#when before he would be too scared to do any of that and just let the torment happen

[colossrat]

the beginning is not what it seems, I promise it will be a funny approach Mary: I can’t believe you got a girlfriend and didn’t tell me!!

She’s upset because she and Marvel promised to always tell each other everything, not because of the supposed girlfriend itself

Cap: I don’t have a girlfriend! We’re just talking

Mary: Stop lying to me!! Did you even stop to think what Mom would think about this?!

And by “this”, she means lying to each other, not dating someone.

Cap: You don’t need to remind me, Mary. I was there when I made that promise to her. I’m keeping my word.

It’s been maybe eight years since their mom made them promise to never lie and to stay friends forever. They were around 4 or 5 years old, it was before their parents passed away.

Cap: Mary, please... I’m not lying or hiding anything from you. I was just talking to that lady. I’m not breaking the promise I made to her… I would never do that. Okay? I would never do that to her… or to you.

Mary: Just… tell me things first. I don’t like hearing stuff from other people. They gossip! They’re saying all kinds of things about you.

Cap: And you believed them? Mary, I would never do anything that would hurt you or Mom…

Then they hug, a warm sibling moment where they talk it out and fix the misunderstanding. Mary was a bundle of nerves because it wasn’t the first time Marvel didn’t tell her something first, and she heard about it from someone else. She was scared they were growing apart :(

But here’s the twist:

Some members of the Justice League who were around during this thought Marvel had made a promise to Mary’s dead mother, his ex-wife, that he’d never move on with anyone else. And that Mary keeps holding him to that promise, reminding him of his dead wife and not letting him move on without guilt. Nobody really blames either of them, they understand both sides… it’s complicated.

They start noticing the little things Marvel does. He never, ever, shows romantic or sexual interest in anyone, man or woman. He’s extremely respectful and always careful not to come off as too friendly. Some of the League members start feeling sorry for him. From what they know, Cap is immortal, or at least going to live for a few more centuries, and that’s a long time to be stuck in the past. But some of them understand… sometimes, love is hard to move on from. And there’s Mary, who doesn’t seem ready to see her father with someone else that is not her mom

Later, Flash and Hal not only stop trying to set Marvel up with other heroes, but they even start helping him out when some hero, villain, or civilian tries to flirt with him.

Batman recommends a few therapists for both him and Mary, family therapy, a whole list of suggestions

There was one time they went out for some bonding routine. Marvel didn’t drink (he doesn’t like alcohol), but he was relaxed enough to spill a little:

Marvel: I’ve actually been liking someone lately. nothing serious. They’re just a very kind and smart person and… and I could really see myself with them, you know? But Mary… I don’t think she’d like that. And it’s important to me that if I’m going to have any kind of relationship, she’s okay with it, and that she gets along with them.

And he looks so sad and demotivated… Batman is the first to give him a couple of firm slaps on the back in support.

The reality is that Billy is actually liking someone, but it just so happens that this someone is (reader’s choice) a person Mary absolutely cannot stand. And Billy’s terrified of saying “I’m dating [person]!” and hearing Mary go “OH HELL NO.”

But from the League’s point of view, what they see is Marvel wanting to move on… but being stuck because Mary isn’t ready to move on with him and he’s not willing to leave her behind!

[gay-dorito-dust]

I don't know if anyone has already asked this, but if someone has I apologize for not knowing! Dante and Virgil reacting to their partner getting hurt during a battle. (If you can, could you do the white rabbit too? I love him so much ^^)

Dante

His wise cracking quips and unserious act were quick to be dropped the moment you were hurt during battle. Suddenly nothing was funny anymore, nothing was worth holding back anymore and he had no reason to hold back when they brought you harm.

So Dante was quick to repay the favour by allowing himself to give in to the devil within him for a moment and allow himself to unleash pure carnage unto the demons that hurt you, inable to find the need to stop, not until they were all dead and smoking corpses at his feet.

His need to make others feel even a smidge of pain that he felt throughout his body was all that mattered to Dante, lost within the anger and violence that only seemed to continue to rage within him with not stop in sight, the pain of potentially carrying him through the battle until he managed to finish off the last of the demons coming his way. Funnily enough he wasn't even tired when he finished the massacre, and since there was nothing left to kill, his mind was forced to remeber that you were very much bleeding out a good few feet away.

That's when his anger becomes worry as his feet carried him to your body, pushing him to get to you as his legs burned with ache and exhaustion. The worst case scenario began to play within his head the closer he got to you, the fear spreading through his veins like ice until he was reasured that you were still with him by the sound of your heart against his ear as he holds your body close to his chest.

You were okay but that didn't mean he was going to be leaving your side any time soon, he was glued to your side until he could see for himself that you were going to be okay without him swaddeling you, his demon side wanting nothing more then to bundle you in blankets and protect you fiercely from unseen foes. He's just acting out because he was scared, frightened that he was going to be left alone once more.

Vergil

He's left feeling like all the power he's acumilated wasn't enough, that it will never be enough to keep you safe, knowing that no mater how powerful he becomes he's not excused from the possibility that you become the target to get to him.

He hates just how quickly he is to be made to feel like that little kid again, especially when you were lying in hurt before him. Vergil couldn't help but hate how the all too human feelings clog in his throat and his chest and causing an uncomfortable weight to settle on him that ended up becoming unfathomable anger.

Vergil had never moved faster then he did in his entire life, probably becuase he didn't have anyone like you to make him feel as though he was on a time limit, like if he were to waste a single second in getting to you then he's risk loosing you even more. So he doesn't hesitate with his slashes and consistant judgement cuts as though he was trying to show that the countless demons that he cuts down, those whom he casts away without having to try, could never understand just the amount of hell Vergil would go through for you.

He wouldn't let anything get in his way, not when you were within reach, not when he could prevent the feeling of loosing everything for a second time in his lifetime. Vergil was desperate and a desperate Vergil was a dangerous Vergil who would fight tooth and nail like he's done before in order to make sure you never suffer, not under his protection.

White Rabbit

Doesn't take kindly to you being hurt.

He's lost alot already, hanging on by whatver grudge and resentment he had towards humans with an iron clad grasp, yet the moment he foudn you he thought that life might've desided to grant him a break and gift him someone that wasn't going to going to slip from his grasp anytime soon.

Humans never stop to think how their actions affect others, they're a selfish bunch who live in such an indivdualistic mindset and an attitude that is self serving, yet selfish when it comes to the viewpoints of others that they harm with their pathetic need to have everything. greed is apart of human nature and they are the last to admit that they attribute to such greed by taking anything and everything from others until they get bored, like overgrown children who had yet to finish growing and develop their own morales.

So when you got hurt simply by helping some makians, having been mistaken for a demon yourself, only made Rabbit infuriated at human stupidity, they tend to pull the trigger before they know who they're shooting at, such a trigger happy bunch they were and Rabbit didn't take so kindly to such things as he enacts his own bloodbath. It's not something he takes to immeditely, not unless he's been pushed to do so and with you lying on the ground hurt, he makes an exception as he maths a path for himself to you while relieveing some stress.

Rabbit doesn't want to loose you like he lost everything else in his life, he wouldn't dare let fate take away another good thing, for what else would there be left of him if he lost you. He had been given a poor hand in life and most of his misfortune was given to him by humans, he had felt that he had nothing left of his heart until you, and now he was faced with the threat of having the last shred of his heart taken from him.

Naturally Rabbit was going to do whatever he could in his power to prevent the horror story that was his life to come into full effect, to prevent an seeimgly set in stone fate for those who got near to him in any capasity, his curse was that his cause would go nowhere and he'd be left with the piles of bodies of those he onced called family. He fights for your life that hangs in the balance, for it was something he would fight for is to see you smile and open your eyes for the rest of your shared lives together; so rabbit fights and he fights hard in order to protect you from becoming apart of the long list of people he's lost within his tragic life, fighting against fate to hold you one more day.

[with-my-calamitous-love]

i’ll be in denial for at least a little while / what about the plans we made?

ya! k. bakugou x reader

after a month with radio silence and encouragement from concerned friends and family, you end up at katsuki’s doorstep. themes of depression/isolation, mentions of death (katsuki failed to protect a family on a mission), angst with some comfort at the end.

one of those ones i just needed to write. special tag for @crushmeeren <3

song: tv

11:03 pm.

"he doesn't normally do this." you have eijirou on speaker phone while you look for your keys. you can't see him, but you know already the worried look in his red eyes as he speaks. its the same worry he's had for katsuki back when they were still in UA. its the worry you'd expect from a best friend.

he can't see you, but he knows you're worried, too. because anyone who gets thoroughly ghosted by their boyfriend with no warning would also have shaky hands as they drive over to check on them. anyone who cares about someone else, worries.

"you said he's still coming to work, though?" you know the answer. yes, you've heard from shouto that he's still heading to the agency regularly, going on patrol and field missions as normal. but what you don't know, what you aren't able to confirm from what people are seeing, is what scares you: what if he's dragging himself out of bed, exhausted because he didn't sleep? what if he's skipping meals? what if he's going on missions, secretly hoping that something goes wrong?

"yeah, but he barely talks to anyone. i mean, i know he doesn't care for small talk, or whatever, but... somethings wrong. i can feel it."

your stomach churns, making the turn onto his street. for a while, you sit in the driveway, trying to see into the windows. maybe he's asleep. maybe he's perfectly fine. but most of that is just hope.

"what if he doesn't let me in?"

literally, because theres always a chance he's asleep and doesn't answer his door- though he's always been a light sleeper since going pro. but theres also the chance that he lets you inside his home but not into the walls he's built around him this past month.

"he will. he has to. he loves you." eijirou's voice feels like refuge, even over the phone.

you take a deep breath, hands clutching the sweater your wearing. its his, and you almost feel a little bad that you've taken it from him. does he have other things keeping warm? he has other sweaters, or blankets, hot showers and even his own explosions, but is he still feeling cold? alone?

eijirou drones on a little more. he's not the one sitting in his abesent best-friends driveway, but like you, he's stalling. "what happened was... it was terrible. but no ones blaming katsuki for that."

"yeah. except katsuki probably is."

he's silent over the phone. you both knew it, but didn't want to say it.

"i'm going in."

the redhead nods, though you can't see him. "i'm here if you need me."

"alright, by eiji."

"bye, [y/n.]"

your heart is pounding, bracing yourself for whatever may happen. but part of you knows that whatever you're feeling, your boyfriend is probably feeling tenfold and alone. its why you need to do this.

tentatively, you raise your knuckles to the door, knocking.

theres silence for a moment. you hear some footsteps that pause just before the door, like he knows its you.

on the inside? he feels pathetic for trying to hide, hoping you'll go away. he knows you won't, you both know it.

"katsuki?" your voice is quiet, afraid of disturbing any ghosts. "c'mon, i know you're in there."

he tenses. he wants to make up an excuse, tell himself that he's fine, that he doesn't have the time, that leaving everyone behind suddenly isn't a sign that something is wrong. but he's a liar and a bad one.

"go away."

he winces to himself, knowing he sounds like a child. but truthfully, its what he wishes he were, right now. a child who didn't have to feel the weight of failure pressing down on his ribs.

"i'm not going away until you let me inside." you say, firmly. "please."

its the first time you're hearing his voice in weeks, and its enough to bring you to your knees. he's been doing this for a month, but you wonder if he's felt lonely or scared or confused for longer than that.

