#woke up early in the morning and my sister drops me off at work but before that tells me how she hates her life so much and she wants to kil

[katpaulww1]

Why does my family disappoint me so much

[munsonsfairy]

I always see bbf abby but never sbf, so maybe older abby x friends little sister (of age of course, like about to graduate college) 🕺🏽 reader is visiting her sister and she sees abby type thing idk

Btw, your work is amazing 🙂‍↕️🩷

love me tender ✨🐚🤍🌸���

author’s note: thank you so much! i appreciate you for reading and sending in a request. i hope you enjoy! thank you for @katemartinis for proofreading. 🤍

abby wants say yes to heaven, say yes to you, and let fear she has fall away. you thought you were only a lost memory to abby until this summer. now, you’re standing in front of abby in the rain with shoes full of water staring at each other.

content: fluff with angst. summer before graduation. 18+ no smut. no specific descriptions of reader but is feminine.

word count: 2.2k

The salt air coming in from your open window cools your skin from the summer heat. You're lying on your bed watching season three of stranger things as you always do at the start of summer. Or at least you were watching it until your best friend, Jackie, came over. It's the summer before your senior year and you’re trying to soak up every bit of it before you graduate.

You and Jackie made a list of what you want to do this summer consisting of tanning to getting matching tattoos to trying out surfing. Luckily you live on an island making it easy to complete. today you wanted to check off going to the aquarium off your list. While you were going through your closet for an outfit, Jackie was talking about a boy she swears she’s in love with after knowing him for two weeks.

Finally, you found the dress you were looking for. You always felt your best while wearing it and thought your skin glowed with the color. you stood in front of the mirror in awe.

Downstairs, you hear the door slam and someone yell to your mom that they’re hungry.

It's your older sister, Sarah coming back from volleyball practice. You both might be lesbian, but someone was definitely dropped too many times as a baby. You hear your mom greet Sarah and someone else.

“Well look who it is. my favorite Anderson!”

Abby. Anderson.

She's your sister’s best friend and also plays in the same volleyball team. You've had a crush on since you laid eyes on her. The way she carries herself and listens to you always filled you with butterflies. making eye contact with her blue eyes made you dizzy. Her love for books makes you wish you didn’t get so flustered around her so you could ask her about what she’s currently reading.

There was something about Abby that had your heart wanting more. she always knew how to pull you in. Unfortunately, she was off limits. your older sister made you promise you wouldn’t complicate things and ruin her friendship, but it takes two to tango. the stolen glances and subtle touches can only last so long before Sarah gets suspicious. Neither you nor Abby have confessed any real feelings, but it was enough to raise red flags for Sarah.

You feel yourself getting nervous at the thought of seeing her again. You haven’t seen Abby since last summer since she wasn’t home for Christmas. the four of you camped out together at the beach since the weather was more tolerable compared to summer. Sarah and Jackie fell asleep, so the both of you laid down next to each other looking up at the stars. Abby was a nerd when it came to constellations. She pointed out every single one she found, then it got quiet letting you only hear the waves crashing.

You felt at peace and closed your eyes to take it all in. Abby turned her head and admired you as she always did. The next morning, you woke up to Abby holding you close to her chest; her breath tickling your neck. You look up to see the blonde deeply sleeping. Her eyes lashes so long and freckles covering her skin. Being an early bird has its perks when you wake up before your older sister sees you cuddling her best friend.

Your reminiscing is soon interrupted by your older walking into your room eating a sandwich and laying on your bed with Jackie.

Just in record time, Abby comes behind her but doesn’t go into your room. Instead, she leans against your doorway focusing on the one person.

Through your mirror your eyes made eye contact with the bluest eyes you’ve seen. her freckles covered her sun kissed skin. Her arms are crossed in front of her chest making her arms show off for you.

Abby’s eyes rake over your body, drinking in every curve before meeting your eyes again. She tried to be discreet but couldn’t help but admire you.

She thought you were glowing and couldn’t believe such beauty existed, but you always proved her wrong. She loved way your eyes crinkled with your laughed at her joke. Oh my god she thinks I’m funny. Those were one of the few times she saw your true personality.

SAY HI IDIOT. Abby’s mind screamed at her.

“Hi.”

Her voice filled with honey and softness. You feel your knees get week and feel a shiver run through your spine. Abby notices and smirks then looks away to let you breathe.

You mentally kick yourself for not evening answering. It's one word!! two letters!! stupid stupid stupid!!

Thankfully, your sister and Jackie were too busy in their own world to notice or so you thought.

“I’m sure it would be fun if Abby came with us!” you turn to Jackie with wide eyes who is smiling knowing what she’s doing.

𓆉⋆.˚ 333 °‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡

Since Sarah and Jackie went to the reptile exhibit, you and Abby stayed on a bench admiring the open ocean exhibit. Reptiles weren’t really your thing. The blue hues fill from the water paint the walls. It feels like the fish are moving in slow motion. You're in awe of the two stingrays swimming together it almost looks like they are dancing.

Although, the sea creatures were beautiful, Abby couldn’t focus when she felt your arm touching hers, or your hands brushing against each other when you were walking next to each other earlier. If only you knew how it took everything in her not to reach for your hand. she has been this close to you before but today felt different. The peace she was feeling was something she wouldn’t be able to put into words.

“Do you think seals have spots?” Abby asked as suddenly.

“Hm?” You missed her question when you turned to look at her. you feel a little embarrassed by how she can easily throw you off.

She laughs, “Do you think seals have spots? Owen swears up and down he saw one spotted. He says saw one and I haven’t heard the end of it. Not saying I want to prove him wrong but…” She trails off.

“Oh, definitely. Have you considered researching your question? I mean you do know how to use your phone, right or do you need assistance?” You laugh at her.

Abby playfully rolls her eyes, “You think you’re so funny, huh? I personally would love to see this seal in person.” She shrugs.

You laugh but this time Abby fully sees you. She wishes she could freeze time and just look at you forever. To make you laugh and smile every day.

“Do other people think you’re funny?”

Abby looks towards the fish tank shaking her head but still smiling, “No, they don't.”

For a moment you didn’t let your nerves hold you back, so you squeeze her bicep, “Let me be the first to tell you that you are very funny.”

You lay your hand back down to your lap, but Abby reaches for it and holds your palm up. She traces the lines on your hand and finally decides that it’s now or never.

It felt like she was on Saturn, and it was only the two of you. Nothing else mattered. All of her nerves were gone. It felt like a dream, but the warmth of your hand reminded her it was real.

“You're staring,” you whisper.

“I like looking at you,” Abby whispered back smiling.

Abby raises her hand reaching for your cheek. Her thumb gently rubbing your soft skin; scared to break you. She drags down her thumb to your lower lip sending a shiver down your spine. The world slowed down for the two of you. Abby admired every detail on your face just in case this was the last time she was this close. She could smell the coconut perfume you spayed earlier. She knew what color your eyes were, but they were so much better up close. Her eyes flickers from your lips to your eyes. Abby felt herself leaning towards you as if it was the most natural thing.

“Oh, are we interrupting something?” Jackie asked smiling.

Out of fear, Abby dropped your hand and pulled away from you. “N-no,” she stands up quickly and walks in front of you away from the group. Luckily, your sister didn’t see since she was walking a bit behind Jackie. The rest of your time at the aquarium Abby avoids looking at you after that. It's all gone.

𓆉⋆.˚ 444 °‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡

The car ride home was filled with tension. Abby had barely said a word to anyone. You sat in front while she drove back to your house staring at the raindrops that filled the window. Summer might be your favorite season, but hurricane season makes you wish it was over already.

You finally got the confidence to look at the blonde next to you and see nothing but an emotionless face. Her eyes aren’t the same blue you saw earlier. They look empty. Abby must have felt you staring because she sighed and made sure you heard it.

Your brain replays what happened earlier over and over like a record player. There was never a moment where Abby looked at you the way she did right now.

After what felt like hours, she drove into the driveway of your house. Your sister and Jackie quickly got out of the car leaving you alone with Abby. You felt a knot in your stomach and don’t feel words come out when you open your mouth. Out of habit you anxiously pick the skin on your fingers.

“Wanna come in? I think we’re going to order some pizza. Sarah always orders way too much food for us to finish,” you ask trying to break the tension.

Abby clears her throat, “Uh, I can’t tonight. rain check? I’m pretty tired it was a long day.” Her eyes never met yours since you were at the aquarium. You missed her blue eyes filled with love. Now you couldn’t tell what she was feeling.

“Oh sure! We have the whole-.”

“I think it’s getting late don’t you think? I’m sure they’re waiting for you,” she interrupts. You hear the irritation in her voice and almost leave, but you needed to ask her why she changed her attitude in a matter of seconds. You really thought today was the day you’d finally tell her what your heart feels. How you much you find her funny and think she deserves to have someone love her.

“What changed, Abby? I know it wasn’t only in my head what happened earlier, or did I imagine it?”

Abby sighs and looks towards her fingers, “You didn’t imagine it, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be together. We're just good friends and I don’t think it’s the best thing to do. I mean what will you sister think?”

Her heart beats for you but she could never admit it to you. She's watched you go from relationship to relationship to break up to break up. yet, she can’t get the words out to tell you.

You scoff, “Just good friends, huh? you’re so full of shit, Abigail. I mean you were there! was I the only one who felt the feeling?”

“What feeling,” Abby asked confused.

“You know! the feeling! The feeling you get before you kiss someone for the first time. The excitement, anticipation, and butterflies in your stomach. The way your heart flutters when you finally kiss the girl you love!” You were talking so fast and just ranting now that you didn’t even notice you confessed your feelings to her.

“Wait what?” Abby was shocked but knew she shouldn’t be. She was there and so were you.

“Honestly, I don’t know why I’m here explaining this to you and expecting you to understand. Just next time, don’t look into a girl’s eyes and say you like looking at her if you’re planning to be an ass.” You open the car door and start running to your front door without getting soaked by the rain.

It took Abby two seconds to finally realize the girl of her dreams is running away from her. Abby ran out of her car leaving the door open without a care.

“Do you really want to know how I feel?!” she yelled out.

“I’ve never loved anyone like you! I’ve never felt so much peace before in my life! Everything about you consumes my being it’s frightening. This love I feel for you is so beautiful yet so scary. If choosing you means that I am losing your sister as a friend, then fine!”

You felt like your heart was beating so hard as you stared at Abby trying to process everything.

“And you couldn’t say all of that in the car, Abigail!? I have water in my shoes, I’m cold, and we-.”

Abby grabs you with both of her hands and kisses you. It takes you a couple seconds to process and kiss her back. Your eyes fluttered closed and you felt everything happening all at once. Her lips are softer than you imagined and so familiar. Your hands move to her braid making her moan into the kiss and letting you slip your tongue inside. She wrapped her arm around your waist bringing you closer to her.

“Wow…” you were breathless with your eyes still closed. When you finally opened them, Abby was smiling and looking into your eyes. She leans in again and whispers, “Can I do that again?”

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Yandere coworker (part 8)

Tw: noncon touching, noncon kissing, afab reader anatomy, violence, toxic family dynamics

Masterlists, part 1, part 9

Thanks for the asks about cyprus guys, it do be helping me to unclog that authors block for this stimky

Especially the ones who wanted to know more about him, got the idea from themm

"...She's sick and she has a cert' to prove it. I'll ask her to send an email after this call."

You were awoken by Cyprus's voice early morning. Softly grumbling under your breath, you pushed yourself up and rubbed your eyes. Realizing that you were lying on top of his bare chest the entire night. A calloused hand holds you in place by the ass, while the other held onto his phone that is being pressed against his ear.

"Me? I told you. I'm not coming in today. An emergency came up." The annoyance on his face evaporated away as soon as he saw that you were awake. You grunted in displeasure as he pressed an audible kiss on your very sleepy form.

You tried focusing on his banter with Jane. But everything was gibberish to you as you struggled to keep your eyes open. Cyprus gently pushed you back down onto his broad chest as he saw you swaying side to side, obviously not at all fit to go to work.

