#why marshall should be the focus

[marshallfan99]

Third PAW Patrol Movie CONFIRMED!!!

I really hope this one has Marshall as the main focus, and NO it's not just because I'm a Marshall fanboy and want to see his backstory. While it's true that Marshall>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>everyone else for me (yes I hold him on THAT high of a pedestal...actually even HIGHER but I don't wanna waste this post with ">" to show the REAL pedestal), I feel like a movie focused on him could make more sense since Marshall's insecurities have been canonically shown in the TV series...it's his clumsiness, which in turn effects his self-confidence and leads him to feel like he "can't do anything right" (his OWN WORDS from the season 2 episode Pups Save A Friend). I really think a deeper exploration into Marshall's clumsiness would be an interesting story...at least, for me...since I'm Marshall-levels of clumsy myself, but without the cartoon physics and pain-free wipeouts...mine are painful and I've broken a few bones because of it, one of them caused by just trying to go upstairs...anyway, I'm rambling now...but what I'm TRYING to say is, I GET the feelings of insecurity Marshall has shown, because I experience the same thing. But while Chase's trauma of Adventure City (while I appreciate the portrayal and could relate to it) was only shown in the first movie because Adventure City was CREATED for the movie, and Skye's insecurities about her size have been seen NOWHERE else in the series and they most likely just chose that to be her issue BECAUSE she's the smallest, a possible Marshall focused story has the potential to build off of what the TV series has ACTUALLY shown off already. A PAWtuber I watch called N3BULA V actually made a video discussing a potential backstory for Marshall, and it was pretty good in my opinion. Something like that, where it could go more in depth on his clumsiness and how he gets frustrated/insecure about it at times, would personally get me into the theater to watch it day 1...and also I'm just imagining how ADORABLE baby Marshall would be as an added bonus!

Please Spin Master...give Marshall some well-deserved love after how unfairly the show's treated him lately...and fellow Marshall fans, please feel free to like and reblog if you agree.

I hope this post was understandable...I'm not that good at explaining things, but I tried. Anyway, that's all I have to say for now!

Till next time, Marshall out! ✌️

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Know Your Place 1

Warnings: non/dubcon, power dynamic, age gap, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Walter Marshall, destroyer!Chris [for the purposes of this AU, I will give him the last name Jackson] (Professor AU)

Summary: after a life time of home schooling, you finally get to experience the real world in college. (petite reader)

Part of the Bad Professors AU

Note: Please leave some feedback and reblog <3 As always, I love to chat with you all. 

The noise all around has you reeling. You’re not used to so many people. So many voices and smells and sights. The frantic action of it all reminds you of a mid-00s movie about a high school. The coeds are like animals milling about in groups with the odd single body rushing between with a mission stitched between their brows. 

You sit with your thermos of tea and try to focus on your schedule. You have a campus map from the Student Support Centre next to it, trying to map out your route for each day. Momma said you should try to get ahead, figure out where you’re going. She’s always right. 

You have two classes that day. As you find the buildings on the map, planting a finger on each, you find that they are on completely different ends of the campus. Of course. Well, momma didn’t know that where they would be, did she? She said you have to balance your load; if you’re going to be an English major, make sure you take some math and science for your electives. 

You circle the two buildings and put lets beside them denoting which day you need to be there, numbering them in the order the classes occur. A burst of laughter breaks your concentration and you look around, trying to find the source. You almost miss the calm isolation of your childhood living room. 

No, you’re grown now and you begged Momma to let you go to college. Not online, but in person. You even worked all summer at the deli so you could live in a dorm. She was proud but worried. She’s never been good at letting go. She’s already called three times today and it’s not even noon. 

As the crowd blurs around you, a sudden gust blows over the table as someone sits across from you. You stare back at them with a gasp. They must’ve mistaken you for someone else. You blink as the man tugs on the front of his letterman jacket and smiles. He doesn’t seem mistaken. 

“Hey,” he leans forward on an elbow, “you waitin’ for someone? Got some cute girlfriends on their way?” 

He’s so forward, he has your brows as high as they can go and your cheeks are on fire. It’s not much of an introduction. 

“Excuse me?” You eke out. 

“Ah, I’m sorry, hon, I’m getting ahead of myself,” he smirks as he crosses both his arms on the table. “I’m Colin. You looked lonely.” 

“Oh, uh, I’m just... figuring out my schedule,” you utter dumbly. Yor brain isn’t clicking. Why is he talking to you? 

Your ears tweak and you notice a group in similar jackets, sitting just across the dining area, gabbing loudly, snickering. You wonder why he isn’t over there with them. You wiggle your pen anxiously. 

“Ah, you’re not gonna give me a name for that pretty face?” He says. 

“Huh?” Your brows drop, “what?” 

Your momma’s voice echoes in your head. ‘Be careful of those college boys. They only want one thing.’ You didn’t believe her. They don’t want that from you. You were sure once you saw the other girls in their tight leggings and short tops. 

“Your name, baby? Gotta be something sweet, huh?” 

Your face ripples as you wade through surprise, confusion, then something else. You’re almost giddy. This man, with his mussed blond hair and bright blue eyes, and his chiseled features, is asking you your name. It’s flattering. 

“Mauve,” you can’t help but smile as you answer. 

“Oh, yeah? That’s pretty, well, Mauve,” he takes out his phone, “me and my buddies are having a party tonight and we’re supposed to find a hottie to bring with us. I’m having no luck but if I show up alone, well... I might not get to stay in the frat. You get it?” 

You stare at him. You're confused. You don’t really understand frats and whatnot. They just seem like clubs people join so they can drink. 

“You wanna do me a favour? Come with me?” He asks. 

He’s bold. Bolder than any one you’ve ever met. You sputter but can’t come up with any words. 

“Please,” he pouts, “promise, I won’t try anything, I just gotta get these guys off my back.” 

He looks over his shoulder at the table of rowdy guys. You squirm in your seat, uncertain. You’ve never been to a party. Wow. 

“Here, I’ll get your number,” he taps on his phone screen, “I’ll send you the details--” 

“Leave her alone,” a grizzly voice undercuts the frat across from you. 

A thick man stands behind him. He has a cardboard cup in his hand as he glares down at the coed. His burly figure is swathed in a dark green sweater and grey slacks. He’s older and his dark curls are threaded with subtle twinkles of silver. 

“Huh? Who the hell are you?” 

“Why don’t you show her those pictures you were snapping of her? The ones you and your pals were laughing about?” The other man growls.  

You frown. What? You don’t understand what’s going on. You look from one to the other. The younger man sat across from your sighs and rolls his eyes. 

“Fuck it. Whatever. Lots of pigs to go around,” he shakes his head and stands, facing the other man. “You know, bro, just cause you’re too old to get with any ass around here, doesn’t mean you gotta ruin it for others.” 

“Get out of here,” the thicker man snarls. The other winces just slightly before puffing up his chest and stomping away. 

You remain as you are, aghast and lost. The man with the dark curls looks at you. You shrug at him. 

“I’m sorry, sir, did I do something wrong?” You ask. 

The harsh angles of his scowl ease and he lets out a long breath, “uh, no, not you. That boy, you know, any one that wears one of those jackets, they’re no good. Just some advice.” 

“Oh, right,” you look over at that guy, Colin, “sorry, I didn’t know. He just started talking to me. I was being polite.” 

“Seem like a nice girl. Just tryna look out for you.” 

“Yeah, thanks,” you chew your lip and sniff. “Are you... are you teacher?” 

“I’m a professor,” he confirms as he holds his cup close to his chest. He's one of the biggest men you’ve ever seen. And his eyes are as blue as the ocean. “Professor Marshall but unless you’re a psych student, you can call me Walter.” 

“Walter? My neighbour is Walter. At home. He’s eighty-one and he collects baseball cards,” you let yourself smile. You always felt more comfortable around older people. You never had many friends your own age. 

“Don’t mind some baseball myself,” he dips his chin. “Well, you look out for yourself and avoid the Greeks.” 

“Greeks?” You make a face. 

“Fraternities,” he says. “And sororities, if you can help it.” 

“Oh, okay. Thank you, sir,” you feel a little better. You think he’s right and he is a professor. He would know. “I’ll do that.” 

“Sir? It’s Walter,” he corrects you. 

“Oh, sorry, Walter,” you smile. “I’m Mauve.” 

He nods and shifts his cup, “Mauve,” he repeats, “well, nice to meet you.” 

“You too, sir, er, Walter. Thank you,” you say. 

He hesitates then steps back on his heel, “yeah, no problem.” 

He slowly retreats and you watch him, your heart playing like a drum. You did it. You spoke to strangers and you didn’t melt. Things are getting easier. If you could get through that, you’re sure you’ll make lots of friends in your classes. 

[therealcocoshady]

The Hoodie

A/N : Hey guys ! I'm sorry, I'm not uploading a lot, these days. I have been drowning in work for my PhD dissertation... Also, I've been super sick. I actually allowed myself a break for daydreaming about snuggling in Marshall's hoodie 👀. Anyway, here is a little blurb and I hope you enjoy it ❤️.

Summary : you are dating Eminem and you are sick while spending a few days at his place. Ever the thoughtful boyfriend, he comforts you and gives you one of his favorite Detroit Lions hoodie.

CW : Fluff

The Michigan wind whipped through the trees outside, rattling against the windows.Marshall sat at his desk in the corner of his home studio, trying to focus. Beats thumped softly in the background, lyrics half-formed in his mind, but something wasn’t right.A small cough echoed from the bedroom, reminding him why he couldn’t concentrate. You had been battling a nasty cold for days now. You’d tried to play it off at first, but the stubborn fever, the constant sniffling, and the exhausted look in your eyes were impossible to ignore.He sighed, running a hand over his face before standing up. He was busy and he had tons of work to do for his upcoming projects, but he didn’t like the thought of being locked in the home studio while his girlfriend being sick in bed. It felt incredibly selfish. It was bad enough that he had to spend part of what should have been a lazy weekend with you working, and he wanted to be there to comfort you. You’d been together for a little while, nearly a year, and, though he’d been guarded at first, he had come to care for you deeply and it was time to put the feeling in action. 

He walked down the hall, pausing at the door to the bedroom. You were curled up under the thick comforter, your nose peeking out from the blankets. Your hair was a mess, but even like this, he couldn’t help but think that you had that effortless beauty that always caught him off guard.“You okay?” he asked softly, stepping into the room.You peeked one eye open, offering him a weak smile. “Been better,” you rasped. “But I’m surviving.”Marshall frowned, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “You should’ve told me earlier how bad it was. You’re burning up.” You chuckled lightly, but it ended in a coughing fit. You waved a hand dismissively once it passed. “Just a cold. I didn’t want to bother you.” Marshall shook his head. “You ain’t bothering me. You should’ve said something.” He stood up, heading toward the closet. “Hold up. You’re always freezing. I got something for you.”

You watched him curiously as he rummaged through a pile of clothes before pulling out his favorite Detroit Lions hoodie. It was old, worn in, and oversized, but it was the softest thing he owned. “That’s your favorite hoodie.”, you pointed out. He smirked, shaking his head. “Yeah, but you’re cold. And if you get better faster, maybe I’ll get it back sooner.” He tossed it onto the bed next to you. “Put it on. You’ll be warmer.” You hesitated for a second but then reached out, grabbing the hoodie and slipping it over your head. As soon as the fabric touched your skin, you melted into its warmth. It was so soft and smelled faintly of him—of cologne and something uniquely Marshall. You buried your face in the collar, sighing contentedly. “Okay, you were right. This is amazing.” Marshall chuckled, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed. “Told you. That’s a certified Detroit classic right there. Ain’t nobody who wouldn’t feel better wearing it.” You gave a small laugh, your eyes heavy with exhaustion but a bit of the tension seemed to leave your body as you got cozy in the hoodie. “I’m not giving this back,” you teased, your words a little slurred as you started to drift off. Marshall smiled faintly, watching you. “You keep it. Looks better on you anyway.”. 

After a few days, you finally got better. You hadn’t let go of the hoodie. The warmth, the smell, and the comfort it gave you had become your safety blanket. Standing in the kitchen, you caught your reflection in the window—there you were, swimming in his oversized hoodie, the faded Lions logo worn down from years of wear. As much as you loved how it made you feel, you knew you couldn’t keep it forever. You knew it was his favorite and you had come to understand that he could get very sentimental when it comes to certain items. You heard Marshall come in behind you, his steps heavy on the wooden floor. He dropped his keys on the counter and cracked open a bottle of water, taking a long sip before leaning against the kitchen island, watching you with that half-smirk of his.

“You look better,” he commented, his eyes flicking to the hoodie you were still wrapped up in. You tugged at the sleeves, glancing down at yourself. “Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better. Thanks to this, mostly.” You gestured at the hoodie, then gave him a sheepish smile. “Speaking of which, I should probably give it back.” Marshall raised an eyebrow, setting his water bottle down. “Why would you do that?” You let out a soft laugh. “Because it’s yours? And I’ve been hogging it for days now. I mean, it’s your favorite.” He stepped forward, closing the distance between you, eyes narrowing in mock seriousness. “It was my favorite,” he said, his voice low but teasing. “But now it’s yours.” You blinked, surprised. “What do you mean? You love this thing.”. “Yeah, but I love seeing you in it more.” Marshall shrugged casually, but there was an earnestness in his voice that caught you off guard. He reached out, gently pulling at one of the sleeves, the fabric falling long past your fingertips. “You look good in it. Better than I ever did.”. Your heart fluttered, and you couldn’t help but smile, though you tried to downplay it. “I don’t know, you kinda rocked the baggy hoodie look,” you teased. Marshall chuckled, his eyes softening as he gazed at you. “Nah, you can keep it. I’ll grab another one. It’s just a hoodie, anyway.” You bit your lip, looking down at the oversized garment again, fingers tracing the worn-out logo. It felt like more than just a hoodie. It felt like a piece of him—something intimate and familiar, something you never realized you needed until now. “But it’s not just a hoodie,” you said softly, glancing up at him. “It’s yours. It smells like you… and it’s—" You paused, realizing how cheesy you were about to sound. “It’s kinda special.” Marshall gave you a small, crooked smile. “Yeah, it’s special. And that’s why I want you to have it. You’ve been through a lot this past week. It makes me feel better knowing you got something to hold onto when I’m not around.” You looked at him, your heart warming at the sentiment. He wasn’t always good with words when it came to this kind of stuff, but when he was, it hit you right in the chest. You stepped closer to him, arms wrapping around his waist, your face pressed against his chest. “Thank you,” you mumbled into his shirt, your voice muffled but sincere. “For everything.” He rested his chin on top of your head, his arms coming up to hold you close. “Don’t mention it. Just... don’t forget to wash it every once in a while. I don’t want my hoodie to smell like Vicks forever,” he joked, the vibration of his chest making you giggle. You pulled back slightly, smirking up at him. “No promises.” Marshall laughed, shaking his head, but his smile lingered as he looked down at you, still tucked into his hoodie like it was made just for you. “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “it’s not about the hoodie. It’s just... I like knowing you’re taken care of. Even if it’s something small like that.”. You tilted your head, your eyes softening as you gazed up at him. “You’re sweet, you know that?”. He groaned dramatically, rolling his eyes. “Don’t start with that,” he muttered, but the corners of his mouth twitched as if he couldn’t hold back the smile completely. You laughed and stood on your  tiptoes, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Too late.” For a moment, you both stood there in the kitchen, wrapped in each other’s arms, the hoodie now a symbol of something more between you. It wasn’t just about the comfort it gave you—it was about how it made you feel connected to him, even in the simplest of ways. As you settled back against his chest, Marshall kissed the top of your head, his voice a soft murmur in the quiet of the room. “Keep the hoodie,” he said again, this time almost a whisper. “It’s yours. Like me.”

[eloquentlytired]

the good cop chapter 2 ˙ dark!walter marshall

pairing: dark!walter marshall x fem reader

word count: 2k

summary: always two steps ahead, the best in the department and your wise mentor; nothing could ever incriminate walter marshall because he is the good cop. but that ceases to exist when you discover who is behind your shadowy nightmares.

warnings for this chapter: sexual tension - male masturbation - appearance of another henry cavill character (surprise!)

chapter one chapter two ... >>>>

___

The break-ins never stopped but the stealing did. In fact you suddenly had more things stuffing your apartment than missing. Well, not things. Flowers.

"What type of flowers?" Walter asked while writing something in his computer. You wanted to ask why was that important but it was like he had read your mind. "Flowers could mean something. You know how colours have meanings? Red for love,yellow for I don't know piss infection-"

You stiffled in a laughter. "I believe it means happiness."

"Whatever. Flowers?" He asked again, raising his eyebrow at you.

"Narcissus flowers.." You replied and he hummed, typing in his computer again.

A minute passed. Then another. Walter cleared his throat and began reading outloud.

"To the Greeks, the narcissus flower is a symbol of early death. It is the flower gathered by Persephone on her way to Hades, and it is thought to have a narcotic fragrance." Walter and you communicated silenty, your eyes telling more than your words. "I will die?" The question evaporated and silence filled the tiny office. Walter stared at you and then at the screen of his computer.

"Not exactly." He murmured.

"What the hell does that mean?" Walter side eyed you as you yelled and you immediately grew silent. He was still your superior and you ought to respect him.

"I don't think the myth is that important. It is the message we should focus on."

You nodded trying to compose yourself as you patted your cheeks with your hands. You felt and looked like a wreck. "The message..the message of the flowers.." Your rumbled on while shaking your head.

Suddenly Walter was not in his desk anymore. He was towering over your seat, slipping his fingers through your tangled hair. Yeah - you were a mess. "I am certain this isn't a murder message." You raised your head and looked at him as he caressed your hair, causing your entire body to relax somehow. Walter had that effect of making you feel so safe. Oh silly you.

"If they don't want to murder me then what..?"

"Desire." He replied simply and your eyes widened.

"The items missing from your house are very specific. And for whatever reason, you get these flowers everyday by the window along with a- what did you say it was?"

"A crumbled cookie." You replied feeling your throat going dry because of the way he was looking at you. Walter was the only one who had managed to ease your mind during this concerning case - and he was also the only one working on it too.

"Right. The cookie." Walter's fingers slid to the back of your neck and began massaging your nape. Your eyes fell shut for a moment and your mouth gaped. You could hear some shuffling around you but you didn't open your eyes until a warm breath was hitting your cheek and Walter was kneeling before you to look at you better.

