#we love what we love and we fall for who we fall for
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supportgaza · 2 days ago
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A Merry Christmas in Ireland while my Family in Gaza is Escaping Death Daily: Help me Evacuate and Reunite with my Family
Vetted by:
1. @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi # 151 on the spreadsheet of Vetted Gaza Fundraisers List]
2. @riding-with-the-wild-hunt Here .
One's family is the soul of his/her soul. Is there a life without a soul?
I would never wish for my worst enemies to be in my situation (being far away in safety while every member of my family is dodging the bullets, missiles, and shrapnel daily. They live in fear and are deprived of all the necessities for a humane normal life.
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I do NOT buy the manipulative misleading news about a ceasefire to be signed soon because we had heard such news countless times in the past year. Unfortunately, the genocide, chaos, loss, and killing will continue in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The atmosphere where I am in Ireland is filled with joy, gratefulness, Christmas songs and decorations, and the streets, cafes, and shops are filled with happy families. However, I look down into my heart and all I see is a broken heart filled with fear and agony. No words in the English language properly and aptly describes the fear that strikes my heart and spreads with blood through my body when my mother said: "The bombing never stops in our area and the quad copters fire their bullets at people walking in the street." Even the most gory and bloody horror movies can not reflect a portion of the terror and fear the has overtaken and consumed people.
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When I hear the work Nusairat, the area in central Gaza where my family is, I get a panic attack and suddenly lose sense of my surrounding. I hear news everyday about entire families including women and children being targeted by Israeli missiles made in American and Europe, and I fear for my family. Would not you, too? Me and you are not so different after all. We are made of flesh, bones and blood. We have dreams, ambitions and aspirations. We care and fear for our families and loved ones. So, what made our blood in Gaza so cheap? When did we turn into less of human beings?
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I can tell you without equivocation that we are damaged and broken beyond what you could possibly think. Entire cities in the Gaza Strip were flattened. My family's house in the north of Gaza was severely damaged and our city has turned into an unlivable ghost city.
From our family to all the families out there that care for Gaza and Gazans, please boost our campaign in whatever way you can and help us reach our final goal. Help my family evacuate and reunite in Ireland. While enjoying this Christmas break with your family and loved ones, please do not forget your brothers and sisters in Gaza who go through horrors you cannot begin to imagine.
My family is in a place where a missile can fall and tear them to pieces. We deserve to be together in a safe place away from the chaos, death, terror, and bullets. Please put your hand in mine as I strive to get them out of there. Please contribute to this noble cause in whatever way you can. Take whatever action; do something, please!
Please donate, reblog, and share.
We are at 64% of our final goal and getting closer to acheiving our final goal.
Tagging for reach <3 Please boost my family's campaign
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plutotheplum · 2 days ago
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Winter's Kiss
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sylus x fem!reader
summary: luke and kieran rope you into spending christmas at the n109 zone (and kissing their boss).
cw: fluff, soft!sylus, kissing under the mistletoe, luke and kieran being idiots, found family
wc: 2.7k
a/n: merry christmas eve/christmas my lovelies!! some fluff for the holiday season! here's to hoping sylus turns up under our christmas trees :)
also on ao3!
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Somehow, you’d ended up in the N109 Zone for Christmas.
It wasn’t like the barrage of texts from Luke and Kieran had weighed upon your decision, the rapid influx of messages from the twins demanding your presence for Christmas. That coupled with the image of Sylus alone on Christmas night hadn’t made your stomach churn and heart ache at all.
The year had been a tumultuous one. Wanderers, disturbing visions and wanted criminals had you on edge these past few months, so perhaps unwinding with said, now somewhat mellow, wanted criminals was warranted in some way. 
You heft the presents under your arms, moving your fingers to stabilize the wrapped goods when you feel one of them begin to slip. Shopping hadn’t been too difficult, although choosing a gift for Sylus had proved to be somewhat of a challenge. You weren’t sure whether to get him something heartfelt or to gift him a refurbished gun with new prototyped features that were advertised to the Hunter Association. 
The glittering streams of tinsel drags you out of your thoughts, a smile pulling at your lips as you imagine Luke, Kieran and Sylus decorating. You hear panicked, hushed whispers when you turn the corner, a laugh spilling out of you when you see the sight before you.
Luke perched atop Kieran’s shoulders, Kieran grumbling irritatedly when Luke flails and misses the tip of the Christmas tree, the golden star falling off only for Kieran to shift and have Luke catch it.
“It’s not that hard, you idiot,” Kieran grunts, his knees bending in an attempt to readjust to Luke’s weight.
“Then you try!” Luke protests.
“I thought you two were meant to be in tune,” you muse, stepping closer, over the strewn wrapping paper and bending down to add your presents to the growing collection under the Christmas tree. 
“We are,” they both say in unison, their eyes landing on you.
“You made it!” Luke says happily, squirming, “Boss will be glad.”
“ Really glad,” Keiran adds, his annoyance forgotten momentarily. “We’re glad too.”
You smile at them, crossing your arms over your chest. “It’s nice to see you guys too. Maybe you should try holding the star at the tip, Luke?”
“That’s what I told him!” Kieran says, letting out an aggrieved sigh. 
Luke huffs indignantly, adjusting his position yet again as Keiran steps closer to the tree, giving Luke some more leverage. It’s another failed attempt and Kieran is rolling his eyes, dumping Luke onto his feet unceremoniously. 
“You do me now.”
“What about her?” Luke asks, pointing at you.
“You could ask Mephisto,” you offer, pointing at the mechanical crow that was currently preening his feathers. “What do you say, buddy?”
Mephisto gives an indignant squawk, his little head turning away arrogantly, tending to his feathers with care.
“Nevermind,” you sigh, before looking towards the twins. “Kieran is taller than me, though.”
“Just get on,” Luke whines as he bends his knees, waiting for you to climb up onto his shoulders.
You open your mouth to protest, but there’s a warm hand curling over your hip, pulling you back gently, flush against a firm chest. “Let’s not badger our guest, hm?”
Deep and velvety, you have no doubts as to who this voice belongs to. Your head tilts back to find Sylus smirking down at you, his expression amused.
“Glad you could join us, sweetie. The N109 Zone isn’t usually so… festive.”
“Yeah, well, apparently you were missing me, so I figured I’d drop in,” you tease, a sly smile spreading across your face.
Luke and Kieran snicker until Sylus’ stern expression silences them, his hand squeezing at your hip in warning.
“I never said that.”
“Must’ve been the wind,” you murmur.
“Right,” Sylus deadpans.
You squeak when the red mist wraps around you, lifting you off of the ground, the golden star being thrust into your hand by the same swirling mist. The trio of men beneath you seem amused as the tendrils sweep you higher, closer to the top of the tree, giving you enough height to place the star right where it needs to be.
Sylus’ Evol dissipates as it sets you down onto your feet, the mist sweeping across playfully and making your dress flutter. 
“That’s one way to do it,” Kieran remarks, slinging his arm over Luke’s shoulders before they shoot each other knowing glances and disappear from the living room.
“You came,” Sylus says once the twins have left, his arms crossing over his chest.
“I did,” you reply, peering up at him, your hands clasping behind your back, “too bad you never sent me a personal invitation.” Sylus smiles, and you can’t help but think he looks softer in this light, the ruthless leader of Onychinus replaced by a man who seems less intense and more accommodating than usual.
“I figured Luke and Kieran would’ve gotten through to you,” he muses, his head tilting as he lets his gaze dip over you.
You do the same, taking in his sweater and trousers, trying to quell the inconvenient yet undeniable pull of attraction you feel towards him. 
“Well, they did,” you sigh, managing to drag your gaze back up to meet his, “although I can’t say I appreciated how many texts they sent.”
“The twins tend to get excited,” Sylus replies, reaching out towards you, his fingers tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.
It’s hard to not notice how Sylus’ touch lingers for a moment, his expression looking a little absent-minded as though remembering something from the past. Your brows furrow, unable to decide between asking him or letting his touch linger further. His hand drops away after a few moments before he clears his throat. 
“I made dinner,” he announces.
You laugh, eyes lighting up at the thought of Sylus in the kitchen. You don’t quite believe him though, not when Sylus had enough money to hire at least a dozen personal chefs.
“You’re not serious,” you say, head tilting in amusement.
“I am,” Sylus smirks, his hand landing on your lower back as he guides you forward, towards the hallway, “Luke and Kieran pitched in.”
“Now I feel special,” you muse.
“I suppose you are,” Sylus replies, his expression sobering, “to all of us.”
You’re taken aback by the sincerity in his words, heart giving way to a flutter that you attempt to squash down by pinching yourself, not that it helps. This sense of belonging isn’t what you’d planned on, warmth blooming in your chest as you stare up at Sylus and remember the twins. It’s nice, really, to be valued like this. You can’t help but think you could get used to it. 
Laughter echoes through the hallway as you and Sylus move through it. You startle when Kieran shouts, his voice urgent. 
“Don’t move!”
“Oh, look at that ,” Luke sighs dramatically, feigning innocence as he peers upwards, directing his gaze above you and Sylus.
Bewilderment flashes across your face until you hear Sylus let out a low laugh. You tip your head back, eyes narrowing when you spy the sprig of mistletoe hanging right above where you’re standing. Mephisto adds in something that sounds like a suspiciously happy squawk, and you stare at the crow, realising you’ve been betrayed. 
“Funny,” you say drily, shaking your head. 
Kieran sighs just like Luke, as though he can’t quite believe the situation. The cunning expression in their eyes gives them away. 
Devious, little brats.
“Well, you can’t move now,” Luke says, sounding positively aggrieved. 
“I suppose you’ll just have to kiss, isn’t that right?” Kieran says, looking towards Luke. Luke nods, a self-satisfied smile settling on his face. “Those are the rules.”
“What rules?” you shoot back, glaring at the pair of twins, “there are no rules. I could quite literally just walk away.”
“Christmas tradition !” Luke and Kieran both argue, their faces looking a little crestfallen when they hear the tone of your voice, “you have to kiss!”
You can feel your heart twinge at the earnest tone present in their voices, your eyes flickering up to meet Sylus’. Strangely enough, he doesn’t seem to have any protests, his gaze boring down into yours expectantly. 
“You seriously have nothing to say?” you grouse, head tilting.
“It’s just a kiss, sweetie,” he replies, his arm wrapping around your waist to bring you closer to him. “What’s the matter, hm? Afraid you’ll fall for me?”
“The thought is laughable,” you retort, trying to ignore the soothing squeeze of his hand against your side; the unrelenting warmth that was currently seeping into you and melting your hardened resolve.
“I suppose we’ll find out,” Sylus murmurs, his fingers gripping your chin to tilt your head. “We have time.”
“Move a little to the right!” Kieran calls out, waving his hand.
“What for?” you ask exasperatedly, feeling Sylus step closer, moving you with him.
“For- for the aesthetic !” Luke huffs out.
The twins look a little impatient as you stare at them, your brows furrowing further when you see Kieran whisper something to Luke.
Sylus doesn’t let you dwell longer on the twins’ antics, his calloused hand cupping your cheek to turn you towards him. 
“Merry Christmas, sweetie.”
Your eyes flutter shut as his lips slot over yours, your hand curling around his wrist. Sylus kisses you like he means it, lips soft yet insistent, his thumb smoothing over your cheek. You forget where you are momentarily, knees feeling weak as you fist his sweater pulling him closer, rising up on the tips of your toes to meet his kiss better.
Sylus tilts his head, deepening the kiss. Your stubborn resolve weakens pitifully and you can only think about how perfect this moment is, how good Sylus’ lips feel, how warm his embrace is-
There’s a blinding array of flashes, white sparking out from under your closed eyelids until your eyes snap open, head turning to the side to find both Luke and Kieran with cameras in hand.
“Oh, shit,” Luke begins.
“I thought the flash was off,” Kieran mutters, frowning.
You grit your teeth, taking one step towards them, your eyes narrowing. “Give that to me.”
Luke and Kieran hug their cameras to their chest protectively.
“Christmas memories,” Luke laughs nervously when he sees the determination in your eyes. “Wouldn’t- wouldn’t want to lose those.”
Kieran nods in agreement.
“Boss!” They cry out when the cameras get swept out of their hands by Sylus’ Evol, one of them landing in your hands.
You click through the images, heat blossoming in your stomach when you see how intimate the kiss looks, Sylus’ body pressed firmly against yours, his hand on your cheek. It’s romantic, your somewhat eager response, Sylus’ tight hold, all captured closely through the lens.
“‘s nice,” Sylus murmurs, his chest pressing up against your back as he peers down at the little camera screen.
“ No ,” you shake your head vehemently, “it’s not nice.”
“We look good,” he whispers, his voice dropping lower, lips brushing over the shell of your ear.
You try to ignore the way his hands feel on your hips, his body pressing a little closer into yours. It’s hard not to agree with him the longer you stare at the images though, you do look good, and Luke’s interjection about Christmas memories has you feeling a little forgiving. 
“Fine, keep them,” you sigh, handing the camera back to Luke whilst Sylus does the same to Kieran, “but don’t share them, please.”
Luke and Kieran nod enthusiastically and you snag onto Kieran’s arm before he can leave, your voice dropping to a low whisper.
“Send them to me,” you whisper, “and not a word to anyone.”
Kieran smiles deviously and you roll your eyes, reaching up to ruffle his hair. 
“You’re such a jerk, Kieran.”
“C’mon,” he whines, “you love us.”
You smile up at him, your arm hooking with his. “Maybe just a little.”
He snorts and you let out a laugh, following after Luke and Sylus who had left earlier, talking about something else. Dinner goes smoothly enough and you refuse to tell Luke and Kieran what their presents are, despite their whining.
You feed Mephisto little bites of your food, your finger petting his little feathery head gently every now and then. He preens at the attention, letting out an odd sounding chirp every now and then when you tap his little beak and offer him some more food.
Sylus is seated beside you and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stop stealing glances at the side of his face. The longer you stare, the more you can feel yourself falling deeper, a pressing crisis unfolding in your mind. 
Fuck . You think you might like him.
Deep rooted feelings of yearning never lead to any good, and yet, you were too impatient not to act on them.You wait patiently, fingers playing with themselves in your lap, for the perfect opportunity. 
It presents itself when Luke and Kieran break out into an insignificant quarrel, their eyes moving elsewhere. Sylus is already looking towards you and you’re leaning forward, cupping the back of his head to bring him closer, lips meeting his in a slow, sweet kiss. 
“What was that for?” Sylus murmurs when you break away, his eyes roving over the flush settling on your cheeks.
“No reason,” you reply nonchalantly, leaning back in your chair.
Sylus scoffs out a laugh, behaving seemingly unaffected. There’s a light flush dusted across his cheeks however, his tongue darting out to taste the remnants of you on his lips.
“This is for no reason too,” he says, grabbing your chin and pulling you closer.
You sigh contentedly when he kisses you, arms wrapping around his neck, your lips working against his a little feverishly as though you can’t get enough.
A cacophony of protests breaks out from the twins when they see you and Sylus kissing at the table.
“Gross! Get a room!”
You roll your eyes, breaking away from Sylus to peer over at them. 
“You were the ones that made us kiss,” you huff, crossing your arms over your chest.
“Yeah, we didn’t mean all the time,” Luke corrects.
“Deal with it,” Sylus interrupts, brushing a kiss to your cheek.
You hum happily, Sylus’ hand warm as it encases yours under the table. Luke pouts and Kieran mirrors him, both of them slumping back in their chairs.
You and Sylus get a little more privacy when you step outside, snow dusting across both of you, covering the shrubbery and trees. Mephisto swoops through the air, his mechanical wings flapping as he lands on a tree branch above. The icy chill of the wintery air isn’t so bad, not when Sylus is stepping up behind you, his chin resting on your shoulder as he holds you close to him.
“It was bound to happen,” he murmurs, kissing your cheek again as you stare up at the night sky, glittering with stars.
“You seem awfully sure of yourself,” you reply, squeezing his forearms.
“Let’s just say… I had an inkling. I know you, sweetie.”
“I don’t understand what you mean sometimes,” you sigh, peering up at him, head resting on his shoulder.
“You don’t have to,” he whispers, dropping a kiss to your temple.
You sway gently in his arms, pressing yourself closer, eyes slipping shut. You’d kill for more moments of peace like this.
It never seems to last for long.
The beginnings of torn wrapping paper begin to fill your ears and you peek through the glass window to find the twins tearing at their presents.
“Oh, these are sick !” Luke announces, beginning to twirl around the pair of knives you had gotten him.
“They have to wait!” you protest, reaching for the door, “Sylus, they have to wait!”
“Let them,” Sylus murmurs, dragging you back into his arms, his chest rumbling with laughter.
You can’t help but let out an exasperated noise, smiling up at him. Sylus lowers his head and you nudge your nose against his gently, pressing a tender kiss to his lips.
“What?” he asks quietly when you trace the curve of his cheek, your fingers splaying across his skin.
You kiss him again, revelling in the softness of his eyes when you pull apart. There's a strange warmth in your chest, an unknown pull in the back of your mind as though something familiar were evading you.
You feel like you know him too.
“Merry Christmas, Sylus.”
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covetyou · 15 hours ago
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solstice
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ao3 ⋆ main masterlist
pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader  rating: Explicit (18+ only!)  warnings: smut (PiV), competency kink, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first, yearning, angst, almost enemies to lovers, Tommy being a little shit, no use of y/n, Jackson!Joel word count: 4k  summary: Three little words. Joel heard those same three words damn near every day for the last seven months. Most days, they were the only words you said to him. Sometimes, if he was lucky, you'd say them more than once. Other days, you didn't say anything to him at all. He liked those days least of all.
A/N: happy holidays @trulybetty! thank you for being so lovely about this being a little late. I was only going to go for one or two of your prompts for the @pedrostories secret santa, but then my brain went why not all of them, and now here we are. 
divider by @saradika-graphics
follow @covetedfics and turn notifications on for updates on future fics
Three little words.
"I got it."
Joel heard those same three words damn near every day for the last seven months. Most days, they were the only words you said to him. Sometimes, if he was lucky, you'd say them more than once. Other days, you didn't say anything to him at all. He liked those days the least.
You said other things too, of course. He heard you speak to other people. Not always nicely, but he heard you. You said more to him on occasion too. Out my way or put it down were some particular favorites, but none said more so than those three, tiny, little words.
I got it.
Because you did. He had never met a woman who had got it more than you. Strong, capable, and everything he ever tried to be. He watched every day how you'd got it. Climbing up ladders with tiles stacked on your shoulder, hauling wheelbarrows full of gravel, chopping wood in bitter wind and cold. You had it, and he watched, wanting it too.
