#willa in my heart forever

[mirmidones]

when connor said to willa "im afraid that if i lose that 1% im gonna become a laughing stock" and you could see it in her eyes she had to physically restrain herself from replying "i mean you're already a laughing stock con, you've always been" yeah i felt that

[kenzie-ann27]

"I'm safe. You're kind. It's not everything. But it's okay." 😭

[lisaslosingstreak]

Inspired by @homicydlgoth - final episode of S3 Wednesday.

“You NEVER really were my friend, were you Wednesday? Every time I tried to get close to you, you just ran away. You sabotaged my relationships, you hated all of them, you never supported me.”

“Enid I….”

“SHUT IT ADDAMS!!! (tears start) I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU. You couldn’t believe in me or even try and meet me in the middle at any point. thought there was a nice girl under all the psychobitch persona but wow I was so wrong. I don’t EVER want to speak to you again. I’m GLAD this is our last day. Goodbye FOREVER you fucking psycho.” (starts to storm out with bags)

“ENID DONT LEAVE PLEASE! (Enid turns round) CAN’T YOU SEE I LOVE YOU? (Starts ugly crying).”

“What?” (Walks back to Wends and grabs her hands which are covering her face as she sobs)

“(sniffs) From the first moment I saw you I was in love with you. I didn’t know it back then but after Crackstone I realised. Every waking moment I think of you, you haunt all my dreams at night. I am so totally gone for you I fear for my sanity. I once said you left an indelible mark on me, but it was more like a hot iron branding my black heart with your name. I have been driven insane by you I don’t know myself any more. I have tried to show you how I feel so many times as I was always too scared to be direct and tell you but each time I messed up and upset you. “

“I used to have dreams of becoming a happy recluse, a famous author or detective but my only dream now is to kiss you, to hold you, to grow old with you, to walk into the afterlife with you. I am such a coward. Look at me - the scary Wednesday Addams, too timid to reveal my true feelings to my best friend, the love of my life. I don’t deserve to call myself an Addams. I will do anything for you, but PLEASE don’t walk out like this.”

Enid, smiling broadly as she wipes Wends tears away “You had me at I love you Willa”

Wednesday looks up into those endless blue eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“For such a clever student you can be as dumb as anything sometimes. Just kiss me already.”

Wednesday desperately pulls Enid to her, holding the back of her neck to pull her down for their first kiss, messy and urgent. Enid kicks the door closed as they break for air before she speaks. Wednesday is kiss drunk, her bangs in disarray and pink lipstick all around her mouth. Her eyes are open wide, she is struggling to catch her breath.

“Well I guess you’re mine now huh?” Enid asks in a husky voice, also trying to catch her breath.

“Cara mia, I already was, and always will be.”

[dancingtotuyo]

Could we please, please, please get a short drabble of Willa’s birthday? I loved the little family and it was sad Joel didn’t get to enjoy more time with them.

Hi! Thank you so much for this ask! I had so much fun writing this!

drabble. lover of the light Woman | Joel Miller x Female Reader

Summary: Willa's third birthday

Tags/warnings: pure fluff (okay a smidge of angst cause it's me), girl dad Joel, not edited

Words: 663

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The years of sleeping with one eye open have melted out of Joel Miller’s body. He’s safe. More importantly, his family is safe. More often than not, he sleeps soundly. Nights after he comes back from patrol, he sleeps hard, oblivious to the world around him. So he doesn’t hear the door creak open, or little feet on the hardwood. He doesn’t feel small hands on his calf as their owner pulls herself onto the bed and plops herself onto his back. 

“Daddy,” Willa whispers loudly in his ear. Joel doesn’t hear it, but her curls tickle his ear. It’s enough to make him stir. 

“Daddy!” She tries again, louder this time. Joel murmurs as if he’s sleep talking. The weight on top of him, starts to register in his brain, slowly pulling him out of his slumber. “It’s time to wake up!”

Joel lets out a low groan, sleep heavy in his eyes as he comes to. Sweet brown eyes pop into view, pressed so close he can see nothing else. You often talk about how much they look like his, but Joel disagrees. These are full of innocence, unmarked by the horrors of the world he brought her into. He treasures the way the spark with joy and fascination at the smallest of things. 

“Are you awake?”

“No,” he teases. 

Her nose scrunches up. Joel can’t help the smile that eases onto his face. “Then why are your eyes open?” 

“Why are you in my bed?” His arms shoot out, trapping his daughter as he tickles her sides. Her head falls backward in a fit of giggles that sound like sunshine to Joel’s ears. 

“Daddy! Stop!” She stutters out between fits of laughter. 

Joel’s chuckle dances with hers until he finally relents, feeling winded from his own laughter. Joel rolls onto his back. His daughter crawls on top of him, pressing her forehead to his. “Will you take me to see the wildflowers?”

“The wildflowers? Why would I do that?”

“Because it’s my birthday.”

“Your birthday? No,” Joel shakes his head. “It can’t be. I said you’re not allowed to grow up.”

“I’m three!” Willa straightens up, crossing her arms over her chest.

“No, I said you have to stay two forever.” Joel pokes at her side, making her laugh. 

“But I’m three. Mommy said so.”

“Mommy said so? I need to talk to her about this.”

Willa huffs, making the curl across her forehead fly up before it flops back into place. A pout settles on her face. Joel smiles softly. The moment tugs on his heart strings. He remembers similar moments with Sarah almost 40 years apart. It feels like a lifetime ago. It feels like just yesterday. 

Joel clears his throat, tussling her mop of hair. “I guess you can be three.” 

“And we can see the wildflowers?” She grins.

“And we can see the wildflowers.” 

Willa squeals, hopping off the bed and flying out of the room. Her excited call echoes through their home. “Carter! We’re going to see the wildflowers!”

You settle next to Joel on the picnic blanket. Carter and Willa frolic through the delicate spring blossoms, far enough that they can’t hear the two of you talk, but close enough that they’re a safe distance from the tree line. 

Joel wraps his arms around you. You lean in, head resting on his shoulder, arm thrown over his thigh. “She was very concerned this morning that you were serious about not letting her turn three.”

“I was.” Joel grins. Both of you keep your eyes pinned on your children. “I’ve been wracking my brain trying to stop time.”

“If only it was that easy.”

Joel hums, kissing your head. The field echoes with life and laughter. Despite the dangers that plague the world around you, you feel safe here. Your children feel safe. This world doesn’t give you much, but it gave you Joel. It gave you your children. It gave you Willa’s third birthday. 

[babyjakes]

forever and a day | 54. you didn't.

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summary | a story in which america’s favorite captain gives a new life and family to a five-year-old girl who has suffered well beyond her years at the hands of hydra.

characters | dad!steve rogers, girl/willa rogers (original character)

warnings | AU similar enough to OU to include spoilers to many Marvel movies (Age of Ultron and beyond). action and fight scenes with violence and killing. injuries/mild gore. mature themes related to and semi-graphic depictions of child abuse/neglect, past CSA and CSM, and their aftermath (emaciation, wounds, scarring, etc). medical abuse (including sterilization) and experimentation. ptsd/trauma symptoms in a child (developmental discrepancies, de-humanized behavior, detachment, extreme fears). medical treatment of CSM and other aftermath of abuse.trauma-informed therapeutic treatment of ECT. minor mentions of disordered eating. themes relating to abuse of power/authority and immoral interrogation tactics including SA (with brief depictions.) evil!Tony Stark.

[Steve]

If the night at Bucky's had been an isolated incident, I wouldn't have thought much about it. Unfortunately, in the days that have followed, things have only seemed to get more and more difficult for Willa.

It started the following morning, when I woke up around 5:00am to find the little girl in the bed next to me, bawling her eyes out. I had quickly switched on the bedside lamp, checking her over to see what was the matter, and I found her to be in the grips of a seemingly hellish night terror. She had no mind channel open, no crimson glow, so there was no way for me to know what she was dreaming of. Immediately, I had gathered her in my arms, rocking and soothing her as best I could while simultaneously hoping to rouse her from her torturous sleep. But it was no use; she was far too deep in the nightmare to break free. She flailed and sobbed and sputtered incoherently for hours, and all I could do was hold her and watch. By the time 7:00am rolled around, she finally woke up, and at that point she was inconsolable.

I couldn't get anything out of her that entire morning. She had fought her way out of my arms and crawled deep under my blankets, and I simply had no heart to remove her. I tried coaxing her out with the promise of cuddles, breakfast, and even her favorite movie, but nothing worked. Eventually, I decided to leave her alone and let her determine when she felt safe to come out, but she ended up staying there for most of the day. When she did finally emerge, she was a puddle of tears, her eyes begging for comfort and reassurance. But at the same time, she wouldn't let me come anywhere near her. When bedtime came around again, I offered to let her sleep with me in my room for another night, and she surprised me greatly by agreeing to it.

Through the night, she had another horrific nightmare, one so terrifying that it sent her jumping out of the bed in fear when she awoke. As soon as she saw me waiting for her with the lamp on, a deeply concerned expression drawn on my face, she grew so afraid of being punished that she began hyperventilating, eventually passing out from her compromised airflow. In the agonizing process of her panic attack, she wet herself again, and it was at that point that I decided I needed to speak with Jenny.

"Did anything happen in the days leading up to her shift in behavior that might've been cause for such a regression?" the mild young lady asks as she sits across from me in the living room. Resting back against the soft cushions of the sofa, I pick apart the past week in my mind, ultimately unable to identify anything.

"No," I sigh with a shake of my head. "There were small incidents here and there, but that's always the way it's been with her. Nothing major happened, at least, not that I can think of." It's now later in the morning, and Jenny and I are wrapping up a last-minute session I requested while Willa plays in her room. The doctor started off speaking with the child herself, but after half an hour or so of not getting much response at all, she decided to come out and work with me instead.

"I see," Jenny notes, scribbling something down on her legal pad. Closing up her pen, she brings her eyes up to meet mine, a familiar sense of warmth and patience lingering in her gaze. "Steve, with everything that Willa's gone through, her road to recovery isn't going to be as smooth as any of us would like it to be." I nod, not sure where the doctor could be going with a statement like that. "And even though things seem like they're getting worse with her, this is actually a pattern that's seen quite frequently with survivors of abuse and trauma who've recently escaped. Willa's body and mind were suppressing a lot of emotions, a lot of fear during her captivity, and even at the tower due to the things Tony did; her system couldn't handle addressing these feelings, so it shut them out. Now that she's in a truly safe place, with a safe person who only loves her and takes care of her, those things are beginning to show themselves because it's safe for them to." A wave of relief washes over me as the woman finishes her explanation, and I let out a deep hum.

"So this... is normal?" I ask. She nods.

"It's a difficult part of the process, since it might seem to both of you like things are getting worse when they should be getting better, but it's really just a sign that her body and mind are ready to start doing some deeper repair."

"I see. That's..." my voice trails off as I bring a hand up to brush through my hair. "That's so good to hear," I finish honestly. "I was really worried that I had done something wrong, or was messing up in some way."

"I don't think you need to worry about that, Steve, not at all. You're doing a phenomenal job with Willa. She just adores you." A faint smile crosses my face as I think of the little girl, and how much love and care I hold for her in my heart as well. "As far as dealing with her new or returning behavior, I'd recommend allowing her to get it out, as much as you possibly can. A big part of her might just need to respond in the way her body originally wanted to. She might need to go through the act of being scared or crying or getting sick, since those were all responses that were made impossible for her up until now. In regards to the increased accidents, it's a very common indicator of sexual trauma in children. I know it's frustrating, but try to be as patient with her about it as you can."

"No, no- it's not even frustrating," I assure her quickly, meaning the words with all my heart. "Really, it's not. It's not a hassle when it happens, not at all; it just makes me so worried."

"I know it's alarming to see her regressing in that sense, but it's totally normal and shouldn't pose an issue permanently as long as she remains in a safe environment where she isn't violated sexually. We're just meeting her where she's at, if that makes sense, and where she's at might go forward or backward for a while before we really start making linear progress. I know you know this already, but Willa is in many ways somewhat younger than five still, at least internally. And that's okay. We just have to let her exist at whatever developmental age she's at."

"And you think- you're sure it's okay? That I'm kind of, well- I don't know, kind of 'babying' her, as Tony would say?" I ask, wanting to be sure the doctor still approves of my controversial approach. Jenny smiles, allowing me to relax even more with relief.

"Yes, that's completely acceptable. Actually, it's probably very therapeutic for her system to be allowed to have those critical early childhood experiences that she was deprived of for so long. Whatever helps her feel safe and secure, even if it's meant for younger kids, is completely fine."

"Good," I nod, feeling slightly more sure about myself as a parent from all of Jenny's encouragement. "I'm sorry she wasn't up to working with you today," I apologize again, "I told her you were coming and asked her to do her best to be open and honest, but... I don't know. At the same time, I don't have much heart to push her."

"It's completely fine," Jenny reassures me once more, shaking her head at my persistent apologizing. "Therapy isn't ever something that should be forced upon a child. She'll talk when she's ready." Glancing down at her notepad, she offers, "I was wondering, though, if maybe the three of us could wrap up the session together? I believe Willa's still playing by herself in her room, and a lot of times children can be demonstrative of what they're thinking or feeling through the ways that they play. Maybe we could sit in with her for a little bit, if you don't mind?"

