fireplace, the hearth digging into the back of her neck, her wide eyes rabbit like as she stood her ground, whole body shaking. This cloudy kind of panic in her eyes.

"Tommy what the..." I started, Arthur's voice drowning mine out as we protested, the same pitiful "be careful," that went ignored.

John tried to shift me a pace forward but I couldn't move, couldn't take my eyes of my brothers, off my aunt who looked petrified. Not of Tommy, not of the threat on the tip of his tongue or the way he held her, but of something else. Of what she'd seen.

"Cmon Fen..." whispered John with a little more urgency, "trust me lass these turns are never easy to watch..."

"John what turns?" I whispered, "what do you mean turns? What's wrong with her?" I asked quietly, voice shaking as I looked on in horror.

"Enough now Pol! Eh?" Tommy held her face in both his hands, his own face so close to hers she must have been able to feel his breath on her cheeks. "Enough," he said a little quieter.

"Listen to me Tommy, Thomas please, you don't understand... you can't go now... you'll get her back but not... not this way not like this, please Thomas don't look at me like I'm crazy you know I'm not fucking crazy... this is the truth you just don't want to accept it... please Thomas listen to me!" she hissed, her voice a low whispered mumble, frantic, words tripping over words. "what about Michael Tommy, I told you about Michael... didn't I... I saw him Tommy, I saw him and then... just the same... just like this... Thomas, I saw him!" she implored him, her horror washing over Tommy like water he couldn't feel as he looked at her with a growing sadness and shook his head. There was something so hopeless about them both then, the way they gripped one another too tightly, the way she looked to him with all this desperation, this certainty that he would give in if only she could get through to him. The way he looked at her the way you look at all lost things: wondering how they'd gotten there.

Even when John pushed me a little harder, forced me to leave the room with him I was still watching her. Couldn't take my eyes off her until she was out of sight. Her manic eyes clouded over. She'd said she wasn't crazy but it was a kind of madness, the fear which had gripped her, driven her to that wild panic.

I watched my brothers leave in the range rover not twenty minutes later. The blacked out windows reflecting the early morning sun. Tires crunching gravel as they rolled slowly out of the driveway. I watched them from my bedroom window, holding myself carefully, still thinking about that morning. The fireplace digging into the back of Pollys neck. The sorry look in Tommys eyes when she'd started mumbling. Her distressed whispers going round and round in my head.

I stood watching the garden, not really seeing the garden at all. Seeing neither the empty driveway nor the rain gathering in puddles which saturated the grass and the flowerbeds. Left mud seeping between the stones. It was a grey sky overhead, a gathering gloom. The rain in the night had carried through to morning and the world seemed stubborn to stay the same. Stubborn like a fucking Shelby.

The bedroom was dark because I hadn't turned the lights up that morning and the sunlight wasn't strong enough to poke through the grey. So the room was shadowed as if the clouds hung from my ceiling and as I thought about Polly, wondered where she was now, I felt as in shadow myself.

And perhaps that's why I didn't notice his shadow in the doorway, didn't notice him at all until he'd tapped three times and my name had left his lips a little too softly to be heard above the rain. Still, he'd reached me somehow and I turned sharply, startled by him though I shouldn't have been.

"Sorry..." he said when he saw my wide eyes, saw how pale I was, how cloaked in shadow, "didn't mean to..." he trailed off, like he'd noticed something just behind me but really it was just me, just the grey which lingered under my red rimmed eyes. He could see everything I'd seen that morning haunting me. "Been looking for you."

"Not a very good bodyguard then are you," I said a little too stiffly, my smile a little delayed so that at first I sounded sharper, more sullen than I'd meant to, "I've been in my room all day... isn't that the first place you'd want to start looking?"

"Had a sneaky feeling you didn't want to be found straight away..." he said his eyes meeting mine with a quiet understanding.

"Clever boy." I forced a smirk, tried to roll my eyes and joke along. Struggled to hide the struggle.

"You don't need to worry about Pol," he said then, his voice had the same shadow in it I recognised from the way my brothers often spoke, I knew he was trying to say more, "she's staying with me da, down by the river, he reckons it'll settle her, the trees and the water an all..." he trailed off, realising perhaps that I wasn't quite listening. Realising perhaps that when he'd mentioned the river, the trees, my mind had followed Pol blindly to the edge of the estate. That telling me she was alright wasn't going to stop my mind wandering always back to the mornings theatrics. The fireplace digging into her neck. The words which had tumbled so troubled from her lips.

