#what is with the editing in the last gif with the fridge part??

[mayasdeluca]

MAYA AND CARINA STATION 19: 7x07 'Give It All'

[yooglefics]

Reveal — Part two: editing

Pairing: Yoongi x fem!reader ( camboy!yoongi x camgirl!reader )  Wordcount: 1,735 words Genre: 18+, mdni, remainder to not use fanfics as your only source of sex ed. Summary: Yoongi is just helping a friend help you, but is he even supposed to listen to this?. Part 2 of Reveal: recording. Read it for context. This is just why and how we got to that ending. More warnings under read more.

Includes: Mentions of selling sex content. People recording sex acts. Mentions of sexual activity ( doing things and also talking about doing things and thinking about doing more things ). Mentions of past and not past masturbation ( f and m ).  Dirty talk? I guess?. Sprinkle of possessive yoongi? Is not my fault i sweaaaar Author's note: Remember when I started writing something short and silly lmao, what a time. Btw, I have never used OF so if something I say about how they use the website is actually not true / completely wrong just pretend please lmao. Anyway, I thought it'd be fun to write Yoongi's side, hope you like it! If you do please remember to leave a comment, reblog, ask, follow and what not. Thank you for reading <3

Saturday is probably Yoongi's favorite day of the week. No waking up early, no work, and not worrying about having to do any of those the next day.

That's why he groans when his phone rings with messages from Jungkook. He knows is him because he is the only one who still insists on sending him a million messages instead of just one. 

Love the guy, but he can be annoying.

The fifth ring comes and hopping is the last one, Yoongi finally reaches for his phone and rolls to his back. 

JK: hey JK: are you awake? JK: and free today? JK: i need a favor JK: yoongi?

Yoongi: with what? If I have to leave my house is probably a no.

Both of them know that actually, even if it ruined his plans of relaxing, he would say yes. Because that's what friends do.

JK: no no. You can do it at your house  JK: I need to edit an audio for my friend JK: but I'm on the schedule today JK: and if I don't send it back quickly she will back out JK: please? 

Yoongi: ok. Send it to me. Yoongi: you own me, tho.

Throwing his phone on the bed, he gets out of it to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, getting ready to sit in his studio for at least an hour. He knows is probably a bit extra to use his expensive equipment for whatever this favor is, but if he is going to help, he is going to do it right.

Opening Jungkook's messages on his laptop, Yoongi almost wants to laugh at himself.

JK: [ killmepls.mp3 ] JK: is and OF thing, btw JK: don't listen to it in public lol

Yep, definitely Poducer Min equipment is too extra for this. But, fuck it.

The archive is already downloaded when he opens the software, starting a new project and naming it the same as the audio plus final, to not get confused. Plugging in his headphones he starts playing it, already noticing whoever this is, is pretty quiet at the beginning and he would most likely have to cut it off, still, he listens to make sure.

A few taps followed by a “hi..” is the start, and he chuckles at their giggles.

He decides to let that in, but cuts the next few seconds where only their breathing can be heard along with some clicking and fabric moving. Is too long of a pause for this kind of thing and the clicking gives a way they weren't ready to start. Sure they wouldn't mind.

They put music on? It sounds familiar but is pretty fade out, so he can't really be sure, and then “This angle is kinda…” 

That's him.

That's his voice.

“Hot,” the voice continues before he can rewind.

“You can't tell me I'm mean anymore. I'm spoiling you,” his own voice travels again on his headphones. “I'm giving you this view and I'm giving you what's probably the thing you all ask the most: hands.”

What is this? Some kind of joke?

Did Jungkook put them up to this?

“I hate him. I'm gonna sue him,” 

That gets a laugh from him, even if he is still confused about what is happening.

Maybe it's just his imagination?

Should he ask his friend?

More movement of fabric. Maybe bed sheets or clothes. More breathing, a bit faster than last time and then, a groan. 

He can leave that in.

Wait, that's right. He is supposed to be editing this. He has to go back and…

“This angle is kinda…” his voice says and he hits pause. Is really him. Is that possible?

He feels like he is imagining things.

“Jungkook, I swear if this is some kind of joke or something,” he rambles taking his phone out.

Yoongi: did you listen to it?

JK: no, didn't have time JK: why? something wrong? JK: don't tell me it can't be used JK: she is gonna be sad :(

Yoongi: who is she?

JK: dunno if i can tell you 

Yoongi: technically I'm doing a favor for her. I think is fair 

JK: good point JK: is afterhours(y/n)

He opens a new tap on his laptop, goes to the website and searches for the username through his followers. And sure enough there it is. Subscribed a month ago.

He clicks to see your perfil. The first post he can see without being subscribed is a picture of a lilac lingerie set on a bed with the caption “very early birthday present”, from a week ago. 

He considers subscribing to see more, but he stops himself from clicking, remembering Jungkook didn't even want to tell him who you were. Oh, shit. What would you do if you knew it was him editing your audio? Would you back out? Or be sad?

Now it feels kind of wrong, like if he were invading your privacy.

He clicks around on his computer again, audio track back to the zero seconds mark. He hears the “hi” and the giggles and stops it before his voice appears. 

“Okay, this is going to be posted. It was recorded with the intention of being posted for people to hear,” he reasons. “If it's not posted I'd just forget about it and if it is… I'd… subscribe? To make up for listening?”

Clearly that part is not completely made up on his mind, but he doesn't have to decide what to do right now, he has to finish editing. And so, Yoongi clicks around the software again, cutting and deleting another section, the one where you can hear his voice and even his music before.

That's it. It was a familiar track because it is his. He composed that himself to put in the background of his videos exclusively. He figured putting his own touch would help if something was posted outside his page, never imagining hearing it in the background of someone else's video or audio was even possible.

It shouldn't affect him this much. After all, people touching themselves to his videos is half the reason he likes making them. What can he say? Is a turn on to have that effect on others, it builds his confidence up.

But actually hearing it is different. 

Groan and fabric moving, a bit too close to the mic he considers doing something about it, but “I want you to touch me,” is the perfect whisper. Just the right volume, just the right words.

No more audio of SugaD can be heard now, you probably turn down the volume of the video or pause it. Yoongi is curious about it. The idea of your sounds being a reaction to his past self is doing things to him, and Yoongi would like to ignore them before getting too distracted, but is kind of a boomer not knowing exactly what your reactions are for.

Maybe he can open his video, it wouldn't be hard for him to synchronized it with your audio and—

No.

That would cross the line. Is enough that he—

“Are you hard?” your voice continues, timidly he thinks. 

Is this your first time doing this? That's why you couldn't edit yourself?

What would you do if you knew he was listening and his dick was calling for attention at all your little sounds?

He stops your recording, considers taking a break, going back to bed. But he knows just forgetting about this would be hard and in the end he would have to come back and finish helping.

He unpaused it.

More moans echo throughout his headphones and he fixes them on top of his head, as if that would help him concentrate. You just sound so pretty, and when you plead he wants to give you anything you ask for, his dick twitching with desire.

He could just— no. That'll be wrong. Is enough he is letting it affect him this much, he can't just—

His leg bounces under his desk, hand glue to his mouse even when he is just listening now. Only stopping and going back a couple times to fix the volume of background noise, making it less or more obvious depending on the flow or your moans.

A groan of his own cuts the silence in his studio when you form words again. “It feels so good, oh god.” And Yoongi wishes he knew what. Wishes he could see you, could touch you. Could make you sound and feel that good in person.

“Uh uh,” short moans leave your lips, and it sounds so much like you're agreeing with his thoughts he really considers sneaking a hand down his pants. Allow his mind to wander and imagine what you would look like under him. Or on top. Or just coming undone by him.

But he doesn't. He just listens to your recording, your breathing, your pleas and your cut out warning when you cum.

“Fucking hell,” Yoongi angrily whispers. And for a second he considers doing the SugaD special of cutting it out of the final audio, but that's too selfish.

Or perhaps is more selfish leaving it. Considering he wants the world to hear how you sound when listening to him.

Yoongi managed to leave the studio without touching himself. But is not really as impressive as it sounds since his hand is on his dick the minute he goes back to bed after listening to the final edit of your audio one last time. The excuse of being just to make sure is perfect is just that, an excuse. And your pretty sounds replay on his head while he jerks off until orgasm.

JK: thank youuuu JK: she says thank you too!

Does that mean you know he was the one editing it?

He opens the app on his phone, looks for your perfil again and debates a couple minutes his options. 

What's the worst that can happen? You blocking him? He would understand, but if he actually doesn't do anything, doesn't play his chance, he wouldn't forgive himself.

And so, he subscribes. Page refreshes instantly and a new post greets him.

[ afterhours(y/n):

Surprise, surprise. Is my birthday month but I keep spoiling you, ain't I the best? 😝 

      [ VoiceReveal.mp3 ]

                                                                         ]

Doesn't even have to listen to it, his fingers move on their own, “the cutest”, he comments.

♡ Tag list: @m00njinnie , @sexytholland , @seoullove96 , @thelilbutifulthings , @disneyprincessshuri ,

( is hereee! I appreciate u guys hehe <3 ) ( if anyone else wants to be tagged in the future, let me know )

➪ Part one. | ➪ Part three. | ➪ Updates for this verse | ➪ Ko-fi

➪ Main masterlist. | ➪ Updates in general | ➪ Request & chats ♡

[elly-grace]

His world

Idk what to name this one lol also not edited at all

Pairing: Joe burrow x reader

Warning: not eating, mean comments

Word count: 1176

The day started off like any other day. Joe wakes up to the sun shining through the window, then gets ready for practice. After Joe is ready he wakes you up with a good morning kiss, then after a short conversation heads to practice. This was normal, it was the status quo, it was routine.

But the status quo was broken after Joe left for practice, you felt off. You felt like crying, the hate from Joe's fans was really starting to get to you. There have been so many rumors about you and Joe recently. The main three were; cheating allegations, an engagement, and pregnancy. None of which were true, you would never cheat nor would Joe. You and Joe have been together since freshman year of college. Neither of you ever thought of cheating on the other in all the time you've been together. There's no engagement, at least that you knew of. But the pregnancy rumor hurt the most, you knew why it was being thrown around. You had been gaining a little weight, which you were self conscious about.

The comments flowed through your head.

‘She's so ugly! Like gross.’

‘She’s getting really fat, must have had to get pregnant for Joe to stay with her sorry ass.’

‘Joe can do so much better than her’

You felt the tears well up in your eyes.

“What if Joe leaves you?”

With that thought the floodgates were opened. Part of you knew that Joe would never leave you, he loved you with his entire heart. His world literally revolved around you, he didn't know how to do what he loved without you in his life. You two have been part of each other's lives since birth. Robin and (your mom) had been friends since childhood, which forced you to be friends. Joe was the built-in best friend, always there for you, and you were the same for Joe.

The other part of you thought the comments were factual. With you gaining weight you've been having troubles feeling comfortable in your body. It didn’t make you feel ugly just different. You knew Joe could have literally anyone he wanted, he could do better than you.

You try to calm down and take a few breaths coming back to rational.

You walked to your closet and found your oversized hoodie and a pair of leggings to change into. Then sluggishly made your way down the stairs then into the kitchen. Making your way to the fridge, you open it but then the fat comments come to your head. Deciding you would just skip breakfast you close the fridge. You check time seeing it was almost 9 which meant the other WAGs would be calling you soon. As if on cue your phone rings, it was Jess, Sam's fiance.

“Hey, are you coming out with us today?”

“Hey Jess. I think I am going to stay home.”

“You sure? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just not feeling good today.”

“Okay, call us if you need anything.”

“Okay, have fun!”

You said then hung up.

You started to do some house work around the house. You cleaned the entire house, starting in Joe's office and finishing in the basement. When you finished cleaning it was already noon meaning Joe would be home soon. You head to the kitchen to start making lunch for him, deciding to make a chicken caesar salad. You finished plating the food as soon as he walked in the door. He made his way to the kitchen and saw you and moved towards you to give you a kiss.

“Hi, baby. Have you been crying?” his eyes were fixed on your doleful looking face.

“Maybe.” you just shrugged, “it doesn’t matter.” as tears weld in your eyes.

“It does! It matters, why are you crying?” he said in a voice the told you he wasn’t going to stop until you told him.

“I’m getting so much hate. People say I'm ugly, fat, and you could do better than me. Which don’t say the last one isn’t true.” You looked down. Joe instantly made you look back up at him by putting his fingers under my chin. Noticing that my hair was messy and all over he moved some of it out of the way.

“Listen to me please, I love you, only you. You are beautiful, I don’t care that you're gaining weight, it means you're healthy.”

Your stomach starts to growl. Joe gives you a sad look.

“When did you eat last?”

“Yesterday”

“When? Cause you barely touched your dinner.”

“Breakfast was the last full meal.”

“You need to eat.”

You sighed but you would do anything for him. He was the love of your life.

“Okay” you said and started walking to the fridge when he grabbed your arm and pulled you back.

“Wait, I'm not done. I’m never going to leave you, never let those comments get to your head.”

He gave you a passionate kiss, then walked away. A few seconds later he comes back with something in his hand.

“This is definitely not how I wanted to do this but.” He spoke getting down onto one knee.

“Joe?” You were shocked.

“Y/n m/n l/n, I can not fathom my life without you in it. You’ve been here since day one, literally day one. You're the only constant thought in my mind. Every Injury, every bad day you’ve been there. You're it for me, it’s always been you. It took us 18 years to finally get together but I knew in middle school when that guy broke your heart. When I saw you crying I wanted to beat him up for hurting you. Now here we are 9 years later, I don’t think I can spend another moment of you not being mine forever. You are my world, my best friend and hopefully soon my Fiancé.” The tears that have been welling in your eyes finally fell.

You nod “yes”

Joe slides the ring onto your finger and stands and gives you a hug and then a kiss.

“I love you Joe”

“I love you too Y/n. I’m going to address the fans about the hate today when I go on ‘New Heights’.”

“Thank you.” You gazed at his face with his beautiful smile plastered upon it.

“How about you come with me?”

“Will Travis and Jason allow that?”

“They will, they’re pretty laid back.”

You nodded and soon you were in joes car with him.

“Welcome to the pod Joe, I hear you got some exciting news” Travis said

“Yeah, as of today I am an engaged man.”

“What, congrats man!” Jason yelled.

“Thanks guys, but I’d also like to address one more thing before we start.”

“Yeah go ahead.”

“So my fiancé has been receiving some pretty brutal hate from some of my fans recently. I just want to say that she is beautiful the way she is, and I love her more than anything in the world. Please stop hating on her.”

Requested by: @funnyjb

Hope you enjoy!

[morgana-larkin]

Hey! Are you still taking prompts? If yes, can you write about r, a librarian that's like a ray of sunshine to everyone at Abbott. But not too much ray of sunshine like Janine and Jacob (more like UV light jk). Then one day, r arrived at Abbott so quiet, not in her usual self,like her sun is heavily clouded. In the break room she's like spacing out, they noticed it and when they asks her if she's alright she would just look at them with a neutral reaction and not talk to anyone,as in anyone much to Melissa's dismay as she tries to make you talk. She misses you talk about your day when she visits you at the library before leaving. Mr. J notices, since r usually gives him a high five when she sees him in the hall way. Even Ava, as she made a joke and everyone laughed but you just gave her a blank stare and leave the break room. They thought r just needs space so they let her be. Then a day of being like that became a week, shutting people down and now the staff are worried, so Melissa decided to finally take the matter in her hands and helps R to finally snap out of the state she's in.

Thank you so much for this prompt! And yes my inbox is open for prompts. I thought this idea was cute and I hope you like it. Not edited in the slightest. I wrote this in more of Melissa’s POV but I don’t think any of you will mind.

Her Poco Sole (little sunshine)

Warnings: reader trapped in their head but that’s pretty much it.

Words: 2.6k

It’s Friday morning and you walk into Abbott with a smile on your face as always. You’re the librarian at Abbott Elementary and you love it. The kids are great, the staff is amazing, and you’ve never been happier. You see Mr Johnson and as always you raise your hand up for a high five and he happily gives you one.

You arrive in the break room and everyone is already there. You cross the break room to the fridge to put your lunch in there. “Good Morning everyone. Any weekend plans?” You ask everyone as you go to make a coffee.

At that, everyone shares any interesting plans that they have for the weekend. As you finish making your coffee you go to sit at Barb and Melissa’s table like always as Jacob finishes telling his plans and you smile at him as you listened.

“What about you Melissa? Got a hot date? Tv marathon? Seeing family and friends?” You ask her and she looks at you with a smile.

“What makes you think I have a hot date?” She asks.

“A little presumptuous of me then, alright got a normal date then?” You ask her and she snorts.

“You’re such a goof. No date this weekend. Unless you count my couch.” She jokes and you laugh.

“I would think that counts as a date.” You tell her. Then you engage in conversation with Melissa and Barb until the bell rings, and you all get up to start the day.

The day goes by and it’s spent organising and checking out books for kids. At lunch, you head to the breakroom and get your lunch and sit at your regular seat, beside Melissa, and start eating. The rest of the crew comes in a couple minutes later, as well as Ava.

“Hey y/n, I’m going to the club tomorrow tonight, wanna come?” Ava asks.

“Ava, the last time I went with you, you forced me to talk to a girl there and she was straight. So I think I’ll say no.” You tell her with a shake of your head. Ava looks at you and laughs.

“What if I promise that I won’t force you to talk to any girls?” She asks.

“I think I’ll sit this one out Ava, I got big plans to laze around and do nothing.” You tell her.

“You and I got similar plans, we should do it together.” Melissa says and you look at her with a smile.

“You got a date though.” You joke with her and she laughs.

“Hun, I can drop the date with my couch if I wanted, I’m sure it won’t be disappointed.” She says and you roll your eyes.

Lunch ends and you all get up to finish the second part of the day.

At the end of the day, you’re putting a book back in its rightful place when Melissa walks in.

“Hey you.” She says as she walks in.

“Hey yourself.” You reply back to her with a smile.

“How was your day?” She asks.

“It was good.” You then proceed to tell her all about your day. You tell her interesting things that the kids said or did, interesting gossip from teachers and everything else in between. Melissa looks at you the entire time with a smile as she listens. She always loves it when you tell her about your day, you always talk so passionately. “Anyway I’m rambling, how was your day?” You ask her.

Melissa proceeds to tell you all about her day as you both exit the library and you lock up. This is a little routine you both have at the end of the day. You both look forward to it, you tell each other every little thing about your day as you walk to you cars.

Melissa didn’t like you at first, she thought you were too cheerful and happy like Janine is. But she learned that while you are cheerful, it's not annoying like it is with Janine or even Jacob. She learned to love how happy and nice you are with her and everyone else, poco sole she likes to call you, which is little sunshine.

You end up just staying at your place that weekend instead of taking Melissa up on her offer, you sometimes do and you both always enjoy it.

Then Monday morning comes, and you drag your feet in through the doors of Abbott, the usual smile on your face is replaced with a frown. You pass right by Mr Johnson and you don’t offer a high five and he looks at you weirdly.

You enter the break room and you cross over to the fridge to put your lunch and get a coffee. Everyone sees that you don’t have a pep to your step and your usual smile. As you get your coffee ready, you're looking at your phone as Melissa speaks up.

“Hey poco sole, you alright there?” She asks and you look up at her then go back to your phone without answering her. She looks at you confused, as well as everyone else. Once your coffee is done, you pour it in your mug then you sit down at your usual spot. Melissa looks at you as she tried again.

“How was your weekend?” She asks you. You just look at her and shrug. Melissa looks at Barb worriedly. You’re never like this, this isn’t you. Before anyone could say anything else, Ava walks in and she pours some of the coffee in her mug.

“Y/n, there were a lot of cute girls at the club, you missed out, although I would have had you do karaoke.” She says and everyone laughs, they know you’re a bit shy singing in front of a crowd. Everyone laughs except you, you just look at Ava with a blank stare and then get up and leave. You pass by Mr Johnson on your way out and once again, you don’t offer a high five.