"I don't mind at all," I tell her, earning a smile as she rises to her feet. 

"Alright, then," she says with a nod. "I'll let you lead the way."

Leading the woman back through the house, I stop just outside the child's half-open door, knocking a few times against the sturdy wood before pulling it the rest of the way open. Willa sits on the floor beside her bed, a few toys scattered around her as she holds a small wooden doll in her hands. Her big green eyes meet mine warily, and my heart sinks as she begins to tremble. "Hey sweetheart," I greet gently. For a moment, I remember that just a few days ago, she would beam every time I entered the room. Realizing that we're back to such a state of fear and uncertainty, a tinge of disappointment builds up inside of me. But then, I remember the doctor's words, and I'm able to remind myself that Willa's behavior is actually probably a good sign, in some weird way. "Things are starting to show themselves because it's safe for them to."

"Your daddy and I were wondering if we could sit and play with you for a little bit," the young lady's soothing voice overlaps her previous words running through my head. A look of skepticism forms on the little girl's face as she glances between the two of us, but thankfully after a few more moments, she nods. "Wonderful," Jenny says with a smile, and we enter in, both sitting a few feet back to give the child some space.

"What're you playing, Willa-bug?" I ask in a gentle tone, now able to get a better look at the toys she's taken out of her boxes. She has a bathtub and a sandbox from a dollhouse set, as well as Captain America and Ironman figurines, and the little brown-haired doll she's holding in her hand. The clothes are half torn off the doll, the hair messed and tangled. Big, frightened eyes look from the doll to me, and then back. "Who've you got there?"

"Willa," she says simply, holding up the doll that seems to represent herself. I nod.

"Is Willa getting dressed?" Jenny asks politely.

Swallowing hard, Willa shakes her head. "Off," she mumbles, removing the toy's purple dress and placing it on the floor. She then removes the doll's underwear as well, leaving it completely naked. Next, she reaches over and picks up the sandbox, opening up the cover. Almost urgently, she begins to dig, not stopping until she's created a little hole in the center. Then, she takes the Willa doll, placing it in the center of the hole. A lump forms in my throat as she buries the tiny pair of underpants with it, not paying any mind to the dress.

"Oh, you're... is Willa playing in the sand?" I ask, trying to understand the child's actions. Not giving a response, Willa simply continues with her scene, picking up the Ironman action figure and extending its arm. Clumsily, she begins using the plastic hand of the figurine to begin shuffling sand back over the doll that represents herself. "Willa, sweetie, what- what is Ironman doing?" I question carefully. 

Once the wooden doll and her underwear have disappeared completely beneath the sand, Willa extends the other arm of the superhero's body, making them now both stick out straight. With a concerning amount of force, she begins jabbing the hands into the sand, uncomfortable sounds of plastic and wood colliding as the man apparently attacks the girl. Glancing over at Jenny, I see that her brow is furrowed in concentration. All I can hope is that she's understanding what Willa's actions mean, because to be completely honest, I have no idea what to make of any of it. 

After several more moments of the violent motions, Willa finally stops, putting Ironman's arms back down and dropping him to the floor. Sifting through the sand, Willa pulls out the wooden doll, shaking her off slightly before finding her purple dress and redressing her. Turning back to the sandbox for a moment, she uses a single finger to re-bury the underpants, causing my brain to ache with questions and concerns. When satisfied with the way the piece of clothing is hidden, Willa picks up the bathtub, once again removing the doll's dress before placing her in the tub, coming to what seems to be a stopping point.

"Sweetheart?" I ask quietly, unable to even form my thoughts into a question.

"Can you tell us what you're doing, Willa?" Jenny fills in for me. "Willa's taking a bath now?" The little girl nods. "What about Daddy? He's with you when you take baths, right?" she continues, picking up Captain America off the floor and offering it to the child. To my surprise, Willa shakes her head, pushing the doll away. Jenny lets her. "No help from Daddy? Okay, that's okay, hun," the doctor says quickly, wanting to avoid upsetting the chidl. 

"What was... what happened in the sandbox, honey?" I ask, not sure if I should be asking so many questions but ultimately too worried to refrain from doing so. Willa flinches slightly at my question, her bottom lip quivering as she gives me nothing but silence in return. "Okay, it's okay, sweetheart," I coo soothingly, not wanting to push the subject too hard, "that's okay, you don't have to tell us."

"How about you keep playing, sweetie," Jenny suggests, "it's okay. You said Willa was in the bath?" The small girl nods, looking back down at her toys before pulling the doll out of the tub, redressing her in her purple gown. Then, the child surprises both me and the doctor by repeating the same exact process all over again, starting with digging out the underpants in the sandbox, putting them back on the doll, and then completely undressing it.

My brow creases in perplexion as I watch Willa 'play,' her motions almost seeming like a routine or ritual that her body knows by heart. She repeats the entire scene once, then twice, and by the point in which she's buried herself a third time with her underwear, preparing the Ironman doll to perform his assault, I finally speak again, causing the child to pause. "Willa," I breathe, my heart pounding faintly in my ears. "What are you doing?"

Her wary gaze rises to meet mine and she blinks, her arm beginning to tremble as she clutches the action figure tightly. 

"Could you explain it to us?" Jenny adds, her voice laced with concern. "What is Ironman doing to Willa?"

"Why is she buried with her underwear?" I ask, earning a glance of warning from the doctor. Sighing, I take a moment to breathe, not wanting to say anything I might regret. "What is- sweetheart," I murmur as I notice the poor thing's eyes filling with tears. "What is Tony doing to you?"

"Hurting me," she concedes, her voice barely loud enough to hear. Her big green eyes peer up at mine and beg for what she's too afraid to out loud: to not hurt her, myself, to not be angry with her for expressing her feelings with her toys.

"Okay, Willa-bug," I nod, not completely understanding but deciding that at the moment, I don't really need to. My biggest priority for now has to be showing Willa that she's safe and that she's not in trouble for what she's admitted. "What if- how about Daddy comes and helps you?" I offer hopefully, taking the Captain America figure from Jenny carefully and holding it up for the little girl to see. "How about Daddy comes and protects you?"

"N-no," Willa refuses, picking up her sandbox and holding it slightly closer to herself, almost in a protective manner.

"Why not, sweetheart? How about Daddy comes and- comes and makes Tony stop, stops him from hurting you," I try, reaching out with the figure and trying to place it in the sandbox with the other two characters. Unexpectedly, Willa jerks it away, bits of sand spilling out from the sides as a look of anger forms on the child's face, a look I've never seen before. "Willa, please-" I insist, extending a hand to take hold of the sandbox.

But to my complete surprise, instead of pulling back again or allowing me, Willa throws the entire thing at me, sand dumping all over my clothes as she snaps, "No. You don't. You didn't."

As the dust settles into my lap and I blink away the sand from my eyes, I'm met with the sight of Willa staring back at me, any indication of anger or frustration completely drained from her face. Her eyes are as wide as saucers as she gawks at me, as if she, herself, can't believe what she's done. And before I can say anything, before I can reassure her or even try to calm her fears, she's jolted up onto her feet, running right out of her bedroom door. 

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[seenoversundown]

Amongst The Stars: Chapter Ten

Josh x Quinn (Nonbinary OC) Warnings: The Kiss, Tears, Alcohol Consumption, Purple Nurples, These guys pulling their heads out of their asses (kind of), Josh is kind of hot???, Relationship discussions Word Count: 4.5k Summary: Josh has always loved love,  and he's finally found it. Buuuut, he can't exactly tell anyone. Join him as he navigates the ins and outs of his sweet, secret romance. Author's Note: *Kicks a door down* WE'RE BACK BABY! Sorry for falling off the face of the earth with Josh. This chapter is soooooo important to the overall story, and I needed to do some rewrites to make it perfect. Also, as a consolation for the wait… we have Willa and Sam in this chapter. Enjoy 😘. 

“Maybe I want your love forever. Is that so bad to say? Maybe we’re meant to be together if God had his way. And if you ask why I’ve stayed, and I’ll stay for all I know, It’s ‘cause the stars said so." “The Stars” - Chelsea Cutler

I can’t believe I shoved him. For the last 72 hours, that moment has played in my head on a constant loop, and each replay is worse than the previous. It’s like an out-of-body experience. Whenever I replay the memory, I see Josh’s look of hopeful shock when he pulled back from the kiss as if he couldn’t believe he’d drummed up the courage to do it. I see my hand press into the center of his chest, and then my arm extends, shoving him back from the hug I had originally wrapped him in. The hug where I turned it into a kiss. I see the sheer rage on my face as I ask him, “Is this the reason you wanted to help me? You found out I was single, and you wanted to make a move?”

I see Josh floundering, trying to explain himself as I tell him to leave my house. 

Every time I think about it, my heart breaks a little bit more. The worst part is Josh is still respecting my wishes. I told him not to contact me, and he hasn’t. But I only want to see his name pop up in my notifications. I’ve had a lot of time to think over the last several days, and I’ve concluded that my reaction was borne from confusion. My feelings for Josh are scary. They’re big, and they don’t make sense, but I’ve been deluding myself by denying them. Craig, the world’s most unobservant man, could see them, but I couldn't. I wasn’t able to see it until it was too late, and I’d already ruined my chance before I even knew that I wanted it.  

I’m startled by a knock at my door. 

“Quincyyyyyyy,” Willa whispers from behind the door, “Can I come in?” 

I pull one of my pillows over my face to hide that I’m on the verge of tears before I shout back, “Yeah, it’s unlocked.”

“You’ve been in here for days, babes,” Willa grabs the pillow and tries to pull it away from me, but I hug it tighter. “Tell me what’s wrong.” 

“‘M just a little sad. S’no big deal.”

“I can see that,” She tugs on my arm, trying to get me to sit up, “and it seems like it might be a big deal.”

I finally sit up and look her in the eyes. She gives me a sympathetic smile when she clocks my red-ringed eyes.

“I promise it’s fine,” I shrug, adjusting the pillows behind me as I lean against the headboard. 

“You are three seconds away from crying. It’s not fine,” Willa quickly sits down in the space I just vacated by sitting up, “But you’re allowed to be not fine. You just need to talk to someone, preferably me, about it.”

My lower lip starts to wobble, a telltale sign that tears are coming, and Willa wraps me up in her arms. 

“Wilson, I think I messed up big,” My voice is pathetically tight. 

“Did something happen when you went to get your stuff from Greg?” She’s rubbing gentle circles along my back. 

“Something like that,” I trail off, offering no additional context. 

“I knew I should have taken off,” she starts, “I’ll kill him if I ever see him again. Did Josh at least stand up for you?” 

At the mention of Josh, my tears start falling freely. I nuzzle a little closer against Willa.

“Wait - did Josh do something?” 

I shake my head because how am I supposed to tell my best friend that I am insane and deeply infatuated with a man I’ve known for weeks? How can I tell her I ruined everything because I couldn’t dissect my feelings well enough to understand them? 

“How many men will I have to kill?” Willa whispers more to herself than me, and it causes me to snort out a snotty laugh. 

“Please, no murder charges, Willy. I can’t bail you out on a student teacher’s salary.”

“Oooh, There they are! Cracking jokes and everything,” She chuckles, “If photography doesn’t pan out, I may go into therapy.” 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, there.”

“Hey, seriously. I can tell you’re not ready to talk about whatever happened. But please know that I’m here whenever you are,” She pulls me in for one more bear hug, “And for the love of god, please take a shower, you greasy little gremlin.”

I roll my eyes but can’t stop another laugh from escaping me as I get out of bed and walk over to my dresser, pulling out a fresh pair of joggers and a faded band tee. 

“I’m showering because I want to, not because you told me to, by the way,” I shake my fistful of clothes in Willa’s direction. 

“Mhm, I’m sure!” 

I feel much more like myself after my shower, though I’d never tell Willa that. She’s already left the apartment by the time I’m out of the bathroom, so I begin plotting. I’ve learned a lot about Josh over the time we’ve been talking. He likes chocolate, cheese, and wine. So, I dig through mine and Willa’s pantry, searching for the makings for a picnic. There are a few things that I need to go to the store for, namely wine, cheese, and salami.  So, as I’m walking to the store, I pull out my phone and click into my messages from Josh. 

Me: Hey, can we talk?

His response is immediate as if he’s been waiting to hear from me

Starlight✨: Please Me: Today? Starlight✨: Can we meet in person if you’re comfortable?

My heart melts; he is still putting my comfort above all else.

Me: Sure, where? Starlight✨: The bar? I can send you a pin Me: That works! 

Josh sends me a pin of his location, and I immediately put it in my Maps app. It’s about a 15-minute walk from my apartment, so I let him know that he can expect me within an hour and a half. 

I grab everything needed for my impromptu charcuterie board and quickly head back to my apartment to piece it together. I try to stay pretty grounded while cutting the salami and cheese into thin slices and adding them to Tupperware containers. Just because Josh responded doesn't mean he’s forgiven you. It doesn’t mean you have a chance. This becomes my mantra as I’m finishing up. I’m not trying to make myself feel bad; I’m simply trying to remain realistic. And the truth of the matter is, it would be completely understandable if Josh never forgave me. But it is a good sign that he texted back so quickly. 