You pressed your cheek against him and closed your eyes, letting your consciousness slowly drift away again.

"You figure it out, you're the manager." He barked before hanging up on her. Cyprus stretched his arm to open the drawer of his nightstand, dropping his phone next to yours inside it.

The brunette turned his attention to you. He groped your buttocks, it made you stir a little, but it looked like you were too tuckered out to care.

"Hey."

You replied with a weak hum.

"I want to smoke."

You let out a grunt of annoyance. Struggling to push yourself off him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cyprus pressed you closer to him.

You said that you're trying to get out of the way so he could do his thing.

He huffed. "You're supposed to stop me."

You said that he is an adult. You have no right to tell him what to do or stop whatever urges he may have. You told him that you wished he would extend the same courtesy to you.

"Oh yeah? Well, I have the urge to fuck you stupid right now." This woke you up immediately, making you push him away and creating as much distance as possible. You would have run away if it wasn't for him caging you against the bed.

You began whining and whimpering, about to break into a loud scream, until,

"Relax. I'm not doing that today." His voice took on a condescending tone. However, his fingers are still digging into your soft flesh, keeping you in place under him.

"Help me fight the urge to smoke." He ordered. "I won't let you go until you do something about it."

You frowned, forcing your brain to think early this morning.

You asked when and why he started smoking. His eyes darted to the side as he actively recalled the first time he did it.

"I started when I was twelve." He rolled to your side, but his arm still kept you in place. "My sister tried her best to keep me away from it, but I was a little shit. I stole a pack from her handbag and the rest was history."

You asked what kept him going. He shrugged.

"I looked... cool. And it calms me down, I had to work after school, to pull my own weight around the house. Juice boxes and candies weren't enough to soothe my nerves after a long night of dealing with fucking morons." Cyprus absentmindedly played with your hair as he reminisced about his youth.

You asked him what work he could have possibly done as a 12-year-old.

"You know, like. Shady ones. I would sell random shit on the streets, become a delivery boy for some local gangs, weirdos paid me to leave dead animals on doorsteps of specific people..." He trailed off.

You asked what he used the money on.

"Well, firstly, to keep the lights on. Secondly, on more cigarettes."

You asked how come the money from his mother and sister wasn't enough, that a young boy like him had to be robbed of his childhood to work. To that, he scowled, but not necessarily at you for asking such a question, but it was more like he wasn't fond of the memory.

"Looking expensive was apparently more important than her kids getting three meals a day." You waited for him to elaborate on that.

"We had a coffee machine when we couldn't even afford the right coffee. She had to outshine her so-called friends at church, wearing a new dress every week in her favorite color; gold. While we had to go insane and sleepless trying to put food on the table." He spat, feeling resentment for his mother for prioritizing her image.

"My sister was just like me, she had to juggle her studies while raising me and my mom." He mindlessly touched the back of his shoulder again. You wonder if his sister did something to him on that body part of his.

You asked if he still resents his mother for being materialistic.

He sighed. "...A little."

You asked him if she still is like this.

"Not anymore. It took me running away for a few days to sober her up. She was still shit at managing her money- my sister had to handle that on her own, but at least she knows she was a massive idiot back then."

You asked him how old he was when he ran away.

"Fifteen." A guilty look crossed his face. "My sister freaked the fuck out. It wasn't pretty when I finally decided to show my face again." You eyed the hand that touched the same spot as before.

You asked him if she hit him before.

"More times than I can count. She uses anything and everything, but it's mostly her cha- Slippers." He laughed.

You asked if she usually hit him on the spot that he kept rubbing whenever she was mentioned.

"Oh... no." He turned around to show you what he was touching. It's a long, large raised scar with mild discoloration, but it's clearly healed a while ago. You thought he had that while fighting. "She fucking stabbed me with a kitchen knife. Only once. But it hurt like a bitch, especially when she screamed that I was her biggest burden."

You offered him words of sympathy this time. He snorted.

"She didn't mean it. Because I heard her yell the same thing when she stabbed my mom in the hand. Plus, I was only 8, it wasn't my fault everything was the way it was."

You asked him if he gets to stab her as revenge. He chuckled at your question.

"Nope. My mom did, though. I stole her money and told her boyfriends that she has some sort of contagious disease instead." He pursed his lips and stroked his chin as he thought about the past deeply. "Yeah, I held a grudge against her for a while. I kept stealing her shit and laughed in her face whenever she breaks down. I have taken dodging and blocking seriously ever since I got stabbed."

You asked when you stopped being an asshole to his sister.

"About... fourteen. When I realized that my sister was more of a parent than my mom would ever be. It was awkward as hell, trying to make up for being this devil who's been sabotaging her for years."

You asked if he ran away out of guilt. He looked at you confused.

"Why would I..." He paused and thought about it for a while.

You continued, explaining that maybe he didn't want to be a burden to his sister anymore, so he thought running away was the solution?

"I ran away because I was sick of my mom leeching off me. She was the burden."

You asked if he thought about his sister when he took off.

"Yeah, I thought about how she's going to be fine without me. But I was mostly thinking about how I'm finally free from my mom siphoning my hard earned cash into her wallet."

You asked Cyprus what made him come back. He was chewing on his bottom lip throughout this conversation, possibly to try and suppress the urge to get up and smoke.

"My sister managed to find me one day and tore me a new one. She set my ass straight and put me back into school, kept an eye on me until I turned 18. Then, she told me that I'm free to fuck off and do whatever."

You asked him what he did.

"Finished university. I had some financial backing from my mom and my sister, but I still had to work like a dog to pay off my tuition fees. Thanks to them, I'm here today. Playing with my girl's cute and squishy ass."

You realized that he was fondling your rear during the entirety of this conversation. It made you slap his hand away.

He snickered when you angrily hit him on the chest.

"Oh come on, you liked it." Cyprus brought his face close to yours, to which you pushed him away with your palms.

You said that you did something about his urge to smoke. You asked if he would let you go now.

"Nope."

Exasperated, you let out a whine. Asking what more does he want.

Cyprus puckered his lips dramatically, even to a comical extent and made loud kissy noises. His thumb brushed your bottom lip, silently telling you that he isn't content just giving you kisses on the cheeks or forehead.

You told him that you're not interested in doing such things with him. But he cuts you off mid sentence by shoving his lips against yours.

You struggled, having Cyprus's unusually long tongue muffle your screams. But it only took a couple of seconds for you to calm down and grow limp in astonishment.

He is a... really, really good kisser. You grew more and more embarrassed each second you lingered, pathetically fighting back but clearly enjoying the dance of tongues. You liked the warmth, the erotic sounds he makes without the help of his vocal chords, the slickness and his rhythm. It's oddly satisfying and enjoyable.

He smelled of his body wash, a strong, earthy masculine odor mixed with a hint of cigarette smoke.

You couldn't tell what he tasted like except for the fact that he tasted nice.

You were too distracted by his skills to notice that his hands slipped under your oversized shirt that once belonged to your boyfriend. He's kneading your breasts and buttocks, perhaps adding to the pleasure train that you're experiencing.

However, despite not being a smoker, your lung capacity is much more inferior than Cyprus's. You panicked, repeatedly whacking him on the back as you tried to get him off you so you wouldn't pass out from oxygen deprivation.

He slowly pulled away from you, retreating his lewd hands along with him, admiring the string of saliva connecting your lips to his full ones. You're the only one panting in the room, Cyprus was calm and collected, yet you're there greedily gasping for air with your chest rapidly rising up and down.

"Thanks for the meal, princess. Next time, I'd like to know how it tastes down..." He brushed his fingertips against your clothed clit teasingly, making you jerk your hips away and squeeze your thighs together to process the sudden exciting stimulation. "...here. I bet it'll taste fucking delicious." Purred Cyprus with a pair of grey, bedroom eyes.

He laughed as you shied away from him. "You're funny" Cyprus cooed, tickling your sides until you audibly cackled.

He sat on the edge of the bed, yawning and stretching. He puts on his glasses as he rises from his seat, stretching his back muscles and arms even more.

"Oh and, thank you, doll." He looked back at you.

You asked what for.

"i don't feel like smoking anymore." He bent down to give you an appreciative kiss on the temple. "For now, at least." Cyprus continued.

"Come out in ten minutes." He said, walking out of the bedroom door and into the kitchen. You hear him start to gather the cooking vessels, utensils and ingredients needed for breakfast.

[g0ry0re0]

"Valentine", Mike Schmidt (Five Nights At Freddy's, 2023, Film) - Imagine

Description: You and Mike take the day off for Valentine's Day, spending quality time with one another. / Mike Schmidt x GN!Reader

General Notes: Established Relationship (reader lives with Mike and Abby), Gender Neutral Reader (no use of Y/N), Pure Fluff, Second Person POV, Takes Place After The Film's Events (no mention of movie plot, mostly just mentioned for the character and relationship development), Set In The Movie Year (2000), Brief Scene With Abby In The Beginning, Lots Of Physical Touch

Author's Note: The song choice is soooo not original lol, but I love Laufey and had to do something really cute for Valentine's Day (song is linked at the bottom of the post). This was also heavily inspired by a tweet from @/whycraves on twitter (screenshot at bottom of post). Also, my best friend, @anal-spaghetti-monster (I'm sorry lol) helped me choose the gif for Mike! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The morning before posting this, I read @sleepyhutcherson's Mike Schmidt Valentine's Day prompt and noticed a lot of similarities. I just want to throw it out there that this is purely a coincidence and that I reached out to her to confirm that posting this was still okay. Besides that, check out her work as well, as she did an amazing job with a similar prompt!

Word Count: 1,693 Words

"Alright, Abbs, you got everything?" Mike turns around in the car seat to face her.

Your car is temporarily parked by the elementary school curb with a handful of others, you're sitting in the driver's seat and looking back and forth between your boyfriend and his younger sister. This was one of the rare days you and Mike could drop her off at school together, as you had both taken the day off work. The three of you spent an easy-going morning together, not as hectic as it usually is when trying to get ready as fast as possible for work and school. Mike in particular had woken up early and made a small breakfast for you and Abby. He woke you up with coffee and Abby with the promise of bacon, causing you both to rise quickly out of your beds and immediately join him in the kitchen. The time was spent enjoying each other's company and getting ready leisurely before heading out the door.

Abby rolls her eyes playfully and smiles. "Yes, Mike."

You smile as well and add, "Sounds like something you should've asked before we even got in the car. Definitely not when we're already at school."

It's Mike's turn to roll his eyes, but he quickly looks back at Abby.

"And you have your...love- heart candy letter things for your friends?"

"They're Valentine's Day cards, Mike! And, yes," she shakes a pink and red decorated, emptied-out, tissue box filled with cards and candy. "I have them right here."

Before Mike can even think about a response, Abby opens the car door excitedly and jumps out, shouting her goodbyes while running to the school entrance. Mike tries to yell something out the window about staying safe and paying attention to her teacher, but Abby is inside before he can try. You laugh while putting the car in drive and pulling out of the parking lot, Mike still flustered and slightly worried.

"She- she didn't even...I didn't get to-" Mike stutters out, speechless.

"Mike," You laugh again. "She's excited about Valentine's Day and seeing her friends. Can you blame her?" You glance at him, smiling before turning back to the road and continuing your short drive home.

Mike grumbles unintelligibly and looks out the window, but still grabs your free hand that's set on the center console and squeezes it lightly.

Getting out of the car causes a harsh chill to run through your body pulling your jacket around the front of your torso while closing the car door. Mike pulls out his keys and quickly opens up the front door, both out of anticipation for your day together and to get you both out of the cold as soon as possible. You rush in side by side, slightly stumbling and sighing as the warmth of your shared home dethaws your frozen bodies. Mike locks the door and watches you fondly as you remove your scarf, your gloves, your coat, and finally your shoes, leaving them by the front door. Not going unnoticed by you, you smirk while walking towards the living room.

"You're staring again, lover boy." You comment teasingly, walking around the couch and plopping down.