The only problem was, he wasn't too sure what it was.
To begin with, it was the respect you commanded that he yearned for. He had that, once. Not here. Fuck, never here. The people here would barely look at him for the first few weeks. But you? They listened to you. If you said move they listened, even if it was with a roll of their eyes. If you told someone to fuck off to medical, they went without a grumble. They trusted you. Even if you weren't particularly generous with your smiles.
You were the exact opposite of what Joel was finding he had to be.
In Boston, people feared him, and that kept him, and Tess, safe. It was for the best. The people here feared him too, at first. Maybe even still now, if he was to be honest with himself, but he'd worked hard to change that. He met the mumbled good mornings with as much of a smile as he could muster. He went for drinks with his brother, made small talk with the locals even when he didn't want to. He tried to get into Maria's good graces, but never quite succeeded.
And he worked. With you mostly. Jackson didn't have much use for hired muscle or someone who could smuggle shit discreetly - not outside of the daily patrol shifts they wouldn't let him on yet, anyway - but they did have use for contractors. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, anyone who was good at doing shit with their hands. Those were things that had value behind these walls and, luckily for him, that meant he had value too. For the first time in a long time, he meant something to people.
Just not to you.
As much as he smiled, and made small talk, and helped out fixing shit in this place that was now his home, he could never get through to you. He'd try to help you out, only to be knocked aside - sometimes literally. You barely looked at him. Spoke only when necessary. Once, you'd even told him to fuck off.
He did.
At first he took it all personally. He moped, and kept his sour mood hidden from his brother and Ellie. Then, he saw how you were with, well, just about everyone else, and that lessened the sting.
But, as time wore on, Joel saw other things too. Where at first you'd seemed rude and abrasive, he now saw the kindness and compassion you treated everyone with. If you told someone to go the fuck home, it wasn't because you wanted them gone it was because you wanted them rested. If you let people struggle, strike their thumbs with a badly aimed hit of a hammer, it was to help them learn. You never did let anyone make the same mistake twice. And, because of you, no one did.
It was with the waning of spring that his desire to be you changed into something different and entirely more confusing.
As the gardens and trees exploded in the frenzy of summer, you shed your layers. Literally, not figuratively. You still stayed firmly closed up as your jacket disappeared and made way for a shirt hung loosely about your shoulders. Then, even that found its way around your waist and Joel had to come face to face with the bare, strong expanse of your back while you worked in nothing but a tank top, the patch of sweat at the small of your back blooming while he watched.
It was for the best that he didn't think about what you looked like walking towards him during those relentlessly hot months, with nothing but a thin tank top pulled across your chest. It wasn't something he should think about in public, anyway. It was something he kept for late at night, when those three little words echoed around his head and you showed him just how much you really, truly got it.
By October, Tommy had caught on. Your jacket was fastened back around you, and you were as hostile as ever. You breezed past him one morning, hooking a ladder over one shoulder, toolbag gripped in your other hand.
"I got it."
By now, Joel knew you did.
By now, he wanted to come with you anyway.
So he did, grabbing his own set of salvaged tools and heading up to the latest reno with you, only to have you square up to him the second you saw him.
"I said, I got it."
Five words. It was a good day.
So good, that he couldn't keep his eyes off you in the Tipsy Bison that night. You weren't in here often - from what he could tell, you didn't do much outside of work - but the people who shared your company seemed to enjoy it. You sat soft and quiet in the corner, listening in to their conversation more often than you contributed. But, when you did, they laughed, and Joel caught himself smiling, and Tommy caught him too.
"Never thought you'd be more of a ray of fuckin' sunshine than anyone else, but there's a first for everythin', I guess," he'd said, tilting his glass to the table in the corner where you sat. 
Joel took a swig of the last fresh cider of the season and shrugged.
"You got an eye for her."  
He sputtered, choking on the tart, sweet liquid. "No I ain't."
"Well you got somethin'," said Tommy, clinking his glass against Joel's own. "If it ain't an eye it's your-" 
A harsh kick, and a grunt loud enough to turn every head in the bar later, and Tommy dropped it entirely.
For about a week.
Tommy ribbed him at dinner, drinks, lunch and just about every time in between. Called Joel 'Sunshine' even as he scowled. Asked about his girl as if you were anything other than a person who hated him. Slung his arm around Joel's shoulder and told him all about the birds and the bees, as if he'd ever forgotten.
He couldn't forget. Not with you running around barking at him and keeping him in a seemingly permanent state of arousal. If it wasn't your voice and that angry way you talked at him, it was just about anything else. He couldn't escape it.
It was how you did everything he could do, and more. What he had in strength, you had in technique. Your hands - fuck, did he watch your hands - were rarely unblemished with dirt or scrapes, but they were adept at everything you put them to. He couldn't look away, even if he knew each minute he looked was a minute quicker he'd be when he touched himself to the thought of you later that night.
The taunts stopped with the first snowfall.
"If you're really that interested, should talk to her," Tommy said instead. "Bark's worse than her bite."
"You're still sayin' she bites, though."
"Sure she would if you asked nice enough, brother."
Joel didn't ask.
He didn't ask the morning he woke up early to see the town blanketed in thick snow either. He simply went out, picked up a snow shovel and began working until the sun came up. He didn't expect to find you at his door that evening, or for you to grab him and throw him outside, pushing him up against the side of his own house.
"What do you think you're playing at, Miller?" you growled up at him, pushing him firmly against the siding.
Joel stared, dumb-founded, your hands curled in the front of his shirt - touching him - and blinked down at you.
"I don't give a shit who you are or what you've done out there. I am not scared of you and I am not having you take my job."
You ignored him more after that. Days went by with barely a word to him - not even a scowl thrown his way if he made too much noise or offered to help someone out on a job.
As for him, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Every day for weeks that night played through his head, memory of the feel of your hands on his chest and your face so close he could feel your breath, until Christmas was on the horizon and a pit of fear began stirring in his stomach. You were a balm to it, somehow. Something to focus on when the fear got too much and kept him inside, away from the crowds of happy people.
Every single I got it was more of a comfort than the last. It could have been the familiarity of it, or the way those words came softer and softer as the season wore on. Sometimes he'd head by the workshop to ask if you needed a hand, just to hear that soft rejection one more time.
Until late one cold afternoon, it didn't come. You were alone, blowing warm air onto gloved hands, and when he asked you simply nodded, and he followed.
You worked together in silence until the sun set, when you turned to him as you parted ways.
"S'hard this time of year, but joy and grief can exist at the same time, y'know."
He didn't go to the Bison that night. Or the next. He let the grief crack open his chest instead, and let it pour out over his bedroom floor for two whole days.
On the third, he let the joy back in. Ellie reeled off new jokes from a book she found in the Jackson library. He held his nephew and rocked the teething babe to sleep. He went back to the Bison - you weren't there - and celebrated the impending holiday.
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Seven months, three days, and about as many hourssince he stepped foot back in Jackson. Damn near every day he's heard those three little words, and he'll be damned if he goes another without them.
With the day as short as it could ever be, the sun tracking low in the sky, he finds you.
"I got it," you say softly, when he asks you that very same question he always does.
"I know."
He doesn't know how your lips end up on his - because it is you who kisses him. He doesn't know how his fingers find themselves under your shirt either, the coldness of them making you gasp into his mouth until you're pulling apart, both wide eyed.
He does know you taste like fruit, even in the dead of winter. He always suspected it - knew your sweet tooth by the berries you couldn't resist and the sweet treats gifted to you. He knows your fingers are as cold as his when you hand him a shovel.
He does know, even though you got it, you let him help anyway.
You clear streets and roofs of snow together until the sun goes down. He follows at your heel in the dark, cold biting through your layers as you both stomp the snow off your boots, shovels thrown down, workshop locked up. You barely even look at each other until you're staring through the fog of your own heavy breaths on Joel's front porch. He doesn't know how to welcome you in - he never was too good with words - so he simply unlocks the door and pushes it open.
You step inside.
Layers are shed before the door even closes. Heavy coats dumped on the couch, boots toed off and left this way and that. The hat on your head stuffed in a pocket - he can't remember which.
You move upstairs - worked on this house, you say - and pull him into his own bedroom before his lips even touch yours again. But when they do, they do. Joel's frantic with it, feeling the softness of you so close to the hardness of him. His hands hold your waist, rooting you to him, but then you're moving them up and under your shirt to the flair of your ribcage. The curve of your breasts fit perfectly against the cradle of his thumb and forefinger, and he thinks of everything his hands have done, this is what they were made for.
It must be. When you whine at the feel of this thumb stroking across your pebbled nipple, he thinks for the first time in a long time that maybe his hands aren't so monstrous if they can pull such pretty noises from you.
In fact, the things they've done don't seem to matter at all when he gets to touch you, to pull sounds from you so sweet he'll be tasting you on his tongue all over again just from the memory of them. For all the harm these hands have done, they could never hurt you. You would never let them. You'd tear him apart first.
And he'd let you.
You swallow his groan when you palm his length over his jeans. He stiffens beneath your touch, warm and firm, and grinds into your hand. It's been so long since he's felt the touch of anyone other than himself. He could come just grinding himself against the firm press of your hand against him, if he thought about it too hard.
So he doesn't. He focuses instead on the soft plink plink plink as you run a nail up his ice cold zipper, the way you bite his lip, tangle your fingers in his hair.
He tries to take off his own belt, cold fingers fumbling against even colder metal, but you mumble I got it into his mouth, and his knees quiver.
You do. You always do.
His belt is pulled off and you're tugging him by the loops of his pants and pushing him against his own bed, the sheets still rumpled from the morning. You slip off your own and toss it to the side too, tangling it with his on his bedroom floor. Then, you're so very close to him again, his thigh between your legs as you nip and suckle on his bottom lip. He holds you close - one hand finding its way under your shirt again, cupping your breast fully this time, and the other pulling you firmly against his strong thigh.
You warm his thigh with the burning heat between your legs, grinding yourself against him, the seam of your jeans pulling tight against you. Moans you were pulling from him a moment ago are silenced by your own, your nails digging crescents into his arm as you burrow your face into his neck in an attempt to stifle them.
You're better than he ever dreamed. Softer. Warmer. Stronger. The sounds you make so much prettier than he ever thought. Those three little words so much sweeter within these walls than any other.
Even when you strip off layer after layer, it's better than he dreamed. Summer was barely a taste of you, he realises, when your shirt, your tank, your soft bra, all tumble to the floor and you climb onto the bed behind him.
You kick your jeans off, and he pulls his down too. He can't get his shirt off quick enough, the scars on his body forgotten as he strips bare for you as you watch, lust barely turning to curiousity as you take in the sight of his body.
"Come here," you tell him, and he obeys. You're softer with him when he lies beside you then. Grasping hands turn to gentle strokes, his own hands on your bare flesh mimicking your gentle movements across his skin.
When your hand trails down to his cock, squeezing once again when you feel him throb in your palm, he has to pinch his eyes closed and pretend he's anywhere but here.
"Been a long time," he says through gritted teeth. "Long, long time."
Me too, he thinks he hears you whisper before your lips latch to his again and his soft, worn boxers are slipped down his legs, kicked to the side, forgotten.
You don't look at him, and for that he's grateful. He's less grateful when you start to play with your own nipples and toy with the edge of your panties. He presses a kiss to your shoulder instead, hiding his face against you and breathing you in.
When he opens his eyes again, your panties are off, thighs spread, one hooked lazily over his own, the other stretched out on his sheets.
"Don't have to," you mumble, when he looks down at you, stunned look obvious on his face.
"I want to."
He touches you and you let him. His hands run all over your body, rough, calloused palms dragging across your soft belly, your hips, your thighs. He's dreamed of this, and still it's better than his wildest fantasies.
When your hand wraps around his bare cock, pumping his length once, twice, he thinks that's better than any fantasy too. You practically drag him by the cock, tugging gently to pull him towards you until he's kneeling between your thighs. You lazily stroke him, swiping precum across his tip and making him jerk in your grip. His own hands play with your thighs, massaging and squeezing them, drawing his fingers closer and closer to your apex.
Seven months, three days, and twenty-something hours since he stepped back into Jackson, he slips into you for the first time.
And, fuck, is it divine.
You're slick, and wet, his cock gliding across your skin before he pushes into you, and you both gasp.
He's slow. He trembles. His fingers make dents in your thighs as he grips them. You shuffle your hips, make yourself comfortable, and he holds steady while you adjust to the intrusion. Then, you pull him in, grabbing him by the neck to steal a kiss while he makes space for himself deep inside you, rocking each tentative inch into you until he's rooted inside.
You adjust - let the tenseness in your core release - and he barely holds on. And, just when he thinks he's got a hold of himself and begins fucking you in slow, languid movements, your hand moves and you say those three little words.
"I got it."
For the first ever time, he stops you. His hand pins yours to your hip, his movements stilling as you frown up at him, a threat on the tip of your tongue. So, he begs.
"Let me. Please."
And you do. He slowly swipes a spit slicked thumb against your clit, and watches as you melt into his sheets. By the look of you, the pure relief on your face, he thinks this could be the first time you've ever truly let go, and his ego soars.
It soars again when your legs tremble, rocking his thick cock in you as his thumb works slowly over your clit. You moan his name, and he groans too. He can't keep it back. It's the first time he's ever heard you say it, and he doesn't think it could sound better. Your eyes find his when you say his name again, testing him, only to pull another groan deep from his chest.
A small nod is all you give him as a sign you want more. His thumb moves quicker, popped into his mouth to taste you just for a moment before it swipes around your cunt where you grip him, and back up to your clit.
You come on him, face turned into his sheets, brow furrowed, mouth open as you moan and shake, trembling and pulsating on his cock as you come.
For you, he keeps going. Let's you ride out the waves, fluttering against him, as he barely holds back from the brink himself.
If this is all he gets - if you push him off and walk away now - it would be a good day, he thinks. But you don't. He doesn't even get chance to ask if you want him gone when you're pulling him down, kissing him, rocking your hips against him and murmuring against his throat for him to fuck you.
So, he does.
It feels sloppy, and awkward, his hips not quite knowing how to move any more as he snaps them against yours.
"Don't stop," you whisper to him with a scrape of your teeth against his shoulder. "Don't stop."
He's never been able to disobey you, he realizes. He's never had reason let alone want to. Even now, he does as he's told, keeps fucking forward into you, mattress squeaking and bed rocking as he finally, finally, finds his rhythm.
It's easy then. You spur him on, grip him tight, wrap your legs around his waist. He grunts, growls, can barely stop himself from panting, looking down at you and how you stare back at him and he thinks fuck, this is what it's like to be trusted by you.
With a sudden gasp, he pulls out, slipping from your wet heat to rut against your sopping cunt until he's spurting ropes of come against your mound and belly.
He apologizes, tries to admonish himself for being so quick. You tell him to shut up, hitting his shoulder. He does.
You both sigh in the afterglow. Even in the before, he never had times like this, he doesn't think. It was always frantic, too quick, too drunk, too fumbling. In the after, he could never quite relax enough to enjoy it fully. In the now, it's just about the best he's ever had.
You're still covered in him. Your fingers play idly in it on your belly, and he glows. He'd trace patterns with it over your skin, if only you'd let him. But then, you're up and gone, and he fears you're gone for good until you waltz back in and throw yourself next to him, mess cleaned from your skin as you stretch and yawn beside him.
"I aint tryin' to take your job, y'know," Joel tells you some time later, when the afterglow wanes and sleep pulls at him.
"Right."
He looks to you, the roll of your eyes and tug of a disbelieving smile on your lips visible in the glow of the bedside lamp.
"I promise. I'm just tryin' to... be some place."
You're still. And silent. He thinks he's fucked up for all of one second, until you're smiling sadly up at the ceiling.
"I get that," you say softly. "This is a nice place to be, all things considered."
And, though he thinks he knows what you mean, Yes, he thinks, this is a nice place to be.
This is a good day.
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pathologicalreid · 17 hours ago
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christmas (baby please come home) | s.r.
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in which Spencer isn't home to put his kids to bed on Christmas Eve, but they wake up to a surprise on Christmas morning
who? spencer reid x fem!reader category: fluff content warnings: spencer's first post prison christmas, frankensteined the plot of "surface tension", the same family as "here with me", crying, christmas word count: 3.19k a/n: merry christmas!! this is kinda like my gift to you, mostly since it's been sitting in my brain for forever!!!!!!! i love u all! also happy first day of hanukkah if you celebrate <33
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“But Daddy’s not home,” your daughter whimpered as she shuffled under her covers, she looked up at you with wide, curious eyes.
You carefully smoothed out the top of her floral comforter, “I know, baby,” you whispered, reaching up to pinch her cheek affectionately. You’d let them stay up late to watch the Santa tracker, but eventually, Finn fell asleep on you, and Livvy’s yawns were enough to convince you that it was bedtime. “You still have to go to sleep. Santa will come whether Daddy’s home or not, and we’ll just do the gifts from Mommy and Daddy when he gets back.”
At three years old, Olivia was beginning to understand Spencer being gone the same way Eleanor did; she knew his absence was entirely out of her control, and that didn’t sit well with your middle child. You knew you had gotten incredibly lucky when Spencer had been home for Finn’s birthday and Livvy’s had fallen during his sabbatical, but you also knew that you were due for a missed holiday, you just wished it could’ve been Thanksgiving or New Year’s.
You kissed her forehead before leaving, making sure to leave the door open a crack so the monsters wouldn’t get her before you went to Nell’s room. “Hey, honey,” you whispered, closing your eldest’s door behind you before going to sit on the edge of her bed. She had her own Christmas tree set up in the corner of the room, the artificial purple tree providing the glow that her nightlight normally would. “Are you ready for bed?”
Nell was lying on top of her covers, staring at her still ceiling fan as she ignored your question. While Livvy was just starting to understand what it meant when Spencer was gone, Nell understood it best, and she had for years now. She’d understood when Spencer was in prison, and she understood that he was missing Christmas now.
Slowly, you laid down next to your daughter, propping your head up on the bed and smoothing her hair back. “It’s still Christmas,” you tried to reassure her, but part of you knew that it was a thankless effort, there was nothing you could tell her that would fix her father’s absence. “We can call Dad in the morning while we open presents,” you offered, hoping she’d appreciate you coming halfway. “If he’s not busy, maybe we can video chat, and you can show him everything Santa brought you.”
“It’s not the same,” she told you, furrowing her brows and turning away from you on the bed.