I finish slicing and add the containers of meats and cheeses, a pack of crackers, some chocolates, and the bottle of wine to a cooler I’d found sitting on the pantry floor. I sling the cooler over my shoulder and pull my phone out to text Josh, letting him know I’m on my way, and I head out into the world. 

My body is full of nervous energy as I walk over to Caravel Tavern. I consider that I may meet his brother today, which makes me sweat. I’m barely even in his life; I don’t need to meet his family yet. That’s ridiculous. But, thinking of his brother and the bar does help to take my mind off of the fact that the outcome of today’s adventure could make my life better or it could break my heart. So, with that knowledge in mind, I turn down the cobblestone street the bar sits on and wipe my sweaty hands on my pants as I stare at it. I hype myself up again. You can do this, Quinn. He’s just a boy, and I finish my trek up to the front door. 

I don’t see any signs of life; the “Open” light is shut off from the night before, no cars in the front parking lot, no music playing behind the door. The uneasy feeling grows in my chest. Why would Josh tell me to meet him at an empty bar? Surely, he isn’t playing a prank on me… though I wouldn’t blame him if he were. Setting those feelings aside, I decided to try the door, and to my surprise, it opened, and a bell jingled to signal my arrival. 

I step over the threshold and take in my surroundings. The walls are covered in various pieces of art, a refurbished piano sits in one corner, and a vintage jukebox sits against the wall next to a hallway that I assume leads to bathrooms. I lock eyes on a cardboard cut out of Young Bob Seger that seems entirely out of place, and I laugh. This place just screams Josh, I think to myself, remembering the organized chaos of his bedroom that I caught glimpses of over FaceTime. But, after looking around, I can see there are hints of others in here as well—a painting of The Queen Anne’s Revenge hanging on the wall and other pirate-themed items. Vintage jazz posters are thrown in every now and again, and framed ticket stubs from various events that happened over the years. 

God, this place is so cute.

My snooping is interrupted by footsteps coming down the hallway beside the jukebox. 

My heart clenches as I meet Josh’s eyes for the first time since The Incident. 

He raises one arm in a half-hearted wave and flashes me a sheepish grin.

“Well, fancy seeing you here.”

“Sorry to intrude,” I giggle, “but some dude asked me to meet him here?”

Josh cracks a full-fledged grin, and butterflies erupt in my belly.

Maybe this won’t be so bad. 

“Speaking of, do you care if we take this somewhere a little quieter? My brother will be here,” he glances up at the ornate clock behind the bar, “literally any second. Normally, I wouldn’t care, but he’s been on an absolute warpath for days. Something about some ‘crazy,’ his words, woman he met.” 

“No, I fully understand. My roommate is dealing with something similar, and she’s been an absolute terror about it.”

“Wonder if the situations are related,” Josh jokes before leading me to a stairwell at the back of the bar. 

I hear the bell on the door chime, and Josh lets out a dramatic sigh, rubbing his hand over his face. 

“Hang out here while I deal with my brother?” 

I nod, then watch as he walks back the way he came. 

I pull out my phone and mindlessly scroll through apps while I listen to the vague chatter of Josh’s brother. 

I'm so curious. I just have to see how the nice guy I talked to on FaceTime could switch to warpath mode.

“SHE - SHE FREAKIN POKED ME AGAIN, MAN.”

Is he really that pressed about being poked? And I have to suppress a chuckle at the thought of some woman jabbing her fingers at this guy to teach him a lesson.

“And I’m sure you deserved it,” Josh responds thoughtfully. 

“DESERVED IT?! SHE’S INSANE!”

Oh yeah, buddy, you absolutely deserved it, I think, as Josh’s brother continues. 

“I’M STARTING TO BRUISE! LOOK AT THIS!”

“Hey, pull your shirt down,” Josh sighs, “Have some decorum, we’re in public.”

“That’s not very progressive of you, Josh. FREE THE NIPPLE!”

“I’ll free your nipple.”

A high-pitched squeal follows that statement. 

“Now, if you don’t mind, can you stop your incessant whining long enough to watch the bar until Jake gets back?” 

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope,” Josh pops his P for emphasis. 

I see Josh round the corner with a soft smile on his face. 

“Sorry about that,” he starts, “Want to head up to the roof? We should have some privacy there for at least a little bit.”

I gesture for him to lead the way and can’t stop myself from asking, 

“I’ll free your nipple. How exactly does one do that?”

“It’s quite simple,” he says as he boots open the rooftop door, “Pinch and twist.”

We step out onto the roof, and I’m in awe at how beautiful it is up here. There’s a small sitting area with a loveseat that overlooks the street below. There are multiple strings of lights hung above our heads. Various potted plants are artfully scattered across the area. There’s even a small bistro table in one corner. 

As I’m taking in the area, Josh leads me to the loveseat and gestures for me to hand him my cooler, setting it on the ground beside him, before asking me to sit. 

“Quinn,” he runs one hand through his hair, “I have to be honest. I didn’t think I’d ever hear from you again. And the thought of that damn near broke my heart. I’m not asking for anything from you. I want-“

“Josh…” I try to cut him off, but he barrels on through

“I just want you to listen to me. I’m so sorry for acting out of line. You see, the thing with me is-“ 

“Josh.” I try again, more forcefully. 

“The thing is, when I’m in something, I am all in. And I know it’s weird, and it’s fast, but I am all in where you’re concerned. You can tell me never to talk to you again, and I’ll listen. But I had to tell you. This,” he gestures between us, “is real for me. And I-“ 

I get up from the couch and stand directly in front of him. 

“Josh, please stop talking,” I finally get out, as I grab the front of his plain white t-shirt and pull him closer. 

He slowly nods, his eyes flicking back and forth between the grip I have on his shirt and my lips. 

“I came here to do this,” I whisper before I close the distance between us and press my lips against his. 

It only lasts for a moment before I pull back. Josh makes a sound of protest before trying to pull me back in. 

I have to focus. I can’t get lost in this yet. 

“I have to say my piece, Josh,” I say pointedly, “this is real for me too. It’s been real for longer than I wanted to admit. My ex saw it, and it’s part of what led to our break up. He was able to piece it together before I was.” 

Josh sucks in a deep breath, staring deep into my eyes, searching for any hint of dishonesty. 

Content in whatever he found, he lets his breath go and nods for me to continue. 

“I reacted… poorly,” I wince, “when you kissed me because you scared me. This scares me. It’s absolutely terrifying that I feel things for you that I never felt for my ex—“ I pause to collect my thoughts, “I moved here with Craig, you know. I thought I cared enough about him to move across the United States with him… but what I felt for him isn’t even a drop in the bucket of the feelings you awoke in me. You have ingrained yourself within my soul in a matter of weeks. And that is terrifying.” 

He opens his mouth to respond, but I wave him off and continue my spiel. 

“This sounds fucking crazy, but after that first night we FaceTimed, I changed your name in my phone to Starlight. Because talking to you, getting to know you, made me realize I’d been living in a cloud-covered night. You dispelled those clouds and let a little starlight back into my life. And, I guess this is all to say that I hope you can forgive me. Because the last three days have been miserable, and I don’t want to lose you again.” 

Instead of responding, Josh pulls me into a crushing hug and holds me for what feels like an eternity, nuzzling his face against my neck. He eventually pulls back, gently cupping my face in both hands. I lean further into his grasp, closing my eyes and humming a contented sigh as he uses his thumbs to caress my skin for a moment before he begins peppering my face with tiny kisses, starting with my cheeks before moving to my nose, forehead, and even my eyelids. 

“I’ve come to care for you a great deal,” he presses a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth, “and I’m glad you feel the same.” 

He finally reconnects our lips, and my heart melts.

I wrap my arms around his neck and weave my fingers through the fluffy hair at the nape of his neck. I give his hair a tentative tug, and he rewards me with a soft gasp.

I’ll file that little bit of information away for future use… 

I use his gasp as an excuse to deepen the kiss, gently running my tongue along his lower lip, waiting for him to grant me access. And he does. Our tongues tangle together, and I get lost in the feel of Josh’s hands sliding down my sides and coming to rest at my hips. He grips my hips and forcefully pulls our centers closer, grinding his hardness into me, and I let out a little groan. 

I crack one eye open, searching for the loveseat behind us, and slowly begin walking Josh backward until his knees hit the soft fabric, and he sits down, bringing me down on top of him. As I readjust to straddle his lap, his hands find their way back to my hips. 

He gives one of my hips a little pinch, and I pull back, breathing heavily.

“Quinn,” he chuckles, “We have to stop.”

I let my lower lip come out in a pout, and he leans up and nips at it before continuing. 

“I would love nothing more than to keep going,” he shifts his hips to grind his hard length against me once more as if to emphasize just how much he does not want to stop, “But I think that with how fast our feelings are moving, we should take this side of our relationship little bit slower.”

I consider his words for a moment and know he’s, without a doubt, correct.

I grab the sides of his face and gently kiss the tip of his nose, “No, you’re absolutely right.” 

I attempt to dislodge myself from his lap, but he holds me still for one more moment. 

I look down at him, cocking one eyebrow in question, and watch as a wicked grin overtakes his face. 

“Plus, you know,” he presses his lips against my ear and whispers, “The first time I have you, it’ll be all to myself. No one else will be around to hear the little sounds I’m going to coax from your sweet mouth.”

“You can’t say things like that to me,” I nuzzle into his neck and sigh. 

He simply hums in response and lifts me off of his lap. 

Still catching my breath, I watch as he rubs his hands together and then gently pats his thighs. 

“I don’t know about you, my dear, but I’ve worked up a bit of an appetite,” he flashes me a cheeky smile. 

His ability to flip in and out of various personas will always amaze me. 

“I did bring a little picnic,” I tuck a stray bit of hair behind my ear, then glance down at my fingernails, “I was hopeful that this would go well and we’d get to share it.” 

He stands and not so subtly adjusts his pants before grabbing the cooler I brought and shooting a questioning glance my way. I nod and follow him to the little bistro table in the corner of the roof.  “You do know the way to a man’s heart,” Josh lets out a long sigh, patting his belly. 

“I think anyone can be won with a little bit of cheese and a good wine, regardless of gender,” I say through a fit of giggles, feeling a little loose from the now-empty bottle we’ve shared.

“Too true, Bug,” he snaps as if he’s figured out the answer to a riddle that only he was in on, “what a universally human experience.” 

“Bug?” I ask, stuck on the pet name. 

“Oh yes, that’s what I’ve been calling you in my head.”

I gesture for him to continue. 

“See, it started because I thought about how you’ve already wormed your way into my heart and mind. But I didn’t really assume a prospective partner would enjoy being called a worm. So… Bug.” 

“That is weirdly sweet,” I let out a small laugh as I leaned over the table to give him a quick peck. 

When I pull back, I see Josh intently staring over my shoulder, brow furrowed in concentration. 

I whip my head around to see a door I’d been too distracted to notice; the curtain covering the glass gently swayed like someone had just been peering out of it. 

“What’s that door go to?”

“That’s my apartment,” he says, brow furrowing deeper, “I’m curious who was just at the window. Because my brother should be working.” 

He shrugs it off and stands from the table, extending one hand to me. 

“Would you care to dance?” 

“There’s no music,” I respond questioningly. 

“Don’t need any. We’ll make our own.” 

I roll my eyes, he’s so cheesy, but accept his hand and allow him to lead me in a vague approximation of a waltz. 

As he twirls me around the rooftop, giggling every time he missteps, I think that I could get used to this. He’s so full of love and light, and he has such infectious positivity that it’s hard for me to believe I’ve gone nearly my whole life without being drawn into his orbit. 

I let out a laugh as he dips me, almost dropping me, and I think about how it just makes sense that we’ve found each other. And how it finally feels like all the pieces I never knew were missing are finally clicking into place. 

You know you can’t be with him publicly yet, a voice in the back of my mind says. I hate that I know the voice is right. I want to show him off. I want to bring him to Willa — to subject him to her judgment because I know he would pass every test with flying colors, and I know that Willa would love him the second he opened his mouth to introduce himself. But I can’t do that yet. 

“Josh,” I cut him off mid-dip. 

“Mmm, one second, I’m concentrating very hard on not dropping you,” he grins down at me before pulling me back up into his arms, “okay, proceed.” 

“We need to talk about what we are, what our expectations are,” I stare deep into his eyes, willing him to understand that this isn’t a bad thing, just a necessary evil. 

His smile drops for one single second before he understands. 

“Of course, Quinn. Communication is essential.”

And I’m so glad he feels that way. I’m not used to that type of thing in relationships. 

“But, before that,” he ponders, looking toward the setting sun, “would you like a blanket? It might get chilly if we’re out here much longer.” 

I nod and return to the loveseat, waiting for him to return. I run through the conversation in my head, thinking of how to word my request. I want Josh to know that being secretive is purely necessary. I can’t leave him feeling like this is what I want because it isn’t. I don't want to hide him away; he deserves to be in the sun. 

I’m pulled out of my thoughts by him plopping down next to me, a giant quilt under one arm and a new bottle of wine under the other. He unfurls the quilt and gently tucks both of us under it before pouring us each a fresh glass of wine.  He hands me the glass, sets the bottle on the ground beside us, and turns to face me, “Okay, whatcha got?” 

I suck in a deep breath and decide just to spit it out. 

“I want to be with you,” I start, seeing a smile light up Josh’s features, “But I think we need to keep this a little bit quiet for the time being.”