"...i don't want you to see me like this."

you fight back tears. "maybe i do. maybe i wanna see you."

he's leaning his forehead against the door, knowing it's gone on too long. he knows he can't keep this up forever, and that at one point, you'd come to his front door. he expected more anger, anger for being a shitty neglectful boyfriend that never opens up about his feelings.

but he doesn't hear any anger in your voice, at all. and that makes him feel worse.

"please." you plead again, ringing the doorbell, hoping it'll annoy him enough to open the door. you'd rather have him pissed off, annoyed or angry than have none of him at all.

he shakes hid head, hand on the doorknob. its already unlocked.

"you're fucking stubborn, aren't you?" a sentence that comes out with something like a laugh. your chest tightens, worried he's about to tell you off. for a minute in the silence, it seems like it.

but then he opens the door, letting you see him.

you want to run towards him, feeling his strong arms wrap around you, pulling you into his home and back into his life. but the fear of him rejecting that holds you back as he lets you inside, closing the door behind you.

you first note how dark it is. obviously, because its near midnight. but he's never been one to go without at least a window open, to let some moonlight in. he can't stand artificial light, anyway. he's always bitched that it messes up his sleep.

"you mind if i open some curtains?" you ask him, softly gaging his reactions.

he scoffs quietly, but reels in his attitude- most of it, anyway. "i don't care, do whatever."

you ignore his spite, walking over to the living room window and drawing the fabric. it's a perfectly clear night, a sky so full of stars you could swim in it. its something so beautiful, something he hasn't let himself experience in weeks.

you presence in his home is felt like that of a ghost. you take more time to look at his surroundings. you can hear his voice before this: "i like shit clean. and you're bad at that."

but now, he doesn't seem to care. theres dirty mugs and unwashed laundry. you're not saying anything, but he's expecting it. he's expecting you to call out his hypocrisy, or just how shitty he's let his place become. the thought makes his anxiety skyrocket, and following that, shame.

but instead, he watches as you collect a few of the cups and rinse them off in the sink. somehow, that makes him feel worse. what the hell did he do to deserve that?

"what are you doing?" he asks. you notice one of the mugs he got as a gag gift for his 20th birthday, though he took it seriously. a world's greatest hero mug, now dusty and forgotten.

"don't worry about it." you say, turning back to face him.

neither of you know where to start. he's hoped that if he stayed alone, drowning in his own depression, he wouldn't have to watch when you inevitably leave him.

"you know it's been a month?" you gently approach him. he's not moving away from your presence, which should be a good sign.

"i know." he says fast, cold. you know his tell that he's angry- short replies, pissed off red eyes and distance. he's not even mad at you, though. just himself.

"eijirou called, said he was worried. we all were, i mean."

his eyes dart up to meet your for a brief moment. the mention of him makes his chest tighten up more, knowing you're not the only person he's disappointed. he feels like a true, honest coward. he's not getting along with anyone. maybe he's the problem.

his silence makes you panic, wondering if he's listening. "i wanted to give you space. you're my boyfriend, i care and i-i didn't wanna push you."

he nods, arms crossed, looking at the floor.

"i'm just sorry it took me so long to get here."

his eyes meet yours again, this time holding your gaze. he wants to cup your face and tell you that you have nothing to apologize for. that he's hard to approach and hard to love, even though he knows you'd disagree with that. but the words get caught in his throat, and filtered by unresolved anger.

"yeah, well... you're here now, aren't you?"

you just nod, grateful that you're both, at least, talking. thats more than anything else in the past month.

you think back to the articles of what happened. how two young parents with kids even younger were tragically injured during a bank robbery. how pro-hero dynamight successfully captured the criminals but couldn't prevent what happened to the innocent.

whats worse is how neatly packaged and sanitized it became. "a physical altercation." "an unforeseen criminal event." "and unfortunate and untimely demise." he hated the way they tried to save his name, to not pin any blame him or his failures. he was blaming himself. why wasn't anyone else?

"you know no one blames you for what happened, right?"

because no one does. but for katsuki, thats the worst part. he should have bee faster, better. if he had been seconds earlier, maybe they could have gotten to the hospital faster. maybe he could have prevented it, all of it. if he was just a few seconds faster.

but he wasn't, and it'll haunt him forever. "they should be blaming me." he says solemnly.

you shake your head, stepping closer to him, hands itching to reach out. you want to take his blame and guilt away, even just for a moment. you wanna be able to touch him again. you wanna feel your boyfriend and everything he is.

theres tears in his red eyes as he recounts everything, breaking down. he once swore to himself he'd never cry in front of you, or anyone. now, he's starting to see that you're the only person he could cry around.

"how many people are grieving because i fucked up?" his voice raises slightly, but you hear through it.

"they know you tried."

"yeah well, not hard enough!"

he takes a deep breath, the thing he always tells you to do when you sprial. he lets the air sit in his lungs before finally pulling you into his arms, pressing a kiss to your head as he holds you. he's tired of being alone.

"has it really been a month?" he asks, quietly.

you just nod into his chest, speechless. he's letting you in again, letting you touch him, feel him. its the closest you've been in what feels like decades.

you pull away just a little, hands cupping his face, looking into his teary eyes. its the first time in a while he's let himself cry, feel. and it makes his chest ache. his bones are exhausted from pushing down his feelings, of saying that he's fine, that he deserves the exile he's placed upon himself the past month.

"i'm sorry i'm shitty a boyfriend." he sobs. "and a shitty person. you deseve so much fucking better, they all did."

you shake your head, hushing him compassionately, wiping his tears. "i don't want better. i want you." he pulls you in tighter, and for a moment, time stops, the way he's wanted it to for the past few hours.

✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.* ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ ✧.* ✧.*

2 am.

you both sit on the living room floor, backs against the couch. you're pressed against him, holding his hand while he rests it against your thigh, his thumb gently stroking over your skin. he's been exhausted as of late, but he doesn't want to close his eyes and miss this moment with you.

but when he looks over at you, your head on his shoulder, he feels more and more that he's allowed to let his guard down. you're still very much awake, but it's the first night in a while you can sleep without aimlessly worrying about him.

"you know idiot, for what its worth, i haven't been completely alone." he says looking over at you.

your eyes perk up. if there was anyone else who made sure he wasn't suffering in silence, its someone you wanted to know. "really? who?"

he pauses for a moment, like he's recalling a conversation in his head. one thats been buried by guilt and anxiety for the past month. but with you, he's letting himself admit things.

"...i spoke with a member of the victims family. she was the sister to the mother of the family. she was at the hospital the day it happened."

his answer took you off guard. in your head, he boarded himself up in his house, isolated and alone. you're not completely wrong, but you do feel a pang of guilt for not thinking better of him.

"how did that go?" you push gently.

"i expected them to be angry. to blame me for it. hell, i blame me." he starts, reminiscing the event. "but she was kinder than i deserved. said she didn't blame me."

you can tell he doesn't believe her words, or anyone's. that he still replays it in his head, living the guilt, the guilt that he survived and others didn't, eating at him.

"she sounds really sweet." you squeeze his hand.

he nods. "yeah, she was."

"you know," you start, trying to give his mind a brief holiday from the turmoil. "if everyone is saying it, it kind of has to be true."

his lips twitch into a reluctant smile. "whatever, idiot."

you sit up, facing him as you piece together your next words. he pulls your hand up to his lips, kissing your knuckles, wanting to hear your voice. right now, its the only thing keeping him afloat.

"the hardest part about this job is that you can't save everyone. you can't change that."

what you say isn't new, its a reminder. that no matter how many things he blows up, how many villains he handles and how many times he climbs to the top, he'll have to endure the pain of loss. he's seen it in every teacher and every hero who came before him, and all the up and coming heroes who still have lessons to learn. and deep down, he knows that its no reason give up. he's determined to be the best, to be everything he said he'd be.

he nods, hearing the truth in your words, knowing that he'll need to make peace with it. he has no witty remarks or curses to add. just a drive to do better.

"but knowing you? you'll probably still try."

he brings his face to yours and then your lips to his, kissing you. his hand comes up to your cheek as he lingers for a few moments before pulling away.

"of course i will."

[sarahs-secrets2]

safety net ˋ♡ˊ

dr jack abbot x reader

reader scared to admit feelings but jack is reassuring, super sweet, fluff, all the good stuff!!! (not my gif <3)

wc: 2.1k!

₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

“So what do you have planned for your day off?” Dr. Shen asks, leaning against the nurse’s station as he swirls what's left of his very melted, old Dunkin ‘iced’ coffee. 

“Uh, I’m not sure.” You lie. Your eyes flick up from the computer and find Dr. Jack Abbot checking a chart as he leaves an exam room. Trying not to stare, you quickly shift your attention back down. 

“See if it were my day off-” Shen is about to go into grand detail about his perfect day off, before a voice cuts him off. 

“C’mon, brother,” Dr. Abbot laughs, his hand falling to John’s shoulder, giving him a light shake. “Got something for you.” As Jack pulls Dr. Shen away, his eyes meet yours, giving you a side smile and quick wink before heading towards a fresh trauma.  

“Hey, you have tomorrow off too,” the voice is far away, but you know it’s Shen. Your eyes glance off to the side, seeing Abbot shake his head with a small laugh while snapping on a fresh pair of gloves before entering the trauma room. 

It was no coincidence that the two of you shared a day off. It had been something quietly in the works for a while. Jack asked you to go to a new restaurant that opened a few blocks from the hospital. It wasn't a fancy spot, very casual, a perfect place for a summer evening and some drinks. The restaurant was no longer new by the time you were both able to get the same night off, most of the hospital staff had already been with their family or friends, or spouses. Except you and Jack, who both promised not to go until you could go together. 

You two were just really good friends, at least that’s what you told yourself. It was easier to compartmentalize it that way than dive into feelings that you were far from ready to unpack. It was a silly little crush, nothing serious. 

Now you’re lying to yourself. 

Dr. Abbot was attractive. There was no denying that, but he was also patient, thoughtful, thorough, you could go on and on. Every move he made was precise and thought out, he exuded quiet confidence that pulled you directly into his orbit. Abbot was also extremely good at his job, which just made it all the more impossible to deny any sort of attraction to him. On top of it all, his no bullshit demeanor made him intimidating in the best way. It had come from his military background, which he told you about briefly. The stories were told away from work, mornings in the park, or a rare night off at the local dive bar, always a few beers in, the two of you being the last ones left. 

Maybe he figured the stories of his past would scare you away, put some distance between growing feelings you both hid from each other. Wrong. It only made the two of you want to be closer.

While you were trying to deny your feelings, Jack was adamant about his. The tension is always palpable between the two of you. Stolen glances, hands brushing in passing, slow walks home, Abbot made it a habit to always be there for you. He picked up on your fears of falling in love without you having to verbalize them. It was easy for him to notice you, you mirrored him and the fears he once carried. Jack knew what it was like to lose love, he had mourned, and had put the work in to heal. It’s not a linear journey, he knew that, but he knew himself enough to know that he was ready to let himself love again when he saw you. It was cliche, but it was a feeling he hadn't come across in a long time, and he didn’t want to regret letting it go. 

The rest of the shift is a blur.

It’s busy in a way that doesn't allow your mind to wander. It’s perfect. The sun is rising, and like clockwork, the day shift filters in, cases are handed off, and you are bag in hand and out the doors. 