Your faces weren't distant anymore and when you seemed not to mind, he leaned forward to press a reassuring kiss on your forehead. The action made your grip tighten around the arms of the chair you'd been sitting on for the past hour. "Sir-", "Walter." He cut you off and your eyes sparkled, and damn him for being so weak for you. "I think it's time to make a little bit of an upgrade." There was an unusual little smile on his lips and you took everything in from it ; the sweet words, the smile, the gentle gaze and how kind Walter had been to you.

He had spent day and night working on your case amongst others. It was visible in his eyebags and the secret times you had caught him dozing off in his office when you were bringing him coffee. Walter was working so hard for you.

"You're smiling." Walter pointed out amused.

"I'm not." You mumbled and tried to tilt your head away, to maintain some dignity in you, but Walter did not allow it. He kept a tight grip on your nape and forced you closer to watch the softness of your face.

"Been a while since I saw you smile." It was quite true; the case had taken its toll on both of you that you had forgotten how to do simple things. Even smile.

Your smile only grew and if it was possible for one to die from embarassment right now that'd be you.

The nudge of his nose against your jawline came as a surprise. You held your breath as Walter dragged his nose across your entire jaw before his cheek collided with yours. Your faces brushed and caressed each other intimately - your mind could not register what was happening. What he was doing to you.

Every countour and inch of your faces were touching but never your lips.

It was impossible for you to keep up with your shyness. You needed whatever this was - comfort or pity. You nuzzled your cheek against his and you heard him take in a sharp breath as you slipped your fingers from the chair to his biceps. His beard was soft against your skin and slightly overgrown; he probably had no time to care for himself. Because of me, you thought, because of my case.

"You're thinking." Walter whispered into your ear before nuzzling his cheek back against your own. There was so much intensity, so much intimacy, so much suffocation. Your fingers dug into his biceps and he hissed. You trembled. "I'm bothering you with this- you should assign the case to someone else."

His hand was wrapped around your jaw in seconds, pulling your face close to his. There was anger in his eyes but also something else. Something burning and aching. "I dare you to ask me that again." He growled and you shivered. He was so devoted, so trustworthy, so caring. Walter cared for your well-being. "I'm sorry,Walter. I just-" His fingers twitched against your jaw as you spoke his name for the first time; not sir or anything like that.

Damn him again. Damn him for what you did to him.

Something heavy landed in your lap, a tiny thing encased by a golden wrapper with your initials on it. Your missing lipstick. "W-what?"

"Someone brought it in yesterday. You shouldn't trust your pockets so much when you sit down for a smoke." Your cheeks felt hot; so this one was missing in the first place because of your carelessness... you murmured a silent thank you while clutching the golden case to your chest.

"Wear it." Walter suddenly said and used those large palms to pull your hair back, encasing them in a ponytail with his fist. You swallowed thickly and your stomach fluttered. "Right now?" You asked him in a shaky tone and he nodded.

His blue eyes watched as you put on your lipstick, the bright red causing your mouth to look even more kissable. His chest heaved up and down, a weird craze enveloping him as he observed you. You were so pretty and Walter wanted nothing more than to kiss you.

Once you were done, you put the lipstick back into its golden case and looked at him. Walter was breathless and you were simply shaking.

"Missed seeing it on you." He said and his voice was almost purring the words out; it made your heart stir with unspoken emotions. You smiled at him, a small but genuine gesture, and to his surprise you handed him your lipstick. "It is safer with you than me." You explained as one of Walter's hands wrapped around the golden case, his other hand still gripping your hair gently. "I might lose it to...the stalker. You can keep it safe for me,Walter."

Not much happened after. Walter dismissed you when your presence was needed for patrol and you murmured a soft goodbye to him as he stared at your red lips.

The office grew quiet. Walter slumped on his armchair and stared at the ceiling, thinking about everything.

The brush of your cheek against his, your scent, your lipstick. He was trying to make up for his shit but you had given it back to him. Because Walter was the good cop that cared for you.

He said nothing as he opened the golden case and placed the lipstick on his desk. The tip of the lipstick was a bit smudged, clearly used. You had used it minutes ago and now it was in Walter's grasp again because it was "safe" with him.

Walter unzipped his jeans and threw his head back silently as his hand wrapped around his erection. He closed his eyes and remembered you; the way you were gripping on his biceps, the way you spoke his name, the way you put on that devilish colour on your lips and looked at him right after. He hissed while tugging on his hardened member, thrusting his hips into his fist.

And then his imagination took a step further wondering how it'd be to have those red lips stretching around his cock, staining it with kiss marks. Would he hold your hair back in a ponytail like today? Would he just grip it and force his cock down your throat? Would you let him?

Walter came in his fist with a shuddering breath, his eyes rolling back as the last specs of his fantasy danced in his blurry vision. Walter, you had spoken it so sweetly, so shyly. He should have fucked you right there.

He cleaned up after himself and let the window behind his desk slightly ajar. His fucked mind needed the fresh air.

A sharp knock interrupted his typing. He stared at the clock on the wall. It was past midnight and he was the only one in the station aside from a single guard outside. "Come in." Walter said, his hand inching closer to the gun hidden beneath his desk.

The sight that greeted him was diabolical. Straight up shit.

Nothing could severely worry Walter Marshall.

Except one fucking thing.

"Marshall. I'm here to take your case." There was a battle between matching pairs of blue eyes and a tension that dipped in Walter's shoulders as if trying to make him kneel on the ground.

That's how he felt around that figure. The shaved head, the typical black sunglasses and the police badge hanging in a most unfashionable manner around his neck.

It made him feral. It made him fidgety.

Walter growled.

"Syverson."

___

author's note: hi yall! i hope u enjoyed the second chapter :D I was rlly excited for this one bc i wanted something chill with the most edgy ending so i think i achieved it. would love to hear ur thoughts. as always likes and reblogs are appreciated <3 !!!

[spinningwebsandtales]

Vita Nova

Orm Marius X FemReader

Rating: T

Warnings: Spoilers, mentions of death, crying, hurt/comfort, reader has some trauma, suggestive themes, angst, and fluff

Word Count: 4.2k

Fic Swap with @the-marshals-wife

(A/N:) Happy (belated) New Year everyone! And my first fic of 2024 and it turned out to be a whopper! My lovely best friend and I just adore the Aquaman movies and in light of the new movie that dropped around Christmas we decided to do a ficswap together! This bad boy is my contribution and you lucky readers get to read it! I hope I can make the other Orm fangirls happy with this as I honestly had way too much fun writing it as you can see! Over 4,000 words of just Orm goodness! I look forward of sharing more writings in this new year and I'm glad I could open up with this! Until next time happy reading! ~Countess

Reader's POV is in italics.

SPOILERS FOR AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM BELOW

DO NOT CONTINUE AHEAD IF YOU HAVE YET TO SEE THE MOVIE!

Orm stood upon the beach, his toes buried in the warm sand as the setting sun painted his features in orange and pink hues. His heart longed for Atlantis once more as homesickness always reared it's ugly head when he was feeling alone. While tension still remained between him and his older brother, deep down he was grateful for Arthur, giving him a new chance at life. With Atlantis finally revealing themselves to the people of the land, he no longer had to be so secretive about himself, except when it came to Atlanteans. He had burned too many bridges that most likely would never have the chance to be rebuilt. He sighed deeply as the warm salty foam washed over his feet.

Orm turned, leaving his regrets and longing to drown in the crashing waves. While he could see why his brother loved the land dwelling humans, Orm normally avoided them as much as he could. Especially when it came to his time on the beach, he rather not be bothered. And despite the world knowing, he still swam in deserted parts of the beaches he visited. His favorite places were around the docks where the shade kept him cool and various sea creatures stuck around. The fish and small crabs made him feel a little less lonely and made everything feel more like home.

Orm's bare feet padded against the planks of the dock as he tugged his shirt over his head. The breeze rippled his blond locks and whispered promises of a good evening swim. His vision staying straight ahead, Orm was preparing to run and dive into the bright blue water when a yelp caused him to stumble and he fell to the dock. He almost slid off when a slender hand caught his wrist and kept him from rolling off and slamming into a boat.

"Are you okay?!"

A feminine voice had him blinking against the pain in his skull before he finally got his eyes to focus. Orm sat up quickly, backing away from the woman looking at him with genuine concern. It was an emotion Orm was unacquainted with.

"I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention," the woman blushed getting to her feet and brushing the front of her shirt and shorts off. A quick flash of annoyance had him glaring before Orm sucked in a deep breath and calmed the raging tide threatening to overtake him. She offered him a hand up and old him would have swatted it away with a snarl, but new him remembered his older brother and took her offered hand. She shuffled her feet before him awkwardly, refusing to look up in embarrassment. Though Orm was worried he was intimidating her, though he wasn't trying at the moment.

"Sorry again," she apologized once more only to break the silent tension between them.

"I wasn't paying attention," it was the most polite thing he could say. "Though I can't help but ask. Why were you laying across the dock?"

Her cheeks flushed bright crimson, a pretty red color, and now she really refused to look up at him, more interested in her bare feet. This in turn made Orm feel more awkward, like he had pushed across some threshold that he should have never even touched.

"You'll laugh," she mumbled. Her gaze quickly darting up towards him before once again looking away. When she noticed that he wasn't going to say anything else her shoulders sagged in defeat.

"I like watching the fish. They feel like they're my friends and they're so peaceful living their lives without a care in the world," she whispered. "I've also always dreamed about Atlantis and going there and now that it is truly real I can't help but long for it even more. Silly huh?"

Orm shook his head and smiled remembering his home fondly, "No it's not. I think it's a wonderful dream."

Though home always brought a smile to his face, in this moment of his life it brought a pang of sadness with it. One mistake had taken his chance of ever seeing that beautiful city ever again. And here he just met a mere human upon an empty dock longing for the same as him. Maybe he had more in common with the humans of this side of the world than he had first realized. She smiled and nodded, happy to have someone not laugh at her for a change. She walked away moments later leaving him to ponder upon the dock as the waves whispered softly against the sand. Then Orm dived in.

Usually Orm moved around a lot. If he liked a place more than others he'd normally stay for a few days. But for reasons he didn't want to know he had stayed in this particular spot for weeks. And it wasn't because the food was anything extraordinary nor was the beach one of the most beautiful he's seen. If he dug down deep inside he knew it was because of that one moment, where he had seen a glimpse of that beautiful humanity that Arthur was always talking about to him. So Orm did what every normal man would do, he kept his distance and watched her from afar. She visited the dock he had found her at nightly, just to talk to the fish and to watch the sun set behind the horizon of the ocean. She would hum tunes, almost stroking the water with her gentle hands. She would hide sometimes as people would come to the beach calling out a name he had never heard. What would shatter his heart more than anything was when she would come some nights crying. His heart would clench as her salty tears dropped into the ocean. He shook his head fighting the urge to go towards her. But she was different, she wanted to know his world, that she had no idea he was from. That he had once been a prince, let alone a king of that world but it didn't matter, not anymore. He was dead to that world and he had to find his place in this one.

It didn't take many times of him watching the lone girl sob on the dock before Orm concocted a plan. Atlantean technology to help humans make the trip undersea had yet to be brought to them. Except for the scuba gear the humans already had invented, but Orm wanted his plan to be perfect. So he would do something that would make his older brother proud and possibly bring an end to his life. To get what he needed he would have to venture back to the Sunken Citadel and hope that the pirates that still lived didn't kill him at first glance.

You didn't know what kept bringing you back to this particular beach, though you had a inkling that it was in false hope of finding that same blond haired man that you had tripped. He was a complete stranger and yet you found yourself hoping to see him once more. So every night you came, no matter how bad things got at home you escaped bringing yourself to this little place of serenity, hoping, waiting, that you would see him again. But every night became a disappointment, though you enjoyed seeing the fish. The sun quickly set seeping the warmth from the Earth but the ocean water still held those waning rays of warmth. The lights of the dock quickly blinked on illuminating the surrounding water so you could still watch the fish swim peacefully by. You hummed a quiet tune as the waves lapped against the barnacle crusted wooden posts. A shadow darted by causing you to suck in a quick breath. Sharks would sometimes come up or a curious dolphin but this creature was too fast to be one of them. Your heartbeat quickened but against your better judgement you stuck your hand back down along with your head, trying to find this mystery that had suddenly come upon you.

Orm had a difficult time in the Sunken Citadel and he had gotten into a few brawls, but he did get what he searched for. It had cost him, but if his well thought out plan worked as well as he hoped, it would all be worth it. He made his way back to the normal spot and he had timed his return just right. As his mystery woman he had begun to adore made her way out onto the normal dock. She was light on her feet and she greeted some of the boatmen, who were leaving, politely before going to her same spot Orm could always find her. She stuck a hand in the water tracing the patterns of the fish below as they swam close to the surface. She had a small content grin on her face as she enjoyed the creatures below the surface. Orm moved his arms slower, trying to keep from interrupting this moment as he was more than happy to watch her for a little while. She hummed a tune while tucking strands of untamable hair behind her ear, only for a breeze to send them back to fluttering. He sucked in a breath letting the peace of her presence wash over him. And then he went under the surface and swam close by and quickly. He heard her gasp and he grinned to himself. He could have a moments fun at her expense, especially with the gift he was bringing her. Despite not knowing what he was she braved the unknown and he had to admire that about her. She was proving his theory of humans being a cowardly race wrong every moment he watched her.

You searched timidly for any sign of the shadow you had seen. Your eyes darting across the eerily still waters. You were about to pull yourself back up onto the dock when an arm breached the water and grabbed onto your wrist. You screamed yanking yourself backwards and the person attached to the hand around you came up with your panicked movements.

Orm laughed loudly at your terrified face while he treaded the water. He had never been one to play tricks as he had been trained as a prince of Atlantis, but he found it quite fun. The woman he had yet to put a name to a face laid on her back panting, trying to regain some form of control.

"Why did you do that," she screeched once she finally found her breath.

"Think of it as payback for making me fall on my face the first time we met," Orm smirked as he lifted himself from the water easily.

She took in the fact quickly that his upper torso was bare and the form fitting pants only seemed tighter by the fact that they were dripping water everywhere. She looked away, pink coming to her cheeks.

"You come out here every night," Orm said after a few moments of awkward silence.

Her head whipped around and her eyes widened in surprise.

"How did you know that? I never see you around!" Those moments of wishing to see him again, hoping he'd be around, and he had been hidden from her the entire time.

"I was," Orm paused. He knew he couldn't just tell her that he had been watching her from afar. But he didn't want to lie. "I was swimming."

"Swimming?" Now she was suspicious of him. As she rightly should, though they had already met once he was still a stranger.

"I'm a decent swimmer." Understatement of the century Orm thought to himself.

"I can see that," she gestured towards him before darting her gaze away once more.

Orm chuckled. He liked that little of color that would pop up in her skin. He found it endearing and despite himself his heart began to pick up speed. He offered out a hand and she glanced at it warily.

"I'm Orm," he offered in greeting. "Orm Marius. I should have introduced myself that first day we met."

She laughed, taking his offered hand. "(Y/N). And I should have thought of it too. But I did almost make you faceplant into the water. Though it seems like it wouldn't have bothered you so bad if you had."

Orm shook her hand, reveling in how smaller it was compared to his. "Do you mean to tell me that you wish you had let me fallen into the water now? Instead of rescuing me?"

"Well after you just basically scared the daylights out of me, yes."

Orm pouted playfully, "And here I brought you a gift."

"A gift?!" Once again those beautiful colored eyes glowed in delight. It sent his heart a flutter and he could have sworn it skipped a beat. Is this what his mother had possibly felt when she looked upon the man that fathered Arthur?

"I think I am rather partial to it now," he teased. "Maybe I will just keep it for myself."

"You can't just say that you brought me a gift and then keep it for yourself. That's mean," she whined.

Orm couldn't keep stringing her along though he was finding it fun just to get a rise out of her. He brought the gift from behind his back and he wasn't expecting her to jump up and down. Her confusion was to be expected and he found himself grinning once more. She was so expressive, he found it endearing.

"Your dream of seeing Atlantis stuck out to me and their technology is above what your people have. I wanted to show you a part of that life even if it is just a small glimpse."

He was revealing himself. His heart was almost leaping out of his chest. He had kept his identity a secret, revealing nothing to the humans he had contact with. She would be the first and he didn't know what to do if she didn't accept. She placed her hands on the oxygen helmet, a question on her lips. But without a word he once more grabbed onto her wrist and lead her to the end of the dock. She wordlessly tugged the pirated good on her head and with no hesitation followed Orm into the water.

Orm dived down, keeping a good grasp on her hand, their fingers interlaced as he didn't want to hurt her by tugging on her joints by the speed he could swim at. The oxygen mask was working like a dream and despite the time of the evening the moon was doing a good job of lighting the sea life below the ocean. She gasped in awe at the sea creatures and plant life below. But mostly she gaped at him.

"You are," she hesitated saying the word.

Orm nodded. "I am."

You absolutely couldn't believe your eyes. A true Atlantean. It was everything that you could have ever dreamed of and as he kept you from floating away this moment was more than you could have ever dreamed of.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," Orm didn't want anything left unsaid. This was his chance. His chance to be himself and to stop being so alone in this world that he was learning more about every day. His time in Atlantis was done and now he was going to have to start anew. Maybe you were that new chance that he had been needing for a long time.

"It's okay," she answered. Her voice muffled in the helmet. Fish swam by coming near to Orm, pecking at his arm. He shooed them away gently causing her to laugh. "You don't have to explain yourself. We had just met that day and even at this moment we are still basically strangers. But I'm glad I met you Orm and your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," he choked. Gratitude had been lost on him long ago but as he looked at this young woman, so genuine and beautiful in his eyes, that feeling was no longer a stranger. "Would you like to see more of my world?"

"Absolutely!" No hesitation and no fear. Orm kept her close, keeping her safe as he swam them further out into the sea.

Back on dry land you couldn't believe what your eyes had beheld. The world under was far beyond anything you could have ever imagined as Orm helped steady you. Spending that much time in the water had left your legs a little wobbly and you glared at Orm walking perfectly though he did have to take a moment to cough up water. You held out the helmet towards him but he shook his head pushing it back into your chest.

"Keep it," Orm insisted. "I want to take you out more now that you have it. There's so much more I wish to show and tell you. I hope that you don't mind."

She shook her head, stepping towards him. "I would like that so much."