He casts his eyes toward his glass and thinks briefly before responding. 

“I can see why that may be necessary,” he says as he leans forward and grabs one of my hands, entwining our fingers, “The timing of this could be perceived as suspicious.” 

I use my thumb to trace light patterns against his palm, losing myself in the feel of his soft skin as I think of how to word my following statement. 

“Mmm, just a little suspicious. I don’t want to hide you because we know the timeline of our relationship. But others won’t necessarily be so quick to trust us.”

“You do have a point, Bug,” he replies quietly, turning his eyes to his wine. 

“So, would you be okay with being discreet for just a little while? Just long enough that I can introduce you to people without accusations hanging over our heads.” 

“I think,” He cuts his eyes back to mine, and I see a twinkle of mischief dancing in them, “sneaking around could be fun. I’d quite like to keep you just to myself for a while.” 

I sighed in relief as Josh leaned forward for a quick peck. 

“Thanks, partner,” I tip my imaginary cowboy hat, and Josh bursts out laughing, his tongue slightly poking out through his teeth. 

“Though, I must warn you,” he pulls a little note out of his pocket and hands it to me, “I do believe we were being spied on earlier.”

I open it up and see 

“Bit more wine?  (Love you, Bub)”

Scrawled in messy handwriting, I immediately knew that Josh’s brother must have taken a break and been at the door before our dance. 

“Don’t worry, Bug. I trust him with my life. Our secret will be safe.”

And for some reason, I know that Josh is right. 

ATS Masterpost | The Caravel Tavern Series | Masterlist

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[the-morningstar-family]

Dear Willa,

I cannot begin to imagine what you are going through at the moment.

I am so so sorry this is happening to you!

And I understand why you don't want to tell Felix. It must be terrifying.

But Willa, you're not dead yet. Even if your health is declining you hopefully have still quite a few months ahead of you and with the help of that little mismatched family you two somehow got adopted into, I'm sure these months can be beautiful!

But Felix deserves to know that they are counted. He deserves to know that every good moment he gets with you is precious because you won't be there in the future.

It will be the hardest conversation you'll ever have and he probably will react bad.

But your not alone in this! You have Lucifer, Alastor, Charlie and everyone else in the hotel! They can help both of you through this.

Even though living with the knowledge you're dying must be horrible, it has one upside: You can help Felix to come to term with this. You can help him to sort his feelings and teach him that it's okay to be sad and scared for you and still look forward to the birth of the triplets. You can make sure that when you're gone, he's got many happy memories of you and he knows how much you love him.

How many parents in hell had that chance before their deaths?

Please, talk to your friends. Ask for their support. And tell Felix.

TW: Mention of terminal illness

The door of the room creaks open, and Felix sneaks inside. Willa quickly wipes her eyes, so her son doesn't worry.

Willa: “Felix Sweety, I thought you'd gone back to bed?”

Felix, sheepish: “I snug out… I was worried”

She smiles fondly at him. And then her tears come back. How can she just leave him? She never felt so guilty before. The tears make Felix only more worried. Willa pads the bed.

Willa: “Come here, snuggle pup”

He does as told, crawling up the bed, snuggling up to his mommy under the blanket. She hugs him tight, kissing his little forehead.

Willa: “I love you so much honey”

Felix: “I love you too mommy”

His tail wags, and Willa takes a deep breath. She'd do anything to stay with him.

Felix: “Why aren't you getting better? Nova, I and Alastor did”

Her breath hitches. He needs to know. He needs to… it gnaws on her heart. But it's not just about her.

Willa: “Felix. My lovely darling. I need to tell you something”

She keeps holding him close. So he can't look up. She isn't certain if she can finish this if those sweet mismatched eyes look back at her. Perhaps it's a little selfish.

Willa: “Mommy is a little more sick than just a flu”

Felix: “Like a really really bad flu?”

Her hand glides through the boy's hair, desperately trying to calm her racing heart.

Willa: “Not exactly. Something… something worse”

Felix: “Oh…”

The little nose twitches with worry, and she swallows hard. She wants it to stay like this forever. So she can be there for him.

Felix: “And how do you get better?”

He asks so sweetly, as if he'd get up and get it if it makes mommy healthy again. The amounts of time she cried lately, and yet here she does it again…

Willa: “I'm so so sorry. I'm sorry honey. But I'm not- I'm not going to get better”

She feels like she's choking on the words, and perhaps she's slightly shaking. Felix looks up.

Felix: “It's okay, we can help with the walking around”

The look is expectant, and she cups her son's face. Their eyes meet for the first time in this conversation.

Willa: “Felix. I– I am going to - to die”

The boy continues to stare. Not getting the gravity of the situation. She puts her forehead on his

Willa: “It means I'll….”

This is so hard to frag out. Every word, every fucking sound wants to stay in her throat. Digging in it's claws to never come out. But for him, she'll scratch them out. No matter how much she'll bleed.

Willa: “It means I'll be gone. And I can't come back. My- my body will stop working- and I can't be with you”

It's not nice to be stumbling over the words with this important explanation. But she doesn't know how else to say it.

Felix: “... And when will you be back?”

Willa: “Oh honey-”

Once again, she pulls him close. Trying push down the sobs she wants to make.

Willa: “I can't come back when I'm dead”

Felix: “Why not? Don't you want to stay?”

Willa: “Of course I want to. I just - I can't…”

Felix: “But why?!”

Her breath shutters, as her son's questions are getting more insistent.

Willa: “I'm very very sick. It's goi- going to get worse. I'll be able to do less and less things on my own-”

Felix: “We'll just help you! You don't have to leave!”

She desperately wants this to stop. The deep pit of despair in her chest is threatening to swallow her whole. All she'd like to say is ‘of course, sweety. Silly me, I'll be here forever’.

But she'd lie. And it would be so incredibly harmful for her sweet baby that's already going to get hurt.

Willa: “Sweety… I'm not going to walk away, or going somewhere. I'll be dead. It will look like I'm asleep. But I cannot wake up anymore. No matter how much I want to. I wouldn't ever leave you if I could do anything about it”

Again, he looks up. Frowning, ears laid back, looking ready to pount. Just that this time, it makes Willa's cm throat close up instead of laugh.

Willa: “Felix -”

Felix, angry: “I wanna sleep”

His mother nods, solemnly. Hopefully the morning will look better. She turns off the light, and holds him tight. The times she'll be able to hold him like that are limited after all.

[scarred-serafina-fan]

My origin story

So on Christmas day in 2015, I opened a box my mom handed me and it was full of books. In that stack of books, I picked up one with the silhouette of a girl on the front. I was not really interested when I picked it up but my mom started telling me about how much I was gonna love it and that she already read it and it was based in the Biltmore house in Ashville. Only then did I recognize the house on the cover. I wasn't convinced yet but decided I would give it a chance.

Later that night when I couldn't sleep I pulled out my new stack of books and decided to try a chapter figuring I wouldn't care to read anymore then that boy was I wrong lol I stayed up forever reading it and never put it down until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore

A few months past and my mom sees a book signing event for the new book and I was ecstatic she drove me all the way to ashville with my grandma and I got to meet robert beatty for the first time this was the first time I'd ever met a author of a book I've read (and he's still the only author I've met) he was really nice to me and I got my copy signed and they gave me a bookmark and a copy of the first two chapters of the new book! (It was not supposed to be out for another two days I think it was anyway it wasn't out yet) so I went home and excitedly read the two chapters and was freaking out it had totally hooked me

Eventually the book did come out and I excitedly read all the way until the staircase scene in one day when I then read the words "she raises her finger towards me" and I literally screamed and slammed I book shut and almost threw it across the room and then proceeded to run into the living room screaming at my mom I was never going to pick up that book again because they killed off Gideon and rowena was a piece of trash that annoyed me so much I hated her (my opinions at the time I do not share them anymore lol)

Anyways my mom read the book since I was "done" with it and came back to me to tell me that Gideon wasn't dead and I needed to continue reading lol a few more months past and they announced the splintered heart and I decided I'd finally suck up the trauma of the staircase chapter and continue reading and I was so mad at myself for waiting because I was so excited for the 3rd book again

My mom took me to the book signing again and this time they had moved it to the Barnes and Nobel they are always at since and since it was so much bigger it wasn't as crowded and they had more things there including selling the book 2 days early (that's right I got to read it 2 days before everyone else lol) he was super nice again and again I LOVED it it actually became my favorite book in the series and still is I was so thankful that my mom talked me into picking the series back up

Willa came out and again I went to the book signing and got the book 2 days early (they also had a special willa flavored ice cream which I'm still obsessed with since they have sold it at every book signing since) I enjoyed it but it was probably still my least favorite out of the 4 books (or second to least considering I was still very much traumatized by twisted staff still lol)

Book 4 came out and same as usual went to the book signing had a fun time loved the book but.... I was now in the summer of the worst year of my life the dreaded year 13 XD I actually ended up in a depression and was dealing with a lot and wasn't reading as much serafina just sat on my closet shelf collecting dust until 2021 when he finally released willa of dark hollow and despite still not being able to find the energy to read I bought the book and hood from the king raven trilogy by stephan r lawhead with the hope it would get me back info reading again and despite having a hard time getting back into willa I did binge read hood and it reignited my love for reading again even if I was much slower at it then before and I decided to start rereading the series again and I still re-read and fall in love with the books all over again on occasion it's a obsession I've never been able to kick and probably never will <3

Course then he released the graphic novel and had the first book signing since 2019 I was so excited I dragged my mom back to ashville with me again and we stood in line for me to get willa of dark hollow signed (the graphics novel was presigned smart ngl) and when I looked at the card they always gave us to put down a message for him I decided to tell him about how he had affected my writing because when I first started writing I picked up his books to analyze how he did it and build up from there and I go up there I hand him the card he glances at it and starts to actually read and looks up to me and smiled and says "so your a writer" and I swear yall I was about to fangirl so hard me and him had never had a real convo before because I get my book signed take a photo and move on that's how those things work but he just started asking about what I write and stuff and it was quick cause I had to get out of line so the next person could meet him (she was so sweet ngl I loved her I would love to meet her again ngl) but he was so encouraging!

Then I started posting on tumblr and decided I was gonna make a fandom myself if no one else was gonna do it lol and I met all yall and it's been great! That's my story and I hope it continues on as he releases more books!

[risingsh0t]

OC TAG GAME.

apologies that this took me forever! i was tagged by @aragorngf @corvosattano @minaharkers @jackiesarch @marivenah @aartyom @leviiackrman @nightbloodbix @chuckhansen @fenharel @gwynbleidd @shellibisshe @detectivelokis and @sstewyhosseini , THANK YOU ALL MWAH 💖

—FAVORITE OC (AT THE MOMENT)

definitely a difficult task, but i think willa has potential to retain this title. she's protective, compassionate, and a good cook -- like what's not to love?? yet she also has her complexities because of hard decisions she's had to make and her loyalties. i put a lot of myself in her story and she has one of the most thorough backgrounds i've given to an oc. i find she brings me a lot of comfort and i'll continue to return to her.

—OLDEST OC

technically, this title would probably go to my shepard since i played the m*ss effect trilogy in high school. but, she's not very well developed aside from the general base character. therefore i'm giving it to wren...who's not very old. a year and a half old. but oc creation is more of a recent creative outlet for me so she's definitely going to stay extra special.

—NEWEST OC

my spider-woman and my crochet artist girlie. very excited about both! although piper kind of swept in and took the braincell while i was still working on yaz.

—MEANEST OC

i mean. she's a demon who tortured people in hell for centuries. and not a demon looking to be reformed or anything, she literally thrives off chaos. she's not constantly aggressively mean though.

—SOFTEST OC

i...actually have a lot of soft ocs apparently 😭 but nicole has such a big heart. despite the people she's lost, she remains a warm and kind and fiercely protective presence for those she loves.

honorable mentions: juliet rhodes, oriane, willa lau, piper perrault, cyrus virani, daeana velaryon

—MOST ALOOF/STANDOFFISH OC

she just doesn't really like talking or people. she assumes they'll let her down if she gets too close. but she's a hard worker and her jobs require some amount of socializing so she'll do it lmao

honorable mentions: logan campbell, darcy campbell, poe newman, kerenza astrya

—SMARTEST OC

has a phD, is a librarian. she's worked and lived in several different countries. speaks six different languages. she intimidates me, honestly.

honorable mentions: wren elsher, melina holmes, piper perrault

—DUMBEST (AFFECTIONATE) OC

my silly guys. zane kinda has himbo energy, tries to be a good father but doesn't always do the "right" thing. with cyrus it's pure vibes. kate specifically brings out the dumb in him because he's so smitten.

—OC I'D BE FRIENDS WITH IRL

a punk pop princess! she'd be so much fun to have as a friend... and she's an extremely loyal, ride or die, friend.

honorable mentions: willa lau, piper perrault, nicole ortiz, anzu adachi

tagging: @indorilnerevarine @loriane-elmuerto @calenhads @shadowglens @leondaltons @malefiicarum @morvaris @umbertors @ladysanjo @florbelles @unholymilf @confidentandgood @jacobseed @arklay + anyone else who wants to! sorry if you were already tagged and/or did this forever ago!

[renee-writer]

The Heart Don't Lie Chapter 90

AO3

She lays the flowers in front of the engraving before kneeling beside them.