Sighing, you pressed a kiss to the back of her head, “I know, Nellie. I know it’s not fair that he doesn’t get to be here for Christmas, but Daddy will come back.” There was a sense of urgency in your voice; you were afraid that if your five-year-old lost the joy in Christmas, you’d somehow failed her as a mother. “He’ll be home for your birthday, I promise,” you whispered.
“You can’t promise,” she reminded you, knowing that you and Spencer were generally very specific about your promises, leaning toward the ‘I promise I’ll try’ variety.
You hummed in response, “I’d pinky promise you that. Dad will be home for your birthday.” You held up your pinky finger, waiting for her to roll over and reciprocate.
Eleanor rolled over, holding up her pinky finger while brown eyes watched you apprehensively, “Okay,” she breathed, hooking your fingers together and kissing them.
As soon as Spencer told you about the bureau’s contingency to him returning to the BAU, you’d done the math. Eleanor’s sixth birthday would fall near the beginning of his next sabbatical, so you didn’t hesitate to make this promise. “It’s time for bed, my girl,” you whispered, smiling at her softly as she pulled the sleeves of her Christmas pajamas over her hands. “Santa can’t come if you’re not asleep,” you reminded her, sitting up on the bed and getting up, tucking her purple comforter under her chin before you made your final stop of the night.
You’d brought Finn to his room before getting the girls settled, but now that you knew they were alright, you came back to his room. The white noise machine was going, and he was fast asleep in his crib. His pacifier, which you were trying to wean him off of, had fallen from his mouth and onto the sheets, so you set it to the side. To you, the second Christmas was always more exciting than the first, now that he was fourteen months old, he had the dexterity to help open presents.
Ruffling his hair, you kissed him goodnight, just like you’d done with the girls, and you left his room, closing the door so that no one would disturb the light-sleeping baby.
There was a late night ahead of you, but first, you settled yourself onto the couch in the living room and pulled out your phone. Upon opening your messages with Spencer, you couldn’t help but be disappointed to find that there was nothing unread. You thought about sending him a text telling him that you all miss him but eventually decided against it. You didn’t want to make him feel guilty. At least, no more guilty than he likely already did.
You turned on the TV, quietly playing a Christmas movie as you began the festivities. All of the gifts had been expertly hidden in the master bedroom, split between being shoved under your bed and in your closet, but a new playhouse for the girls had been dropped off earlier. It was too big for your room, so your parents had stored it in their basement in the interim.
That would be a struggle to bring in from the garage, so you decided to start small, pulling all of the kids’ stockings from their hooks and laying them out on the floor before going upstairs to get the stuffers.
With the movie playing, you filled the stockings with treats and little toys. A few times you imagined your phone buzzing, but each time there was nothing on the screen. The loneliness started to set in as you rehung the stockings, making sure the kids’ names faced forward above the fireplace.
This wasn’t your first Christmas alone, Spencer had been in Idaho for Olivia’s first Christmas, but neither of the girls remembered it.
They’d remember this one, you thought to yourself, walking back up the stairs to grab a load of boxes. Thankfully, they were already wrapped, but you did have to avoid getting ribbon in your mouth as you carried the armful of gifts down the stairs.
Masterfully, you adjusted them beneath the tree, trying to visualize where they’d all end up in the end as you heard something distantly, but you brushed it off as someone leaving your neighbor’s holiday party. You stood up, wiping your hands on your pajamas as you evaluated your handiwork, shrugging before you turned around for the next load, “Oh,” you breathed, watching the handle on the door from the garage turn.
The door opened slowly, revealing your husband on the other side, his black peacoat draped over his arm and purple scarf looped around his neck. He hooked his car keys on the key hook before he noticed you, brown eyes finding your pajama-clad figure. His lopsided smile was all-knowing as always, he knew he had surprised you. In fact, it had been his goal.
You remained exactly where you were, watching him from the den as he put his shoes away and hung up his outerwear. It was almost as if you’d convinced yourself he was a mirage, and any sudden movements would cause his visage to dissipate. “Hey,” Spencer said, cocking his head at you as if he were confused why you hadn’t come any closer to him. He peeked around you to look at the tree, “Did the kids get to bed okay?”
Instead of answering him, your body naturally responded to what seemed like the miraculous appearance of your husband by producing tears. At first, they just welled along your lash line, but as they started to fall, you buried your face in your hands.
Spencer was there, not only in the house but also taking the initiative to approach you, he wrapped his arms around your torso, taking your tearful form under his care, “Is everything alright?” He asked, slowly dragging his hand up and down your spine, humming as you reciprocated his embrace and pressed your face into his shirt, drying your eyes and taking in the moment.
“Everything is wonderful,” you responded, your voice muffled by his shirt. He smelled like stale dark roast and the jet, but you were too relieved by his arrival to truly mind.
Tightening his grip briefly, he pressed a kiss to the crown of your head, “Right, well. You’re crying, so I had to make sure,” he murmured, swaying gently to the music coming from the film.
You loosed a breath of relief, “I can’t believe you’re here. The kids were miserable at bedtime, Nell wouldn’t even talk to me until I told her you’ll be home for her birthday,” you informed him, keeping your arms wrapped firmly around him while you tipped your head back to see him.
Spencer nodded in understanding, reaching up a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, “We made the arrest at eight and wrapped up around nine. Somehow, Emily convinced the pilot to leave in the middle of the night, and we were on the jet by ten. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve spent holidays in worse places, but I’d rather be here with you than in Milwaukee.”
“I will kiss Emily Prentiss on the mouth,” you told him candidly.
He raised his brows curiously, “Mhm, and what about me?”
Grinning, you pushed up on your tiptoes and pressed your lips to his, an amalgamation of a welcome home and a Merry Christmas kiss, but you pulled away before you could get carried away. “Merry Christmas, Spencer Reid, we have work to do,” you told him, taking on a mock seriousness as you nodded your head toward the Christmas tree, which only had a fraction of your kids’ gifts beneath it.
“Merry Christmas, darling,” Spencer reciprocated, pressing one more kiss to your lips, “Let’s get started.”
Spinning out of his grip, you found you had much more pep in your step with his arrival, beaming as the two of you went through the house as quietly as possible, gathering the gifts for the kids without rousing any suspicion. Even grabbing the playhouse from the garage didn’t seem like as much of a task with him around.
You adjusted the stockings as it neared two in the morning, Spencer returned from upstairs with the last few gifts, having changed his clothes into pajamas that neatly matched yours—a family set that was a gift from your Penelope. “They look great,” Spencer assured you, pushing his glasses up on his nose as he stood back, admiring your handiwork.
Walking backward until your back was against your chest, you tilted your head to the side, appraising the mountain of gifts beneath the tree, “Do you think we went overboard this year?” Between the gifts from Santa and the gifts from the two of you, the heap was rather intimidating.
“No,” Spencer answered, “bigger kids, bigger gifts.” He put his arms around your waist, resting his chin on top of your head, “besides, they’re good kids.”
You hummed in response, leaning into him ever so slightly. Part of you felt like Spencer was still experiencing guilt surrounding the three months he spent away from you and the kids while he was in prison. No amount of time at home or therapy would ever absolve him of that guilt, but it never hurt to try, “Hey,” you whispered up to him, “I got you something.”
He frowned down at you, “I thought we said no gifts this year?”
Scoffing, you walked over to the home office, “We say that every year and neither of us ever stick to it, so go get whatever it is you got for me.”
Spencer rolled his eyes, but even so, he made his way upstairs to where you knew a gift was hiding in his bedside table. Upon his return, he faltered at the large box you’d placed on the coffee table and held up the small box in his hands; you beamed at him as he eyed the behemoth of a present.
He handed you the smaller box, instinctively, you admired the wrapping before starting to open it, recognizing the jewelry box before you had even discarded your wrapping paper. “Oh, Spence,” you said, looking at the necklace in the box, a dainty chain with five small gemstones on it. His birthstone and yours, followed by Nell’s amethyst, Livvy’s sapphire, and Finn’s tourmaline all strung next to each other, “it’s perfect,” you told him, lightly touching the gems with your fingertips. You’d mentioned wishing you had an everyday necklace a few weeks ago while getting ready, and he must’ve been listening more attentively than you’d thought.
Finally, you had him open his gift, and he was entirely speechless as he opened the cardboard flaps. His mouth gaped as he lifted one of the books in his hand, the title and edition identical to one that had been previously ruined in your house. “Fuck,” he cursed, looking from you to the books and back again.
You shrugged, “It’s not all of them, but a pretty good amount of them. Some of those editions are proving difficult to recover, but I’ve—” You’re cut off, startled by Spencer pressing his lips to yours. “I’m still looking for some,” you said breathlessly once he pulled away.
Spencer seemed unsure of what to do with himself; you’d managed to find replacements for three-fourths of the books that had previously been burned by an accidental fire set earlier this year. The only time your marriage had ever been on the rocks was when Diana lived with you, but even then, you’d been planning this surprise. “You are…” Spencer started, uncharacteristically at a loss for words, “This is incredible,” he told you, shaking his head in disbelief, setting the book down in the box and nearly tackling you in a hug.
Laughing, you buried your face in his shoulder to muffle the sound, “I love you,” you murmured to him, his body now next to yours on the couch.
“I love you too,” he said, looking at you with glassy eyes. “Wow,” he said, sniffling, “I need to get you something else. A necklace isn’t enough,” he told you, likely already thinking of options for addendums.
You shook your head, “Trust me when I tell you that your being here is worth all of the rare books in the world to me,” you reassured him, running your fingers through his hair. Humming, you adjusted your head on the pillow, “Are you gonna fall asleep like this?”
He nodded, “If you keep playing with my hair like that. How long do you think we have until they wake up?” He asked, keeping his eyes closed while you peeked over him to check the time.
Last year, Finn had woken up the whole house on Christmas Day at four in the morning, and seeing as it was nearing three, you wondered if it was worth sleeping at all. You continued combing through Spencer’s hair, “Do you want to go upstairs?”
“This is a really great couch,” he mumbled, already falling asleep on the couch, leading you to grab the blanket that was thrown over the back and haphazardly drape it over the two of you.
Unfortunately, it felt like you’d gotten no sleep at all when you heard the first stirring upstairs, “Mommy,” Olivia called out, which would likely wake up Finn and Nell.
You got up from the couch, waking up Spencer in the process. Your poor husband, who was probably already running on little sleep, got up and folded the blanket you had been using, returning it to its home while you went upstairs to get the kids.
Livvy’s eyes went wide when she saw you come from downstairs, “Did Santa come?” She asked you, nearly bouncing with excitement.
As you expected, the door to Eleanor’s room swung open, revealing your sleep-deprived five-year-old in her rumpled pajamas, “Yes, Santa brought gifts for everyone,” you answered, ruffling her hair before going into Finn’s room, hoping to wake him gently before the voices did a less delicate job. “Hi buddy,” you whispered, looking back to see the girls gathered at the door, completely unaware that their dad was waiting for them downstairs. “Merry Christmas,” you said softly, his scrunched face not processing what you were saying, but happy to see you, nonetheless.
You picked him up from the crib and herded the girls to the stairs, letting them lead the way down while you carried the baby. Right behind them, you watched the realization dawn on their faces as soon as they caught sight of Spencer, “Daddy!” Nell shouted, leading her little sister as they ran to him.
Laughing lightly, you let a squirming Finn down, running to Spencer in the same way the girls just had. From a distance, you watched as all three of your kids entirely bypassed the gifts under the tree and on the mantle and went straight to what was more important—their father was home for Christmas.
Spencer crouched down to get Finn, and at the same time, Livvy jumped in excitement, leaving Spencer falling backward and sitting on the ground while the kids formed a less-than-graceful dog pile on the floor. You took that as your cue to join in on the festivities, kneeling on the floor next to the familial pile, uncontrollable giggles emanated from everyone involved.
You wrangled the two littles in your arms, giving each of them dozens of kisses and receiving more laughter in return as Eleanor settled down. Your eldest took her moment of alone time and laid her head on Spencer’s chest, the grin on her face overtook the rest of her face, “Best Christmas ever,” she whispered before rolling off of him, Spencer instinctively lifting his hand so she doesn’t hit her head on the leg of the coffee table.
Nellie sat up giving you a toothy grin, sticking her tongue through where she was missing a front tooth. Everyone took notice of Olivia pointing at the tree, her mouth shaped like an “o” in awe, “Can we open that one?” She asked, pointing to the largest present in the stack—which, of course, had her name on it.
“Stockings first,” Spencer said, leading to a pout from your middle child, but it was quickly wiped away when he kissed the crown of her head. Your husband got up first, taking Finn from where he was tucked into your side, and set him on his hip, “Okay, who wants their stocking?”
Everyone’s hand went up—including yours.
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valalice · 3 days ago
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omg can we please get Christmas/holidays headcanons with older gf caitlyn as someone who never got anything growing up ☹️ because parents are YUCKYY and Caitlyn only just now finds out about it and is like "oh so thats a reason as to why youre still so reluctant to accept my gifts and stuff" and she comforts the us so much and SPOILS US ☹️☹️🙏 (also if you can include pet names where she's always saying 'my' like 'my sweet girl' 'my princess' 'my love/darling' 'my pretty girl' 'my girl' 'my babydoll' etc stuff like that 🙏 then that would be great THANK YOU)
❅ IS IT NEW YEARS YET ? ft. 𝓬𝓪𝓲𝓽𝓵𝔂𝓷 𝓴𝓲𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓷.
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༯ summary. your older girlfriend asks you to spend your first christmas together. of course you excitedly accept, trying to push ignore that you'd have to break this news to your parents.
warnings. fluff. slight angst. fem!reader. older girlfriend!caitlyn. reader is in college. age gap (10 years or more). no use of y/n. modern au. hurt and comfort. pet names. caitlyn is nervy teehee. reading is a tease. insecure!reader a little bit. readers parents are the best. not proofread. wc. 2.2k
a/n. thank you for your request alaina pie <3 this was so cute (and sad) to write for, especially during the holidays! hopefully this is what you envisioned and i tried to incorporate "my (nickname)" as naturally as possible. remember to support your writers by reblogging & commenting !
m.list. | arcane m.list.
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‣ caitlyn wasn't oblivious to the way the pair of arms slung around her waist would tighten whenever you thought she’d be the be first to let go. or how you always pressed your face further into her chest, an ear aligned to where her heartbeats for you, as if you’re trying to encode the rhythm into your memory. and the most heartbreaking, how when you finally release her from the hug and meet her gaze there’s tears daring to spill from your waterline, eyes glazed over and a forced upturned smile to show that you’re fine. she knew that you were going home to see your family for the holidays, that it would be a joyous thing, something that you’re bouncing off the walls for, you rarely see your family much since moving out permanently. but the wreck you become when you go home startles her, and she knows it’s far more than you missing her for a few weeks.
‣ not much can set caitlyn on edge, but the nerves of asking if you’d like to spend christmas with her, just her, no parent, certainly sets her off.
clicks and clanks fill the room mixing with the content of the two of you enjoying yet another home cooked meal made by caitlyn. you’d just resumed classes from fall break when she called you asking for dinner and a weekend together, you agreed, of course.
looking from across the dining table cait’s brows are furrowed as she pushes the remanence of her food back and forth on her plate. she’s clear in deep thought and has been quiet for most of the evening which is unlike her. the stoic stature she puts on for work quickly fades away the moment her eyes land on you and she becomes the familiar chatter bug you know and love.
your clothed foot searches for hers underneath the table, and when it does you bump into it, your foot tickling up her ankle. upon this intrusion cait’s attention focuses on you, her eyebrows lifting and a small smile forming on her face, her eyes lifting from her plate, the foot you attacked fights back.
“you're quiet tonight.” you begin.
“i've been meaning to ask you something.”
oh. straight to the point.
as if cait could sense your panic, her foot stops wrestling with yours, instead laying it to rest against yours in hope you would stop too. “it’s nothing bad, i promise,” she rushes. “i maybe shouldn't have worded it bluntly.” grimacing at the worry she enacted in you.
“you think? nearly gave me a heart attack.” your wild thoughts nearly get the best of you.
“it's just,” cait pauses, gathering her thoughts. “it's a huge step in our relationship.”
“we've already had sex, cait.” you joke, and caitlyn chokes on her spit at the shock of your dirty words. reaching out and takes a brief swig of water, her eyes narrow towards you. “‘m just playing with you. couldn't help myself.” you're once stilled foot becomes alive again, soothing up cait’s ankle to about mid calf before going back down and repeating the action.
she hums, setting her glass down. “such a dirty mind of yours.”
“and whose fault is that?” you argue. caitlyn corks an eyebrow up, challenging you at the next words to fall from your mouth. “you've created a crazed monster.” she couldn’t deny the sense of pride swirling throughout her chest at your words.
“minx.” she mutters, her lips twitch upward. it’s such a minuscule movement, blind to the normal eye, but apparent enough for you to catch.
for the first time in a hot minute you place your feet flat on the ground, placing your hands to the edge of the table, the screech of the chair against the wooden floors fills the room.
standing up and making your way towards caitlyn, around the corner of the table. satisfied when you spot that cait had already made space for you. when you're in reach a hand curls around your waist to pull you into her lap, much like how an owner pulls their cat to lay within their lap. slinging an arm around cait’s shoulder to the back of the chair, while your other hands rest on the back of her neck, her dark navy hair pulled into a ponytail so you're able to toy with the wisp of her baby hairs at the nape of her neck.
“did i ruin the mood?” you pout, a tinge of nervousness bubbling up once again that you had taken away caitlyn’s moment to be vulnerable.
“god, no. you've made the atmosphere lighter, darling.” she assures, giving your waist a small squeeze and flashing a tight lipped smile. there’s a glint behind her eyes that makes you doubt her words.
“for what you were going to ask me?”
caitlyn hums, her gaze flicking down to the hem of your sweater, taking the soft material between her perfectly manicured fingers, coming between her thumb and index finger to rub at the hem. “what i wanted to ask was if you’d be interested in spending christmas together,” bringing her full attention back up to your face, the glint now masked by the softness of her eyes. “just the two of us.”
you stare at your girlfriend with wide starstruck eyes, this is definitely—no doubt—a big step for your guys’ relationship. the only holidays you and caitlyn have spent together is, well, valentine’s day, and the cringey other dates throughout the year like national girlfriend day, dates that caitlyn hadn't known about before you. “just the two of us?” you grin.