Without a second thought she embraced him, squeezing Orm tightly before backing away, that familiar blush coming back to her cheeks. Reaching out Orm brushed a stray droplet of sea water off her cheek.

"Until tomorrow," he whispered and she nodded quickly.

Days had followed that moment before it had turned into weeks. Orm met with her daily, the helmet in tow every time as they explored together. She the underwater world he had grew up in and him emotions never before explored. Orm knew he couldn't take her far below the surface as he wished. He was trying his best to get a suit that would keep her from being crushed by the water pressure or freezing from the depths, but it would take some time. The helmet was easy to obtain, well easier than the suit. But she didn't complain nor did she beg him for more. Always content with their outings he began to realize that he looked forward to every second they spent together every day. It didn't take Orm long to figure out the emotions he was feeling and everything seemed to fall into place. She was beginning to swim closer to him as every day passed. Gentle touches and encounters that would leave her in awe and him trying to not overstep his bounds.

She swam closer keeping to his side as the day began to wan and like everything good in life their time together was ending that day. Orm always took his time bringing them both back to shore whenever it was time to head back in. She never seemed to be in a hurry herself and it had Orm wondering on things that he couldn't ask her when they first me. He wondered why she came by herself every day and those moments she had hid on the dock as several people had come searching, yelling her name. He wondered at the days that she had came crying as if she could no longer smile. And now that he had gotten to know her more it was something he could no longer keep himself from asking about.

Back on shore she removed the helmet and rung the sea water from her hair. Orm stayed near as he gathered up the courage to ask her. He was about to ask her about something she had yet to give up willingly and he didn't want to cause her to shut him out. He honestly didn't know if he could take losing her. He breathed in deeply gathering up all his courage, he stepped closer and grasped onto her shoulder to gain her attention and steady himself. She grinned up at him before it fell at the seriousness in his blue eyes.

"What is it," she asked covering his hand with hers that still laid upon her shoulder.

"Why do you come to the docks every day? And why do you hide from the people that call out to you and cry on some days?"

There he asked and he felt faint as she looked down at the waves lapping at their bare feet.

"You saw those moments too?" She whispered.

"I did," Orm confessed. " I've come to care for you these past few weeks and I can't help my curiosity getting the best of me. Knowing that you hurt or have any reason to hide is too much for me to bear."

She paused for a moment, gathering her strength. "I was in a bad relationship. I got out of it but the pain is still there and some days are worse than others. I find peace out here and that's why I always come and then I met you. And despite me telling you why that day, you didn't laugh at me like he and several other people did. I was really glad. You made me happy. Part of me was hoping that I'd get to see you again and yet I was afraid of getting hurt again too."

"That was brave," Orm cooed bringing her into his arms. He was warm despite the lack of shirt and all the time spent in the water. She shook from the cold and from telling things that had been hard on her. "You're the bravest and kindest person I have ever met."

"I'm not really," she answered.

"You really are," Orm breathed. "I'm the coward. I didn't like this part of the world at all. I tried to destroy it because of my older brother. I blamed him for a lot of things and I hated him. I still don't love him as a little brother should but my hatred cost me. I was prince of Atlantis once and I was even it's king for a short spell. But that was taken from me and now I am thought of as dead. I cannot go back there because I have officially been killed in action." Orm sucked in a deep breath as he feared what you would do now that you knew about his darkness, though he kept going. "This is both my punishment and my new life. This is both my brother's way of blessing me and cursing me. But I don't see it as a curse anymore, not that I know you now."

"Orm," she sniffled.

He tugged her in, her trembling body pressed to his as he tried to will any form of comfort into her smaller body. He felt lighter and more at peace than he had ever felt and while she held onto him tightly, Orm lost the battle on his emotional restraints. Holding her out he took in the sight of her, clearly seeing everything about her for the first time. And for the first time in his life, he felt truly loved. Not for being royalty of Atlantis or because they had to. Genuine love that asked for nothing in return. He leaned down towards her his stature always towering over her and it wasn't until his lips met her warmer ones did the fireworks start shooting off in his head. She didn't shove him away and she didn't protest so Orm pulled her closer. Deepening the kiss as he could taste the salty water still on her mouth and the scent of the ocean breeze on her skin. In that moment she was everything to him and he could want for nothing else as long as she stayed. She cupped his cheek, stroking his skin before Orm finally pulled away. His chest heaved and he couldn't bring himself to give her up just yet. He continued to hold her against his chest, not ever wanting this moment to end.

"Is it okay that we start a new life together," her voice quivered in uncertainty. She felt like she was going too fast or overstepping her bounds.

"I think I would like that more than you know," he agreed. This was when his life started. That new beginning he wanted for so long, that he dreamed about in that prison cell. This was the moment he longed for and had no idea. That moment he met her had been fate and had lead him to this moment. Their days together didn't have to end when their feet touched the shore, it was only the start of something on the shore. While he was her guide in the water, here on the land and in the midst of people it was her turn to guide him. She took his hand, taking the responsibility for teaching and leading in stride. They would learn together what this life meant and what it meant to know each other and keep together through thick and thin. Orm had baggage and come to find out she did too. But Orm didn't see that, he saw a woman who could light his way. She saw a man that had found redemption and was looking for a way to claim it. The sun had set behind them on the beach but the dawn was rising before them as they left hand in hand towards the life they would find together. Like two ships destined for each other, a new life was just beginning.

[vodika-vibes]

Congrats on your new follower event! Can I request pearl with Cody? Thanks!

It's Always Been You

Summary: You’ve been in love with your Commander almost since the moment you met him. Unfortunately, he seems to think that you’re just waiting until you meet someone better.

Pairing: Commander Cody x Reader

Word Count: 797

Prompts: Pearl - Honest Love

Warnings: Some misunderstanding, but it's cleared up pretty quickly

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: Thank you for your request! Sorry that it took so long~

You fold your leg under yourself as you scan your datapad for the movie that you’re looking for. It’s late, late enough that you should probably be sleeping, but you’re far too wired to sleep. Besides, Cody is sprawled on the bed next to you, absently looking over your shoulder at your datapad.

You don’t get to spend a lot of time with him, what with the war and him being Marshal Commander, and the fact that you’re technically his subordinate and this whole relationship is a massive gray area.

But that’s a problem for future you to worry about. Present you just wants to be happy and safe and warm.

“Can’t find your movie?” Cody asks, his voice low and warm.

“I downloaded a lot of movies before we left Coruscant.” You admit as you continue scrolling, “And books. And music.”

He laughs and shifts to slide his arms around your waist as well as rest his head on your shoulder, “How much free time do you expect to have?”

“Well, assuming that no one does anything stupid, hopefully a lot.” You press your cheek against the top of his head and are rewarded with the sensation of his arms tightening around you.

“Well, I’m going to intentionally download a virus to give you something to do.”

“That’s so mean.” You say as you shoot him an amused look, “At least make it look like an accident.” He shoots you an angelic look, and you release a bubbling laugh.

For a moment, his expression is warm and fond, though it falters to something a little more wistful and longing. An expression that you’ve been seeing more and more on his face lately. 

Slowly you set your datapad down and you press your hand against his cheek, “Cody, is something wrong?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You look,” You pause as you try to place the emotion, “sad.” You finish.

Cody’s quiet for a long moment, long enough that you think that he’s going to ignore your question, and then he shifts and pulls away from you, moving so that he’s sitting on the bed next to you.

You sit up as well, “Cody?”

“You are far too observant,” He grumbles, as he doesn’t quite meet your gaze, “I’ve been thinking,” he adds, his voice carefully light, “about how long I’m going to have this for.”

You blink at him, “I mean…I’m not going to kick you out, but you have to go back to being Commander when the sun rises-?”

He laughs softly, “That’s not what I mean.”

“Oh.”

Cody is quiet for a moment, and when he speaks, it’s slow, as though he’s trying to think of the best way to say what he’s thinking, “I’m wondering how long I get to have you for. How long before you find someone better. Someone more deserving.”

His words hit you with all of the force of a slug shot.

“You think I’m looking for an upgrade?” You ask, genuinely hurt, “Have I said something to make you think that? Or…or did something?”  You wrack your memory, trying to think of a time when you might have even implied that you were looking for someone other.

His hand is warm against your cheek, pulling you from your spiraling thoughts with startling ease, “No. You’ve always been very good at keeping your focus on me when we’re together.” Cody says quietly, “But…we both know that this is temporary.”

“...is it?” You ask, somehow even more hurt, “I kind of thought it was forever. It kind of sounds like you’re the one looking for an upgrade.”

He stares at you hard, “I think there’s been a miscommunication somewhere.” Cody finally says, “Cyare, what are your feelings towards me?”

“I love you.” You say it easily. Because it is easy. It’s the easiest thing you’ve ever done, “But…but if you don’t feel the same way, I can pretend that I don’t.”

“Even though I’m just a clone?” Cody asks, “Even though you can have someone better?”

“You’re not ‘just an’ anything, Cody.” You say with a frown, “Not to me. And I don’t want ‘better’. What even is better? Richer? If I was worried about money I wouldn’t have joined the military.”

“I have no prospects for the future, cyare-”

“Cody is Cody and Cody is who I want.” You interrupt, “But…only if that’s what you want too.”

He laughs softly, and leans in to kiss you, slowly and deeply. “It is what I want. More than anything. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

You sigh softly, and climb into his lap, “You scared me. I thought you were going to kick me to the curb.”

“I would never.” His arms tighten around her, “I love you too, after all.”

[tradetobest]

bennguin fic rec list (pt 1?)

in honour of the steers and queers anniversary im making a bennguin fic rec list!! it has 14 fics cuz jamie number :))

i wrangled the fuck out of my bookmarks for this, so enjoy :))

Kelowna: Become Human by LadyJanelly

rating: T words: 8.9k summary: What better way is there for a professional hockey team to make sure their prospects can focus on getting NHL ready, than buying them their very own android?

if you know me, you know i am a GIANTTT fan of detroit become human, so this fic is a dream come true for me. it is literally great too like i love it. tyler prioritizing jamie's orders over his programming... oughh....

Custom, Discreet by inlovewithnight

rating: E words: 12k summary: Tyler accidentally discovers Jamie's kink. He is so very on-board.

LINGERIE FIC!! we love.... we love that its JAMIE in the lingerie.... oughhhh

Must Love Dogs by SpiritsFlame

rating: G words: 12k summary: It doesn't occur to Jamie until he's standing on Tyler's front porch at 3am, barefoot, that maybe he should have called first In which Jamie Benn steals a dog, gets his best friend back, and combats toxic masculinity. In more or less that order.

i love this fic so much. cute ass fucking dog. PHENOMENAL use of the premise.

Featuring Marshall by wutheringjane

rating: G words: 4.1k summary: Tyler's latest video was called "GUESS WHO'S GOING TO DALLAS"

YOUTUBER AUUUUUU!!!!!! oh my god i am OBSESSED w youtube aus. and this ones so fucking cute too. theyre fans of each other your honour

the old brag of my heart (I am, I am, I am) by Mayhem10

rating: G words: 9.9k summary: Sometimes people forget that Jamie Benn exists.

this is part of the condition of existence series, and it's the second one in the series, but the whole series is phenomenal. i replay tyler's discovery moment in my brain over and over (OH YEAH, READ THE FIRST ONE DIRECTLY FROM THIS LINK)

Pitches Love Velocity by bohnem990

rating: T words: 12k summary: There’s no use in talking about money to Tyler, Brownie knows. It’s the reason that Brownie was the one to major in business in college, while Tyler majored in drinking with a minor in marketing. “If you want to drop a grand on one night at a sports event can’t you at least spend it on a real sport?” Several people, Tyler included, gape at him. “Like hockey,” Brownie barrels on, “We could totally go to a hockey game. We’re Canadian, Segs! We’re supposed to eat, sleep, and breathe hockey!” -- Alternately : “Dude,” Brownie laughs, “I think Jamie Benn’s agent just asked you to fuck him.”

THIS FIC. tyler at the restaurant lives rent free. FRAT BOY ASS. i love them so much.

Something Wild by Linsky

pairing: tyler seguin/jamie benn

rating: E words: 3k summary: The girl on Tinder is typing again. why don’t you show me how good you are with a cock Tyler coughs and drops his phone. That’s—wow. He did not expect her to go there.

oh my god. oh my god. tyler is such a dumbass here and i love it. im OBSESSED. 10/10 misunderstanding fic.

something over nothing any day by clawsandsympathy

rating: G words: 1.5k summary: “About this time on Hawkeye in the Morning, we run a little segment called Second Date Update. When someone has a great first date but never make it to the second date, they call us and we try to help them out. Tyler, can you tell us how you met Jamie?”

i think this fic is adorable. the concept is so fuckin cute and i think its executed well w some tropes i really like :))

I Know a Little Chapel by Linsky

rating: M words: 4.5k summary: Tyler Seguin is a very good wedding planner. Which is why he’s not freaking out that Jamie Benn of the Dallas fucking Stars is sitting in his office.

wedding plannerrrrrr auuu!!!!!!!!! tyler planning jordies wedding isnt something i knew i needed but by god did i

sneeze by Anonymous

rating: T words: 5.3k summary: Tyler had never actually heard Jamie purr. It was the strangest goddamn thing.

THIS FIC IS ADORABLE i love the story around why jamie's purrs are Like That. and tyler misunderstanding. ough ITS PERF

let's give them something to talk about by Anonymous

rating: T words: 2.6k summary: ashlee @/messysegsy - Sep 15 why does it feel like everyone got #OneTImerTour tickets except for me??????? @/tylerseguin please explain (5 replies 3 retweets 20 likes)

first part of the rheotaxis series!! i am a big sucker for social media aus, and aus in general, and musician/hockey is a trope i LOVE (shout out to that mceichel fic) so this is the perfect fic for me. unironically perfect.

scar tissue by eternalvariegation

rating: T words: 12k summary: Jamie still remembers when they were practically living out of each other’s pockets, the memory twinging like a muscle he hasn’t used in a long time but that his body hasn’t forgotten. It was probably inevitable that they’d see less of each other once Jamie formally requested that they no longer go into the field together but it still hits him sometimes. The tangible feeling of loss despite it having been his own decision in the end. Tyler didn’t speak to him for a month after he found out. 

SPY AU oh my gosh. "partner doing what he thinks is best for other partner. it is not best" is such an insane trope and i love it so much in this fic. done incredibly well. please read this.

Arms of the Sea by LadyJanelly

rating: T words: 3.7k summary: Jamie gives her back to the sea when she dies, three years into their marriage, their baby still inside her. He sews her up in sailcloth with the porridge pot she brought from her mother’s house, a stone from their shared hearth, scaling knife, thimble and needle. He sails out to the deep water and lowers her into the water, weeps as she sinks into the ocean’s embrace. He sails back to land and gives his boat to his brother. He will not return to the ocean. It is a graveyard to him now. He finds a job in a logging camp, and for a year his feet are dry, his lips do not taste of salt.

incredibly emotional and beautiful fic. op wonders whether their execution of the concept is dull and pretentious in the opening notes and i think that is the worst part of this fic, only because it does such a disservice to it. RAHH i love it

wandering bee seeks the rose by clachnaben

rating: E words: 8.7k summary: Jamie Benn coaches a youth hockey team and Tyler is a determined Hockey Mom. Meet cutes and queer women and youth hockey

yk i had to shout out the lesbians to round it out. sexy hockey mom tyler lives in my head rent free and i dont even like women.

[raccoon-eyed-rebel]

Part 27

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 26 🟣 Part 28

A reverse harem vampire AU ft. Mikey, Marshall, August and Sherlock

Series summary: Somehow, you've managed to live with your boyfriend and his roommates for months before finding out they're vampires, but the real shock first comes when they find out you have a special quality. A quality the guys would love to make use of...

Warnings: Fluff, ongoing vampire shenanigans, angst, lore, some more angst. And something called Disgruntled Teenageer Syndrome.

Word count: 3k

A/N: I know I've been teasing y'all with some beautiful warnings on a very lovely chapter involving a ver feral Marshall and a very suddenly present August... Well... This ain't it! (It's the next one, so please put your pitchforks down :c )

@geralts-yenn @deandoesthingstome @ellethespaceunicorn @summersong69 @mis-lil-red

@sillyrabbit81 @livisss @itsrubberbisquit @ktficworld @proud-aroace-beastie

@plaidcat4815 @wa-ni @lovemusicpart2 @lizzystuffsthings @manysecrets2020

@sarcasmoverlordxo

“August?” Your footsteps echoed through the hallway, which looked suspiciously empty and rug-less, unlike the rest of the house — however much or little you’d seen of it, anyway.

“Yes, princess? Why are you—” He probably finished that sentence, but you couldn’t hear, because you’d bumped into something, and your phone was now lying on the floor with a massive crack in the screen. When you looked around to find the cause of your phone’s untimely demise, you were suddenly faced with none other than Charles Brandon.

“Terribly sorry,” he muttered. A suspiciously cold hand landed on your shoulder with slightly too much force. “Priya just called to let me know she’s feeling a lot better. She’ll be back later this week, so this won’t happen again. Were you… calling August?”

You nodded — an answer that clearly confused Charles. “Why? He’s home.”

“I can’t find anyone in this damn house. Where am I, even?”

“About as far away from August as the house allows,” he said with a slight chuckle to his voice. “The others are closer.” You barely spotted him casting a quick glance over your shoulder, and before you could turn around, he tightened his grip on your shoulder, preventing you from moving. “Tell me who’s behind you.”

“Do you think I have eyes in the back of my head or something?” You rolled your eyes at Charles, wishing you could somehow wipe the annoyed expression off his face.

“You don’t need your eyes,” he said on a sigh. And here you were, thinking Mike was the impatient one… “You’re connected to them on a level you can’t even comprehend. You can sense them.”

You glared at Charles. If you could sense them, you would, right? The fact that you didn’t was quite the indication that you couldn’t.

He reached for your cheek, gently trailing an icy knuckle along your cheekbone. “Poor thing,” he murmured. Was he closer to you? Were his eyes bluer? His smile kinder? “They’ve not taught you half of what you can do. I—” The chill left behind by his fingers lingered, but Charles had disappeared.

“I hope for his sake that August didn’t see that,” Marshall muttered behind you. “Are you alright?”

“What just happened?” you asked as you turned around, only to find Marshall a lot closer to you than expected.