 

“Hello Beth. I am sorry that I haven’t been here for awhile. A lot has been happening, “she chuckles at her own understatement, “Mama Claire gave us another lad, Micah Henry. He is her all over. Daddy is over the moon. Willa has a baby girl, Bethany. Yes, she named her after you. I wish you could see her. Maybe you can. I pray so.”

 

She sighs and moves from kneeling to sitting. “As for me, I meet someone. A lad. Can you believe it. His name is Andrew and he, oh Beth, he fills up my heart again. You will always have a place in it,” she touches her name, forever carved in the granite, “forever but, I pray you don’t mind that he does too. I love him.

 

Did you send him to me? Ask God too?” a small laugh, “I can see you doing that. Marching up to the Almighty and telling Him that I have grieved you enough and that it is time I meet someone.

 

My Beth, we are to be married. Not the type of wedding you and I had planned, I couldn’t do that. A more simple ceremony. Bethany and Micah are to be christened and we are going to have the ceremony after, at Lallybroch.

 

I pray that you aren’t angry about that. I don’t know that you would be. You know I would have been yours forever had … but you are in heaven.

 

Thank you for your love. I will carry it in my heart forever. The wedding is tomorrow. Look in, if you can. Keep an eye on Bethany and the others. If she grows up to be half the lady you were, we will be blessed.

 

I love you.” She kisses the headstone and stands up. After a moment, she heads home.

[safely-in-vhagars-belly]

Delicously dark! Aemond x oc (Snow falls, chapter 17: If the carriage is rocking....)

CONCEPT: You are Willa Wyldewoods, lady of Wyldecrest. After being denied your hand in marriage, Aemond murders your family and makes himself Lord of WyldeCrest, out-powering you. He claims you as his wife and spoils, He commands and goes over your home now and as you will learn right now: No one is safe under his reign. Not even you.

WARNINGS: Painplay, smut, rough sex, himulation, aemond being an asshole to his wife, dom/sub themes, cussing, torture, pleasure control and denial and other dark smuttish things but its consentual, spankings, choking, aemond getting off on willa/oc's pain and being a sadist, oc being a sub. NECROMANY AND MAJOR CHARACTER DEAD AS WELL AS LOSS OF A CHILD (passed) FOR THIS CHAPTER: Carriage smut, fucking in the wild, abuse of guards, aemond being an asshole and requesting a ''reward'' for giving oc her book back, sex toys, a lot of smut and other things that will deny me acess form heaven:))

You just got your book back after Aemond threw it out of the carriage. Your bag is still where you left it. He did not even touch it, or so it seems to be at least.

His voice is a victorious little groan full of authority and claim. "My little fox." You are sitting on your husband's legs safely in his arms. You avoid his gaze, as you know that will only make him want you more. But your fingers play. Your fingers have a mind of their own, it seems. They play with the iron clasps on his coat. They dance over his arms and torture him by slowly opening up one clasp by one.

There is a brief grunt on your husband's soft pink lips as you scoot closer, your hips touching his own on accident. Your hands curiously travel down the black soft fabric that serves as a shirt for him. You feel his warm heart beat safely beneath your fingers.

He grabs hold of your hand as they circle above just his heart. He slowly brings his lips to your fingers. To your surprise, he kisses your knuckles as a faithful husband would do to his beloved wife. He stares deeply in your eyes with sincerity and genuiness that you never saw before. "I am not going anywhere, Willa. You have me from this day until the end of my days."

There is something about that promise that hurts you so deeply. You do not wish to be reminded that nothing is forever. All things will end. So will this dalliance.

He notices your dreariness within a single glance. You have never been good at hiding your feelings. It all happens very fast.

Within a mere moment, a single tick of a clock, his strong hands have clasped yours into his own. You have barely time to gasp softly or to admit your confusion.

He brings his delicious mouth to your ear and whispers a small collection of words into your earshell. You never knew words could sound that sinful and delicious. "Or should I say: I have you?" He ends the sentence with a question.

You know by now that he wants a verbal, correct, and proper answer, or he punishes you. Your eyes subtly look around in the carriage for anything that Aemond might try out on your behind if you were to oppose him.

There are no whips, harsh metal planks, or anything else to try. But he did not shy away from using his own belt on your behind or his hands. He never hesitated to teach you a lesson. You decide to ignore Aemond's question for now and give him your own question. "Husband, your payment for my book? What is it? What am I to do for you?" You eye his crotch before softly rubbing it with two fingers. Your movements are soft and full of curiosity. It's a bit as if you are toying with fire. You want to keep warm, but you do not want to burn yourself.

He chuckles when he notices your eagerness. Your body reacts to his chuckle by slowly wettening you for him. "You love being my pet, do you not? You love following my orders. You love obeying me." Perhaps. It feels more complicated than liking his control. You feel safe when he calls the shots and when he makes the hard choices. You love feeling wrapped around him.

There is a soft growl coming from his lips. One of his knees that you are sitting, moves you. Aemond holds you so you won't fall off his lap. The knee of the leg slowly rubs your entrance, stimulating you easily. You gasp blind to that possibility. You want to surrender fully and grab the leg and feel what else this will bring you.

A slightly soft yet dominating smack reminds you of who's knee is rubbing your cunt as he calls it. "Thank me properly for returning you your book." He growls in your ear with anger.

You are quick to thank him, because you know he stopped riding for you. You know he stopped his plans for you. "Thank you, Husband." You speak gently and soft before slowly bringing your lips to his forhead. You give him a kiss on his lips and one on his neck. He shivers.

He clears his throat.

"I brought a bag as well." He points to another brown bag. You did not expect him to be sentimental so you do not understand what he brought. What could be important enough for Aemond Targaryen to pack?

But one cheeky grin of him and you know this will only add to injury. This not for him. This is for you. Perhaps it's something from your home. You are eager to unpack but Aemond smacks your leg punishing you. You lower your head when you moan and cry soft whining the way he likes in pure pain. He smiles before kissing your cheeks to give you a bit of love and pleasure to dull the pain.

You place your head against his chest and let him kiss you. "You may select a toy from the bag. We will play with it. Choose wisely." Toys?

You do not understand. Toys are for children. You are certainly not a child. Once more, your husband reads you quickly. He leans in and smirks. "No, this is not the type of toys you think of. Trust your husband and be a good girl for him and pick something that makes your belly tingle." Tingle? You know what he wants.

You sheepishly laugh. "Heh."

He grins before leaning back against the walls of the moving carriage. He takes you in.

"And that tightens that sweet little piece of afterlife you guard between your legs." He adds.

You turn redder than a tomato and keep your legs from rushing off his lap. "Ye-yes. I'll go do that."

He chuckles, delighted by your eagerness as you pick up the bag before returning to your seat on his lap. You force his strong arms back around you to hold you and nestle warmly with his chin on your head.

You open the bag full of curiosity and wonder exactly what he has planned. There must be a reasonable explanation. You take out the first toy. It is a wooden carved long thing with a pointy end that looks very closely to what...

You drop it back in the bag, heavily blushing. Your husband chuckles warmly. You feel his fingers touch and squeeze your cheeks.

You mutter soft. "Ma-may I ask what the toys are and how...One uses them?" You wonder.

Aemond nods, accepting that you won't learn unless he will teach you. "Of course, my untained maiden. You may." He whispers before giving you a rough ravishing kiss on your lips. You moan in his mouth.

Sadly, he stops it before it can become too good. "All toys are brand new and bought especially for you to enjoy. No one else had this inside her." He refers to the first large toy. You suppose it looked a bit as to what Aemond has between his legs but knowing that it's modelled after the male love organ...

That is a lot to unpack for your mind. Yet you are curious. This toy goes inside a woman's entrance and than what happens to her? Your voice is soft as you whisper questions to your husband. "...i-inside..So this works as a cock? It goes there and...?" You gasp as a hand softly rubs you between your legs. You know by now that is Aemond's work. You take in the toy one last time. It looks shameful and painful to have inside you. But you want to try it.

Aemond gently and patiently explains to you what you are seeing and what it is meant for. He rubs your entrance just the right way causing you to sink back in his arms with a delighted sigh. "It'll feel just like a cock. A lover can force his bedmate to play with herself, or he can play with her."

He can force her to do this to herself? You doubt that would feel good. You like the sound of him playing with you and the toy. It should be fun for everyone.

You are a bit uneasy however. "So, he decides?" You mutter a bit offended.

Aemond nods before sucking on your throat. You moan as his hands go under your dress to stimulate your wet needy entrance. It begs and welcomes his fingers, widening and wettening even more when he approaches with a single finger. You wish he would slam his hands deep inside you.

Your husband nods. "In certain relationships, the man decides for his wife. Do you like that?" He wonders. You are not sure. You like that Aemond takes charge and the control. You love obeying his needs. You love being called his little fox and his pet and by the gods, you love the punishments and the fuckings he gives you.

But that does not take away that other women might not. Where two people live, two people should have a say. Your biggest concern is that the wife won't like what her husband has cooked up. "What if the wife won't like it, husband?"

Aemond is slightly offended and huffs that you dare to question that. Or perhaps he is just worried you are not enjoying yourself. "Don't you like this?" He asks.

You nod. Of course you like this.

"I-I do. But what if she..." He groans, interrupting your thoughts and muttering. He forces his other fingers inside you now, too. You fight the urge to roll your hips and to have him deep.

He is done playing and teasing. He wants a clear answer. A yes or a no. "Little fox. Do you or do you not like this?"

You blush, ashamed and avoid the question by accident. You do not confirm nor deny. "Maybe a little bit." That is enough for now. You hope so.

Aemond sighs, removing his fingers from your dripping wet cunt and grabs you by your hair. You whimper as he pulls, instructing you to stand on your own legs. You enjoyed the time on his lap. "That is not a correct anwser. Stand up." He barks.

You obey, shaking of excitement and pure arousal. There is too little room to lay down for a spanking. Even with you over his legs he won't be able to spank your ass and your other sensitive part. He will need to become creative or call for a stop.

Yet you are still a bit of a innocent young woman. Or perhaps you love begging. A mix of both? You do not know why you beg your husband for mercy. "N-no, please..." You mutter.

There is another warm chuckle.

"Your begs only make my cock jump. I feel it stiffen. You have a strong power over my body. The blood is already rushing. Soon, precum will follow." You lick your lips unintended. Aemond follows your tongue and clicks his own, shaking his head displeased. "Remove your dress, little wife."

You obey, shaking as you remove your dress but leave your undergarments on. He sighs before taking you on his lap again. He removes the rest of your clothes himself. You whimper soft.

It is not as cold as the North. You are lucky he did not wanted to strip you near the North. Aemond sits the counch of the carriage as if its a throne made of jewels and gold. He has a smug little smirk on his lips and clearly enjoys commanding you around.

"On your knees." He says.

You try to kneel between couches but a simple truth is that there is too little space for anyone to kneel. "There's too little space!" You whine by him as if he can make the carriage bigger by screaming at the wood.

He chuckles before kneeling you on the one counch before using you as a bridge to the other. You feel vulnerable and small. There is no way you'll use your hands as your husband is now making sure you need to them avoid falling.

There is one awkward question to be asked. "Wh-what if I drip, husband? What if I leave a stain?" You mutter worried. This is a heirloom. What will your possible children or family or guests say if there was a stain of your desires?

Aemond scoffs a bit as if he does not understand the problem. You feel his hands squeeze your ass as a warming up for what comes next. "Mhm. What do you mean what if? I know you by now. Your pussy wets so easily." You want to speak but he clicks his tongue as a warning. You remain silent.

His fingers go through your hair once more and you feel him pat you as if you are a pet he is very attached to. You lean into his touch and adore every single moment of it. "Count out loud, and ask me for more." He says.

You nod and accept your punishment. He hits you hard right away. There is a print of his hands on your ass. You are certain. When you blink tears, roll down your cheeks. Your body loves it. Your entrance opens wide and aches for him to enter. You want to hold yourself to something but have no choice. He has you spread, and he calls the shots. .

There is a rough smack as a warning. You blush as you hear your husband's displeased voice.

"We will do it over every time you make a mistake." He groans and warns you.

You need to count for him, and you need to thank him. Simple as that. You thought.

Aemond's hand smacks you using force. You cry out before quickly following his requests. You nearly shout with desire and eagerness.

"One! Thank you, my husband. Give me more." You beg lowering your head in a submissive matter. You know he loves you when you act as his pet.

He grins, enjoying this. You wonder how many more smacks you will receive. He did not specify. The spanking is interupted by Aemond softly sucking on your neck. "Good girl. You shall have more." You love his praise and eagerly nod. You are his good girl. You deserve more.

He smacks you once more and this time the tears are back. You welcome them, just as the pain. You bite your lips to prevent a scream and quickly cry out the words he wants to hear. "Nhn! Two! Thank you, my husband. Please more..."

He gives you a soft kiss on your tear stained cheeks licking away the salt of your tears with a smirk.

"As my lady begs." That is you. You are his lady. He smacks down on your red skin and you realise you only become wet of this exchange.

You quickly blurt what he wants to hear once more. "Arh! Three! Nhn. O, o please... more..." Your begs end in moans this time. Your cunt clenches together and you can already picture him taking you firmly. You need him inside you. You need what only he can give you.