“Hey,” Jack’s voice stops you before you can cross the street to start your walk home. 

“Hey,” you turn to see him with tired eyes, and his military bag slung over one shoulder. 

“Better not be trying to come up with an excuse to get out of our date,” he offers a side smile, eyes crinkling. There was that word date, the very thing you were trying to convince yourself it wasn't. 

“Don’t give me any ideas now, Abbot.” 

He gives a genuine but exhausted laugh. “Can I pick you up around…7?”

“7 is good,” you smile, “I’ll see you then.” You start to cross the street when you hear him again.

“You sure I can’t walk you home?” He makes it a habit to offer every time he sees you start your walk. Most of the time, you turn him down, not wanting to burden him. There is the rare occasion where you say yes, and you two walk together, mostly in silence. It’s a cherished moment, one you allow yourself only so often. It’s hard not to get attached to a man who makes himself available in the ways Jack Abbot does. 

“I’ll be okay,” you nod and give him an honest smile.

He smiles back, walking backwards, giving a wave. “7,” he tugs the strap of his backpack up onto his shoulder. “Don’t forget.” 

“I won’t.” You drag it out laughing and giving a small wave back as you walk away. 

Jack steals a glance, looking back and watching you walk through the park. Part of him wished you had said yes today. Anytime spent with you was time well spent. It wasn't like he had anything else going on, he planned to sleep and then see you, and walking you back to your apartment would have made the time in between seeing you bearable. 

The second you get home, you’re showered and in bed in record time. 

Sleep comes easily after shifts like the one tonight. Before you know it, the alarm on your phone is beeping, waking you up and reminding you of the date (that you keep trying to tell yourself is not a date) with the guy you work with, and who you’ve only had a crush on for the longest time. Time dwindles, and after distracting yourself with cleaning, reorganizing, and other mundane tasks to take your mind off later, you finally start to get ready. It helps tremendously that the restaurant is casual, so it’s easy to dress for. Despite giving yourself plenty of time to get ready, you feel anxiety building up as the clock ticks closer to 7 pm. Knowing Jack as well, he would be sure to be early, but not early enough that he would show up before you were all set.  

6:53 pm, there’s a knock at the door. 

The knock is soft, gentle, it’s thought out. It’s almost a peek into how nervous Jack truly is, which doesn't happen very often. Opening the door, you see Dr. Jack Abbot standing with his hands in the pockets of his dark wash jeans. The button-down polo he's wearing has the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, freckled forearms on display. It’s rare to see him in anything but scrubs, and damn does he look good. The dinner wasn't fancy, but you could tell he still wanted to put effort into how he looked.  

“You clean up well, Doctor Abbot.” You smile brightly at him, catching a whiff of his cologne wafting in the air: teakwood, eucalyptus, and worn leather. It’s intoxicating. 

“So do you, Doctor.” His eyes flick up and down your body. “You ready?”

Nodding, you step out and lock the door behind you. Jack’s hand grazes your lower back, letting you lead the way. 

“You don't mind walking, do you?” 

“Of course not,” you bump your shoulder into his softly, earning a light laugh from Jack. 

The two of you walk in a comfortable silence for a while before Jack speaks up.

“You know, Robby was trying to get me to go to this place for at least two weeks straight before he took a hint.”

“Really? You could’ve gone, you know.” You steal a glance.

“As badly as I want to go on a date with Robby, I wanted to save my first time for tonight, with you.” He shrugs, meeting your eyes.

You can spot the restaurant from a mile away, with glowing string lights illuminating an outdoor patio, lively music playing, and other patrons chatting away with drinks in hand. Jack’s hand returns to your lower back, guiding you through the busy restaurant and to the host stand. 

You two are led back outside, the table located in a corner, making it more private than the others. Drinks and appetizers are ordered, and the anxiety hanging over your head seems to vanish. Jack and you slip into conversation, and it flows through dinner. Swapping stories of the past, and some of the present, and sharing glimpses of what you both want in your futures, you see more into Jack than you ever have before. The voice in the back of your head warns you of what happened last time you got close to someone like this, but you push it down, turning all your focus to the man in front of you. 

Time seems to fly by, and Jack, being the gentleman he is, pays the tab despite your protest to split it. 

The sun has fully set, the stars are out, and a light breeze blows through the night air as the two of you walk slowly back. Shoulders bumping occasionally, fingertips just barely touching each other as the two of you walk closely together, trying to preserve the night, neither of you ready for it to end.

Back at your apartment, you linger at the door, not reaching for your key just yet. Leaning against the door slightly, you smile at Jack.

“Thank you for tonight, I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” even though it’s dark, the small glow from the porch light illuminates his smile.

The moment hangs in the air, his eyes never leaving yours. Jack steps closer, closing the already small distance. Taking a deep breath, you get another rush of his cologne, making your head spin. Your hand reaches back, grasping the door handle, trying to steady yourself.

You wish Jack Abbot wasn't so in tune with your emotions, he cuts through your exterior and sees you for what you are in a way no one else could. You can see it on his face how he is reading you, he feels your hesitation, building a wall between the two of you.

“You don’t have to run away from this, you know.” His head tilts slightly as he speaks, eyes never leaving yours. 

“I know.” 

“I don’t think you do.” 

“Jack,” it comes out softer than you expected. It’s vulnerable. It’s a plea. This is uncharted territory. You could turn away and run right now, literally. He would let you, he wouldn't push you if you weren't ready. Jack Abbot was patient, he had already waited months to take you to dinner. He would wait till you were ready. 

“I know.” He echoes your words back to you. He understands what this would mean for both of you, at work, with each other, a permanent crossing of a long-standing boundary. On the other hand, it was a boundary both of you ached to cross. The idea of doing so weighed more in theory than had crossed your mind. 

Jack’s hand reaches for yours, he half expects you to pull away. Instead, you reach out, meeting him in the middle. He squeezes your hand gently, his thumb rubbing over your knuckles. He’s put the power back in your hands, he doesn’t want to rush you. 

Your head is reeling, trying to compose yourself, trying to make sense of what you should do. The part of you holding yourself back seems to vanish the longer you look at Jack Abbot in front of you. 

A switch flips, and you listen to Jack’s words and stop running. With a simple nod, he knows exactly what you mean, no words needed. His hands move to cradle your face, holding you close. Jack’s lips crash into yours, the tension between the two of you finally snapping. Your hands paw at his chest, trying to get him closer.

Everything else is quiet, and for once, it all makes sense now that you’re kissing Jack Abbot. 

You’re not sure how long you two are like this, only stopping to catch some air. 

“Been waiting for that for a while,” Jack smirks, his hands wrapping around your waist, holding you close.

You bury your head into his chest, attempting to hide your smile, "Me too."

₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

hope you all enjoyed :) (bear with me if there's typos, its 4am loll i will fix!!)

[mocchiixxx]

Words in Ruin Series # | 06 : Jeon Wonwoo 🐈‍⬛

Genre: Slow-burn Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Healing, Soft Romance

Warnings: Sudden emotional outburst, overthinking, guilt, crying (mutual), hurtful misunderstanding

Summary: Wonwoo doesn’t raise his voice, not usually. He’s calm, introspective, gentle in his affection. But even quiet hearts break under pressure. When the stress of endless recordings, interviews, and expectations eats away at his core, he accidentally lashes out at the one person who’s always been there, quietly loving him through the silence. And when the calm fades and regret sets in, he’s left with a question that terrifies him: did his silence hurt you more than his words?

It had been three days since Wonwoo had come home before 1 a.m.

You understood. You really did. SEVENTEEN’s schedule had been brutal lately— content shoots that stretched into the night, endless interviews that demanded his smile even when he was running on nothing but caffeine and pressure, choreography practices that left him barely standing.

But understanding didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

Especially tonight.

Because tonight, you had waited.

You brewed his favorite tea, added the honey just the way he liked it, and stayed up on the couch with the dim lights on. Just in case— just in case tonight would be different.

But when he walked through the door, exhaustion clinging to him like a second skin, he barely looked at you. He took the mug from your hands with a tired, distracted “Thanks,” then walked past you toward the bedroom, his footsteps heavy and heart seemingly heavier.

No kiss. No how-was-your-day. Just… silence.

And that silence was louder than any shout.

You stared after him, the warmth from the spot where your hands had brushed already fading.

You told yourself not to overthink. He’s tired. He always comes around. But something inside you tugged, a gnawing ache of being forgotten.

So you followed. Slowly. Carefully.

You paused at the bedroom door.

“Wonwoo?” your voice was soft, unsure. “Are you okay?”

He was sitting at the edge of the bed, hunched over, face in his hands like the world was too heavy to hold.

“I’m tired,” he said, voice muffled.

“I know,” you said. “I see how hard you’ve been working. I just... wanted to check on you. You’ve been so quiet lately. I miss you.”

He looked up then, and the look in his eyes startled you.

Exhaustion. Frustration. A wall you didn’t remember helping him build.

“Do I have to say something all the time?” he snapped.

Your breath caught.

He rarely raised his voice. He rarely even spoke like that. Not to you.

“I didn’t mean to push you,” you said quickly, your tone trembling. “I just—”

“Then don’t,” he interrupted. “I’m doing my best to keep it together, Y/N. I can’t carry your expectations on top of everything else.”

You blinked, stunned.

Your expectations?

That wasn’t fair.

“I never asked you to carry anything,” you said, voice barely a whisper. “I just… wanted to be here. For you.”

His jaw clenched. His eyes avoided yours.

“Well maybe I don’t need your help.”

And just like that, the silence between you turned from familiar to foreign.

It used to be peaceful. Loving. The kind of silence where hands stayed laced together and glances said everything.

Now it felt cold. Like standing outside in the rain without an umbrella, waiting for someone who promised they’d meet you there.

You stepped back. “Okay.”

One word. Small. Final.

Wonwoo looked up and that was when he saw it.

The way your shoulders curled inward. The slight tremble in your fingers. The tears welling in your eyes, stubbornly held back like you were too scared to let them fall.

That’s when he realized what he’d done.

He stood quickly. “Wait— Y/N…”

But you were already turning away. Already retreating.

You curled up on the couch again, only this time, not waiting. Not holding tea. You were hugging your knees to your chest, eyes staring at nothing, heart trying to keep it together.

He followed you, but slower this time. Like he was approaching something fragile.

Because he was.

“Hey,” he said gently, kneeling in front of you. “I didn’t mean that. Any of it.”

You didn’t speak.

“I wasn’t angry at you,” he said again, his voice quieter, cracking. “I was angry at… everything. At myself. I hate how distant I’ve been. I hate how much I miss you even when you’re sitting right in front of me. And when you asked if I was okay, it scared me, because I realized I’m not. And I didn’t know how to deal with that. So I lashed out. That’s on me.”

Still, you said nothing. Just tears. Slow, quiet, endless.

Your silence said more than words ever could.

“All I wanted,” you finally said, voice shaking, “was to love you. That’s it. I didn’t think it would mean walking on eggshells. I didn’t think I’d have to tiptoe around you just to keep from breaking something I didn’t even drop.”

Wonwoo closed his eyes, guilt pressing down on his chest like a weight he couldn’t lift.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “You don’t deserve that. You’ve never deserved that.”

“Then why do I feel like I’m the one being punished for you being tired?” Your voice cracked. “Why does it feel like I have to disappear for you to breathe?”