Mike blushes, a little embarrassed, but smiling at the nickname. He removes his excess layers as well, following you to the couch shortly after. He sits directly beside you and wraps one arm around your shoulders, the other snaking around your front, then burying his face into your neck.

A muffled, "I can't help it," vibrates against your neck while Mike rubs his thumb along your hip.

You lean into Mike's embrace, laughing a bit at his breath tickling your neck. He pulls you closer and starts peppering kisses along your neck, the act of affection making you giggle as you lightly try to push him away playfully.

"Mike, come on." You whine, weakly pushing at his face this time, trying to turn him away.

"What? I can't kiss you, my love?" He speaks against your throat again, his smile causing his stubble to scratch your skin a little bit.

You resign, defeatedly leaving your hands to rest on his chest and sighing out of fake annoyance. He leaves quick, gentle kisses along your neck, collarbone, shoulder, and trails up your jaw. Getting closer to your lips, he brings his hand up from your waist to cup your cheek, He finally presses his lips against yours sweetly, the most innocent of kisses, Mike's signature. He was pouring every ounce of his love into this one kiss, taking his time, lips moving slowly against yours. His thumb now softly grazes your cheek as he pulls away a few minutes later. He's got kind of a shy look on his face when you open your eyes.

"I got you something...for today." He whispers, glancing up from your lips to make eye contact.

"You did?" You inquire back, looking up affectionately, but feeling a slight twinge of guilt. "You didn't have to do that."

Mike gives you one final peck on the lips before pulling away. He stands up, grinning.

"Gimme one sec- " He says right before turning and walking down the hallway to your shared room.

You both had anticipated spending the day together, but you didn't expect any gifts. You loved Mike to death, but sometimes you never knew what to expect from him. All that really mattered to you was spending time together, which you didn't get to do often despite living together. If you were lucky, you got to spend time with both the Schmidt siblings, like this morning. Today was about you and Mike, though, and all you wanted to do was cuddle and talk each other's ears off until you couldn't think of anything else to say. Lost in thought, you barely notice as Mike walks back to you, holding a small object. He sits back down next to you, bringing your attention back to him. His body facing you, he smiles nervously and rubs his hand on the back of his neck.

"It's not much, but..." He trails off, holding out the item and presenting it to you.

You look down and your heart melts. In his hand is a cassette tape with your name scrawled on the front. You beam up at him while grabbing the tape, and then you look at your name written in the center. You can tell Mike put a lot of effort into printing your name as nicely as his hands allowed him to, noticing also the miscellaneous tiny, slightly sloppy, hearts surrounding it. You hold the cassette to your chest and look back up at him.

"Michael Schmidt, did you make me a mixtape?" You ask playfully.

He loved hearing you say his name. You can see a light blush spread across his face as he smiles shyly, his hand still anxiously messing with the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I tried- well, it's got, like, songs that remind me of you and stuff. Songs that remind me of us," he stammers, bashfully looking down at the tape. "Do you like it?"

He looks back up at you hopefully, using his other hand to nervously pull at the bottom of his shirt. You smirk and stand up, still clutching the cassette to your chest.

"Well, let's see..." You trail off, teasingly, walking across the living room to the cassette deck near the entertainment center.

A familiar song begins to play and you smile softly now. You turn towards Mike and walk back to the couch, standing over him. He looks up at you quizzically before you reach your hand out to him.

"Wanna dance?"

He looks slightly relieved and grabs your hand, standing up and pulling you to the center of the room. One pair of hands intertwined, his other on your waist, your other on his shoulder. You stare at one another lovingly, almost sickeningly sweet the moment being shared. The tempo of the song didn't matter, you both slowly swayed back and forth, taking in the tranquility of the scene. You squeeze his hand and he squeezes back, rubbing his thumb over yours.

"No one's ever made me a mixtape before," you comment distractedly, most of your focus being on Mike's puppy dog eyes that you loved so dearly. "it's definitely worth however much time you spent on it. When did you get a chance to do this anyway?"

A lopsided smile appears on his face.

"A little too much time," he laughs a little. "And I put it together while you were sleeping the other night. Though, most of the time I spent was thinking of songs to put on it. That took me a few weeks."

You move the hand that was resting on his shoulder up to cup his cheek. Mike leans into your touch and closes his eyes, humming in contentment. You lean forward and capture his lips in a quick kiss, his eyes fluttering in pleasant surprise, kissing you back. You pull away, using the hand holding his face as leverage to start peppering kisses all over his face. You go from the corner of his lips, to his stubbled cheeks, his forehead, his nose, his chin, and finally back to his lips. He smirks knowingly and opens his eyes to look at you.

"What are you doing, love?"

"Paying you back for earlier," you smirk back at him, pinching his cheek before resuming your hand's previous position. "And for the amazing Valentine's Day gift."

You take both of your hands now and place them on the sides of his face. His eyebrows furrow but he's still smiling, both of his hands now placed on your hips to keep you both balanced. You start placing soft, quick smooches everywhere now. Rapidly placing kisses all over his face, causing you both to laugh, smiling against his skin. Your laughter in unison with the music playing sounds like heaven to Mike, knowing that moments like these are rare. Though treasuring the moment, both of you feel tenderness in knowing more memories like these will happen as your merged existences face what everyone craves more of, time.

Masterlist Link

Divider: saradika and saradika-graphics on tumblr

Gif: charlie-eppes-blog on tumblr

[busycucumbermelon]

The Cullens' Treasure

Summary: After befriending a new kid at your school, you soon realize your brother only focuses on his girlfriend and partying. you got fed up and decided to ask your new friends for help.

Part 2 of our coven mate

 Warning:  threats, unwanted, physical, touch, mention of child endangerment 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The buzz of your alarm clock woke you up out of your deep slumber. You glanced over at the clock - 5:30. Here comes the rush of your morning. Get up, make breakfast, wake your brother, and wake the kids. Bathe them and get them dressed, make sure they have all their homework done. Then you're part of the morning. You'd usually just let them play while you take a shower, get dressed, do your hair, and double-check that you have everything you need for the day. Out the door at 7:00!

The kids got to school around 10 minutes before they needed to, but the staff there had a schedule with you and your brother. You could drop them off early and they could spend some time in the classroom doing their own thing. Today, you took a few minutes to encourage Sarah and Melanie. The two of them would be giving the new girl attending their school, the tour. Carter didn't really want to walk around with his sisters and a random girl though, so he would just be playing in one of the classrooms.

Your brother didn't accompany you while you were talking to your siblings. Currently, you and him were having a fight, but that wasn't going to stop you from being the best big sister you could as always. You gave your little siblings a kiss and went back to the Jeep.

"you know, it would be nice if you at least got out of the car and put yourself aside for your little siblings."

"Oh, shut it! I'm tired. Me and Olivia were up all night." You whipped your head towards your brother so fast you were sure you'd get whiplash.

Recently, all that had been talked about was your brother's girlfriend Olivia. You had nothing against her; she was a sweet, loving girl. However, your brother was skipping shifts while still begging you to clock in for him. You were basically working double time because of him.

On top of that, when you got home, you had to take care of two sick little girls and a cranky little boy who was trying to make sure his sisters were okay. Yet, your brother still had the audacity to complain about it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm trying to take care of a family, while working, and making sure my little siblings are okay. Melanie has cancer, and Sarah's hydrocephalus doesn't exactly make everything all okay with her. We're lucky Carter doesn't have anything similar, or we wouldn't be able to pay for food, the rent, school, hospital bills. You don't care about any of that though, just Olivia!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't want to spend my entire life with my annoying sister and little siblings that, honestly, could just die for all I care."

The last thing you wanted to hear was your brother ranting about everything, especially bringing kids into it. These were your little siblings, the last trace you had of your parents, and the fact that he just wanted them to die hurt.

The rest of the car ride, you were quiet, crying out of your window, happy you decided not to put on makeup this morning, otherwise, this would be a whole other scene.

When the two of you pulled up to school, you grabbed your bag up from the floor and jumped out of the jeep, slamming the door behind you. The first person you saw that day was Olivia, running up to the car. She looked like she was going to give you a hug, but then second-guessed herself and went to your brother’s side of the car instead.

She probably noticed how upset you were and realized that it wasn't her place to comfort you, since the two of you hadn't always been on the best terms.

In your distress, you didn't notice the new fancy cars parked next to you, until now. As you stormed past, you could make out the people inside. The first car closest to you had a blonde with slightly wavy hair wearing a floral green top, a white scarf, and jeans. They were pretty pale, just like the guy on the passenger seat. You didn't give them more than a glance as you continued to walk across the parking lot.

When you got closer to the school building, you saw your two closest friends standing there - Chris and Crystal.

Crystal was the first to notice the tear stains on your cheeks. Chris was too oblivious, pulling you into a hug. It was exactly what you needed. After an argument with your brother, you knew they wouldn't ask any details or harp on it too long.

Although the company of your friends was comforting for you, it wasn't for the people sitting in their cars behind you -

Jasper and Bella, sitting in the parked cars behind you, had their eyes closed, just to make sure nothing happened once you went inside with your friends. As soon as you stepped inside, they opened their eyes again,

You were quiet as you watched your two best friends chatting while walking down the hallway. The tiredness was starting to slowly set in, but you weren't too worried about that. Even your teacher had made an agreement with you. As long as you got good grades, she would let you sleep in class. So, you tried to engage in the conversation as much as you could, even if it made you exhausted, as it usually did talking to the two idiots you called friends.

"No, I'm saying Natalie and her roommate disappeared." Natalie was one of the popular girls in school. You weren't friends with her or her roommate, but this was where the gossip would usually go.

"Maybe something happened to Natalie's roommate and she's just looking after them," you added to the conversation, providing your own speculation.

"No, no. Well, maybe, I guess no one knows. Did you guys hear? Sounds like we might be able to get out of a little bit of work in gym today. It sounds like we'll just be sparring and you know how the gym teacher is. He's so sexist - he won't let any of the girls participate," Crystal always hated gym class. Her excuse was she had really bad hand eye coordination.

"Uhhhhh." Chris was obviously not excited to fight one of his friends in front of a bunch of girls.

"Yup," Rose teased, throwing an arm around your waist, and pulling you into her. If Chris decided to hit her, this was always her ploy to use you as a human shield.

"Alright, alright. You idiot, let me go to class." Crystal walked away, heading for her Spanish class and telling Chris that she'd see him in gym.

You walked into your English class, saying hello to your teacher, and took a seat at your usual table. You didn't like sitting next to the window, so you took the seat right next to it. No one usually sat around you because well, you wouldn't be much help. You usually just fell asleep and as you did everyday, you put on your hood and put your head down in your arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everything for English went perfectly smooth, even with you sleeping through the entire class with your notebook under your arm. Jasper took down notes for you, periodically looking at the clock to look at your reflection. Bella sat behind you, staring at the clock for the majority of the class. if you had been awake, you would've thought she'd had enough of school already, or she just really wanted to see her partner. You'd seen Divine do it multiple times before, and it could only be assumed it was the same for Bella.

Next was Biology to, as usual, you sat by yourself. Usually, you'd pair up with some acquaintances that you had in that class, For this class, you were sitting next to one of the new students, Emmett.

Seeing him immediately brought you back to the parking lot, You just stared straight ahead, deep in thought, not taking in a word your teacher said, as you thought about what happened earlier that morning.

You scanned the room, and sure enough, you were able to recognize the girl who was sitting with Emmett in the car. She was pretty and had paper-white skin, something you hadn't noticed when you were walking past her. Maybe it was because your eyes were blurry with tears?

A small part of you was kind of worried, though. It wasn't even possible for some one to be that light. Maybe vitiligo, or a lack of sunlight? Or, maybe they just didn't go out a lot?

But before you could think too much on it, the professor started the lesson. Today, you were going over chemical bonds. It sounded complicated from what you could gather before you started to space out. In the corner of your eye, you noticed that Rosalie and Emmett had a close eye on you.

What did their proximity to you mean? You had no idea, but as you started to space out on the lesson, you couldn't help but pay more attention to the duo than anything else in the class.