He has no plans on taking you, not judging by his evil smirk and his sadistic little gleam in his eye."I will give you 5 for your horrible manners." Five. You are at four. That is reasonable. You will likely get to come with the next one and he will fuck you after it.

"Yes, husband." You say as a good girl.

He hits you the final last time and this time you are convinced he is aiming to make you bleed. The slap was cruel and hard but you know your pleasure is soon here.

"F-four, oh, gods...Thank you..." You moan and gasp as you hear the sound of something unbuttoning. And the sound of leather cracking. He is taking off his pants. He will fuck you. Yes.

You are spanked for the final time and cry out. But the moment you wish to thank him, something is shoved inside you wet dripping cunt making you cry out. It is hard, cold and unmistakably not his cock. It feels the same, the same pointy tip that is shoved inside you. "Argh!" You cry confused and helpless.

He growls. "I didn't hear you count. I think we'll do this one again." He promises displeased but happy that he gets to torture you once more.

You feel whatever is inside you be pushed further in, slowly breaking through your circles. Whimpers and begs leave your body. "Is this the toy?" You wonder out loud. It must be. His cock is not as hard. His cock is not as rough. It is made of flesh and when it is big and enjoyable it still feels different.

You understand that this is what Aemond wanted all along. To push the toy inside you. The toy is making small torturous movements. He groans. "Pay attention." And the toy is removed from you, leaving you wet and needy.

Your head goes up and down in a eager matter befitting of a pet that will soon be rewarded. "Y-yes husband. Forgive me."

You expect a smack but his hands keep from smacking you.

"For this one time, I will let this slide." He promises you.

You are hit once more making five spankings. Actually it were seven if you would keep up with his rules. "Five, husband thank you!" But there is no fucking. Not anymore. Only a dark chuckle as he smacks you again.

The pleasure continues the build as you suffer on your knees, getting spanked left and right and sometimes you hear him tease or scold you for being so naughty. So eager. "Seven, oh seven indeed. Husband, my husband.. i love you so much." Your lust is reaching heights. Your lust is making you delirious.

By the time you are near the ten, your pussy itches for a good fucking that only Aemond can give you. He teases you with softly patting your wet sex. "You'll learn patience and submissiveness this way. Two important qualities for a wife." He murmers in your ear. You wish he would fuck you already. You pant and whine and beg but its all useless.

"Eight nhn husband, please husband. Aemond, my prince. My love. Please i need you inside me." He enjoys hearing you beg but keeps strong.

He does react to that little plea and kisses your sweaty hairs. "We will go until the ten. Can you handle that?" He asks. You nod. You do not want to let him down.

"N-nin-" You feel your entrance being touched and the familair shape of the toy is shoved in. It quickly makes itself at home inside you. You gasp before crying out his name, and with a harsh trust from your husband's fingers the toy goes up and down, screwing you when you need it the most. You fall and lose your battle to the pleasure screaming it out in one long breath filled with pleasure as the toy cruelly fucks you. Your cunt tightens and you allow that to happen. You eagerly close your legs to keep the toy where it is as Aemond roughly shoves and fucks you with it. Tears of pain burn and fall but he keeps fucking and fucking. There is blood dripping on the carriage but he keeps going until you tense up with a heavy begging sigh.

You softly sob and lift your head to look at him. "Please, husband. I need you." You beg. "I need you inside me. Teach me. Show me. Break me apart and fuck my broken pieces." He rises a brow as if to mock you. "Surely you can do better than that?"

You softly Trust your hips but the toy has stopped moving. You cry out frustrated and hungry. "Please, my Prince. My love, my husband....My master. I need a good fucking."

"Why have you earned that pleasure?" And that makes it easy.

You act guilty.

"Th-that is the issue. I have not. My time on the counch has proven I am not capable of listening. I deserve a punishment. I deserve to be fucked and to be owned by my master. I deserve to feel the cock fuck my innocent cunt and to have it desecrate my entire body." You speak full of remorse. Aemond's erection is pressed against your ass and you feel it.

He tries to growl but it ends in a moan. "Yes..."

You continue.

"I-i, I need to understand what it means to be a man's. I need to feel your cock claim me. I need to feel your ire and your dissatisfaction. I need to feel you fuck me and show me how you treat girls who wrong you. Show me how I've wronged you. Take revenge on me." You beg, desperate.

You scream his name and you are sure that they can hear you both in King's Landing and in the North. Your tears burn as he fucks you so cruelly making sure that the toy reaches every single one of your pleasure spots. Your cunt widens and welcomes the toy as if it's a extension of your own body. Your lips pant and part before you release your moans as your husband gives you the fucking of a life time.

Aemond barks that the carriage needs to be stopped. They halt. He drags you outside naked by your hair and spanks you to hurry you up as if he is taming a horse, looking around him for a good place to take you as a man takes his wife.

He decides to drag you with him, past his guards. "I am fucking my wife. You will all stay here." He barks at his soldiers. You are smacked and spanked in front of the soldiers. Aemond chuckles as you cry out ashamed and drags you with him by your hair.

You are pushed on the ground close to the tree. You turn around. Aemond punishes you right away for your defiance by spanking you. You growl. Your cunt is pushed up a bit and you hear Aemond spitting in his hands. He rubs your pussy in with his spit and uses it also on his cock.

It glides in much smoother but the spit makes it difficult to focus. You wonder how it tastes. You wonder what it would be like if he were to spit in your mouth as he sometimes comes in your mouth.

You are fucked by his cock, in the grass near the big tree. The grass tingles your legs but it's soon presses down and no longer annoying you.

Aemond grunts as he fucks you and you allow your cries to mix with his own. You settle in the cool dirt before allowing him to have you as he wishes. The sex is pure dominance and rough as your legs are spread and he feasts upon your pussy as if he has been starving for days. The guards keep away but are still within reach.

You are fucked on your knees, in the tall grass on the bare road. Anyone passing can see Aemond fucking you. Anyone can see the silver haired prince riding his wife, in the open of the fields with nothing to bother him. He will have you as he likes. Birds sing in the distance as you encourage Aemond to bring out his innerbeast by speeding up your trust to a almost needy begging speed.

"I thought I was having a wife, not a whore?" He growls in your ear. You shake your head and just wrap your hand around his big red swollen cock. You rub him off. Eager for his cum.

You are pushed down and fucked once more now eagerly licking off your dirty fingertips. Aemond watches amused as he takes you rough and rougher. "Nhn! Nhn! Nhn!" Your cries make him more than happy. He enjoys hearing your moans of pain and of pleasure.

You are held down and Aemonds cock slams in before ravishing you on the spot. You wish for soft pillows as the ground hurts but the pleasure makes up for it. Your pussy is bleeding and cum and spit mix when it drips down your legs. Aemond speeds it up even more cruelly massacring you, or so it feels. He will destroy you. Your cries keep coming and they only become louder alarming a few guards. None of them stop the prince.

You do not want to stop him. "Yes, it is yours. Take me. I am your whore." You confess softly in his ear before running your hands through his sweaty hair. He groans and gently pushes your head down so you can't be injured. He grabs your legs, Wraps them around your hips and starts having you as a savage would have his spoil.

You look to the clouds and the sun as Aemond takes you in the tall grass. It is one of the few times where you get it laying down, not bended as a whore. Your pleasure is too high. Any moment you can fall. You beg and fuck your husband back as good as you can. But you are exhausted. You are weak and soft and needy. You need him. Aemond smiles when seeing your defeated face before shoving his cock down your cunt and trapping you under his body. The intercourse goes too fast but your body does not mind. Aemond licks off a few tears by your eyes. "Come, my pet. Come. Show your master what a good girl you can be."

You needed that.

You are allowed now.

You let yourself go and finish in front of a very statisifed Aemond. Your cries become soft and timid as you feel very tired. The edge has worn off. Aemond grins, spreads your legs and haves your wet spoils moaning in pleasure before he injects himself into your cunt. You welcome the sharp pain of the cock but can't help the moans and groans of pain.

He waits until you have caught your breath before dragging you back to the carriage. Your legs hurt and you are thankful when you reach the carriage.

The guards bow respectful to Aemond. They avoid looking at you at all costs. "My prince." One of them says.

Aemond grabs your arm and throws you inside the carriage.

"In, with you." He says simply. You know it is a act.

He changes from the man to the beast. "We are finished here. We can continue our journey to King's Landing." He says lazily shrugging before hopping in the carriage as well.

When the guards are back on the road and the carriage is riding you are still blushing of your sinful adventure. "Aemond, I never did anything like that. I never been so intimate in a place so...Public." You whisper to him as the doors are closed. He chuckles.

You frown right away.

"What would your guards think of me?" You wonder when nervously toying with one of your own rings.

Aemond takes your hand very suddenly and you both flinch at that. "That you were a good wife for severing your husband in the open fields of fucking nowhere." That makes you sound proper and faithful. Not as a slut or a whore.

You beam slightly.

"Y-you think so, Aemond?'

He nods. "I know so. Anyone who talks badly about you, will have their tongues removed." That is unnecessary but you won't say that to him.

"Thank you, Husband."

"You are quite welcome, little fox." He speaks before smiling very carefully at you. You return his smile.

He watches your hands curiously but does not reach out anymore. He clears his throat before turning his head away. You sigh a bit disappointed which makes him feel...

It makes him feel things. He sits up a bit straighter and grabs your gown from the other counch. He turns it inside out and back, and finally opens the corset for you. "Do you wish to dress?" He asks, holding the dress. You look around the small carriage.

"I would love so, but I am afraid we are short on space."

You stand between the couches as Aemond holds you so you won't fall over. You put the dress on. Only with the final part you need help. The corset. Aemond chuckles before slowly lacing your corset back. "How tight do you want it?"

"As if its your cock fucking me." You reply cheekily. Aemond groans in your ear and mutters something about sinfulness and the gods but you pay him no mind.

Weeks after that you both spend the time to King's Landing. When you finally arrive by the Red Keep, Aemond is greeted by the King himself.

You have never been outside of the North and the beauty of snowless lands fascinate you. The red keep is imposing and a reminder how powerful the Targaryens really are.

Aemond helps you out of the carriage first, making sure you are accounted for and well. He gives you a soft kiss on your lips before struting to the king.

"My king." He says before bowing for his brother. You see Aegon eye you full of suspicion and worry. Alicent seems shocked by the reveal, and you just wave by lack of options.

Aegon chuckles amused by his loyalty. "Rise, my brother. Rise. We have enough to discuss." Without telling you what that is, they walk to the entrance of the big castle.

Alicent waits until they have left before turning her red haired head to you.

She speaks sweetly, but her eyes are deadly as the eyes of a viper. You feel uneasy and haunted. You wish she would stop treating you so but you made the mistake of angering her. She sizes you up and down, eying your belly. "So, my daughter in law. Have you given my son a heir yet?"

[petriichvrs]

𝙷𝙾𝙶𝙶𝙻𝙴𝚂𝚆𝙰𝚁𝚃  𝙰𝚂𝙺𝙴𝙳  :   3, 4 & 5  !

3.   FACE CLAIMS YOU ARE DYING TO USE : archie madekwe and sun yihan are TOP of my list, but i also really wanna use london thor, madchen amick, diego luna, oliver jackson cohen, skeet ulrich, savannah lee smith, nadia hilker, chandler kinney, maia reficco and derek luh ! some have ideas attached for nox / aurora / lumos, but most are just ... waiting for their chance :(

4.   FACE CLAIMS YOU ARE DYING TO PLAY AGAINST : oh i don't actually know ... i think pedro pascal has been on my opp list for a WHILE, but the only other people coming to mind are havana rose liu and melanie lynskey. maybe derek luh should be here too because i REALLY like him for astoria's oldest sibling ? but that's about it !

5.   YOUR FAVORITE ORIGINAL VERSE OC (OR ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES) : ok she really might not count towards this because of being from a disney / marvel / next gen type group ( depends on your definition of original verse honestly, but since they were super au and set in a made up universe that i fleshed out i feel like all the characters there DO count ) but my number one forever is going to be rylie natalia barton. i've written her on and off since 2014 and she was originally a willa holland fc, though i recasted her for recent musings with my friend as diana silvers, because i think she's a great cast for a 'modern' rylie of a similar age to when i first wrote her. she's the daughter of clint barton & bobbi morse ( & step daughter of natasha romanoff ) and kicked off my whole barton cinematic universe that now includes uncle barney and his only kid, monica barton, and natasha's legal ward, ziva mizrahi. i just ... love her. this is her pin board & three songs from her inspo playlist that i think get her vibe are miss america by james blunt, tightrope by lp and hymn by kesha. she went through a LOT during her original run and was the character i did a three irl year alcoholism arc on that i am still like ... a little proud of, weird as that is to even say, because i feel like i wrote it well, and i just think that her character arc was one of the best things i ever did, tbh. she's always been the character i understood best and for a long time understanding her best and loving her most meant that i was going to give her a gruesome, too soon death, but as i've grown up and gotten myself into a better place and went on my OWN journey, she's now this character that i just want the absolute best for all of the time, even if she can only get to the best through a little more trouble. rylie is inspiration for a lot of characters i have written, but i've never been able to recreate her exactly, nor would i want to. she will always have a lil part of my heart and nobody else can ever take it<3

𝚁𝙾𝙻𝙴𝙿𝙻𝙰𝚈𝙴𝚁 𝙰𝚂𝙺 𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙴  »  currently not  accepting  !