“What’s going on with y/n? She doesn’t seem like herself.” Mr Johnson says and everyone looks at Melissa who’s the closest to you.

Melissa doesn’t know, you were fine on Friday, and you two texted on Saturday and Sunday like always and everything seemed fine. “I- I don’t know.” Melissa says and she’s worried about you. She’ll try again at lunch, maybe you’re just not having the best morning, it happens to everyone she thinks.

At lunch your mood didn’t change, in fact it seemed it got worse. You seemed like you were in your own head the entire time, and if anyone talked to you or asked a question, you would just stare at them for a few seconds and go back to what you were doing or just ignore them. Everyone decided that maybe you just need some space as maybe you’re having a rough day but then you’ll be back to your usual smiling self tomorrow.

You were not back to your smiling self tomorrow. You came in again the same way, Mr Johnson sees you and you’re still not smiling and he sighs. Everyone else in the break room stopped what they were doing when you walked in. They all hoped you would be back to yourself again but no. Melissa was getting worried, she went to the library after school yesterday like always and you had already left. She didn’t like seeing you like this, the worst part is you didn’t seem sad, you seemed disconnected, like you aren’t even here. You were supposed to be her poca sole and right now you aren’t, and it broke her heart a little.

Melissa knew she had gotten feelings for you, I mean how can she not when you are how you are. Always smiling when you talk to someone, always listening to people talk with 100% of your attention, and she loves how passionate you are about even the smallest things. You always brought a smile to her face, no matter the mood she was in, and she wanted to do that for you.

At lunch she went to the library when you didn’t show up and when she tried talking to you, you just looked at her with a blank stare and went back to what you were doing. She gave up after several attempts and went to talk to Barb, “maybe she just needs some time Melissa. I’m sure she’ll be back to herself when whatever it is passes” Barb told her. So Melissa did just that. She didn’t talk to you when you sat down, she didn’t go to the library after school, she didn’t text you that she got home safely like always, that usually sparks an hour conversation over text.

And soon, the week goes by and it’s Friday and you’re still not back to yourself. Melissa misses you, she knows that you’re going through something and you’re not telling her, you and her tell each other everything. So she takes matters into her own hands. Friday after school, she goes home and grab’s leftovers from yesterday and then heads to your place.

She knocks on your door and you answer about 30 seconds later. And you have the same look on your face as you have had at school all week. Still she gives you a smile and offers food. And you just stare at her, not talking.

“Can I come in? I can heat this up and we can eat and watch tv.” You just step aside to let her in, Melissa thinks it’s a start, she will literally take anything.

Melissa heats up the leftovers and puts half on a plate for you and half on another plate for herself. She comes to the couch where you already are and she hands it to you with a smile. You take it from here with just a simple “thank you.” Even when you seem disconnected, you will always say thank you, it’s automatic. And again, Melissa will take it. She misses you so much that a simple ‘thank you’ from you makes her happy.

After you both finish eating and the episode of the show you're watching ends, Melissa has had enough. She sets the plates down on your coffee table, turns off the tv and looks over at you. You just stare at her with that blank expression you’ve had all week.

“What’s going on with you y/n? You seem so disconnected that it feels like you’re not even here even though you’re sitting right beside me. And not just today, you’ve been like that all week. You don’t talk to anyone anymore, you don’t come in with your bright smile and uplifting spirit. Mr Johnson says you don’t give him high fives anymore and you don’t laugh at Ava’s jokes like you usually do. And you know what? I miss you, I miss when you come in with that beautiful smile and ask me anything, our conversations at lunch , and especially our chats after school when I come and visit you in the library. And I also miss our little texting chats after school and on the weekend I miss hanging out with you or texting you.” She finishes and when she looks at you , you’re still just looking at her with that blank stare, the only difference is that you keep looking down at your hands.

And that makes Melissa break, she starts crying. You don’t know what to do, you’re not yourself right now but to your core you’re still her poco sole. You put one of your hands in hers and then you just continue to stare at nothing in front of you, still holding her hand.

Melissa is surprised when you hold her hand and it makes her stop mid sob and she sniffs. She realises that you’re still there but maybe trapped in your own mind. She’s heard about people that have done that , and they said that they just woke up unhappy about anything for no real reason and they detach themselves from reality. She remembers that a shock helped them, something that broke them out and snapped them back to reality, something real. So Melissa does the first thing she thinks of, she reaches over , pulls you to her and embraces you in a tight hug. “Please come back to me y/n, please.” Melissa begs while still hugging you.

And then she feels arms wrap around her, hugging her back. She pulls back to look at you and you have the smallest little smile she’s ever seen and your eyes aren’t blank. “Y/n?” Is all she says.

You look at her. “Hi Melissa.” You say. And she covers her mouth in shock and happy tears start rolling down her face. You’re coming back to her. She gets so excited that she leans over and kisses you on the lips and you freeze for a second, you pull her more to you when she goes to pull away and you kiss her back. And Melissa melts into the kiss, she’s been missing you all week and kept her feelings to herself about you for about 4 months. And while she’s happy this is happening, she wants to make sure she truly has you back. She pulls back and looks into your eyes, and she sees the familiar light behind them you always had and she smiles at you. “You came back to me.” She says and for the first time in a week, you smile at her, your usual genuine smile. “Are you ok?” She asks you suddenly.

“I think I am now. I didn't know what was going on, I woke up and suddenly felt nothing, I didn’t feel anything and it scared me but it didn’t stop so I guess I hid in my own mind, tried to find something, feel something. And then I saw you crying and a spark came, a spark of sadness and so I held your hand, and then you hugged me and my whole body

felt happiness again. The kiss was a nice add on. You tell her and she looks at you smiling, she’s glad to have her poco sole back.

Monday morning, you walk in the entrance with a smile and your usual pep to your step is back. You see Mr Johnson and he looks up and sees you smiling. You then raise your hand for a high five and he excitedly gives you one, happy that your back.

You walk into the break room and everyone is either on their phones or talking to each other, Melissa sees you though and she smiles at you, and you smile at her. You walk over to the fridge “hey everyone, did you have a nice weekend?” You ask and everyone looks up at you and sees you smile as you pour some coffee in your mug. And everyone smiles at you.

“Y/N! You’re back!” Jacob says and you nod as he runs over and gives you a hug. “We were worried about you!” He says

“Ik, I hope I didn’t freak you out too much.” You joke as you sit in your usual seat. You look a Barb who gives you a smile with a “welcome back sweetheart.”.

Melissa is still looking at you with a smile. She then tucks a lock of hair behind your ear and you smile at her. Everyone sees the interaction and smiles then goes back to what they were doing.

Melissa doesn’t care if they know, all that she cares about is that you came back to her, her poco sole.

Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta ,@imaginesmultifandoms

If you wish to be added, then let me know!

[smoshyourheadin]

Sunshine and Soda Cans

Part 2 - Bubbles

"hey, spencer!" angela jogs up to spencer as you walk into the office. you wander to the kitchen to grab a soda, and put your stuff down.

"(y/n) said shes struggling with editing the new try not to laugh episode, and i don't think she's going to ask for help because she's too stubborn, so can you just check on her and give her a hand?". spencer looks over at you, and back to angela

"yeah sure! i'll catch up with her later" angela gives him a big grin, and then walks over to you, striking up a conversation.

later on, you're sat at your desk, editing away. you've been stuck re-trimming the same clip for like twenty minutes, and you're becoming increasingly frustrated.

"hey, (y/n)!"

his voice catches your attention, making you look up, but not away from the screen.

"hi spence, uh- what's up?" you say, eyes still glued to your screen.

"oh nothing, just checking how you're getting on with the try not to laugh edit. everything going good?"

"no actually' you, look up at him and you chuckle "ive, i've been trying to edit the same clip for like ever, and it won't save properly. im losing my mind!"

he smiles at you honesty, and pulls up a chair to help you out. after about an hour, you two get a bit bored and decide to go live on the games channel, streaming some sims

"alrighty then guys, hello! welcome to the games channel, today me and spencer are going to be playing some sims 4!" you smile into the camera, adjusting your hair, and you relax into your chair.

"guys, can we hate on (y/n) in chat for drowning my sims last time" spencer says sarcastically, glaring at you sassily.

"hey!" you elbow him, playfully "you made fun of my sims' fashion choices!"

he laughs at your anger, and you talk with the chat for a little while as the game loads

"okay, my plan is to make a love triangle in my mansion. i want to see if they can handle the drama.." you say, tapping your fingertips together

"woah, okay dr. evil!" he says, laughing with you

you guys start making some characters that, suspiciously, resemble each other. as you begin to play, your sims keep chatting to eachother

"hey, (y/n), why does your sim keep flirting with mine? got a crush or something?" spencer says with a smirk

"oh, please! my sim is just being friendly! unlike yours, who keeps stealing my sim's food!!! didn't realise your name was tina.." you giggle at your own joke, napoleon dynamite is one of the first things you two bonded over, so you both have a good laugh.

you guys play for about two hours, and then decide to wrap up, finishing the stream

before getting up to leave, you guys share a lingering gaze, and you see the colours in his eyes. you give him a ride back to his apartment, and you turn of your radiohead "in rainbows' cd. weird fishes/arpeggi comes on, as you pull up infront of his apartment. you look over at him with a sweet smile.

"well, see you tomorrow spence"

"yeah. looking forward to it"

you two lock eyes, and then he gently pulls you into a sweet kiss, his hand lingering on your jaw as you melt into his touch. he tastes like mt dew, and you smile against his lips. as you break away, you already miss his lips on yours.

"see ya, (y/n)" he says with a smile and a new twinkle in his eye, exiting the car and walking into his apartment block.

you sit in your car for at least another five minutes; eyes glassy, chest heavy, and palms sweating. you pick up your phone, and open up the phone app, ringing the only person you can think of to call.

"hey jelly, do we have any icecream? i need to tell you what's just happened"

you hear angela open the freezer over the phone, and she says

"yeah, we have some vanilla and i think there's some strawberries in the fridge. everything okay?"

"yeah," you breathing staggers, fully realising what just happened "me and spencer kissed"

"I'M SORRY WHAT"

you hang up, and start driving back to your apartment.

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

a/n— hey!! thank you all so much for the love on part one omg love y’all for that ahhh 😚 my requests are open btw!! so feel free to request anything, not just smosh stuff!! i’ll write for anything (even if im not in the fandom 😚)! okay yeah hope you all enjoy pt2!! love y'all 💛

[cosmicmunsonwrites]

Oh my goodness!! I am in love with “you hurt me pretty good too” I would love to read more about them if that’s possible? I mean anything about them I would love...could be their back story (like how they became fwb), the time between part one and two (like telling the cameron family and going to doctors appointments and when reader gives birth), a part three of the story, headcanons of a normal day at reader and rafe’s house, anything

you hurt me pretty good too pt 0.

pairing(s): rafe cameron x fem!reader

warnings: implied sex, pet names, alcohol consumption

summary: the story of how you and rafe meet.

authors note: i’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!! i’ll make another part to this as well to explain the rest of the story, but for now, here is this!

part zero | part one | part two

not edited

do not copy my works. i do not condone rewrites, translations, or edited versions. all my content is my content that i wrote.

not my gif

“kie, i’ll be fine. ‘m just gonna go grab another drink,” you drunkenly assured your friend. “i’ll be right back.”

“hurry,” she replied. “come right back.”

you jokingly saluted. “yes ma’am.”

you pushed the glass door open and headed inside the spacious house, pushing past the crowd of drunk teens towards the kitchen where the drinks were held.

you looked to the bowl of red liquid with an empty bottle of vodka beside it. upon noticing the small pockets of whatever unknown substance floating around in it, you opted for something closed and untampered with.

you opened up the fridge and saw the bunches of cases filled with beer. opting for a bottle instead of a can, you picked one out and shut the fridge. as you turned to the side to begin your way back to your friends, someone unknowingly collided with you and whatever cool liquid was in their cup began to pour on and down your shirt.

“shit,” you heard the voice say. “sorry, i wasn’t paying attention.”

you jaw was practically on the floor, arms frozen by your midsection and body beginning to erupt in goosebumps. it was like you’d just jumped into an ice bath.

you were already pissed off that someone had ruined your red top, but that apology was also absolute shit. they couldn’t be more insincere.

you looked up to see who it was, annoyed to find that it was none other than rafe cameron. the shitty apology cashed out now.

he grabbed your hand, the one not holding your beer. “c’mon.” he began to lead you through the watchful eyes of the party and towards what you assumed was a bathroom.

he shut and locked the door once inside and began to bunch up some paper towel. not wanting to stand or sit on a toilet that has been puked on by teens all night, you hopped up on the bathroom counter and sat by the sink.

he ran warm water onto the paper towel and turned to you, beginning to wipe by your collarbones. “so that’s how its gonna go? not gonna ask or anything? just start rubbing a soggy paper towel on me?” you questioned, head tilted down to watch his hand move.

“do you want to be sticky or not?” he snapped with a sassy attitude.

“you were the one that spilled your beer on me,” you replied just as sassy.

he stopped for a second and took a deep breath. “i apologized. did i not?”

you laughed under your breath. “it was a shit apology.”

“yeah? well, at least i apologized,” he replied.

you rolled our eyes and shook your head. you weren’t going to win with him. you knew you weren’t. so you decided to just sit and wait until he finished.

he threw away the old paper towel and grabbed a new one, dipping it under the water again then wiping over the tops of your breasts.

you couldn’t help but look over his concentrated face. he’d truly changed since you last saw him.

he’d traded the side part for a middle part, the polos for flannels and quarter zip sweaters, and he no longer seemed like he was as much of an immature asshole.

still an asshole but much more immature.

“stop ogling at me,” he said.

there was that arrogance you knew so well. “you’re the one staring at my boobs,” you replied.

“so what?” he asked.

your brows furrowed. “so i can’t look at your face, but you can stare at my tits.”

“only reason i’m looking is cause i’m cleaning you off. wanna do it yourself?” he snapped back.

“i’d probably do a much better job,” you replied.

he stopped his movements and leaned back slightly to look in your eyes. “maybe i could work a little better if you’d shut up.”

“you talk big shit, cameron,” you mumbled under your breath.

he squinted at you and leaned in closer. “i didn’t quite catch that. what’d you say?” he knew damn well what you said.

“maybe if you’d just hurry the hell up and clean up your mess, we can both be on our merry little wa—“

before you could even finish your sentence, his lips were on yours.

[vhstown]

tender

— pavitr prabhakar x gn!reader

summary: It's the middle of summer, and Spider-Man caused a city-wide power outage; your friend Pavitr tries to make it up to you.

word count: 0.7k

warnings: fluff, mentions of food/drink

a/n: there's not enough pavitr in this world 💔 another 3am notes app to one-shot pipeline, somewhat edited

"Ugh..."

It was probably the hundredth time you groaned that morning. Your uniform was sticking to you, your notebook was less than efficient as a fan and you still had to come into class for the rest of the day. The Mumbattan sun was practically bleeding through the walls, and though you and Pavitr had found a shaded spot outside, it did little to stop the constant wave of sweat that trickled down your back.

"Probably the worst day for the power to go out, right?" Pavitr gave you a crooked smile. His shoulders flexing uncomfortably as he leaned forward, tilting his head to meet your squinting eyes.

"Yeah. Spider-Man really did us a service, huh?" From what you knew, Mumbattan's one and only "hero" with stupidly good hair had managed to disconnect the entire city's power last night. Alchemax was "working hard" to restore it (probably in their own building), but you didn't know how much longer you could survive without the academy's stellar, now out-of-service air conditioning.

"He's not so bad. He's probably suffering from the heat too; think about the suit!" Thinking about the suit only made you sweat more.

You met Pavitr's defense with a frown, shaking your head. "It's his problem. Well, it's everyone's problem now."

Pavitr returned your frown with his own, his eyes narrowed and trailing off in silence. You two talked about Spider-Man often; his hair was pretty compelling, but today he was more of a menace than anything, even if he was boiling under that suit too. Your notebook was practically clinging to your clammy hands, but Pavitr seemed fine for the most part, just one button of his shirt undone. Maybe the heat was the reason why you were looking at his bare collar so much.

Your head fell back as another flash of sweat went through you, and you were ready to let out another groan before Pavitr spoke up.

"You know what? I'll be right back. One sec... a minute — two minutes!" He gave you a wave and half a smile before getting up, the way his hand pushed off of the hot concrete making you cringe. The sun was hurting your eyes, so you gave up on trying to look out for him, sinking into the heat as you waited.

Around the corner, other students of Mubattan Visions were suffering a similar sizzling reality to you, the same complaints and frustrations dampened by the heat. It was an oven inside and a slow-cooker outside; you didn't know which you preferred — probably neither now your best friend was gone.

Thwip! Thwip! You barely registered the sound before you felt a hand on your shoulder, looking behind you only to have something cold put in your hands — a drink.

"Two minutes," he grinned, sitting next to you as he cracked open the lid of his own bottle. 100% Natural... "Tender" Coconut Water?

Your brows furrowed, trying not to crack a smile while taking a sip of the drink. It was cool, easing the breathless feeling you had from the heat as it went down your throat. "How'd you even get this?"

"I uh, had it in my backpack." His casual and slightly unsure look did nothing to convince you.

"Is your backpack a fridge or something?"

"Maybe. Guess I should be an engineer, huh?" It was finally cool enough to laugh, and you hesitated to drink again as the thought of Pavitr's refrigerator backpack cracked you up a bit.

"Yeah. Maybe. Nadeesh's got competition."

"The kid had it coming," he shrugged, rolling his eyes and smiling.

The two of you finally had something to talk about other than the heat. You chatted through the school morning, and it was a little easier to endure the heat even if the power was still out. You had no idea how Pavitr had managed to get cold drinks when almost all of Mumbattan was simmering alive, but you were thankful enough.

Pavitr set the empty bottle down, letting out a contented sigh as he crossed his arms, leaning his shoulder against yours. It was a little uncomfortable given the drying sweat pressing into your skin, but you decided it wasn't worth moving away because of a bit of extra warmth.

In fact, though the power would be out for a couple more hours, and Alchemax might've had a broken vending machine, this sort of warmth was something you could get used to; it was almost tender.

Maybe you'd have to get that coconut water more often.

🕸️🔭🪀

thank u for reading ! my boy pavitr is so real 🫶 also nadeesh = ned (silly headcanon for his universe...)

reblogs appreciated <3 catch my atsv masterlist here!

[nostalgia-tblr]

and so i leave nobody un-pissed-off, the reason thor is overall the less compelling brodinson is because (imperialism reading aside, which i waver on) the films do mostly see him as not doing anything especially wrong in his life. he's done minor thoughtlessness (who hasn't!) or things his friends also did (the reason Thor takes the blame for the Jotunheim trip is he's the one who Should Know Better (even though he clearly doesn't)) and it seems like the films decided his dark side is his brother rather than a part of himself and so he ended up a bit bland as a result.