"She said she saw Michael..." I said, "do you know what she meant?"

In truth I had a feeling I already knew exactly what she'd meant.

"No lass," he said softly, "don't know your aunt Pol half as well as I should all considered," he added with a cheekier smile as he slipped inside the bedroom and closed the door, leaning back against it until it clicked shut, waiting a moment more before he lowered his voice "but I'll take you down to the camp later, you can ask her yourself eh? Just don't mention it to your brother cause he'll have me balls..."

"But..." I started, mouth opening and closing. There was still so much space between us, me leaning against the window frame, him the doorframe. My eyes fixed on his through the low grey light. There was something so haunted, so weary about the scene and yet still he was smirking. Still he didn't seem scared at all. Unphased by the darkness I'd felt closing in on me all day. "What's wrong with her?" I asked, "why won't they let me see her?" I felt the panic rise in my throat. The doomed worry. Id been ruminating on the trouble all day, thinking of all these different illnesses and conditions that could explain Tommy's sorrow, that hopeless sigh which had left John earlier that morning when he'd tried to steer me away and out of earshot. Dementia, Schizophrenia, Psychosis, some kind of post traumatic stress induced breakdown. All would have been more logical ways of explaining away my aunts outburst, and in truth it would have been more comforting to believe that she really had been suffering some kind of hallucination. But I wasn't stupid.

"They think she's ill," said Bonnie his voice grave, "she ain't though, just like anyone else who gets a bad feelin about somet and trusts it..."

"Gypsy shit?" I asked only able to smile when he split a grin and laughed.

"Aye," he said shaking his head a little, relieved to see me smiling along with him, relieved that for a moment that shadow had been lifted, "aye its gypsy shit..."

"Oh," I said feeling a little flutter of relief, a strange frenzied butterfly feeling inside me as my smile grew and his eyes lit up a little. No more shadows. "Well thats good," I said nodding, "good I'm glad."

"Well, little miss Glad," he chuckled, "actually came looking for you because I thought you might like to come watch your bodyguard in action... y'know, see just how tough I am..." he held up his fists as if to demonstrate his fighters prowess but couldn't hold the serious face for long enough and when he cracked another grin I couldn't help but laugh at him, already straying from the window towards him when he shook his head and nodded me over.

"Promise it won't be half as boring as you think."

"Two men punching each other?" I raised my brow, tried not show him how I was smiling as he opened the door for me and I stepped carefully beneath the arch of his arm.

"Trust me... it'll be good... you'll definitely enjoy it, bodyguards guarantee..."

"You seem pretty confident..." I said turning back to look at him over my shoulder, unable to take my eyes off him when I saw his cheeky smile and the way it lit up his eyes. How even in this shadowy house he could lighten the way.

"Aye," he grinned, "I'm about to wipe the floor with your big brother after all..."

I gasped at that, hands covering my mouth as I tried to hold back my disbelieving laughter.

"You train with John?" It wasn't astounding I suppose, it was just that John seemed bulkier than Bonnie and it was hard to imagine my brother taking any kind of training seriously.

"No," chuckled Bonnie, "Johns a lazy bastard, usually train with me cousins, your Arthur's been teachin me some tricks... Sometimes I train with Isaiah but..." he trailed off, fingers tangling in the hair at the bottom of his neck, the dark curls scrunched in his half closed fist.

"But what?" I held back my smirk, I could tell he was holding back, trying to be polite.

"Nothing," he grinned sheepishly, "ignore me miss Gray, forgot who I was talking to for a moment there... Come on I'll show you the..."

"No," I stopped, reached out for his t-shirt to stop him too, "go on tell me what you were going to say!" I grinned, my smile wider than I realised, eyes lit up until he turned and caught my gaze. A shyness I couldn't understand sucker punching me the second his eyes met mine. And it shouldn't have, because he was smiling too and his eyes were lit just the same.

"There you go another Shelby, making your demands of me!" He grinned, teasing me and enjoying the sight of my blush, my mouth opening and then closing when I realised I was stuck for something to say. And suddenly it felt like there was an unbridgeable distance between us again, the space between us taking on that stiff quality which made me feel so self conscious and certain I was getting everything wrong.