He reached out, brushing a tear from your cheek with shaking fingers.

“You don’t,” he said, barely managing to hold back tears of his own. “You’re the only thing that keeps me breathing. I just forgot how to show you that.”

Your lips trembled. “Then remember.”

“I will.” He leaned in closer, hands cradling yours. “You make me feel safe. Safe enough to fall apart. But I should’ve known that safety doesn’t mean I stop showing up for you.”

He swallowed hard.

“I’m sorry for the silence. For the words. For not being there when you needed reassurance the most. For making you question your worth in my life.”

You stared at him, searching his face for truth. You found it in his trembling jaw, his watery eyes, the way his hands refused to let go of yours.

“Do you still love me?” you asked, voice small.

His answer was immediate. “More than anything. More than I know how to say. And I promise, I’ll learn how to say it better. Every day.”

You let him pull you into his arms. Not perfectly. Not like nothing happened.

But real. Honest. Fragile. Healing.

You buried your face into his shoulder. “I don’t need you to be perfect. I just need you to let me in. Let me hurt with you. Carry the weight with you.”

He nodded into your hair. “You will. I won’t shut you out again.”

You both sat there, tangled in a quiet kind of closeness. One that didn’t need fixing. Just holding.

And for the first time in days, the silence between you was warm again.

Because this time, it was full of promises.

And this time, he kept holding on.

Taglist: @babycaratdeul @viacb97 @christinewithluv

[delilahsturniolo]

⟡ ݁₊ welcome to the end of the world! (please leave your sanity at the door.)

𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 . . . four friends: nick, matt, chris, and you—find themselves stuck together at the end of the world, trying to survive a zombie apocalypse with nothing but their wits, a questionable supply of snacks, and zero emotional maturity. you’re just trying to stay alive without losing your mind—or falling for someone on the team.

𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 . . . none!

EPILOGUE: AFTER THE STORM

read other parts here!

it’s been a year.

the world doesn’t look the same anymore. not even close. the landscape has changed, twisted by the chaos, by the storms of the apocalypse, and by the hands of those who tried, and failed to survive. but in the ruins, there’s something else growing. something stronger than the fear that once gripped you all. the bunker has turned into more than just a shelter. it’s become home. a home built from blood, sweat, and tears. but a home, all the same. matt and you rebuilt it, piece by piece. the others? they each found their role.

nick’s the scout. never strays too far, but always brings back something useful. sometimes, he comes back with nothing. sometimes, he comes back with enough to last weeks. he’s unpredictable. but you’ve learned to trust him.

chris? he’s a fighter. the one who keeps the peace when things get tense, but also the first one to jump into action when the horde gets too close. and now, he’s also found a strange sense of responsibility to lieutenant whiskers, who follows him around like a shadow.

lana is the one who changed the most. once, she was just a scared child holding a key that would change everything. now? she’s a fighter in her own right. smart, fearless, and surprisingly capable of holding her own against any threat that comes her way. she’s learned the way of this world and, in doing so, taught you all how to adapt.

and then, there’s you and matt.

you never stop fighting for each other. never stop loving each other, even when it feels like the world is stacked against you. when the days get dark and you start to lose hope, it’s matt’s hand in yours that keeps you grounded. and you do the same for him. you’ve seen him at his worst. and at his best. but now, the best feels like this, together. alive.

the little victories are what keep you going. today, you found a clean water source. tomorrow, you’ll figure out what to do with the extra food. every day, it’s about survival, but also, something else.

hope.

you and matt walk side by side, hands clasped, the silence between you more comfortable than it’s ever been. “do you ever think about the world before?” you ask. “all the time,” he says quietly. “but not in a way that hurts anymore. just… wondering.”

“wondering what?”

“if we can make it better this time.”

you stop walking. turn to him. “do you think we can?” he pulls you in close. brushes a strand of hair from your face. “maybe not all of it. but we’ll start with what we have.” you smile, leaning against him. “and what do we have?” he presses a kiss to your forehead.

“each other.”

and in that moment, the world is a little less broken. a little less cold. because you know, deep down, that you’ve found something worth fighting for, something that will keep you alive long after the storm has passed.

and whatever comes next, you’ll face it together.

welcome to the end of the world, things can get pretty chaotic here. try not to fall in love,—oh wait…you already did. it’s the end of the world after all

© delilahsturniolo

💌: wowowwow hiii!! i can’t believe this series has come to an end! i literally feel like i actually lived this whole thing and i was so sad writing this :( this was such a change from what i usually write, i decided to be more creative and add some of my own humor and comedic twists into this so thank you all for being so supportive and letting me experiment!! i seriously hope you guys enjoyed this just as much as i did, i love you all so so much, lemme know if you’d like a spinoff of some sort in the future? 😉

xoxo, delilah.

[shimmering-starsun]

there’s been an insane resurgence of headcannons in the marvel fandom thanks to thunderbolts, so heres my masterlist of headcannons i’ve seen from others that I will continue to add to :)

Yelena

her guinea pig is the group pet—named Nat

insists on doing karaoke every saturday night, she and Ava eat everyone up.

Cooks for EVERYONE. makes sure they all eat enough.

laughs at her own jokes, especially the bad ones. Ava can’t help but laugh with her.

Bucky

leads group therapy seasion every tuesday.

tries* to use brainrot and slang terms, but it catches onto Alexei, so now nobody can convince him otherwise.

helps Bob with his nightmares. Sees pre-serum Steve in Bob so he feels like he needs to protect him

talks about Sam a lot, everyones tired of it.

argues with John constantly, but they always work well together on missions.

It’s a competition to see who can sneak up on and scare bucky. He’s expressionless every time and just says “wow that was so scary”

Insists on silence breaks, everyone starts speaking again after 3 minutes.

says he never cares, but makes sure there’s water and first aid for every mission.

Bob

THE little brother.

has to have some amount of light on when he sleeps. He also loves to sleep in the living room on the couch when other’s are there to listen to the soft of their voices.

May or may not be on Booktok, either way, he reads romance and mystery.

always in the corner drinking tea or a milkshake when the others are fighting.

hates cucumber, any way it’s prepared.

He always beats John in every card or board game. when it’s more than 2 people playing, it doesn’t matter if Bob comes out on top, he always gets a higher score than John. They’re the two brothers who hate eachother.

watches cartoons to heal his inner child, doesn’t let anyone know.

>800 hours on minecraft

hard for him to accept gifts from others, even if it’s a bag of chips, he’ll say he doesn’t deserve it.

actually has a great sense of humor, can make the entire team cry from laughter just by saying something small. Takes him a couple weeks to loosen up and start joking around

Ava

likes to jumpscare people by just appearing out of thin air. Steals everyones snacks because she can.

Ultimate gaslighter, especially towards Bob. shows him those ai videos of sad cat stories and obvious rage bate and he gets pissed about it.

loves halloween and horror movies (a menace on halloween night, especially to John who she would just stand in the hallway and stare menacingly at while in a clown costume or something)

has trouble sleeping. Bucky once found her on the floor of the training room at 3am

once passed out from overworking herself, woke up and found Bob sitting next to her watching over her like a big golden retriever.

Red Guardian

runs a tiktok account where he posts videos of the team (bonus, he puts filters on them and doesn’t tell)

will make the most heinous food combinations and swear they’re good.

hugs a little too tightly.

always gives a big dramatic speech before they go out, even if it’s just for coffee.

tells stories that are 90% lies, but everyone listens anyway.

John

acts as if he doesn’t care for the group, but gets worried if they don’t all text him back.

thinks he has a niche movie collection but it’s not neiche at all. horrible taste in movies (this one is very popular)

resident chef, along with Yelena.

the only one who has an actual schedule.

Gets really quiet after missions, especially if things went bad. Extremely self-critical even if it’s not apparent.

[ash005]

Imagine of DI leon dating a college girl. Been so obsessed with this like I need him so bad. 😋🙏

Mentions of: baby, age gap, mild cussing and mentions of body image. This is not proofread so sorry if there’s mistakes :(

Thinking about DI leon dating a college girl and coming up to her college to pick her up for spring break. He can’t remember the last time he’s been to a college campus and can’t help but feel a little out of place.

You made him feel young and old at the same time. Like whenever you would you would send him pictures of what was called “brain rot”. He didn’t understand that stuff and apparently he’s been known to ruin a joke by asking too many questions about it.

But none of that mattered because he was here now, and he couldn't help but smile when he saw you walk outside. In your cute little shorts and shirt, how did you end up with him? He thought you were too good for him. Sometimes he feels guilty, you should be with someone your age. Some young college boy who you could go to parties to. But you have assured him you're fine, and who wants to date an inexperienced, stupid college boy anyway?

You ran up to him, throwing your arms around his neck and getting on your tippy toes. "Hi!! I can't believe you actually came!"

He wrapped his arms around your waist and chuckled a little. “Yeah, of course I came. Who wouldn’t want to see you?”

Staying in the embrace for a moment before pulling away, you grabbed his hand and started walking down the sidewalk. “So do you want me to drive?” You asked.

“It’s okay, baby, I’ll drive.” He says, to be completely honest, your driving scares him. He’s only driven with you once and decided that will never happen again. You're not a bad driver or anything; you just hit a few curbs, listen to loud music, and maybe cut some people off. But he wouldn’t tell you that.

“Are you sure? I can do it.” You pushed, looking up at him as you led him through your campus.

“I’m sure, besides you look better in the passenger seat.” He teased, looking down at you.

You huffed and shook your head. You were a great driver, it didn’t make anydn’t want to drive with you, but his car was nicer anyway. So you’ll let it slide this time.

When you finally got to his car, you immediately hooked up to the Bluetooth in his vehicle. You didn’t ask because you weren’t sure if he knew what it was or how to work it. And he listens to bad music. All old music sounds the same.

Leon couldn’t help but scoff at you acting like the princess you were. He’d never admit this out loud, but he didn’t even know his car had Bluetooth. He learns something new every day with you. Now you had on Sabrina something, he'd heard this song so many damn times he could probably recite the lyrics. He couldn't help but look at you for a moment before he started to drive. You were just so pretty, so so so cute, and he couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

You’d make him take you to Starbucks and order a caramel something frappuccino. Trying to keep him up with trends was just a nightmare. You once mentioned “freak-bob” to him, and he just stared at you in silence for a good 30 seconds. But he loved you, you and all your crazy energy. Sometimes he wonders what life would have been like if he’d met you younger, but it was too late, and he had you now.

He’d help you with your schoolwork because he’s freakishly good at math. Listen to you complain about your friends and whatever drama was going on. He didn’t understand half of it, and any advice or solutions he would give you would get shut down immediately. So he just let you talk, it was cute how worked up you would get over this stuff. He watched you do what he now knows as a skincare routine. And yes, you have influenced him into buying all these ridiculous products for his skin, but hey, he looks good. Sometimes he lies in bed with you all day, scrolling through “TikTok,” he believes it’s called. Sometimes you would ask him to make a video together, but he didn’t understand the appeal of dancing or lip-singing to a camera.

He’s so dad coded! Yes, he makes dad jokes. If you tell him you’re hungry he says “hi hungry, i’m leon.” Or some corny line like that. You’ve introduced him to so many things he can’t even remember half of it. He was always there to reassure you when you felt insecure. He never understood why young women had such an issue with their body, he thought you looked beautiful. But he was there, pressing soft kisses to your body and whispering praises into your ear.