"When you think of bonds, you may not think of ions, like most people you probably think of bonds between people - like-." After that, the professor started speaking again, although, just like earlier, you started to space out as soon as he did once again.

It seemed like he wasn't planning on giving a long spiel and was going to give you a paper or partner work regardless. Either way, you were pretty sure that spacing out wouldn't hurt that much. You'd already slept through English today, and you'd been fine.

You ended up resting your hand on the table as you began gazing into one of the walls. Sitting in the back middle of the class, it was pretty much far-fetched for the teacher to notice you and call you out. On top of that, the majority of teachers knew of your home arrangement and would give you much more leeway than the rest of your classmates.

Your hand on the table felt like something was slowly taking away some heat. It started at your pinky and a little bit of your wrist. When you glanced over to your new table-mate, you saw that he had his hand next to yours and was tapping the table.

What do you make of this? Do you just keep staring ahead? Or, do you try to get a better look at what he's doing and maybe even talk to him? Just as all these questions started to swirl around in your brain the teacher told all the students that they would be choosing partners. 

As kids scattered around the classroom to find a partner, you noticed your table mate quickly look over at the girl from the parking lot. Their gaze was intense and it looked like they were whispering or mouthing something to each other. The motion was almost fluid, it was as if they were having a personal conversation of some sort. But, they weren't yelling or getting loud, and the situation was so tense that you had the impression that they were discussing something else... like, a secret! What was it about though?… As your table mate moved his hand, his arm flexed and muscles contracted, as if he was holding back from reaching out to you or trying to make some point or comfort himself. You couldn't quite tell what his motive was, but something was definitely on his mind...and it made you curious.

"Hey there!"

Nella was as sweet as her nickname and was not like any of the other students who treated new students like freaks at a circus. She had a natural gift for making friends anywhere she went.

"So I was wondering," Nella says. "But it's all up to you." She pauses, "I know you don't really like partnering up with people you're not really comfortable with, and I totally get that."

"But," she continues, "I was thinking, maybe one of us," she gestures to you and herself, "each could partner up with one of the new kids?"

You nod in agreement, as the group of remaining students breaks out into hushed chatter, discussing partnerships and strategies.

A small, nagging voice in the back of your mind was telling you this was a mistake, but it was too late now. Nella was already off to find the girl from the parking lot. It made you feel awful that that was all you really knew about her.

You turned to see your table mate, his eyes fixated on you. Everything in you told you that this was a bad decision and you were right. He asked the question you feared, only serving to confirm your suspicions.

"So we're partners?" his voice sounds off. Though you've never heard him speak before, something feels wrong. The way he spoke...it was weird.

Fear and worry took hold of you as he asked the question, afraid that you had made a mistake.

"No, this is all in my head," you tell yourself. "I'm being paranoid. There is nothing to worry about; I'm probably just on edge since I've been feeling so emotional all day."

Then, you hear your table mate ask you a question, which makes your heart start racing all over again.

"so what's your name? I don't think you've told me yet." His tone was so friendly, that you almost forgot what you were panicking about.

"Y/n, what's your name?" You're noticeably calmer now and are actually able to focus on your partner. You decide to ignore those intrusive thoughts and take a deep breath to remain in control.

"I'm Emmett," he says, "and your friend is partnered with Rosalie" he adds, as if that explains everything. The fact that he dropped that information without any sort of preamble makes you wonder if he was just making a casual observation or maybe he noticed you were kind of nervous up

As the class continued, you were mostly tuned out. However, you were surprised to realize that Emmett was doing most of the work. It was as if your table mate had a hidden talent for understanding this stuff that you just couldn't comprehend.

Rosalie also caught your attention; she frequently looked over at you, but it was never nerve-racking or intimidating. It felt...natural and normal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 In your Spanish class, you need to discussed something with Crystal. You anxiously rocked back-and-forth on your heels, waiting for her outside English classroom. You always walked together, and you needed someone to talk to about your feelings and how weird class was.

You also felt uncomfortable with the way the town perceived the new kids. They gave you bad vibes, and you just couldn't fully trust them.

Although Crystal wasn't the first one out of the classroom, a new girl was. You had never seen her around, so you suspected she was new to town.

When she spotted you, the new girl quickly stopped in her tracks. She bit her bottom lip and quickly continued walking.

Although you hadn't spoken a single word to the new girl, you could tell there was something else in her mind. It seemed like she wanted to approach you, but was hesitant to do so...

And before you knew it, Crystal was right in front of you with a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips, hoping you would indulge in the drama.

"She's a bit strange, isn't she?" Crystal whispers and pauses for a moment. "She goes by the name of Alice, and we are sitting next to each other."

With that, Crystal quickly moves on. Beginning to walk to Spanish class.

"Well, in every single one of my classes there's been a new student, and I was partnered with one of them. Alice seemed pretty okay, so maybe you should just give her a chance."

You paused, unsure of what to say next. You felt so anxious and stressed out by the whole situation, but you didn't want to sound like you were complaining or making excuses.

So instead, you decided to keep it quick and concise. "I've been a little stressed out lately and the new kids don't really help."

"God, it's your brother and Olivia again. I hate them," Crystal says in an annoyed tone. "I know they're in love or whatever, but she can't just throw away all the responsibilities he has."

She got really upset when it seemed like someone was screwing you over, especially with Olivia since the two of them hadn't gotten along too well. You, however, felt conflicted. You understood your brother's anger, but your siblings would be distraught if they heard what he had said.

You tried to keep your attention on Crystal, but you kept getting sucked back into your own thoughts. After getting thrown back into your thoughts for what felt like the hundredth time, a tap on your shoulder brought you back to reality. You looked over at Crystal, who now wore a bright red flush on her cheeks.

As you looked over, you saw a new student. He was a tall, buff guy, obviously Crystal's type. His teeth were sharp, and his hair looked greasy, like he'd been sweating.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where Spanish is?" he asked. His tone came across as a bit demanding and harsh. You didn't know what his problem was, but you were quick to jump as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

He quickly apologized for scaring you. He explained that he was in a rush, which was why his tone sounded a bit harsh. He was just kinda frazzled, since he didn't really know anyone in his new school.

In that moment, Crystal shot her shot and began trying to push you out of the conversation. She knew you were stressed, and she wanted to take control of the situation.

Jacob and Crystal continued their conversation as they walked to Spanish class together. Although his eyes occasionally gazed your way, you felt comfortable; it wasn't the same as everyone else looking at you with some weird thing in their eyes.

Jake was enjoying the conversation; he seemed comfortable and happy to talk. He reminded you of the time when your brother and you were on the same team and felt like the two of you could take on anything together.

Once you made it into the classroom, you moved to your seat. You typically went on autopilot at this point, distracted by your daydreams. But today, you were having just a little too much fun eavesdropping on Jake and Crystal's conversation

Slowly but surely, Crystal and Jake make their way to you. If Jake had been in a different Spanish class, you were positive Crystal would have followed him.

you decided it would be better if you stopped eavesdropping and simply let your eyes wander around the classroom. You were curious to see if your conspiracy theory about every single one of the new kids being in your classes was actually true...

And sure enough, one of the new students was Alice from before. Her eyes seemed to stare at you with a blank, empty expression. It was almost as if she was dead, like a zombie, waiting for the right moment to pounce. Before you could give it too much thought, you grabbed your pencil pouch and laid out a few of your favorite colors on your desk.

This class wasn't your favorite, and you typically stuck to monotone colors when taking notes. But this could be an exception, especially because Alice was sitting so close to you.

Jake and Crystal's conversation began to taper off as Jake continued to look down at his phone. His eyes occasionally lingered on you and Alice , but you were only getting most of this information from Crystal.

Since the lesson had already begun, you chose to pay attention to what Miss Glosson was teaching. Despite all your curiosity about the new students, you decided it was best to try and focus on studying instead of getting distracted.

As Crystal and Jake's conversation died off, Allison and Jake were now involved in their own stare down. Each of them waited for the other to make the first move, deciding between who would finally budge and move.

Edward had been sending everyone texts throughout the day detailing your thoughts. You had a really bad gut feeling and you felt like this whole situation was kind of freaking you out. However, the Cullens were known for their stubbornness and unwillingness to do what they didn't want to do, The hardest thing was that Jake didn't want to see the same thing happen to you as it did to Bella. You were anxious and had your own issues to deal with. You didn't need a clan of vampires desperate for your attention, especially not with their abilities.

The Cullens were stubborn, especially when they wanted something. This was going to turn out to be way more than Jake thought it would be.

At some point, Alice finally broke when she looked at you and then down at her phone. Jasper and Edward both texted her, presumably worried about your weird vibes and how odd they made you feel.

Jasper expressed concern over your emotions, saying they were "off."

Edward also weighed in, saying you were going through a lot. He mentioned your worries about your family, school, and also made a mention about the staring contest between Alice and Jacob, which was definitely not helping your stress levels. There was always a slight hint of mint whenever you were thinking about school, and your family, The flavor either varied between vibrant, cherry, or strawberry for positive thoughts, or sour for negative feelings.

When you were stressed in particular, it was a bland flavor. A taste that was salty and extremely stale, like everything just went away. An empty void of flavors. It was almost like eating food without salt or any seasoning. Like a stale bread crust, devoid of any flavor.

At some point, Alice finally broke when she looked at you and then down at her phone. Jasper and Edward both texted her, presumably worried about your weird vibes and how odd they made you feel.

Jasper expressed concern over your emotions, saying they were "off."

Edward also weighed in, saying you were going through a lot. He mentioned your worries about your family, school, and also made a mention about the staring contest between Alice and Jacob, which was definitely not helping your stress levels. There was always a slight hint of mint whenever you were thinking about school, and your family, The flavor either varied between vibrant, cherry, or strawberry for positive thoughts, or sour for negative feelings.

When you were stressed in particular, it was a bland flavor. A taste that was salty and extremely stale, like everything just went away. An empty void of flavors. It was almost like eating food without salt or any seasoning. Like a stale bread crust, devoid of any flavor.

Alice couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't believe Jake was staring at her like she had anything harmful in mind towards you. She was there to protect you, to cherish you, to do anything for you.

How dare he think she could do something to harm you?! It was crazy to even think she could do anything like that. That was just ridiculous and out of the question.

Jacob finally looked down at his phone. He almost snarled at the way the Cullens talked about you. They spoke about you as if you were already part of the family, like you had already accepted their offer.

The fact that Jasper talked so freely about your emotions made Jacob even more frustrated. Just because he could taste them, didn't mean he should discuss them so openly. Your home life was not just an open topic for the Cullens to talk about freely with each other.

As Alice suddenly stood up without asking permission, she nearly threw the door off the hinges while leaving. Jake, on the other hand, followed after her, not to comfort her, but to scold her for her outburst.

This whole ordeal confused both yourself and Crystal. You were both directly behind Alice and the door. When she threw the door open, it ended up scaring the hell out of you both.

As Alice left the classroom, she knew she scared you. Edward and Jasper had been texting her non-stop.

Jasper hated the new taste in your mind. It was overpowered with cinnamon and something sour, like a lemon. The tastes didn't blend well at all.

Upon seeing Jake follow her, you’d thought they'd be back-to-back arguing, but it appeared they weren't. Instead, the moment Alice was out of your vicinity, she took off running down the hallway, much faster than she should have.

Humans might not have been able to see a blur like Alice, but she was moving so quickly that she was just barely detectable. The hallway cameras were mostly for show, and Jake knew that Alice was headed towards the elementary school that was just nearby. When Alice was looking for something that reminded her of you, she opted for the elementary school.

It wasn't far , and the elementary school wasn't very big or important in itself. But it was a place that would remind Alice of you. well, your little siblings reminded Alice of you would be more correct

Once Alice arrived at the elementary school, she stopped outside of one of the windows and looked inside. She was able to see right into your sibling's classroom. Renesme was also inside the classroom.

Even though Renesme technically shouldn't be put into the school yet, the Cullens had found a way to make it happen. They knew that it would give them an excuse to see you just a little bit more. It also helped further cement Renesme's place in the family, which was a plus.