"Please?" I winced, hoping it was enough, hoping to hold onto whatever light-hearted relief this could be.

And it was. But when he made to close the gap between us, his hand grasping mine to tug me through a door into a hallway which smelt a little musky, I felt that shyness grip me a little tighter. Because suddenly he was standing so close to me, my body hesitant between his and the wall. His hand cupped between his mouth and my ear. He had that laughing tone in his voice when he spoke, warm, cheekier than I was used to. It almost put me at ease and yet something had me struggling to keep track of my breath.

"Thing is these days," he started, "Isaiah's too worried about his face to fight hard..." He said, his low voice tickling my cheek, making me giggle, my hand over my mouth like a little girl as I looked up at him with wide eyes, in awe rather than scandalised.

Because Bonnie must have known he fell below Isaiah in the hierarchy, but he didn't seem all that bothered at having insulted him. In fact he seemed to find himself really rather funny and I couldn't deny that he was right. Still, I couldn't let him get away with the cocky little smirk he wore just then.

"I guess that makes sense..." I said softly, "can tell you're not worried about yours."

His smirk faltered then but only for a moment and I didn't feel bad. I knew he could see through me, knew he could see me smiling, could see the blush which had crept up on me at the thought of having to insult him.

"Aye lass," he grinned, "the bruises actually enhance my rugged good looks..." he teased, his hand flat to my lower back as he guided me away from the wall and pushed me a pace forward down the hallway, through the spa's locker room and into the gym I hadn't realised was there.

Once I was inside however I realised swiftly that this was much like any other of those rooms allegedly designed by Tommy with me and Sylvie in mind. Detailed. It was just a gym but I could tell it had been laboured over.

The wall of mirrors and the barre which ran parallel to it. The sprung wood flooring. The boxing ring almost seemed out of the place. The punch bags looked like an afterthought.

But it wasn't really the gym I was enamoured with just then. Because as stunning, if not surprising as it was, the effort which Tommy had gone to for his absent little sisters, it was difficult to focus on the spring in my footsteps as I stood on my tiptoes and then rolled back down, a little jump to test the give.

Difficult because upon entering the room Bonnie had seemingly forgotten all about me. His focus on the fight he was there to train for. And in his moment of forgetting he'd turned with his back to me and tugged his t-shirt over his head, the muscles in his shoulders rippling as he scrunched his shirt up in his first and discarded it.

He was looking at himself in the mirror, concentrating on wrapping his hands, head turned down slightly.

And I was stood still, a little bewildered by the way I felt then. The awkwardness, the blush burning my cheeks. He looked strong and when I thought back on what he'd said about my partner dropping me at school, I realised now why he'd been able to dismiss them so easily. There was no way Bonnie would have dropped me. No way he'd have noticed the weight of me in his arms at all.

"What dya reckon then lass, I was right wasn't I? You could practice your dancin to your heart's content in here no?" Asked Bonnie turning to look at me over his shoulder, bending down to pick up a towel from the bench where he'd just abandoned his t-shirt.

I struggled for a moment to say anything. Eyes still wide and unable to stray from his chest. His muscular shoulders. It wasn't like I hadn't seen him like this before and yet somehow today he really did have me speechless. That was until my brother stepped up behind me, his hands clamping down on my shoulders. His smirk in my ear making my cheeks burn red.

"Well lass? Ain't you gonna answer the poor lad, our Bonnie just asked you a question?"

AN// sorry if this is short and/or boring I feel like fuck all is happening atm but I promise it is going somewhere!!!!

Taglist

@inalovesrabbits-blog

@cocoaflowers

@zablife

@jomarch-wannabe

@itsghostgirlyo

@marwwfairy

@toddlerbodybag

@everysage

@tommyshelbyswhore

@kas3ylovesyou

@kxnnxy

@starrykitn

@call-sign-shark

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@galactict3a

@darkcastle167

@liliac-dreamer

@impossibleheartflower

@mollybegger-blog

@vanhelsingsbigtoe

[hannah-heartstrings]

Heart Warmed

Thiefguard fluff for the @tescheer prompt: treat.

I just wanted to write some quick fluff and play with prose, but it turned out a tad longer and more emotional than I planned because of course it did.