[a-member-of-minuteswithmandm]

Happy Succession day to all those who observe!! 🎉🎉

In case you need a refresher on the first 3 seasons - we go over the entire show in the first 5 minutes of the video, so feel free to check it out ☺️

You guys this is the last ever premiere we'll ever have 😭😭 can you believe the show is ending? They could have given us at least 2 more seasons. Sigh

Okay raise your hand if you're excited to see Logan Roy show how much contempt he has for his children by fucking them all over? My favorite thing about the upcoming season is having the kids all work together for once! Kendall has been begging for this forever and finally he, Shiv and Roman will be working against their dad hallelujah. Not really sure what presidential candidate Connor Roy will be doing, but maybe we can have another Roy wedding so the drama can be EVERYWHERE. Willa is probably regretting saying yes to Connor but it's too late to walk it back now baby!

Speaking of babies we also have the weasel of all weasels Tom who fucking betrayed Shiv. I hope she demolishes him (after Logan tosses him to the wayside). Also I don't trust Greg to stay loyal to Tom even though they're joined at the hip, hopefully he defects to his blood family and Tom is left to fail alone (lol can you tell I'm not a fan of Tom?). Honestly other than cheating on him BEFORE their wedding, Shiv didn't do anything to him and she's to good for him. I said what I said.

I really want a win for Kendall, his been losing for 3 seasons straight and its heart breaking. Shiv is the smartest (to me) but I hope she stays loyal to Ken and not put herself first this time.

I don't have too much to say about Roman - he's sunny and I really hope he fucks a guy this season lmao.

Also rooting for Gerri, Frank & Karl to somehow win while Logan loses because they deserve to be rewarded after 30 years of doing the devil's bidding lmao.

Basically Logan is the worst and all I want is his downfall. The way he treats his kids (and grandkids - Iverson deserves better) is unconsciounable and I love watching how complex and fucked up the whole family is because of him. Gosh this is such a good King Lear show and I'm ecstatic to see the writers hit it out of the park!

Honestly the main point is that I'm super super super excited for season 4 to begin! And if your looking for a refresher of the first 3 seasons and/or discussions about the characters, you can watch out video here:

Let us know what you think and if you agree or disagree!! (And if you watch our video please like it! And comment about what you like or dislike, lol we are so desperate to grow out channel haha)

[citychronicles]

'Tinsel Troubles'

The snow was slowly fluttering down to the ground and Sam stared through the window at it in wonder. It was amazing to be able to see the snow fall without feeling the bitterness of the cold. He would be able to stretch his wings out and not have them cramped up all season.

Turning away from the window, Sam looked at his two friends who were at the bottom of a pine tree that Willa had brought indoors. Aster was tied up in a long, thick, shiny fluffy string while Alex was attempting to untangle her but given the younger teen was also attempting to reach a box full of shiny objects, it wasn't going anywhere.

"Why are you trying to decorate a pine tree?" the young gargoyle questioned. The two girls looked over at him, previously engrossed with their predicament. 

"We're helping Willa decorate for Christmas? We'll trying to anyway, if Aster would let me get her out of this tinsel" Alex commented before glancing over at the younger teen.

Aster rolled her eyes in annoyance. "It's going to take forever to untangle me from this tinsel so we might as well start decorating the tree."

"We need the tinsel to decorate so if you could just let me get it off" Alex barked back.

As the two girls began to argue again, Sam couldn't help but sigh. But something Alex had said came to the forefront of his mind.

"What is 'Christmas'?"

Aster and Alex ceased their arguing and stared at the young gargoyle with looks of surprise.

"You… you don't know what Christmas is?" Aster questioned, looking much more surprised than Alex.

Sam tilted his head in confusion. "Should I know what it is? I've heard people mention it in passing but I don't know what it is or why people are so excited to celebrate it"

After a moment of silence, Aster managed to get herself out of her tinsel trap and rushed over to Sam with her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh we're going to teach you everything wonderful about Christmas. It's amazing. There's snowmen, christmas carols, presents-"

"Let's calm down a little shall we," Alex cut in, stopping Aster's rambles before they got too far, "How about we start at the beginning, ease him into it"

Aster beamed at Alex then beamed at Sam who felt slightly worried. The two girls guided Sam over to the steps leading out the room and sat him down while they sat in front of him.

"So…" Aster began. "Christmas is a tradition started back way long ago but the more modern version started because of this guy called Jesus-"

"Who may or may not have actually existed." Alex added on.

"-was born a few thousand years ago and people celebrated his birth. Eventually that evolved over the years and the more modern version is people celebrating the winter season and giving each other gifts and enjoying each other's company. It's called a lot of things in a lot of places but here we call it Christmas."

"Back in my day, we used to call it Yule or Winter's Blessing"

All three teens jumped in surprise when Willa spoke up, looking over to where the older wizard was perched in her usual chair in the corner, sipping a cup of tea and reading a book.

"It's a lovely holiday but overrated in my opinion. Too much yapping about presents and spoilt kids whining about not getting what they want." Willa continued, taking a sip of her tea. She gave Sam a warm glance and a smile "I'm surprised you never celebrated Winter's blessing. Did you or Nau never have time for it?"

Sam's heart deflated slightly at the mention of his brother's name but he quickly shook it off. "I don't remember ever doing anything. Whenever winter came we just tried our best to get through it. Also other… things got in the way of probably celebrating it. Is it something I should start being interested in?"

Aster put an arm around him and smiled enthusiastically. "Yes. Like I said, Christmas is amazing. Oh something I forgot to mention is Santa, he's a big part of Christmas nowadays. He's the one that delivers presents to families all around the world. And you gotta make sure you've been good otherwise you'll get coal instead."

A scoff escaped Alex as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Don't tell me you still believe in Santa. Everyone knows he's just a fairy tale to tell little kids"

The younger teen stood up, faking offence. "Not real? Of course he's real. He brings the spirit of Christmas joy and also presents"

"No-one's ever seen him so he doesn't exists" Alex argued.

"But if no-one's ever seen him then that means he could be real" Aster rebutted.

As the two girls began to argue again, Sam and Willa let out sighs of defeat. The older wizard went back to her book while Sam stared out the window at the glistening world outside. It seemed the snow had finally stopped falling and now the courtyard outside was covered in a white wonderland. An idea quickly presented itself to Sam.

"Hey. How about we go outside? I've never gotten to go outside and play in the snow before and maybe you could teach me some 'Christmas tradition' that I should know." he proposed, hoping that would bring the two younger teens out of their squabble. Alex and Aster looked at each other with a slight glare before wide smiles plastered their faces and they descended upon Sam, dragging him outside and into the frosty outdoors. What had he just gotten himself into? You can find the rest of the story here :

[babyjakes]

forever and a day | 53. accident.

〈 disclaimer: this blog posts content not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. minors are strictly prohibited from viewing, sharing, or interacting with this blog. for more information on this blog's commitment to protecting minors, read our full statement here. 〉

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summary | a story in which america’s favorite captain gives a new life and family to a five-year-old girl who has suffered well beyond her years at the hands of hydra.

characters | dad!steve rogers, girl/willa rogers (original character)

warnings | AU similar enough to OU to include spoilers to many Marvel movies (Age of Ultron and beyond). action and fight scenes with violence and killing. injuries/mild gore. mature themes related to and semi-graphic depictions of child abuse/neglect, past CSA and CSM, and their aftermath (emaciation, wounds, scarring, etc). medical abuse (including sterilization) and experimentation. ptsd/trauma symptoms in a child (developmental discrepancies, de-humanized behavior, detachment, extreme fears). medical treatment of CSM and other aftermath of abuse.trauma-informed therapeutic treatment of ECT. minor mentions of disordered eating. themes relating to abuse of power/authority and immoral interrogation tactics including SA (with brief depictions.) evil!Tony Stark.

[Bucky]

The sound of the doorbell ringing in the middle of the night rouses me from my usual restless slumber. Grunting as I twist from my side to my back on my mattress, I stare at the ceiling as my mind takes several moments to adjust to being awake again. Who the hell could that be? I think to myself, my heart beginning to pound lightly in my chest as anxiety builds in my throat. I don't know who would come knocking at an hour like this, but given my past, I'm heavily inclined to be skeptical.

Forcing myself up to a sitting position, I glance over at the red numbers of my alarm clock glowing faintly in the dark. 2:49am. What on earth?

Dragging myself out of bed, I switch on my bedside lamp, fumbling around on the ground to find an overshirt and throwing it on over my pajamas before walking slowly out of the room. I make my way up to the front of the apartment slowly, putting on as few lights as possible for myself in an attempt to minimize the amount that can be detected from outside. By the time I reach the front door, my whole body is shaking. Cursing the fact that I have no peephole or window to see out easily, I clear my throat, asking firmly through the thick wood, "Who's there?"

Almost too quiet to detect, a muffled voice responds, "Bucky? I-it's Willa. C-can I-... c-can you-... sorry, sorry for b-bothering you." Realizing who it is, my entire body relaxes as I let out a sigh of relief. I immediately undo the locks and open up the door to find the poor thing shivering out in nothing but her light blue teddy bear pajama shirt and undies, carrying a mess of bedsheets at her feet. Her cheeks are bright red and stained with tears, her big green eyes glancing up shamefully towards me.

"Willa- hi," I murmur, a bit stumped by her appearance. "Hi sweetheart, are you alright? What're you doing up so late, hmm?" I ask, ushering her in the door. Closing it behind her and kneeling down to her level, I look over her once more. Noticing that her underwear are soaked through, with her matching pajama pants balled up along with the mess of sheets, the dots start connecting in my head; she probably had an accident in her sleep. I still don't know, though, how or why she ended up at my door.

"'m sorry. D-did I wake you up? 'm so sorry," she mumbles, her head hanging lamely as she sniffles.

"It's okay, bunny. Don't worry about it," I tell her gently, unsure of what to do or say. "Are you okay, sweetie? What're you doing here? Does Steve know where you are?" At the man's name, the girl flinches slightly, shaking her head.

"'m sorry. Tried t-to do it by m'self but c-couldn't reach," she rambles as a few more tears make their way down her flushed cheeks. "Please don't tell D-Daddy. He'll be s-so mad."

"What do you mean, doll? Couldn't reach what?" I ask, leaning my face in a bit closer and raising my brow sympathetically at her.

Keeping her gaze on the floor, she whimpers, "Th-the machine, to wash m-my sheets. W-wet them... while I was s-sleeping. H-had a nigh'mare. Don't beat me, please. Please don't." More tears drip down her nose and onto the floor as she quivers, my heart breaking at her pleas.

"No sweetie, I won't beat you. You're alright, doll," I soothe warmly, reaching out to rub her back lightly. Jumping, she sniffles as she eyes my arm warily, clearly not trusting my gentle touch. "It's okay to have accidents, Willa. No one's gonna hurt you for it; I certainly won't. You need help cleaning up your sheets?" I ask. She nods defeatedly. "Okay. We can wash them in my machine, okay? Your pajama pants, too, and your undies. And we can get you cleaned up too, kiddo. How does that sound?" I offer.

"Y-yes please," she agrees quietly. Giving her a smile, I carefully take the contents of her hands from her.

"Alright missy, follow me," I tell her as I rise to my feet, walking back through the apartment to the washer and dryer, which are tucked in a closet by the bathroom. Willa trails behind me silently with her head still lowered, a stray tear still making its way down her face every once and a while.

Opening up the folding closet doors, I load what the child gave me into the top machine before crouching down again at her height, asking softly, "Could I get you a big t-shirt to wear while we wash your clothes? That way you can still keep covered up," I offer, not wanting to ask her to give up the underwear until she has something else to cover herself with. Receiving a nod, I stand again, going into one of the baskets of clean clothes I've yet to put away from my last cycle that sits in the closet beside the stacked machines.

"Here, how about this," I try, pulling out an old maroon shirt that seems like it'll fit her somewhat like a dress. She nods as I hand it to her, suggesting, "How about I cover my eyes and turn around while you get changed. Is that okay?" I ask carefully, not wanting to cross the little girl's boundaries. She nods warily as I give her a comforting smile, covering my eyes as promised with both of my hands and turning around.

I can hear quite shuffling as the child gets changed. After a few moments, she tells me, "'m done."

"Okay bug," I hum as I turn back around and uncover my eyes, taking her soiled clothes off the ground and loading them with the rest in the machine. Measuring out some detergent and popping it in the washer as well, I hit the button to start the cycle, the cheery chimes of the machine sounding as the water begins whirring inside. Turning back to the little girl, I crouch down again to her height, my heart aching as she winces slightly. "If you want, you can use my bathtub to get cleaned up. I don't have baby wipes, but I can give you a washcloth and some soap and you can use the tub's faucet. Does that sound alright?" She nods silently as her wide eyes gaze into mine, seeming relieved that she'll be allowed to do it on her own.