Luckily for the both of you, his house actually wasn’t far from your college. The drive there just flew by and before you knew it you had arrived. His house was nice, I mean he was basically a 40 year old man making good money. So it made sense he had a nice house.

He carried your bags for you, because he was a gentleman. And you were too small to be carrying heavy stuff anyways. After you settled in you both kinda just cuddled on the couch watching movies all day. It was cute watching you try and stay awake as the night progressed. Your little yawns and snuggles into his chest made him smile. His life was so chaotic, constantly on missions fighting bio weapons and dealing with nonsense all the time. But moments like this made it worth it.

He managed to get you up and into the bathroom so you could do your little skincare. He knew if you found out he let you go to bed without taking your makeup off you would freak out. The whole time he had his arms around your waist, swaying you slightly as he squeezed you tightly. You were just adorable.

After what felt like forever he was finally in bed watching you sitting on his bed wearing your cute little pajamas. A little tank top with some shorts. And wow did that sure show off your body. He loved your curves, the way your tits squished together when you rolled onto your side, or how your hair fell over your face.

Pulling you closer to him, he rubbed a hand over your head and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. Watching you fall asleep, he sighed and closed his eyes, falling asleep with you.

(I know i’m supposed to be writing a country leon x city girl reader fic, but this has been stuck in my head forever. I promise i’ll start writing that soon..😭😭)

[spidercatweb]

Night Light ★ Spencer Reid x reader

Warnings: fem!bau!reader (could be read as gn), implied bisexual!reader, established relationship, r makes Spencer watch a Saw movie but the details of the movie are not described, both of them are scared of the dark, Spencer being the most wonderful bf ever.

Description: On you and Spencer's weekly movie night, a thunderstorm causes the power to go out.

Word Count: 761

A/n: this is the most self-insert reader ever lol. I hope theres other cm fans who enjoy Spencer and also the Saw franchise... Also i was inspired to write this because of a power outage.

Spencer Reid is always prepared. He thinks about every single possible outcome for a situation, and solutions to any problems that may arise.

This is why, tonight, you're cuddled up to Spencer in his bed, talking about anything and everything,with the company of a battery powered lantern that partially illuminates the room.

***

Earlier, everything had been going smoothly. You'd arrived at Spencer's apartment for your weekly movie night. Tonight it was your turn to choose, so of course, you were going to make your poor boyfriend watch a Saw movie. The third one, of course, since it's your favourite.

Sure, you've both seen your fair share of gruesome crime scenes, you could both stomach it. But you wanted to be nice, to him and yourself, by eating dinner before the movie, lest it ruin your appetite, which you were sure would happen.

***

Your turn to choose the movie usually means it's your turn to spit out a fun fact every five minutes, which you always had a wonderful time doing.

Spencer's commentary mostly consisted of "that wouldn't be survivable", and "I don't think they'd still be conscious at that point", which you giggled at and agreed to. You very much enjoyed his realistic analysis of every detail of every trap. 

***

Just after the credits started rolling, large raindrops began to fall outside. Strong winds caused the droplets to whip against the windows, producing loud pangs that echoed through the apartment.

Soon after, this was accompanied by thunder and lightning. 

You didn't take much notice until the lights started flickering. It was getting late, and you knew Spencer wasn't too fond of the dark. Neither were you. Your mood was quickly clouded with anxiety.

Of course, Spencer notices the shift, he feels the same way. But he has a solution.

“If the power goes out, I have a battery powered lantern that I keep in my room.” He places a hand on your knee.

You smile, “Good to know.”

And as if on cue, the lights go out. Complete darkness envelops you both. You hear Spencer gasp quietly beside you.

“Let's go find that lantern.” You paw around, reaching for his hand to hold, ignoring the anxious pit in your stomach.

“Good idea. Very good idea.” He grips your hand as he carefully guides you to his bedroom, leading the way so you don't bump into anything. 

Your eyes begin to adjust to the darkness as Spencer blindly searches through his closet.

“Found it!” You hear a click as the bulb illuminates his nervous smile. He steps to place the lantern onto his bedside table.

A sigh of relief leaves the both of you as you huddle up close together on Spencer's bed.

“I don't like the dark.” You giggle slightly, nuzzling into his chest while you wrap your arms around his middle.

“Me neither.” He presses a kiss onto the top of your head while returning your embrace.

“Is it stupid to be scared of the dark at this age?” 

“Well, you don't know what's there or not if you can't see anything. Really, it's a fear of the absence of light. And no, it's not stupid, you can't control what you're afraid of, it's natural.” 

“Mm,” you nod, “do you also hate how quiet it is when the power is out? Like… you can't hear all the electronic humming that's always in the background, I feel like it's too quiet. I can't sleep when it's like that.”

“I find it quite calming, actually. It's one less thing to think about.” 

“Hm.” You pause, “So… who was your favorite character in Saw III?”

Spencer chuckles at the sudden shift in topic. “Well- I don't know how I'm supposed to choose, nobody's exactly um- a great person.”

“That's no fun! You're allowed to like a character who's horrible, they aren't real!”

“I guess… I don't know, the doctor, maybe? Lynn? She was able to perform brain surgery while basically at gunpoint, I'd say that's pretty impressive.”

You hum in agreement, “I like Amanda.” Spencer doesn't need to look at you to know you're grinning.

He chuckles, “I'm aware.”

“She's never done anything wrong.” You joke.

“Should I be concerned about that statement?” 

All he receives in response is a giggle as you ask another question about the movie. You love hearing every single little thought that Spencer has, especially if it's about something you enjoy.

There would be plenty more questions to come in the few hours that the power was out, and Spencer happily answered each of them with detail.

Thank you for reading! <3

Feedback is very much appreciated!

My requests are open!

🪻

[lxzy-bxby]

"That's my Dad!"

...Or your & Sylus' daughter doing Hear Me Out Cake challenge with her bestie. | Taglist

ALL IDEA CREDITS TO ORIGINAL AUTHOR https://vt.tiktok.com/ZShMFCA3h/ @emberr.rgnvndyr & divider by one&only @.saradika-graphics

Scarlett—your & Sylus' daughter

Remi—Scarlett's bestfriend

Kai—Caleb's son

Qin—Sylus' canon last name (yours & Scarlett's, too)

Astra—God

~ ♡ ~

"Okay. So, my Hear Me Out is... Kai." Scarlett giggles mischievously, pulling out her classmate's printed photo glued to a chopstick.

"That's not even a Hear Me Out, Scar! He's like our age," Remi snorts, shaking her head. "But wait... Isn't he like the son of your Ma's bestfriend, that dude who Mr. Qin hates? 'Cause he used to hit on your Mom all the time..."

Scarlett gasps. "Oh Astra, don't even mention him! That's uncle Caleb. Let's just hope Dad didn't hear that. He absolutely haaates hearing about him for some reason, I dunno. Anyway... Kai's kinda... well, hot. Don't tell Dad! And Mom! Fuck, just forget I even said that... Fuck, I said "fuck" twice! Now thrice!"

Remi just laughs, throwing her head. "Damn, girl, you're so cooked."

Scarlett huffs, stubbornly tilting her chin up. Just like her mother—that's what Sylus would say—that if he'd be able to see her. But he had a strict rule about having no cameras in Scarlett's room, no matter how worried he was about her. Her space, privacy and trust meant way more for him; for you, as well.

"Whatever. I'm literally a freshman now, duh! And I ain't scared of him, like at all! Dad's all bark and no bite. I mean, he randomly goes 'you got your mother's nose' throughout the day. Does that sound scary to you? 'Cuz to me, it's all just grossy mush." Your daughter smirks, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Your Dad's so romantic." Remi all but sighs, all dreamy-gazed and chin on her palm.

Scarlett wrinkles her nose. "Puh-lease. He's just sappy. Plus, he's only like that with Ma. Like I've never, never ever ever, seen him looking at another woman."

That makes her friend sigh even deeper, "He's perfect," With that said, she clears her throat: and Scarlett, the clever girl she is, already starts to suspect something, but before she can even open her smart mouth, Remi changes the subject. "Let's just get back to our TikTok."

"Right." Scarlett nods, pressing the record button once again. "Okay, your turn."

Remi chews on her bottom lip, and before Scarlett eyebrows can fly up any higher, she pulls her Hear Me Out.

Sylus' cut-out photograph from last month's magazine interview.

"...That's my Dad!" Scarlett shouts, cackling.

Remi grows as red as a tomato, hiding her face in her palms. "I mean, he is a DILF..."

"Sweet Astra, Rem! You're so fucking disgusting! Ew, Remi! Like... ew!" Scarlett guffaws, pretending to gag and then wiping tears that prickled from corners of her eyes. "But nah. Sorry, bestie, but you have no chance against Mom."

Both teenagers shudder as they hear three gentle knocks to the door, and Scarlett hurries to pause the video.

"Little sweetie? May I come in?" Sylus' soft baritone rings out, muffled behind the solid oak door.

"Yeah, Daddy!" Scarlett yells out, still giggling to the crease of her elbow.

Door opens soundlessly, and Sylus' tall figure looms out. With a tray in his big hands, he looks comically domestic, given his imposing stature. Scarlett peeks to the trail—an indecent amount of Baskin Robbins and a variety of other snacks that just scream "my father makes a bag so big, you can't even imagine in your wildest dreams".

"Dad! I told you I'm on a no-glucose diet!" Scarlett rolls her eyes.

"I know, little sweetie. Your batch has no glucose. Just sucrose and lactose." Sylus replies calmly, smiling at her like he just got told he won in a lottery. In fact, he did—when you announced your pregnancy.

Scarlett sighs as if there's a weight of the whole world on her shoulders. "Fiiine."

"If you don't want ice cream, I can go grab something else from the kitchen. Would you like fresh grapes?" Sylus asks, a smile never leaving his face.

"Dad! Don't you see I'm in the middle of something here?" Scarlett frowns, gesturing wildly both to Remi and her iPhone.

"...Ah, right. Right. Sorry, little love. I'm leaving now," Sylus places the tray on the floor, and then finally catches a glimpse of the cake two girls were decorating, "Ah, so that's why you needed delivery asap? Well, that cake has zero glucose, I suppose?" Sylus teases, poking her cheek—ah, sorry, jawline.

Scarlett huffs one more time, crossing arms on her chest. "It's for... TikTok. You won't understand, Dad!"

"Okay, okay," He raises his arms in mock surrender, "But please, don't call me 'Dad', that hurts to hear." Sylus looks genuinely saddened at that.

Scarlett softens. "Sorry, Daddy. Just... leave, deal?"

Sylus nods overly seriously, but before he can turn to leave...

"Oh? What kind of cake is that, involving my photo?" He smirks, nodding towards their little masterpiece.

While Scarlett grows red, Remi goes pale, “Ah, Mr. Qin, it’s just… It’s nothing, really, we… I, uh… Well…” She stutters.

Sylus shakes his head, grinning. “Don’t bother, Remi. I’ve been there the whole time. Heard the whole thing, actually. Just couldn’t dare to interrupt.”

“Dad!!!” Scarlett yells out in embarrassment.

“That was an accideeent. I just wanted to bring you something to chew on,” Sylus chants intoning before his body shakes with low laughter. “You, young ladies, never fail to amaze me.”

While Scarlett is mildly ashamed, Remi wishes earth could swallow her whole. That’s exactly when Sylus’ attention switches to her.