[Edit To Add: yes there's Bad Things he does but generally those aren't supposed to be bad. he doesn't visit Loki in prison but neither does anyone else (Frigga aside and I suspect that's mostly so her soon-upon-her fridging seems extra motivational for her menfolk) and he did get stabbed last time (if Loki being scared of Mortal Thor is reasonable then so is Thor being scared of Prison Shank Loki!) and probably just nobody making this dumb movie thought Hang On Isn't Solitary Confinement Torture? so Thor is innocent through someone else's stupidity. Which doesn't explain things in-universe but fits the general pattern of 'this scenario is way worse than these films realise' (SO MANY THINGS!!!)]

the 'thor is very terrible' interpretations seem to come from Loki stans determined to make thor bad enough to deserve repeated murder attempts so they're not going to find Dark Thor interesting in his own right and fandom doesn't write thor-centric fic enough to build up a communal fanon version everyone likes do they? he's not messy enough for us but he's also not innocent enough either.

i think my "where the fuck did you come from, pobrecito?! 😍" reaction to infinity war is because Later Thor, with everyone he loves shoved into the fridge he must now carry on his back, endlessly and without hope of relief other than the sweet release of death, at least gets to make terrible decisions of his own like "yes i will hold this star open for you, it won't kill me if i just don't die of it" and that's hot way more interesting suddenly!

when watching him i feel like this gif:

except i actually mean it, except also i don't because his pain and his increasing catalogue of death-baiting errors is very entertaining to me as it would be to Loki who frankly deserves to be around to see all this shit even though him being dead was the main catalyst for it so that wouldn't really work. BUT IN MY DREAMS IT DOES. don't mock my dreams.

wow, what a fuck-up the electricity man has become. it's very sad for him. he may never truly recover from all this. he's got one foot in valhalla already and we all know that's the happy foot. YAY!!! \o/

[obxone]

All In My Head (Part Three)

Edited-ish. ~2k words. (Post Season 3. If you haven't watched, don't read it unless you like spoilers!)

(Part One) (Part Two)

As you knock on the door of Tanneyhill, you close your eyes and replay the conversation that brought you here in the first place. You should have fought harder against the pogues and their brilliant idea to send you to face Rafe Cameron. 

“I’m telling him?!” Your eyes bulge out of your head. Anxiety punches through you, and you look at Sarah in alarm. “Why me?! He is your brother!"

“Because he will listen to you! Please do this,” she pleads. Her hands are gripping your upper arms tightly. “Rafe is not going to be okay when he finds out, and it should come from someone he cares about as much as he does Ward.”

Your mouth is dry as you try to process what she is saying. “He knows all of you. And again, you are his sister. He cares about you,” you offer weakly, knowing you are the only option out of the seven of you. “Fuck!” You groan, head falling back as you stare at the ceiling of the rental that Ward had given her before he died. “Fine! But if I’m not back in 48 hours, then you better hope I’m still alive.”

“48 hours?!” Cleo cocks her head. 

You rub your forehead. “Yeah… it’s Rafe. I’m not leaving Tanneyhill for at least a day once I tell him. He'll want every detail, and if Sarah is right, then he is not going to let me walk away since I'm the last thing he cares about."

John B shrugs. “Fair.”

You side-eye him as you grab the backpack that has your stuff jammed into it. A small part of you hopes someone will speak up, and tell you not to go, but no one does. It is you that has to do this. “See you guys soon?"

JJ’s body blocks yours from exiting the room. “Be careful, okay?”

You nod, and he slides out of the way as you swallow your fears while bracing yourself to face Rafe and deliver the news that the man he idolizes is no longer alive. 

“You’re back?” Rafe leans against the door frame. Curiosity in his gaze as you snap back to reality.

“Can I come inside?” You ask, aware that he already suspects something is amiss.

He lifts his arm higher and pushes the door wider, allowing you to slip under his arm and exhale as you cross the foyer. You step into the main house and drop your bag by the door. 

“Something to drink?” He asks while he passes you heading for the kitchen.

You follow him. Your hands are clasped around your arms as you hug yourself around the waist. “We need to talk.”

He glances at you as he pulls down a drinking glass and goes to the fridge. “About what?” He pulls out a soda can and looks at you after putting ice in the glass. “Like why you are back, but I haven’t heard from my dad…” He pops the tab on the can and begins to pour it into the glass. His steely gaze finds yours. “Rose called… looking for him.”

Worry increases inside of you. Rose… Wheezie… they do not know either. You inhale sharply and brace your hands against the marble countertop. The surface is cool under your sweaty palms. 

Rafe crosses the distance and sets the cup by your hand before his fingers weave through your hair, and he tips your head back, leading you to look at him. “Is that why you are here?”

You bite your lip before nodding your head. “Yeah.”

He leans down, his breath fanning over your face. The look in his eyes becomes something predatory. “What happened, y/n?”

You inhale, wanting to touch him. To soothe your hands over his chest and brace him for the revelation barreling in his direction. This will ruin him. He will never forgive the pogues and you. You know him. And in his opinion, the blame will belong solely on all of your shoulders. 

“He’s gone, Rafe.”

He watches you for a second. His gaze shifts over your face, trying to understand you. “I know, I put him on the plane, remember? I-it… It was safer for him to go.”

“Rafe…”

His fingers tighten around your hair before his touch vanishes completely, and he turns away from you. His shoulders tense, and his arms flex as he drags his hands over his buzzed head. He stalks to the edge of the kitchen tile before spinning, and you see the tears in his eyes. Then the shift to rage happens before you can even blink. He crosses the room in quick long strides. His fingers wrap around your throat, and he shoves you against the kitchen counter. The hard edge bites into your lower back, and you gasp sharply in surprise. 

“What happened?!” He shouts, tears rolling down his cheeks. “What did you do to him?!”

“Rafe!” Your hand wraps around his wrist, nails biting into the soft underside of his wrist, your other hand fisting his polo as he tightens his grip. “You’re hurting me!”

“You killed my dad!”

 “No!” You shake your head. “No, Rafe. Please…” You squeeze his wrist. “Please, Rafe, let me explain.” Tears collect in your eyes, and your heart breaks as he crumbles before you. A hollow rage storming in his eyes. “Please! I would never!”

“Those fucking pogues!” He roars, shaking with rage, then his touch disappears, and you crumple to the ground.

Gasping for air as you touch your neck, you realize how bad this is about to become. Your neck will likely bruise. Your heart races in your chest, adrenaline pumping through your veins. You should get out, and leave Rafe to deal with his grief before he hurts you again. But then you look at him and he is still the man you fell in love with, despite his mistakes, and he is the man you promised to come back to. 

“What happened?” He stands against the counter. His hands push harshly down on the countertop until his skin is stark white and red around his knuckles and wrist from the pressure he is forcing into the marble instead of around your neck. 

“I can go into detail when you are ready." You murmur. "But for now, you should know he did it to save Sarah." Rafe does not turn to look at you, but his shoulders tighten with your words. "There was a struggle with Singh. He followed us into the jungle, and his man threatened us after Singh died. He was going to kill Sarah. The one from the compound, and…” Your hand finds his back, but he shrugs you off, storming away but staying within hearing range. “Rafe… Your dad sacrificed himself for Sarah.”

Rafe shakes his head, pressing his fingers to his chest, while tears spill over again. “No. He wouldn’t do that. H-he wouldn’t do that!”

You frown, wiping at your own tears. “For Sarah, he would. Deep down, you know that. I know you don’t like or trust your sister, Rafe, but for Sarah… Ward would’ve done anything for her. He would have done this for you or Wheezie had it been either of you instead of Sarah. He did it. He took out Singh's man and saved Sarah."

He nods, wiping at his face before turning away from you. “All right. Then why isn’t she here telling me herself?”

“Because she’s scared of you.” 

He snorts in disbelief. 

“You did just have your hand around my neck…” You fade out as he turns to look at you. His gaze flickered to the red marks on your neck. “I’m fine, it’s fine. But there is a reason it is me and not her.”

He looks down at the floor. “You’re telling me the truth, right?”

“Yes.”

He is quiet, and you frown, wanting to wrap him in your arms and hold him together. This is not how you pictured coming back to him. 

"The guy had a gun pointed at us. He threatened to kill us all." You whisper and cross a portion of the space between you. "He was going to shoot Sarah, so Ward rushed him and was shot. They fell from a cliff."

Rafe winces and you sigh, touching his bicep. Your fingers curl around the muscled width as your forehead falls to press against his back. "I'm sorry, Rafe, but he died protecting us. If he hadn't... if Ward hadn't done what he did, none of us would be here. You would be without a father and a sister."

"And you?"

You exhale, squeezing his arm. "And me."

“Does Rose know? Wheezie?”

"No," you whisper, dragging your other hand over his shoulder and neck. “Someone needs to tell them.”

“All right,” he murmurs, wiping his cheeks. “Okay. Okay.”

“I can ask Sarah to do it if you prefer,” you whisper, continuing to try and soothe him with your touch. “I can go get that done now…”

“Stay tonight,” he says, turning to look at you. Your hands fall away from him as he digs his phone out. His gaze locked on you for a moment. “Please?”

“I’ll stay.”

He nods. “I’m going to call Rose.” He moves closer, and you brace yourself for any sudden change in his behavior. His fingers skim across your cheek. “I'm the man of the house now. I'm... in charge of our family now. I have to do this."

"Okay."

"Wait for me upstairs.”

Some of the tension leaves you even though it is not a question. “Sure.”

He steps into Ward’s office and closes the door, his eyes on you as he puts the phone to his ear until the doors close. 

You exhale and fish out your phone to send the pogues a quick message, before going upstairs as he asked. You spot his suitcase on the floor of the primary suite and sit on the edge of the bed after toeing off your shoes. You look around the unfamiliar space. Rose and Ward’s pictures still litter the room. You spy their clothing in the closet still. After pulling your knees up to your chest, you rest your chin on the top of your knee to wait for him. 

It is dark, the sun having set before the sound of Rafe on the stairs reaches your ears. You turn your head to look at him as he comes in. The weight of the world is on his shoulders. 

"Are they okay?"

He shakes his head, sniffling a little before shutting the door. You exhale, watching him with concern. He is quiet and seems to still be processing Ward's death. 

He looks at you, watching you before he tugs his t-shirt up while moving closer. You reach up and help him pull it off before throwing it near his suitcase. His mouth is on yours, and you groan, tasting expensive scotch on his tongue.

"I promised to get my shit together," he mumbles against your lips. "You know, I really wanted to."

"And you can."

A sad laugh leaves him as he drags his mouth across your jaw and down your neck. "Can I?"

"Yes," you whisper, stroking your fingertips across the back of his head. His lips press to your collarbone and shoulder. 

"Barry should still be awake..." He starts to move away from you, but you clamp your thighs around his hips and lock your arms around his neck. 

"No!" You press your forehead against his. "Please don't. Stay with me, Rafe. Use me. Use me as much as you need. Not... cocaine. Me."

He watches you before grimacing. You cup his face, brushing your lips across his. 

"I love you, Rafe. Use me."

He blows out a breath, and then you kiss him. You pour everything you felt after the plane left the tarmac into that kiss, and he groans, his body falling into yours, and your back meets the mattress.

-------

As always, feedback is welcomed, just remember to be kind. Please feel free to like, reblog, comment, or send an ask if you want. Happy Reading.

Let me know if we want this to continue and if you want to be added to a tag list.

[hischierdevils]

Forget You | N.H.

note: part four of the forget series!

summary: nico finds out who your ex is

warning: slight angst

wc: 1.9K

Breaking your lease is a lot easier than you thought it would be. Your best friend Abby helps you pack up your things as you close a chapter on your life. “I can’t believe we’re not going to be neighbors anymore. What am I going to do without you?” She pouts as she tapes a box shut for you. 

“You’re my best friend, Abby.” You remind her. “You’re still going to see me.” 

“But you’re not right down the hall anymore.” She flops onto your bare mattress. “Who am I supposed to call with boy problems?” 

“You can still call me.” You tell her as you pack the last of your items into a box. “And I thought you and Anthony were good?” Her and Anthony have been on and off again since they met. The same night you met Mat. 

“We are, right now. But lately…” She trails off as she looks at you, deciding if she should tell you something. Before she gets a chance to, Nico walks through the front door slightly out of breath. 

“Please tell me this is the last of it.” He says as he takes his hat off his head to fix his hair underneath. 

“Regret asking me to move in yet, Ni?” You grin as you walk over to hug his sweaty body as he places his hat back on his head. 

“I regret not hiring movers.” He says after placing a kiss on your forehead. “Never you.” 

“Well no one asked me if I approved of this move.” Abby says as she stands up. “You’re taking her all the way to New Jersey! I want custody, Nico.” 

Nico laughs at your best friend. “You are more than welcome anytime.” 

“Um, call ahead and make sure we have clothes on, please.” You interject. 

“Noted.” Abby smiles before pulling you into a bone-crushing hug. “I love you guys so much.” As she pulls away from you, she glares at Nico. “If you hurt her, I'll hurt you.” 

Nico smirks at the small blonde and opens his arms for a hug from her. “I'll never hurt her, I promise.” He winks at you as Abby gives him a quick hug. “She’s my girl.”

You didn’t give your apartment a second glance as you and Nico left it for the final time that day. The memories of you and Mat were now behind you. Nico was your future and you couldn’t wait to make new memories with him. 

It takes the two of you less than a week to fall into a comfortable rhythm with each other. After practically living together all summer, you already knew most of each other’s quirks. On Tuesday nights Abby would come over and have dinner with the two of you. Every other Friday you would go into the city and have a girls night with her. 

Pre-season began and you learned that not everything between you and Nico could be perfect all the time. Your schedules were different now that he was at the rink more and you were eating many meals alone. An argument arose one night when you got home from a long day of editing only to find that the leftovers you were thinking about all day weren’t in the fridge.

“Nico!” You cried out in frustration. 

“Yes?” He joined you in the kitchen quickly with shaving cream still on his face, recognizing the stress in your voice. 

“I had pasta in the fridge.” You cross your arms over your chest. “Where is it?” 

He frowns at you. “I ate it when I got home.” He sheepishly admits. “I was hungry.”

“Well now I'm hungry!” Hot tears of frustration line your eyes and you quickly wipe them away. “What am I supposed to eat? All you have is healthy shit!”

“You live here too, y/n!” He raises his voice slightly, making you flinch. “It’s not just my shit.” 

You roll your eyes, too frustrated to say anything. Nico shakes his head before walking back into the bathroom. Frustration tears continue to fall as you cut up a pomegranate and place it into a bowl, walking over to the couch to eat it. 

Ten minutes later, Nico walks out of your bedroom fully dressed and heads to the door. “I’ll be back.” Is all he says as he reaches for his keys. 

“Wait!” You practically fall off the couch in your effort to get to him. “Please don’t leave!” Nico freezes with his hand on the doorknob as you stand before him and cry. “I’m so sorry. I was just frustrated. I-please don’t leave me.” Your lower lip wobbles and he pulls you flush to his chest. 

“Baby, I was just going to get you food since I ate your dinner.” He explains as he smooths your hair down your back. “I’m going to come back.” 

“I-I thought…” You pause to gather yourself. Mat would leave at the first sign of trouble, always. Sometimes he’d ignore you and not come back for days. He’d claim he didn’t want to argue with you but it made you very wary of showing any sort of emotion around him. “...you were mad at me.” 

“Hey, it’s okay y/n.” Nico places his hand underneath your chin and tilts your head up so he can look at you. “Couples argue, it’s normal. I’m not going to leave just because we raised our voices a little.” 

You nod, too afraid to say anything else. Nico isn’t Mat. You know that. But sometimes it’s hard to override that trauma response. Nico bends his head down to kiss you. “Why don’t you go take a bath and I'll get you dinner?” 

“I don’t deserve you.” You tell him honestly as you pull away from him.

He chases your mouth with his before giving you a quick peck. ““Ich liebe dich.” 

“I love you too.” 

Things are so good between you and Nico that you don’t give a second thought to the fact that the Devils are playing the Islanders tonight at home. Abby is attending the game since her and Tito are on-again and she texts you all day sending you outfit options. You get to the prudential center before Nico to do some editing and you don’t see him again until warm-ups. 

Nico skates over to you, placing one gloved hand against the glass as soon as he sees you by the bench. You smile at him, bringing your own hand up to the other side. He mouths ‘I love you’ in German and you mouth it back before he skates off. 

During the national anthem you stand between the benches with Erika, trying to take some pictures of the guys. Feeling eyes on you, you look up to see Mat Barzal staring at you. He smiles when you finally look at him but you turn your attention away from him, not wanting to give him the time of day. As the game starts and you blow a kiss to Nico, you realize that you should’ve told him who Mat was to you. 

During the first intermission, you unblock Mat and draft out a text to him. You hesitate over the send button before Abby comes up beside you. “It’s going well!” She says happily. 

You delete the text and put your phone back in your pocket. “It’s tied 1-1.” 

“Yeah, but our men are doing great!” She smiles at you. “It’s weird to have men on different teams, huh?” 

“Abby, Nico doesn’t know.” You admit. 

“Doesn’t know what?” She furrows her brows at your nervous expression. “About you and Mat?”

You nod. “He knows I have a bad ex but I never told him who it was…” 

She bites her lip. “Everything’s been fine so far…maybe it will be okay.”

You knew it wasn’t going to be okay the moment you saw Nico and Mat headed out for the face off during the second period. Nico wins the draw but Mat quickly pins him on the wall. You watch in shock as their gloves go flying and Mat swings on Nico. Thankfully it gets broken up quickly and both of them are sent to the box. 

During the next intermission, you get a text from Nico. 

From: Lover ♥️

Would’ve been nice to know about Barzal

To: Lover ♥️

I didn’t think it would matter now

From: Lover ♥️

That I was playing against your piece of shit ex? He said shit about you y/n. 

To: Lover ♥️

I’m sorry. Just ignore him.

From: Lover ♥️

I’m not going to let him disrespect you but we need to talk

You’re a ball of pure anxiety as you watch the clock in the third period wind down. Nico and Mat haven’t been on the ice for longer than a few seconds since the incident but you can see Mat chirping Nico any chance he gets. After the game, you say goodbye to Abby before heading home alone. You’ve convinced yourself that Nico is going to break up with you by the time he gets home. 

‘Why didn’t you wait for me?” He asks as he walks into the bedroom to find you packing a bag. “Where do you think you’re going?” He begins unpacking your things as he waits for you to answer him. 

“I didn’t think you’d want to see me.” You sniffle as you pick up your clothes he threw out of your bag. 

“Baby, come here.” He reaches for your wrist and tugs you down to the bed so you’re sitting side by side. “I love you. Am I a little upset with you? Yes, but I'm not leaving and neither are you. We’re going to get through this together.” He holds both of your hands as he looks at you.

You bite your lip to keep it from wobbling as you look at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Mat was my ex. I was just trying to forget about him and I didn’t think it would matter now anyways.” 

“He didn’t forget you.” Nico mutters. “It just would’ve been nice having a warning going into that faceoff.”

“I’m sorry.” You say again, not sure of what he wants to hear. 

“No more secrets, okay? We tell each other everything.” He presses his forehead to yours. “Deal?” 

You kiss him. “Deal.” 

Nico gets up to use the bathroom and you had just begun putting your clothes away when your phone starts ringing. You know who it is without having to look. 

“Why are you calling me?” You answer.

“I’m sorry.” Mat blurts out. 

“For hitting my boyfriend or for treating me like shit?” You roll your eyes. It’s been months. Why does he care now?

The word boyfriend doesn’t go unnoticed. ���So it’s serious?” 

“It’s not a secret, yeah.” You sigh. “Why do you care?”

“I miss you and I'm sorry. If you’d give me another chance I’d do it right.” You know it’s bullshit.

“I love him, Mat.” You hope the words hurt him.

“Does he remind you of me?” He asks. “You traded one thirteen for another.”

“He’s nothing like you, thank god. I’ll never allow another man to treat me the way you did.” Your voice waivers for a moment as the emotions you feel for Nico overwhelm you. “Don’t call me again.” You hang up as Nico walks back in. 

“Who was that?” He asks you. 

“No one.” You respond. “Let’s go to bed.”

[smolvenger]

I Say Nothing That Frightens Me Part Three

Paring: Loki x fem! Reader

Series Summary: As a young Asgardian, you have grown to be friends and secretly pine for the younger Prince Loki. After his fury has sent him off, his mother sends you on a quest to find him and bring him home. Your quest makes you cross paths with a mysterious group that calls themselves the TVA. There, Loki can be found...but he loves someone named Sylvie, not you.