Happy New Year everyone! And a big thank you to everyone who's read my fics this year, your support has meant so much. 🫶

@druidx @babyblueetbaemonster @inkysqueed

---------

            Cheydinhal marketplace swirled with activity from people and snow.

            Lecrinn stood at the edge of a small crowd, listening to Morrowind flutes, and shivering at the cold that left a pink tint on her face. At movement beside her, her head whipped to see Garrus. “Where’d you sneak off to?” Her face wrinkled in confusion. “How’d you sneak off?”

            With a smile, he offered a tankard.

            “What’s this?”

            “A hot cacao drink from Elsweyr, I was told you’d like it.”

            Taking it, she looked down the tankard, steam wafting up to warm her nose and fill it with a sweet rich scent. Sipping it, she was filled with chocolate flavored warmth. “Mmm,” she closed her eyes with a big smile, “they were right.”

            He beamed.

            Opening her eyes, her smile fell a little. “Where’s yours?”

            “Oh, uh,” he looked like that thought hadn’t crossed his mind.

            She huffed and walked off. Finding the cart, she placed some coins on it. “Another one please, it’s very good.”

            “Thank you, miss,” there was a smile in the khajiit’s voice. He ladled the liquid from a pot over a fire and into a tankard. Handing it to her, she handed it to Garrus.

            He took a careful sip before looking surprised, it quickly turning into a smile.

            She smiled back before taking another gulp of hers. Seeing something behind him, her eyes widened. “Ooh!” she ran off, he chasing after. She ran up to a breton selling croissants. “These will go great with it.”

            Soon they sat on a bench with their treats.

            “Are these enchanted?” Lecrinn stared down her tankard. “How is it still warm?”

            “Maybe it has fire salts in it?”

            “In that case I might’ve found something worth braving atronachs for,” she laughed before suddenly looking nervous. “I mean, not that-” Looking up at him, she stopped.

            His eyes looked soft and understanding, telling her that she didn’t have to pretend.

            She let the smile she was trying to force just fall as she looked down. “Not that… I even fight them, I just run past.”

            “I think being able to outrun a daedra while it throws fire at you is amazing.”

            She gave an unhappy smile. “Thanks, so’s your ability to always find something nice to say about me.”

            His face fell, looking hurt. “That isn’t hard, honestly it isn’t. You manage to run through the plains of Oblivion, never stopping till you’ve won, is that not amazing?”

            Her eyes turned up to him, his pleading with her to believe him. She looked back down with a shy smile. “I guess so…”

            He smiled sadly.

            “Thanks, I guess I spend so much time scared that I forget.” Looking at him, her face pulled into a slight smirk. “You know… you’re pretty amazing yourself.”

            Blushing, he looked away unsure. “Well, thank you.”

            “Hey!” She scooted closer to elbow his arm. “I mean that just as much as you meant yours.” Her voice softened, “I might be saving the world but its people like you who keep it from falling apart.”

            His face fell into a surprised realization. Facing forward, his eyes turned to her with a small, touched smile.

            “And as hard as you work, you’re especially doing a good job. I mean,” she looked down with a shy smirk, “not just anyone could change my mind about guards,” looking back up the smirk overtook the shy, “I can be pretty stubborn.”

            He turned more to her with a laughing smile. “I’ve noticed.”

            She giggled a little back, his smile widening. Starting to blush, she looked away, taking a bite of her croissant and frowning as she chewed the cold bread.

            A breeze went by, she shivering, snow swirling, and the steam from her mug trailing after the wind.

            Seeing the steam, Lecrinn dipped her bread into the drink, the chocolatey and buttery flavors combining in a warm bite. “You’ve got to try it this way!” She turned back to Garrus with an excited smile, he already returning it. “They’re even better together.”

            He tried it, smiling wide, his eyes seemed to sparkle at her. “You’re right!”

            She decided not to look away this time, rosy cheeks raising as her eyes twinkled back.

            The snow picked up, but they stayed warmed by their drinks and hearts warmed by each other.

[dent-de-leon]

Once again, throwing my Molly thoughts upon you.

Sometimes I think about the times Molly is like extra soft with kids. Like Toya and that little firbolg child. I know there was a little bit of contention with how distant he was from Kiri, but I think it made sense because he and the Nein are a travelling adventuring group sent out on a dangerous task for the Gentleman, and like that is not safe for a growing baby Kenku, no, sir.