"Alright bunny, this way," I tell her as I rise back up to a standing position, guiding her over and into the bathroom. Switching the light on, I make my way over to the tub and get the water running, making sure it's a comfortable temperature for her before stepping back over to the cabinet under the sink and pulling her out a clean washcloth. Willa stands sheepishly in the doorway, watching my every move as I prepare the things for her, grabbing a big fluffy towel and setting it down right outside the tub. "Here's the soap I have; it's some really nice hand-made stuff I got at the market," I tell her as I place the bar down on the edge of the tub along with the cloth. "Okay sweetheart, how about I go back out into the living room and let you get cleaned up, and you can come join me when you're done," I propose.

"N-no beating?" she mumbles quietly, still frightened that she might be punished for her mistake.

"No babydoll, no beating," I promise her. "You did a good job, coming and asking for help," I add, remembering something Steve had told me about her therapy and exposure work. While it would've made a lot more sense for her to seek out Steve instead of me, the fact that she asked anyone at all is progress. "Willa, can I ask you a question?" I ask slowly, not wanting to overwhelm her or make her fears escalate. Her eyes widen slightly, but she nods. "Honey, why didn't-... why didn't you ask Steve?" I question softly. "If you're worried that I might beat you, too, then... what difference did it make?"

Her gaze falls to the floor as she trembles in the doorway, swallowing hard before revealing her answer. "D-don't... don't want Daddy to beat m-me," she whispers. "P-pounded that guy's face in... h-he could hurt me really b-bad." My heart breaks at her revelations, but they make sense, so I nod. She does have a point. While I was mutilated to be a super soldier like Steve, it's no secret that he's the stronger of the two of us. If Willa's train of thought was that either way she would be beaten, and she was just trying to avoid as much damage as possible, her choice makes sense.

"Little dove," I breathe sadly, not even sure where to begin. "Sweetie, Steve would never hurt you; he'd never beat you. He loves you so much, so, so much, and he'd never do something like that," I tell her, but I know that her worries are deeply engraved in her brain, and that it'll take a lot more time and experience than just simple words to put them at ease. "Everyone has accidents, honey. Everyone does when they're little, especially when they've gone through as many scary things as you have," I reason. "Steve knows that; he would never be angry with you for it. He'd do the same thing I'm doing, help you clean up and wash the sheets. That's all," I coo, wishing I could prove it to her. "Bunny, you're always welcome to come to me for help. I'll always do my best to help you. But Steve wants to help you too, Willa. That's what he's there for; that's what Daddy's are for."

Willa sniffles and I sigh, deciding that at this point it's probably wisest to just let the poor thing get clean before pursuing any further discussion on the matter. "Here, I'll let you wash up," I tell her as I step past her out into the hallway, closing the door over behind me before heading back out into the living room.

As I continue to listen to the water run faintly from the bathroom, I pull my phone out from my pocket, unlocking it and pulling up Steve's contact. As much as I hate going against Willa's wishes, I think the smartest thing to do would be to have him come down here and address the situation as soon as possible. Besides, I don't want him to wake up and find her missing; that would scare the shit out of him. Letting out a deep sigh, I hit his number, a call popping up and ringing only a few times before there's an answer.

"Buck?" Steve's sleepy voice calls.

"Hey pal," I greet lowly, taking a seat on the couch. "You're probably gonna wanna throw on some shoes and come down here."

[Steve]

"She what?" I exclaim as I throw on a sweatshirt, making my way quickly through the apartment to the front door to slip on my shoes.

"Yeah, she showed up in nothing but her pajama shirt and underwear, carrying all her sheets at her feet. Said she had a bad dream," he explains.

"Oh god," I breathe, brushing my hair back anxiously as I make my way out the front door, being sure to lock it behind me. "I'm so sorry, Buck. I had no idea she would do something like this. I should've guessed something might-"

"No, no, it's okay, Steve," he tells me quickly. "Really, it's no trouble. I'm glad she felt safe enough to come to me about it. It's good that she came to someone, anyone."

"You said she was begging not to be beaten?" I repeat what he had said, making my way across the porch to the stairs.

"Yeah. She's still pretty worried that she's going to be punished for stuff like this. I told her that neither of us would ever do that, of course, but it's just gonna take time," he replies.

"Yeah- we're working on it with her therapist, but I think you're right," I agree as I make my way down to Bucky's apartment. "I'm outside," I let him know.

The front door to the home opens up before me, and I switch my phone off, shoving it in my pocket as my friend lets me in. Closing the door behind me, he offers me a sad smile. "Hey, punk," he mutters, patting me lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey, thanks again for everything," I say sincerely, still feeling incredibly guilty for all the trouble he's gone through for the little girl.

"No problem, pal," he waves it off as I step into the apartment, hearing water running back from what I'm guessing is the bathroom. "She's getting herself cleaned off right now. I have her sheets and clothes in the washer, and she's got a big t-shirt of mine to wear in the meantime."

"Okay. Thanks Buck," I thank him again. "Does she know you called me?"

"Uhh... no," he admits, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "She begged me not to tell you, but I figured it would be better for you to come and get the situation addressed." I nod, thankful for his decision. Hearing the water shutting off, Buck looks behind him before turning back to me, suggesting, "Maybe we should meet her at the bathroom, so she doesn't try to run back through the house or anything."

"Sounds good to me," I agree, doing my best to mentally prepare myself for whatever kind of reaction the little girl might have to my arrival.

"I'm gonna let her know you're here, and then I'll let you take over," he decides as he leads me back to the closed bathroom door. The light from inside peeks out from under the wood as faint shuffling can be heard from the other side. "I don't wanna overwhelm her with both of us in a small space like that, so I'll just let you handle it," he tells me, earning a nod.

Turning and knocking gently against the door, Bucky calls, "Hey Willa? You doin' okay in there?"

"A-a'most done," she calls back, the shakiness of her voice causing my heart to break. The whole situation in general is incredibly saddening. While I think Bucky is right in that it's an improvement for her to have sought out any help at all, it still makes me feel unbelievably guilty that she's so scared of me, apparently even more scared than she is of Buck. "O-okay," she says.

"Alright," Bucky says opening up the door slightly. From where I'm standing, I can't quite be seen yet by the child. "Sweetheart, while you were getting cleaned up, I had to call Steve and let him know what was going on," he tells her slowly. Though I can't see her, I can just picture her beginning to dissolve into a mess of anxiety. Soft whimpers can be heard from inside the room, making my heart tighten in my chest. "Shhh bunny. it's okay. He's not angry, not at all. He's just happy you're here and safe," he murmurs soothingly, stepping aside and motioning for me to join him.

Taking a deep breath, I shift over into the doorway; the sight before me breaks my heart. Willa stands trembling on the bath mat in one of Bucky's old t-shirts, her eyes overflowing with tears as a look of pure terror and betrayal makes its way onto her face. She flinches back at the sight of me, bumping up against the wall behind her and letting out a frightened sound as she realizes she's trapped. "I'll let you two have some time alone," Bucky sighs as he steps away, heading back into one of the rooms at the back of the apartment and closing the door.

"Willa-bug," I coo, keeping my voice as soft and low as possible. The poor child's knees begin to wobble underneath her as she stares at me, her bottom lip trembling in fear. Stepping a bit inside the bathroom, I bend my knees in hopes of coming off as unintimidating as I can, though my efforts seem to do little in helping the girl relax. "Hey sweetheart- it's okay, Willa. You're not in trouble. I'm not here to hurt you," I tell her softly.

The little girl's chest rises and falls erratically as tears continue pouring down her cheeks, a soft whimper rising in her throat before she opens her mouth, barely able to make any sound at all. "P-... p-p-..." she tries, her eyes widening in fear as she struggles to speak. "P-please," she finally manages, adding, "'m sorry, 'm so s-sorry. Didn't m-mean to. D-don't beat me, please don't beat me."

"Willa, Willa, shhh," I soothe, inching myself a tiny bit closer to her as she shakes feverishly against the wall. "Shhh, sweetheart- I'm not gonna beat you, doll. No beating," I tell her reassuringly as I bend down onto my knees before her, causing her to jump again. "I know you didn't mean to, sweetie. I know. It's okay, doll. You're not in trouble. Bucky said you had a nightmare?"

She nods, swallowing down her sobs as I soften my expression for her, murmuring, "Oh honey, that's alright. You couldn't help it that you had a scary dream." The look in her eyes tells me that she's skeptical of my words, but I continue, "It's okay, accidents happen. You're still little, sweetie. No one's mad at you. And you did a good job, you asked someone for help. That was really brave of you, darlin'. I'm so proud of you."

Willa's eyes widen at my words, and she asks, "P-p'oud of me?"

Despite her confusion, I just nod, explaining, "Yeah baby, you were really scared, but you came to Bucky for help anyway. You didn't do it all by yourself. That was good, Willa. You did such a good job." The child blinks, still appearing perplexed at my words. "Next time, it would be good if you could come to me," I add. "I know you were scared that you were going to be beaten, and that you would rather be hurt by Bucky than me. But no one's gonna beat you here, Willa. Never. I'll never hurt you or punish you, no matter what you do."

Willa's eyes gaze warily into mine and I open up my arms for her, earning a soft flinch. "Here sweetheart, you want a hug?" I offer, wanting nothing more than to wrap her up safely in my embrace. A pitiful look of longing forms on her face as she takes in my position, letting out a quiet whine of want. "It's okay doll, Daddy won't hurt you. Just wanna hold you."

And to my surprise, despite all the fear lingering in her big green eyes, Willa slowly steps forward, her face tucking itself away into my chest as I wrap her up softly and lift her off the floor. Carefully, I rise to a standing position, holding her safely against me as her tears begin to soak through my sweatshirt. "Hey- shhh," I soothe, rubbing her back tenderly as I sway her gently from side to side. "You're okay, Willa-bug. I've got you, it's okay."

"N-no beating, please no beating," she begs quietly.

"No beating," I repeat back to her, "no beating, baby. Just soft. Just safe." For several minutes, the little girl continues to cry silently into the damp fabric of my sweatshirt as I keep rocking her, offering quiet shushes every now and then in hopes of soothing her fears. Eventually, her breaths start to even out, and it occurs to me that she must be exhausted after all the night's events.

"You tired, sweetheart?" I ask, stroking down her hair gently as she shifts weakly against me, her head completely limp on my chest. She nods silently and I stroke her hair again, telling her, "That's okay, honey. It's pretty late, and you've had quite the night. I'm gonna thank Buck again and let him know we'll come get the sheets in the morning, but you can close your eyes if you want to, okay? I'll hold onto you," I soothe.

"H-have to sleep in th-the cold?" she whimpers, catching me slightly off guard.

"In the cold? What do you mean, baby?" I ask as I head out of the bathroom, shutting off the light behind me.

"N-no sheets, n-no blankies," she pouts.

"Oh," I say with a slight chuckle, now understanding. "No baby, of course not. You can sleep with me in my bed. How does that sound?"

"Daddy's bed," she hums lovingly, her thumb having made its way up into her little mouth. "Big. Lots'a blankies"

"That's right," I agree, "big bed, soo many blankies, baby. Plenty of room for both of us. And that way, if you have another scary dream, Daddy'll be right there to make it all better," I add.

"All better," she mumbles sleepily into her thumb, her eyelids fluttering as they fall shut.

"All better, sweetheart," I coo, rubbing her back lovingly as she falls asleep right in my arms.

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[allthingsdarkanddirty]

We are excited to share The Air I Breathe: A Football Player/Popstar Romance by Laramie Briscoe Excerpt Reveal!!

Coming August 16th everywhere!

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Enjoy this short excerpt from The Air I Breathe! "I had to shoot my shot, ya know?" He ducks his head down, bashful smile playing against his lips. When he reaches a finger up to scratch the mustache I've come to tolerate, the black matte circle encasing his left ring finger makes my heart swell.

Shoot his shot, he did, but that wasn't even the full story. It was supposed to be fun, a little bit of flirting and dating in between legs of my massive world tour. I needed that more than I could ever explain. Nothing forever, nothing serious, I needed to laugh, and shriek with surprise. I'd thought it would be no strings, a good time, and at the end, we'd separate.

Little did I know we were both ready for more, and once we had a taste of what more entailed? We weren't about to let go. So that little fun time I'd planned. It was gone almost as soon as it began.

What it became?

The fucking air I breathe. 

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Book Blurb:

I'm the hottest tight end in the league, and I'm ready to shoot my shot...

Blake

Nine years playing professional football for the Nashville Warriors has taught me a lot. I've learned not everyone is your friend, the fans can and will turn on you, and most importantly when you find love? You've got to grab it with both hands and never let it go.

I've had a crush on pop star Willa for years, but I was in a long-term relationship. When my ex and I break up and Willa makes a tour stop near one of our games, the stars align.

I'm only expecting to talk to her for a few minutes and explain how much I admire her. Instead, we're hooked up by mutual friends, and as they say, chemistry as electric as ours? It can't be denied.

Willa

I'm a fresh off the end of a long-term relationship. I've taken the required time that women like me need when our hearts are broken, and now I'm ready to get out and play the field again.

The only thing is; I don't expect "the field" to mean with an actual professional athlete.

But when I meet Blake Whitfield, I know my life is never going to be the same. Late nights, early mornings, public outings, and the opinions of every person around us isn't enough to discourage this love story.

As they say; let the games begin...

The Air I Breathe is a steamy sports/pop star romance standalone. She's insecure, and he's a golden retriever boyfriend. Together they are an every-day love story that the reader can get lost in. Adult situations and mentions of a miscarriage should be noted. Read with care if those things may bother you.