“No choice but to break your heart, little miss. I am married. Happily married. And yes, my wife can fight. She’s a Hunter, actually. A good one, at that. The best. The best Hunter, wife and mother anyone could wish for. I would apologize, but I am not sorry at all. I am quite satisfied with where I am in life,” Sylus grins, straightening up, then nods towards the tray. “Enjoy.”

He clicks the door behind him gently, turning to see your sneering frame. “She’s just a kid. You didn’t have to go that hard on her.”

Sylus smirks, his large palms cupping your waist. “Need everyone in the world to know that I’m yours. No exceptions.”

You chuckle, and he catches the sound with his lips.

“While we’re at it…” Sylus’ breath suddenly scorches your earlobe. “Want to make sure you know how much I missed you while I was away last week.”

Then he picks you up with just one arm, making a beeline to the master bedroom.

At the end of the day, he is yours. Yours only.

~ ♡ ~

[erwinsvow]

being popes wife while he’s in prison means the most world shattering sex when he gets out he is not gonna stop for HOURS you really would just have to let him get it out of his system and fuck you into a coma

this actually made me like almost faint i'm not even kidding. i'm just gonna set aside the internal worry i have that nothing i write for him makes any sense or is out of character and just write about this for a minute thank you -> i wrote this like a week ago and never answered and look how far we've come so i'm gonna post it because this is the anon that started it all!!!! wherever you are thank you!!

in my perfect little world he would go to his old apartment first, before going to the house. you, his perfect little wife, would be the devoted type who came to visit him once a week, once every two weeks if you really had to. it's a really long drive but it was always worth it to you. the type who without fail asks his family if anyone wants to come with you this week. in my little au i would make her a nurse who works three on, four off and she uses those four to go visit pope, sometimes staying overnight in some hotel and then visiting again the next day before she drives home. as much as it means to pope that you would drive so long to see him week after week, i don't think he would like it. he would think it's too dangerous for you to drive eight hours by yourself, that it's dangerous to visit him when there's so many leering, unbelieving eyes that this is the wife that pope's been hiding back at home. and i think he wouldn't want you to see him like this, even though you're just moping at home, that this is the part of each week you look forward to. i don't know, maybe even after a year of marriage before he got arrested and the time you've been going to visit him, pope can't process that there is someone in his life who loves him this much. that he's not a burden, that you're not scared, that you do all of this willingly just to see him and hold his hand for a couple of hours, that you're always in tears when it's time for you to go home, that you answer his calls immediately, even if you're at work.

so you can imagine the kind of loyalty he has to you, since he's seen firsthand the kind of love you have for him. so when he gets parole, he doesn't tell you about it. doesn't want to get your hopes up like he did last time, and then he had to break the news to you over the phone and listen to you cry for the rest of the allotted time, and go back to his cell with the realization that you're still at home crying and there's nothing he can do to help you. so he keeps it quiet, drives himself home with the windows rolled down so he can hear the ocean again, thinking about the face you'll make when he's in front of you again. and fuck if it doesn't live up to every expectation he's had in his head for the last three years. the way you look in the comfort of your shared home, not just dressed up for him inside the barren prison. you're probably doing something that's part of your routine, the one he's had memorized since the two of you got together, cleaning up from breakfast and baking something since it's saturday.

you freeze when you hear the door open. pope's brothers usually tell you if they're swinging by, but they normally never come around unless they need you to stitch one of them up or something. you don't think they had any jobs planned for today, but then again, you could be wrong. but it's not loud enough to be them, you'd hear cursing and shouting and screaming if it was. a little stupidly, you step out of the kitchen towards the front door, without so much as a weapon to defend yourself. but you have this hope, that one day your husband will walk through those doors again like you haven't been living alone for the last three years.

today is the day your wish came true. and he does love your expression, wants to memorize it so it can never truly leave his mind. but what's better is when the two of you get into bed because he has no intentions of getting out of bed, because he has a lot to make up for. three missed birthdays—yours and his, three wedding anniversaries (and three other anniversaries, the first day you two met). all the times he should have been there for you when you had a bad day at work or got anxious around his family or needed him there, like when your car wouldn't start or the breaker short-circuited and the power went out. i've talked enough about pope and wifey's sex life, but same as the show, he goes to smurf's house after. someone asks him where you are. "i'll bring her by tomorrow. she couldn't walk."

EXCUSE-

[luminesick]

Damian Wayne is the Robin of the Robins

Okay so we've all seen the, "Robin belongs to Bruce Wayne, but you Damian Wayne, shall be mind" in regards to Dick but idk I rlly feel like Damian is who all the Robin's live vicariously through. Like js hear me out

Dick Grayson: This one is self explanatory. Damian was LITERALLY his robin. I don't need to say more, but I will anyway. Dick loves that little guy so much, and he has so many thoughts about the Robin mantle being passed on to him. Dick knows Damian needed it, would be so much worse if he didn't have it. But he wishes Damian didn't need it to be fulfilled. He kind of understands how Bruce felt when he first made Dick, Robin.

Jason Todd: My personal (half the fandom accepts it) headcannon is that Jason and Damian both came from the league, so for Jason that's his first little brother (he met Dami before Tim). So while Jason is oh so very proud of his baby brother, he's also scared every night. Sometimes he paces around his apartment/safe house, damn near praying even though he hasn't believed in God for a long time, that Damian is safe. Another part of him though, the part that he shows to Damian, is how happy he is that Damian is 10x the Robin he was. Damian was properly trained before he became Robin, was taken under the wing of a former Robin and then was first out on the streets besides the first Robin. Jason loves seeing Damian on patrol, and just- having it together. He knows what he's doing. That's all Jason could ever ask for.

Tim Drake: Okay so this one is a teeny weeny bit more tricky, but I'll try. Tim is smart and intelligent because he had to be. He was smart before he was strong. Damian on the other hand, was born with a sword in his hand. He's very smart, yes, but it didn't come to him like it did for Tim. As for Tim, he had to train for every bit of strength he has. They're so different in that aspect (many others too) that it circles back into similarity. Another thing, is that a lot of people overlook the fact they both love(d) their parents. Tim loved Jack and Janet, and Damian loves Talia. But no one really sees the good in them. I don't know I feel like only Bruce would really get that Talia, Jack, and Janet had good in them. The rest of the family would hear "gone often," and "league" then make up their minds. Tim and Damian get it. They get each other. Then with Damian taking up the Robin mantle, Tim would be pissed, but then get it. He gets that Damian needs robin like he needed Robin. So he watches Damian swing from the rooftops, wearing red, green, and yellow, and he smiles. Smiles because Robin is in good hands.

Stephanie Brown: Before I explain, I'm like reaaaally confused on Steph and Tim's robin. I don't know if it was Tim than Steph than Tim, or Tim, Steph, Damian. (someone please explain it to me) But for either one, lets just say Steph was either not Robin yet and therefore didn't have any feels about it when Tim was Robin, or when Robin was given back to Tim, she was too jealous/busy doing her own thing. With Damian, the jealousy was back for only a second. But she's older, and more mature now. She gets why he's Robin. He's a damn good one, too. Whenever he does something crazy (in a good way), she sometimes thinks she never could have done that when she was Robin. As Spoiler? Yes. But as Robin? No. So I feel like she's crazy happy for Damian that he gets to be Robin.

Overall, Damian is not JUST Dick's Robin. He's an amalgamation of every Robin who came before him, and he's entirely himself at the same time. He's a way for all of the batkids to take Robin back from Bruce. Robin was never Bruce's, no matter how much he thought it to be. When Damian is out as Robin, he's not fighting crime for Batman. He's a symbol of hope. Of joy, and wit, and laughter, and resilience. And he's that for the people of Gotham, but also to his older brothers and sister. To carry on the legacy that they left behind for him.

[synthetickitsune]

Merman!Joshua (SVT) | Pearls fluff | 0.9k | gn!reader -> mermay masterlist

You know it’s been a long time since this became more than just business. No matter how much you insist otherwise, no matter how hard you try to lie to yourself. That’s how the story usually goes, right? One day you’re helping each other out, then the next his eyes mirror the curiosity and longing in yours.

It just makes me a little fonder of you than I would be otherwise, Joshua shyly admitted in early stages of the trade. But by then you already became aware that things weren’t the same.

For merfolk, gifting each other shiny trinkets, jewelry especially, is courting behavior. So you could see how him helping you find and collect pearls in exchange for human-made jewelry would mess with his instincts.

It works, though. You’re able to make a living and he gets accessories that don’t look like everyone else’s - at least that’s what he tells you. It’s not like you know any other of his kind. As far as you can tell, they mostly stay away from humans. Not like you blame them. Joshua also took a long time to come around, to trust you. You supposed the circumstances help - it’s you relying on him, you putting yourself at risk and not the other way around.

Joshua in turn makes your work much easier. He leads you to the best spots and keeps you safe. It’s easy to focus on the job when you don’t have to worry about much or even waste time scouting the locations.

Maybe you’ve gotten too cocky.

You wake up and it’s just another sunny day. By the time you arrive at the beach, Joshua is already waiting there and swims up to you when you push off the boat and get into the water. He always circles you first, assessing if you’re okay. His fingers brush against your waist, to be easily written off as teasing tickling if need be.

“Ready? I’ve found a great place yesterday but it’s a little deep,” he warns softly. Not like you’re unused to it, no matter how unhealthy and dangerous it is. So you assure him it’s fine and he helps you get inside the boat and steers it in the right direction. He barely ever lets you paddle, insisting you should save your strength. 

The spot is further than you thought, than he ever took you before. It’s also, indeed, deeper than you usually dive. The merman gives you a worried look that you hope to soothe with a smile. Nothing you haven’t handled before. Just a little added stress that you’re sure won’t be so bad. Joshua wouldn’t let anything happen to you.

It’s all familiar, the discomfort and growing pressure in your ears. You’re used to it. He was right though - it is a great spot. 

The merfolk treasure pearls as much as humans do, they’re just much more patient about helping them grow. The pearls are basically natural with just a little initial intervention. And if through the long years the underwater farmers forget about all their spots, then all you can say is one’s misfortune is another’s opportunity. You always make sure not to take too many. That would be suspicious to the merchants anyway.

With how deep these particular oysters lay, however, you can only manage to inspect one or two per dive. Your lungs just can’t take more. Pointedly ignoring Joshua’s concerned glances, you kick off the ocean floor and swim up for air. 

The world flips upside down.

Your vision goes dark for a second. The world is spinning. You can’t tell up from down, left from right. But you need to breathe. You watch the bubbles rise up but it doesn’t process in your brain. It burns. It hurts. You recognize the face in front of you, however.

It looks strange. Scared, determined. Close. So close. So beautiful. Your hands have a mind of their own when they grab at the figure’s shoulders in desperation. Your feet brush against scales. His nose touches yours. More bubbles come out when your lips brush against each other’s.

Joshua is kissing you. And as he does, he passes oxygen to you. You want to push him away but you’re too weak and disoriented. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. His hands guide your legs around his waist before safely hugging you closer to his body. He’s shivering. You’ve never felt him shiver before. 

Slowly he swims up with you, stopping every few seconds to kiss you again. To let you breathe even though it feels like you’re even more breathless. Slowly, your mind unclouds. Your vision and thinking clears. His forehead is pressed against yours and his eyes still hold that fear. Vulnerability. Even though he’s the one keeping you alive. 