When Alice looked into the classroom, she saw Sarah and Melanie playing dolls with Renesme. Carter occasionally tried to insert himself into the game, either by slamming a dinosaur into the doll or sneaking in toy cars here and there.

Renesme was having a great time. She had never had the opportunity to play with kids who were the same age as her or looked the same age as her. Even though she wasn't taught everything she needed to be a part of human society, it still brought Alice great comfort watching Renesme enjoy herself.

Even though Renesme was a definite bonus, she wouldn't completely calm Alice down. If she was Bella, then seeing her kids and a small dose of you and your siblings' bone structure would have definitely calmed her down. However, since she wasn't Bella, Alice was thinking about requesting Jasper to come see her

Before Alice could do anything, Jake arrived. He walked all the way to the elementary school to follow her.

"You look like a total creep, standing in front of a school and peering in through the window," Jake said.

"If you're trying to be subtle, you're doing horrible, and Edward, standing outside the classroom? Seriously? Can she have any privacy?" Jake continued.

It's not our fault," Alice said defensively.

"It's only way for Edward to hear her thoughts. If he couldn't, then this process would be moving much more quickly."

Alice then continued, "If you don't like the speed we're moving now, then you definitely wouldn't like it if it was moving at the same speed that we're thinking..."

She explained that it wasn't their fault. Even though Alice understood Jake's thoughts, she still felt that the Cullens deserved more of a chance.

It's not my fault," Alice said. She defended her position once more. "It's the only way Edward can hear her thoughts."

"Edward got really crazy last time when he couldn't hear Bella's thoughts at all," she continued.

Alice also seemed bothered by Jake's constant input. "Why do you always have to insert your opinion into everything," she said.

Jake and Alice had retreated into the nearby woods. They had spotted a teacher watching them and saw Renesme looking at them out of the corner of her eye.

The fight had not ended, and in fact, there was no end in sight, as the two sides seemed pretty determined to stick to their own opinions.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as gym class started, it was time for the boys to spar. Chris was paired up with Emmett for this, while all the girls were required to sit on the bleachers.

Bella and Rosalee was sitting behind you, while Crystal was right next to you. You had been leaning on her shoulder, curled up in a ball.

This was the first time in a few days where you just felt so tired. You wanted a break from life's craziness

Suddenly, you felt a cold hand over your forehead. You jerked back abruptly, as the person who touched you was concerned.

"Are you getting sick? You're burning up."

You quickly denied it, trying not to even think about the possibility. There was no way you could be sick right now, not with everything else going on. You had a doctor's appointment to get to in just 30 minutes. You just couldn't be sick.

"No, no, no."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author note 

So sorry this took so long because I had been lacking motivation, which has made life very hectic and difficult. I realize there's a lot more that I need to add, and this is already a lot to begin with. However, there will be another part. Rest assured it may just take a while

[the-offside-rule]

Trent Alexander Arnold (Liverpool) - Jolly

Day 11 of Christmas

Trent had walked down the stairs with his training back and kitted out in his usual Liverpool attire. He chucked his training bag at the door and walked towards the kitchen to see his girlfriend and her younger half brother Charlie. Charlie's parents both worked early hours and very rarely could bring Charlie to school so Y/n took it among herself to bring the youngest of her family to school instead. And so, every morning at half past six, the doorbell would go off and Y/n's stepdad would drop off Charlie and head to work. It didn't bother either of them much, but their favourite hobby was the Elf on the Shelf and making him do all kinds of mischievous stuff whilst Charlie wasn't there.

Trent walked into the kitchen and looked around confused. No one was there except Charlie eating his toast with a cup of tea in his Liverpool mug. "Well Charlie, how's it going?" Trent asked as he walked past the kid and patted his head. “Uncle Trent, how's it going?” Charlie asked as he stared at his Elf at the table. “Everything's fine. Why?” Trent asked walking over to the teapot. "This stupid Elf." He replied. "He won't stop fucking moving."

"I don't think your sister would appreciate you cursing now, or your mum." Trent said as he poured himself a cup of tea. "I don't care. I don't like this Elf." He mumbled. "What'd he even do?" Trent asked. "Oh my god, he did so much bad stuff!" Y/n's brother began. "He unrolled like five rolls of toilet roll last night, and then he went and broke my favourite lego set! I might have to rebuild it before I go back to mum after school." Charlie sighed. "Where's your sister?" Trent asked. "She's just doing some washing. Then we're going to school." Charlie replied. "Yeah sound."

Y/n had such a long day at work that she simply just fell asleep as soon as she dropped onto her bed and by the time she woke up again, the curtains were closed and she was tucked in. Trent must've come home. She got out of bed and walked downstairs seeing the living room light on. She peeked in and spotted Trent putting plastic pieces of lego onto what looked like a mini Annfield. "Hi?" Trent looked up and smiled. "Well, missus. I've some dinner ready for you whenever you want it." Trent said. "What are you doing up so late?" Y/n asked as she looked around the living room and spotted her boyfriend scanning through instructions. "Just helping Jolly with a lego set." Trent replied. She looked confused. "Jolly? As in Charlie's Elf?" Trent nodded. "Yeah, he broke one today so I helped him rebuild Charlie's one and I'm making him make one for tomorrow."

"You know how my mum feels about gifts before Christmas." Y/n said. "Yeah, but it's fun. And it was kinda my idea to break the lego set last night." Y/n nodded. "I'll write a little letter or something to go it with." Y/n said as she sat down beside him and pulled out a piece of paper. She began writing as Trent sat quietly mumbling to himself. "I don't have this piece." Trent muttered. "It's in the wrong place." Y/n said picking it off the tray and placing it where it was meant to go. Trent simply looked back at his girlfriend and an idea sprung to mind. "Do you wanna just help me with it so we can both go to bed?" Y/n and Trent stayed up for another hour finishing the set before they placed both lego sets on the table with Jolly and his note and headed to bed, only imagining what Charlie was going to say.

The morning after, Y/n had to call into work earlier which meant this was the first time Trent was in charge of morning duty. He eagerly anticipated the doorbell ringing and when he did, he practically opened it immediately. Trent greeted Charlie's dad before letting Charlie in and getting started eith his morning. "How are you today, boss?" Trent asked, taking Charlie's backpack off him. "Pretty good, Trentski. I-" He gasped as he saw the kitchen table. His broken lego set now fixed and a brand new Anfield lego set. "Oh my god! This is unreal!" Charlie squealed as he ran up to it. It was only when he got closer he spotted his Elf with a little note. He opened it and began reading the scribbly writing.

I wanted to say sorry for accidentally breaking your lego yesterday, so I fixed your one and asked Santa to bring you Anfield to say sorry!

Jolly

"This is sick!" Charlie laughed. "Yeah? Didn't even see it. Must have been magic." Trent said as he plated up breakfast. "Is toast, eggs and bacon alright for you, lad?" Trent asked. "Yeah course." Charlie replied. "Are you dropping me off today? Dad said you were." Charlie asked. "I am indeed, boss. Y/n had to go to work early today." Trent explained. "I don't mind. My friends all wonder what car you drive." Trent chuckled. "Range Rover Sport, but they'll see it today anyway." Trent said as he placed the breakfast and a smaller cup of tea in front of Charlie. "Thanks, Uncle Trent." He didn't know what it was, but he felt his heart strings being played. Maybe it was the fact Charlie had called him Uncle. "No bother, lad."

[hellhazbinstuck]

Velvette x reader: Angel's adopted sister 1/?

Warnings: Valentino being a jackass, potential smut in the future

You parked your little black car near the V tower and made your way inside. You were always a little early picking up Angel Dust. Party because his schedule was a mess and a little bit because you loved watching Velvette work her magic.

"I should be done here in 40 minutes unless Val decides to be a dick."

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

It didn't take long for you to see Velvette getting annoyed at one of her models, but she somehow always found a few minutes to talk to you.

"Ugh, do none of you know anything about posture? There are children with better posture!" She said before she saw you. "Everyone take a break. And don't fucking get anything on those dresses!"

She walked up to you and grabbed one of your hands. Dragging you out of the doorway. "Y/N, doll, you got here at the perfect time. These models are driving me crazy!" She gave you a hug, and you both sat down on the new couch she brought

"Would you ever want to be a model? You're gorgeous and way smarter than at least half of these girls." Her compliment made your face as pink as her hair. You knew she didn't say things like that often.

"I never really thought about it. Do you really think I could do a good job?" Velvette smiled at you. "Y/N, I know you can." You heard your phone vibrate.

"Val must be sick. He's actually letting me leave on time. "

"Okay, I'll be right there."

Velvette wrote something down and handed it to you. "Here, think about it and call me when you can." You smiled and took the paper. "Thanks, Velvette. I'll talk to you later. "

You took the elevator to Val's studio and found Angel Dust. "Alright, let's go back to the hotel before your shitlord boss changes his mind again." Angel already had his stuff with him, and you guys took the elevator and quickly made it to the car.

"So, did you get to see your girlfriend today?" Angel said jokingly. "She's not my girlfriend. We just...talk sometimes." Angel gave you the, "Come on, you and I both know what you think about her." Look, and you started driving to the hotel. "I just want you to be careful. Don't let your guard down around any of the Vees."

There wasn't much traffic for once, and you got to the hotel pretty fast. "Huskers!" Angel yelled, running for his grouchy boyfriend. "Hey baby, me and Nuggets missed you." Said pig ran from behind the bar to meet his dads.

You sat on the couch in the lobby for a little while, barely paying attention to some movie and adding Velvette to your contacts.

Y/N : Hey Velvette, it's Y/N. Text me when you get a chance.

A few minutes later, you decided to go to bed. Your room was a decent distance from anyone else, so nobody would hear you taking a shower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, you woke up to a text from Velvette.

Velvette: Hey doll. I know Angel has to work today (Valentino won't shut up), so I was wondering if you wanted to take some photos today? Some of these models are driving me crazy! - ♡

You had thought about it, and at the very least, you'd be able to keep an eye on Valentino since he never stopped bugging Velvette. And, modeling could be fun.

Y/N: Yes, I would love to. I'll be there when I drop Angel off.

Velvette: Can't wait!

After breakfast and getting ready, Angel kissed Husker goodbye, and you headed to VVV tower.

"Do you want me to go in there with you? I hate having to leave you with that rotten jiz rag." Angel Dust pulled into a hug with all four arms. "I'll be okay, sis. I'm used to him. You said you'd see each other later, and he told you to be safe.

He made it to his dressing room and sighed after closing the door. You weren't Molly, and you could never replace her. But Angel didn't know what he would do without you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part two will be out soon!

[kickthecan-revolution]

I had a rough doctor’s appointment yesterday, I’m confused about the next steps in treatment and my survival rate dropped from 97 to 90 percent Not a huge difference to most but to my anxious brain, massive, and now the infusions I need to have includes a drug that causes nausea and fatigue. I tried to explain it to my sister which in turn, confused her and made her irrationally angry (for me not at me) which darkened my mood even more.

They started the infusion late which made me late to dinner with my friends. I got home so scattered, and Buddy was desperate to go outside in the deck, so we played that game where I let her out and then she comes back in again for an hour until I finally just locked her inside despite her plaintive meows. I had troubled sleep, and woke up at 2am feeling nauseous and wide awake.

I slept on and off, let Buddy out like I usually do early this morning and then fell back to sleep. I woke up and could not find her anywhere. Panicked. Hating myself for trusting a cat to not follow a hummingbird right off the deck. Ran downstairs around the building, hating myself, calling for her everywhere. Came upstairs desolate, she was nowhere to be found. In despair I looked under my bed one more time and she was tucked in a storage drawer she’s never in.

I burst into tears, climbed back into bed and fell asleep for another few hours. I can’t stop crying even as I write this. This is all a lot. Her tracker is on now and she’s just snuggled in her little sun spot.

There is so much I saw in myself in that reaction. I’m reflecting on it slowly. So much shadow work left to do.

[of-a-chaotic-mind]

Glue (Part 1)

Summary: JJ is living a nightmare when his best friend, Reader, is kidnapped and held for ransom by his father.