“You’ll have to talk to Charles. I doubt he’s entirely sure of what happened… Sherlock should kn—”

“Sherlock already knows.” Another body appeared behind you — Sherlock, of course. “I’m afraid he’s locked himself away for too long…” Something about the tone in which he spoke spread the lingering cold throughout your body, allowed it to seep into your bones.

“Don’t worry about it right now, love,” Marshall said as he wrapped his arms around you. It didn’t help much. Don’t worry about it? Right. You’d worry as you damn well pleased, thank you very much! “We might focus on that point he made, first. It was a good one.”

Before you knew it, you were in the living room — a living room? How many of those did this place even have?

“Two. Not including the one in Charles’ suite,” Marshall helpfully provided, and before you could even think of saying something, he added: “We’re all well aware this house is absolutely ridiculous.”

“Alright, alright…” Mike excitedly flapped his hands at no one in particular. “Why did you drag her here?”

“I’m assuming it’s because she keeps getting lost?” August asked.

“Yes,” you admitted. “And Charles scared me into dropping my phone, which is now dead, so I can’t call you anymore, and…”

“I finally get to buy you a new phone?” He’d been begging you to let him replace your phone for months now, but you’d always refused him. You were not about to enable his tech-buying mania. Besides, your phone had always worked fine. Alright! It had been falling apart at the seams, but it worked, so it was fine. That excuse was gone now.

“More importantly,” Marshall said, eyeing Mike in a ‘calm down’ kind of way, “we were just more or less accused of keeping her in the dark on her own abilities. And rightfully so.”

You watched them discuss your conversation with Charles for a moment, not entirely sure what was going on, but the idea seemed to be that your connection to the guys should allow you to sense their presence without having to be near them, and it was something that needed some training. Training you would be receiving right now.

“And how would that work?” you finally asked, fighting back a smile when the guys looked at you with guilt in their eyes. “Yeah, I’m still here.”

The guys stayed quiet for a while, until… “We’re not doing that, August.”

“I didn’t…” He looked at you with suspicion in his eyes. He didn’t what?

“Looks like August’s thoughts aren’t safe from you anymore, either,” Marshall chuckled, smiling wider as he looked at the increasingly confused look on August’s face. “We recently found out she has an aptitude for my gift.”

Safe to say, August wasn’t amused by this revelation.

“So, since blindfolds are out,” Marshall continued the previous conversation, leaving an unintelligibly grumbling August to his sulking. “Sherlock? Any ideas?”

“Naturally,” he replied dryly. “But I’m afraid depriving you of sight will most definitely be part of the first exercise, darling.”

And that’s how you ended up on a chair in the living room with a blindfold, while the guys took turns standing in front of you, making you tell them who it was. You got it wrong a depressing number of times, if you did say so yourself.

“Sweetcheeks, listen,” Mike’s hands appeared on your shoulders. Wait. Those weren’t Mike’s…

“This is trippy, guys,” you said, trying to yank your blindfold off, but Marshall’s hands were — of course — faster than yours.

“What is?” Mike asked again. The sound came from the right place… Were you wrong? No.

“Marshall touching me while you are talking. It’s strange, okay?” For lack of a better term, because this whole thing had been strange from the beginning, to say the least.

“Okay, so you know it’s him because you know what it feels like when he touches you,” Mike said with a little too much of a suggestive edge to his voice. He continued, and his voice moved away from you, until he was standing in front of you. “You know what it feels like when he’s near you, too. You’ve just never paid attention to it.”

“I don’t know how!” you cried out in frustration. “What am I supposed to feel?”

“Do you remember our conversation about coven bonds?” August chimed in. You nodded. “Great. You’re bound to us in the same way we are to each other.”

“Interesting, but ultimately unhelpful,” you sighed.

“I didn’t want to bring this up,” Mike said carefully. “But when August divorced us, so to speak… You must have felt that, right?”

You nodded again, wincing involuntarily at the unpleasant memory. The feeling that something snapped. The sharp pain… No! This had to end, you couldn’t go through that again, you…

“Keep going, Sweetcheeks,” Mike encouraged you in a strained voice. Was this hurting him as much as it was hurting you? “You’re almost there, I know you can feel it.”

“God knows he does,” August said, confirming your suspicions and sounding a little too happy about the situation. “He’s right, though, you’ve almost got it.”

“You said the ties weren’t tangible,” you complained, gritting your teeth in a desperate attempt to fight back tears.

“It would depend on your definition of ‘tangible’, princess,” August sighed. “Get on with it. The sooner you get this, the sooner it stops being uncomfortable.”

And just as you thought you couldn’t handle the pain of that horrible memory for a single second longer, something changed. August was right — though you’d think twice to tell him that. ‘Tangible’ wasn’t the right word. It wasn’t necessarily the wrong word, either.

“It’s complicated,” Marshall said softly. When did you stop wishing he’d stay out of your head?

Sherlock ordered Mike to move around the living room. He didn’t make a sound — of course he didn’t. Vampire. — but you didn’t lose track of his whereabouts even a single time. “This is still weird.”

“Can’t be weirder than all the other things,” Mike said as he wrapped his arms around you and squeezed you tight. “That was great!”

“But it’s just you.” You pouted at him, and then looked at the others. “I still don’t have a clue about the others.”

“Figuring that out won’t be easier,” Sherlock explained, “but it will entail far fewer risks.”

“What risks?” you demanded, ripping off the blindfold — this time without anyone trying to stop you.

“I may or may not have risked breaking our bond to help you find it,” Mike said, shrugging. Was he just shrugging this off? Motherf—

“You’ll be the death of me,” you said, glaring up at him and his dumb, apologetic smile. “How?”

“Remembering that feeling tugs on those strings,” Mike explained. “It’s uncomfortable, but it allowed you to find it. There was a small chance of you going too deep and…”

“I would have lost you?”

“You’ve repaired your connection before,” August noted. “There’s a very decent chance you could have done that again.”

“I don’t want to do that again, because it sucked,” you snapped, eyeing Mike angrily.

“Water under the bridge, love,” Marshall said, smoothing his hands over your arms. “Now, all you need to do is find where Mike is attached, and look for the rest of us.”

On special occasions such as this one, you missed the way your life had been before apparently attaching yourself to a bunch of vampires.

“You don’t mean that,” Marshall said with a smile.

No. You did not. But this was still weird.

Weird or not, you did what Marshall told you to do, and you were pleased to find that it was indeed not painful this time around. Only significantly more difficult. “I can’t… get a hold of it.”

“You don’t have to, princess,” August sighed. “You just need to feel it.”

“I mean I lose it before I can figure out where it goes,” you snapped back. It probably didn’t help that they were crowding you. Everything felt tangled in a way you couldn’t put into words. “Can you take a step back? Maybe two, even.”

They immediately did as you asked, and the task didn’t necessarily get any easier, but it sure as hell wasn’t as confusing. “I think I’ve figured August and Marshall out, but Sherlock… I’m so sorry.” Why did this bring you to tears? Seriously. Why were you crying?

“That’s okay, darling,” he said gently. “My age is making this more difficult. It’s not you.”

“You should try this with Melot,” Mike added. “I still have trouble finding him sometimes, because—”

“Mike, later.” August snapped. “This is complicated enough without another history lesson, or biology lesson, or any other kind of lesson.”

He was right: this was difficult, and exhausting, and now that you were starting to get the hang of it, you wanted to get in some more practice before you got really tired, but no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t quite grasp the tether that connected you to Sherlock.

“It will be easier once you’re more comfortable seeking out the others,” Sherlock promised, but it didn’t bring you much comfort at all.

“And his gift doesn’t help, either,” Mike said slightly too enthusiastically. “It’s annoying, the way he kinda pops in and out of existence. It can make it really tough to keep track of him, and—”

“Mike!” August cut through his monologue. “That’s unhelpful, and you’re rambling. She’ll get there when she gets there. I have stuff to do.” No one ever asked August what kind of stuff. You were fairly sure you didn’t necessarily want to know.

Marshall and Sherlock excused themselves as well, and you were left standing around in the living room with just Mikey, who looked at you with a devious glint in his eyes. The kind you knew all too well, and adored more than anything in the world. “Wanna play a game of hide and seek with me?”

Was that a silly suggestion? Sure. Childish, in a way? Absolutely. Did it sound unbelievably fun? Definitely yes. He must have picked up on your enthusiasm, because before you could answer, he was gone, leaving you in the living room all by yourself. Or so you thought.

“What are you waiting for?” Leon was standing right behind you, his lips right next to your ear. “It’s not like you could ever catch up with him.”

“When did you get here?”

“I’ve been here the whole time,” he said, with a devious hint of amusement to his smooth voice. “The lingering tension between you and Marshall is too good to stay away from.”

“So, we won’t be rid of you for a while, then?” you said, faking impatience and disappointment. For some reason, you didn’t mind him lurking around the house.

“I’d like to point out that I live here, too,” he said sharply. “It’s… It used to be tough for me to feed here. A problem that appears to have been solved by your arrival. If you’ll allow me, that is.”

“Allow you to do what, exactly?” Why was it so impossible to get rid of that lump in your throat?

“Napoleon, that’s quite enough.” Charles. “You’re venturing into dangerous territory, as you well know. Though I suspect that only makes the situation all the more enticing to you.” He shook his head, seemingly disappointed.

“Forgive me, father,” Leon said, a devious smirk forming on his face. And then, he was gone.

“Stay away from him,” Charles said on a deep, annoyed sigh.

“Like you stay away from me?” you countered, putting your hands on your hips and conjuring every bit of defiance you could find.

“Yes.”

“I’m trying. He just…”

“Shows up?” Charles asked, quirking an eyebrow. “He does that, yes.”

“So do you,” you huffed. You barely even knew this man, and he was pissing you off thoroughly.

“My apologies.” He sounded sincere. Then again, what the hell did you know? “I’m not quite used to having a guest I attempt to avoid.”

“Then don’t?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have much of a choice. I promise it has nothing to do with you, personally.” Well, that wasn’t reassuring at all. You glared at him, but before you could say anything, he was gone.

With a great deal of effort, you pushed your frustrations with both Leon and Charles aside, and concentrated on your connection with Mike. It was faint, but definitely still there. You had no idea how long you were standing there, but with every passing second, the feeling became clearer — and by the time you opened your eyes, the feeling had become so strong you could almost see it. Now, all you had to do, was follow it.

Mike would make for a nice reward for your efforts.

With every step, the pull became stronger, and it was extremely difficult to go in the wrong direction, as long as you stayed focused on finding Mikey, and your feet almost moved of their own accord. You knew where he was. You knew where to go.

There he was. Behind this door. As soon as you opened it, familiar hands grabbed you and dragged you into the room — although ‘room’ was a bit of an overstatement — and you were pushed against the door as soon as it fell shut behind you.

“You found me,” Mike whispered. His tone was playful, as was the way he playfully bit your earlobe, and then your neck. You prevented his descent between your boobs by pulling his face up to yours.

“Is this a broom closet, Mikey?”

“Yes.” He focused his attention on your neck again. “I couldn’t hide in my room, like… that would have been too obvious! Besides… This is fun.”

You knew that if you tried to deny that, you’d ultimately be unsuccessful, so you didn’t bother. Instead, you pulled Mike’s face to yours and kissed him.

As per usual, he didn’t waste time, slipping his tongue into your mouth with his signature impatience as he lifted you up so you could wrap your legs around his waist. Pinned between his body and the door, you spent your time trying not to giggle at his unparalleled enthusiasm. Until the door was gone.

You expected to fall backwards, but Mike held you up — thank God, because you didn’t exactly feel like getting a concussion today. Or any day, for that matter.

“I need a broom.” You recognized Melot’s voice — not that the accent wouldn’t have been a dead giveaway if you hadn’t. To your dismay, Mike put you back on your feet and pulled you into the hallway. “And can you guys get a fucking room, maybe?”

“What’s his problem?” you asked when Melot disappeared as suddenly as he’d shown up.

“Disgruntled teenager syndrome,” August chuckled. You’d stopped wondering where they came from. Vampire fast, vampire here. Simple. “He’s a little lost, now that his role as patriarch of the family has been passed on to Sherlock.”

“He never had much of a childhood, did he?” you wondered out loud.

“Did you hear him when he said he’d been married for nearly six years before he was turned into a vampire at age nineteen?” August asked, showing some of that signature derisive tone he’d always used with you before you entered into your agreement with the guys. You nodded. Of course you’d heard that. “Did you, by any chance, do the math?”

Honestly, you’d been a little preoccupied with the heaps of information that had been flung your way at the time, so no, you hadn’t. But now that August mentioned it… He’d been…

“Fourteen,” August whispered. “He got married when he was fourteen.”

You considered the implications of that for a moment. “Are there therapists for that?”

Both Mike and August laughed at that comment, but you didn’t think it was particularly funny. He’d been married at fourteen. Regardless of whether or not that had been normal at the time, it sure as hell wasn’t now, and…

“There are,” August answered. “And he’ll come around. He’s just looking for his place right now and that’s not an easy thing to figure out.”

[valya-kingoftherats]

Fair Fight

Your back hits the mat with a muffled thud, and you swear for a second you can't breathe. Doesn't matter. You are back on your feet quicker than any human would have any right to be. Stand up. Square your shoulders. Feet apart but not too much. Ready for her.

"Again." You growl. Chest heaving with every breath. You aren't giving up. You can't.

She doesn't understand that when you fight her, you're fighting for your life.

"As much as I'd love to keep kicking your ass," stupid smug smile. This time, you are going to wipe it clean off her face. "Maybe it's time you took a break?"

The only reason she's doing any better off than you is because she's won every round today. Every. Single. One. Unacceptable. Pathetic. You need to do better. Have to do better.

You can't read her. Stupid static head that feels no different from them once it gets to trading blows. You need to be able to take her in a fair fight. Then maybe you'll stand a chance if the worst really does happen.

"Sounds like someone's looking for excuses to call it a day." You grin as you taunt her. She won't say no, she won't quit either. "Starting to show your age, Marshal? Thinking about retirement?"

"Given the current score, I'd say I'm not the one who should be looking into retirement." Got her. She's back on the mat and back in position. This time, you won't mess up.

"Esta vez vas a caer, idiota." You think you have got to have the advantage this time. Just because you've lost doesn't mean you never landed any good hits. Unlike you, she must be hurting some.

It's an unfair advantage, but for now, you'll take it.

You may have taught yourself how to fight, but you did a damn good job of it as far as you're concerned. Focus. Stay on the defensive initially. Figure out the normal way how she moves and what her tells for attacks are. It's simple. You can do that.

You dodge the first punch, and you're pretty sure she isn't putting in as much force with her right side. Good. That you can work with. Spin around quicker than she can regain herself and deliver a kick to the back of her shins. She doesn't fall.

Dammit.

She isn't talking anymore. No quips. No teasing. Both of you are solely focused on the fight. Blow for blow. Dodging and countering. When it gets like this, you don't, can't, see her. Just static that's no different from back at the Farm. Can't tell her from them. Spar from genuine fight. It gets hard to sort out the difference and still stay focused enough to remember where you are.

She's back around, and you take a swing only for her to seize your arm and yank you forward. Not so fast. Dead weight. You allow it, and the lack of resistance sends her off balance. The jab to her shoulder lands without a hitch.

See? You are capable. No doubt. Show them who's the weak one. Good for nothing but sitting all dolled up in some stuffy room gathering intel. Fuck that.

They never saw your potential.

You almost miss how her weight shifts. Right foot coming forward, oh so subtly. Not for you, though. You catch the kick coming a mile away and make yourself scarce. You can't keep from smiling. You finally did it.

This round is yours.

You know to lead with your non-dominant foot. Not to telegraph your every move. Just one kick. One to her chest is all you need, you can feel it. You'll have won. Beaten the horrible static, no powers needed.

And it lands. Beautifully. You relish the 'huff' that comes out of her as it connects. Finally. It's all you. No one can touch you. You'll stop them all. Never ag—

"¡Mierda!" Wind rushes by you. She's still quicker than you'd given her credit for. More agile. She took you by the leg and took you down with her. No, not just that. She used you to break her fall. Wind knocked out of you, you try to beat back the surge of panic because you can't breathe for real this time.

"Guess this means I won again." And she's right. She has you pinned. Again.

"Fuck!! Why can't I beat you!? ¡¿Qué carajo me pasa?!" You don't get it? Are you that reliant on being one step ahead? Reading your opponent's every move? Crutches. Too dependant. You need to do better.

You have enough strength to less then gently shove Julia off of you. Back on your feet. Nails digging deep into your palms to beat back the pinpricks of tears starting up in the corners of your eyes. Insult to injury. Pathetic.

"Valya, you good? It's just a sparing match." She's up on her feet and only a few paces behind. "No te tomes las cosas tan en serio."

Hands on you, and you flinch away from invisible touches before you realize you shouldn't do that. Breaths going from exhausted ragged to fearful rapid all too quickly.

She's going to question you about that later. You're sure of it. But she feels like them, and you can't help but react accordingly. Self-preservation. Learned responses.

More hands, but these ones have a presence to them. Tugging you off the mat and away from Julia. "Call it a day. I don't feel like dragging the two of you idiots to the infirmary." Themmy snickers, but you know they're serious.

More quietly, they add, "Hey, you're okay. Whoever you thought you were fighting, they aren't here." They sit down on the bench, and you slump down on the floor between their legs. Relax as they lazily drape themself over you, chin on your head and arms around your shoulders. This is okay. Safe.

You watch as Julia comes to sit on the floor a little ways in front of you. As she takes a pull from her bottle of whatever sports drink she's currently endorsing. That she swears up and down is good, but you're well aware of the way her eyes keep darting to your own bottle of regular water.

You know she'll drink it all in one go, so you down a little more than you really need to before tossing the bottle at her. Maybe with a little more force than needed, but you're still sore from the repeated training failures.

She gulps it down far too fast for someone whose own drink is 'refreshing' and 'good for you.'

You ease up more as Julia and Themmy bicker back and forth about if it's the winner or loser of the day that buys the drinks tonight. Themmy is still a warm presence on top of you, Julia's smile is bright and warm, and she's talking to them, but her eyes are on you.

You can relax. This is your life now. Has been for years. You're okay and need to remember that. Enjoy spending time with your friends.

And you know for certain that next time you'll win the training match.

[sillyrabbit81]

The Fallen Wolves Brotherhood - Part Sixteen

Series Summary: Lori "Babycakes" Tate swore she would never date a biker but when her life is in danger, she is put under the protection of a small club known as The Fallen Wolves Brotherhood. She suddenly finds herself attracted to not one, but five bikers.