And sometimes I think that if he were to reconcile with Aldreda and meet his niece and step-nephew, he be so fucking great with them.

Yes!! I can't get over how compassionate Mollymauk really is ;; I think a lot about how Molly tries to hide the sight of Kylre's body from Toya, to shield her from the worst of it all...

When Molly was lost and all alone in the world, it was Toya who first saved him; he followed her song back to the carnival. To his new home. Toya reminisces fondly on how they both found their voice together, were able to really connect and anchor each other.

"The newest people we've had are Mollymauk and Yasha...He came after I did. We both found our voice together. I was very scared, and he wasn't talking--and together, we helped each other learn to have fun again."

Molly only lived a very short two years. In some ways, I imagine he still feels a bit childlike--and wouldn't be surprised if Toya still thought of herself as Molly's protector as much as he was hers. After all, she's the one who first takes him in, who tries to convince the rest of the circus he should stay. When Molly stumbles into their camp naked and shivering, looking so desperately lost and all alone? She wants the circus to keep him like a stray kitten, to make him a part of their little family.

I think Molly is able to connect so well with kids because it wasn't too long ago that he was so young and vulnerable and new to the world himself. He admits to Beau, "Oh! I just realized--I never had a childhood," and seems to agonize a bit over that loss. He recalls of his early life at the circus that, "I was a bit out of it. It's hard to remember. I wasn't speaking really. Do you have...memories, from your childhood?...It felt like that. It was all bright and more meaningful than it should be. There was just nothing. I was practically catatonic; I was barely speaking."

So it's easier for Molly to understand kids I think, because he still feels like his own childhood was just two years ago, because he's still finding his way in the world--still the Fool at the beginning of his journey.

I think about how Molly and Toya always had each other's backs. How Toya first brought him home, and then Molly picked her up in his arms and carried her away from Kylre's body. Promising her that everything would be okay. "I'm scared." "I know. It's going to be a bit rough, but it was for the best. I'm so sorry. Some people just turn. I'm so sorry...He got sick. There was something inside him. Something that made him do bad things, but it had to be taken care of. You're going to be alright."

He's gentle with her, comforting. When Jester reveals Kryle's head, Matt describes Toya as, "sobbing into your arms at this point. You feel her body shaking against her grasp." And Molly does his best to just hold on and reassure her. "I'm going to take her to the front of the boat and keep her far away from all that." Whenever Molly's being soft with Toya, I can't help but imagine it was exactly the same for Lucien with Aldreda.

As for the firbolg child, that always just breaks my heart; if this were any sort of scripted show, Molly being the one to comfort them and try to make them smile after everything, this moment of such compassion right before Mollymauk sacrifices himself...that would be a death flag if I've ever seen one. Mollymauk performing a little magic tragic to cheer up a child whose just lost everything? Completely fumbling it, but still being so earnest and warm, it made the kid happy all the same? Gifting him one of his own little trinkets, like a good luck charm?

The way Molly made sure to prioritize their comfort first, to check that he wouldn't scare them--because god, Molly's used to people only ever looking at him with fear. A devil, a demon, an outcast. But for just a moment, he's back at the circus putting on a show again, bringing a bit of joy to another lonely child? It's such a tiny thing, but it's another reminder of how much Molly's "choir practice" really means to him, how he really did try to leave every place better than he found it--

And the thing about Kiri is...even though Taliesin admitted Molly avoided ever getting too close to Kiri because he thought they were going to lose her, it's also very much because of Molly that she even survived to begin with.

In the swamp, Jester hears a desperate cry, and runs to help. Everyone else in the Nein try to tell her that it's a lost cause; they're not going to make it, it's too late, it's too much of a risk. Jester worries over what she should do, whether her chance to save them is already long gone.

And Molly? He's the one who makes a snap decision, who chooses then and there to go with Jester's instinct and try to protect this little creature in need. When he casts Enthrall, he ensures that they stay in the fight--and that Kiri isn't devoured right away. "Are we doing this? Well, we're doing this." It really feels like the deciding factor in whether or not Kiri was going to make it.

Molly is just...so soft hearted, and we see that side of him a bit in Lucien too. Especially with children or someone in need, Molly's always had this fierce protectiveness about him. I think a lot of it maybe stems from Lucien's own childhood--how he always tried so hard to shield his little sister from their parents, did everything he could to give her a better life. How he tended to his older brother's wounds after what their father did to him.