He helps you into the boat again, gently laying you down before he pulls himself up as well. He’s still shaking. His hands hover awkwardly without touching you. You giggle.

“Thank you,” you smile weakly, “I’m fine. I’m alive.”

“Yeah?” he whispers. He snaps his head towards your hand slowly covering his. When he turns back to look at you, his eyes are wide with shock.

“You don’t have to keep me underwater to kiss me, by the way,” you hope he can’t hear your heartbeat speeding up, “Just a feedback for next time.”

“And here I thought I was making the pressure change gentler on your body,” he jokes but his ears are red. Cute. “I will keep it in mind, though. For next time.”

“Would it be too soon for ‘next time’ now?” you cringe at yourself. But hey, you just escaped death. The adrenaline is yet to go away.

“Not at all,” he purrs. 

It’s pure magic to be fully conscious when his lips meet yours this time. His hands finally settle on your cheek and your waist. He’s even more careful, more tender. 

He smirks when he pulls away.

“My pretty pearl.”

[kksverse]

Winters Touch

A/N: This is part of a series, you can find the other chapters and the masterlist below! Did I write this while recovering from surgery? Yes. Do I have any regrets? No. Enjoy!

Thank you to @buckysgirl27 for beta-reading this!

I also posted this on ao3!

Chapter One

Chapter Two

masterlist

Summary:

Soulmate AU where the name of your soulmate is seared into the skin above your heart when you first make eye contact with them.

Reader discovers that Bucky Barnes is her soulmate when he is the Winter Solider.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count 2005

Chapter 3: Cold Touches

You weren’t prepared for the rush of cold air that came when the doors to the living room dramatically opened. Nor were you prepared to see Tony Stark in front of you. A breath got caught in your throat as you watched him carefully when he looked down at you before glancing at Bucky and Steve. 

“I thought you guys might have gotten stuck out here. Since you have made me wait for now…” He quipped as he dramatically brought his arm up to his face to check his watch. 

“30 minutes” He looked at Steve waiting for a reply holding both sides of the double doors preventing anyone from getting in. 

You began to feel the anxiety building up in your chest as you subconsciously began rubbing your palms against the material of your leggings. You felt a, now familiar, bite of coldness brush against the top of your hand. Chills ran down your spine at the contact of him. You could feel now just how close he stood to you. You knew if you focused hard enough you would be able to feel the warmth radiating off him. The smell of him. 

Your trance was broken as Tony looked back at you stepping against gesturing you to come in. Only when he was out of your viewpoint were you able to see the living room. You looked around the room stunned at the extravagance of the room. 

You heard Steve and Tony bickering behind you as you approached the conference table that seated the rest of the Avengers, including the infamous Black Widow who was staring at you. 

“So you must be the girl that’s been causing a riot in this tower” She spoke with a warm smile looking between you and Bucky who was now standing behind you. 

You gapped not knowing how to answer instead you simply returned her smile and sat down at the two chairs that were seated next to each other. Like you and Bucky were at trial. 

Bucky glared at Natasha at her choice of words to you. She chuckled at his glare holding her hands up playfully. It seemed friendly, but you’ve seen that look before. You stiffened remembering the fight that led you here. Your body didn’t relax as he sat down next to you not knowing who was sitting next to you.  

You didn’t know what had happened to the Winter Soldier. If he was erased never to be seen again and this is simply his shell sitting next to you. Or if the Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes were one and the same, able to switch from one to the other seamlessly. 

You hoped he wasn’t entirely gone and that thought scared you. You hoped you would get to know your soulmate’s good and bad parts. You shook your head gaping at the burning feeling in your chest. A sign of the bond taking root and vibrating throughout your body. 

Tony rounded the table with an agitated Steve as the entire group was now seated and focused entirely on the two of you. 

A familiar feeling of anxiety began to spread through my chest as Tony typed into his database before finally pulling up a slideshow labeled “RULES FOR S.O.A”. 

Steve shook his head and held it in his hands before letting out a loud sigh. Tony was quick to shush him dramatically before continuing to a group of annoyed Avengers. 

You felt a knot in your throat that you couldn’t swallow. The reality of this crashing down on you, hard. 

“Rules for Soulmates of Avengers” Tony read from the hologram. “Even though Bucky is not technically an Avenger we are just going to let it slide” 

Your hands tightened in your lap as your breaths came out too quickly. Bucky tensed beside you as well, hands balled into tight fists and his jaw clenched as he looked sharply at Tony. 

Tony ignored his glare, “First things first, all soulmates of the avengers will live in the tower alongside their soulmates. As a form of protection and also so no soulmate can be used as leverage towards an avenger”. Tony spoke as if these words held no weight as he continued, as if it was obvious this was the right thing to do. 

“Soulmates may work within the tower if they want but will have access to anything they wish for. When they leave the tower they must be with an escort whether that be an Avenger or a guard when the Avengers are gone”  

You pictured life at the Avengers tower. A life with no job, no morning coffee shop, no strolls in the park. A life that doesn’t involve the same apartment that you have spent the past 3 years laughing and crying with your friends. The ceiling of your bedroom that you stared into picturing a life with your soulmate. Dreams that were filled with love and happiness. 

Overwhelming pressure formed in your chest with a feeling that you could barely recognize, dread. 

Steve reached over Tony, slamming his palm onto the projector shutting off the slideshow. 

“Are you insane?!” Steve sneered in Tony’s face, the whole of the avengers were now on their feet. 

Natasha held Steve back from Tony while Sam held back Tony. Wanda and Vision idled at the side waiting for tensions to cool. 

“In what world do you think this is the way? They don’t even know each other yet for Christ’s sake and you go and parade a life of being a prisoner in the tower” Steve raised his hand to put a finger in Tony’s face. 

“You know this isn’t the way” Steve huffed. 

Your thoughts spiraled as they fought. You didn’t think you could do this. Any of this. It was your first time even meeting him. How can you just move in with him? Is this what having a soulmate is like? Is this what is expected of you? 

You felt the familiar panic crawl into your throat as you looked around the room, looking for an escape. 

Tony and Steve were still arguing, loudly, the rest of the table joining in. You glanced at the man next to you. He was deadly silent watching the scene in front of you, his hands gripping the arms of the chair. You could tell that it was too much for him. 

Leaning over slightly you whispered to him ,“Can we leave?” your voice shook against your will as you desperately needed out of the room. His head snapped to yours almost forgetting who was sitting next to him. His grip on the chair softened and the vein in his neck disappeared as he stared at you. 

You watched as he looked at you softer than you expected before nodding his head. You swallowed nervously as you watched him stand waiting for you to do the same. You rushed out of your chair awkwardly waiting for him to guide you. 

You both slipped out of the conference room unnoticed as you could hear the arguing echo through the hall. 

Your body relaxed slightly as you finally felt like you were able to breathe. You shook your arms slightly trying to shake off the rest of the tension. You followed Bucky silently as he guided you towards the balcony of the Avengers tower. Your steps slowed down slightly and as if he could hear it he turned around looking towards you. 

“I don’t do very well with heights” you said softly, trying to weigh your fear of heights for your need of fresh air. Bucky watched as you fidgeted with your hands, contemplating going to the balcony. You looked up at him nervously as he took a small step towards you. A wave of sandalwood and spice crashed into you, stifling a groan and the need to press your nose into his chest. 

“I won’t let you fall” Bucky looked at you, intensely serious. You smiled brightly at him almost laughing at how serious he was. A wave of warmth rushed through you and settled in your chest. You hated how much you liked the feeling, how much he makes you feel like that. 

Bucky looked down at your lips almost in awe like no one has ever smiled at him like that before. You pressed your lips together looking towards the door of the balcony before gesturing to him. 

“Can you go first?” you asked, a little nervous. He looked at you a moment longer before nodding and heading to the door. You held your breath as you followed him out onto the balcony. The wind rushed through your hair as you stepped out onto the thick glass. You closed your eyes as you accidentally looked down and realized just how high you were. A heavy hand settled on your back as you snapped your eyes open to find Bucky right next to you. 

“It’s ok” he murmured, guiding you towards the chairs. Your stomach fluttered and not because of your fear for heights. You closed your eyes again trying to focus on his touch, the way his hand feels against you, the warmth of his skin seeping through your thin shirt. You forgot about the balcony and soaked in his touch. Your focus snapped as your knees bumped into the leg of the chair forcing you to take a seat, ripping the hand off your back. 

A blush rushed to your cheeks as he stepped away from you sitting in the chair next to you. You didn’t want him to know that you noticed the way he scooted the chair closer to yours before sitting down. You also didn’t want him to know how much you liked that. 

You took a deep breath as you leaned back into your chair, your chest feeling lighter already. You could feel Bucky’s stare on your face as you looked towards him offering a soft smile. “Thank you for this” You said softly, looking away from him. 

He didn’t reply as his gaze traveled the distance from your eyes to your lips. His chest rising and falling deeply as he looked away, fingers tightly gripping the armrest. 

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this” he looked towards you, his metal arm shifting away from you unconsciously as you adjusted in your seat to face him better. 

“Like what?” your hands played with the material of the chair as you watched him carefully. 

“You shouldn’t be forced to do anything. You have a choice” he spoke gruffly, like the words were hard for him to get out. A pang of longing flourished in your chest. You knew he was speaking from the heart, knowing he didn’t want your free will to be taken away like his was. 

You held your breath as you slowly placed your hand over his metal hand. You felt him stiffen as you touched him. “Is this ok?” you asked lifting your hand to hover over his, placing it fully on him when you saw him nod. 

“I know this is a lot, it feels like a lot. While I don’t want to move in as fast as they think I should I still want to get to know you. As my soulmate” your heart was racing in your chest as you spoke. “We can take this slow, as slow as we want to” you looked at him as an emotion you didn’t recognize flashed over his face. 

His eyes looked lighter, body looked more relaxed. “I would like that” he said softly. Looking down at his hand intertwined with yours, he softly tightened his hand in yours rubbing his thumb over the skin of your hand. 

Your chest was so warm looking at him, watching him. You knew that this would be tough for both of you. But up on that balcony you looked at him with a sense of hope he had never seen before. With soft touches and soft smiles, you knew that you were going to be ok. 

taglist: @scott-loki-barnes @mcira @livwtfhaha @romanoffthreal @scarletgaurd123 @whisperingashgarden

[angel-writes-here]

Phoenix

Choi Seunghyun x AFAB! Reader Synopsis: Dark memories are revealed and your boyfriend assures you here's to help Warnings: DARK THEMES; talk of abuse, sex trafficking and branding, and physical abuse, angst, and fluffy ending. A/N: Please read at your own discretion. This could be triggering for some. I'm aware this fic may not be for everyone and that's ok. Please take care of your mental health. You are not alone in this world and if you or anyone you know is struggling, please reach out. Sometimes having a listening ear can be all the help we need.

You take a deep breath, the feeling of clawing at your chest overwhelming. You and Seunghyun had been dating for a while and whenever he tried to take things a step further you would stop him. If his fingers went to the hem of your top you were overly aware and stepped back. If you felt his hand start to move to the button of your jeans when making out you’d push him away gently and say “not yet.” If he dared to walk in on you in your underwear you’d scream and get defensive.

He was respectful every time. He wanted you to be comfortable but after a year together and still being turned down, he was starting to get worried.