A reverse harem, biker AU.

Part Sixteen Summary: Marshall opens up about his past.

Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC, Walter Marshall x OFC, Mike x OFC, Geralt x OFC, August Walker x OFC

Word Count: Approx. 3.1k

Warnings:

Series Warnings: Reverse harem, age gap (OFC 23, ages range from 23 to mid 40s), oral sex (male and female receiving), unprotected p in v sex, anal sex, group sex, masturbation, praise kink, mentions of body fluids, drug use, recreational drinking, sex work, criminal activities, mention of death, violence, use of weapons, mentions of war, mentions of abuse, angst, fluff, probably a lot more that I will add as they come up.

Part Sixteen Warnings: slight angst, discussion of murder and violence against women, smut, p in v sex, oral sex (f receiving), mentions of body fluids, I think thats it

Authors Note: Thanks as always to my lovely BBFs (Best Beta's forever) @henryobsessed and @nashibirne .

So... Been a while... I am really nervous about posting because it has been so long! But I put my big girl pants on and I'm just going to do it. This chapter had to be split in half, which was a small reason for why this took so long to put out, the other part is that I think some of it is a bit dry... Exposition is hard!!!! The next part isn't quite finished but this point was a natural stopping point so I figure, post this and then maybe I won't be so in my head about the next bit.

Divider made by me. Edited by me, there will be errors.

Masterlist

Parts Masterlist

Part Fifteen Part Seventeen

Lori

I woke up with a start.

My heart was beating as fast as a mouse’s and I was sucking in huge gulps of air that failed to fill the hollow in my chest. I was shaking, every muscle and sinew quivering with a chilling thrum, yet I was frozen. I willed myself to move but my glaciated neurons refused to fire, iced over, hardened, ready to snap.

From behind me, a heavy arm moved on my waist and a hand pressed against my belly as soft whiskers and gentle lips caressed and the back of my neck. Relief warmed my blood in a balmy rush, my body thawing in a heady and welcomed surge.

Marshall. It was only Marshall.

“Alright?” he asked, his voice low and rough from sleep.

I hummed, not quite ready to speak. I looked at the clock on the nightstand. Small and generic, its garish neon green digital numerals reminded me that my room wasn’t actually my room and my briefly mollified anxiety inched its way back into my tightening chest.

I’d barely slept, little more than dozed. I wondered if I should get up and shower, but I didn’t want to disturb Marshall. So I laid there and listened to his breathing return to its regular cadence while I tried to recall and hold onto my dream. I might as well have tried to catch a cloud, the memories were wispy vapours, too vague and insubstantial to retain, leaving behind echoing stains of dread and emptiness. 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what I had dreamed of. The strange and rapid life changes over the past couple of weeks made it possible for me to push aside the grief from the loss of my parents and focus on other things like my anger at Nate, the shocking revelations about Jake, and the developing situation with the Brothers. I may have made a conscious decision not to dwell and process my emotions, but my subconscious was obviously not on board.

I focussed on the rhythm of Marshall’s breathing, the soft reverberation in his throat on each inhale and the sturdy snugness of his arms while I pushed down the lingering feelings, stuffing them like clothes into a laundry basket, deep into the recesses of my mind. Even as I crammed them away, I knew I’d have to deal with my emotions at some point. I told myself I would, just not today, or tomorrow. Maybe in a month or two. Or three. When I was home again, or alone, or when things were back to normal.

Eventually, the residual fear from my lost dream ebbed and slowly faded while a myriad of new ones took its place. 

Had last night been another mistake on the long list of mistakes I had made. Was Marshall another Jake? Was Sy for that matter?

Sy.

Now that Marshall and I had crossed the Rubicon, would Sy still feel the same way about me when he returned and faced the reality of what he had agreed to? Or, had the existence of the pact forced him to adhere to it out of a sense of bravado and loyalty to the Brotherhood? Had I just turned myself into another groupie, a woman destined for a lifetime of disrespect, deception and disillusion, stupidly thinking that an outlaw, an outsider, a biker, could change for them?

I waited for the gut feeling that I had fucked up by sleeping with Marshall to arrive, but it never came. Of course there were no guarantees in any relationship, but everything that had happened with Marshall had felt sincere and genuine. 

“I can hear you thinking,” Marshall grumbled. His breath was warm against my ear and his gentle accent made me shiver as a heated rush rippled across my skin, soothing and comforting me.

“I thought you were asleep,” I said.

He grunted and shifted his body until he laid on his back. I rolled over, following him and he tucked me under his arm. He glanced with a half smile that I barely picked up in the darkness of the room. I returned it and his grin grew slightly bigger before he laid his head back into the pillows.

“My sleep cycle has been off for years. Never recovered from shift work with the PD.”

I shimmied closer to him, pressing my breasts against his side, resting my thigh across his hips and dipped my fingers into the thick, coarse curls that spread across his chest from shoulder to shoulder. In response, I felt him stroke my arm, the tips of his fingers tracing an invisible path.

“Marshall?”

“Lori,” he replied, one side of his mouth lifting in a smirk.

“How did you end up in the Brotherhood?”

His smile vanished instantly and after a couple of passes over my arm, his hand stopped his caress, pausing mid stroke. His eyes sought out mine and I made it easier for him, by laying my chin on his chest, ignoring the way his wispy hairs tickled my jaw.

“There were a series of murders. Women, young women, some still teens. To call them murders doesn’t go far enough, each one was assaulted, tortured…” Marshall trailed off but his fingers began to stroke me again, this time sweeping over my back.

“You don’t have to tell me,” I said.

Marshall grunted and took a deep breath. “It was a long investigation that led nowhere. We had physical evidence, DNA, but no matches in the system and no motives. There were no useful eyewitnesses, no connections between the victims, they were of different racial backgrounds, economic status, from all over the city. We kept hitting dead ends, every lead we had didn’t pan out. Meanwhile, more girls were showing up dead, nearly a dozen and the media were breathing down our necks.”

He scoffed, his lip curled in disgust.

“They can be viscous,” I said, remembering the media circus that followed my parents' death.

Lifting his head, Marshall kissed my forehead before continuing.

“Eventually a name popped up that looked promising, he had been a contact in four of the victim’s phones. No other number had shown up twice, let alone four times. So we started an investigation into him. Found out he was a CEO of a financial institution or an investment bank, I don’t remember which. He was young, one of those prodigious financial wizards that seemed to have the Midas touch. He was famous in the financial world, puff pieces in newspapers, magazines, you know the type?”

I nodded and he continued.

“We’d barely gotten further than collecting basic background on this guy when the case was taken out of our hands by the Feds. I was furious, obviously, their jurisdiction over the case was on a flimsy basis at best. There was nothing I could do about it but wait for news of the investigation. However, months went by and… nothing. No news, no arrests, no more media reports, nothing.”

“He wasn’t the guy?”

Marshall shrugged. “I thought I must have been wrong. After a year, a homeless guy was arrested and charged.”

“So you had the wrong guy, after all?”

Marshall chuffed and shook his head.

“I knew in my gut the man they arrested was a patsy. I looked into it. I talked to some of his friends from the streets and as far as I could tell he wasn’t even in town when the first three victims had been murdered. His friends said he came to the city to attend the funeral of his murdered daughter.”

“No,” I gasped, my mouth covering my hand in shock.

“Yes,” Marshall said, “He was the father of the first victim we found. We had tried to contact him in the early days of the investigation, but he couldn’t be located. By the time he had discovered what happened to his daughter, there had been other victims and it was no longer a priority to find him and rule him out as a suspect.”

I thought about Nate and my father. I had never been privy to the dealings of the club, but you picked things up. The club had a surprisingly low number of members with criminal records and although I had never been explicitly told, I knew it was because the “right” people had been paid off for years. I figured the real killer must have been doing something similar, but on a massive scale.

“So what did you do?” I asked. 

“I took my theories up the chain and requested permission to do my own investigation. I was told in no uncertain terms that if I did that, it would cost me my badge.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Shit.”

“I couldn’t let it go though. I knew I couldn’t investigate alone and I suspected that I might be under surveillance. I couldn’t ask anyone else in the department to risk their job, so I called a guy I trusted. He used to be a bounty hunter but by then was working as a private security contractor.”

“Geralt?” I guessed.

“Geralt,” Marshall repeated. “He used his connections and reported back that there had been rumours floating about this guy for years, from his college days to his early Wall Street days to this case. Reports of domestic violence from women he’d had relationships with and assaults on sex workers that always seemed to be retracted or ignored. Somehow, this fucking guy kept getting away with fucking murder because of his connections.”

He closed his eyes and the muscles of his jaw pulsed beneath his thickly bearded skin. Swallowing hard, he opened his eyes and his voice was husky as he continued.

“When I realised what they had done to that man, that girl’s father… I wasn’t particularly idealistic and I wasn’t naive, but I had never thought that this level of corruption could happen. The Feds, the media, the PD; how many people must be involved, how many people were paid off or blackmailed? Everything I knew, everything I….”

He shrugged and was quiet. I waited, sure he had more to say. But he stayed silent, jaw twitching again and his eyes seemed to glaze over as his thoughts seemed to drift away.

I placed my hand on his cheek, my thumb sweeping along the bone and tilted my head to kiss his chest softly. Marshall’s hand went to my hair stroking my hair off my face.

“I quit. I couldn’t do that kind of work again, not knowing what I knew. I went back to Geralt, thinking with my SWAT background, maybe I’d try private security. Instead, Geralt introduced me to Sy and Walker.”

“What happened to the CEO?”

Marshall’s grin was a little disconcerting as he replied, “He got his in the end. An international financial scandal ruined him. The bank he headed was laundering money for the cartels and he was directly implicated in running the scam. The CIA got him for that one, apparently his reach didn’t go that far.”

“What happened to the father?” I asked.

“Suicide in prison while awaiting trial. It was a fucking joke.”

“I’m sorry, Walter,” I said softly.

His eyes found mine. Blue, deep and clear, they held me and I couldn’t look away. He sighed and shifted his hips. The movement made his thigh brush high between my legs and I became very conscious of the fact that both of us were naked.

The atmosphere changed, the air crackled with an electric anticipation and a heady jolt of lust worked its way down my spine to my core. I wasn’t alone, Marshall breathing became heavy, his nostrils flaring as he drew in each breath and his chest swelled.

His fingertips began to skim over my back again, and my skin broke out in goosebumps as I shivered with pleasure. His burly arms drew me to his chest, the coarse hair tickled my nipples as he guided me onto my back. Blanketing me with his comfortingly heavy body, his weight was concentrated at our hips and effectively pinned me to the mattress. My legs split beneath him, opening myself up in a shameless invitation. He took the hint, and he rolled his hips against me as he kissed me. 

It was like he was a different man; his feral, almost brutal urgency gave way to languid deliberateness. His lips moved down the column of my neck, hands exploring, clasping my ribs as if he wanted to caress not just the flesh, but the bones beneath. Moving with barely restrained greed, he slipped my nipple into his mouth and his teeth captured it while his velvety tongue flicked. His lips were satin, his beard was rugged silk, equally coarse and soft as he kissed and rubbed his cheeks against the sensitive skin between my breasts.

Opening his bearded jaw wide, he took more of me into his mouth than just my pink pebbled nipple. I watched bleary eyed as creamy skin disappeared into his warm mouth and his tongue lashed. My fingers slid into his thick curls, holding him close, begging for more.

I moved a hand down his shoulder and back feeling his dense muscles ripple under my touch. I went lower, down his side and abdomen, a rush of heat surged through me as my fingers found the trail of hair below his navel. I wanted to follow its path, wanted to feel him throbbing just like I was.

Thwarting my plans, Marshall laid warm, wet, kisses down my tummy, and became out of reach. I let out a petulant moan and he grinned, rubbing his beard against a sensitive spot near my hip, making me giggle and squirm out of his grasp. He caught my hip and pushed me down to the bed again in a flash back to his earlier impatience.

“Shh,” he soothed with a wolfish grin.

His hand swept down my thigh, curling under my knee and gently guiding my legs further apart. His kisses started at my knee and moved down the inside of my thigh, heat from his mouth made me shiver and I fell back onto the bed. He got closer to my soaked, throbbing core and I felt his tongue at the crease of my thigh, lapping at the combined wetness there from both my arousal and his release.

I gasped and leaned up on my elbows to watch and his feverish blue eyes were looking up at me from between my legs. My body looked as aroused as I felt, nipples tight and hard, tummy and thighs trembling, my pussy was swollen and glistening with the remains of our previous, furious love making.

Fingers glided over me, thumbs pulling apart my folds, his breath simultaneously warm and cooling against my hot throbbing sensitive skin. A finger teased my weeping core, swirling at my entrance. I was on fire, desperately clenching at nothing, and I could feel evidence of his orgasm leaked from within me.

“Fuck,” he murmured under his breath.

“Marshall,” I said breathlessly, reaching for his shoulders, trying to pull him up to me, “stop teasing me. Just fuck me.”

“I’ll fuck you,” he said, voice husky, almost gone. Then he mumbled something I couldn’t catch against my pussy.

The feel of his tongue prodding my entrance, no doubt tasting himself as he ate me out was so wickedly filthy to me that I was completely transfixed by the lurid eroticism, I’d never experienced anything like it. I could barely hold myself up, but the sight of him practically pussy drunk and groaning was too good not to look at. He growled, his arms wrapped around my thighs and he pushed his face into me, soft prickles of his beard against me made me shake even more and despite wanting to keep watching, I fell back to the mattress.

Suede-like brushes against my clit had me shaking, the tension in my muscles quivering like violin strings. Jesus christ he was amazing, then he sucked softly on my clit, and I was gone, crying out as my hands tangled in his hair, tightening into fists and held him against me. He didn’t stop as I came, his hands moved to my hips, his long fingers splayed across my belly and waist as if he wanted to feel my body move as I buckled.

My hands unclenched, and I shuddered with aftershocks as Marshall stayed where he was, softly licking at my core. I closed my eyes, bathing in the post orgasm euphoria, running my fingers through his hair. He didn’t stop kissing me as he moved up my body and rested a fraction of his weight against me. His hand was warm as he cupped my cheek and covered my mouth with his. I could taste us on his lips and tongue, his beard was soaked too. I was so turned on that after the flavour faded from his mouth, I swept my tongue over his chin.

“Fuck,” he groaned, “You taste good, don’t you?”

I hesitated, self-consciousness creeping in and my cheeks burned with embarrassment. Marshall stroked my cheek with his thumb and I opened my eyes and realised that he wasn’t trying to shame me.

“You taste good too,” I said.

He smiled, his lips parting just enough to see his teeth, before he grew a little serious. His hand curled around the back of knee, lifting and opening me again, and he adjusted his body in a way that made me gasp. Poised, and ready, his silky hardness waited, his brows raising just enough to ask the unspoken question.

“Yes,” I murmured.

His mouth was on mine as he slid inside me, our kiss muffling both our moans. We stayed like that, joined and locked together, hungrily swallowing the others whispered words and whimpers. Fingers sought mine, and lacing them together he squeezed, gripping me and releasing me in time with his steady rocking movements.

He knew what he was doing, making sure I could feel every inch of his thick and rigid length, making sure he found that spot that made my breath hitch every time. His breath was coming in harder and heavier, each exhale punctuated by a muted grunt. I couldn’t focus, I had to close my eyes. Fuck, he really knew what he was doing.

“Marshall,” I gasped. I don’t know why I spoke. I was riding close to the edge, any second now and I would fall.

“Yes,” he growled, “Fuck, yes.”

I fell.

[newpathwrites]

Series Masterlist Main Masterlist

VIII. Futures (Epilogue) - Part 1

There was a time, lost and alone in the galaxy as a young Mandalorian, that Jai didn’t imagine they’d even live to see adulthood. And now they lived a life beyond even their wildest childhood dreams. How lucky they were that Din had answered the marshall’s call that fateful day.

Had he not, they would never have found this family, this home, this fulfilled life…

Speaking of the man to whom Jai owed everything, here he was now stepping swiftly toward them, armor impeccable as always despite his tentative retirement.

They met in the middle, more forcefully than intended, embracing fiercely.

Summary: How is our lovely clan doing a few years down the line? Spoiler alert… they’re doing very well!

Note: This chapter deals with a lot! We’re going to look at every member of our little family (though admittedly with a greater focus on Jai and Winta), what they’re doing in the future, and how it all fits into a greater plan.

This chapter will examine Jai’s experience of gender more explicitly through flashbacks of their interactions with Winta over the years. Hint: Winta was instrumental in securing Jai’s identity as they came of age on Sorgan. When Jai was uncomfortable in their body and afraid that nobody would understand, Winta was always there as a quiet ally. And it went both ways - Jai helped Winta through other struggles that weren’t depicted in prior chapters. I hope you all come away from this epilogue better understanding the strength and depth of this relationship and how important it has been to both parties.

Warnings: Discussion of infertility, sexual references, gender dysphoria (and euphoria), references to parental death.

Word count: 5.2k

Read on AO3

____________________

Din awoke to something warm and fuzzy pressed against his forehead, a pair of very familiar claws tapping his cheeks.

“Grogu,” he addressed his ward tiredly.  “I know you’re excited, but can I sleep just a few more minutes?”

The tapping only continued, and Din opened his eyes to look into the larger ones of his son.  “Grogu… use your words, ad’ika.  What do you want?”

The boy huffed in response, raising his little hands in the air as the sheets and blankets went flying off the bed.  “Up now, you will.”

“Hey,” Din admonished him, sitting up and pulling the sheets back up to cover his sleeping riduur.  “No need to wake your mother.”

He took a moment to stretch out his joints.  Age and several long decades of abusing his body were catching up to him.  He was ‘retired’, in a manner of speaking, these days, and that had certainly helped with the chronic tension in his back.  But some mornings, like today, he’d wake up with Grogu dozing on his chest, much of his pain miraculously resolved.

“Thank you, ad’ika,” he told him gratefully.  “But I really wish you’d reserve your powers for more important things.”

Grogu hopped off the bed defiantly and looked up at his father.  He had other priorities at the moment and no interest in discussing his (in his opinion) very reasonable use of the force.

“Come today?  Jai will?”