“is that okay?” she mistakes your grin as a teasing grin, and although it slightly is one, it's a toothy grin that shows off your whites, pushing up your face and makes your cheeks hurt, in a good way.
“it's more than okay, i’d love to.”
now there’s a grin that mirrors your own, flashing you the tooth gap that you adore. her fingers release the hem of your sweater, sneaking underneath the material pulling you flesh against her. lips meeting into a tender needy kiss.
when you pull away, you rest your forehead on hers. “that’s what you were so nervous about?” you ask, corking your head to the side, amused at how nervous she was to ask you to spend your first big holiday together. finding her too cute.
“was scared you were going to say no.” she confesses, you kiss her again.
“i could never say no to you.” it's the truth, but there's a little looming thought forming over the top of your head; you'd have to figure out a way to break the news to your parents.
‣ that weekend you and caitlyn had decorated her house, pulling the boxes from out of the dark space within her house to settle them in the living room. putting on the charlie brown christmas album to add to the ambiance as the two of you get into the holiday spirit. fluffing out the pined branches of the false tree, the endeavor of adorning the green of the tree with the various decorations of lights, tinsel, and ornaments begin. when it's deemed almost perfect, caitlyn hands firmly grip onto your waist to help you balance yourself on a chair as you place the simply stunning gold star on top to finish the tree. when the sun sets and the moon illuminates the sky you yank caitlyn to the tree polaroid camera in hand, falling into natural position with each other; one picture smiling at the camera, snap! and another kissing as the lights wrapped around the tree create hazy glowing halos on top of your heads, snap!
‣ it seemed as though each time you visited caitlyn’s home the presents beneath the tree kept growing, all wrapped neat and crisp with little tags signaling that they're from cait herself. they made the small pile of presents dedicated to her from you look puny. she self admittedly spoils you often, it's one of her love languages; gift giving. she enjoys being the person who splurges on you, who gives into any little item you desire. in her eyes she's making up on all the times you decided not to get something, and with the amount of money she has in her bank account and all the charity and donations she does, she could get rid of some of the money rotting away, and who else better to spend it on than you? as much as she enjoys it, and as much as you're grateful for it all it's still something that's hard to digest. that someone is willingly spending their money on items and gifts for you, not out of circumstance or special occasion (although you guess christmas is a special occasion) but out of self want and love for you. it’s the side of a coin you've never seen before, coming from a family who was never as well off as the kiramman’s and being a child, and now an adult who still makes up the lavish gifts you can't afford with handcrafted gifts.
‣ you were running away, trying to escape the countdown to christmas day that was becoming shorter and shorter. still yet to inform your parents that you won't be home for christmas, dodging the question “what day will you be coming home?” whenever it’s brought up by either of them. even avoiding it whenever caitlyn asks how your parents took the news “uh, they don't know yet.”
well now they know. you hadn't planned on telling them today, you hadn't even planned on a day to tell them to be truthful. and now as you're curled up against caitlyn you're anything but focused on the movie that was put on.
“now you're the one being quiet.” caitlyn pipes out, recalling a few weeks ago to when you called her out on the same thing.
“my parents called before i came over,” your words prompt caitlyn to reach for the remote, clicking a button and pausing the movie. “i told them that i won't be home for christmas, or well they worked it out of me.”
from beside you cait sits up, disrupting your slumped figure to also sit up. “how’d they take it?”
“not well.” your response is short and to the point, and ‘not well’ is honestly the best way you could've said that they completely and utterly flipped out on you. eyes wandering around the room and passed caitlyn’s head to avoid making any form of eye contact with her. you already didn't cry on the phone with your parents; too used to their treatment, and you weren't going to break down now in front of your girlfriend.
however, caitlyn’s cerulean eyes bored into your avoidant form. “look at me, my darling.” her mellow tone contrast the brashness of your parents, the difference alone makes tears prickle along your waterline. swiftly tucking your head over your shoulder, shielding yourself from caitlyn’s gaze, knowing that if you dared to look at her, tears would come pouring down your cheeks in thick streams.
“darling,” a cool hand raising to caress at your warm cheek, trying to get you to unveil yourself to her. “look at me, please.” shutting your eyes you let the hand on your cheek move your face for you, not strong enough to do it yourself. it's quiet at this point, and you know now that you're “looking” at caitlyn, or well caitlyn is looking at you; feeling defeated at the quickness of your strong facade washing away, tears wetting your cheeks.
“open your eyes, love.”
“i didn't think they'd be that upset.” you sigh, letting the words fall from your mouth, still keeping your eyes shut tight.
“oh, darling—”
you cut cait off. “please. don't pitty me, cait.” a moment of silence passes and you open your eyes, being met with caitlyn’s. she wants to speak up, wants to console you, but she knows you need to get it out of your system. “there's no use for my tears over them. they’ve always been the same and will stay the same, it's been that way for years. don't even know why they're so upset over me not coming home, i’ll just end up being ignored anyway.” you explained, feeling your walls being built back up as you become defensive over the topic of your parents and their not—so—nurturing nature towards you.
there's a beat before caitlyn fully gathers what she wants to say. “i’m not pitying you, darling. you’ve never spoken of your parents behavior towards you before, but i've noticed how you mood dulls whenever you go home. it's clear that being around your family drains you while they don't even give you a second thought. it's not fair to you.”
the hand on your cheek remained, sliding down the column of your neck to rest, her thumb rubbing at your jaw, her other hand coming up to the same position and matching the action of the other. the sincerity of her words cause even more hot tears to rush down from your eyes. “you deserve the utmost respect and love.”
it eats you alive, but you must ask, hanging your head low. “you really think that?” tone hushed and meek.
“respect and love?” she questions, her own tone matching yours because just as much as you're intuned with her she's intuned with you and what you need. watching as your head reluctantly nods. and once again she utilizes her hands on your face to push your head up, allowing her to see you in all your puffy faces glory.
“my darling, i believe you deserve the world.”
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yanderedrabbles · 20 hours ago
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Yandere Christmas Special
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Christmas festivities featuring your local kidnappers Yandere! Soldier and Yandere! Sugar Daddy.
Yandere! Soldier who spends all Christmas morning at mass. And when he comes home, snow thick on his uniform, he smells like incense.
"Come see. I've brought you something."
There's a bottle of strong vodka and a frosted fruitcake waiting for you on the counter. You watch him unwrap the cake, your mind wandering to your family, to Christmas mornings when you were still an angsty teen. Did they think you were dead by now? Were they still looking for you?
He cuts a thick slice and holds it to your lips. It's sweet and dense and leaves your mouth sticky.
Yandere! Soldier who tilts your chin towards him and casually runs his thumb across your bottom lip to catch any stray crumbs.
"Let's drink, yeah?"
The vodka is icy cold and bitter. But the taste makes you think of friends and university and late nights when you were too tipsy to stand but oh so warm inside. You throw back more shots than normal, trying to chase the memories.
It's only when he gently pulls the bottle away that you realise you're far past tipsy. You're straight hammered.
You stumble when you stand and he's quick to catch you, one strong arm around your waist.
"You've got no head for drink, моя любовь."
"What does that mean?"
"It means it's time for bed."
You swat at him, irritated. "No. The Russian you used. What does it mean?"
He gently steers you toward the bedroom. "It means my love."
You twist around to face him. "Do you really love me?"
He raises a brow. "Alcohol loosens your tongue, doesn't it?"
He's quiet for a moment, studying you. The flush of your cheeks, the curve of your neck... You're everything he's ever wanted.
"Yes. I really love you. Я клянусь, что да."
I swear I do.
You stand on your toes and kiss him. Cradle his face in your palms and feel the heat of him bleed into you. You're so awfully cold, so awfully lonely. You'll regret it in the morning, but for now you press into him and chase the taste of vodka on his lips.
He pulls away and presses sweet, ticklish kisses against your inner wrist. He can feel your pulse racing.
"я полагаю, это мой рождественский подарок."
I suppose this is my Christmas present.
He grabs your thighs and picks you up. You wrap your arms around his neck, terrified of falling. Your breath ghosts across his neck and your nails dig stinging crescents into his muscles.
He doesn't say it out loud, but it's the best gift he's ever gotten.
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Yandere! Sugar Daddy has a tree stacked high with gifts. On Christmas morning, he wakes you up with a kiss and a mug of your favourite hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream and cinnamon sticks.
At first, you assume most of the boxes are just for decoration. There's over a dozen boxes waiting for you - they can't all be gifts, right?
But you should know him better by now. You unwrap present after present, gasping at each one.
A set of custom perfumes from a high fashion brand. Ten different pieces of Tiffany jewellery. A genuine fur coat. Your first pair of Louboutin heels.
Keys to a new car.
You sit in the middle of a treasure trove, struggling to wrap your head around it. He rests his chin on your shoulder and pushes his glasses up his nose.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes! Yes, it's incredible." You turn to face him. "But babe, this must have cost a fortune. I can't accept all of this."
He tilts his head. "Of course you can. I got it all for you."
You're about to argue when he cuts you off. "You said you got me something too?"
You nod and hand him two packages. Your dollar store wrapping paper is glaring cheap next to his.
He unwraps his gifts slowly. The first one is a journal you picked up in a thrift store, weeks before your argument left you trapped with him. Back when you still had your freedom.
You got your artist friend to emboss his name in gold leaf on the front cover. He flips it open to the first page.
To my tech genius boyfriend. This is what we normies call paper. You use it to record all the times your girlfriend is just absolutely incredible, got it? -y/n
He smirks and rubs the page between his fingers.
"I've only heard distant legends of this 'paper'... How fascinating."
You groan. "It seemed funny at the time okay?"
His next gift is a pottery vase, with elegant fluted handles. It's a deep cream with flecks of reddish iron bleeding through. He stares at it, his expression blank.
Your heart drops.
The truth is, you spent months looking for that specific vase. And when you finally found someone willing to sell, the price they named made your jaw drop. You haggled like hell for it. Practically begged the seller on your hands and knees to let you pay it off over a few months. Until this morning, it was a gift you were proud to give him.
But his gifts to you took all morning to unwrap, while all you can offer is a shitty notebook and some amateur pottery. You hate not being able to return his generosity in equal measure. You hate feeling like you're always giving him the short end of the stick. Even now, when you have every reason to hate him, it hurts that you can't spoil him like he does you.
He finally looks up at you, dazed. "This is an original Murazaki. How did you know I wanted one?"
"You mentioned it a few months ago. When we were having dinner together in my apartment."
He puts the vase down carefully.
"You remembered?"
It's your turn to be confused. "Of course? You were really upset about it. You said he was your favourite artist but that you could never find any of his stuff for sale."
He stares at you like he's trying to pick you apart. You look down, embarrassed.
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't get you more gifts. I feel like an ass. Like the world's worst girl-"
He grabs you before you can finish and pulls you flush against him. He buries his face in your hair. He takes a deep breath, like he needs to control himself.
"You remembered."
He kisses your temple and then presses his forehead against yours. His voice is low and loving and just a little shaky.
"Oh y/n, you're the best gift I could ask for."
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Bonus: a yandere who only has one thing on his Christmas wishlist - you.
You wake up under his Christmas tree, cold and confused and still groggy from the sleeping pills he slipped you.
Your hands are tied behind your back and there's a cherry red gag in your mouth. You squirm, trying to pull your hands free. The floor is icy against your naked skin. Wait, naked?
You look down, horror clawing it's slow way up your throat. Most of your clothes are gone. And you're almost completely wrapped in ribbon.
Your thighs are held together with an excruciatingly tight bow. Two green rosettes are pinned to the lace of your bra. You can't see it, but there's a cute red bow stuck on your head too.
The door opens and you hear heavy footsteps on the basement stairs. You squirm, increasingly desperate to get loose.
"Wouldcha look at that? Santa brought me exactly what I asked for."
Your kidnapper squats down next to you, his eyes roaming your body. Taking in all the curves and dips. Mapping it out like it's his to explore. He reaches out and tugs at the ribbon tied around your throat.
"My girl all wrapped up under the Christmas tree."
He grabs your chin and tilts your face up towards his. His eyes are dark - the pupils blown out wide with lust, with hunger.
"Merry Christmas baby. I promise it'll be one you never forget.
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amirasainz · 2 days ago
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Hey girl
So I got inspired by the whole Bella Hadid and Prince of Qatar thing. What if driver!reader is the one the Prince has a crush on and the other drivers become overprotectiv???
Enjoy reading and send some requests!!!
-xoxo babygirl 💕
Princess of Qatar
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It was a strange feeling to be the center of attention, especially when the attention came from one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. Yn was used to the spotlight—after all, she was a Formula 1 driver for Red Bull, an extremely talented one at that. But this… this was different. It wasn’t just the press or the fans; it was him. The Prince of Qatar.
It had all started innocently enough. She’d arrived in Qatar two weeks ahead of the GP for a promotional event, and as a result, she’d spent more time than usual with the prince. He was charming, kind, and nothing short of a gentleman. They’d spent evenings talking about everything from racing to their favorite films, and his interest in her was genuine. Or at least, that’s what Yn had thought at first.
But the internet had other ideas. Rumors began to swirl—first as whispers, then as headlines. The two were seen together so frequently that fans started speculating. Were they dating? Was the prince falling for her? The rumors only got louder when someone snapped a picture of the two of them laughing together in a private conversation.
And then, it happened. A report surfaced suggesting that the prince might be interested in marrying Yn. The internet went into overdrive. Fans, tabloids, and gossip outlets all had a field day, creating hashtags, memes, and theories. It didn’t help that Yn had once posted a picture of her hand next to his, joking about "a future championship ring" and how “it’s the only ring I’d ever need.”
As the days passed, the drivers all started noticing the online buzz. And they weren't having it.
---
Charles was the first to notice.
It was late at night, and he was scrolling through his phone in his hotel room when a post about Yn and the prince came up. He immediately clicked on it, thinking it was just another rumor. But as he scrolled through the pictures of Yn and the prince, looking so natural together, he felt a knot in his stomach.
“What is this?” Charles muttered to himself. “This is going too far.”
He kept scrolling, getting increasingly frustrated as each article came up with more speculation. Finally, he tossed his phone onto the bed and let out a deep sigh. He had to do something.
---
George was, unsurprisingly, not far behind.
The next morning, at breakfast, he slid into the seat next to Charles, who was already staring at his phone. He raised an eyebrow.
“You know about the rumors, right?” George asked.
Charles nodded, his brow furrowed.
“It’s getting out of hand.”
“I know,” George replied, now looking serious. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. And I’ve come to a conclusion.”
Charles turned to him, confused. “What do you mean?”
George pulled out his laptop, opened a PowerPoint presentation, and turned it toward Charles. On the first slide was the title: "Why Yn Shouldn’t Become a Princess."
“George, are you seriously making a PowerPoint about this?” Charles asked incredulously.
George nodded, scrolling through the slides. “I’ve got points, Charles.”
The first slide was about the prince’s wealth and the pressure of becoming a royal. “The prince might have power, but would Yn be happy in that world?” George said, pointing at the next slide.
Charles groaned, burying his face in his hands. “You’re joking, right?”
“No, seriously,” George continued. “Number two: the media pressure. She won’t have any privacy. She’ll be constantly hounded, and it could affect her career. Imagine the headlines every time she races. ‘Princess of F1.’”
Charles rubbed his temples. “You’re insane.”
But George wasn’t done yet. He was already on the third slide: “Formula 1 Comes First”. “And lastly, we all know that racing is her first love. The prince can’t compete with that.”
Charles gave up, laughing despite himself. “Alright, alright, I get it. But maybe just... stop making PowerPoints, yeah?”
George shrugged, undeterred. “No promises.”
---
Meanwhile, Carlos and Max were taking a more direct approach.
“Max, we need to talk.” Carlos said as he walked into Max’s hotel room, closing the door behind him.
Max was leaning against the window, eyes narrowed, watching the hustle of the city below.
“About Yn and the prince?” Max said without turning around.
Carlos nodded. “I think we need to keep an eye on her.”
Max raised an eyebrow. “You think so?”
“I mean, it’s not just the prince. It’s everything. The media. The fans. It’s all happening so fast. We need to protect her.”
Max finally turned, his usual nonchalance replaced with a rare seriousness. “You want us to act like bodyguards?”
Carlos nodded. “Basically.”
Max exhaled, then shrugged. “Fine. But only because we have to.”
And so, the next day, both Max and Carlos found themselves trailing Yn from a distance, keeping an eye on her as she went about her day. To anyone else, they looked like two guys casually hanging out. But in reality, they were her silent bodyguards, watching her every move without saying a word.
---
Lando, on the other hand, couldn’t help himself.
He had been spending more time with Yn recently, so he decided to confront her directly. He caught up with her after a practice session at the track.
“Hey, Yn.” Lando said, his eyes wide with curiosity. “What’s going on with you and the prince?”
Yn smirked, leaning against a wall as she wiped the sweat off her brow. “Oh, nothing. We’re just friends.”
“Just friends?” Lando repeated, raising an eyebrow. “You guys have been all over the news. There’s even talk about marriage.”
Yn chuckled. “Lando, come on. People love to make stuff up. We’re just friends.”
“But why are you hanging out with him so much?” Lando asked, his eyes narrowing in on her.
Yn laughed again. “You’re just jealous that I get to hang out with a prince, aren’t you?”
Lando threw his hands up in defeat. “I’m not jealous. I’m just... concerned.”
Yn patted him on the shoulder, her smile wide. “I’ll be fine, Lando. I promise.”
---
Finally, Lewis had his turn.
After hearing about the situation from the others, he decided it was time to have a quiet, heart-to-heart conversation with Yn. He found her by the pool, her legs dipped into the water, enjoying the rare moments of calm before the chaos of race weekend.
“Hey, Yn. Can we talk?” Lewis said, taking a seat beside her.
Yn turned to him, her expression softening. “Of course, Lewis. What’s up?”
“I just want to make sure you’re okay.” Lewis said, looking at her with concern. “All this attention... it’s a lot. And I know it’s coming from everywhere. You’ve got a lot of people worried about you.”
Yn smiled gently. “I’m fine, Lewis. Seriously. I’m not letting any of this get to me. I know what I want, and I’m not going to let anyone else dictate that.”
Lewis nodded, his face softening. “Just... take care of yourself, yeah? And if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
Yn leaned over and gave him a playful nudge. “Thanks, Lewis. You’re a good friend.”
---
Race weekend finally arrived, and the tension among the drivers was palpable. The rumors about Yn and the prince still lingered, but the drivers had all done their best to protect her in their own ways.
As they all gathered in the paddock before the race, Yn finally stood up and addressed them all.