TW/CW: Routledge!Reader x JJ Maybank, Angst

Requested?: No

Word Count: 1,822

A/N: omg this took so long to write... Requests are Open! Much love to all!

    That’s (Y/N). (Y/N) (Y/M/N) Routledge. My sister is a jack of all trades. Surfing, mischief, singing, boating, fishing, you name it, she’s probably good at it. Her favorite place to be is on the waves. She’s a feisty little firecracker and I often find myself dragging her out of a sticky situation. Love her to death. She’s a hoot.  

--- Your POV --- 

    “(Y/N)!” my best friend yells.   

    I throw my arm over my eyes and yell back, “What JJ? What could you possibly be yelling about this early in the morning?”  

    No response. I throw my arm down and poke my head up over the side of the hammock. Looking around I see no one and assume he’s just screwing with me. I close my eyes and throw my arm back over them. “(Y/N)!” This time I shoot up glaring around. Finally, I see the hood of the HMS Pogue up. Grumbling, I stumble out of my comfy spot and shuffle toward the dock. I can’t stop a large yawn as I spot JJ with his head buried under the hood.   

    I sigh rubbing the bridge of my nose, “What the fuck are you doin’, JJ?”  

    “Damn engine is clankin’ again,” comes his muffled reply as he fidgets with the engine.   

    I grab the back of his shirt and tug, “Get out of there, will ya? Before you screw something up.”  

    “I’m not gonna fuck it up. Hand me that wrench?” He responds pointing with his free hand. I roll my eyes and pick up the wrench, handing it to him before plopping down on the side of the boat. He fiddles around inside the engine compartment for a few moments before asking, “Where’s John B?”  

    “How should I know? I just woke up,” I answer, annoyance evident in my tone.  

    “Chill Princess. Was just askin’” he laughs.  

    A few moments go by of silence aside from the bumps and knocks of JJ’s tools and the soft splashing of the waves. Suddenly JJ yells, yanking his hand out of the boat’s insides and looking at it in frustration. “What’d you do?” I ask.  

    “Uhhhh,” he quickly hides his hand in his shirt, “Nothing just banged my hand.”  

    I get up from my seat and shuffle toward him. I gently tug his hand into view and spot a large gash across the back of his hand. He hisses as I wipe the blood away with my shirt. “I’ll go get the first aid kit.”  

    I clamber off the boat and make my way to the rebuilt Chateau. The first thing my brother did after the whole gold mess died down was rebuild our childhood home. Making my way to the bathroom I fish the first aid kit out of the cabinet and grab a towel from the hook. As I exit the bathroom, I bump into someone, “You’re usually not too eager to get bandaged up,” I comment, assuming it’s just JJ. The person places a gun to my stomach and puts their other hand over my mouth. I drop the supplies as I realize who it is.   

    “Make a single sound and I’ll shoot you,” Luke growls and I can’t help the wave of fear that rolls through me. “You’re coming with me, darlin’,” my stomach rolls. I debate my options mentally. I could try to fight him, but I have no real chance considering he’ll put a bullet in me before I can make it out the door. Before I can come up with any kind of exit strategy, he drags me out of the house and to a truck parked a good distance away from the dock. He shoves me in the passenger seat and takes off, keeping the gun trained on me the entire time. It’s not long before we pull into a marina and he’s yanking me around again. He drags me inside a houseboat and shoves me into a small room, tying my hands before leaving.  

--- JJ’s POV --- 

    I pause my one-handed work and drop the wrench to wipe blood away from my cut again. I look toward the house and see no sign of (Y/N). I check my phone and realize she’s been gone for a good fifteen minutes. She should’ve been back by now. I hear a truck rumble in the distance but think nothing of it as I make my way inside. “(Y/N)?” I walk through the house and finally see the first aid kit and a towel on the floor outside the bathroom, “(Y/N)!?” I yell, starting to panic. Ripping my phone out of my pocket I run outside as I dial John B’s number. It rings and rings and finally goes to voicemail. I dial again, still searching everywhere for any sign of (Y/N).   

    Finally, he picks up, “Yo, what’s up? Got that rust bucket running yet?”  

    “(Y/N)’s gone,” I say, too worried to beat around the bush.  

    “What? What do you mean she’s gone?”  

    “I mean she’s gone, man. She went inside to get the first aid kit because I cut my hand up and when she didn’t come back, I went looking for her,” my voice shakes as I hurriedly explain, “I found the first aid kit and a towel on the floor but no (Y/N).”  

    “We’re on our way now. Sit tight, don’t do anything stupid,” John B answers, sounding panicked himself, as the line clicks dead. I throw my phone at the ground and my fist at a tree. I was right outside. What the hell happened? I should’ve gone in with her. I throw another punch at the tree as countless similar thoughts run through my head.  

    By the time the Twinkie turns into the driveway, I’ve beat my knuckles bloody and am sitting on the porch steps with my head in my hands. After coming to a screeching halt, John B and Sarah jump out of the van. Sarah runs over to me, checking me over and taking note of my destroyed knuckles. John B on the other hand rushes inside and starts yelling for his sister. When he emerges from the Chateau, he’s frantic. Sarah stands and places her hand on his shoulder, “Just sit down and call Shoop.” She walks inside and returns soon after with the first aid kit.   

    “I need to file a missing person’s report,” John B states as Sarah takes a seat beside me and holds her hand out to me, expecting me to give her mine. “(Y/N) Routledge. She was last seen wearing,” he pauses and looks at me as he whispers, “What was she wearing?” I don’t have time to answer, “She was last seen like thirty minutes ago.” Having cleaned them of blood, Sarah wraps my hands in gauze as John B stands abruptly, “What do you mean I can’t file yet? She’s my sister!” He listens for a second as Sarah finishes with my bandages. “I don’t give a damn if it hasn’t been twenty-four hours. You know what? Put Shoop on. Let me talk to Shoop.” He removes his phone from his ear and glares at it, “They hung up.” His phone joins mine in the grass as he plops down beside me, dropping his head into his hands.  

    “You both just need to breathe for a sec, okay? We’ll find her. We’ll round everyone up and we’ll get her back,” Sarah states trying to calm us down. She pulls out her phone and types out a short message before returning her attention to us, “It’s gonna be okay.”  

    Feeling defeated I mumble, “‘Preciate the positivity but we don’t even know who took her.”  

    “We can’t just sit here,” John B firmly states, standing to return inside, probably in search of clues.  

    I drop my head back into my hands, yanking on my hair, “Fuck!” Sarah places her hand on my shoulder. “If I had gone inside with her instead of being focused on that damn boat- “   

    Sarah doesn’t let me finish, “Don’t you dare. Don’t start blaming yourself. You had no idea.”  

    John B returns, plopping back into his seat and assuming a position that copies mine. The three of us sit in silence for a while. Kie, Pope, and Cleo arrive and make their way to us. “What’s going on? Where’s (Y/N)?” Pope asks.  

    John B and I don’t bother to look up, so Sarah responds, “She’s missing.” Pope throws his hands up to his head and takes a few steps back   

    “Are you sure; sure she’s not just out doing (Y/N) stuff?” Cleo questions, fiddling with her knife.  

    “We’re sure. She went inside to get a first aid kit for JJ and didn’t come back out,” Sarah answers.  

    “Did you call the police?” Kie inquires, taking a seat beside Sarah.  

    “Of course, I called the cops Kie. They said we can’t file a report until she’s been missing 24 hours and wouldn’t let me talk to Shoop,” John B shoots back, sounding a bit harsh.  

    Before anyone else can say a word, my phone starts ringing from the weeds. I jump up and run over, “It could be her.” I pick it up and my hope falters. An unknown number is there where it should say Pogue Princess. I answer it anyway, “He-hello?”  

    “I want $100,000 in cash or you’ll never see your little girlfriend again,” comes a voice I hoped to never hear again, Luke.  

    I quickly run back over to the others and put my phone on speaker, “If you hurt her, I swear-”  

    Sarah pulls her phone out to record as soon as he starts to respond, “You swear? Swear what? What are you gonna do boy?” Shock plasters everyone’s features but he’s not done, “$100k in cash for your girl. You know what? Tell that Routledge boy he owes $100k too. And don’t even think about running to Shoop, soon as I catch wind of him, I’m putting a bullet between her pretty little eyes.” As he hangs up, Sarah ends the video and starts toward the van.  

    “Where’re you going?” John B inquires as I stand there frozen in shock and fear.  

    “We can take this video to Shoop and then he has no choice than to help us find her,” she answers.  

    This shakes me back to reality, “No! He’ll kill her.”  

    “He won’t if he has no clue. The police are trained for this sort of thing.”  

    “Sarah, we’ll find her and then send Shoop after him. I’m not risking my sister’s life,” John B interjects.  

    Sarah looks at us, silently begging us to do what she thinks is the right thing. Having no such luck, she looks to the other three hoping for backup.  

    Cleo nods her head as Pope speaks up, “I’m kind of with Sarah here.”  

    Kie shrugs, “She’s right They’re trained for this. We’re not.” John B and I look at each other knowing we’re outnumbered and we all head for the Twinkie. 

Part 2 Here

Masterlist

More JJ Maybank Imagines

[jpmarvel90]

All for the mission

Masterlist Nat Masterlist

Relationship: Sister Nat, Sister Yelena x Sister Reader. Wanda x Reader

Summary: Growing up in the Red Room with Natasha and Yelena, Y/n was hurt when she woke up one morning to find them gone. Her life is forever changed by this moment and their reunion doesn't look like it'll bring any chance to fixing things.

Word Count: 12364

Y/n's POV:

I grew up in the red room. It was hell, but the one shining light was my sisters. Natasha and Yelena. I was the youngest, but we looked out for each other, doing what we could to make the others lives easier. We used to whisper to each other at night about our plans to leave. We had hopes for a better life. And that happened, for Yelena and Nat at least.

Early one morning I was dragged in front of Dreykov and was told about how my sisters had escaped together, left in the middle of the night. I was just 15 at the time but that didn't stop the brutality that was to follow. Although we had talked many times about escaping, I knew nothing about their attempt that night. Not that Dreykov or his dogs believed me. As they had lost their two greatest assets, I was to pay the price.

For a whole month, I was locked away in a cell where bright lights were never turned off and loud music played. The only release I would get was the brief walk to the "Interrogation room." But then a new hell would be inflicted on me as I was beaten and tortured. Initially for any information they could get. When they realised, I did in fact know nothing, they did it to punish me. I had a cup or water and two slices of mouldy bread a day. Barely enough to keep me alive. My body is now covered in scars from that brutal month. A reminder that I was expendable to my sisters. Not even worth a second thought as they escaped to start their new lives.

After that month, I was put back into the training programme. I worked my ass off. Not because I wanted to do well for the red room, but because I wanted to be as strong as possible and trusted to go out on missions. I had to escape, and I knew that was my only option.

It took four years before I got my opportunity. A part of me wanted to run as soon as I got my first solo mission, but I had to plan it all perfectly. It couldn't be a mission in the middle of nowhere, I had to have a means to not just escape but find a place to hide. Over those four years, I learnt every way in which they monitored the widows that went on missions. I then worked a way to make sure I could stop all of it to give me the best chance of getting away.

I was meticulous in my planning and finally the perfect opportunity came up. The mission was in the middle of Rome. I would have plenty of opportunity to escape. I just needed to make sure I got rid of all means of tracking me. I was so nervous as they dropped me in. I had to spend a week in Rome first to stakeout my target. This worked perfectly for me as it meant that I had money. I could buy clothes that I knew were clean of any tracking devices. I stuck to the shops near the target to not arouse suspicion. To the red room, I was just keeping up appearances. Blending in.

I ate as little as possible that week, knowing I would need the money to ensure my escape. Once I made my move, I had to be quick, and I wouldn't have time to be begging for help. It was the day I had to take out the target. I had found the most advantageous spot to carry out the assassination. It wasn't practical to their mission, but it was to mine. It provided me with an easy escape to the metro.