Din couldn’t help but smile.  “Yeah.  Jai should be here in…” he looked over at the chronometer.  “... just a few hours now.  Why don’t you go next door and see if Winta needs any help while we wait?  It’s getting harder for her now, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he responded with a toothy and knowing grin.  “Help her, I will.  Get up, you will.”

Grogu hopped off, and Din laid his head back down on the pillow.  Perhaps he’d bought himself a few more minutes of sleep.  His son’s excitement was contagious, though.  Stars, he was looking forward to having Jai back home.  He’d really missed the kid.  Though, he supposed, they really weren’t a kid anymore, were they?  And anyway, they’d been an old soul practically since birth.

He knew he’d missed his chance at a few more minutes of relaxation when he heard the front door of the cabin open and close and Winta’s voice floating in from the kitchen.

She hesitated a moment at the bedroom door, whispering, “Is everyone decent?” before waltzing in with Grogu on her hip and a protective hand over her swollen belly.

Din got up quickly, placing a finger over his lips, and guided her out and back into the kitchen as he pulled a shirt over his head.  “Your mother’s sleeping in for once.  She was up all night getting ready… as if Jai will care about the silverware being polished…”

“Well, I couldn’t sleep… too excited,” Winta replied quietly as she started a kettle on the stove for the morning caf.  “I figured Grogu would be awake, so I decided to come over instead of waking up Tov with all of my tossing and turning.  Baby’s kicking up a storm, too.”

“Sit down.  Let me do that.”  Din pulled out a chair and gestured for her to take a seat, his fatherly instincts kicking back in full force in the months since learning of his adoptive daughter’s pregnancy.  

Grogu force jumped out of her arms, and Winta lumbered over but didn’t immediately sit down, reaching out to take Din’s hand and laying it flat over her belly.  “Can you feel that?”

“Yeah.”  His face broke out into a fond smile as he felt the baby’s movement under his hand.  

Winta sometimes couldn’t believe that this was the same man who’d wandered onto their planet over a decade ago, decked out in full armor with a hand perpetually at ready to pull a blaster, a tiny green child he claimed wasn’t his own in tow.  Now he was the picture of a doting grandparent.

“That’s your grandpa, little one,” she murmured, leaning forward to speak over her belly.  “He’s going to teach you all kinds of things… when you’re much much older…”

He chuckled as he helped her lower into her seat.  “You know Mandalorians start training with a blaster at age five…”

“Don’t you even think about it,” she replied firmly.  “Age fifteen… minimum…”

Din pulled the whistling kettle off the burner and poured two cups before setting himself down.  “I suppose I’ll have my hands full training Grogu.”  He turned toward his son.  “You should show Winta what you’ve learned one of these days - fly her to Mandalore.”  

“Yes,” Grogu told her from his perch on the table.  “Fly you, I will.”

Din looked back at Winta.  “He can do that now.”  

She smiled - Din’s pride in his foundling, technically her older brother, was very sweet.  “After the baby’s born, Grogu - I’ve been wanting to visit Mandalore and see it for myself.”

“Oh…” Din suddenly interjected. “Bo-Katan sent me a message last night.  Jai’s climate reconstitution system is working.  The test area is almost completely un-glassed.  If this works, well… So many planets destroyed by the Empire could be rebuilt.”

Winta nodded approvingly and let out a soft chuckle.  “Jai will be elated to hear that, though I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Nope.  Not in the slightest,” Din agreed with a trademark shake of his head.

_______________________________________

Din let Omera sleep well into the late morning.  She’d been running herself ragged between helping prepare for the baby, which could come any day now, and Jai’s impending visit.  Though Winta had begun to take over some of her mother’s responsibilities within the village, she was physically limited at the moment by her very pregnant state, and Omera had been insistent on continuing to do it all, refusing Din’s every offer of assistance.

Stars, she was going to be livid…

“Din.  Djarin.  How could you let me sleep so late?”

He huffed and rolled his eyes toward Winta, who stifled a giggle, before turning around in his chair to face his wife.  “Omera.  You look well rested, Cyare.”

“Don’t you ‘cyare’ me…  There’s too much to do before Jai gets here!”

“Like what?” he asked, getting up from the table and standing before her.

“Well,” she started.  “I need to fill the water basins…”

“Done.”

“And we still need to put the crib together…”

“Tov and I did it yesterday.”

Omera was losing the argument, and she knew it.  She knew she should be grateful, but… she just needed everything to be perfect.

“The stew?” she asked with much less furor.

“It’s already simmering at my place,” Winta told her from the table.  “Relax, Mama.  Everything is under control.  You need rest, too.” 

Omera looked down at her feet for a moment.  Her voice broke slightly as she looked back up, tears filling her eyes.  “I just… need to be useful…”

What in the galaxy…?  This woman practically carried a small planet on her shoulders.

“Omera,” Din murmured, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her body as she cried.  “In what universe are you ever not useful?  What’s really going on, Cyare?”

Behind him, he was vaguely aware of Winta hoisting her body up and out of her chair, whispering to Grogu to follow her out the door to give them privacy.

Omera looked at him through the tears, responding with a despairing tone.  “I’m old, Din.”

“You’re not old…”

She inhaled sharply and averted her gaze before sharing the full truth, one that had been bothering her since seeing the medic in town a few weeks back.  “I’m going through the change.”

Din had to think for a moment about what that even meant.  Menopause - that was it, he was rather sure.  Admittedly, he didn’t know much about it… but it didn’t seem like any good reason to run oneself into the ground.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“I feel fine, Din,” she replied with annoyance.  “But soon I’ll be old and useless…. And gray… and ugly… and you won’t be attracted to me anymore…”

He gave her a quizzical expression, smirking as he asked her dryly, “I’m already gray, Omera.  Do you no longer find me beautiful?”

His monotone delivery did her in.  Ah, that dry humor she loved so much.  It was hard not to smile at that, and she felt her mouth turning up against her will.  And of course, she still found him exceedingly handsome.  “You know what I mean, Din.  It’s different for women…”

“Well,” he responded matter-of-factly.  “It’s not different for me.  How about…” he started, putting on a slightly suggestive expression that was almost comical on this perpetually serious man.  “I spend tonight showing you how beautiful and valuable you are to me?  Grogu can stay with Jai in the barn - they’ll want to catch up, anyway.”

“Oh?” she replied coyly.  “How will you show me, Din?”

Got him.  That wiped the smirk from his face as his cheeks went pink with embarrassment.  After all these years, he was still shy about speaking of their intimate activities out loud.  “Don’t make me say it, please.”  

“Will you ravage me?” she asked, eyes sparkling with amusement.

“I don’t… ravage…”

“Or perhaps you’ll make love to me…”

He cleared his throat, one of his only nervous tells.  “I will… that… yes…”

_______________________________________

As Winta lumbered over to her own cabin and set Grogu to work watching over the stew, her thoughts turned to Jai - her slightly older sibling… and truly her best friend.

Jai was different from anyone Winta had ever met.  They were unbelievably smart - and yet never once made Winta feel unintelligent.  They were strong and fierce as any good Mandalorian should be - and yet soft-spoken and kind at the very same time.

When Winta first approached Jai about training, she’d almost expected them to laugh in her face.  Winta was meant to be a farmer, not a protector.  She hadn’t nearly the strength or determination of her mother and certainly not that of her adoptive father.

But Jai didn’t laugh.  They responded to her inquiry with complete seriousness, wanting to understand her goals and gauging how they could help.  Winta’s training began that very day, starting with skills so basic that it was nearly embarrassing in front of a fully trained Mandalorian - but Jai would have none of that nonsense.  

“Everyone has to start somewhere, Winta.  When you’ve got the basics down, we’ll go to Din.  He can train you better than anyone.”

“Do you really think I can do this?” she questioned.  “You’re not just humoring me?”

“Of course not,” they responded simply.  “Din was a foundling, and so was I.  We weren’t born into this - we were taught.  And you can be, too.”

Jai, in fact, had taught Winta many things over the years.  When she struggled with the relatively basic mathematics taught to the older children in the village lessons, mostly that relevant to managing the farming ponds and related finances, it was Jai who worked through it with her, never once making Winta feel stupid or inferior.

Winta had been so embarrassed when Jai found her crying over her worksheets, ones that even some of the younger children had finished with ease.  Jai read about things like quantum physics - basic math was nothing to them.  But they insisted on helping, telling her that she just needed a frame of reference.

“It just doesn’t make any logical sense to me, Jai.  Add this, subtract that, carry this… I can’t remember the order… and I don’t see how these random steps lead to an answer…”

“It’s not random,” Jai said calmly, turning the paper over and taking the pencil from Winta’s hand.  “I’ll show you.  Let’s draw it out.”

It had been a brief window into Jai’s way of thinking - and suddenly it did all make perfect sense.  Stars, how Winta had wished that her brain could work like that.

Winta laughed lightly to herself, recalling some of their more recent, long-distance escapades.

She had confided to Jai on a holocall one day when she was feeling particularly low, that despite her and Tov engaging in plenty of baby-making activity over many months, she had been unable to conceive.  All she had ever wanted was to be a mother, and she was starting to worry it would never happen.

Jai couldn’t relate, being averse to sex… and relationships… and babies… 

But they would do just about anything for Winta - the kindest soul in the galaxy and one who had provided unshakeable support through some very awkward teenage years.

Medical resources on Sorgan were severely limited, so in their spare time, Jai had been doing some research on Winta’s behalf.  They suggested natural remedies and timing methods, trying to keep their expression of disgust regarding the ‘frequency’ topic to a minimum.

“Oh, stars…” they started, flipping through a book on natural conception methods while chatting with Winta by holo.  “You owe me for this - I need to wash my eyes out.”

“What is it?” Winta chuckled.

Jai held the book up so that Winta could see.  “Have you tried this position?”

Winta couldn’t help but laugh.  “I haven’t, but we’ll give it a go.”

“Please… don’t tell me about it.”

Winta had not told Jai about her subsequent pregnancy and had asked the rest of the family to keep the secret - the timing of Jai’s visit to Sorgan was perfect for a surprise.

“Hey,” Tov interrupted her daydreaming with an affectionate knock of her shoulder.  “Ship just made landfall.  Ready for the big reveal?”

“Yeah,” Winta nodded, turning toward her husband with a joyful smile.  “Let’s do it.”

_______________________________________

Jai had to wade through nearly the entire village’s population before they managed to reach their waiting family, the small community eager to welcome them home after several years away to continue their studies in the core.

It was surreal to recall that they had once been a newcomer to this place, a terrified and lonely teenager cast out of their tribe, serendipitously falling into the lap of their trusted beroya.  And now they were living the same in-between life as that man - one outside the creed and yet ever devoted to their people.

While Jai’s ultimate path had led them to an academic career in environmental science, their true goal was to support small planets like Sorgan whose sustenance was being affected by climate changes, as well as those which had suffered severe atmospheric damage at the hands of the Empire.  As such, they’d become the official environmental consultant to both of their ‘home’ planets and even held a titled position on Mandalore, awarded by Bo-Katan herself, a valued mentor when it came to the political aspects of implementing their work throughout the Republic.

There was a time, lost and alone in the galaxy as a young Mandalorian, that Jai didn’t imagine they’d even live to see adulthood.  And now they lived a life beyond even their wildest childhood dreams.  How lucky they were that Din had answered the marshall’s call that fateful day.  

Had he not, they would never have found this family, this home, this fulfilled life…

Speaking of the man to whom Jai owed everything, here he was now stepping swiftly toward them, armor impeccable as always despite his tentative retirement.

They met in the middle, more forcefully than intended, embracing fiercely.

“Stars, Jai,” Din said, valiantly fighting back tears in this public setting.  “You’ve been gone way too long.  We’ve missed you, ad’ika.”

“I know, Din,” they replied, subtly sniffling.  “I’m so glad to be back.”

Jai was soon greeted by Grogu, quite literally launching himself into their arms and gripping each side of Jai’s face.

“Missed you, I have.”

“Same, Grogu,” they returned affectionately.  “You’ve grown several inches since the last time I was here.  We’ll spar later, huh?  You can show me what you can do these days.”

Grogu smirked.  “Beat you, I will…”

“I don’t doubt it for a second, vod.”

Omera’s voice took their attention then.

“Jai!”

She’d been wrapped up in a task when word came of Jai’s arrival and was now running toward them as fast as her feet could carry her.

Jai met her in a few long strides, and she immediately looked over their unarmored form, the mother she was, making sure they were well and nourished and fully intact after being away from home for so long.

“Oh, sweetheart.  We have missed you so much…”

Unlike Din, Omera allowed the tears to flow freely as she embraced them in an excessively long hug.

“Omera, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you all.  This trip is long overdue.”

She pulled back to look at them again, holding their shoulders as she puzzled over something.  “You look different…”. Her expression shifted as she suddenly registered what had changed, and she looked up directly into their eyes before adjusting her phrasing.  

“You look good, Jai… you look like you…”

Jai’s eyes threatened to spill with tears - they’d worried so much about this moment.

“Thank you… buir…”

Omera squeezed their shoulders lovingly before stepping aside.  There was one more person Jai needed to greet.

Scratch that - two, apparently.

“Welcome home, Jai,” Tov said with warmth, smiling that boyishly handsome grin of his.

Jai took his forearm in a strong handshake.

“It’s good to see you, Tov.  Where’s Winta?  No offense, but she’s top priority.”

“None taken - she’s waiting for you in the barn,” he laughed.  “And hey, I promised you I’d take good care of her, and I have.  I just want you to know that.”

Jai huffed.  “Unfortunately, I know a bit too much about just how well you’ve taken care of her…”

Tov turned an endearing shade of pink at that.

“Gods, Jai.  Still blunt as ever, huh?  Just go on, now - she’s got a surprise for you.”

Jai clapped him affectionately on the shoulder before heading toward the barn, adding quietly to themself, “Oh, I’ve got a surprise for her, too.”

_______________________________________

Jai couldn’t help but reflect as they walked toward the barn to finally see their beloved sister in person.  They were about to share something big - something that might not have ever happened without Winta’s support and tacit acceptance.

Gender had always felt like a complicated thing for Jai - not so much inwardly, but rather outwardly in their interactions with the world.  But Winta always managed to make it so simple.  She was the only person, perhaps along with Omera, that Jai never had to explain themselves to.  Their gender, or lack thereof, simply was… no questions, no doubt.

Jai remembered the first time it happened like yesterday.  A young child, who certainly didn’t know any better, had approached Jai not long after their arrival on the planet and asked why she always wore her helmet.

Without missing a beat, a then 13 year-old Winta had responded kindly, “This is Jai, Saul.  They wear a helmet because they’re a Mandalorian, just like Din.  Understand?”

“Yeah.  Their armor looks neat.  I like it.”

Winta had never even asked why - just followed Din’s lead in using gender neutral terms, accepting it without further question.

“I’m not a girl,” Jai said softly as the child skipped away.  “Well, technically I am… I guess, but… I’m not…”

“You’re not a girl,” Winta stated simply, shrugging.  There was nothing more to say.

In the following years, puberty had taken its toll, increasing Jai’s discomfort with their own body which had become outwardly much more feminine.

Winta had stumbled upon them crying over their wardrobe one day, and Jai had shared their turmoil.  Women’s clothes fit to their chest far too much, but men’s clothes didn’t look right with their proportions, either.  Even their chest plate didn’t fit properly anymore, but they certainly couldn’t tell Din about it…

That night, for the first and only time, Winta went behind Jai’s back to inform her mother of their struggles, and by the next morning, all of Jai’s shirts had been let out in the chest by Omera’s expert hands.

It seemed Omera had also let it slip to Din that Jai’s armor should be modified to give a bit more breathing room as they continued to grow but perhaps without the typical contours of the female chest plate.  On their next visit to Trask, it was done, no questions asked.

The covert had always been respectful, but this was the kind of quiet, genuine support for which Jai had always longed.

And it helped… at first…  But the truth was that Jai didn’t want this feminine body at all.  Every day they grew more uncomfortable until they finally snapped, unable to tolerate it any longer.

They’d read about chest binding and decided to give it a try one day with some spare fabric they’d found in the storage closet.

They made a fatal error, though, in neglecting to lock the door - nobody ever came out here this early, and on those rare occasions, the intruder would always knock before coming in.  

Well… except Winta…

“Jai…” Winta addressed them in surprise as they stood half-clothed with the fabric wrapped tightly around their chest.  “What are you doing?”  She sounded… appalled…

Jai’s face burned hot with shame, and tears stung their eyes.  What were they thinking?  Now Winta probably thought them perverse. 

But of course not…

“Jai… come on…”  Winta walked toward them and took the free edge of the fabric in her hands.  “You’re going to hurt yourself if you do it this way.  Unwrap this, and we’ll do it properly.”

Jai didn’t even know what to say.  They just watched Winta in wonder as she calmly loosened and laid flat the bindings without a single word of further commentary.

“There,” she said finally as she tucked in the corner.  “Does that feel comfortable?”

“Winta…”

They were still at a loss for words.

“I know, Jai.  It’s okay.  You don’t have to do everything alone.”

From then on, they didn’t.  It was oddly freeing to let go of that stubborn brand of stoicism, ingrained in them from childhood.  But Winta had proved herself a safe space - one where Jai never had to hide.

Jai and Winta shared everything with each other in the coming years as they approached adulthood - every fear, every hope, every conflict, every joy… no matter how strange or awkward.

Well, Jai supposed, they weren’t too old yet for just one more…

_______________________________________

They paused just outside the barn door, taking a single calming breath before unlatching and pushing it open, addressing their sibling in nervous anticipation.

“Winta?”

“Jai…”

Both stopped dead in their tracks as they took in the other’s unexpected appearance, gasping in mild shock.  Jai’s mouth hung open in surprise and delight, while Winta’s hand covered her own, the other resting on her swollen belly.

Their eyes finally met across the small space, happy tears brimming.

Jai moved first, crossing to where Winta was standing, hands hesitantly extending out to hold her stomach.  “Winta… you’re… why didn’t you tell me?” they stammered.

Winta smiled tearfully.  “I wanted to surprise you.”

“Mission accomplished,” they joked, letting out a wet laugh.  “Oh, my stars… Are you happy, vod’ika?”

“I’m so happy, Jai.  And I’m so glad you’ll be here to meet them.  You’re going to be a ba'vodu.”

“I like the sound of that,” they replied, smiling fondly.  “You’re going to be an amazing mother.  I just know it.  And Tov will be a great dad.  You both were meant for this I think.”