“Alright, alright, I’ve had enough of this.” Yn said, raising her hands in surrender. “The prince and I are just friends. That’s it.”
The drivers exchanged glances, some of them sighing in relief, others looking a bit embarrassed for their overprotectiveness.
“That’s all?” Lando asked, still skeptical.
Yn grinned. “That’s all. Now, can we focus on the race? I have a championship to win, remember?”
The drivers let out a collective sigh, and Charles clapped his hands together. “Alright, alright, let’s get back to business then.”
As they walked to the grid, the rumors faded into the background, and the only thing that mattered was the race ahead. But as Yn smiled to herself, she couldn’t help but appreciate the way her teammates cared for her. In the end, she knew they’d always have her back—no matter what the internet said.
And that, she thought, was all that really mattered.
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fledgedragonfox · 2 days ago
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Secondary Colors & Tertiary Souls
Two lovers have reincarnated throughout history, destined to find each other and fall in love all over again. There’s also this third guy that reincarnates alongside them… we don’t really know what he does.
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I've honestly lost track of how many times I've been here. Watching from the outside as they found each other again. Sometimes they remember, sometimes they don't. But they always find each other. And sometimes they find me. But never in a way that matters. I came close once. Violet came back as a beautiful young woman and I happened to be a strapping young man from a noble family.
This was way back when dragons were still trouncing around the countryside. I was her betrothed, and I was so happy. But then she found Forest, as one of the most gorgeous dragons I'd ever seen. To be fair every other gorgeous dragon was either Violet or Forest in another life, but still. He was breathtaking. He stole her away, and they lived happily ever after. 
I don't like to think about how bad things were after they left. I'd like to think that if I came that close to them again I'd handle things better. No elderberry wine and cliff edges for me, thank you very much.
But, well…
It's hard to keep going like this.
There’s a legend about us you know? Two souls, born into the world over and over again. They always find each other. And every time, their love burns through the barriers of forgotten times, and they embrace. Every time, they come back and without fail, a third appears. No one quite knows why, but the third soul is always present. Either in passing, or as a foe, or even a friend. Some say that when the three meet, you can sense it happen. But always it is the lovers, and their shadow. 
They were an orcish warrior and an adorable scholar. I was a merchant passing through their village.
They were a pair of rebellious halflings. I was an elf who barely had a chance to speak to them before the war.
They were a lake spirit and a knight. While I was an ogre he'd been tricked into slaying.
They were a priest and a fair maiden. I was a dangerous lich, despite only using my powers to heal.
They were a bookseller and a musclehead. I was just a regular at the coffee shop they frequented. That time we became pretty good friends. 
They were starcrossed lovers, an astronaut and an alien. And I worked on mission control millions of miles away.
I get to see them come together again and again and again. But I never get a chance. Sometimes we see each other in the interim. The place between life and death. Sometimes they remember me from the previous life, those are the best moments of my existence. We talk, reminisce, apologize, and promise to remember next time. But they rarely ever do. And even if they do, they almost never remember me.
Right now, I'm a bartender. Serving drinks to assholes all night long. Night after night. Last time the higher ups apologized again for the trouble with my memories. They promised that this time things would be different. This time, when I die again, I won't have to come back. My paradise has been waiting for almost a thousand years, and will still be there when I'm ready. I might be ready to just rest, and let them keep up this asinine cycle they have going. 
That’s when I see them. Violet is a tall man wearing a black turtleneck. He looks so kind, like he always does. Forest is a large man, with a thick beard and a wide smile. They are perfect. Just like always. Even when Violet’s sword was cutting through me, or when Forest was soaring away with Violet in his claws. They were smiling at each other, their hands clasped in each others’ as they danced to the pulsing music. They had matching rings on, married once again. 
They glance in my direction and slow in their dance. I fumble, dropping the tumbler in my hands all over the bar. Sticky booze and ice scatter across the surface and soak my apron. I swear quietly, trying desperately to mop up the mess before it could drip onto any customers. I may be set in the afterlife, but here I need this damned job. I jump when paper towels gently move my frantic hands out of the way. My breath catches in my throat. 
They were here. Frantically setting up a paper towel barricade with the help of the security nearby. My hands are shaking. I’m smaller in this life. Lanky, and awkward, and too many stuttered out excuses. I hadn’t really been taking care of myself this time around, if I’m being honest. Forest takes my hands, trying to stop their shaking. My eyes snap to his and I feel it. Oh this one was going to hurt. These ones always did. He remembered me, or at least something about me. I was a homeless man last time. I lashed out in frustration when I saw them walking down the street. They later visited me sometimes after I apologized. They brought me sandwiches sometimes. Then the cycle started again.
“It’s you.” He said. His voice isn’t angry or sad. It’s a soft voice full of awe. I will fully admit that I am beyond confused. We must have been standing here a while because Violet finishes cleaning and looks at us. I expect him to lash out or question his husband, whatever his name is this time. But he doesn’t. He looks at me, and starts to tear up. He remembers too. This is going to really suck. Last time I was so tired and sick. This time I’m a pathetic lanky loser. It’s been a few minutes, both of their hands are clasping mine. I can’t look at them. I keep my gaze to the floor. This will be the last time. I promise myself that, at the end of this one I am staying in the after. 
“Pumpkin.” The name, the name I’ve only ever used sparingly in the after. They said my name. I can feel myself crying as I look at them. Their gazes are full of sorrow, regret, awe, and something that they had only ever had for each other. Forest guides me around the bar, the pair nearly jumping over the counter. The other patrons and bartenders give us strange, knowing, looks. Then they hug me. Well, envelope me more like. They are both bigger than me. They wrap themselves around my soggy boozy body. 
“We’re so so sorry.” Violet mutters into my hair. Forest it patting my front down with paper towels, muttering apologies and explanations that I barely hear. It takes me a few minutes to catch up. But I can still feel it. I feel a shift in myself. Like something slotting into place. 
“You remember…” My voice is a whisper, and I begin to sob when they nod and pull me in between them. They remember. Maybe they’ll want to stay with me in paradise. Maybe this life won’t be quite so bad. They’re running through names I’ve had in the past, some that even I barely recall. When they kiss me, one after the other, it feels like all of the pain is being seared away. 
I’m not a shadow anymore.
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OK! I'm probably gonna make more of these at some point but here we go! A writing prompt for chrimmas!
If you're interested, I have a patreon and unfortunately a gofundme available if you want to support me.
All of the details for the gofundme can be found on the gofundme page, I promise.
Pareon: https://patreon.com/A_M_W_Harris?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Gofundme: https://gofund.me/d271f0c4
Two lovers have reincarnated throughout history, destined to find each other and fall in love all over again. There’s also this third guy that reincarnates alongside them… we don’t really know what he does.
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greatw0r · 2 days ago
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DOMESTIC MOMENTS with sevika ✶ sevika x female reader -> just fluff and happy christmas everyone !
˖ ࣪⭑
waiting for her to come home, it's late and cold- she walks in and quiet as she thinks you're asleep " hi sev " you said softly from the couch and she turns around with an frown.
" I tought you were asleep honey " she said and walked over to the couch, pulling your legs to her lap caressing them soflty.
" I wanted to wait for you " you said resting your head on your hand. " I can't sleep well without you anyways " you smiled soflty and so did she . She could see the tired look in your face and how you were about to dooze off.
She was tired herself but she got up and scooped you in her big arms, lifting you without a struggle. " let's get you to bed now , I'm here " she said and walked to your room , gently putting you on the bed and pulling the covers on top of you.
" want me to give you a massage ? You look like you need one " you said making yourself comfortable under the bed, watching her change to some more comfortable clothes and take off her heavy boots.
" you look like you'd fall asleep on top of me- its okay doll thankyou anyway " she said with an chukle watching your eyes threatening to close for once.
she took off her ponytail and got into the bed, immediately pulling you close to her body and you happily let her, feeling the warmth that came from her body.
" I love you " you whispered into the comfortable silence, and she tightened her grip you. "I love you too sweet thing"
˖ ࣪⭑
" you know what we should do ? " jinx's voice loud and a little to annoying for sevika.
" what ? " you asked from your spot on the couch, jinx laying upside-down with her head on the end of the couch and legs on the top.
" we should totally cook something ! I'm starving and so is Isha " she said and little Isha nodded agreeing .
" last time you were in my kitchen you nearly exploded it all off " sevika groaned and you chuckled patting her thigh.
" well she was alone- I'm sure us four could do something eatable " you said and winked at jinx who squealed and jumped off the couch heading to the kitchen, Isha running after her.
" she's going to burn our house " sevika said and you kissed her cheek , wiping the lipstick off her. " if we keep an eye on her she won't- cmon " you said and got up, grabbing her arm and pulling her off the couch- her rolling her eyes with an huff.
As you two walked into the kitchen jinx already had eggs, milk, butter and other ingredients you didn't remember you had . " oh slow down- maybe don't empty our fridge yes ? " sevika said looking around the mess.
" jinx- what are you making ? " you asked and she turned around with her hands up.
" pancakes duh ? - Isha requested " jinx said and Isha smiled.
" do you know ... how to do it ? " you asked and sat down on the kitchen table- sevika following you and Isha immediately runned to her, getting lifted by her arm
" of course ! can't be that hard " she said and you nodded . cut to everything getting done and surprisingly it was good- not great but- definitely eatable.
" see ? I'm a professional " jinx said and you feed sevika a bite, watching her eyebrowns go up in surprise.
" right- don't feed her ego tho " sevika mumbled to you and you laughed.
˖ ࣪⭑
" here " sevika said watching you get ready, handing you a box simply decorated but with love, your name written with a heart in the end- that had to be jinx's work. you turned to her with an smile .
" it's not midnight yet " you said and grabbed it from her hands. " I know- but ... I wanted you to wear it while we're having dinner and-.... I already told you what it is " she sighed and shaked her head.
" oh sev its alright- " you said and opened the box, revealing a long dark brown dress- you look at her and at her dark brown bottom up shirt. isn't she adorable.
" it's beautiful... you just wanted to match huh ? " you smirked and took the dress out of the box.
" It was jinx's idea... but she made a good point " she said and watched you get undressed .
" and what it was ? " you asked putting the dress on
" we are a couple- you're the women of my life and she said couples to this- match and all " she said wanting to sound like she didn't put much thought to it when all that was going on in her head was if you really like the dress and the meaning behind it.
" that we are ... " you smiled and adjusted the dress. " can you help me with the - " you didn't have to finish- her hands were already on your back, lifting the zipper up and giving your shoulders a squeeze.
" thankyou- I love it - we look beautiful " you said looking at the two of you trough the mirror and sevika smiled, pressing her chin on your head and wrapping her arms around your waist.
" we sure do " she said and kissed the top of your head.
" you're gonna have to wait until midnight for yours " you said and she turned you to her. " that's no problem angel " she said and kissed you reaching her hand to cup your cheek and pull you closer-
" I guess I'm a brilliant advisor " jinx's voice stopped your moment and she laughed- making sevika groan.
" you are now shoo- go see whats Isha up to " you laughed and kissed sevika back -
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starboye · 1 day ago
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pairing: jacob elordi x male reader x tom holland
request: I'm a manwhore for Jacob Elordi and Tom Holland being possessive over male reader whenever he talks to another guy whether he's just being friendly in general and the two of them just fuck and tease male reader whenever they get a chance and male reader calling them daddy(btw love your work!)
warnings: smut, rough sex, fingering, teasing, face fucking, cum eating, daddy kink
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you were just chatting it up with some other actor at an event, you weren't even all touchy with them like jacob says but somehow just talking to the guy shows how badly you wanted him to fuck you so they just had to interrupt the conversation, both of them wrapping an arm around you waist and laying a kiss on your head.
"hey baby who's this" jacob asks moving his hand lower to grope your ass right in front of the man "just a friend i was talking to" you say already knowing the thoughts bouncing around in their minds "well seeing as we're here now you can go now" tom pipes up, watching the man quickly walk away to not start anything with tom or jacob.
"now why did you do that" you ask turning around to see the shit eating grin on their faces before jacobs leans down to kiss you and tom starts kissing your neck "we have no idea what you mean" tom mutter "guys stop we're in public" you try to push them off you but once they have a thought in mind they wont stop till they do it.
pushing you into the nearest bathroom and locking the door before taking off your clothes and letting them drop to the floor, jacob bending you over the the sink and spitting on his fingers, sliding them up and down your hole to open you up while tom continued making out with you to swallow your moans to keep them from reaching the ears of the others outside the door.
after some time of teasing you jacob finally slips his fingers inside you, curling them inside you over and over as he pumped them in and out of you, just grazing against your good spot leaving you moaning into toms mouth like a needy cock whore "please please i need it" you whined making them both chuckle "you want this cock in you" jacob taunts you, just barely rubbing his tip up and down your hole.
"mhm please j" you choke out and jacob fulfills your request, slipping his thick cock into you in an instant, whimpers falling from your mouth as the large man plows your hole raw while tom decides he has to keep you quiet some way, turning you his way and pulling his pants down to let his cock flop out and shoving it in your mouth, your moans reverberating around his cock making him shudder a little.
"two tight holes for two big cock" tom laughs pumping his cock in and out of your mouth roughly, listening to you gag around him like a good boy, it felt so good being a cock slut for tom and jacob, feeling their dick fill you up and stretch you out everyday, although it left you sore it was so good to be the only hole for them.
"what do you say, should we fill him up jacobs" tom asks feeling himself already about to unload "it would be a crime if we didn't" jacob smirks pounding into you harder before emptying his load into you, tom following close behind and cumming down your throat, hearing as you struggle to take all his thick cum down but you do.
"now what do you say" jacob asks giving a little slap to your ass "thank you daddy" you stammer out "good boy now lets get you dressed" tom says, they both help you put all your clothes back on and walk you to the car, getting weird stare from the guests that see you walking funny and looking fucked out, only if they knew.
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taglist:@mailmango @spermeboy @ghostking4m @gayaristocrat @addictedtomalepits @staarb0y @crispysoup318 @its-ares @gargoylesworld09 @znerac
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parkerslatte · 1 day ago
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The Purest Kind of Love | Part One
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Azriel x Fem!Reader x Eris Vanserra
Word Count: 5.6k
Warnings: none
Summary: Two desperate friends make a bargain and that bargain comes into play.
The Purest Kind of Love Masterlist
A Court of Thorns and Roses Masterlist
NEXT
•••
In the large bed in the centre of the bedroom lay two figures, one with large wings and one without. Their soft whispers filled the silence of the room, gentle touches upon each other's skin, smiles lighting up their faces. The fire created a soft glow in the room, only accentuating the intimate atmosphere. 
The winged male brushed the female’s cheek with his thumb, guiding his movements down to her lip– a silent ask of permission.  The female nodded and the winged male let out a small sigh of relief before he connected their lips in a sweet kiss. Arms wrapped around one another until there wasn’t a space in between their bodies.
“What if–” The female began but the winged male cut her off with a brush of his lips over hers.
“Then we will go our separate ways,” the winged male said, caressing the curve of her hip.
The female thought for a moment before she nodded. “Then we go our separate ways.”
“But now, we are unsure if it will ever happen,” said the winged male, a smirk forming on his lips.
The female smiled. “So we can remain here in this bed and I can feel your touch every night.”
Their lips met once more as the fire within the room slowly became nothing but embers. By the time the fire was fully out, the winged male and the female were sleeping soundly in one another's arms, a bargain tattooed on their hearts. 
***
The research book on her desk was open and a page full of notes was directly next to it. The last sentence written wasn’t complete. Y/N never planned to fall asleep in the middle of her work but she had needed something to distract herself from the thought of her partner and family in the midst of a bloody battle.
The candles in the room had all burnt out with the exception of the one still burning on her desk. It would never burn out, it had been a gift from her partner for their fourth anniversary. It was the present she loved the most. 
The door to her office was opened slowly and two shadows creeped in, moving freely in the darkness before settling over her shoulders in a cool blanket. The master of said shadows followed a moment later, stopping to admire the sleeping figure at the desk. Despite the dried blood and dirt clinging to his skin, Azriel smiled at the sight. 
His footsteps were quiet as he stepped in the direction of her desk. 
“Y/N,” Azriel whispered, gently shaking her shoulder. “Wake up.”
A long groan left Y/N as she woke up. “What?”
“You fell asleep at your desk,” Azriel replied, standing back to his full height, not wanting to accidentally smear blood or dirt onto her. 
After blinking rapidly a few times and orienting herself, Y/N’s eyes shot open. “Azriel!”
Immediately, Y/N was on her feet as she wrapped her arms tightly around Azriel’s neck. Azriel didn’t return the hug.
“I don’t want to get you dirty,” Azriel said, keeping his arms and hands, which were covered in dried blood, away from her.
“I don’t care,” Y/N mumbled into his neck. “I was worried about you. Is everyone else okay? Did you all do it?”
The weight of Azriel’s arms settled around her waist as he encased her in his warmth, shadows lingering around her too, always keeping her safe. “Everyone is okay. There were a few minor injuries but that was all there was. The High Lord of Autumn is dead.”
“Who made the killing blow?” Y/N asked as she pulled back from the hug to look into Azriel’s eyes. 
“Eris did. It was all part of the agreement we had with him. We would only help him take out any obstacles to his father while he dealt with him himself,” Azriel explained. 
Y/N nodded. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“You knew I always would be,” Azriel teased, a crooked smile stretching across his face. 
“No need to be so cocky,” said Y/N, following her response with a quick kiss to his lips, the only place on his face untouched by blood or grime. “Now come and take a bath with me. No offense but you do smell quite strongly of death.”
“You don’t need to have a bath with me,” Azriel said. “You can go back to sleep if you want.”
“No, I need a bath as well after hugging you,” Y/N joked. “And besides, I can think of a few things we can do once you are clean.”
Azriel’s hands slid down to her hips as his voice lowered into a soft growl. “I like the sound of that.”
“Good, now–”
Before Y/N could finish talking, Azriel had lifted her up and draped her over his shoulder. Even though she knew that he would never let her fall, Y/N still clung to him regardless. “Azriel!”
“What?” He said innocently. 
“Put me down!” Y/N shrieked through her laughter. 
“You cannot make me,” Azriel said, amusement clear in his voice.
Y/N allowed Azriel to carry her into their bathroom before she lightly hit his back for him to set her down– which he finally did so.
“You can be a brute when you want to,” Y/N said as she balanced herself. 