Chapter Word Count: 2K

Part One//Part Two (This will be in Four Parts)

A03//My Ko-Fi//My Etsy Shop//Masterlist//Wattpad

Taglist: @evelyn-kingsley @jennyggggrrr @five-miles-over (shout out for the idea when I was stuck!) @fictive-sl0th @ladycamillewrites @villainousshakespeare @holdmytesseract @eleniblue @twhxhck @lokisgoodgirl @lovelysizzlingbluebird @raqnarokr @holymultiplefandomsbatman @michelleleewise @lovelysizzlingbluebird @wolfsmom1

Warnings: Mostly some cursing. I use an oldie-but-goodie Fanfic Trope. Lack of detailed editing and multiple drafts because I just want to get this done-fuck it, we ball I say as I type this. But lots of fluffy moments and only tiny bits of angst and lots of references to canon

“What do you mean my brother’s not back?” Loki cried.

You sat in your chair, leaning back on it. Folding your arms. You couldn’t help but huff through your nose. You were looking forward to the grand victory banquet that would be at home. Frigga declaring you Asgard’s heroine. Seeing a family reunited. Wine and platters overfilling with joyful music. Even a parade and ball thrown in your honor as a medal shone on your armor for good measure. That kind of stuff.

“Thor. Is not. Back.” Steve repeated.

Guess that would have to wait.

“How come?” you questioned.

“Because they need help specifically with him. It involves thunder. That’s what Beefcake’s out there doing,” Tony continued.

Loki put a hand to his forehead and sighed.

“Do you know when he’ll be back? Even for a break?” you asked.

Steve shrugged as he sat. He squinted his blue eyes to think and then looked at you. His eyes softened and he spoke in a reassuring tone.

“Don’t worry, Y/N. Shouldn’t take him too long. You know he’s incredible. He could be back by tomorrow…”

“Or dead,” Tony quipped.

Loki’s black head whipped around; you could see the veins on his neck tighten.

“Do you honestly think this is the time for your little jokes?” Loki replied, face becoming red.

Natasha cut in from where she was leaning against the wall. Up to then, she’d just stood there, arms folded and observant.

“If I had to guess, he should be back in headquarters by a week. We’ll ask Shield to get in touch with him.”

“Alright…thank you. It’s important…” you replied.

“How come?” she asked, taking a few steps forward.

“The Queen asked me to return him,” you explained.

“No problem…if you need anything, you can always ask,” Natasha offered.

You felt her eyes over your Asgardian armor and clothes. But the slight smile showed your approval. It made you smile back.

“Of course.”

“There’s food in the fridge too- help yourself while you’re here!” Natasha offered.

“You both can both even stay here as long as you like…as long as Loki doesn’t get inspiration again,” Steve offered.

Loki shot him a look, crossing his arms like a dour child.

“Thank you! I’d rather we stay here in case Thor reappears. You’re very kind…”

“No, he’s not! Are you out of your mind, Steve?” Tony interrupted.

Your head turned and tilted at them.

“I beg your pardon?” Loki asked.

“Why? We’re obligated to show some basic human decency to them!” Steve argued.

“Why? I’ll tell you why-why don’t you waltz on over to the Guest room and see!” Tony offered.

As you and Loki walked there, you both understood his point. Honestly, you should have taken the hint from the last sentence. It was a singular word. Room. There was only one bed in that room.

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

That night both of you lay in the bed together, curled away from each other. Both of you were in pajamas. You selected some silk red pajamas. Loki picked some in his favorite green. Both funded by Stark, of course. Neither of you offered to sleep on the floor of the couch. Neither of you wanted to sleep on the floor of the couch. You could hear his soft breathing and though you stared out into the night sky and outline of the city, you found despite the long, arduous day…your mind kept you up.

You thought you heard him shuffle next to you.

“Anything you want to say?” you asked.

“None…really…only this…don’t think I’m not grateful, Y/N.”

You turned over, blankets rustling in your movement.

“How come?”

“You risked all that and went through that…because you worried about me. I never thought people worried about me.”

“Your mother worries about you. Thor worries about you…and I worry about you…” you replied.

He turned over to meet you.

“Y/N…thank you…”

“Thank you? I never heard you uttered those words before…and I thought you were the polite brother…” you commented.

“Now you have.”

He broke into a smile.

You looked down and saw his arm.

“How’s your cut doing?”

“Much better- not stinging anymore…”

“From the pain or the alcohol on it?”

“Both…”

You then turned back to the outline.

“I’ve only been to this city once. Traveled all the way up there from the countryside of this place…I was in such a rush to find you, get there I never…never noticed how pretty it is…” you mused.

“We should explore it.”

“What, really?”

“Yes, really. Should be more amusing than sitting around the tower all day waiting for Thor.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m tired of being on the run. Or fighting. Or struggling…I just want to..enjoy something. And preferably not alone.”

“You’re not alone, Loki. You never were…”

“Neither were you…”

There was a brief pause.

“Do you have your magic back?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t do this usually but…Can you conjure something to help me sleep? Wine or tea or something?” you asked.

Loki flicked his wrist and conjured the drink. He handed it over.

“You need only ask.”

You stood up to drink the cup as he settled himself back in. Soon you both fell asleep peacefully.

The next day, Tony practically tossed a credit card on you as if it was mere confetti.

“Go ahead- Max it out. Have fun, kids…just don’t do any invasions, okay? Okay!” he said.

Both of you wandered out to the city. As you walked on, it was nearly overwhelming. The skyscrapers were as tall as the statues of the warriors through the Asgardian cloudy streets. Fried foods overcame your nose and made you salivate.

“I never tried one of there!” you said, pointing to a food stand selling hot dogs.

As you both brought it to your mouth and smelled it, then you ate.

“Norns! This is delicious!” you said. You experimentally took the packet of red sauce called “KETCHUP” and slathered it on there.

“I am not sure what it’s made of…but I don’t care,” Loki said as he took another careful bite.

“Don’t you think…don’t you think we should ask the kitchen to replicate it! Shouldn’t be too hard- some meat and bread!”

“I can conjure that easily! You only have to cut it like so …

Loki conjured a slab of ham. Too many people walking by talking on phones or listening with ear buds barely noticed him. He had the ham cut into a hot dog shape.

“And then fix the bread like this.”

Bread in the shape of a long oval cut open floated in air. The sausage fit into the roll.

“- and there you have it!”

Both of you took a walk out in the park.

“So you invaded New York to rule, right?” you asked as you walked.

“I must tell you…I think…something influenced me?”

“Your addiction to self-destruction?” you asked.

“The Mind Stone.”

“What?”

“And Thanos.”

“What…what are you talking about?”

Hands in pockets, you both walked. He kept talking. Too many people were on their phones, listening to music, or looking after children or dogs.

“Well then…that…that makes sense…”

“Why else would I get those headaches?” he asked.

Both of you kept walking. The trees shook with the breeze, and you heard a bee buzz by you. But you could see a tiredness, a sadness in Loki’s eyes.

“What do you think now, Y/N? Of me? I became the very enemy you’ve been trained since a child to fight,” he said.

“I…I don’t that…I think you’re good. You were only hurt. And you made some bad choices. I don’t consider any of that unforgivable…especially since it probably wasn’t your fault to begin with.”

There was silence. You wrapped him into a hug. He was always warm, despite the summer heat. Always enveloping. You could smell the sandalwood of the shampoo he used in headquarters.

“Why should we stay in the past, anyway?” you then questioned with a smile.

“I just worry…who knows what he’s capable of…” he fretted.

Both of you noticed a puddle on the ground. You walked around it, your reflections from below passing by like the clouds.

“Loki…you need to tell your brother. And the Avengers. Let them know. Let them know it wasn’t entirely your fault- only partly. And they will want to know about Thanos,” you told him.

He smiled a little.

“Well, then, if you ask it, I shall…” he replied.

You walked and walked about all day. By the time you both sat on a bench in the park, the soreness of your feet struck you. You were so lost in each other’s company you lost track of the time.

The next day, other than some walking, you insisted you both go shopping. There were too many shops here to resist. Especially those with multiple stories. And Midgaurdian fashion fascinated you. The shops back home had only one floor. Some in New York had twenty.

“Is there a store that strikes your fancy?” you asked Loki, passing by.

He pointed to one window that showed a variety of suits.

“I think…I’d like to try one…”

“Then lets!” you offered, pulling his hand inside.

You go to a classy store. The employees wore dresses and suits. It played jazz and people walked around with drinks of coffee or champagne. So much finery. He then settled on a few as an employee guided him around.

You sat down, waiting for him to emerge and then he did. The employee dropped their jaw and grinned.

Loki was in an all black- black shirt and black suit. It made his skin and beautiful hands stick out even more. It was crisp and clean and fit him like a glove.

“I…I look…” he began to mutter.

‘I’ll say it, you look handsome!” you cheered. You took him to a mirror so he could admire himself.

That evening, you decided to end it by going to a wine bar. It was lovely and wooden. There were even giant lamps that looked like flowers. You ahd ordered two glasses for each of you and enough food to feed a giant. Which, in fact, you were in the company of one.

“Hmmm, nice and dry. Some fruity overtones. Quite good.”

“I don’t mind. Wine is wine. And it’s good.”

“Well, you haven’t drank enough wine then, Y/N!”

“I only would drink it at banquets!”

You then held the rim of your glass.

You then held the rim of your glass.

“Loki…be honest with me…am I a good warrior?”

“Of course, you are.”

“I…I just would always use to lose fights. And you know when I’d run away as a child…”

“I do not see you running away very often, darling.”

“There is training, but this is reality…”

“What did mother ask you to do? To face every danger to find me? And you did.”

You blinked at him.

“I think you are a good warrior. No matter what you might think of yourself.”

“I…uh…thank you…”

He raised the glass.

“Cheers?”

“Cheers,” you replied.

You tapped the glass and then drank it.

“I think I know what you’re talking about…I do taste the overtones a bit,” you commented.

“I think you should become a connoisseur in no time, Y/N,” he said.

It was the next day he announced something almost ludicrous.

“Y/N, we should see a play or these ‘musicals’ New York is known for!” Loki suggested that next afternoon.

“Who said we had to spend money?” he asked with a wink.

You looked through the calendar of shows. First for musicals, since they were less common back home. And the more melodramatic, Loki said, the better. One was selected.

Both of you located the theatre and got there at an earlier time, right when the crew and cast would walk in before the show. Using the billboards, he transformed himself and you into two ensemble members.

Once you walked in, already there was one crew member.

“Oh, hello! How are you? Traffic, okay? Break legs tonight- remember- check the notes! Phil fixed your tights too so thank her!” they chatted.

Both of you walked out. Your heart beat fast seeing these people miff about. Knowing you were doing something forbidden.

“Please- Y/N! Don’t get lost backstage!” he whispered to you.

“But Loki- look at this set piece!! And the costumes here- so beautiful!”

“Don’t wander off-here!”

He clasped your hand, entwining fingers with yours.

“Besides, we have to get our seats,” he said.

As the actors in street clothes, you both walked over to the front of the theatre and then to the lobby bathrooms. Empty, thank the Allfather. With a flick of his wrist, green light emerged over you. He reappeared in a fine tuxedo and his hair back. But when you looked, you blinked and saw you had a red dress on. It was very flattering on your body. Straps went over your shoulders and the shade looked perfect for your skin.

Both of you walked out. The crowd was already walking in, holding playbills in hand. Yet you couldn’t help but keep staring at yourself in the mirror. There was a large, stupid smile on your face.

“I have to admit, you have good taste. This is beautiful!” you gasped, turning at angles to admire yourself.

“You are beautiful!” Loki replied.

You both froze and looked.

“I mean! I mean…you always were beautiful!” he added on. Though his face did turn pink. The God of mischief and mayhem and here he was-embarrassed.

“Uh…thank you!” you responded.

Both of you walked forward to find the odd empty seats. Then enjoyed the show.

You did the same each night.  You saw the most melodramatic musicals. It was hard to believe amidst all the wine drinking, walks, store visits, and shows, that four days passed by.

Both of you were walking in late on the fourth day after seeing your latest show. Both of you smiling from how his magic worked wonders and from everything you saw and experienced.

“Y/N, can I tell you something?” he asked.

Both of you entered your room.

“Sure, tell me…”

“Sylvie betrayed me. I did everything for her and still…I can’t tell you what a pathetic sad sack I became. But…Y/N, this week…I…I had fun…”

“I did too…”

His own magic made you both clean. No need for waiting for a shower. You both were tired-as well as changed into pajamas.

“You’re pretty damn efficient, Loki. Thanks for that.”

“I’m not waiting until midnight to bathe…” he quipped.

“Sleep well, Y/N…”

“You too…”

There was no turning around. This time, you curled towards each other. His smiling face was the last thing you saw before sleeping.

Then there was a noise and the sound of boots. You barely blinked awake. The grogginess of your deep sleep letting you go of its peaceful embrace. And it was still dark in the room, your eyes adjusted.

There were people- agents all in armor and helmets.

“Y/N! Y/N! What are you doing? Disrupting the sacred timeline!”

“What! What timeline?”

He jolted out of bed.

“You will NOT have her! You won’t!”

But it was too late. One agent took their long stick with blue at the end and stuck it on you. An electric fizz washed down your body, head to toe. You heard Loki cry out your name as everything turned to black.

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

When you came to, you were not in New York. In New York the buildings were lovely, tall, and completely built. Here, everything was ruined and desolate. And it was an overcast day. Your heart beat fast and you could taste dirt. It stuck you that you were laying on the ground. You could taste dirt.

“Ah, are you a Loki too?” was the voice you heard.

“Wait…no she isn’t,” said another.

“No…it’s…it’s a Y/N…” another muttered.

They all lowered their jaws. A tall, muscular man covered in furs. An old man in a silly costume. A dark-haired boy in green. And oddest of all, a tiny alligator all staring at you. And though you didn't know them, they knew you.

“A Y/N! The President’s gonna find out…they all are soon…”

[selmasemlan]

Sibling Shenanigans: Breakfast Edition

Summary: All the siblings are having breakfast and gang up on Damon

Pairing: Marcel Gerard x Luna Salvatore (OFC)

Author note: Siblings, you know what I mean

Warning: none

Word count: 1398

Series Masterlist

Sibling Shenanigans: Breakfast Edition

The Salvatore mansion was wrapped in the soft hush of winter, the morning light filtering through the tall windows, casting a golden glow over the dining room. Snow dusted the expansive lawns outside, creating a peaceful contrast to the warmth and laughter that filled the space inside. The crackling of the fire in the nearby hearth added to the cozy atmosphere, wrapping the room in a comforting embrace.

At the center of it all was Luna, seated at the head of the long, polished dining table. She cradled a warm mug of coffee between her hands, steam rising lazily from the cup, a smile tugging at her lips as she watched the familiar chaos of her family unfold around her. Her dark hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, strands falling free to frame her face, giving her a soft, relaxed look. It was one of those rare mornings where she felt completely at ease.

Stefan sat beside her, leaning casually in his chair, his fingers scrolling through his phone, a smirk playing at his lips as he half-listened to the conversation around him. Across from him, Isaac was perched on the kitchen counter, his legs dangling over the edge as he nibbled on a piece of toast. The gentle rhythm of his swinging feet tapped against the cabinets, a small but constant reminder of his presence.

"Is there seriously no more orange juice?" Stiles grumbled, his voice muffled as he dug through the refrigerator, his messy hair sticking up in all directions from a combination of sleep and frustration. He was dressed in his usual hoodie and jeans, looking every bit the awkward, lovable mess Luna had come to adore as a brother.

Isaac snorted, shaking his head, crumbs falling onto his shirt. "Dude, you finished the last of it last night. You don’t remember? You were ranting about how pizza and orange juice were the ‘ultimate midnight snack.’"

Stiles groaned dramatically, slamming the fridge shut with exaggerated frustration. "In my defense, I was starving, and pizza makes everything better."

Luna’s lips curled into a smirk as she took another sip of her coffee. "Maybe next time, you’ll remember to replace it."

Stefan glanced up from his phone, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Or maybe you’ll just have to accept that water exists."

Stiles shot him a mock glare, crossing his arms defiantly. "Yeah, yeah, big brother wisdom strikes again."

Before the teasing could escalate further, the door to the dining room swung open, and Damon strode in with his usual air of effortless arrogance. His leather jacket hung loosely over his shoulders, and a smirk tugged at his lips as he took in the scene before him.

"Well, well, well," Damon drawled, grabbing a chair and spinning it around to sit on it backward. "Look who’s having a family breakfast without me. I almost feel hurt."

Luna rolled her eyes, though a small smile played at her lips. "We’re just about to get to the best part where we make fun of you."

Damon placed a hand over his heart, feigning a look of deep offense. "You wound me, little sis."

Isaac grinned from the counter, biting into his toast. "You’re just easy to make fun of, Damon. It’s like you set yourself up for it."

"Yeah," Stiles added, grabbing an empty glass and waving it around as if that made his point stronger. "Like how Bonnie totally has you wrapped around her finger."

Damon arched a brow, grabbing a piece of bacon from Stefan’s plate with a flick of his hand. "Please, I let her think that. It’s called being a gentleman."

Stefan snorted, leaning back in his chair. "Is that what you call it?"

Before Damon could respond, the front door creaked open, and Bonnie’s light footsteps echoed down the hallway. She walked into the room with a grin, her coat dusted with snowflakes. Her dark curls framed her face, and her eyes sparkled with amusement as she took in the scene before her.

"Good morning, everyone," she greeted, her gaze landing on Damon. "What’s going on here?"

Luna grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "We were just about to start making fun of Damon. Care to join?"

Bonnie’s lips curved into a smirk as she pulled off her coat and draped it over a chair. "Oh, perfect. I’m always happy to help."

Damon groaned, running a hand through his dark hair, though the playful glint in his eyes betrayed his true enjoyment. "You all are going to miss me when I’m gone. Mark my words."

Isaac raised an eyebrow, a lazy grin on his face. "We’ll miss making fun of you, sure. But not much else."

Luna leaned forward in her chair, her grin widening. "Speaking of things we won’t miss, Damon, how long have you and Bonnie been ‘not dating’ now?"

Stiles snickered, leaning back in his chair with his glass now full of water. He was clearly waiting for Damon to squirm.

Damon took a deliberate bite of bacon, chewing slowly before shrugging. "Long enough to know that none of you have any room to talk."

He turned to Isaac first, pointing a finger at him. "You’ve been single for what, a year now? What’s that like, buddy? Still waiting for someone to even notice you, or just embracing the loneliness?"

Isaac’s eyes widened, and he threw a piece of toast at Damon. "Low blow, man. Real low."

Without missing a beat, Damon turned to Stefan, his smirk growing wider. "And you—back with Rebekah. What is it, the fourth time you two have gotten back together? I’m losing count."

Stefan chuckled, clearly unfazed. "At least I’m not avoiding the word ‘relationship.’”

Damon shot him a look. "Right, because you’re so good at keeping them."

Before Stefan could retort, Damon’s gaze landed on Stiles, who was practically grinning like an idiot at the whole situation. Damon raised a finger, narrowing his eyes. "And you, Stilinski, you can barely form two coherent words around Caroline without tripping over your own feet. What’s that like?"

Stiles turned beet red, his expression flipping from smug to flustered in seconds. "I-I mean—she’s—"

Laughter erupted around the table as Stiles flailed for words. He threw his hands up in defeat, a sheepish grin creeping onto his face. "Fine! I’m in love with her, okay? I said it!"

Luna shook her head, stifling her giggles. "We know, Stiles."

Finally, Damon’s gaze shifted to Luna, his smirk faltering as he tried to come up with something. "And you—"

Luna raised her eyebrows expectantly, arms crossed. "Go on."

Damon paused, searching for words, but nothing came. He threw his hands up, leaning back dramatically in his chair. "I got nothing."

Luna grinned, clearly triumphant. "That’s what I thought."