“Thank you… but enough about me,” Winta huffed, moving her hands to Jai’s shoulders and looking again over their form.  “You look so… right… Why didn’t you tell me you were getting the surgery?  I would have…”

“You would have dropped everything and come to Coruscant to take care of me…” Jai interrupted, smirking lightly.

“Well… yes…”

“I didn’t want you all to worry.  And Omera would have driven me to insanity with her hovering - you know that’s true.”

“Mama does have that way about her, doesn’t she?”  Winta chuckled.  “But you shouldn’t have had to go through that alone.  You must have needed help while you healed.”

Jai blushed slightly before responding timidly, “I wasn’t alone…”

Winta’s eyes narrowed, sparkling with excitement.  “Oh…?”

“It’s not like that,” Jai huffed, shaking their head slightly.  “It’s platonic.  But… she’s a very… close friend.  We have an understanding.”

Winta nodded approvingly.  “I’m glad you have someone, Jai.  I’ve been so worried that you were isolated out there, but I guess you had company all along.  I hope I can meet her sometime.”

“Definitely.  I think you two will get along very well.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about her while you’re here,” Winta grinned.  “But first… has this made you happy?”

Winta was clearly referring to Jai’s surgery - one leaving them with a blessedly flat chest after years of simmering dysphoria.

Jai smiled broadly.  

“It feels so much better, Winta.  I wish I’d done this sooner.”

“Good.  I’m glad.”

Winta linked her arm through Jai’s, joking as they walked together toward the door.

“Mama’s been on a rampage preparing for your visit.  We’d better get back to the hut before she sends Grogu to levitate us out of here.”

_______________________________________

 Jai had never imagined that a lively family dinner could bring them so much joy, but here they were, and it was wonderful.  They had missed this so much.

They decided right then and there, as they looked around at their growing family eating and chatting around the small table, that this trip would be have to be extended by a few weeks more.

For once, Omera remained at the table, Din insisting that she sit and catch up with Jai while he handled the food and dishes.  After all, he would likely spend many evenings up late with his adult foundling, engrossed as was their custom in a kind of conversation only two kindred souls with a shared upbringing could share.  They would have plenty of time.

Meanwhile, Grogu sat perched on Jai’s shoulder, unwilling to separate from his sorely missed sibling for even a moment, contributing to the conversation here and there.  It was really unbelievable to see how much the small child had really grown up in the last few years.

Winta and Tov watched on with fond and genuine smiles, Winta gently stroking her swollen belly while her husband’s arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.  

Jai was glad to see that Tov had integrated as he had into the family.  Tov’s own parents had succumbed several years ago to illness, leaving him alone in a way, much like Jai themself at one time.  It was in his grief, as Din and Omera had taken responsibility for their young, then just barely adult neighbor’s welfare, that Tov’s relationship with Winta had finally blossomed.  And now he was just as much a member of this clan as any of them.

Din and Omera sure had a knack for collecting children, didn’t they?

“Hey,” Winta whispered across the table to Jai as her mother finally stood to join Din in the kitchen, wrapping her arms around his middle for a moment.  “I think those two need some alone time.  Why don’t we all go sit on the porch?  It’s nice out tonight.  We can stargaze… like old times.”

Well, that sounded lovely.  And Jai definitely didn’t miss the thinly veiled innuendo in regards to ‘alone time’.  “Oh Gods, yes.  Let’s get out of here as quickly as possible.”

Tov couldn’t help but chuckle as he made to help haul Winta out of her seat.  He didn’t really understand Jai’s complete and total aversion to all things carnal, but they were certainly consistent about it.  To be completely honest, it only made him grow to love Jai all the more for everything they’d done to help him and Winta successfully conceive this very much desired child.  To put your loved ones’ happiness above your own discomfort - that was true family, and he felt very fortunate to call himself a member of this one.

_______________________________________

“Alright, Jai,” Winta smirked, leaning back between Tov’s legs where he sat behind her on the porch, lightly massaging her shoulders.  “I believe there’s someone you need to tell us about, vod…”

“No way,” Tov perked up instantly, reaching over to give Jai a playful shove on the shoulder.  “You’ve got yourself a special someone in Coruscant?  Tell us everything.”

Jai was thankful for the darkness as their face burned with embarrassment.  This was an unusual feeling for them.

“Is this how it’s going to be from now on, huh?” Jai asked in mock annoyance trying to draw attention away from their self-consciousness and continuing to gently stroke Grogu’s ears where he dozed in their lap.  “You two ganging up on me?”

Tov raised his eyebrows.  “It sure is…”  But then he smiled fondly.  “I really do want to know.  Genuinely - promise.  I didn’t think you liked people… that way…”

“Well, I don’t.  It’s not like that.”  

“Tell us how it is, then,” Winta prodded.  “Are you simply friends?  Something more?”

Jai took a moment to think about how to explain this.  It wasn’t exactly conventional.  But if anyone would understand, it was their family.

“She is a very good friend,” Jai started.  “But it’s something different from friendship, too.  She feels like a partner in a way… or like family…”

“Do you live together?” Tov asked.

“No… but we have talked about it.  Convenience and all that…”

“Ok, so…” Winta ventured.  “If you were to live together, would you have separate rooms?  Or share a bed?”

Jai smirked.  They knew exactly where Winta was headed with this line of questioning.

“Separate rooms, Winta.  I think you could have guessed that.”

“My wife is beating around the bush here, so I’m just going to rip off the bandage.”  Tov paused for a second, suddenly realizing such a question of Jai might not be such a good idea.  But oh, well - he was committed.  “Are you intimate?  Hug?  Kiss?  Cuddle?  Anything like that?”

“Maker, Tov,” Jai huffed, looking up at the night sky in a small bit of mortification.  They were thankful, though, that he knew better than to ask about anything more.  “There is a level of physical affection… but nothing more than I might do with any of you.”

“That’s significant, Jai,” Winta was very serious now.  “I’ve never seen you comfortable touching anyone outside of this family.”

“Yeah…”  Jai responded, as if they’d not really thought about it before.  “I suppose it is significant…”

“Tell us how you met.”  Tov was serious now, too.  The entire village worried after Jai while they were so far from home, and it was a balm to his own heartache at Jai’s distance to know they weren’t really alone out there.

The three talked and reminisced well into the late hours of the night after putting Grogu to bed in the barn, allowing Din and Omera a full evening alone.  It almost made Jai want to stay here in Sorgan forever.

Almost.

Because their heart now rested in two very different places.  One half with their family here in the outer rim… and the other with both a very special friend and their life’s work in Coruscant.

Maybe a better balance could be attained, though…  Something to consider.

_______________________________________

To be continued…

[catierambles]

Despite what police procedurals would have you believe, an actual police station was pretty boring 90% of the time. If they didn't have a call out, or were working on a case, most of them were just sitting around, either doing paperwork or watching streaming services on their phones, if you didn't have a hobby, that is. Most adopted a hobby of some kind that allowed them to work on something for vast portions of the day just so they didn't go insane, and there were group chats for coworkers suggesting their current hyperfixation and providing helpful links to learning resources.

Walter was sitting at his desk, going over guides for figurine painting, when there was a knock on the door.

"Yeah." He called out and it opened.

"Hey, LT." He heard and looked up to see one of the desk Sergeants in his doorway. She had been there for a few months now and was good at her job.

"What's up?" He asked and she came into the office, a bundle in her hands. "Whatcha got there?"

"Something for you."

"For me?" He asked and she nodded.

"I noticed your fondness for sweaters so I decided to make you something. I always have extra yarn laying around from one project or another." She said and he did recall passing by her desk, seeing her working on something with a crochet hook, a bowl of yarn next to her. He had stopped to watch her a couple times for only a few moments before it became weird, noting the deftness of her fingers and the speed at which she worked, telling him it wasn't just something she picked up to pass the time and was something she'd been doing for a while.

"How'd you get my measurements?"

"I eyeballed it." She admitted with a shrug and approached the desk, handing him the thick bundle. He stood, shaking out the folded sweater, noting the cable pattern she had woven into it. The fabric itself was dense, but soft, the yarn dark with flecks of tan and grey.

"This is great. You made this?" He looked up to see her nod.

"You mind trying it on?" She asked, "I want to make sure I got the dimensions right and the drape isn't off. It looked fine on me, but you're bigger than I am." She had tried it on herself before bringing it to him, and he wondered, briefly, either from genuine interest, or loneliness, whether or not she had been wearing anything under it when she had.

Focus, Marshall.

Laying the sweater on his desk, he pulled off the store bought one he was been wearing, the t-shirt he was wearing underneath riding up a little and he didn't catch the way her eyes had moved over his muscular stomach covered in a layer of dark hair. Throwing the sweater next to the one she made, he picked it up and pulled it on, adjusting the bottom hem.

"Sleeves are a bit long." She noted, seeing how the cuffs hit around the knuckles of his hand. He pushed the sleeves up his forearms like he usually did. "Nevermind. How's it feel around the chest and shoulders? Too tight? Too loose?"

"Feels perfect." He said, moving his arms to check his range of motion. "Definitely will keep me warm."

"Mission accomplished, then." She said, "I'm glad you like it."

"Why make me one?"

"Something to do." She said with a shrug, but he had a feeling it was more than that. "I should head back to my desk. Later."

"Yeah." Walter said, "See you later."

[verdantmeadows]

I've been meaning to post this for a bit, but, in the (live action) TV shows I often see in the background that my mom watches (shows like hospital shows, drama shows), the amount of interracial couples, even if the characters are very racially/ethnically diverse, is incredibly small. Not only that, but black characters usually end up with black characters, latine ones with latine ones, white ones with white ones, Asian ones with Asian ones....and honestly not much consideration for people who might not fit into those categories, but, if they are in the show, almost always with each other. If there is an interracial couple, it is usually of people with similar skin tones. Seeing a dark-skinned character with a light-skinned character is very rare. And this makes me so, so sad. Normalization of interracial couples has so far to go. As a kid, I truly thought it wasn't something most people cared about. But as I've grown older, I've learned that most families do care, whether on a small or large level, if their child is in an interracial relationship. Much of many societies do. Within any group or community of any race/ethnicity, it is almost always generally frowned upon or completely acceptable to make jokes about those or directly to those in interracial relationships.

In my experience with ("Western") cartoons, interracial couples are far more common, although still not as common as I think they should or could be. But I am very happy about every year they get more prominent. I do not usually watch live action TV shows, so I don't have as much experience with them, but I think it's often common for cartoons to be more recognizably diverse in their characters, ranging from things like sexuality, gender identity, disability, race/ethnicity, and more (although this still is far from where it should and could be).

That's just a really long amount of text to preface a relationship that means a lot to me that has come about recently, and is canon. In Fionna and Cake, we see a gay M/M couple, which is incredibly rare in cartoons (and if it does occur, usually only happens between gay dads, for meaningless background characters, or is immediately sidelined—I can only think of one gay M/M couple in "Western" cartoons that isn't the first two and is then immediately sidelined). Gay men (as in all MLM) are incredibly underrepresented in cartoons (and in general). All forms of queer people are, but gay men are noticeably represented less in comparison to other queer people, especially in cartoons.

Not only are they a gay M/M couple, they are also an interracial couple and one with a very visible difference with their skin tones. Marshall Lee is inarguably a black person, and Gary is presumably a white person. And their relationship is so, so cute and healing. They are truly loving towards each other. They are supportive. They are incredibly relevant to the plot, not sidelined, and are given their time to shine. We get to see a visible, gay male, interracial couple. One of them is even likely bisexual, and the other commonly and easily relatable to autistic people. They are an on-screen couple. They are relevant. This is the first time the part of me that's MLM has actually felt and been represented in a cartoon that didn't make me feel belittled or frustrated. I'm so, so happy from this.

I have seen very few people talk about how genuinely revolutionary this relationship is for the representation of queer men and queer men of color as well as for interracial and interracial queer relationships. In fact, I've seen many QUEER people be frustrated or upset by it, feeling as if it takes away from other queer people and queer relationships in the particular show/series, which is disheartening.

However, rather than focus on the negatives (although I think it's important to examine why those might come about), I want to focus on the positives. This is genuinely such an amazing push in representation on so many levels that we have. And I am so, so happy about it. I can't even express it in words. I hope that there are other people out there who realize just how big of a deal their relationship was. I am genuinely astounded by it. I don't have much more to say, so I'll just end this post with an image of them.

[therealcocoshady]

Kinktober - Day 3 - Pet Play (Part 1)

Kinktober 2024 Masterlist

A/N : Hey guys ! I'm a couple of hours late for Kinktober Day 3 but here it is ! The prompt is pet play. I actually got really inspired by it and as it turns out, I got somewhat ambitious and it is a long one. I'm not done with it so I will be releasing it in two parts. That way, you can still have something to enjoy on the day of 🤭. Please mind that this is my personal take on pet play, which is informed by reading that I have done on the subject. This kink can look different depending on people's dynamic ! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it ❤️

Part 2

CW : pet play, implied d/s dynamic, soft domination, vanilla

« Honestly, I wouldn’t mind being someone’s pet ». Little did you know these joking words would be the end of you. 

You’d known Marshall for a little while. You had quite a few friends in common and, in spite of your age difference, you had become quite close. You namely shared a love for music and a questionable humor, as well as a knack for pushing the jokes a little too far. Everyone you knew said that the two of you had a chaotic duo energy but they had to admit that it was very distracting. It was all dark humor and banter. You always made fun of each other and you were never short on jokes that capitalized on his status as a lonely, single fifty something man with an hermit reputation. The age thing and relationship status were true. However, he was far from being lonely, or an hermit. Still, you enjoyed teasing him. You were spending the afternoon at his place, just the two of you, browsing through his cassette collection and discussing the latest hip-hop drama, when he made a snarky comment in passing about your recent breakup. Something about your relationships never lasting too long because of you being impossible. « That’s a lot of nerve for someone who’s been single for what ? Four, five years ? At least I’m putting myself out there. You should try that sometimes. », you clapped back. « I didn’t- I mean… You know. I’m just saying you don’t know how to pick guys that can actually handle you. », he tentatively clarified. « I’m not impossible », you argued. « For these dudes, you are », he hummed. « Whatever », you sighed. « Why don’t we focus on you, huh ? You talk as if you were such a big relationship expert buy you’re the lonely, single one. I still have a bunch of options. You, on the other hand…». He stared at you with an amused look on his face. « I’m all good, thank you for your concern, Y/N », he said calmly. You chortled and mumbled something inaudible, causing him to sigh. « To be fair, I’d rather be alone than have to deal with the whole relationship thing », he stated. « So… You don’t miss dating ? Like… You’re ok with the possibility of ending up alone ? » you asked with a raised eyebrow. 

«Yeah I wouldn’t mind some company but I don’t care about it that much », he shrugged. « Besides… Just because I’m not dating doesn’t mean I’m lonely. ». You hummed. Ultimately, Marshall’s dating life was none of your business. But as his friend, even though you sometimes joked about it, you didn’t want him to be alone. You knew him enough to know that, even though his family and friends kept his social life fulfilled, he could easily get into his own head. In truth, you were concerned. « How about a pet ? » you suggested with a smile. « I wouldn’t be a good pet owner, especially now that it’s just me at home » he chuckled. « I work too much. And I’m not sure it’d be too happy here ». You let out a giggle and looked around you. He had this massive mansion all to himself and you could definitely imagine a couple of cats or dogs living their best life. « Yeah, you’re right. Huge houses usually don’t make great spaces for pets » you said sarcastically. He shook his head and smiled. « Here’s the issue : if I want some live-in company, I’d need something as independent as a human being but as easy and docile as a pet » he chuckled. You hummed in understanding, thinking to yourself that this man was definitely too complicated. You already knew it but sometimes, it showed more. « Too bad it doesn’t exist. Maybe we wouldn’t have to deal with you being all cranky if it did » you joked. « I mean, it does. It’s just hard to find the right match » he shrugged evasively. « Huh ? » you asked with a raised eyebrow. « I mean, you know. Like… Different kinds of pets » he hummed. You still didn’t get it. You stared intently, waiting for him to elaborate. But he didn’t. « Like… robots ? » you asked. The question made him laugh, as if you had said some sort of joke. « I know you’re younger, but I didn’t think you’d be so innocent » he chortled. « Like what ? I really don’t get it ! » you defended yourself. « Like pet play, Y/N. That’s what I’m saying. Like… Real people being pets, it’s a thing». You ket out a giggle. « You mean people dressing up in the bedroom for some kinky shit ? » you asked jokingly. « I mean, yeah, that exists. But some people go kind of deeper than that. Even in non-sexual ways. They just have that relationship with someone, where they let go of tension, responsibilities, and they let the other person direct them and care for them ». You hummed, understanding a little better. In truth, you hadn’t really heard of that before. « So they’re treated… like an animal ? Like, they’re fine with being treated like a dog ? » you asked with your eyebrows furrowed. « Some people actually enjoy that. But it’s not so much about feeling like an animal. It’s just letting go, trusting someone to be responsible for your wellbeing. Like, they have rules, boundaries, and they can unwind ». You nodded, finding that it actually made some sense. « You seem to know a lot about this, old man », you teased. He shook his head and gave you an enigmatic smile. « I’m 51. I know a lot about a lot of things. ». You hummed again and chuckled. « That doesn’t seem so terrible. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind being someone’s pet. Maybe it’d help with the constant noise in my head. ». He stared at you intently and chortled. « Right. You. A pet. » he said mockingly. « What’s that ? You don’t believe me ? What are you saying exactly ? » you asked, falsely offended. 

« You’re an agent of chaos, that’s what I’m saying », he chuckled softly. « I’ve been friends with you long enough to know you’d suck as a pet. You just don’t have what it takes ». You crossed your arms, almost vexed by his comment. You couldn’t exactly deny being rather skilled as an agent of chaos, but there was no way in hell you would let him say you weren’t good enough. « You think you know me that well, huh ? », you challenged him. « Maybe I’m not the problem, you know ». He raised an eyebrow. « Meaning ? », he asked, as if to make sure he understood the implication quite right. « You heard me », you said defiantly. « You’re would suck as a pet but, really, you’re the one who wouldn’t have what it takes ». His eyes opened a little wider and he scoffed, shifting to an assured stance. « Is that right ? », he asked. « Oh yeah », you teased.  « You wouldn’t be up to the challenge ». There. You had said them. The magic words that, you knew, flipped a switch inside of his brain. In the few years you’d known him, you had come to learn that Marshall didn’t deal well with people doubting him. And, petty as you were, you didn’t shy away from using that against him from time to time. « You know what ? Let’s settle this. I’ll show you », he challenged. You froze for a second because laughing. « Show me what ? » you asked. « That I’m up to the challenge », he replied. « I’ll prove to you that I’d be quite skilled as a master. You’re the one who would not last a day ». Now, you were the one being provoked. You crossed your arms and tilted your head, gesturing for him to elaborate. « You try being my pet for 24 hours. We’ll see who lasts longer. You or me. Then, you’ll now if you’re terrible as a pet or if I suck as a master. Deal ? ». You stared Ito his baby blue eyes. 