“Are you just not interested in me?” He asked. He wasn’t angry, his eyes held a certain concern that caused your heart to flutter.

“It’s not that,” you begin, taking your deep breath, “It’s that once you see it, it can’t be unseen. I can’t change it, I can’t wish it away and I can’t make it fade,” your voice cracks and he’s shifting toward you on the couch, pulling you into him.

“Jagiya, what is it? You know you can tell me anything. Show me anything.” He peers down at you.

“Seung, there’s thing about my past you don’t know about, and you’ll have questions,” you can’t meet his gaze.

“And you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,” he whispers in your ear before his forehead touches the side of your head.

“I don’t want to hide from you, but I’m scared,” your lip is drawn between you teeth, the faint metallic taste of blood touching your tongue.

“I’m not leaving you, and I won’t force you, but I want you to let me in if you can. I’m not going to judge you, hurt you, or run from you. I’m all in, baby.” He cups your cheeks making you look into his eyes and you search them for any hint of hesitation. You nod, glancing down at his lips, kissing him one last time.

“Ok,” is all you whisper. You slowly stand up, time standing still and you turn your back to him. Slowly you reach for the hem of your shirt, tears brimming your y/e/c eyes as you drag the shirt over your head.

Silence.

You stand there trembling; you don’t even hear him breathing.

“Seunghyun,” your voice cracks. You hear him get up from the couch, his hand brushes your back, over the scarring you’ve just revealed.

“How?” he whispers. The tears are now silently flowing down your face.

“When I was little,” you squeeze your eyes shut.

“My mom and dad, they split,” you inhale shaking as you do so, “and I was fourteen and stupid, I wanted attention, I wanted a life where I was in control.” You feel as if your body could drop to the floor, the weight of your memories over powering you. Seunghyun senses this and slowly his arms come around your waist from behind.

“I’m here,” he whispers.

“I met this man, he was twenty-two. Said I was pretty and that he would take care of me, so that I could escape my mom’s boyfriend at the time. He was hurting me, touching me and making me feel disgusting and I just wanted out,” you sob as he holds you.

Seunghyun sinks down into the floor with you. Once the ground is beneath you, you turn into his embrace as he gently starts to rock you back and forth.

“I just wanted to get away from him.”

Seunghyun doesn’t say anything. He just listens.

“This guy, Shun, was his name,” you sniffle, “He moved me in with him, my mother was too high to care and my dad, he never did, and he would promise he loved me. Every time before it happened,” you trail off, “And then it started becoming his friends, one at a time. Then two or three, eventually it became people he didn’t know, and it was an all day thing. When I tried to fight, they would- they would hit me. Some cut me.” You cling to him for dear life.

“Then if he seen that I was hurt, I got it worse from him. He would take a belt and beat me where ever he could.” Your eyes are wide with horror as you recall the all too vivid memories.

“He’d say I was a pathetic bitch who would never go anywhere. That I couldn't even be used properly because I wouldn’t listen.”

“He would punish me by making me eat food from a bowl like a dog. He'd chain me to things to humiliate me in front of people when they came over. I had to walk on my hands and knees wearing a collar,” the last word is sobbed as your eyes squeeze shut so hard the capillaries burst.

Seunghyun’s stomach turns, how could anyone hurt his sweet girl? Treat her like she’s nothing. Less than nothing.

“You don’t have to tell me more,” he tries but you shake your head.

“I need to,” you sniffle and shakily stand up, showing him the brand on your hip.

His fingers trace the mark, the letter S permanently etched into your skin. His eyes fill with tears, one escaping down his cheek as you look back at him. You see the sorrow in his eyes, the devastation. You feel guilty for even showing him.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t of said anything,” you start to put your wall back up but he tugs you down to him.

“No, you’ve been carrying this alone for way too long. I won’t let you do it anymore.” His own tears are freely flowing down his cheeks.

“I won’t let you, I swear it. Whatever you want, whatever you need I’ll be here. If it’s to cry, scream, throw things, I don’t care. If you need to hit me and get out your rage, do it.” Your eyes fill with tears once more.

“I’m not taking it out on you,” you whisper as you cup his face in return.

“He will never hurt you again, I swear it. For as long as I live you are safe.” His voice cracks slightly at the end of his sentence.

“I love you so much,” he whispers before kissing your forehead.

“I want it gone and I can’t get it off,” you sob referring to your hip.

“I’ll do my best to get it gone.” He promises.

That night you’re laying in bed, Seunghyun is woken up out of a dead sleep to your screaming.

“Y/n! Baby!” He violently shakes you and you wake up, sweat clinging to your skin, your hands holding his arms to keep him back.

“It’s me, it’s me, you’re safe, it’s ok.” He holds you to him as once again the sobbing starts. You can’t help the wailing that leaves your throat, the screams and everything you’ve held in for the last 2 years. Your body shakes in his grip as your face is buried in his crook of his neck.

He rubs circles on your back, trying to help soothe you.

-

The next day you’re being waken up by Seunghyun.

“Hey, babe, it’s almost noon and I have a surprise for you.” He smiles. You stretch before getting out of bed. He’s placed an outfit out for you and you change your clothes.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.” His smile is all giddy and you quirk a brow choosing not to argue.

He drives the two of you down to a tattoo parlor.

“What’s this?”

“I can’t take it off you, but I can get it covered.” He offers.

“Seung, you don’t have to,” you start but he cuts you off.

“Let me help ease some of it. At least now you don’t have automatically see it whenever you look in the mirror,” he pleads. You smile, cupping his face with your left hand as you nod.

“Ok,” you whisper. You walk into the shop.

“You must be y/n,” the artist greets you.

“Your boyfriend here told me you need to get a scar covered. Can I see it?” Panic settles into your eyes as your heart rate accelerates and you look at Seunghyun who grips your hand reassuringly.

You use your free hand to lower your jeans to show the man the S shaped scar.

“Oh, that’s no problem.” He smiles, “Did you have a tattoo in mind?”

“I uh,” you shake your head, suddenly realizing you'd never given it much thought.

“Can I suggest one?” Seunghyun asks timidly.

“Please.”

“A phoenix, because today you start rising from the ashes. You’re taking back your life, and your sanity.” He kisses the top of your head and you smile at him as a warm feeling spreads through your chest.

“A phoenix,” you confirm to the artist who smiles and gets to work on the design.

After a few hours the tattoo is done and for the first time in long-time happy tears fill your eyes.

“It’s beautiful, and you can hardly see it.” You look back at your boyfriend who’s just as emotional. He comes up behind you in the mirror marveling at the art work.

“It’s exquisite,” he murmurs. You thank the tattoo artist and get home. Immediately you run to take off your pants. You strut back into the living room in the least amount of clothes Seunghyun has seen you in yet, a t shirt and panties.

“Woah, look at you,” he smiles.

“Thank you,” you say walking up to him.

“Now you can show it off whenever you want, without fear of that stupid mark.” He smiles.

It doesn’t erase the damage done, it doesn’t speed up the healing process, but at the same time, it finally feels like the beginning of a brand new chapter.

Tags: @breakmeoff

please do not repost my work

Love notes, comments and requests are appreciated!

[dilfsnatcher101]

Coward

warning: Angst (It was time 😩)

anon: Im back guys, my prom was this past Friday and other graduation things, sorry I was gone, been so stressed and busy. Love y'all thank you for hanging on patiently!!

summary: Ghost thought he could handle this new thing happening but something always pushes the good things away.

pt1 pt2 pt3 pt4 pt5 pt6 pt7 pt8

Simon Riley x Fem!Reader

I didn’t expect him to stop me. Not like that.

Not with his hand wrapped around my wrist so gently it almost hurt. Not with his eyes wide like I’d caught him off guard, like I’d peeled back a layer he didn’t even know was showing. 

And then… he let go.

Not just of my wrist, but of the moment. Of me.

One step back. Then another. Like if he moved slow enough, it wouldn’t count as running.

“I shouldn’t have come,” he said, voice low. “This… isn’t fair to you.”

When I touched his face like that, gentle, searching, and unafraid. He panicked.

And before I could ask what he meant, before I could say stay, the door was already closing behind him.

And I was standing there in the quiet, hand still hovering in the air, like maybe if I didn’t move, time would rewind and he’d still be here.

-

He didn’t make it far.

Didn’t expect the question to hit like a punch to the chest, soft-spoken, honest, too damn close to everything he didn’t want to admit out loud.  “I wanna know who you really are.” Just a few words, but they’d gutted him more than any blade ever had.

Three steps down the hall. That’s all he managed before the quiet behind him felt louder than any battlefield he’d ever been on.

Ghost stopped,  jaw tight, his boots suddenly too loud against the quiet floor. Hand still tingling from where he’d touched her, held her. She’d looked at him like she saw him, not the mask, not the job, not the blood on his hands. Just him. And that scared the hell out of him.

He pressed his back against the hallway wall, pulling his hood up like it could shield him from the weight pressing on his chest.

But his breathing had turned shallow. Quiet panic was building behind his ribs. “What the hell are you doing, Riley?” He spoke to himself.  You sat at her table. Ate her food. Let her laugh at your grumpy ass like she didn’t care how many walls you put up. And she still looked at you like you were worth knowing.

But this? This wasn’t something he could fight off or shoot his way through.

She’d asked for something simple. A name. A glimpse. A truth. And instead, he’d done what he always did, retreated. Shut the door on something good before it could get too close, too real.

Because if she saw everything, she might not look at him the same way again. His fists clenched in his pockets, shoulders curling in as the ache in his chest turned sharp. Regret, maybe. Or something worse. Something heavier.

He gritted his teeth, scrubbing a hand down his face even though the mask was still on. His pulse was still thrumming like he’d been sprinting, but all he’d done was walk away.

She'd made him tea. That detail stuck.

Nobody had made him tea in years.

He remembered the way she looked in the soft lamplight. Comfortable sweater. Warmth in her eyes. Not pity, not sympathy. Just… presence. Like she was willing to sit with him in his mess, even if he couldn’t explain it yet.

She’d opened the door to him. Literally. Figuratively. Made him dinner. Gave him warmth. Soft things he hadn’t let himself want for years. And what did he do?

Ran.

Again.

He muttered something under his breath, low and venomous.

“Coward.”

His voice echoed faintly down the empty hallway, and he hated how right it sounded. He’d been through warzones, torture, betrayal, and yet this, a quiet night, an honest moment had him unraveling like a rookie.

He stared at the door again.

His feet didn’t move. His chest did, though. Tight with regret. It sat heavy behind his ribs, thick and solid.

“You’re becoming a part of my life…”

That’s what she’d said. Not you’ve taken over, not I’m falling for you, though he wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse. She’d said it like a fact. Like something she’d already accepted. Like something she wasn’t afraid of.

And it terrified him.

Because what if she saw all of it? The real him—Simon, not Ghost. The pieces that were still broken. The memories that hadn’t dulled. The blood that didn’t wash off, no matter how long he stood under hot water.

What if she looked at him one day and realized she made a mistake?

He clenched his jaw, fists tight, breathing harder now. Not enough to break composure. 

Just enough to feel like the walls were closing in.

She made him feel too much.

And feeling got people killed.

But walking away from her? That felt worse.

He glanced back at the door one more time, running a hand over the back of his neck.

Then he whispered to himself, the words almost inaudible.

“Just knock, you stupid bastard.”

But he didn’t.

Not yet.

pt7