Bonnie, still standing in the doorway, crossed her arms, her expression both fond and amused. Damon glanced at her, as if silently pleading for backup, but she only raised her hands in mock surrender. "You’re on your own, Damon."

Damon groaned, running a hand over his face. "Not a single one of you appreciates my genius."

Stefan chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Or maybe we just appreciate watching you squirm."

Luna took a long sip of her coffee, her grin widening. "Face it, Damon. You can dish it out, but you can’t take it."

With a flourish, Damon stood up, adjusting his jacket. "Well, this has been fun, but I think I’ll leave you all to your collective failures."

Isaac grinned, calling after him as Damon walked toward the door. "Yeah, walk away before we make more jokes about how Bonnie’s really in charge."

Damon pointed over his shoulder at Isaac, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Careful, Lahey. Or you’ll stay single for another year."

The room erupted in laughter again as Damon disappeared into the hallway, though the small smile tugging at his lips was undeniable.

Bonnie shook her head, her tone light but affectionate. "He acts like he doesn’t love it, but he totally does."

Stefan nodded, glancing at Luna with a soft smile. "Yeah, he does."

Luna smiled, warmth spreading through her chest. This was home—the laughter, the teasing, the bond that tied them all together. Damon might have walked away, but there was no denying that he thrived on the love and chaos of his family, just like the rest of them.

[rscroogedraws]

Here are a couple of my favorite (not too spoiler-ific) scenes from a couple of my in-progress fan fics.

I've had an uphill battle with bad writer's block and inconsistency with any kind of creative fiction for the past several years now. It hurt having such a hard time with that since I've wanted to become some kind of fiction author since I was six and I used to actively write analyses for YouTube stuff. So the fact I've eked out a couple chapters for each of these feels like a huge accomplishment to me.

I appreciate all of the feedback or interest I've gotten for pretty much any of my projects over the past year or so. Seriously, even if you're just leaving a like, it's made a difference to me knowing someone enjoyed my work enough to take a second to interact with them in that kind of capacity.

A03 is down for maintenance at the time I'm posting. I'll update these with links once they're back up later today or tomorrow.

Edit: Links have been added!

Not Quite an Elevator Pitch

O.K. K.O. Let's Be Heroes! Fan Fic

Synopsis: Professor Venomous is back in Lakewood Plaza Turbo! He thought returning would be as easy as move back into Boxmore and start attacking the Plaza. Instead, he's not quite sure what to do next and is trying to find himself. Then he gets stuck in an elevator with someone unexpected and they give him a much-needed reality check.

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56784448/chapters/144365029

Snippet from Ch. 2: Definitely Not Silver Spark

When Venomous awoke the next morning, he was surprised he slept at all. He wandered into the living room and read 9:08 AM on the digital oven clock. That was a personal achievement after the last week or so of staying up until 4:00 AM, hanging in there long enough to pull together a bare bones breakfast and box lunch for Fink, and then crashing until 5 or 6 before Fink returned from school or Boxmore.

He padded into the kitchen as he mentally cataloged notes to send with Fink on why she was late as well as easy but actually nutritious lunches to send with her. So much of him hated that he’d relied on Snackables so much the past few days. He kept imagining an okay-ish tuna sandwich next to flimsy cardboard packaging with crackers, dubious lunch meat, plastic cheese, and radioactive colored candy. Fink loved it. She bragged that her friends were jealous with a big grin on her face. That was now. What kind of look would she give him when she was in her early 30’s and remembered that he knew how to competently cook but opted for shortcuts instead?

That train of thought wasn’t even needed. Today was Saturday. Fink said she’d be gaming. Then Venomous found a note attached to the fridge: Hey Boss! The tournament got rescheduled. So I’m helping Raymond and Shannon raid a cruise liner today! They have lobster. I’ll make sure to bring home leftovers.

A mix of hurt and pride panged through Venomous. Previously, Fink asked to join him on every villainous caper, business trip, or big event. Lately, if she wasn’t gaming with friends, she was hanging out with her step-siblings or new friends somewhere “irl.” She still said hi, let him know where she was going, and kept a generally friendly rapport. After the horror stories Venomous heard from other parents about teenagers, that had to mean something. Fink was just starting to enter her teenage years though. There was still time for heLinkr to develop resentment towards him.

That’s probably how K.O. felt right now. He had every reason to hate PV and never talk to him again. That’d been earned. Very painfully earned. The part of him that still gripped his head on straight with little ribbons of hot glue and sticky tack knew he should leave all of that alone. The part of him that was itching to throw back a full bottle of absinthe before 11:00 in the morning was making a beeline for his phone.

He’d dialed the number before stronger self-control would have stopped him.

“...hello?” Silver Spark’s voice drifted in from the other line. “Carol speaking. Sorry for not recognizing your number. I think it’s been long enough since we exchanged numbers I don’t remember. Who is this?”

“…Lase-Professor Venomous.” He swallowed heavily and felt like he’d been hit by an intense bolt of lightning. “Professor Venomous.”

“Um...oh. Ahm, okay.” She didn’t sound completely upset but her tone wasn’t as pleasant as before either. “Did you need something for paperwork?”https://archiveofourown.org/works/56784448/chapters/144365029

“….no.”

“Okay….” Carol cleared her throat. “We got all of your child support payments. If that’s what you were calling about. Everything on that front has been smooth sailing.”

“Good.” Venomous stared intensely at the nearest kitchen counter. There was a marbling pattern over everything he hadn’t noticed before.

“Yeah….” Impatience was starting to creep into Carol’s tone.

“I’m sorry.” The words just tumbled out. “I’m sorry….about everything.”

It felt like time itself stopped. If the oven clock digital display wasn’t flashing, Venomous would have started entertaining the thought of a time wizard or a highly-advanced lizard creature with space-time warping powers crawling around the apartment. Almost two agonizing minutes passed. Carol’s breathing on the other end of the phone became a little strained.

“Are you okay?” Of course he had to follow up dropping an emotional bomb with an equally stupid foot-in-mouth comment.

“Professor Venomous,” Carol said with a slight stutter. “I-If we’re talking about this, I’d rather do it in person.”

“I...understand.” He felt his heart start fluttering around his rib cage like a hummingbird desperately trying to break free.

****

Our Beloved Docktor Frogg

League of Super Evil Fan Fic with some O.K. K.O.! crossover references

Synopsis: Docktor Frogg is starting to feel stagnant towards his overall life and career as a mad scientist. He wonders if the grass is greener somewhere else working for someone other than Voltar the Saturday morning cartoon flop.

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56704720/chapters/144145309

Snippet from Part II: Sandwich Artist Gene

“Can I take your order?” The waitress’ voice was familiar but Frogg couldn’t quite place why.

“Lizzy?” Frogg immediately shot up at Voltar’s excited tone of voice. “It’s been awhile! How are you?”

“It’s Elizabeth, Voltar.” Lightning Liz, sans her trademark yellow exo-suit, stood behind the counter in a light blue polo shirt, washed out capris, a black apron, and a nametag with her name written in the same crude scrawl as the sign out front. It’d been a few years since Frogg had seen Liz in person instead of the newspaper or videos on various news sites. So it floored him a bit how much older she was now. Didn’t she just graduate from high school not too long ago?

He remembered Voltar gushing about Liz graduating as class salutatorian as if she was his younger sister.

“I’m doing great!” Liz continued with a small and genuine smile. “You got the invite for Tiff and I’s wedding, right? You better RSVP. Soon.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Voltar flapped his hand. “I saw the many, many links for your wedding registry. I haven’t RSVP’d yet because I’m working on getting that-”

“Don’t tell me what you ordered! It’ll ruin the surprise.” Liz squealed. “I have something fantastic in mind for your birthday later this year too. You better keep that day open if you know what’s good for you.”

“I have it marked on my planner. Whole day is open.”

“Good.”

“So, we have this coupon….” Voltar pointed towards Red and not so subtly shifted his gaze towards the thin strip of paper in Red’s big hand.

“Yeah, yeah.” Liz returned the sass Voltar dished out less than a minute ago. “So, I’m getting the vegan sandwich for him.” She pointed at Red. “An extra meaty sandwich for him with extra provolone cheese.” She pointed at Frogg. “And you want the meatball sub with the works?”

At that, Voltar gasped and his antennae started shaking with his excitement. “You guys have that extra spicy mustard?!”

“Of course!” Liz nodded, but her cheerful disposition immediately turned sour. “I skimmed the 4-page essay you sent me about it.”

When Voltar whooped and started doing a victory dance in the middle of the restaurant, Frogg visibly shuddered and looked around Red to see if any other stools were open.

“You’ll be happy to know you’re not the only one that has a weird fascination with that mustard.” Liz sighed. “There was a weird woman in here the other day raving about it too.”

“From now on, I’m the only one getting that mustard here!” Voltar declared with an anime gesture fist to the air. “I get exclusive rights to it. Exclusive.”

“I still think you’re the only one that actually likes it,” Frogg said. “I don’t-”

“Don’t. Get. Him. Started.” Liz jabbed a finger in Frogg’s face for emphasis on each word and matched the points with a warning glare.

“How did you know what sandwiches we wanted?” Red tilted his head. “Are you psychic?”

“No.” Liz placed her hands on her hips. “Voltar writes about you guys on his blog.”

“You have a blog….” Frogg scratched his scalp. The past 5 minutes had revealed a lot about a side of Voltar that Frogg didn’t know much about, except for the spicy mustard obsession. Metrotown might not know that L.O.S.E. existed but random strangers definitely knew how particular Voltar was about his condiments.

“It’s not a blog! It’s supposed to be a newsletter…” Voltar grumbled.

“I told you that Zitter would get more reach,” Liz said with a self-satisfied smirk.

“I’m hungry. Can we place our orders now?” Voltar deliberately looked anywhere but Liz’s face.

“SANDWICH ARTIST GENE!” Liz yelled. “Order up!”

That’s when a painfully familiar face appeared at the order window in the kitchen. There was a surprisingly jovial Justice Gene with a wrinkled paper hat sitting on his head at an awkward angle. He had a couple of deep shadows under his eyes but otherwise, he had a legitimate smile on his face instead of the haughty, try-hard smirk Frogg was used to.

Liz rattled off food service industry shorthand that Frogg would never be able to translate despite his best efforts. Then Gene looked up a moment later. Recognition flashed across his face and Frogg was tapping his claws in a vain attempt to prepare the laser engraver setting he installed there a few days ago. Maybe it could be used as a laser gun with the right angle and a little imagination.

“Hey guys!” Gene said, emulating the friendly and personable air that came naturally to Red Menace but was really awkward on him. “Didn’t expect to see you at opening week of my new restaurant. I’m happy you’re willing to bury the hatchet to support a budding young entrepreneur!”

“I don’t know about young…” Frogg muttered under his breath while thinking about the gray hairs he’d pulled out of his scraggly tree of hair earlier this morning.

“What’s the catch, Gene?” Voltar snapped. “We haven’t seen you in almost a year and now you’ve lured us out with delicious subs. I demand to know what you’re planning!”

“There’s no catch,” Gene said. “I just got tired of not getting anywhere in the hero biz. Even for the five minutes I was a hero, I was still the guy that cleaned toilets and picked up fancy coffee orders. It was worse with an official costume because even though I’d technically made it, nobody respected me. I think you guys of all people know what that’s like…”

Both Gene’s personal account and the way his face fell struck an unnervingly deep chord with Frogg. The mix of sympathy and existential dread hit his heart hard enough it felt physical. He looked down and saw himself gripping the fabric of his lab coat right over his heart.

“The one thing everybody liked were my sub sandwiches.” A dreamy expression drifted onto Gene’s face. “The only time I got a real compliment from Glory Guy was for my magic touch with the panini press. I got demoted to trash collector one day and just started thinking ‘Is this the rest of my life?’ As I spent the day collecting trash, all I could think about were sandwiches. How sourdough is the king of bread. Flatbread is a perfect base for a classic BLT. I realized then: Instead of a superhero, maybe my calling is...making the perfect hero sandwiches for superheroes!” Gene gave an awkward laugh. “And everybody else, of course! Villains included. Everybody deserves a good, home-made sandwich.”

“I didn’t ask for your life story, Gene,” Voltar scowled.

“I’m so happy for you!” Red gushed and his affirmation drowned out Voltar’s snark. “You deserve to be happy. I hope you’re successful!”

Gene’s face was red and he bashfully ran a hand through his hair. “Thank you.”

****

[youvebeenlivingfictionalnbcyoa]

You Definitely Are Not

Starting Choose Your Own Adventure Post

Warnings: Cursing; fluff; innuendo; mentions of masturbation

“You know what, I had a long walk, and if I’m gonna be around you guys for the next few days, I should rest up while I still can.” You smile blandly. “Where’s my room?” 

Nathan shifts from foot to foot, brow furrowing before he concedes, “Alright. C’mon.” 

You take up your backpack, shifting it onto your shoulder and following him down a few halls. 

“Here,” He nods toward the keypad. You mutter your thanks, raising your hand, swiping it and pushing the door open when it unlocks. You step inside, looking around. The room is large, and furnished more nicely than you’d expected. You shrug your bag off, dropping it at the end of the bed and drifting deeper inside. You lightly trail your fingers over the end of the bed, looking at the screen, then down at the small glowing fridge. 

“Like it?” Bateman asks. 

“It’s nice,” You nod, glancing back at him. 

“Nicer than you thought?” 

“Way nicer than I thought,” You nod. “I thought you’d be one of those like, weirdly stingy rich guys. I was expecting an air mattress.”

“I can get you an air mattress.” 

“I said I was expecting it, not that I wanted it.”

“What else were you expecting?” 

“Well,” You sigh, planting your hands on your hips, “I was hoping you’d actually turn up to the field in, like, a Jeep from the set of Jurassic Park.” 

“Maybe get Will to do the, uh—The sunglasses pull off when I pull up to the facility.” 

“He’d do it.” 

“So you would be the Ellie Satler in that scenario?” 

“Eesh, I don’t know. I think if he gripped and turned my head, I’d sock him in the stomach.” 

You glance around, eyeing the ceilings before you wave your fingers toward them. “So how many cameras are in here?”

“You really think I’d do that?” 

“Of course you would. Just give me a ballpark. One? Two?” 

“More than one, fewer than ten.”

“Ten?!”

“I’ll send Kyoko down with your dinner,” Nathan turns, heading for the door.  

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, hang on—Ten?”

“Fewer than. You allergic to any foods?” 

“That’s on the form you had us all send in before we got here. Where the hell are the cameras?” 

Nathan just turns, smiles, and offers, “Happy hunting,” Before he leaves, shutting the door behind himself. 

--  

You think it’s a joke at first—and then you manage to find three. You rummage through your bag, eyes darting warily toward the recessed camera in the corner of the room, the one at the base of the television, and the one in the bathroom. You lean back on your heels. Hopefully he won’t fire you, or charge you for what you’re about to do. Hell, hopefully he’s not watching at this exact moment. You’d brought your little laser pointed at the last moment as a precaution. You raise your pointer, blinking it on and shining it in the camera lens. You can only hope that it causes the damn thing to actually malfunction—and that Nathan won't realize it until you’ve left. 

You toss your laser pointer back into your bag before you crouch down, grabbing your sweatpants and a t-shirt. You’re going to shower, check some fucking emails, edit a pitch desk, eat dinner, and then you’re getting some fucking sleep. 

--  

You were planning on getting some fucking sleep, but once you lay down, you just can’t settle. Some part of you is worried that there are other cameras that you missed. Besides that, jet lag just isn’t hitting you like you thought it would. You huff, pushing yourself out of bed. You pull on a thick pair of socks and your slippers, then grab your pass card before leaving the room. You tuck your hands in your pockets, wandering the brightly-lit halls and looking around. You try your pass on every single door as you go, unable to help your curiosity. You go to the elevator next, stepping on and waving your pass. You glance up as the elevator moves upward. You step off once it stops and look around. You wander through it, taking in the layout of the floor that you hadn’t bothered to get a look at with William. 

You peer out through the sliding glass doors, breath taken away by the expanse of the dark sky, and the blanket of stars. You reach out, taking hold of the handle and pulling the door open. The air swirls cooly, and you reach back to shut the door before you wrap your arms around yourself to ward off the chill. Another breeze pushes through, and you shiver a little, tightening your arms around yourself as you listen to the rustle of the air through the trees surrounding you. 

“Gonna freeze like that.” 

The warning catches you off-guard, and you jump, whirling around. You can just barely make out Nathan where he’s sitting. He’s wrapped in a blanket, sitting on a framed wooden porch swing, pushing himself lazily.

“Do you like scaring the shit out of people?” You ask, wandering closer. 

“It’s working its way into my interests.” 

“I bet.” You glance toward the half-filled glass sitting in front of him, on the edge of the unused fire pit. 

“Here,” Nathan stands, sliding the blanket off of his shoulders. You inch closer as he walks around the fire pit, rummaging around. You sit on the porch seat, drawing the blanket up around yourself and cuddling into it. It’s nice and warm from Nathan’s body heat, and smells vaguely like his cologne. It was a surprising scent—a blend of clove, dry wood, pepper and rosemary, from what you could catch. You push yourself on the swing lightly, watching Nathan start a fire up in the pit before he rounds to you again. 

“Here,” He plucks the glass off of the edge of the firepit, holding it out to you before sitting beside you on the swing. You frown, peering into the clear liquid. 

“What’s in it?” 

“Tequila.” 

“With?” 

“...Tequila. It’ll warm you up. And speaking of which,” Nathan adds, reaching out and tugging at the edge of the blanket. You grudgingly loose your hold, surprised as Nathan scooches closer and tucks himself under the blanket beside you. Your body is suddenly flooded with additional warmth, his side and thigh pressing against yours. You’re briefly muddled by the feeling, still staring down into the tequila and listening to the crackling of the fire.

“Can’t sleep?” He asks.

His question spurs you into action. You raise the glass to your lips, swigging and wincing at the taste. Christ, that burns. He’s right, though. Once the burn has gone, it warms you. You pass the glass back to him, leaning back and pushing the bench a bit with your foot, swaying the two of you. 

“Nope,” You confirm. “I thought working for a bit would make me sleepy, but it didn’t do a damn thing.” You tip your head back, taking in a deep breath and reveling in the expanse of stars above. “Did you and the boys have fun?” 

“Eh.

“That good?” You chuckle.

“You know how they are. Dan is game for a good time. William’s treating the next few days as an informal performance review.” 

You nod, smiling. “That sounds like them.” 

“What about you?” Nathan asks. “What’s your approach?”

“No approach. Just going with the flow, like Dan.” 

“Bullshit.”

“What!” You scoff indignantly, drawing back from him just a little. You’re still close enough to keep the blanket intact, but far enough away to get a better look at his face. “It is not bullshit!”

“If you were going with the flow, you would’ve joined us for dinner.” 

“I was tired. My flow tonight was tired.” 

“Doesn’t seem so tired now.” 

“Yeah, well,” You reach out, snagging his glass again. “My flow had time to rest up.” 

“Did it? I saw your edits on that pitch deck.”

You shoot Nathan an irritated glance, but it melts as you see him smiling warmly at you. 

“They needed to get done. Would you rather I’d put them off in favor of drinking with you guys?” 

“In the name of team building, yes. In the name of progress, no.” 

“So either way, I can’t win with you?" 

“Try not to take it too hard. Most people can’t win with me.” 

You grunt, snaking a hand up from the blanket and snagging the glass again. You take a large swig, wincing at the burn again. 

“Would you slow down?” Nathan asks. “That tequila costs twenty-two thousand a bottle.” 

“How many bottles do you have?” 

“That’s not relevant.” 

You snort, pushing the swing gently again and gazing into the fire. 

“Why are you up?” You ask after a moment. 

“Couldn’t sleep.” 

“Any particular reason?” 

“Just need some time to come down from the, uh…Festivities.” 