As the bath filled, Y/N took a step closer to Azriel, her palms resting flat on his chest. Azriel watched her movements, heat residing in his eyes, if she allowed him, she knew that he would take her then and there on the bathroom floor whether he was clean or not. Y/N wouldn’t allow that, not until she replaced the scent of death that clung to his skin and clothes with a variety of her many citrus or floral scents. Scents that Azriel would never admit to liking. 
Buckle by buckle, Y/N stripped Azriel’s bloodied and torn leathers away from his body, suppressing a small giggle when his clean, undirtied skin revealed itself to her leaving only his head, neck and hands covered in blood and grime. Y/N dragged her nails down Azriel’s torso causing the shadowsinger to shiver at her touch. His eyes fluttered closed and he groaned at the pleasurable sensation. Once the bath was full, Azriel slowly stripped Y/N out of her clothes and let them fall into a pile with his clothes. Just at the sight of her bare body before him, Azriel groaned. 
“You can never get enough of me, can you?” Y/N teased.
“No, I cannot,” Azriel replied. 
It wasn’t long before they both sat in the bath, now clean and fresh. With a wave of her hand, the dirty water became clear as if there was no blood and grime at all. Finally, Y/N allowed herself to relax into Azriel’s hold, allowing herself to sink her body a little deeper below the water. 
Her life was never meant to turn out this way. Y/N had known Azriel for many years and a romantic relationship had never been in the cards for her. Of course she always thought the shadowsinger was attractive, but she never found herself pursuing him. Azriel always had someone else on his mind. First it was Mor, then Elain, then finally Gwyn. Once all of them had happily found their mates. Mor with Emerie. Elain with Lucien. Gwyn with Octavian; an author of one of the valkyrie’s favourite novels. 
Y/N had her fair share of romantic endeavours too, though none had lasted. Deep down she always knew that she was seeking the same thing as Azriel– a mate. The whole reason why Y/N and Azriel had formed their relationship in the first place. Their family and all others around the two were happy with their mates, starting families or thinking of starting one. It only left Y/N and Azriel alone together. 
When she agreed to be in a relationship with Azriel, she never thought she would become as comfortable as she was. There was some part of her that wished that this could be for eternity, it was easy and she adored Azriel. Actually there was a way that this could be forever, if neither of them found their mates. If one of them did, then their relationship would end. That was the matter of their bargain. 
Still, Y/N thought. Could a mating bond be better than this?
“Where did you wander off too?” Azriel asked, snapping Y/N back into reality. 
Y/N leaned further back into him, closing her eyes. “Nowhere. Just thinking.”
“About me, I hope,” Azriel said, pressing a kiss to her head.
“Of course,” said Y/N, tilting her head to look at Azriel. “Who else?”
The smile that brightened Azriel’s face was difficult not to make Y/N smile in return. “However, I do remember some things we could do once we were in here…”
Azriel raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me.”
A wicked grin spread across Y/N’s face as she slowly straddled Azriel’s lap, bringing her lips to the shell of his ear, whispering promises of where the night would take them. 
***
It was early that very next morning when Y/N found herself hunched over her desk once again. Notes and small sketches on a new kind of plant that was sprouting around Velaris covered her desk. She was sure that it wasn’t necessary for anything Rhys needed but she liked learning about it regardless. So far nothing was special about it. 
A piece of paper landed on her desk before a cold feeling wrapped around her ankle. Azriel’s shadow. Y/N smiled and picked up the slip of paper.
“I formally invite you to a celebration to commemorate the new High Lord of Autumn, Eris Vanserra. Celebrations will begin after the sun sets,” Y/N read. 
“Rhys demands that we must all go,” Azriel said, slipping into the room.
“Must we?” Y/N groaned. “I have too much work to do.”
“Take a break,” Azriel replied while sitting down on the chair in the corner of the room. 
Y/N snorted. “You are telling me to take a break? In the five hundred years I have known you, you have never told me that. You should be taking your own advice.”
Azriel shrugged. “I’m telling you now.”
Y/N stood from her chair, slowly walking over to Azriel whose face displayed a lazy smile. “And why would you, Azriel, want to go to the Autumn Court and converse with Eris Vanserra of all people?”
Arms wrapped around Y/N’s body as Azriel pulled her down onto his lap. “I don’t want to converse with Eris Vanserra. I would prefer it if we stayed far away from him.”
“Then tell me the real reason why you want to go?” Y/N asked. 
Heat filled Azriel’s eyes as he looked at Y/N. “Well this celebration is an excuse for you to wear the dress you bought last month. And it gives me an opportunity to show you off.”
Y/N stilled. Since getting together four years ago, they still hadn’t made any public appearances together. Being seen together in public would make their relationship more real; less like a final and desperate option. Y/N couldn’t help but smile at that thought. 
“Okay,” Y/N said with a soft smile. 
“Okay?” Azriel asked, a smile creeping onto his lips. 
With a nod, Y/N pressed a kiss to his lips, feeling utterly content. She pulled away for a brief moment. “Will I have time to finish off my work before we need to get ready?”
Azriel laughed, his hands squeezing her hips. “Only as long as I’m allowed to stay.”
Y/N pecked his lips and stood from Azriel’s lap to return to her desk. “Of course you are. Stay as long as you like.”
In the corner of the room, Azriel got himself comfortable as Y/N continued with her work. Shadows lounged on his shoulders as a soft smile toyed at Azriel’s lips. He was perfectly content. 
***
The dress Y/N wore was one she had been excited about wearing since she bought it. It was a deep red and adored with gold detailing simply making it more stunning. Jewels decorated her neck and ears and hair, sparkling everytime she moved. Y/N was sure that she had never felt so beautiful. 
The Inner Circle split off in different directions. Azriel’s hand rested on Y/N’s lower back, gently guiding her to the edge of the dancefloor. Y/N thought he looked exceptionally stunning tonight dressed in a dark blue formal outfit; she had even convinced him to put in his earrings that he never wore. 
“Refreshments?” an older male asked, offering two glasses of wine.
Y/N took one without a second thought. “Thank you.”
Azriel took the other and gave the older male a nod of appreciation. Y/N immediately turned to Azriel. “Did you know I’ve never been to Autumn before?”
“I actually didn’t know that,” Azriel admitted. 
“I have never actually been to any of the seasonal courts before,” Y/N said, looking at the ornate details of the ballroom. They stood next to a large window that gave her the most perfect view into the gardens and the night sky where all of the stars were visible. “I’ve always wanted to visit them before but the opportunity never arose. I must admit that the Autumn Court is rather beautiful so far. I don’t see how you dislike it.”
“It’s not that I don’t dislike the beauty of the court,” said Azriel, taking a sip of the wine. “It’s the people I find insufferable.”
“They cannot all be bad,” Y/N said. 
Azriel chuckled. “Just wait until you meet–”
Before Azriel finished his sentence, he was interrupted by the new High Lord sauntering towards them. Y/N put on a smile while Azriel looked as if he would rather be anywhere else. 
“What was it you were saying about people of the Autumn Court being insufferable?” Eris Vanserra asked, arching an eyebrow. 
“I was simply telling Y/N the truth,” Azriel replied. 
As Y/N’s eyes locked with Eris’s, she couldn’t help but be blown away by his beauty. There seemed to be a roaring flame behind his eyes that made them all the more striking. Faint freckles dotted around his nose gave him a look of innocence but from the stories Azriel and Cassian had told her, he was anything but. He was dressed in the colours of the Autumn Court with a circlet situated atop his head. The gold standing out from his dark auburn hair, not a strand out of place.
“And who is this gorgeous being, Azriel,” Eris asked. Even his voice was stunning. 
The hand on her lower back dug into her skin. “I’m Y/N,” she answered. “I am a researcher at the Night Court.”
“I don’t believe we have ever met,” Eris said. “I think I would remember such a stunning thing such as yourself.”
Y/N knew that all of Eris’s words were precise, dripping in honey. Even his flirtatious tone was picked out especially for her. This was simply a game and Y/N found herself wanting to play.
“No we haven’t,” Y/N replied. “Unfortunately for me.”
Eris smirked before offering Y/N his hand. Before she could take it, Azriel pulled her back. 
“What are you doing?” he asked, the grip on her waist tightening.
“Don’t worry,” Y/N whispered. “I already know it’s all an act. And Rhys did tell us to be on our best behaviour. If I reject the High Lord it won’t reflect very well on any of us.”
Azriel seemed to think for a second. “Fine. But if he does anything–”
“Az,” Y/N interrupted. “I know how to take care of myself.”
Finally Azriel nodded and reluctantly released his grip on her waist. “You owe me a dance after.”
“Wow, you want to dance,” Y/N said. “I never thought I’d live to see the day.”
“Shut up,” Azriel said playfully.
Y/N turned back to Eris and placed her hand in his. She was shocked to discover how soft his skin was. Eris pulled her to the centre of the dancefloor as the orchestra began to play a song Y/N didn’t recognise. Almost immediately she fell in love with it. 
The smile Eris offered her was one she didn’t expect. It was softer than the fake one he had offered when he asked her to dance. Once she was swept up in the dance, her body seemed to move on its own, never missing a step and perfectly in time with Eris. 
“I didn’t expect you to be a talented dancer as well,” Eris remarked. 
“I have a lot of good qualities,” Y/N replied. “Do you always wear your circlet everywhere? Or is it just for this celebration?”
Eris looked taken back by the question. “I’m sorry?”
“You circlet, do you always wear it? It’s a little bit…conceited, don’t you think?”
“Excuse me?” Eris said, missing a step. 
Y/N smirked. “You heard me.”
As Eris fell back into perfect step, his hand felt heavier on her lower back, she could feel the warmth of it through her dress. “Yes I suppose it is.”
This time, Y/N was taken back by his statement. “You agree?”
“Of course,” Eris replied. “I wouldn’t be wearing this if it weren’t for this celebration. Though it does look dashing on me.”
“If that helps you sleep at night,” Y/N said. 
“It does,” Eris said with a smirk. “Now, what is the reason why I have never seen such beauty in this court before?”
“Are you well, High Lord? Because if I’m not mistaken, Azriel was in your court not long ago,” Y/N pondered.
A melodic laugh escaped Eris's mouth and it blended with the orchestra. “The shadowsinger may be pretty but you know exactly who I am talking about.”
“Well, I must be dense then because I have absolutely no idea who you must be talking about,” Y/N said with a smile. 
“Then you must be,” Eris muttered, a smile stretching across his own face. 
The conversation ended there but the smile remained on both of their faces. Y/N seemed completely unaware of hers as she danced with Eris. Though Y/N needed to admit to herself that dancing with Eris was fun, she was sure that she had never had a dance partner match her talents since Nesta. The two of them would dance together when they were bored or wanted to do something to ease tension. 
Of course Y/N danced with Azriel and she always enjoyed the way he would occasionally stumble and smile shyly at her– but he never wanted to stand out. Y/N was aware of every single eye on her as she danced with Eris and it was an exhilarating feeling. Even so, she still was not aware of the bright smile that graced her face. 
***
Hazel eyes bore into the hand Eris had placed upon Y/N’s back– a little too low for his liking– as he swept her up in the dance as the orchestra began to perform a new song, one Azriel knew was only played in Autumn. He wouldn’t admit to anyone but himself that the symphony was pleasant to his ears, even his shadows seemed to enjoy the sound as they danced around him. 
Still, the grip Azriel had on his glass of wine cracked under the pressure it was receiving. The grin on Y/N’s face as Eris spun her around the dancefloor was beautiful and Azriel wished that he had been the one to offer her such a dance before Eris. The two looked radiant together as they stood out in the crowd, even others around them stopped and watched the High Lord as he danced with someone unknown to them. 
Y/N had always enjoyed dancing, she would always make Azriel dance with her when the two were alone together. Despite his hesitancy to dance, Azriel always ended up enjoying himself– perhaps it was because it was with Y/N; he had never gotten the same pleasure while dancing with Nesta. 
The steps Y/N and Eris made were precise and elegant, as if that had practised them forever. Even though everything in him was screaming to intervene and sweep Y/N into a dance of their own, Azriel couldn’t help but stand there in awe watching the pair. 
Cassian stood close to him nursing his own drink while Nesta was swept into a dance by a Day Court advisor. 
“What did that glass ever do to you?” Cassian commented as the glass in Azriel’s hand cracked even more, small chips of glass digging into his thumb. 
Azriel tore his eyes away from Y/N and Eris and glanced down at the cracked glass he had in his hand. Slowly he placed it down onto the floor, making sure it was out of the way of anyone walking by and turned back to Cassian. 
“The glass didn’t do anything,” Azriel replied.
Cassian looked out at the dancing couples before his gaze found Y/N and Eris dancing together. Cassian whistled. “I see what has you so pent up. They are looking rather…close.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” said Azriel, forcing the words through his teeth.
A deep chuckle emitted from Cassian. “Tell that to the glass.”
In the middle of the dancefloor, Nesta bid goodbye to her dance partner before walking back over to Cassian, taking her place beside him. Her silver eyes looked Azriel up and down and Azriel felt as if he shrank under her gaze. 
“Be careful,” Nesta said, a hint of amusement in her dry tone. “Remember after I had one dance with him, Eris proposed to me. Y/N is an amazing dancer too, their wedding will be by the end of the night and their heir will be conceived by the morning.”
Cassian laughed loudly while Azriel only glared at Nesta before his gaze settled upon Y/N once more. Their eyes met and she offered Azriel the most gentle smile in the world and it was as if all of his worries disappeared in an instant. 
The orchestra finished playing and the room erupted into applause. Y/N slowly walked back to Azriel and Eris followed behind her, his gaze settling upon Azriel. No matter how hard Azriel tried he couldn’t help but let the Autumn High Lord’s gaze cut into him. 
“Shadowsinger,” Eris drawled as he stood in front of him. 
Despite Azriel being a little bit taller than Eris, the Vanserra still commanded the conversation. Azriel could feel his change in power. Y/N gently grasped his hand and Azriel looked at her, pupils dilating. 
Eris folded his hand behind his back as he addressed the small group. “I am glad you could all come tonight.”
Cassian suppressed a laugh. “No you’re not. You only needed to send invitations to us because it would reflect badly upon you if you didn’t.”
Eris’s gaze cut into Cassian. A wicked smirk forming on his lips. “As always you are wrong. You are really proving how uneducated you are.”
Cassian growled at Eris but it only made the amusement in the High Lord’s eyes grow. 
“I am glad you could all attend so you could witness how to throw a real celebration and a way to bring people together that isn’t a reason to show off your power to those poor souls trapped in the Court of Nightmares,” Eris remarked. The glare Cassian gave him would have been enough to put anyone into a grave. 
Eris clapped his hands, a smile replacing his smirk. “Well, now. Why don’t you all get back onto the dancefloor. I have a few tasks to do and conversations to have before the night is over.”
Eris’s gaze fell on Y/N. “It was wonderful dancing with you, Y/N. You are a beautiful dancer.” All words of flattery, no real meaning behind them. 
“You are an amazing dancer too, Eris,” Y/N replied genuinely. 
Eris scoffed playfully. “Don’t flatter me too much, Y/N, I can only take so much.”
Eris held out his hand to Y/N and Azriel fought the urge to smack it away. Beautiful rings decorated his fingers and Azriel couldn’t stop the urge to scoff. Eris didn’t even spare him a glance. Gently, Y/N placed her hand in his, Eris’s fingers tightening around hers. The jewels embedded in the gold on the rings were a perfect match to Y/N’s dress.
“It was a pleasure,” Eris said, no hint of deception in his tone.
A small kiss was placed upon Y/N’s knuckles. She smiled at him before pulling her hand away– fingers lingering for a moment too long. Taking a step back, Eris’s gaze fell upon Azriel. He frowned.
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t bleed all over my ballroom floor, shadowsinger,” Eris said.
Azriel looked down at his hand and blood dripped from his fingers where the glass had cracked. He hadn’t noticed until now. 
“Oh!” Y/N exclaimed. “Are you okay?”
Azriel lifted his hand. “I’m fine.”
Eris rolled his eyes before flicking a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to Azriel. “Make sure you don’t lose any more blood. My hounds will become accustomed to the scent and I can’t have that.”
Y/N gratefully took the handkerchief from Eris, their fingers brushing. The moment they touched, Y/N pulled away immediately as if she had been burned. Azriel didn’t question it as he looked at the blood continuing to seep from the small wound. 
“Thank you,” she muttered, turning to Azriel to wrap the handkerchief around his hand, keeping pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. 
There was no verbal response from Eris, much to Azriel’s surprise. With a small nod of his head, Eris walked away without sparing a glance back. He whispered something to one of the guards by the door before disappearing from the room. 
“How did this happen?” Y/N asked, her voice unusually quiet. 
“The glass cracked,” Azriel answered. 
Y/N only nodded before looking up at Azriel. Her features softened upon looking at him. The smile that made Azriel’s lips switch was a welcome feeling. Y/N pulled the handkerchief away once the bleeding had stopped. The bloody handkerchief was embroidered with Eris’s initials and it took everything for Azriel not to scoff. Regardless he pocketed it before offering Y/N his hand. 
“Will you dance with me?” Azriel asked.
Y/N placed her hand in Azriel’s, her skin soft against his scarred skin. “Of course I will.”
Despite Azriel not possessing the same dancing skills as Eris, the smile on Y/N’s face was the same one she always had for him. The two of them slowly walked to the centre of the dancefloor as the orchestra began playing once more. 
***
It was late into the night as Y/N changed into her night clothes. Everyone had retired to the rooms they were designated though if Y/N had her way, she would have run back to the Night Court and to lock herself in her room and never leave again. Her heart beat more rapidly and her palms were sweaty. If Azriel hadn’t picked up on anything amiss yet, he would soon. 
Y/N sat under the soft blankets as Azriel changed into his night clothes and slowly crawled into bed next to her. Her back was facing him so he hadn’t noticed the tears welling in her eyes. The night had been absolutely perfect; until it wasn’t. 
The blankets and sheets rustle as Azriel shuffled closer to Y/N, his hands wrapping around her while moving her hair away from her neck. His hot breath fanned on her bare skin and Y/N could hardly take it. 
If it had been any other night, she would have leant back in his touch and revelled in his kisses. Lips attached to her neck and everything in Y/N was screaming, her heart hurt and she found herself clutching her chest. 
Her chest moved rapidly as the first few tears escaped down her cheeks. Azriel pulled his head away, his dark eyebrow furrowed in concern. 
“Y/N, what’s wrong?” He asked, worry dripping from his tone. 
Finally, Y/N turned her face towards Azriel. Upon seeing the pure concern and worry in his eyes, Y/N broke. 