I want so badly for King to get the chance to reunite with Aldreda and his niece one day, I really do think he'd still be very good with kids, and very protective of the family he has left.

It just...breaks my whole heart that Lucien ached so terribly to be a part of their life, dreamed of it every day in the Claret Orders. Always imagined he'd get to come home one day and they'd be a family again. And even as Aldreda can't stand the very sight of him, wants absolutely nothing to do with him--it makes it hurt all the more that her other child clearly wants to know Lucien. He looks so excited to meet someone who looks just like his mom!! He gives Lucien a little wave before Aldreda sends him away! It just...really hurts to think that even though Aldreda herself turned him away, at least one of her children still wanted Lucien in their lives.

I can see Lucien's little niece and nephew maybe finding King one day, really wanting to get to know him--even though Aldreda wanted to burn that bridge. I don't think it'd ever stop them from being curious, from wondering why they've never met anyone from their mother's family or past. But when they're older, I can see them wanting to reach out to Kingsley, to reconnect. Especially if their mother is still as unhappy as she seemed that day.

I genuinely think the most tender moment we ever see of Lucien is when he tries to reach out to his niece for the first time. When he sees this baby tiefling that looks so much like his dear sister, the tiny bumps of her horns, her little round face...you can tell he's trying to be so very gentle and ginger with her, but the very moment he reaches for her, Aldreda reels back in disgust.

And it's his scars that make her react like that. The blood hunter scars from all the times he let himself get hurt chasing the desperate hope that he could ever see his sister again. That's just haunting. Of all things, it's Lucien's own pain and trauma that terrifies and reviles his sister the most. The final straw that makes him unworthy of being family to her. It's Aldreda seeing him as nothing but a stranger, a monster, another reminder of the horrific nightmare she always tried to forget.

"And what could you do for me? For us? You've been ignoring me for years, and at first it hurt, but then I came to realize it could be for the best. I could forget our family, leave the nightmares behind, make something good of my own...I don't recognize you anymore. Who knows what kind of danger you've brought to our doorstep just by coming!...You can't even tell me what you are now or what you've become!...It's too late, Lucien. It's too late. Maybe years ago, I don't know...I can't think properly. Just looking at you stirs up such evil feelings in me. It isn't fair, I know, but it's true. I look at you and I hear distant screams, I see again our brother's face leering, bloated with unnatural life."

Aldreda stabs him in the heart with every confession, every admission that her own brother terrifies her. That he just feels like some other terror of the past come back to haunt her. Lucien gave everything to try and spare his sister from their cruel parents and a bloodthirsty hag, but it still wasn't enough. It was never enough. He isolated himself, risked his life again and again, did whatever he thought was necessary to keep his sister safe--baring the scars of it all alone for years, trying to shoulder all that pain himself--and still. In the end...he's alone.

I think about Aldreda demanding, "How? How could we be a family again? I don't even know you." And Lucien's heartbroken promise that, "But you will know me. You could." And what hurts even more? I could see that same exact conversation playing out years later, between her and King. I want them both to have that kind of closure so bad. I want a oneshot where we get to see King meet his family again for the first time. A world where Aldreda would let her brother hold her child. A time where they can finally reunite and start to understand each other--

[red-n-stuff]

U asked for promots and im a litte mess thinking about darlin and sams wedding (bouns points if sam is the one to walk down the aile but that's your choice)

A Wedding!

You really had to come for my heart strings with this one- as soon as I read it I had the very vivid image of exactly what I wanted to write! I decided on going over the pre-aisle jitters more than the actual ceremony, I hope this still counts for my bonus points but I decided to take it a slightly different direction 😉

(This will be slightly more masc listener I.E them wearing a suit is mentioned, but still gender neutral pronouns throughout, also I couldn’t help the twilight references. The writing is on the wall for that one)

Darlin had never really thought about getting married before.

Well, of course they’d had the fantasies as a six year old with their stuffed animals all in a row, and the dress up clothes they’d snagged from the large trunk in the corner of their bedroom, but they had never truly considered it. Especially not once they hit about sixteen and everything started to collapse into a tailspin.