“You’re coming down by drinking more?” 

“Sure. Hasn’t failed me yet.” 

“Huh.” 

“Is that your usual method?” 

“No.” 

“What do you usually do?” 

“Depends on the night,” You shrug. “Sometimes I workout, sometimes I…” You trail off, swallowing thickly. Shit, never mind. 

“Sometimes you what?” Nathan plies. 

“Nothing.” 

“What?” 

“No, nothing,” You shake your head. Honestly, sometimes, you fuck to tire yourself out, but you can’t tell your boss that. “Sometimes I…Listen to podcasts,” You fill in lamely. You don’t dare meet Nathan’s eye; you can only imagine the unimpressed look that he’s shooting you.

“Are you forgetting that I have access to your search history?” He asks blandly. You huff an embarrassed laugh, shaking your head.

“Trust me, I have never forgotten that.” 

“Okay. Good.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

“Because I know all of the kinky shit you look up to get yourself to sleep.” 

“I know, I know,” You groan. “New topic, please.” 

“...You missed a camera.” 

“What?” 

“You missed a camera—and I’m considering charging you for the three that you fucked up.” 

You smile a little, peering down into the glass. “You gonna tell me where the other one is?” 

“Nope.” 

“Creep.” 

Nathan chuckles beside you. “It’s safeguarding, not creeping. There’s a difference.” 

“You just don’t like letting go of control. I’m surprised you have a C-Suite at all.” 

“You guys take the grunt work off of my plate.” 

“Are you saying that you need us?” 

“I don’t need anyone,” He argues. You raise a brow, watching the wheels turn in his head as he adds: “I…Choose…To let you help.” 

“Pretty hefty price tag with that choice.” 

“The good shit costs money,” Nathan insists, leaning forward and taking up the bottle of tequila from its place beside the swing. 

“Are you talking about the C-Suite or the tequila?” You ask, holding the glass out as he unscrews the top, topping it off. 

“Both.” 

You smile, taking another sip and waiting for Nathan to put the bottle down before you pass him the glass. 

“So what do you even…Do out here?” You ask, looking out into the treeline. 

“I know that’s not a serious question.” 

“I don’t mean for work, I mean for fun,” You clarify. 

“...I go on hikes.” 

“That’s not funny.” 

“I’m not joking.” 

You tip your head to the side a bit, brows raising. Nathan meets your expression with complete seriousness. You roll your eyes a little bit. 

“Alright.” 

“I have one scheduled for tomorrow morning.” 

“For who?” 

“All of us.” 

“Oh, come on,” You whine, tipping your head back. “Why?”

“Team building.” 

“We are built enough, okay? We are built—full set,” You insist over Nathan’s laughter. You slide down in your seat a little bit, resting your head against the back of the seat and eyeing the sky.  “What else?” 

“What else do I do for fun?” 

“Mhm.” 

--  

“...Is that the fucking sun?” You mumble. The fire died out nearly an hour ago, and pinpricks of light are beginning to rouse. Nathan shifts in his place, arm tightening around your shoulders. 

“Probably.” 

“Fuck,” You groan, turning your head into his shoulder. The two of you have managed to spend the entire night on the swing, just talking. You’ve never felt closer to the guy—mentally or physically. Nathan yawns widely, and you feel him shift, pressing his face into your hair. 

“You ready for that hike?” He murmurs. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” 

“I am, actually. Fuck the hike, we’re rescheduling.” 

“Or we could just, like…Not do it at all.” 

“Oh, you’re gonna hike, sweetheart. I’m just putting a day-long moratorium on it. C’mon—Come on,” He urges even as you whine in protest. He pushes the blanket away, grasping your hand. You let him steady you, the swing rocking beneath you slightly as you stand, stretching your fatigued body. You raise your free hand, scrubbing it across your eyes as he tows you toward the sliding door. 

“You want something to before we go to bed?” He asks. 

The question stills you, your stomach flipping as you seem to snap awake. 

“We?” You repeat. 

“Separately,” Nathan rolls his eyes, and you pout as he turns away from you, dropping your hand. You find yourself pouting, defensively tucking your arms around your middle and following him. 

“Water would be nice. And considering how much we had, probably a good idea, but, uh—” You clear your throat. “I should skedaddle before the guys are up and think that we did…Something.” 

“Something?” Nathan repeats. 

“C’mon, you know what I mean.” 

“I don’t follow.” 

“Yes you do. You’re being pointedly obtuse.” 

Nathan’s face splits into a grin. “I just wanted to hear you say that you don’t want them to think that we fucked.” 

Your face heats at the assertion. You shake your head, waving him off. 

“I am going now," You insist. "Goodnight—Or, morning, whatever the fuck.” 

“Night...Hey.” 

“What?” You ask, turning to face him. Nathan doesn’t answer for a moment, gaze sweeping over you. You can’t imagine how you look—pajamas rumpled from the hours spent on the swing, hair a mess, eyes red-rimmed and dry from the lack of sleep. 

“Sweet dreams.” 

He practically murmurs. If you were just another foot or two away, you may not have heard it. It makes your heart stutter in your chest. You take a couple of steps back. 

“You, too,” You mumble. You turn away, determined to leave with all of the grace that you can muster. On your way out, you raise a finger, warning, “Don’t watch me sleep!” 

“You gonna try to find that last camera?” 

You don’t answer that, just flip him off as you bite back a giddy smile. Maybe you won't look for it. Maybe he’ll watch. Maybe the next few days aren’t going to be so bad. 

[morgana-larkin]

Alright it was asked on ao3 to make 3 other parts for 'You got a friend in me'. And it was to have both the reader and Melissa's birthday and for them to move in together. Sooo, here's part 4 with the reader's birthday! Not edited in the slightest and I hope you like it!

You Got A Friend In Me - Part 4

Warning: Just a lot of fluff with Mel and Alison

Words: 4k

“Finish eating up your breakfast.” Melissa tells Alison while she braids her hair.

“But I’m too excited to eat. It’s Friday and it’s my mom’s birthday party tomorrow.” Alison says as she gets up from her chair and starts to walk away.

“Where are you going?” Melissa asks.

“To school, to get the day over with.” 

“Sit back down, you haven’t finished eating and I didn’t finish braiding your hair.” Melissa says and Alison pouts. “Sit.” Melissa says sternly and Alison goes to sit back in the chair.

“I regret wanting you to be around more.” Alison says as Melissa starts the second braid.

“So you don’t like spending time at my house?” Melissa asks and Alison sighs.

“I do.” Alison says in defeat and then you come down the stairs.

“Morning my two girls.” You say and then sit down across from Alison.

“Morning mom.” 

“Morning hon.” Melissa says as she finishes Alison’s braids.

“What cute braids you gave her.” You say as you eat the eggs and toast Melissa made for everyone. 

“Did you enjoy sleeping in a bit?” Melissa asks you and you nod while taking a bite of toast.

“I did, thanks for offering it last night. I don’t remember the last time I slept past 6:30.” You say and she smiles. 

“Alison, I told you to finish eating and then we can leave.” Melissa says as Alison goes to get her school bag. “She’s so excited to finish today.” Melissa tells you. 

Melissa then goes to get hers and Alison’s lunch out of the fridge. She puts hers in her purse and gives the other to Alison. Alison takes her piece of toast and eats it while packing her lunch in her bag.

“Ok I’m done, can we go now?” She asks and Melissa shakes her head with a smile.

“Alright we can go now.” Melissa says and gives you a kiss before leaving. “Bye hon, I love you.”

“I love you too.” You tell her and you give Alison a hug.

“So my mom isn’t staying over but I am?” Alison asks in the car.

“Yep, I need my little helper to help decorate.” Melissa says.

“And my mom has no idea about the party?”

“Nope. I just offered to take care of you for the night and she’s coming at 2. I told everybody to arrive no later than 1:30.” She says and Alison nods.

“When’s your birthday?” Alison asks.

“August 3.” Melissa says, knowing that Alison has asked before. “I wanted to ask you something.” Melissa says and Alison looks at her.

“I wanted to ask your mom if you two would move in with me after school is done. What do you think of that?” Melissa asks.

“I love that! I’ve been wanting to move in with you for a while.” Alison says and Melissa smiles.

“Perfect, I want to ask her tomorrow and if she says yes then you can move in with me in July.” Melissa explains as she pulls into the parking lot of the school. “Alright, let’s go start the day.” Melissa says and helps Alison out of the car. Alison holds Melissa’s hand while they cross the parking lot and Melissa carries Alison’s bag over her shoulder.

“Nice pink bag.” Barb says from behind her.

“It’s mine Ms. Howard.” Alison says with a smile.

“It’s so nice of Melissa to carry your bag.” Barb tells Alison. 

“Are you going to be at my mom’s birthday party tomorrow?” Alison asks her and Barb nods.

“Yep, Gerald and I will be there at 12pm.” Barb tells Alison and Alison starts jumping excitedly. They go inside the school and Melissa hands Alison her school bag and then Alison goes to her friends. “Nervous about tomorrow?” Barb asks her.

“I am, I have a small idea what her thoughts on moving in with me are? I know Alison has been wanting that for a couple months though.” Melissa says with a sigh. “We’ve talked about it once and she wanted to get Alison used to the idea of living together more, which is why they’ve been staying at my house all week.” Melissa says as they reach the break room. 

“Melissa I can’t wait for tomorrow, are you sure you don’t want me to bring anything else? Like food.” Janine asks with a big smile.

“I’m terrified of your cooking skills and don’t need anything store bought. So just bring the decorations.” Melissa tells her and Janine nods.

“Who else is going to be there?” Jacob asks.

“Some of her friends from work, some other friends of hers, and her parents.”

“Have you met her parents yet?” Jacob asks and Melissa nods.

“I first met them at Christmas. I’ve met them a few times but they live an hour away.” Melissa says.

“We’ll be there at 12.” Janine says and Melissa nods. Just then they all hear a knock at the door and Alison is there with a couple of tears on her face and one of her friends is there with her. Melissa immediately gets up and walks over to her.

“Alison, hon, what’s wrong?”

“I fell and my knee really hurts.” Alison explains and wipes her eyes.

“Oh hon, come here.” Melissa says and Alison gives her a hug. Her friend leaves at that point as she was just helping Alison get her to Melissa. “Come sit on the couch and I’ll take a look at your knee.” Melissa says and Alison nods and goes to the couch. Melissa rolls her pant leg up and sees that it’s bleeding a bit. “Alright, there’s a small cut but we can stop at the nurse quickly and she can patch you up.” Melissa tells her and Alison nods with a sniffle. “Janine, do you mind unlocking my classroom if I don’t make it back before the bell?” Melissa asks as she takes off her classroom key. Janine nods and takes the key before Melissa grabs Alison’s hand and goes to the nurse. 

“Alright, it’s cleaned and stopped bleeding, the only thing left is picking out what bandaid you want.” The nurse tells Alison.

“Do you have Scooby Doo?” Alison asks.

“I believe I do.” She says and goes to check. “You’re in luck, I have one left.” She says and puts it on the cut. Just then the bell rings and Alison looks at Melissa. 

“We gotta go to class hon.” Melissa says and Alison hops down and takes Melissa’s hand. “Thank you.” Melissa tells the nurse before leaving. 

At the end of the day Melissa takes Alison back to her house and gets dinner ready. 

“I was going to bake the cake tonight and was wondering if you’ll help me?” Melissa asks Alison and Alison immediately nods.

“Chocolate?” Alison asks with a smile and Melissa nods.

“Of course, you and your mom both share your love of chocolate.” Melissa says as she whips up something quickly. “Alright let’s go eat.” She says and brings 2 plates to the table. 

Her and Alison eat and digest a bit before starting to make the cake.

“Alright now mix it very well.” Melissa says and hands Alison a whisk. Alison smushes the eggs with the whisk before mixing. Melissa preheats the oven and gets the pans ready for the cake. “Alright I’ll finish mixing and you spray the pans. Make sure you cover every inch.” She tells Alison and Alison nods before she starts spraying the pans.

“Why are there 2 pans?” Alison asks.

“Because it’s gonna be two layers hon.” She tells her.

“That’s a lot of chocolate.” Alison says with a smile and Melissa chuckles.

“And we still have to make the chocolate frosting while the cake is baking.” Melissa tells her.

“Done spraying the pans!” Alison says and Melissa inspects it before pouring the mix in the pans. 

“Alright, and let’s set the timer for an hour.” Melissa says as she sets the timer on the stove. “Now let’s go make that frosting!” Melissa says and Alison jumps excitedly.

*An hour later*

“Alright, we’ll put the frosting and the cake in the fridge and let it cool overnight and finish it tomorrow.” Melissa tells Alison who nods.

“Are we making anything else?” Alison asks and Melissa nods.

“I’m making my famous lasagna tomorrow morning.” Alison smiles at that as it’s her favourite. “Barb is bringing a couple of things as well as your grandma. And I’m making Brioche con Gelato.” She says and sees Alison’s confused face. “It’s brioche buns and you put ice cream in the middle. It’s like an ice cream burger. And yes I have chocolate ice cream.” Melissa says and Alison smiles.

“You had me at chocolate ice cream.” Alison exclaims and Melissa shakes her head with a smile.

“Alright, let’s get to bed so then we can finish making everything before everyone comes to decorate.” Melissa tells Alison and then they both get ready for bed. “I will love you forever.” Melissa finishes reading Alison a bedtime story.

“Why do you sometimes wait to read the next line or pause between words?” Alison asks with a yawn.

“That’s because I have dyslexia hon. It’s a disorder that makes the words look all weird.” Melissa explains. “Now get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.” Melissa tells her and then gives her a kiss on the forehead. “Have a good night kiddo.”

“Good night Mama.” Alison says and then falls asleep as soon as Melissa closes the door.

Melissa wakes up the next morning to a knock on her door. She looks at the time and sees it’s 7:02 and there could be only one person knocking. She gets out of bed and opens the door and sees Alison there holding her teddy bear.

“What’s up kiddo?”

“I’m hungry and the sun woke me up.” She says and Melissa smiles.

“Alright, give me a few minutes and I’ll make us something to eat.” Melissa tells her and Alison nods. Melissa comes down and sees Alison watching Scooby Doo and Melissa goes to the kitchen to make breakfast.

“So I just spread it all over?” Alison asks Melissa as she’s about to apply the frosting.

“Yep, go crazy with it.” Melissa says and Alison does the frosting while Melissa starts making the lasagna. “Alright now that you’re done with the first layer, we’ll add the second one and you can use the rest of the frosting.” Melissa explains and Alison nods while Melissa adds the second layer. “Alright go crazy again and I’ll finish the lasagna.”

“I’m done.” Alison says after 20 minutes.

“Alright let’s see how you’ve done.” Melissa says and inspects Alison’s work. “Wow, you did a great job. Are you sure you’ve never decorated a cake before? I think you’re lying.” Melissa says and Alison is beaming at the compliment. “Alright I gotta write happy birthday on here, so how about you start setting the table that’s in the living room. Put all the plastic utensils and paper plates on it.” Melissa tells her and goes to finish decorating the cake. Melissa finishes decorating the cake and puts it in the fridge and she goes out to the living room to see Alison finishing putting the plates on the table. “Alright, that’s good for now, we gotta get ready.” Melissa tells her and they both head upstairs. 

They both have a shower and Melissa is in a robe and picking out her outfit when Alison knocks on her door. Melissa goes to open it and sees Alison there and she’s holding the box with all her hair supplies.

“Would you be able to help me with my hair?” Alison asks her.

“Of course kiddo, but you gotta get dressed first. Go get dressed and then come back here alright?” Melissa tells her and Alison nods before going to get dressed. 10 minutes later and Melissa is brushing and drying Alison’s hair while Melissa has curlers in her own hair. “Alright what do you want to do?” Melissa asks.

“Can you do a half up hairstyle and then clip this pink clip to the elastic?” Alison asks and hands her the clip.

“Of course, I think you’ll look adorable.” Melissa says and brushes half her hair into a ponytail. After the second attempt, she attaches the clip to the elastic to finish her hair. “Alright, and you’re done, what do you think?” 

“I like it! When is everyone going to arrive?” Alison asks and Melissa looks at the time.

“It’s 11:30 now so in about half an hour. How about you go watch an episode of Scooby Doo while I finish getting ready? Oh and don’t answer the door if I’m not downstairs ok.” Melissa says and Alison nods and then she goes downstairs. Melissa does all her makeup and then she finishes by taking the curlers out and makes sure her hair is perfect and then she hears the doorbell. She makes her way downstairs and sees Alison watching the tv and she goes to answer the door and sees that Barb and Gerald are there. “You two are early.” Melissa says as it’s only 11:45.

“Well you know how we like to be early.” Barb says and enters the house. “Hello Alison dear.” Barb says as she sees her on the couch and Alison gets up.

“Ms. Howard, how do you like my new dress? Mama got it for me!” Alison says with a big smile and Barb looks at it.

“Oh it’s lovely and very pink.” Barb says and looks at Melissa who’s smiling at Alison.

“You know I like pink, and apparently so does Alison.” Melissa says.

“And it’s a miracle that you convince people that you’re tough with your pink obsession.” Barb teases her and then hands her some containers. “So we brought a few things.” Barb says and Melissa looks at what she brought.

“Oh this is perfect, thank you.” Melissa tells her.

“Want me to put them on the table?” Alison asks and Melissa hands her one container while she brings the other 3. “When is the ice cream burgers going to be made?”

“That gets made and served with the cake.” Melissa tells her and Alison nods while they get the table set up. There’s a knock at the door and Gerald opens it as he’s the closest.

“Decorations are here!” Janine exclaims and Jacob and Gregory are behind her.

“We may have got too much.” Jacob says and Gregory is nodding his head in agreement. 

“4 bags full.” Gregory says and Melissa chuckles

“We got balloons, streamers, ribbon, a big happy birthday sign.” Janine explains as she puts the bags on the couch. “Ooh Scooby Doo, I used to love that show.” She says as she sees the tv screen. Melissa turns the tv off and then goes through the bags.

“You may have gotten too much but I love the enthusiasm.” Melissa says and gets the balloons out. “Alison, do you know how to blow up balloons?” Melissa asks her and Alison shakes her head. “Come here and I’ll show you.” Melissa tells her and Alison walks over and Melissa teaches her how.

The rest of the Abbott crew and Gerald set up the streamers and the big sign while Melissa and Alison do the balloons. 

“Then we tie the ribbon on the end like this and we can tie these ones to the chair that your mom is gonna sit at.” Melissa explains to Alison. “The other ones we can stick to the wall.” Melissa says and gets the tape out.

Half an hour goes by before the doorbell rings again and Alison goes to answer it while Melissa is putting tape on a balloon.

“Grandma! Grandpa!” Alison says excitedly and goes to hug them.

“Hello Alison honey!” Her grandma says and immediately hugs her granddaughter. “Hello Melissa, it’s good to see you again, and thank you for inviting us.” Your mom tells her and gives Melissa a hug. 

“Grandma guess what, Mama taught me how to blow up balloons! See!” Alison says and blows up a balloon.

“Oh that’s amazing.” 

“Everyone, this is Heather and Eric. Y/n’s parents.” Melissa introduces them to the Abbott crew and they all say hello before going back to decorating.

“The place looks great.” Heather says as she looks around and Eric nods his head. “I brought 2 of Y/n’s favourite dishes of mine. Although from what I’ve heard you seem to be her new favourite chef.” Kelly says without a hint of jealousy.

“I wouldn’t feel bad about that.” Barb says. “I’m his wife and he will never shut up about Melissa’s lasagna.” She adds and everyone laughs.

“I was raised in an Italian household, what do youse expect?” Melissa says and then goes to place the other dishes on the table.

“I’m glad she’s with someone who’s as good as a professional chef. I love her but I definitely don’t love her cooking.” Eric says and Melissa smiles.