So as the time came, I set up my position before starting my daring escape. I was on the metro before they even noticed that I had left my position. Seems it was to my advantage that they had an idiot on comms that day! I got off when I knew they had noticed and found a bathroom to change. I then had the hardest part, cutting out the tracked from the back of my neck. It hurt and bled like a bitch, but I didn't have time to worry about that. I patched it up and jumped back on the metro to my next stop.

I had found a hair salon near Roma Termini. If I had this right, I would have time to cut and dye my hair before getting on the first train out of Rome. Every time I moved, I was careful to keep my face hidden, either wearing a cap or keeping the hood of my jacket up. It all seemed too easy and before I knew it, I was in France. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it didn't. It just was that easy. My four years of planning had paid off and I was finally free.

I spent the next year moving around mainland Europe, keeping a low profile. But by my 22nd birthday, I was settled in London. I had a job in a bar and a small crappy apartment. To most people, it wouldn't have been great. But to me it was everything. I was free.

I had no desire to follow in my sister's footsteps in become a superhero. I wanted a normal life. Yes, the horrible things I had done still haunt me, but I couldn't risk being caught. If I was, I knew that it would not end well, and I would either be tortured and killed or tortured and back to being a widow. My ledger would only grow.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. I was happily walking home one evening and it felt like someone was watching me. I took the long way home, turning at the last minute or dipping down alleyways. The presence felt closer than ever, and I knew it was time to fight. Before the hand could even reach my shoulder, I had grabbed it and flipped the shadow over my shoulder, avoiding their attempts to fight me off. I had them pinned under me and I saw a familiar smirk. "You've grown mladshaya sestra. (Little sister)"

Anger rages within me and the next thing I know, my fist is connecting with her nose. "Fuck! Ok, I deserve that." Nat says, grabbing at her nose as I stepped off her. I don't want to see her or have anything to do with her. She left me and I'm going to do the same now. I turn and walk away. "Y/n, wait!" Nat calls after me but I ignore her, taking a short cut through the park to my apartment. "Please!" She shouts. "Deep breaths Y/n. Just keep walking and she'll go." I tell myself. "I'm sorry!" She shouts in a desperate attempt to get me to stop.

It works and I stop in my tracks. I turn around to face her, a fire inside of me. "You're sorry?!" I shout at her as she reaches me. She flinches at my voice. "You left me in that hell hole. That was bad enough, but did you even consider that there might be consequences for those that you left behind?!" I yell at her. She doesn't answer me. "Of course, you didn't. We talked about escaping for years and when it finally came to it, you left me." I say in a much quieter tone, the hurt winning out.

"You were just a kid Y/n. You were safer there than if you came with us." She tries to convince me, but I just scoff. "You have no idea what happened to me when they found you gone. But I'll tell you one thing, I certainly wasn't safer." I turn to walk away again, wanting this conversation to end. "We were planning to come back for you!" She calls after me. It makes me stop again as I let out a loud laugh. "Really?! I was there for over 4 years. No sign of you." I chuckle sadly. "But I guess you had other priorities right. Like being an Avenger, keeping up your reputation." I seethe.

"I was coming back for you now. It's how I found out that you had escaped. We want to help you." Nat tries to reach out to take my hand, but I snatch it away. "I got out of that hell hole all on my own and I certainly don't need any help now. Especially from you!" I fumed. "Please pauchok. (Baby spider.)" She pleads with me. "Don't call me that. I don't need you and I don't ever want to see you again!" The pain in her eyes doesn't go unnoticed. But I really don't care. She hasn't been my sister in years.

Turns out, I would have to see her again. Every evening in fact. She found out where I worked, and she would come into the bar every day. The only interaction we would have, was me serving her drink. She would try to start conversations, but I ignored her. I wasn't going to let her in.

One night, to my surprise, she brought Yelena with her. Her body collided with mine as she pulled me into a hug. "I missed you pauchok." I peeled her off me and pushed her away. She frowns at my actions as I don't say a word to her. "Y/n?" She questions, as I return behind the bar. "What can I get you?" I ask her without making eye contact. I notice Yelena look to Nat with sad eyes. "Vodka." She replies taking her seat next to her sister. I place the glass in front of her and pour. Then turning my attention to other customers.

This goes on for weeks. Neither of them getting the picture that I don't want to talk to or see them. After a month, a new face is with them. I don't recognise her, but she is beautiful. It takes me a moment to compose myself before I take their order. "Y/n, this is Wanda. Wanda, this is Y/n our little sister." Nat introduces us. "We're not sisters. We just grew up together." I correct Nat, a wave of hurt flashes across her face. "But it's nice to meet you Wanda what can I get you?" I ask. "Uh, just a pinot please." She speaks quietly, but her accent is familiar. "Sokovian?" I question as I place the glass down in front of her, to which she nods. "Ah. Sorry about what happened there." I say and she shrugs. Getting the sense, she doesn't want to talk anymore, I go back to my job, and more importantly ignoring my sisters.

Wanda started to come in more with Nat and Yelena. I knew what they were trying to do. It was my weakest area. I'm a sucker for love and Wanda was exactly my type. I was always pleasant and nice to Wanda, whilst my "sisters" still got the cold shoulder treatment. She became more comfortable around me, and we hit it off.

She started to come in on her own and then one day asked if I would go on a walk with her. I happily agreed and we went around Hyde Park, getting to know each other. She was so easy to talk to and I felt safe around her. "I know that you're only here because of my sisters." I tell her as we take a seat on the bench. She looks up at me and her mouth opens and shuts a couple of times before she finds her words.

"I'm not actually. They were always talking about this amazing sister they had and showed me pictures. When Nat found you, she showed me a photo she had and there was something about you that I was drawn to. I had to get to know you. So, I asked Nat if I could come with her to meet you one time. She reluctantly agreed and here we are. This is all me Y/n." She reassures me, taking my hand in hers.

And that's how things went for the next month. We spent every day together and I was quickly falling for her. "You know, you really should talk to your sisters. They just want to make sure you're safe and help to get you back on your feet." Wanda says as we snuggle in my apartment. "But I am on my feet. I was never happier until they came back in my life. I've never felt freer." I defend. She adjusts herself so she can look at me better. "They really are sorry. Is there really no way you can forgive them?" She asks with her puppy dog eyes.

I sigh and roll out from underneath her, sitting on the edge of the bed, my head in my hands. "It's not that simple Wanda. They just left. One day they were there and the next they were gone. And as their sister. I was the one who had to pay for it. I went through hell, and it was directly caused by their actions." I say, my voice muffled by my hands.

I feel my hands slowly being pulled away as my eyes land on the red head on her knees in front of me. "Tell me what they did to you." She whispers. "You don't want to hear it." I tell her, not wanting to burden her with any of it. "Please?" She asks, cupping my face. Her eyes bore into me, and I knew I was done for. So, I told her. I shared with her what I faced in the month after they left. The different ways they caused me pain and the way they used me as their own toy. Her eyes were red the whole time I spoke. Her anger no longer able to be supressed.

"Show me." She whispers when I finish baring my soul. "What?" I question. "Show me your scars. I want to see all of you." Her words are soft and full of love. I slowly undid the buttons of my shirt and let her push it off my shoulders. She gasps when she sees my torso littered with scars. Her hands slowly running over each one. I can't look at her. Ashamed of the monster they made me. "I'll kill them." She says quietly but there is a venom to her voice.

When she's finished taking in my form, she puts her finger under my chin and lifts my head so I'm looking at her. Her eyes are glossy and full of pain. "These are proof of the strong woman that you are. They show the fight you had to come through to get to where you are today. Never, be ashamed of them." She tells me firmly. I nod slowly, fighting my own tears. She leans in and captures my lips in a soft kiss. We've kissed before, but this one felt different. Like she was showing me that I was accepted and loved. It was the kiss that made me realise I would do anything to stay with her.

That was a decision that came sooner than I thought. The next week she came into the bar, her face showing that she had been crying. She told me how she had to go back to New York. She begged me to go with her, that I could live with her in the compound. I wasn't sure at first. I still wasn't on talking terms with my sisters, but my heart was breaking knowing that if I didn't go with her, I didn't know when I'd see Wanda again.

So, I agreed. I packed up what little I had in my apartment and followed her to New York. I was given my own room in the compound and shown all the facilities that I could use. Turns out they were expecting me. Apparently, Natasha and Yelena had talked to both Tony and Fury about me moving in way back when they found out that I had escaped. They wanted to keep me safe there. I must admit, I could feel the anger towards them starting to thaw, but I knew it would be a long time before I could truly forgive them.

Not wanting to just live off the Avengers, I got myself a job in a local bar and I really was having such a great time. Wanda and I were stronger than ever. Slowly, I was engaging more with my sisters. I had even started to train again. It was nice to have an outlet for my anger. Though it did become a bit of a showcase as I was one of the few that could take down Nat. Which was a surprise to a lot of them.

I formed a quick bond with Tony. I loved being in his lab and I helped him as much as I could. Most days I was with him, he was trying to convince me to join them. But it wasn't for me. Not now at least. But I promised him I would never completely rule out the offer.

Which for him worked out, because he was persistent. I guess you could say I became a part time Avenger. I still wanted to do my job in the bar. It gave me a normality I had craved all those years in the red room. But I also I found a newfound enjoyment in helping out on missions. It was a good balance.

I had been living at the compound for about 8 months now. I was meant to be at work today, but one of the pipes burst so they had to close up and they sent us all home. I was excited to get home as it meant more time with Wanda. She had only just gotten back from a mission at the weekend, so it was a blessing to get some unexpected time together.

When I got to the compound, I heard shouting coming from the common room. I made my way in that direction when I heard my name. Being the nosy person I am, I stayed back, not making my presence known. "I can't do it anymore. It's not fair. It's been 9 months of lying and doing something that I never wanted to do in the first place." Wanda complained. What is she on about? "Maximoff, you knew what you were getting into when you agreed to be part of the mission. You knew that you would have to keep up the rouse with Y/n until we knew for sure that she wasn't under the red room influence."

What the fuck?! Was I just a mission to her? "Wanda he's right. We're so close to the end. You just need to hang in there." The voice of my sister feels like a burning knife to my chest. Was this all just a mission. Did they even want to come and find me? I knew I should have stuck to my instinct and not trust them.

"Maximoff, you will continue on with this mission for one more month. That's all I ask. Romanoff, Belova. Keep up what you're doing. We're not far from defeating the red room now." Fury's order ring around the room as my heart completely shatters. I decide now is the best time to make my presence known. I step out into view, and I see all of their faces drop. "I'm glad to know that I'm just a mission." I say as they all stand speechless. "But at least now I know, you don't to keep up the façade anymore Wanda." I say turning my back to leave.

"Y/n! Wait!" Wanda calls after me, grabbing my arm. "Let go of me." I growl, but she doesn't listen. "It's not what it looks like. Please, don't go." She begs but I shake my head. "In the park, when you said this wasn't my sisters doing. I guess you didn't lie. I just got the wrong person. It was Fury. God, I'm so stupid. I can't believe I actually fell for it and even fell in love with you!" I ranted. "No, no. Please." Wanda pleads again. "Answer me one question and I'll consider staying." I say to her, and she nods frantically. "When you came into the bar that first night. Were you there because you truly did want to meet me, or was it part of the mission?" Her head instantly drops, and her gaze is fixated on the floor. "I guess that gives me my answer." I slowly peel her hand from around my arm and walk away. Only this time to be stopped by my sister.

"Y/n." Nat says, moving in front of me, blocking my exit. Yelena by her side. "No. You know, I thought that leaving me in that hell was bad enough. But this. This hurts more than any pain I've been through." I trembled, trying to fight the tears threatening to fall. "You spent all that time trying to get me to forgive you, but it was all lies!" I cry out. "Tell me. Was it all a mission for you too? Were you actually trying to find me?" I can read the answer across their faces, but I want to hear it from them. "ANSWER ME!" I yell, causing both of them to flinch. "We weren't looking for you. Fury had learnt about you and when he found out you were our sister, he gave us the information to find you and to see if you were working for the red room. But we were so happy...." I hold my hand up stopping her straight away.