“I’m sorry,” Y/N sobbed. 
Warm hands cupped her face as Azriel wiped her tears away. “Sorry? For what?”
“Azriel,” Y/N said, looking up tearfully. Azriel immediately wiped them away. “I–”
The words were stuck. She knew that if she said them aloud, they would become real and Y/N couldn’t accept that, for some reason she couldn’t. The pain in her heart increased and she knew that it was only a matter of time before the claws of the bargain would close around her heart completely. 
Azriel rested his forehead against Y/N’s. “Tell me what it is, my love.”
“Eris, he–” Y/N cut herself off by a loud sob forcing its way through her lips. 
“What did he do? Did he say anything to you?” Azriel asked, rage building within him. If he needed to start a war with Autumn, he would; Y/N didn’t doubt him on that.
“No,  he’s–”
“Sweetheart,” Azriel said, gently but it seemed as if his words only made Y/N more hysterical. He had never called her that before now. “Please tell me.”
The claws sunk in even more and that last bit of pain seemed to force the words from Y/N. “He’s my mate.”
“W-what?” Azriel stuttered, not knowing if he heard Y/N correctly. 
“Eris,” Y/N said, her tears falling down her cheeks. “He is my mate.”
“No,” Azriel said, taking a step back from her, his heart seeming pierced by ice. “No, he can’t be.”
“He is,” Y/N whispered, finally opening her eyes. “The bond snapped in the ballroom.”
“Are you certain?” Azriel asked. 
Y/N nodded. If she spoke any other words, she was sure that she would only break down even more. The pain in her heart lessened but it was still prominent. It would be until one of them walked away. 
“So our bargain has been fulfilled,” said Azriel, his voice wavering, “once one of us leaves.”
“Az,” Y/N croaked. “We can still be together. This doesn’t need to be the end of what we have.”
“It needs to, Y/N,” Azriel said, avoiding eye contact. “Otherwise the bargain will hang over our heads just causing us pain until one of us eventually drops dead.”
“We will find a way to break it,” Y/N said, stepping close to Azriel. She stumbled over her feat, the pain worsening as she took steps closer to Azriel. “Please, Azriel…”
For a brief second, Azriel’s eyes softened. “The pain has already started for you. It must have started in the ballroom.”
Y/N encased Azriel’s hand with her own, trying her best to ignore the pain in her chest. “I can ignore it. We can– we can find a way to break the bargain.”
“And then what?” Azriel asked, his voice pained. “You have seen what has happened when someone finds their mate. Take Elain and Lucien for example. I never stood a chance in her eyes, even when I nearly kissed her, I could tell all she could think about was him– her mate. The same thing happened to Gwyn. I was courting her like she requested before she slowly began to cancel anything I planned for the two of us because she found her mate. No matter the connection you have with someone, they will always choose their mate. The bond connects your souls, it is hard to ignore that.”
“Azriel, please don’t do this,” Y/N said. 
For the first time since Y/N revealed the truth, Azriel looked her in the eyes and for a split second he considered returning to bed with her and acting like none of this damned night never occurred. But logic dominated over his heart. 
“We can’t, Y/N,” said Azriel, slipping his hand out of her grasp. “I will not allow myself to get in the way of what could be a lifetime of happiness for you.”
“What if the bond is wrong?”
Azriel nearly laughed. “I asked myself that at one point. It never is.”
Azriel fully turned his body away from Y/N, she wanted to reach out to him again but it was as if her body was rooted to the floor. 
“Az,” Y/N whispered. “What are you going to do now?”
“I’m going back ho– to the Night Court,” Azriel answered, nearly saying home. That cottage he shared with Y/N could never be his home now. Not anymore. “I will move my things back into the House of Wind.”
“Will you allow me to see you again?” Y/N asked, hope rising in her voice. 
“Perhaps. Perhaps not,” Azriel answered honestly. “It is too painful now to say anything for certain.”
Slowly, Y/N nodded her head. “Well then,” Y/N sniffed. “I hope you find your own mating bond one day.”
“Impossible,” Azriel said as he stepped closer to the door. “All hope of finding my mate dies here with you.”
Azriel was out of the door before Y/N could even reply. Her mouth hung open as she watched the door close with a soft knock. A single shadow remained in the room with her but before long it was seemingly pulled away. There was no pain in her chest anymore, there was nothing at all. 
Their bargain had been fulfilled.
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grendil9 · 17 hours ago
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Most of these "artifacts" are fake art projects made by golems to rewrite history and corrupt and destroy humanity. You think this shit doesn't wear on your conscience but it really does, even if you don't remember it all.
Artifacts like these all come with a Christless, vicious, ultraviolent message.
The message here is that white people are cruel and insane, worse than demons, uncaring about all who deviate from our (nonexistent) order. The Skeksis commission these artifacts from their loyal golem craftspeople, because they hate us, and they want us to stop having children and die out. The reason they hate us is that they are cruel and insane, worse than demons, and uncaring about all who deviate from their (all consuming) order. They are Satan's people. Thanks to their rulership, the entire world seems to work off this principle of total inversion.
What they are, they claim that we have always been.
Then they claim that they are simply rebelling against us! After a mythical billion years of Christian rule. And this is the evidence of that rule they provide. They love this sort of shit. "Look at what you used to be." But it's fake. This is a fake artifact. It was made as an art project.
In the pop-history sphere they obfuscate both conflicting "historical truths". Stories of our all-powerful rule, and their somehow also all-powerful rebellion. They obscure it through bullshit. Through gatekeeping, hoaxes, and misinformation. But it's more than just obfuscation, it's rulership, it's domination, and to the white Christians born into their world, it's genocide.
This is their principle of "Chutzpah" or the act of them lying so outrageously that power either flows to them, or it's fight or flight in order to save lives. "Do you agree with Rabbi that a white person could ever put another white person in an ugly monster mask in an act of pure fucking evil? No? You don't agree? You've never met any white person like that ever in your life? Then you're a deviant from the norm. You're obviously racist, or sexist, or xenophobic or something. Definitely violent, because look, you're trying to make excuses for the non-existent people who used this mask. Your people. You should have accepted our Chutzpah-truth about your people, because now you're bad and you will not have friends anymore."
"Fall in line, or be shut out."
You'll never catch a white kid questioning history in school. It was demonstrated to them not to be "that guy" in class, in just about every Hollywood movie and Disney original series. And since nobody questions it, it wears on their subconscious! Many believe in this sort of shit!
In fact everyone who reblogged this probably passively believed it, and will go to their grave believing it. The evil death mask for crazy people! Boy isn't mankind fucking cruel and insane! Aren't you an evil race of monsters, you white Christians? Sure kids will roll their eyes and say "yeah it's all bullshit" but none of them ever get it. It really is ALL bullshit. Completely and aggressively fake and pushed at every opportunity.
Through joyous "Chutzpah" and infiltration, there is now practically nothing left of true, Godly reason or order. Certainly not true history. And the best course of action for anyone with two brain cells is to shut up and wait for the absent Christ. Who is currently fucking somewhere. Like on a beach or something watching us be exterminated by wave after wave of pure overwhelming bullshit like this.
Children born into this shit are led by artifact after hoax after lie after "psychotic Christian" character on TV after fake three paragraphs in their history textbook, into being hopelessly insane. Into believing that what they are, inherently, is cruel beyond measure, and that their own kindness and goodness and Christlike love for what is true and good is somehow unique to them, and that the best course of action is to unalive themselves. So that they don't give birth to any more monsters. That makes them the hero.
If any of the fake stories like the one this mask implies were true, then this would indeed be the right thing to do. But not one of their stories are true. And their stories, their histories, outnumber the real ones. Who fucking knows by what percentage?
But nobody tells white Christian children any of this, so we see so many LGBT people and other such white people being extinguished. Little boys and girls valiantly and righteously ENDING his or her own bloodline through the many available paths to degeneracy and infertility and doom. Estrogen and castration and gooning. Until they are no more. God's creation destroyed.
And all this nonsense they're forced to see by the algorithm and memorize in school, all of it, completely and totally fake. This artifact is FAKE. It, like many others, manufactured by an entire army of golem craftspeople. And distributed by an entire army of golems, in the millions, that only a handful of shadowbanned and gangstalked people believe exists at all.
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yelenasdiary · 3 days ago
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soft fluffy nat where the two of you are in love with each other but haven’t confessed. nat is superrrr into the holidays like it surprises everyone but she’s proud of it. she knows you haven’t had the best christmas previous years and she’s determined to make this the best one for you. she loves everything like baking (nat cannot cook that is canon but i honestly think she could bake lowkey😭) putting up the christmas tree in the compound and decorating it. she’s just super soft around christmas and you just fall even more in love with her. you share sweet moments together throughout the days leading up to christmas and eventually the two of you confess and ugh i love soft nat i miss her
Waiting Under The Mistletoe
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Fem! Reader
Summary: You and Natasha have been struggling to admit your feelings for one another.
Fluff, Tiny Angst
Warnings: None, if there is any, please let me know! | 1.2K
AC: Happy Christmas Eve!!! Thank you for sending this! I hope you enjoy! x
Holiday Special Masterlist
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It was that time of year again, Christmas. The time of year where you felt more of a burden than a blessing, but this year felt different already. The compound had turned from its usual dark grey vibe to bursts of festive spirit and colors. As you walked the hall towards the large meeting room, your eyes took in how perfectly the decorations were hung, compliments to Wanda, so you thought.
“Hey!” Natasha called out, making you stop in your tracks as you turned to face her. She smiled softly at you, “on your way to the meeting?” She asked. 
“Hopefully the last one for the year!” You chuckled as the two of you slowly began to continue the walk to the others. “What do you say we put the Christmas tree up afterwards?” Black Widow asked, making you cock a brow at her. 
“You want to put the tree up?” You asked, intrigued. 
“Of course, I mean, I already decorated half the compound over night” she replied proudly. 
“Wait, you did all this?” You stopped in your tracks once more, surprised by Natasha’s hidden love for the Christmas season. Natasha chuckled, “who do you think did all this?” 
“Wanda” you replied without a second thought. 
“Wanda is Jewish” the red head reminded you. 
“Yeah but she’s always making sure we’re together for Christmas dinner so I just assumed. You love Christmas? That’s kinda cute” you smiled softly. Natasha’s eyes dropped nervously as her iconic smirk tugged at her lips, “so I’ll take that as a yes?” She said, looking back up at you. 
“Alright, but I’m warning you, my tree decorating skills are horrible” you replied.
“I’ll take my chances” Nat playfully winked as the two of you entered the conference room.
It was hard to focus on anything Fury was saying during the meeting with your mind so focused on Natasha and the way her eyes were glued to the piece of paper in front of her, she was always good at putting life aside for work. Outside this room, she was a softy with a love for Christmas but inside the room she was Black Widow, listening to every single word that was said in the meeting with clear understanding. 
Once Fury added his last words, the room was dismissed. Nat looked over at you and smiled softly, “ready to put those horrible tree decorating skills to the test?” She teased making you chuckle lightly. 
“Are you ready for them?” You asked. 
“Like I said, I’ll take my chances, lets go!” 
----
Your heart swelled at Natasha’s enthusiasm; it was infectious as you watched her wrap the LED fairy lights around the fake tree while she hummed her favorite Christmas classic softly to herself. With the others hovering around, picking at the baked goodies Nat had baked last night while watching the tough Black Widow decorate a Christmas tree, you couldn’t help but fall deeper for her.
The room echoed with chatter from those around you, but all you could focus on was Natasha. She caught your eye and for a moment, the noise faded. “Now that the lights are on, help yourself to that box of ornaments and get decorating!” She smiled softly. Her soft tone snapping you back to reality as you gave her a playful grin. 
“I hope you’re ready for this Romanoff!” You teased, reaching for some of the ornaments in the box beside you. She shot back a smile, “are you sure you know where they go?” She asked in a teasing tone. 
“Ha, ha!” You replied sarcastically as you closed the small gap between you and the tree. Natasha stood back for a brief moment to watch you place the first ornament on the tree, she admired the way you took a second to think about where you wanted each ornament to be placed, hanging them on different branches before giving yourself a nod of approval. 
The two of you spent the afternoon hanging ornaments on the large tree and wrapping it in shimmering tinsel that sparkled softly against the fairy lights. Nat still softly hummed her favorite Christmas tunes, and you weren’t sure how long it was until they caught you in their trap. The two of you humming softly while twirling around each other. 
The days leading up to Christmas slipped by in a blur of laughter and sweet moments, each day your feelings growing stronger for the avenger, as if they could get any stronger. From Natasha sweet talking you into baking with her to helping her wrap presents for the others. Every moment felt more magical than the last. 
On Christmas Eve, you found yourself wrapped in a blanket on the sofa, watching holiday movies with the room dimly lit and the tree twinkling softly in the corner. Natasha looked at you for a moment and for that moment, time stood still. 
“Everything okay?” You asked, your cheeks feeling warm. 
“Yeah” she smiled softly, “everything is perfect” she added.
----
Christmas morning, you woke up to the sound of laughter echoing through the compound. You couldn’t believe you had slightly slept in, you rushed down the stairs where you found Natasha already locking eyes with you. She smiled softly, “good morning sleepy head” she greeted. 
“You didn’t wake me?” You questioned, almost forgetting there were others in the room. 
“Come here” she replied softly, her eyes sparkling from the tree beside her. 
You stepped closer, your heart racing as you realized what was hanging above the redhead. Your cheeks flushed under her glaze as you closed the gap between you two. “I’ve been waiting for this” she said, her voice soft like marshmallows. “I want to tell you something” she paused, her expression shifting ever so slightly. 
“These last few weeks have made me the happiest I’ve ever been in a long time and it’s because I got to spend every moment with you” she started, smiling softly. “You make me so happy, I love everything we have shared since we met. I’ve been too afraid to say anything to you because I’d hate myself if I ruined what we already have but, I’m so deeply in love with you that not telling you was driving me crazy. Last night, I wanted to kiss you and tell you but I didn’t want to ruin the moment” she added. 
The room fell silent, time standing still as you processed her words. You pinched yourself wondering if you were still asleep, dreaming of a different life but the pain was very much real and the woman you adored was standing in front of you, under a mistletoe, telling you how she felt. 
“I love you too” you finally said, your voice slightly breaking with emotions, “I’ve wanted to say that for so long” you added. 
A smile broke on Nat’s face, her hands gently placed on your hips as she pulled you closer. “Merry Christmas” she whispered before her lips pressed against yours, making sure you knew that she meant every single word. Kissing you deeply, the two of you not caring that half the compound just watched everything unfold. 
“Best Christmas ever” you whispered against her lips, her arms wrapped around you. She smiled softly, “agreed”.
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threeacttragedy · 2 days ago
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Entry 16: The One About That Time I Shot an Arrow into the Air
“…It fell to earth, I knew not where; for so swiftly it flew, the sight; could not follow it in its flight.”
Archery has always been one of my fortes in life. I have absolutely no idea why, but I’m strangely quite good at it. My father, of course, attributes it to my ancestors; something passed down to me in my genes. So, I’m not sure that any arrow I shot into the air wouldn’t naturally find itself in the direction of its intended target. Today, that target would almost certainly be in the jugular of a Cerberus-like creature. Ah, yes, that mythical hellhound with three heads that guards the entrance to the Underworld. Not only does it dictate who can enter the realm of Hades, but also who can leave. And I’m not fond of creatures that would rather devour you alive than let you leave of your own freewill. Plus, could you imagine having three heads with three different personalities? Ugh, that would get confusing quickly. And, even worse, could you imagine all the in-fighting? I mean, an arrow to the throat – if it didn’t dismantle the beast – would almost certainly silence it. Luckily, we don’t have any three-headed dogs in this fandom…
Where am I going with this? Well – besides down a long and winding path that draws attention to the fact I enjoy poetry and archery – actually, I chose today’s poem for a specific purpose. If you haven’t figured it out from my previous cracks about the Kraken, I also like Greek mythology. In fact, learning about Greek mythology at around the age of 11 – yes, that defiant age where we’re no longer interested in Barbie (not that I was ever interested in Barbie) but we’re also not cool enough to be considered teenagers – was the first time I remember finding myself “thinking outside of the box.” And by that, I mean asking the question that I probably should not have said out loud: “If Zeus is a myth, does that mean God is fake, too?” That went down like a lead balloon (and, I hope, no one takes offense to reading that now; it is not meant with any disrespect). My mother was, of course, telephoned by the school and, when I returned home, she greeted me with (something along the lines of) a simple: “Did they answer your question? No? Then I suggest you find it for yourself.”
We all have our own truth, don’t we? Even in this fandom, we are each tasked with choosing our own path. Weeding out facts from speculation and speculation from rumor. Choosing what we want to believe over what is being pushed on us. Overcoming our willingness to follow blindly versus our refusal to be backed into corner. I suppose that’s why I’ve always liked Greek mythology (and, perhaps, storytelling in general) – because it helps us navigate life’s challenges by better understanding human nature. It’s also one of the reasons why my favorite story has always been the trials and tribulations of Eros and Psyche.
Ah-ha! See, I told you I had a purpose for bringing up those damn arrows!
Yes, Eros was the Greek equivalent of the Roman Cupid; that weird little dude who fired love arrows like a bouquet of flowers at a wedding. But Eros wasn’t some creepy little cherub in a cloth diaper; he was the devastatingly handsome God of Love. And he fell in love with the equally beautiful human Psyche. That part about her being human, however,managed to get Psyche some major side-eye from Eros’s mother, Aphrodite. In retaliation for humans worshiping Psyche’s beauty over her own, Aphrodite sent Eros down to earth to pierce Psyche with one of his love arrows so she would fall madly in love with a hideous monster (unfortunately for the Cerberus, it wasn’t them). But Eros defied his mother and, unbeknownst to Aphrodite, kept Psyche for himself hidden away in a castle. There, Psyche lived – mostly happily – with Eros visiting her every night. Eros promised Psyche she could live there indefinitely so long as she never looked upon his face (hence why he only visited her in darkness). But humans have this uncanny knack for being curious and, of course, Psyche peeked. Well, fuck! Haha, I won’t ruin the rest of the story for you except to say, yes, Eros was royally peeved at Psyche’s betrayal, fled their home, and sought refuge with his bitchy mother (because, of course, he did). Devastated, Psyche went clambering up to her pseudo-mother-in-law’s shrine to beg for forgiveness and Aphrodite, being a bit of a bitchy goddess, gave Psyche a series of impossible tasks to complete to prove her worthiness. Amazingly Psyche did in fact complete each of these four tasks but only because she managed to get a little help from some fantastical friends. Well, except for that final task for which Psyche was warned – don’t look in the fucking box. Damn humans.