“My mom can’t cook.” Alison says.

Everyone continues decorating until the doorbell rings half an hour later and Melissa answers it and sees it’s a couple of your friends from work that she’s met a few times.

“Hey Angela and Kristy.” Melissa says.

“Hey Melissa, hope we’re not late. Couldn’t remember if you said 1 or 2.” Kristy says.

“You’re good, Y/n won’t be here until 2.” Melissa tells her and they come in.

“Alison, you’re getting so big! Last time I saw you I think you were 5 years old.” Angela says.

“I’m 9 and one quarter.” Alison says and holds up 9 fingers.

“Wow, no wonder you’re so tall.” Kristy says. “Where do presents go?” Kristy asks Melissa and Melissa takes them and places them on the coffee table.

Half an hour passes by and everyone else has arrived. Everyone is introducing themselves to everyone while Melissa is nervous about your arrival.

“You look like you’re about to pass out.” Barb says to her.

“Just nervous about asking her to move in with me.” Melissa says and looks down.

“Don’t be, I’m sure she’ll say yes.” Barb says.

“It’s not just that.” Melissa says and looks at her. “Yes I’m nervous that she might say no but what if she says yes. We move in together and be…happy?” Melissa says to her and Barb takes a breath.

“You’re nervous about being happy?”

“The only 2 people I’ve lived with are Joe and Gary, and we know how those worked out. A failed marriage and a failed proposal.” She says and Barb rubs her back.

“She’s not them, for one she’s a she.” Barb jokes and Melissa laughs. “Another thing is she has a child who adores you and she said you’ll always be in Alison’s life no matter what. The last thing is you said you already mentioned the topic of marriage and she said that she doesn’t have to get married.”

“I know, it’s just what if this works out?”

“Then you’ll be happy, like how me and Gerald are.” Barb tells her and then she hugs Melissa when a tear rolls down her cheek.

20 minutes later and you all hear a car pull up and you all stop talking. A minute later there’s a knock and Melissa goes to answer it.

“Hey hon.”

“Hey Melissa, there’s a car parked on the street that looks exactly like my parent’s car.” You say and then Melissa lets you enter.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Everyone yells and you gasp and put a hand on your heart.

“Oh my god.” You say and you have a huge smile on your face. You go and say hi to everyone and then you make your way to Melissa. “You put this together for me?” You ask her and she nods.

“Me and Alison.” She says and you kiss her.

“Thank you and Alison’s new dress is adorable.” You tell her and she gives you a hug.

“Happy Birthday hon.” She tells you and you laugh.

You chat with everyone and then Alison announces it’s present time and you go sit on the couch and Melissa hands them to you one by one.

“And this one is from Melissa and Alison.” You say as you read the card. You then open the gift and see it’s a photo album.

“Open it.” Alison says and you open it and see that there’s pictures in it. The first picture is one of Alison’s first ultrasound and a few of you when you were pregnant with her. You keep flipping through them and it goes right up to the picture that you took with Melissa and Alison 2 weeks ago. You look inside the box and see there’s another photo album and you open it and see there’s a note and you read it.

“This album is for us to make much more memories together. Will you and Alison move in with me to help make those memories together?” You finish reading and you look up at Melissa and she’s looking at you with a nervous smile. “Are you really asking for us to move in with you?” You ask her and she nods. You then look at Alison and she’s looking at you with a smile. You then look back at Melissa and you nod. “We would love to move in with you.” You tell her and then you hug her and give her a kiss. Melissa hugs you back and she has a huge smile on her face and you add Alison into the hug.

“Happy birthday dear Y/n, happy birthday to you!” Everyone sings off tune as Melissa brings out the cake.

“Make a wish.” Melissa tells you with a smile. 

You close your eyes and you wish for more happy memories with Melissa and Alison then blow out all the candles on your first try and everyone claps.

You cut the cake and you serve it out to everyone and Melissa also serves the Brioche con Gelato with the cake to everyone.

“I remember you describing something like this.” You tell her as you try the brioche con gelato.

“It’s a Sicilian dessert that my Ma told me about.” She tells you and you hum.

“Well it’s perfect, this entire day is actually.” You tell her and she smiles at you. “I had a feeling you two were planning something with all the whispering and all the times you two stopped talking when I entered the room.” You say and she hums.

“I guess we weren’t as sneaky as we thought.” She says and you both look at Alison who’s talking to your parents and already has a chocolate mess on her face.

“I love you.” She says and you hold her hand.

“I love you too.” You tell her and then give her a kiss.

“Ew! Why do you two have to keep kissing?” Alison complains and you both look to see her face full of chocolate.

“And your face is covered in chocolate.” Melissa says and then grabs a napkin and wipes Alison’s face.

“Mama! Really?” Alison complains as she tries to get away from the napkin but Melissa holds her chin.

“Yes, really, little missy.” Melissa says and gets most of the chocolate off. “And there she is.” Melissa says and then gives Alison a kiss on the cheek.

“So when are me and Alison moving in with you?” You ask her.

“How does July 1st sound?” She asks and you think about it.

“Considering it's in a month, you’ll have to help with packing.” You tell her.

“Obviously I’ll help, and I know a group of younglings who will be happy to help too.” She says and you look at the Abbott crew before looking back at her and you smile.

“Let’s start making some new memories.” You tell her and seal it with another kiss.

Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta 

@imaginesmultifandoms 

@idonothingalldays-blog 

@sexysapphicshopowner 

@dvrkhcld 

@lilfartbox1

@ricejucie 

@unicorniusfallapatorius

@a-queen-and-her-throne

@sleep-deprived-athlete

@og-kxsh-420

@sasheemo

@midnight-lestrange

@dashbag-art

@morgananyx

@schmentisgf

@cblanchetts

@that-october-night

Let me know if you want to be added!

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

The Gym Membership - Part 16 (Echo)

Summary: The family deal with a trying day, Echo and Sofie take a step.

A/N: Hello Lovelies, 

Sorry I wasn’t able to post it last week, but I was finishing up the editing. This is the last part for Echo, next will be Crosshair, but there will be a short hiatus, about two months. So I’m hoping by the week of May 1, 2023 I’ll have Crosshair’s first part up and ready to go. After Crosshair there will be a small Omega part and then the series will be done. 

The next one I’m working on now is the Reunion, I’ll have that ready hopefully by next week.

Thank you for loving this series as much as you have. 

I described the Haka dance of the Maori people in the story, I did research on how the dance is done. However, this is not the only way to do the Haka dance. Please accept it, in the spirit it was written, with one of respect and dignity. 

Love oo.

Warnings: Grief, emotions, dance, discussions about kissing (nothing explicit), kissing, tears, fluff, angst, I think that’s all of the warnings, if I miss any please let me know. 

AO3 Link   |   Words: 7,061   |   PREVIOUS - -> NEXT

Gym Membership Master List  |   Main Master List

Echo held on to my hand as we walked back to the cars, everyone had pretty much left except for the immediate family. He didn’t say much simply tightening his grip on my hand, after what all these guys had been through, a cemetery was the last place they needed to be. 

“How do you think he’s doing?” 

Echo leaned against the car, looking at his brother still standing over Kamarie’s grave. 

“As well as can be expected, I don’t think he’s ever really been in love or at least loved anyone as much as he loved her. Then again he does play things pretty close to the vest.” Echo wrapped his arm around Sofie pulling her in, “She was one of a kind though, I wish you got a chance to meet her.”

“Me too, from what I heard from the eulogy she was quite the amazing woman, held two doctorates, advanced prosthetic technology to an amazing degree, and helped thousands have a better life. She seemed exceptional.”

“Mmhmm” Echo pressed his lips against the top of her head, “She was, but beyond that she was incredibly kind” he mumbled against her hair. “Everyone wants to meet you properly, are you able to come to the wake? Don’t feel pressured to come, you’ve already done so much.”

I nodded against his shoulder, “I took the week off, specifically to be around to help you and your family. I can’t wait to meet them, too. I just didn’t expect you to have such a huge family.”

He couldn’t stop laughing at her statement, “Yeah, it’s … let’s just say my dad had a hard time staying with one person. However, we’re family and we’re always here for each other. Just remember their crazy.”

I chuckled against his side, “I’m fully prepared.” My eyes focused on Tech’s back he was still standing by Kamarie’s grave, Hunter and Crosshair stood off to the side, at least I believe I got their names right, talking amongst themselves.

Tech looked at the coffin freshly laid in the grave, despite needing to leave, he still couldn’t pull himself away, “I understand you are no longer here, and yet despite what my head knows, it seems I am unable to leave you.” 

He cleared his throat, he had done enough crying, he didn’t want to cry again. 

“This morning when I woke up in our bed, it felt inexplicably large; it’s not a different bed, it’s the same one I’ve always owned, but somehow it feels too big for just one person. I hadn’t realized there was still some of your yogurt in the fridge. When I opened it this morning, I began preparing your breakfast without a second thought, until a moment later I realized you wouldn’t be coming downstairs. I stood there looking at the breakfast I had made you for three minutes before Echo walked in and was kind enough to eat it, even though he doesn’t like yogurt.” 

He kneeled down, the amaryllises flower in his hand, “I miss your beautiful face, your laugh, the way you would kiss my cheek to wake me up. I miss hearing your voice, the way you would hum or sing when you cooked. I miss you. I’m grateful I still have some of your perfume left, so I can always have your scent on my pillow.” 

Tech let out a sigh, his hand trailed along his pocket, he shifted a little shoving his hand in, pulling out a box. He opened it, looking at the ring he had bought the week before she passed. 

“I was going to give this to you on the anniversary when we first met, which would’ve been today.” He cleared his throat wiping away a tear. “I want you to have this” he took the ring, placing a gentle kiss on the stone, before threading it through the stem of the amaryllis. “I had it specially made for you, the band is both of our DNA strands intertwined, the emerald and the green moss agate the two stones you said reflected the both of us so well. You always said I was an emerald full of wit, eloquence and foresight, while you were my moss agate encouraging tranquility and emotional balance in my life. I couldn’t wait to see your face when I would’ve proposed this morning.” Tech stood, keeping his eyes focused on the coffin, “Thank you cyare, for allowing me the opportunity to love you. I’ll always carry you with me” his hand brushing against her James Webb Telescope pendant she always wore, which now hung around his neck. He remembered how she laughed when someone thought it was a honeycomb. He placed one final kiss on the flower, “and I’ll always be with you.” He tossed the flower and ring on to the top of the coffin. 

No matter how much he wanted to move, his feet wouldn’t listen, he closed his eyes taking in one deep breath, tilting his head back, blinking back the tears that were making more of a presence, how was he going to move on? How had he managed to live before she came into his life?

 Echo walked up quietly beside his brother, knowing the moments he had with her were fleeting and simply not enough, “It’s never easy is it?”

Tech shook his head no, the lump in his throat making it impossible for him to speak. He’d been to so many funerals, Fives’ funeral was probably the hardest one for him, not as difficult as it had been for Echo. Even Heather’s funeral was tough, but nothing like what he was feeling now. He finally could understand why Hunter threw himself into taking care of Omega, why it seemed every day was a struggle for him after he lost Heather. 

“You know what I loved most about her?” Echo asked

“Her smile?”

“No. I loved how much she loved you” Tech turned to look at Echo, the tears streaking his cheeks. Echo offered a soft smile, full of warmth and respect, “She loved you, for you. She wasn’t trying to use you, she wasn’t doing it to make a point or to make her ex jealous. One night when you had fallen asleep on the couch, while we were watching the documentary on bridges, we had a discussion about you, me, all of us. She had such a unique way of seeing the world, she’s the one that helped me to see I was punishing myself for Fives’ death and Wrecker’s injury. She sat there, combing your hair with her fingers, while holding your other hand, and the entire time she talked about you, her smile never left her face. The love she held in her eyes never faltered. She told me the best part of her life had been every moment she got to spend with you.”

Echo fully turned to look at his brother, “Plus she made us promise”

“Promise what?”

“She made us promise we wouldn’t let you wallow” Crosshair answered, walking up behind Echo, his sharp eyes able to read their lips. 

“She also made us promise we’d make you leave, and not remain here with her all day” Hunter added.

“She also made us promise we’d help you in any way we could” Wrecker stated, placing his hand on Tech’s shoulder, “We all loved her, Tech; she was your better half. She made you better. We’re here for you vod.”

Tech was holding back the tears as much as possible, even in her death she made sure to take care of him. His vision became blurry as the tears obstructed his view, and at some point, someone pulled him forward, and the next thing he knew he was in the middle of a group hug, as his brothers held on to him. 

- - - - - - - - - - - 

The wake was a monumental moment for Echo and me, he took the time to introduce me, not only to his brothers and sisters-in-law properly, but also to his various extended family. The man had so many cousins, I had no idea one family could have this many uncles and cousins. I was speaking with one of the cousins, named Tup, when Hunter stood in the middle of his living room.

It was inspiring to see how he commanded a room, he cleared his throat, and nodded his head, two uncles, Rex and Cody, I think was the name stepped forward standing beside him. Wrecker, and Crosshair followed, along with a few other cousins. They stood with their arms at their side, their hands quivering, their stance was wide as their knees were slight bent, they all made sure to keep their palms hidden. 

As one they raised their arms in front of them to shoulder height, slapping the front of their thighs, raising their arms and slapping their thighs again. 

It was mesmerizing as they turned their quivering hands sideways, stomping their foot and extending their arms out mid torso, pulling their arms back and repeating it again. They closed their fists, making a slow ‘rope pulling’ motion with their right hand, holding it in front of their torso, then with the left hand, repeating it slowly. 

As they danced more and more joined, finally Echo and Tech joined in, standing beside their brothers. Their faces were full of emotion as their left hand extended, their right arm crossed the centreline pointing down, as their fingers quivered, their hands pulling back. Their right forearm raised with their hand in a fist, as their left hand rested on their hip. They then raised their left forearm straight in front with their hands in fist, as their right hand slapped their elbow, repeating their steps. 

Their movements changed slightly with the next set, rather than slapping their elbow, they swept their right hand under the raised left forearm. Their movements were familiar, comfortable, something clearly taught to them from a young age, it amazed me to see their synchronicity, not one of them missed a step, as they raised their right and pointed their left arms down with open palms, fingers extend and quivering. They held their arms in place shifting their upper body to face to the left, then switching their arms as they shifted facing the right.

As one entity, they turned to face straight ahead, sweeping their right fist under their raised left forearm. Their right hand raise and their left lower, as their hands opened, their fingers quivering, their eyes bulging, as they stuck out their tongues.  

The dance went on for a few minutes, my eyes were focused on Echo’s movements, he was in sync with his brothers, his prosthetics not causing any sort of discomfort or tripping him up in any way. The pain and emotion on Tech’s face was intense, his grief was breaking through, his movements were starting to slow down and break until he couldn’t stand up anymore, collapsing down on to the floor, as his tears and sobbing burst through.

Without a second, the guys surrounded him and helped him up. Echo and Crosshair each stuck to his side, as they walked him to a room at the end of the hall. 

I walked over to Mel once the group had dispersed, the atmosphere taking on a new somber feel. She had organized the whole wake, and I had to say there was not one thing missing, it had to be one of the most functioning wakes I’d ever been to, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Sweetie, thank you for offering” she held on to my forearm, giving it a light squeeze. Despite the smile she had, her eyes were glistening, her hand was trembling. 

I moved closer to her lowering my voice, “Are you okay? Do you need a break?”

She simply smiled, patting my forearm, “I’m okay, it’s just … we all got really close to Kamarie and it’s still …” she cleared her throat, “fresh, it’s still fresh. Seeing him break down … Tech’s always very logical and always does his best to keep his emotions in check. To see him fully let go, not in private, but in front of everyone …” Mel swiftly swiped a tear that had threatened to escape, “she opened up his heart.”

“And you’re concerned” Zaina’s voice joined us, as she stealthy joined our conversation, “I’m concerned too.” She gave Mel a side hug, “Like Mel said, Tech’s always been a logical man, it’s one of the things we connected on, when I first met him. There’s no doubt, Kamarie made him a better man, I’m just concerned he’ll lock up his heart for good this time if he can’t move on.”

“If that’s what he needs to do to deal with his grief …”

“No” Omega stated also joining our conversation, “I know my uncle, he wouldn’t just lock up his heart, he’d shut it up tighter than womprat’s butt”

“Omega! Where did you learn that?” Mel frowned at her teenage niece; I had to stifle my laugh, since apparently no one else found it funny.

“Uncle Cross”

“Explains more than enough” Zaina smirked, “Despite the colourful wording she isn’t wrong. If Tech is unable to handle what he’s going through, I have no doubt, he’ll shut down forever. However, unless he actually wants our help, the best we can do is just be there for him. Speaking of which, do you guys know if any of our guys have eaten?”

“Wrecker had a sandwich when we got here, about four hours ago” Mel answered

“Echo snacked on some fruit he wasn’t particularly hungry when we got here. I’m not sure about Crosshair though” I had to say Echo’s family were a lot more welcoming than I expected. I mean Echo’s always been kind and considerate but that doesn’t necessarily mean it would be the same for his family. 

“Well Hunter hasn’t felt hungry,” Zaina glanced down to Omega, resting her hand on her shoulder, “Have you eaten sweetie?” 

“Not really”

“Why don’t you go grab a sandwich or something” Omega simply nodded, as soon as she had stepped away, a solemn expression appeared on Zaina’s face, “Hunter told me this felt too close to home for him, reminded him too much of Heather’s funeral. He said he’d try and get Tech to eat, but they’re both somewhat similar that way, so my guess is if Hunter hasn’t eaten, chances are Tech hasn’t either.”

“How about I go with some sandwiches and stuff, and see if any of them want to eat?” I offered

“That would be amazing thank you so much Sofie. I know this probably isn’t the best way to meet your boyfriend’s family, but we’re really happy to meet you despite the circumstances” Mel’s calming and motherly personality really made me feel welcome.

Zaina however, I hadn’t quite figured out yet, she seemed kind but very guarded when it came to herself; I’ve worked with enough people to know trauma when I see it. I was doing my best not to push her too hard. 

“Truthfully, I hadn’t expected to meet you all so soon, but I have to say I’m glad I got a chance to meet you all despite the circumstances. For the sandwiches, is there anything I should avoid?”

“Crosshair isn’t a fan of egg-salad” Mel responded, “made that mistake when I first met him.”

“Hunter is more into vegetables and fish, he’s not one for a lot of red meat. Tech and Wrecker are pretty good at eating anything” Zaina offered.

“What about Echo? I mean I know some of the things he likes but we haven’t gotten to the sandwich part of our relationship” I smirked, hoping to add a tiny bit of humour to the day. 

“Echo is good with anything as long as it’s not super greasy, he finds it affects his stomach too much” Mel offered smirking. 

“Yeah he mentioned something about that; alright, let me go and get some food for these guys”

“Need any help?” Zaina tilted her head as she looked at me.

“No, I should be okay. If I need help, I’ll let you guys know or rope Omega into helping me”

- - - - - - - - - - 

“Excuse me” I called as I peered into the study, Tech had his head in his hands, as Hunter and Wrecker sat beside him, Echo waved me in, I assumed it was either Hunter’s or Zaina’s study, either way it was cozy.

There was a couch against the east wall, three large bay windows on the west wall, a wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling bookcase, filled with books and a TV in the centre, on the south wall. On the north side of the room was a desk, seemed like an antique, behind it was another bookcase just as big as the one on the opposite wall. Crosshair and Echo were sitting in the arm chairs in front of the bay windows. A coffee table in the middle of the room. 

“We brought some food for you guys” I moved into the room, placing it gently on the table, Omega following behind with another tray, “I can bring you guys some coffee or tea, water, juice?” I offered as I glanced around the room. As soon as Omega left the tray, she went and gave a hug to Tech before heading out again.