That’s the thing about happy dreams like that. They’re harder to have when the world around you seems like it’s on fire, and even by the times the flames are out that ever present caution around matches sticks with a person. It would be so easy to lose every thing that it’s almost better to take each day with whatever scraps they could rather than risk losing it all with one ill timed, errant expectation.

But of course- just like always, Sam had managed to see through them. To see what they wanted faster then they could recognize the want there within themselves. More giving and more loving than they could dare to ask for. More than that- he understood what it was for this to be happening at all.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Sam’s warm, southern drawl broke through the haze of their messy, gooey thoughts.

They blinked, glancing over at him and meeting his eyes. Realizing that they’d been toying with his engagement ring, on his hand instead of the one on their own.

They chuckled sheepishly, lacing their fingers in an attempt to calm the errant nerves.

“Just…nervous,” they answered honestly. Their leg taking up bouncing now that their hand had been deprived of a fidget. They were sitting together, still inside the house while they waited for everyone to get settled into their seats.

They had opted for something small and that suited Darlin just fine. They and Sam’s backyard converted into a downright near magical venue for the ceremony. Milo and Ash had really pulled out all the stops, even though they’d had to crush their dreams of helping to design a beach front wedding. They and Sam both had wanted to do this somewhere close and comforting- a minor balm to all of the nerves zipping through the both of them. And given their house was tucked up and away from all of the humdrum, in their own little corner in the forest, this was more than perfect.

Perfect or not though, that did very little to calm their racing heart.

Sam chuckled a little, squeezing their hands soothingly. His thumb rubbing slow circles into their skin.

“If there’s any good time to be nervous, your weddin’ day is certainly one of them.” Sam shifted, moving to hook their arms together rather than just their hands. “I feel like my heart is about to bounce right out of my chest.”

Darlin made a low sound of agreement, shifting closer to lean into their mate, resting their head against his shoulder with a slow exhale. They glanced up at him with the best puppy dog eyes they could manage, silently asking for a bit of comfort.

Sam chuckled and leaned to press a gentle kiss to the top of their hair. It had been dressed up as well, just like the rest of them. Flowers, hairspray, and a white suit. Traditional, but their own little spin on it. Just like everything else about this wedding.

“Just don’t let me trip.” They whispered, closing their eyes as Sam continued his kissed down to their forehead, to their cheeks.

“I wouldn’t ever let you fall, Darlin.” He promised quietly. The misty silver of his eyes meeting their own with a sort of playful seriousness that more than comforted the twitchy anxiousness that curled through their stomach. Sam’s free hand came up to gently cup their cheek, sealing the promise with a gentle kiss.

The two of them had decided, in the spirit of putting a twist on tradition, that they would come down the aisle together.

Neither of them had much in the way of family. No dads to see them off. But more than that even, they had started this journey together. They’d set down this path hand in hand, and had stayed that way from that first moment under the moonlight in the woods. It felt right for this to be no different. They were equals, by every measure.

They got lost for a moment in the easy comfort of Sam beside them. His lips tasting a bit minty with whatever moisturizer had been slathered on him during the preening process. They couldn’t help but chuckle a little, imagining Vincent imposing some twelve step skin care on him.

They would have to remember to thank him later, Sam looked absolutely radiant.

He pulled away from the kiss at the chuckle, his own slightly amused smile gracing his handsome face.

“What’re you chuckling about?” He asked, his thumb gently stroking along their cheek.

“Nothin,” they hummed, “just how much I love you.”

Their words had the exact effect they’d wanted, Sam’s cheeks pinking up the way they always did whenever they got soft with him. His gaze softening up. “I love you too’”

He kissed their forehead again, and they opened their mouth to say something else but trailed off as the music changed. The entrance song starting to filter in through the door.

Darlin worried their lip between their teeth for a moment. The nerves that had been soothed by Sam’s gentle affection prickling back up once more, their leg resuming its bouncing.

Sam puffed up his cheeks, exhaling slowly. “Guess that’s our cue then…” he hummed, moving to stand, keeping his hand twined with theirs.

“Let’s go get married, Darlin”

Darlin looked up at him for a long moment, hand tightening on his. They were getting married. This was really happening. All of the long, lonely nights, all of the fights and the tears they had both trudged through was all for this. This was the beginning of their happy ending.

“Yeah.” They said, voice a bit breathless as they stood, taking up a place beside him. “Let’s go get married.”