Like all stories passed down from generation to generation, there are multiple versions of this myth, particularly when it comes to who helped Psyche complete her four tasks. Sometimes it’s one god(dess), other times it’s multiple; sometimes it’s earth’s creatures (the ants, the plants, and the flying things). But my favorite version is the one where Eros was the one pulling those invisible strings – or, at the very least, keeping an eye on Psyche from the shadows – because no matter how angry he was with her, Eros still loved Psyche and wanted to protect her.
Why do I bring this story up? Well, for starters, if you didn’t notice (because you were too focused on carriages and mirrors), Bridgerton Season 3 made quite a few parallels between Colin and Penelope and Eros and Psyche, even referring to the latter by name at the end of the fourth episode. The show also brushed on the importance of trust, the consequences of betrayal, and the idea that love can conquer all. Funny thing is I never thought Colin to be much of an Eros; he made a better Psyche, in my opinion. I mean, he was the one to peek into Penelope’s secret life!
But Colin’s real-life counterpart, Luke, makes a rather entertaining Eros.
On December 16, when Luke reposted to his Instagram stories a link to Nicola’s “Part 1” of her 2024 Year, the fandom went wild. And I’m not talking about just the Lukolas going insane with excitement; the Jakolas were having a field day, too – but not in a good way. The unease they’d almost certainly felt with those coordinated airplane and “Polin” posts from October returned with a vengeance when Luke resurfaced in support of Nicola – the woman for whom he consistently comes out hiding. I realized then that the one person who could simultaneously make the Lukolas’ hearts flutter and the Adjacents’ blood boil was Luke (i.e., our Eros could make Psyche rejoice while making Aphrodite lash out in anger).
If you really think about it, Luke has pulled us out of the black waters of the River Styx multiple times, making him the perfect Eros to our Psyche. Yes, our Psyche. The fandom is absolutely the Psyche of this story. After all, the fandom was the one who betrayed Luke with our collective reaction to Papsmear (but, in the fandom’s defense, that was a shitty fucking day). And, of course, that wench Aphrodite is collectively all the side story bullshit, from the Adjacent narratives to rag-mags sticking their ever-growing noses into places they don't belong.
As we finish out the year, I thought it would be fun to give Luke some credit where credit is due. In other words, I thought I’d highlight four times Luke “Eros-ed” (i.e., “rescued”) us from some mucky ass shit. This is not every moment Luke came out of hiding to do something wonderful; these are simply my top four moments where I believe Luke single-handedly resuscitated the fandom. You’re welcome to share your best Luke moments in the comments.
No. 1 - That Post-Papsmear Thing That Everyone Ignored:
Fuck, yes.
I am starting with the most overlooked event in the Lukola-verse – Luke’s post-Papsmear Cressida story. This is the taproot that keeps my faith in Lukola from falling over during a storm – Luke taking one for Team Lukola by promoting Season 3 using the scene from Ep. 6 where Cressida entered the Mondrich Ball and Colin pulled Penelope aside and told her he wouldn’t let Cressida ruin their evening. Yeah, yeah, Luke totally missed the target with that post but – again, in the fandom’s defense – everyone was still reeling from the sudden-but-not-so-sudden materialization of Antonia at the London premiere. In hindsight, though, you know you want to give him an “atta boy” for basically throwing shade at the Lutonia narrative while using a massive social media platform to do so. It was jaw-dropping, brilliant, and ballsy as fuck.
If you’re totally lost about how entertaining this Cressida story was, go read Entry 1 to be my blog. But, seriously, how have you not read it already?
No. 2 – Delivering the Cake:
Alright, fast forward three months (yes, three goddamn months!) to September 7 when Luke posted pictures from his stay at the Puente Romano resort.
No big deal, right?
Wrong!
It was a big fucking deal because, for starters, Antonia creeped in and posted random pictures of herself at roughly the same time Luke posted his resort pictures. And, of course, Luke had to like Antonia’s Instagram post. To make matters worse (gasp!) Luke’s had palm trees in his pictures which were oh, so reminiscent (but, not really) of palm trees posted by Antonia the previous day to her Instagram stories. Oh my God! And, then the real kicker? Luke’s slide deck included him eating a picture of himself from the London premiere sans Nicola! The horror! I mean, what probably started out as a cute post by Luke turned into a full-on Lukola heart attack within 30 minutes or less!
But then Luke pulled out a defibrillator and revived the fandom. Almost immediately.
After presumably hearing the cries from the Lukola fandom that he’d cut Nicola from the London premiere image, Luke demonstrated through his Instagram stories that (a) he was eating part of a cake (he was even darling enough to put the cake emoji with a smiley face), and (b) that the cake never had Nicola’s image on it to begin with (meaning, he didn’t remove her from it). Thank you for that clarification, Luke. Seriously, the fandom appreciated it.
After they recovered from their near-death experience, the Lukolas finally took the time to look at the images Luke posted. A not-so-random chaise lounge; a random white shirt; a restaurant called El Pimpi (which is a word used for the people who delivered messages to a ship’s crew and passengers); Luke throwing up the peace sign with his now infamous digits in – what appeared to be – the reflection of a glass table; and a reference to cake. It was Lukola- and/or Polin-coded shit. And, to make it just a smidge better, there was no visible reference to Antonia anywhere.
And, yes, I will cut in here to acknowledge that Antonia would, on October 25, include a lone picture of a balcony which was identical to the one Luke posted in his – what I like to call – “clarification stories” from September 7. Do I care about Antonia’s balcony? Not in the least. Could she have been at the resort? Sure. In fact, I’ve always found the idea of Antonia being present quite comical since Luke made it fairly obvious he omitted something (ahem, someone) from his Instagram post and instead filled it with random shit that seemed Lukola- and/or Polin-coded. Plus, if you want me to be perfectly honest, “insinuation” posts from Antonia stopped doing it for me months ago.
Back to what I saying… We must give Luke a round of applause for placating an entire fandom with something as simple as a cake emoji. Bravo, bravo!
No. 3 – Shutting Down the Mean Girls:
We closed out September with Antonia riling up the fandom by posting Instagram story after Instagram story, none of which were worth a second glance from a Lukola except for the “phone screen” one (see “Entry 7: The One Where the Queen Asked, ‘Did That Go the Way You Thought It Was Gonna Go?’” for reference). Oh, wait, there is another story – just for my own amusement – on October 1, Antonia reshared a story where she was labeled “Aphroditi.” Rather convenient for my story today, isn't it? Any ways, the Lukolas were a bit high-strung by October 2 when Nicola announced via Instagram that she had been named as part of the Time 100. Luke liked the post – but apparently to the haters on X he didn’t do it motherfucking fast enough. These weird-ass people do actually exist – the ones that genuinely believe Instagram likes (and the speed thereof) equate to true love.
Any ways, Luke apparently decided he was having none of that bullshit and stepped in on October 3 with his Polin-themed “Mean Girls” story. It was a throwback to a conversation he and Nicola had had in, I believe, 2022 on, haha, X.
“On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was.”
“It’s October 3rd.”
Luke captioned the story, “Xx.”
Not only did the fandom rejoice that Luke had returned to post something after nearly a month away, but the post included a throwback to Nicola, and it came on the heels of Halley Brisker’s now legendary “Nicola lately” post. Yeah, the one with Luke in the background (seriously, convince me it was someone else). Luke’s story also seemed to be one hell of a clapback to a rabid pack animal on X who faulted Luke for not leaving a comment on Nicola’s Time 100 post.
“Xx.”
No. 4 – The Littlest Things:
I debated over choosing Luke’s People magazine interview for the fourth moment, but that interview – although it made the fandom incredibly happy – didn’t pull our heads out of our own asses. So, I decided instead to go with the little things Luke has done over the past few months, namely, joining in on the Like Wars but in his own oh, so subtle way.
Let’s start with Antonia’s September 21 post of – honestly, who the hell cares? She posted and we knew Luke’s obligatory like was coming. It just took 10 ½ hours for Luke to get to it and it was only given after Nicola posted to her Instagram stories pictures from a concert she had attended. Was the fandom a bit deflated Luke liked Antonia’s post? Of course! But it was also fun to see the like come hours after Luke had already been online and on the heels of Nicola popping up online.
On October 11, we had a similar event happen. Antonia posted to her grid and Luke seemingly ignored it for roughly five hours. But, while Luke was ignoring her post, Antonia was going hard at it with Instagram stories and TikTok videos (Nicola, for her part, seemed to be playing her own game on social media during this time). Luke finally liked Antonia’s post and Antonia went silent thereafter. Then, on October 12, Luke officially made it back from his October 4 “Brb” moment and posted “Somewhere in Mayfair” to his Instagram stories. Let the fandom rejoice!
But I’m not stopping there. Let’s not forget about Luke and Nicola’s coordinated “Polin” pictures on October 21 or that, while Antonia was “rolling pasta” on November 17, Luke made it a point to go back and like Nicola’s Dr. Who post from November 15. On December 6, when Luke coughed up a like to Antonia’s grid post, he also handed a like out to Nicola at the same time (and a few others). Do you see a pattern starting to form?
Honestly, I believe Luke is owed a standing ovation for the way he has taken control of his own narrative and managed to deflect from the so-called “importance” of these bullshit Instagram likes. Although Nicola has historically attempted to distract the fandom from Antonia, in my opinion, it was always Luke’s responsibility to diminish the importance of Antonia’s role in his story. And, for the past several months, he has been doing just that – in the quietest way possible.
I’ve decided Luke is a bit like a shadow. Inconspicuous – sometimes even completely invisible – but when the light hits just right, it’s impossible to ignore his immense presence.
When Luke posts, or when he coyly plays around with the Instagram likes – even when he likes Nicola’s posts – it somehow resonates differently with the fandom. Nicola could post her year-end stuff and the fandom would be, like, “Oh, that’s cool.” But, when Luke reshares her post to his stories? “Holy fuck, that’s awesome!” It's a "different energy on set." Somewhere in the middle of all the bullshit that goes on within the fandom, Luke found his own truth. The “Bad Guy” who was “on a break” during Hot Boy Summer somehow became our hero; the shadowy figure that pulls us out of the water and sets our heads back on straight. Over and over again. It's been so subtle, we've barely even noticed.
I’m going to end this entry with the Longfellow poem I quoted at the beginning, mainly because I like it, but also because it’s about something that cannot be easily seen once released into the world but, if found, can have an everlasting effect on us.
“I shot an arrow into the air; it fell to earth, I knew not where; for so swiftly it flew, the sight; could not follow it in its flight;
“I breathed a song into the air, it fell to earth, I knew not where; for who has sight so keen and strong, that it can follow the flight of song?
“Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke; and the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend.”
P.S. In the story, Psyche is rescued by Eros (hurray!) and is made the Goddess of the Soul.
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grabowskibeepboop · 3 days ago
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Okay, I tried reading though all of this, but it started turning into utter jibberish, now this might be because I'm tired, but I also think there are so many details in this that it's starzing to bore me, as well as words I don't know what they mean, but I do like the mentioning of leabians, so far it's only a mear mention tho
So I could not read though all this, but it did make me come up with my own idea for a show about the alliance of two different kingdoms, where the "normal" one, the one without magic, the sorta "good" one (there would be no good and bad, only weird culture and bad reputation on the magical side ig) is the one that's portrayed as strange, because they're always overly kind, naive and understanding, to the point where the folk from the other kingdom start questioning how they're even still alive, eventually making an inside joke about them being extremely lucky or smth
Now I do love a good straight but queer couple, but I also love a good fake dating/arranged marrige plot where the participants don't actually end up falling in love. Paired with me not being able to not make everything gay, I imagine the princess, who for the sake of difference is from the "good" kingdom, is more so the clear minded, cautious, rather pessimistoc than optimistic but still able to see things in a good light kind of person, the kind that would be from the "bad" kingdom, and allthough in her day and age it wouldn't be likely that she's able to put a lable on it, but she is aroace, and her closest allies, her platonic partners are all members of the royal staff (idk the medieval word for that). Now the prince of the "bad" kingdom on the other hand is more "lucky" than the "lucky people", he is sincere, kind, a great, cheerful and bright person. Multiple assasination attempts failed on him, eventually leading to the most tryhard assasin falling in love with him, allthough you would never catch him admit that. Who that assasin is, I haven't got the best idea yet, but he doesn't have either kingdom's wellness as his best interest, and it's because of him that the royal wedding always gets cancelled, not letting the soon to be queen to unite the two kingdoms, finally creating peace and making them greater than any other kingdom around. The show's finale is when this finally happens, and it's able to happen only after the prince is able to (wether knowingly or not, maybe we never actually get to find out of the assassin ever gets find out) convince the asassin to leave it be (him realizing his feelings amd that they have been the driving factor in all this, and that the marrige doesn't mean any more than an alliance to either parties)
Idk just brainstorming
As for the og post, I haven't even got to the fanart area it's so goshdarn long, it's frustrating because I want to read it all but it's also kind of boring (no offense), I can't seem to be able to gnaw through it
Daughter of fantasy villains decides to rebel against her parents by actually going through with her arranged marriage to a local golden retriever of a prince instead of running off with some local villain-to-be or conquering said golden retriever’s kingdom and ruling it solo like her parents expect her to. Plus, sue her, she’s into the clean-cut earnest look.
At the same time, local prince charming discovers that he’s actually very into the gothic fiance his parents have landed him with in order to try and establish peace with the local evil lair down the lane, he would never have guessed a spiderweb pattern could look so fetching on a ball gown…?
Meanwhile, two pairs of parents in a tizzy because they both expected their offspring to whole-heartedly reject this union and give them an excuse to conquer their goody-two-shoes/evil neighbours, they’re not supposed to actually like each other-!
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yuwuta · 2 days ago
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YOU AND I TOGETHER, WON’T YOU HOLD ON TO ME — YUUTA OKKOTSU
cw mentions of children, pregnancy. so much of yuuta being happy and sappy :(( sorry i haven’t shutup about my little depressed lovesick boy making it out and living a full life. probably won’t anytime soon actually. satoru is alive and well in all my renditions of happily ever after and that won’t change either i fear  
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Yuuta talks about the future often. A future with you, and him, and your friends, and a family where you’re all together forever and he gets to love you until the end of time. 
Sometimes, you think he doesn’t realize what he’s doing—dreaming about forever with you; but you can never find it in your heart to break his illusion. The boy who used to dread his next waking moment is dreaming and dreaming and dreaming, and making all of yours come true. 
It’s quiet in this part of the Gojo compound. The gentle sounds of a stream running through the garden, and chirping of birds are the only noises that disrupt your daydreams. 
Or, perhaps, fuel them. 
“I hope our kids aren’t afraid of birds,” Yuuta muses, wide eyes looking past your face up to the tall trees, full of happily singing bluebirds, “There’s so many of them here.” 
You’re gentle when you stroke his hair, taking advantage of his head in your lap to pull the longer pieces out of his eyes. 
Your smile is giddy, unfiltered. “Kids? Plural?” 
Yuuta hums with smile. His eyes remain on the sky, chasing a pair of birds that flitter between long branches. 
“Yeah. At least two, so they don’t get lonely,” he says, “They’ll have us, and their cousins, and sensei, and our friends, but they’re going to need each other at home.”
Yuuta lets his eyes fall to you at the end of his sentence, a sparkling smile on his scarred lips. 
“I see,” you smile, “At least two so they can be friends.” 
“Best friends,” he revises your statement, “So they can train together, too, if they want to be sorcerers. Or not. It’s fine, either way.” He blinks, eyes warm, “I hear that four is the happy medium for a family, but I think three is going to be easier inheritance wise, if sensei is serious about making me clan head someday.” 
“Is that so?” 
“Yeah, but if a fourth comes along, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” 
“I’m sure sensei will have made more than enough money for them by then.” 
Yuuta giggles, earnestly in your arms at that. “Of course he will.” 
You pause for a moment, committing his laugh to memory. His features flush slightly under your gaze, and you lean down to kiss his scarred forehead. You let your hands resume petting his hair, following in his gaze to look up at the birds. 
“Tell me more about them.” 
Yuuta doesn’t waste a moment, closing his eyes; letting you paint the picture in the sky for yourself as he talks. 
“The gap between the oldest and youngest is six or seven years. I think five might be enough, though. So, that means our middle one is about three when our littlest comes along.” 
“Unless a fourth happens.” 
Yuuta hums in agreement. “Unless a fourth happens. But we’ll have time.” 
You’ll have time, you nod. You have time now, you and him; all the time in the world. 
“A three year old and newborn sounds like a lot of work.” 
“Maybe. But we’ll also have a seven year old. He’s going to want to help with the baby, so we’ll have an extra hand,” Yuuta says, “And that’s not even counting sensei and the rest.” 
“He?”
“I think he’ll be a boy, the oldest. He might look like me, but he’ll act like you, so he’s going to be Kugisaki’s favorite.”
You find yourself choking out a genuine cackle at that. When you look down, Yuuta’s got a smile wider than yours. 
“He sounds wonderful. Like his father,” you confess, “But the idea of pregnancy thrice in a seven year span sounds exhausting.” 
“We can use surrogates. Or adopt. Or whatever,” Yuuta tells you, “Gojo-sensei will help us figure it out if we need help.” 
You have no doubt about that. And now, when you look back up to the sky, you can see vignettes of Gojo-sensei with your your seven year old on his shoulders, your middle child on his hip, and the baby gnawing at his legs. 
And then Yuuji is skipping into the scene, cooing at the youngest, picking him up and consoling him effortlessly. He carries the baby over to a crib with another crying newborn that looks eerily like Megumi, whose green eyes go wide at the stranger, then smile gummy as both babies reach for each other. 
Maki is there too, tapping your eldest on the shoulder with her staff and pretending not to have done it. Nobara holds up a shirt to the middle child, brassy in questioning Gojo why she told her that the baby would fit in this size that’s obviously too big, meanwhile the toddler ignores them both, fascinated with the marks on Toge’s cheeks as he plays peek-a-boo. 
It’s not hard to imagine. The scenes in your head aren’t wild fantasies or unattainable dreams—not anymore. 
“You want a big family.” 
Yuuta nods, reaching for your hand and pulling it away from his hair, and to his lips. “We have the resources for it now. Not just financially—we have time, and lots of friends, and lots of love.” 
Yuuta presses a kiss to the back of your hand, and you smile. He’s right, there’s more than enough love to go around. 
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