“Coffee’s fine love” Echo answered, holding my hand and pulling me closer to him, “Just bring us five black coffees, and we’ll add in the cream and sugar after.”

“Alright” I nodded, placing a kiss on his forehead.

I was heading out when a thought struck me, “Tech,” I rested my hand on the door, ready to close it after I finished, “I know we don’t know each other, but from what I’ve heard Kamarie was a wonderful person; and if you can find someway to honour her memory, maybe a foundation or I don’t know something, then she’ll never really be gone.”

Tech didn’t say anything as he tilted his head to look at me, I don’t know if what I said helped or just made it worse. I glanced back to Echo who had a soft smile on his lips, as he looked at me. 

“Anyway, just a thought. I’ll get those coffees.”

The door closed behind Sofie, as Tech’s eyes focused on Echo, “Did she just quote Star Trek to me?”

“It’s not bad advice, vod” Echo defended

“I don’t think he’s saying she said anything wrong, but she’s a geek.” Crosshair smirked, “Plus she’s easy on the eyes” he chuckled, hoping to irritate Echo. 

“Yeah she is, and she’s my girlfriend”

Crosshair held his hands up chuckling to himself, Hunter simply shook his head, “Tech, why don’t you have something, even a few of these veggies here” Hunter leaned forward putting some on a plate, and handing it back to his younger brother.

Tech nodded a thanks, nibbling on the carrot he had in his mouth. 

“You know, Kamarie once told me she wanted to examine my brain, to really figure out how I worked” Wrecker bumped Tech’s shoulder hoping to get him to smile.

“That’s because your brain doesn’t work, she wanted to know how you were able to still function” Cross sneered out.

“Come on now, everyone behave” Hunter’s Sergeant’s tone coming out.

The door opened once again as Sofie walked through with a pitcher of coffee and a bag full of essentials, “I stole one of the pitchers, there are five cups here, stir sticks, creamers, milk, sugar, brown sugar, sweetener. Oh do you guys want some pastries?” She was talking a mile a minute, Echo couldn’t tell if it was because she was nervous or if she was just doing her best to be helpful. 

“Pastries sound nice” Tech spoke up, offering a thank you smile to her, she simply nodded and exited again. “Echo, she seems really nice. You did good”

Echo nodded, moving forward to pour everyone a cup, “She is, when she heard about the funeral, I didn’t even ask her to come with me, she offered. She said she wanted to be there for me, for us. She even helped me figure out coffee and snacks.”

“How long have you guys been dating?”

“Since the night of Wreck and Mel’s wedding”

“Only two weeks and she’s already helping you like a proper spouse?” Wrecker chuckled, “She’s quite the woman”

“I’ll say” Crosshair smirked, as his finger trailed along his lips, “Too bad I didn’t meet her first”

“Crosshair” Hunter spoke, elongating his name, it was his final warning. The door opened Sofie and Omega carrying pastries in, Sofie rearranged the table a little to make sure everything fit, she double checked if anyone needed anything again. Once she knew everyone was fine, her and Omega exited again. 

Crosshair making a point to eye her figure as she walked out, only to get a smack from Echo, “I’m kidding.” He chuckled, “However, in all seriousness, how are you two able to date, isn’t it against a code or something since she’s a physiotherapist?’

“Yup,” Echo leaned back a cup of coffee in his hand, a sandwich in the other, he took a bite, chewing it for a bit as his brothers all watched him like he was a monkey in a zoo, “that’s why I fired her.”

Hunter choked on his coffee, Wrecker had stopped midway reaching for another sandwich. Tech had a carrot in his mouth, not finishing the bite, and Crosshair just blinked a few times before bursting out laughing.

“You fired her! Well there’s an I love you, if I ever heard one.”

Hunter wiped his mouth, ignoring the burn from the hot liquid, “She’s still talking to you?”

Echo simply nodded, smiling as he took a bite, “She was happy to be fired, she even kissed me after.”

“On the lips?” Tech finally spoke, it took him a lot longer to eat the carrot then he wanted.

“Uhhh…” Echo cleared his throat, “No. Not yet. We were about to but then Hunter called … and everything became super busy.”

“I’m sorry” Crosshair was holding in the laughter. He coughed, hoping to calm down the urge to laugh, “You’re blaming the inability to kiss your girlfriend on …  being occupied. I mean don’t get me wrong, it’s understandable to focus all your attention on today, however … there wasn’t a moment, a second, a minute, where you could have taken her in your arms and just planted one, helping her remember she’s a woman, make you feel alive.”

Echo took in a deep breath and shifted in his seat, doing his best not to answer.

“Don’t you want to kiss her?” Wrecker looked hurt on behalf of Sofie, after everything she did for them.

“I do, that’s not the problem.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Hunter couldn’t help become invested in this conversation, the fact Crosshair was intrigued just sent a shiver down Hunter’s spine.

Echo rubbed the back of his head, “The night we almost kissed, I was … I was all set for it. I hyped myself up enough to get the courage to finally make the move, but then …”

“The phone call”

“Right, and since then … well I … I haven’t kissed anyone since before I was injured.” The silence in the room was strangling, all four pairs of eyes looked at him as though he had grown a second head all of a sudden. “Stop it” Echo muttered.

 Tech blinked a few times, before he reached forward taking a sip of the coffee Hunter made him grabbing a pastry as well, “You haven’t kissed anyone … I mean no one - in nine, almost ten years, you’ve never kissed anyone?”

“It’s not that bizarre”

“Of course not” Wrecker agreed, “I was hesitant the first time I kissed someone after my injury.”

“Really? You seemed so comfortable around Mel” Hunter added hoping for clarity.

“Mel wasn’t the first kiss after my injury” Wrecker cleared his throat, glancing away from the rest, pretending to read the spines of the books on the shelf.

“Who was the first?”

“Done Queen-ho-tee. What kind of book is that?” Wrecker did his best to change the subject, not really wanting to discuss that night.

“It’s Don Quixote, and don’t change the subject” Tech directed, “Who was the first?”

Wrecker shifted, “Don’t tell Mel, I never told her, but it was just a quick thing.”

“What do you mean by ‘thing’?” Crosshair shifted his toothpick, focusing his attention on Wrecker, they all became super focused on him.

He stood from his seat, shifting around for a bit, until he leaned against the bookcase, “Okay, so I was feeling particularly low one night; it was the night I originally planned to propose to Isabella when I would’ve gotten back from my tour. I knew you guys wouldn’t have approved so I didn’t tell any of you, but before I could do anything, she broke up with me. Anyway, I went to a bar and before I knew it, I was about ten shots of whiskey in, I couldn’t tell my left from my right. All I do remember is the cold air snapping me back into coherence, and the feeling of someone’s tongue in my mouth.”

“Who was it?” Hunter asked shocked by the revelation, Wrecker was many things, but not one to go out drinking, that was more of a Crosshair story than a Wrecker one. 

“I don’t know for sure, but they appeared to be a rather tall and somewhat muscular woman. Long red hair, striking green eyes, but that’s all I remember.”

“What happened after?”

“Nothing” Wrecker played with his ear, not looking at them.

“Nothing?” Tech questioned

“At least nothing that I can remember. Somehow I made it home, and I woke up in my bed.”

“Just because you woke up in your bed, don’t mean nothing happened” Crosshair jested.

“Whatever. Nothing happened. Well, the only thing that did happen, was I realized I didn’t want to kiss someone unless I was sure about them.”

“How long was it before you kissed Mel?” Hunter asked as he grabbed some food to snack on.

“Um… about ten seconds after I asked her out.”

“WHAT?!” All four shouted in unison.

Echo appeared shocked, his mouth gaped open, “You knew that quickly?”

“Yeah. I did. What about you Hunter? When did you first kiss Zai?”

“I’m not discussing that” Hunter chuckled.

“Come on, we’ve all been open about this. I’ll tell you when’s the last time I kissed someone” Crosshair egged on.

“You mean aside from whatever poor soul had the misfortune of meeting you last night” Tech teased.

“Alright well if he doesn’t want to say it, I can guess. It was after you sent Omega and I back to the hospital with the stuff for Wrecker, Mel and Iris.”

“No”

“Oh I know” Wrecker chimed in, “it was when she was living with you before the attack, when you guys were training?”

“No”

“When she woke up in the hospital” Tech stated with firm conviction. 

“No. I almost kissed her then.”

“So then when did you?” Echo tilted his head, wondering how much darker his face would go, with all the blood rushing to Hunter’s face from embarrassment.

“Guys, drop it”

“Nope, we’ve been pretty open and honest about our embarrassing moments, come on” the pleading look on Echo’s face made Hunter want to punch him; instead he simply let out a frustrated laugh and resigned to just let them know. 

“Fine, I kissed Zaina for the first time when I was helping her pack up her stuff.”

Silence filled the room, as the guys waited for him to continue, it “Wait that’s it, you’re not going to tell us anything more?” Crosshair sneered out, annoyed by his older brother.

“You don’t need to know the details, that’s between her and I, and frankly how is any of this helping?”

“During my research last night, on how to deal with grief, one scholar mentioned ‘while distraction isn’t healthy for long periods of time, it can be a relief to get your mind off of your present grief, with simple distractions, and help you deal with the weight of your loss.’ Granted, I doubt this was the kind of distraction he had been implying, it has been helpful.” Tech nodded his thanks to his brothers, grateful in that moment to have them. 

There was a slight knock on the door as Sofie peered her head in, “Sorry, just wanted to see if you needed anything?”

Hunter glanced around, confirming with each of his brothers that nothing was needed, Wrecker simply motioned to his watch. Hunter nodded in confirmation, turning to look at Sofie, “We’re all good, thanks. Out of curiosity, how many people are still left?”

“Umm not a lot, most of Kamarie’s co-workers have left, some friends of the family if I remember correctly are gone, it’s most family that’s left, some cousins and your uncles are still here.”

“Do you feel like going back out again?” Hunter turned to Tech, resting his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. 

Tech nodded, “Yeah, yeah I’m good. Everyone has shown exemplary tolerance and extraordinary kindness in allowing me to hide here. I should go and express my deep gratitude and appreciation for the patience they have imparted towards me.”

I watched as the guys all stood at once, waiting for Tech to make his way first only for him to motion towards Hunter. I waited outside of the door for Echo, it had been a sad and overwhelming day, it been a long time since my anxiety started to act up, but meeting a lot of his family, being a listening ear to a few, and learning a little too much about some of them, all I wanted was Echo’s arms. 

As soon as he stepped out, I grabbed his hand and pulled him over slightly, moving away from the rest, wrapping my arms around his torso, “Hey” he mumbled against my hair, “you okay?”

“Yeah, just needed a hug”

The warmth from Echo’s arm, and the pressure from his prosthetic somehow eased my stress and anxiety, his hands started rubbing up, down, and from side to side. I could feel the tension in my back melt away, “Is that better?”

I nodded against his chest, “Yeah sorry, it just got a bit overwhelming all of a sudden.”

“Didn’t realize you suffered from anxiety?” He tightened his arms around her, holding her a little closer. “Thank you for everything you did today, it meant a lot. Not just to me, but to everyone.”

“I really didn’t do much, mostly hung out with Omega, as she introduced me to your family. I got to talk a bit with Mel and Zaina, they’re really awesome.”

“Yeah they are, and you did a lot. Don’t sell yourself short” he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, squeezing her a little bit more, “How are you feeling? Is that okay?”

“Mmhmm” I nodded against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, standing there with his arms wrapped around me, felt like the best blanket in the world.

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

Hunter sat on the couch in the living room, everything was back to normal after the wake had finished. 

Omega was lying on the couch as well, resting her head on Zaina’s lap, her eyes focused on the TV, Zaina was reading, while her hand carded through Omega’s hair. As he watched them he couldn’t help smile at his family, his hand reached out on its own as it started playing with Zai’s hair. 

She glanced out of the corner of her eye looking at him, a smirk on her lips. However, when she saw his expression the smirk vanished, he looked like he was miles away, there was still a hint of a smile on his lips, yet his eyes held grief and pain. 

‘You okay?’ She mouthed to him, trying not to disturb Omega.

He gave a simple nod, as his hand shifted from her hair to her cheek, his eyes widened as he really took her in. He thought of Tech, and everything he was going through, he leaned over placing a kiss on her cheek, “Love you, and love you too kid” he placed a kiss on Omega’s head.

Omega shifted her head to look at her dad, “You okay?”

“Yeah, just ... after everything today, I’m reminded that I have an awesome family. I love you both.”

Omega smiled, reaching her hand up to pinch his cheek, “Love you too, dad”

Zaina chuckled, placing a kiss on his cheek hoping to ease the pain from Omega’s pinch. “We both love you, amar (moon - arabic), and it grows more with each passing day.”

Hunter placed a kiss on Zaina’s lips pulling her into his side, focusing his attention back on the TV.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Wrecker stood beside Iris’ crib watching her sleep, his finger trailing over her forehead and along her cheek. Simply being beside her, and watching how she slept with confidence and without fear, made his heart ache. He couldn’t remember a time he slept the whole night through without a worry, without a nightmare of the war, to be able just to close his eyes and have pleasant dreams. 

Even if he couldn’t experience it, he was happy, he could provide that comfort for his daughter. 

Mel did her best to keep her footsteps light as she walked up to Wrecker, wrapping her arms around his middle, resting her head on his arm. She had woken up when she didn’t feel him lying beside her.

“You alright, sweetie?” Her voice was barely audible, doing her best not to wake their sleeping daughter, who was finally able to sleep through the night. 

“I keep thinking about Tech and Hunter.” Wrecker’s voice didn’t exactly lead to quite whispering, but it was low enough not to disturb Iris, “I never fully understood the pain Hunter went through when he lost Heather, even though I had Isabella at the time. I’ve realized since then I was never really in love with her. Today, watching Tech fall apart, seeing how much pain he was going through, I kept imaging what my life would be like without you or Iris and …” he turned to face her, there were tears welling up in his eyes, “the very idea of not having you two in my life …” his voice trembled, his lips began to quiver, he couldn’t lose it now. He closed his eyes calming the storm within him. “I can’t lose you, either of you. You’re my rock, Mel. My foundation and my strength. You’re my sun and Iris is my moon, either by day or night you are both guiding me; always there to shine a light into my life I hadn’t realized I was missing. You brought me out of the dark.” His trembling hand, caressed her cheek, as his forehead gently pressed against hers, “Don’t leave me, cyar’ika. I can’t go back to the darkness.”

Mel’s heart ached in pain at seeing the one she loved without restraint torturing himself on the possibilities of what-ifs, her hands rested against his neck, as her thumb trailed along his jawline, “Sweetie, we’re not going anywhere, we’re here. Right now, with you. We’ll always be here. I’ll always be here.”

He pulled back his head, smiling as she wiped the tears from his face, he gently placed a kiss on her lips, as his arms slowly wrapped around her pulling her in. She pulled back a little as he started to deepen the kiss, “Wreck, we should go back to our room.”

He nodded, placing another kiss on her lips, lowering himself a little until he wrapped his arms around her knees picking her up, surprising her if the small squeak that escaped her lips gave any indication, he chuckled as he placed another kiss on her lips, heading towards their bedroom.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Tech sat with Crosshair in Cross’ living room, he had refused to stay with either Hunter or Wrecker and he didn’t feel like going back home. He just wanted to sit there and drink, not having to be reminded that Kamarie was gone, which was irrational. He understood what he was getting into when he agreed to their relationship; he had accounted for every possible scenario, he simply hadn’t realized how painful it was going to feel.

“Want another one?” Cross motioned to the empty glass in Tech’s hand.

He tilted it back and forth, eyeing the ice that hadn’t melted yet, “Have you ever fallen in love?”

“You want another one?” Cross held up the bottle of scotch, pouring himself another, before he stood and headed towards his bookcase, it was one of the few things that truly brought him joy. Reading. He wasn’t as avid as Echo or Hunter, but he did enjoy it. He took a swig of his drink, grabbing the old photo album he had. 

He turned to see Tech pouring himself another drink, downing it in seconds. Cross’ eyes widened as he watched his younger vod fill his cup again. Tech had never been one to drink, and the last thing Cross wanted was to have him develop a coping mechanism that would be detrimental. 

He subtly moved the bottle away from Tech opening the photo album to a group photo of him and his unit sitting at a pub in London, he pointed to a short haired, bespectacled, chubby looking woman.

“Who’s that?” Tech asked doing his best to keep his eyes focused on the person Cross was pointing towards.

“You asked a question, I’m giving you the answer”

“The one who’s drinking … club soda?” He asked wearing into the photo

“Yup”

“The one who looks like she hasn’t slept for three days?”

“Yup”

He looked from the picture back to Cross, “Her?”

“You got something to say?”

Tech’s eyes closed as he swayed, “I’m just making sure she’s the one …” his voice trailed as he head slumped against the table passed out. 

Cross chuckled at his vod, adjusting him till he was lying down on the couch, dropping the blanket on him, taking off his glasses. Once his younger brother was set, he grabbed the photo album sitting back on the couch, his finger trailing over her face again, “Yeah, she’s the one.”

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

Echo stood in Sofie’s kitchen preparing their drinks, his hot chocolate, and her tea. It had been a long day for everyone, it was emotionally, mentally, spiritually and even physically draining. His body was hurting after the dance. 

Truthfully, if it hadn’t been for all the physio and dance classes he was going to, he doubt he’d have the stamina to last as long as he did. It’d been a concern of his after the accident, whether or not his stamina would fail him, not just in this aspect, but in all aspects of his life.

Being in Sofie’s apartment was nice, it felt cozy and warm just like her; as soon as she stepped in to her place she turned on her speakers and started playing Miles Davis, they had gone through almost two of his albums already, it provided the perfect way to ease their stress and tension. 

My arms wrapped around Echo, as I snuck up behind him, my hair was still a little wet, I could feel him shiver underneath me from the dampness, “Sorry”

“It’s okay, just unexpected. How was the shower?”

“Refreshing, you should take one too”

“I’ll take one when I get home”

I let go of his torso, my hands slowly dragging away; my mind couldn’t help think that maybe he didn’t want to stay because I’d done something wrong … I had to calm down my racing thoughts. This had nothing to do with me, it’s probably had more to do with his own comfort. However, no matter how much I tried to silence the inner voice that kept telling me I disappointed him, it still managed to rear its ugly head. 

Echo could feel her breathing quicken against his back, he slowly turned around until he faced her completely, her head resting on his chest now. “Hey” his voice was gentle and soothing as his hand shifted her head a little, guiding it till he was able to look at her completely, “I would love to stay with you tonight, but … I’m …” he cleared his throat as Sofie looked into his eyes, he could feel his heart beat quicken, his blood pressure rising, all of a sudden it felt as though he was on fire. Everything was just too warm all of a sudden.

“Your?”

“As much as I want to stay ... spend time with you” his prosthetic finger trailed down her face, “I’m not …” he cleared his throat, “I’m not ready to … you know.”

It took me a minute to completely understand what he was referring to, when the shoe finally dropped, “Oh!” I chuckled a little resting my head against his chest, before I focused on his face again, “Echo, I’ve worked with enough veterans and trauma victims not to demand anything. I know this is a big step for you, and just being here with me doesn’t mean I’m expecting anything either. I’m happy just to be with you, Echo, like this and when you feel ready we can take that next step.”

He couldn’t help the tears that were welling up, his heart began beating faster, his face felt flushed, he never imagined he’d meet someone who was kind and as considerate as Sofie, his thumbs trailed along her jawline, as his eyes looked deep into hers, glancing between her eyes and lips. 

He watched as her lips widened and parted a little, he leaned down unable to hold himself back any longer.

His breath fanned over my face, as his lips inched closer, grabbing the front of his shirt, I pulled him closer till our lips met. Echo took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, it was a little awkward and clumsy at first but soon enough it started to feel better than any previous kiss.

Echo held her closer, taking in all the warmth, love and comfort she had to offer. Knowing this had been a first step for him.

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