« What’s at stake ? » you inquired with a raised eyebrow. « Honor », he simply shrugged. « That’s the answer of someone who knows he’s going to eat his words », you teased. He looked at you and let out a sardonic chuckle. « Alright, smart-ass, what do you want ? » he asked, seemingly dubious. « Amazing Fantasy #15 » you immediately replied. He let out a laugh and shook his head, as if you had just made a joke. You stared at him with your arms crossed, standing on business. « Do you even know how much this thing costs ? » he challenged. Only you did know how much it cost. That comic book was a rarity, a holy grail. One he kept somewhere in a safe and had always refused to let you borrow, arguing that you were way too clumsy to be trusted with the diamond of his collection. « Last one that was auctioned was sold for over three million. I know. », you answered matter-of-factly. « Though rumor has it that you paid a third of that price for yours», you added. « We’re not betting a million dollar-worth comic book over some stupid pet play joke », he warned. « Relax, grandpa. I’m not suggesting you hand it over. I just want custody of it for a week. », you said. « Two hours. With gloves and supervision. », he counter-offered. « Two days. Here. No supervision. I’ll agree to the gloves. Besides… I thought you were confident. Are you backing down, old man ? », you grinned. « Put some respect on your owner’s name, pet » he grinned as he extended his hand. « You got yourself a deal. But if I win, I want your imperial star destroyer ». You stared into defiantly into his eyes and shook his hand, determined to make him eat his words and win your bet. Not only were you a sore loser and you really wanted to read that comic book, but now that the most precious item of your Lego collection was at stake, you absolutely refused to let him win. « You’re not my owner », you said. « Not until next weekend, that is », he replied with a grin. 

The two of you had agreed that the bet would start on Friday evening at 8PM and that you’d have to be a docile pet for a whole 24 hours. You’d spend the weekend at his place, which wouldn’t be the first time, since he often had people over. You hung out with him often and you’d stayed over in the past. His huge mansion was the perfect place for entertaining people and he tended to take advantage of that. In the preceding days, you had done research on the pet play dynamic, trying to figure out what you should expect. It appeared to be quite a spectrum, with various roles and possibilities. You had agreed to leave the details to Marshall and, although you inherently trusted him, you sort of counted on him to be an asshole to some extent. That being said, you’d previously had a conversation regarding limits, so you knew he was aware of things you absolutely wouldn’t agree to. He was one of your closest friends and he knew you pretty well anyway. That being said, you were a little curious as to what he had planned. Knowing him and his knack for making fun of you, you almost expected pranks. You wouldn’t put it past him to have dress you in some silly outfit and have you eat from a dog bowl.

When you arrived at his place, you greeted him with a hug, as usual. He took your bag and you went to sit on the couch. « I’m surprised you haven’t already bailed » he gently teased. « You know I’m not a quitter, Mathers. Besides… I really want to read that comic book. » you replied with a grin. He hummed and moved a little closer to you. « So, we’re doing this, huh ? » he asked. « Unless you already want to-» you began. « I’m good, pet » he cut you. « Let’s see if you can handle it for a day ». You looked at him defiantly, willing to show you were absolutely not willing to back down. « Bring it on, old man. Whatever you have planned, I can and will handle » you said. He chuckled and walked to fetch something from a drawer. « I figured you’d need something to fully get into it » he said with a grin as he handed you a collar with a little bell on it, as well as a pair of clip-on cat ears. You gave him a side-eye. You knew he would do something corny like this. Still, you weren’t one to fold, so you immediately put them on. « How do I look ? » you asked. « Pretty cute » he admitted. « So, we’ve established that I’m going to be a cat ? » you asked. He shook his head and shrugged, as it it didn’t really matter. «Pets don’t talk, now, do they ? », he asked with a playful grin. « So be a good girl and shut up unless I ask you something or allow you to speak, alright ? », he added. You pursed your lips and stared at him, tempted to run your mouth, but you ended up nodding, not without a slight eye-roll. He chuckled and cupped your jaw, stroking your cheek with his thumb. « Good girl », he softly praised. « And since I’m nice, I’ll pretend I didn’t notice you rolling your eyes ». You were used to having physical contact with Marshall. As a friend, he wasn’t one to be stingy with hugs. But this was different. It was caring and warm and intimate. You sort of liked it, though. As innocent as it was, it sent some kind of warmth through your body, the way he had gently cupped your face and asserted his dominance. He took you to the movie room, suggesting to watch a movie. You figured the weekend and that stupid bet might turn out to be enjoyable. After all, lounging in a lavish mansion, with the promise of being taken care of didn’t sound like a total nightmare. Even if that implied remaining silent and surrendering to someone else. You walked to one of the couched but, before you had the chance to sit, Marshall cleared his throat. « No pets on the couch », he hummed. You immediately gave him a side-eye, although you remained silent. You stood there, watching him. « Don’t look at me like that », he chuckled. « I’m not a monster. I’m not going to make you sit on the floor. I actually got you something ». He went to a corner of the room and brought what resembled a dog bed. Only, it was human-sized and seemed rather comfy, almost luxurious. He positioned it next to the touch and gestured to it, a smile tugging at his lips. « Did a bit of shopping, this week. Wanted to make sure my pet had everything she needs. What do you think ? », he asked. Judging by his smile, you could tell he was pretty proud of himself. Apparently, the collar and the corny cat ears were not enough and you wondered what else he’d bought. « Are you serious ? » you asked. « Are you backing down already ? » he playfully retorted. « Not at all. This looks… Fine, actually ». You kneeled and took place on the dog bed while he sat on the couch. To your surprise, it was one of the comfiest things you had ever sat on, and you almost automatically curled up on the soft fabric as Marshall stared at you with a smile. « See ? ». 

You silently hummed and he picked the movie, opting for some classic comedy, one genre he actually knew you liked. You settled, a little bit apprehensive. Calm and focus had never been your forte and, as much as you enjoyed lounging in front of a movie, knowing you had to be obedient was a little challenging. You were starting to get antsy and fidget a little and Marshall seemed to pick up on it. He gently placed a hand on the top of your head and traced small circles with his fingers. « Relax, pet. Just focus on the movie and ease up ». You hummed and tried your best to ease the tension of the past week. It had been stressful at work and you could feel it in your neck and shoulders. As soon as he saw you stretch your neck and shoulders, he placed his hands on your trapezius muscle region and gently started to massage. You closed your eyes and hummed in approval. « Better ? » he asked softly after a few minutes. « Yeah, thanks » you replied with gratitude, thinking that he wasn’t too bad when it came to caring for someone. « Good. Now just focus on the movie », he directed. You turned your head and focused on the screen. After a while, Marshall got up and left the room, only to come back after a few minutes with some snacks and water. « I know you never drink enough water or really eat when you’re working. Time to hydrate and eat. » he commanded. You looked at him with an appreciative smile and did as you were told. There was something freeing about all of this. You had thought the whole thing would be somewhat gimmicky, but he had actually anticipated your needs. He seemed kind of serious about this bet.  When you were done with the water bottle and the snacks, he gently patted your head. « Good », he gently praised. You gave him an appreciative smile and turned your attention back to the movie as his fingers kept on stroking your hair. Slowly but surely, the noise in your head started to quieten and you began to let go of all the tensions of the past week. In the back of your mind, you knew you were safe, with someone you trusted and felt safe with. When the movie ended, you were in some kind of zone, fully relaxed for the first time in ages. You knew where you were and yet, at the same time, you felt a little hazy. « All good ? » Marshall asked. You simply nodded with a soft smile, something different than usual in your eyes. You were usually in pocket rocket mode, especially around your friends. They were used to your erratic, sometimes chaotic energy, and how you never really stopped talking or fidgeting. No one was really used to seeing you calm and silent. Not even yourself. You could see Marshall smile and he extended a hand for you to get up and grab. « Time for bed, now, pet. I know you had a long day. You need to rest. ». You nodded again and followed him upstairs while he carried your bag. You expected him to drop it in the guest bedroom where you usually slept whenever you stayed over, but he seemed to have other plans in mind. He smiled as soon as he picked up on your confusion. « Pets sleep with their owners, now, don’t they ? » he said with a low voice that sent shivers down your spine. 

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buck & Eddie: Eddie loves to look at Buck’s ass

Eddie “Heart Eyes” Diaz can’t hide how much he loves the view he sees of Buck’s ass whenever Buck walks or stands in front of him.  In 3x4 “Triggers” he leaned back and took a long hard stare at Buck’s ass when Buck visited the firehouse to deliver the Fire Marshall report.  Eddie did it again in 6x10 “In a Flash” after he hooked the harness line onto Buck right before Buck walked up the ladder.

Please note the second GIF was included in Buck’s coma dream in 6x11 “In Another Life” but it wasn’t included in 6x10.  Eddie was the first person Buck remembered after he woke up and Daniel told him he should have had someone to spot for him when he was on the ladder to which Buck responded, “I did!”

The original scene (above) in 6x10 didn’t include a close up of Buck’s ass because when he started walking up the ladder, the camera was redirected to focus on Eddie.

Therefore, Eddie looking at Buck’s ass as he walked away in 6x10 and Buck thinking about it when he woke up in 6x11 was all Buck’s POV!  That means Buck knows Eddie’s always looking and that’s why he put on a show for him when he started walking up the ladder.

Remember Eddie said, “Alright cowboy go get ‘em” and Buck responded, “Alright!”  Buck knew Eddie was looking at him in 6x10 the same way he knew Eddie was looking at him in 3x4.

They’re in love your honor!

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 45 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

FlameHairSavior: Alva, did you lose something?

DIVINER: ...no?? Not that I know of!

DIVINER: Though now I'm worried!

MARSHAL Kotallo: I thought you were planning a journey.

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, I'm here, I just found something that I thought might be Quen.

FlameHairSavior: [Skiff.jpg]

DIVINER: Wellll... it could be? I don't want to sound arrogant, but we're probably the only people who have the expertise to make something like that! But it's just a small boat, and not one I've seen before!

DIVINER: Where did you find it?

Icarus: I sent her to the place the Tenakth call the Burning Shores.

FlameHairSavior: That makes me sound like your errand-girl.

Icarus: It's not my fault if the title fits.

HIMBO: HA! HE'S GOT YOU THERE!

FlameHairSavior: Hey!

MARSHAL Kotallo: You do tend to take up more tasks than are strictly necessary.

ADMIN [Zo]: I feel like someone mentioned the Burning Shores before.

β: its hollywood

DIVINER: Gasp!

HIMBO: DID YOU FORGET YOUR GIF OR WHATEVER?

DIVINER: If you're in Hollywood, did you find any archives?? We could finally have our movie night!

FlameHairSavior: I've been a little busy.

DIVINER: Right, right, sorry!

DIVINER: Where exactly did you find the boat?

FlameHairSavior: [FleetsEnd.jpg]

FlameHairSavior: Outside this Quen settlement.

ADMIN [Zo]: Perhaps you should have mentioned that earlier.

DIVINER: YOU FOUND THE LOST FLEET?????

β: and made a joke about it

HIMBO: YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A BIGGER SURPRISE.

DIVINER: We thought they were all dead! We were never able to get in contact with them!

FlameHairSavior: All their Diviners are dead. It's just soldiers and sailors.

FlameHairSavior: Oh, and Compliance Officers. A lot of Compliance Officers.

DIVINER: Oh dear.

ADMIN [Zo]: Is that as bad as it sounds?

DIVINER: Well, the fact that Aloy is texting us means they didn't manage to confiscate her focus...

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, but they're pushy about it. It doesn't help that the sailor who brought me in, Seyka, stole a focus from one of the dead Diviners.

DIVINER: That is in DIRECT violation of our holy tenants! There's no way she can get away with that! The Imperial FAMILY couldn't get away with that!

FlameHairSavior: Admiral Gerrit didn't seem that worried.

DIVINER: He's alive!?

DIVINER: Wait, why am I surprised? That man would probably survive a mountain falling on him.

FlameHairSavior: I did get something of that impression.

DIVINER: Well, I'm sure he can keep Compliance from doing anything too drastic. Did he let the sailor keep her focus as well?

FlameHairSavior: Yeah. Since no one else is willing to touch it, it's clear she's the only way they're going to get the data.

HIMBO: WELL, HOOK HER UP! LET US TALK TO HER.

FlameHairSavior: And let you drive her away? No thanks.

β: i can hack his focus so he cant talk

ADMIN [Zo]: Please do not tempt us.

FlameHairSavior: No, I don't want to overwhelm her. She hadn't even figured out how the radio worked until I showed her.

HIMBO: YEAH, THAT'S FAIR. IT'S PRETTY CRAZY AT FIRST, AND SHE DOESN'T NEED TO BE DISTRACTED BY SOMEONE AS ENDEARING AS ME WHILE SHE DOES THAT.

Icarus: Will someone explain to me why you all put up with this man.

FlameHairSavior: He's good for lifting heavy objects.

HIMBO: AND I'M FINE WITH THAT!

DIVINER: Wait wait, Aloy, you said they're looking for data? Is that why they never came back??

FlameHairSavior: No, sorry, I should have explained.

FlameHairSavior: They crashed here and lost a lot of crew. Including Seyka's sister, their only navigator. Some are dead, but Seyka's sister is just missing. I'm unclear on the exact timeline, but I think this has something to do with Londra.

ADMIN [Zo]: Who?

β: walter londra

β: one of the zenith

Icarus: He fled to the Burning Shores when he realized the battle at their base was lost.

HIMBO: WHEN EXACTLY DID HE RUN?

FlameHairSavior: I don't know. Does it matter?

HIMBO: DEPENDING ON WHEN HE RAN, HE MIGHT STILL HAVE HIS SHIELD INTACT.

FlameHairSavior: ...shit.

Icarus: I misspoke. He split off from the Zeniths shortly after landing. I believe I told you this already.

FlameHairSavior: It's been a busy day.

Icarus: He should still have his shield. Though if he has not come out to personally confront you yet, I suspect that is a good sign.

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, I guess.

FlameHairSavior: Anyway, their last Diviner died at some ruins. Seyka managed to use his focus to get his last images and piece some things together. Except now she can't get into those ruins, because Londra set up a tower that shoots down anything that gets too close.

FlameHairSavior: Which, by the way, is how I met Seyka. Got my sunwing shot from under me.

DIVINER: Oh no!!

ADMIN [Zo]: But you're fine?

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, I landed on sand, it was fine.

β: i dont think thats how it works

FlameHairSavior: So I met Seyka, met the Quen, did some stuff, went to the tower.

FlameHairSavior: Oh, and that reminds me: Alva, do your ships have engines? The big ones, I mean.

FlameHairSavior: I'm just trying to figure out why a couple random Quen sailors and engineers managed to build a skiff with an engine, but your entire empire couldn't build them for the big ships.

DIVINER: No, you're right, our ships are almost entirely wind-powered. I was part of the group that argued against engines, actually!

ADMIN [Zo]: Wind-powered?

β: she means the sails

ADMIN [Zo]: Ah.

DIVINER: The problem was that we couldn't build engines quickly enough. We learned sailing from the Legacy, but engines had to be designed from scratch! It was a huge endeavor! It would have pushed back our departure by months, if not more! We decided that it was safer to leave sooner, with proven technology.

HIMBO: SO THE SMALLER ENGINE IS EASIER TO MAKE.

DIVINER: Exactly! Lower margin of error, too!

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, Seyka mentioned jumping out of the boat when something goes wrong. The water is pretty shallow here.

DIVINER: Not really an option on the open ocean!

FlameHairSavior: Seyka and I just destroyed the anti-air tower a few minutes ago. I thought I'd give you guys an update.

ADMIN [Zo]: We appreciate it.

HIMBO: WAIT WAIT, YOU CAN'T JUST SKIP OVER THE WHOLE THING!

HIMBO: HOW DID YOU DESTROY THE TOWER?

MARSHAL Kotallo: Indeed. I find it doubtful that it was undefended.

FlameHairSavior: It was a trap.

ADMIN [Zo]: For you specifically?

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, there was a message he recorded for me. I don't think he knows I'm here yet, but he was ready for the possibility.

FlameHairSavior: The tower unfolded into this strange machine and started shooting at me, but we managed to take it down. Couldn't have done it without Seyka.

MARSHAL Kotallo: I am glad to see that you understand the value of working with others.

FlameHairSavior: Hey, I just finished leading an assault on the Zenith base. I know how to work with other people!

MARSHAL Kotallo: And then you immediately sent us off on our own missions and jumped at a chance to fly halfway across the region.

β: without taking anyone with you

FlameHairSavior: What, did you want to come?

β: no

β: but you could have asked

FlameHairSavior: ...oh. Sorry.

β: its fine

ADMIN [Zo]: Division of labor aside, I am glad you're finding more allies, Aloy.

FlameHairSavior: Thanks.

FlameHairSavior: Beta, Alva, I was going to ask you about hooking their Diviners back up to your network.

β: i thought you said they didnt have diviners

FlameHairSavior: They have to appoint new ones eventually, right?

DIVINER: If they haven't yet, that means it's most likely all the apprentices died as well! Though perhaps Admiral Gerrit will find a way to allow this Seyka to be promoted!

FlameHairSavior: Maybe. I wouldn't bet on it, though.

DIVINER: No. Neither would I.

FlameHairSavior: I've been trying to convince her to leave them behind. Maybe she can even come back to the Base. The way they treat her hits a little close to home.

β: youve picked up another one havent you

FlameHairSavior: Another what?

HIMBO: I'LL ADD HER TO THE BETTING POOL.

FlameHairSavior:  Fine, whatever. I'm going to spend some time exploring before we move on.

DIVINER: Oh!! You're still going to find some movies, right??

FlameHairSavior: ...I'll keep an eye out.

DIVINER: [FistPump.gif]

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