"You don't trust me. You have spent all this time trying to get me to forgive and trust you, but it was all a lie, because you don't even trust me. After you left, I was tortured and raped all because you were my sisters and had managed to escape their clutches. For four years, I had to fight to stay alive and keep my sanity so I could get out myself. Which I did! I had a normal fucking life. Something I had never thought I would get. But no! I'm the one that can't be trusted! Fuck you!" I scream at them.

I push past them and run to my room before anyone can come after me. "FRIDAY, don't anyone in." I instruct the AI. "Of course, Miss Y/l/n." I start throwing as much as I can in a rucksack. Luckily, I had saved as much money as I could, so I didn't need to worry about that. After a few minutes there is banging at my door. "Y/n, please! Let us just talk." Yelena begs from behind the locked door. I ignore everything they say until Wanda's voice pipes up. "Y/n, baby. Please open the door. It wasn't just a mission. I-I love you!" She cries. "STOP LYING TO ME!" I shout, I can't take listening to it anymore. "FRIDAY open the door please." Nat as, but the AI declines. "Miss Y/l/n has requested the door remains locked. Only Mr Stark can override it." I can hear her sigh. "Yelena, go and get Tony." Nat instructs our sister.

I know that I don't have long to get out of here before Tony gets here. I also don't know who else in the compound was in on this mission. But I'm not sticking around to find out. I leave the promise ring that Wanda had given me on the bedside table. Yanking it off my finger as it felt like it was burning my skin. Knowing the door is a no go, I make my way to the window and take a look down. Luckily, I'm only two stories up. It'll hurt a bit, but if I land it properly, I should be able to get away uninjured.

I push my bag out first and then I'm quick to follow it, just as I hear Tony's voice in the corridor. I sprint as fast as I can to the edge of the compound, not wanting to be seen. I can't believe this is my life again. On the run, but this time, I've got to watch my back from both sides, as it seems I can't even trust my own family.

Nat's POV:

Well, we have royally screwed up. When we finally get Tony to override FRIDAY to let us into Y/n's room, she's already gone. Her window open and my little sister fled. I go to the window in the hopes to see her, but there's nothing but darkness. I'm so stupid to have agreed to this. I'm so scared of the red room beating us that I couldn't even trust my own sister.

We made the worst decision when we decided to leave Y/n behind. We thought she was too young and would be a burden to us as we tried to escape. We did always plan on going back to her, but we go so caught up in proving our loyalty to SHIELD, that it kind of fell to the wayside. Once our loyalty was proven, we spent so much time on missions, we didn't have the chance to think about getting our sister back. It is and will forever be my greatest regret. Well, this moment may come a close second.

When Fury came to Yelena and me to say that he had information on our sister, I couldn't believe it. We hadn't long heard rumours about Y/n being killed in the red room. We mourned her, even though we knew that the rumours were unlikely true. But seeing the picture of her behind a bar, it was clearly her. I may not have seen her since she was 15, but she's not changed, she just looked older and more jaded.

We had no info on when she actually managed to escape. It was part of the reason why Fury was suspicious of her. Instead of trusting my gut and Y/n, we played along with him. Wanting to make sure there was no way that Y/n was under the influence of the red room.

It hurt Yelena and I when she ignored us. She was hurt and I can't blame her. But her words were as sharp as knives and each one hurt. It was so obvious we had let her down and although this was a mission. I was determined to make sure that she was safe, and I could do that best from New York. It was Fury's idea to bring in Wanda.

I had questioned it at first, I knew that Y/n falls hard. It was one thing to do what we were doing, but this felt like it was crossing a line. Wanda was happy to do it and Fury's mind was set. So, I watched as my sister fell in love with one of my closest friends. Knowing if she ever found out, it would break her heart. What took me by complete surprise, was the fact that it was obvious that Wanda felt the same. She too was falling for Y/n. That is how we came to be in an argument with Fury.

Wanda wanted to stop and tell Y/n the truth. She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Y/n and she couldn't do that on a foundation of lies. But we still couldn't confirm Y/n wasn't working for the red room. Had I not let my desire to clear my ledger and the fear of what the red room could do, I would have seen how Y/n was just living her best life. She was free, something she had always dreamt of. Of course, she would have had no loyalty to the red room. Instead, I make her believe that I have no trust in her and that I never wanted her back in the first place. Which is a complete lie.

Once she moved into the compound, Yelena and I worked so hard to show her how sorry we were and how much we wanted her in our lives. Slowly but surely, she was coming around to us and we started to have a positive relationship. It was the happiest I had been since the red room. Being back with both of my sisters safe. I naively thought that if we could just take down the red room, Y/n would never need to know about the betrayal. Everything would have worked out. But that damn pipe at her work screwed everything up for us. Ok, that's a lie. We screwed everything up.

Seeing the hurt on Y/n's face caused me physical pain. I hated that once again I had let her down. But what hurt the most. What felt like I had just had my heart ripped out, was hearing that she was tortured and raped as a punishment for us escaping. We genuinely thought she would be safe. She was better than both of us and we knew she was an asset to them. We never thought they would go that far with her. But we completely got that wrong and I'll never forgive myself. She's my little sister, my pauchok and it's my fault that she is hurting.

Y/n had been gone for a week and we had no luck in tracing her. Tony and the others were not happy when they found out what we had been doing. They were non the wiser and had been fed the same line as Y/n. She was moving here to be safe from the red room. The only thing now is I think we've made the target on her back even bigger. She was helping us on mission, and it will have just put her back on their radar. Maybe we should have left her in London, she was safe there. I should never have listened to Fury.

Wanda was a mess. She shut herself away. When she saw the promise ring on Y/n's table, it broke her. Yelena and I would spend time with her but she'd just cry and plead for us to find Y/n so she could apologise. I don't think she thought she would fall for Y/n when this started and I'm sure she only agreed to do it because she feels like she still has to prove herself after everything that happened with Ultron. But here we are, the three of us completely broken and it's all our fault.

I spend my nights awake, wondering if we'll ever find her, and if we do, if she could ever forgive us. I wouldn't blame her. We don't deserve it. But I pray to a God that I don't believe in, that she would give us a slither of a chance and we'll do the rest.

I'm still spending every minute away from missions, looking for Y/n. I think I've found her in Reykjavik. But I don't want to go and risk losing her. I need to be 100% sure before I go in. So, I monitor the situation as best I can whilst following up on other leads. But that all stops with the receipt of a video. A video that makes my world completely stop.

I call the whole team into the briefing room, too scared to the play the video on my own. If this is what I think it is, I'm going to need the teams help. When I press play, I instantly hear a choked-up sob come from Wanda as a beaten and bloodied Y/n appears on the screen. Her hands are tied up and attached to a butcher's hook above her head. She's just in a sports bra and shorts, exposing all of the wounds that they have inflicted on her, both old and new.

I look to Yelena, and she has a look of horror on her face, which probably matches my own. That's our little sister and once again, she's being tortured at the hands of Dreykov because of us! "Hello Natalia and Yelena. We found your little sister here. We've been monitoring her since she started fighting on the wrong side. It was a surprise to us when we found her, she must have gotten too comfortable in her western ways!" The face of the man I loathed filled the screen and I wish I could reach through and strangle him, inflict all the pain that he was causing to Y/n.

"Wake her up!" He snaps, to one of his little guards. He grabs a taser and it jolts Y/n awake. "Welcome back Y/l/n." He sneers. Y/n's one eye, that isn't swollen shut, looks up at the camera. "Oh goody! A camera, who knew you were kinky!" She jokes. God, she's going to get herself killed! With her words, a swift punch is landed on Y/n's face. But she just spits out the blood and laughs. It seems to irritate Dreykov and he starts his interrogation. "Tell us, what is Fury's grand plan?" He snarls in Y/n's face. "Urgh, someone needs a breath mint!" Y/n scrunches up her face in disgust. That comment earns another swift punch to her gut, making us all finch at the cracking sound of a rib.

Dreykov carries on in asking her lots of question which he gets a sarcastic comment in return to. Which inevitably follows by some form of pain infliction. Each time, I flinch as Y/n tries so hard to not show the pain. Considering that we betrayed her, she's not giving anything away. She could easily answer all the questions she is being asked, but she doesn't. Once again just proving how wrong we got this. How wrong I go it!

I feel a hand clamp on to mine. I look to the source only to see Yelena, teary eyes fixed on the screen as our little sister gets a knife gash across her shoulder. I squeeze her hand back, trying to give her some form of reassurance, but I don't have much belief myself.

Wanda is sobbing as she watches her love being tortured in front of her, completely helpless to do anything. "Tony, can we do anything to trace this?" I ask, pleading in my head we can. "FRIDAY's working on it. Seems like they're not so smart and left a gateway through the telnet port. Hopefully through that we'll be able to triangulate a rough location." He explains. That seems to give me a sense of hope. Maybe we can find her.

After what seems like hours, Dreykov stops his attack and turns to the camera. "Natalia, you can see what we can do. If you want to save your sister, you know what you have to do." He threatens. Y/n's laugh breaks through the tension. This causes Dreykov's head to snap around to face her. "And what are you laughing at pauchok?" The use of the pet name has me fuming, the anger I thought was already at it's limit still growing.

"They're not there. They don't care." She sadly chuckles. The confusion on Dreykov's face doesn't go unnoticed. "You took a dead end. Wasted your time." She adds on, lifting her head to make direct eye contact with him. "You still don't get it do you. I wasn't lying all those years ago when you hung me to this same hook. I knew nothing about their escape. They didn't want a kid like me following them around." She explains and I can see as the realisation hits Dreykov. "But you fought with them. Lived with them." He questions back.

Once again, she laughs, but I can see the pain in her eyes as she speaks. "They may help the ordinary person, but they're no better than you, using people for their own gains. They just give you a comfy room whilst they do it." My head drops at her words. She's right, how can we preach about being the good guys when we've treated her like this. "My own sisters didn't trust me. Believed I was still working for you. I just wanted a NORMAL FUCKING LIFE!" She shouts, tears now falling down her bloodied cheeks.

"I was safe and happy. But they manipulated that. Used my weaknesses against me. I always used to think you'd never beat me because I still loved with everything I had. But now I see it, you're right. Love really is just for children. It gets you nothing but heartache and makes you weak and vulnerable." I look over to Wanda at this point and, if it's possible, I think I just saw her heart break even more.

That was something Yelena and I always admired about Y/n. Through all of the hell we went through, she still loved and cared for people. She never let them break that. The irony that her very family were the ones to actually make her give up.

"Tony, please say you have something. We don't have much time." I beg, knowing that Y/n's life is very much on the line right now. "I'm dispensable. No one really knows who I am. There is no one who will mourn me. But you've shown your hand. I'll die today but you won't win." I can't bare to hear her talk like she is. I'd mourn her. All those years we were apart, I felt like a part of me was missing. Then when we got her back, even when she was giving us the cold shoulder, I felt like I was whole again.

My eyes don't leave the screen as I see Dreykov step towards Y/n. "You always disappointed me. Always in the shadows of your sisters, never quite able to match their ability. And here you are, still disappointing me. You know what I do with lose ends?" He growls. "Cut them." And with those words he plunges a knife into Y/n's torso and twists it. "NO!" Yelena and I both shoot up from our seats. "You'll never win." Y/n whispers with a smirk, bloody starting to drip from her mouth.

"I've got a location! They're in Mexico. Suit up and in the Quinjet now!" Tony shouts, but I'm still staring at the screen. "She's no use to us now. She's not got long. Do as you please with her then leave." Dreykov coldly speaks as he wipes the blood from his hand. Forgetting the video, it carries on playing as his goons take turns in hitting Y/n like a punch bag. "Natasha, come on. We have to go now if we've got any chance of saving our mladshaya sestra." Yelena's voice pulls me back to the room, and I instantly run out to change and get ready to kill the son of a bitch.

The flight on the quinjet thankfully didn't take too long. Which was good as every minute counts. Who knows what they're doing to her right now. I just pray that she's still alive, clinging one. But I could see it, she had given up, accepted her fate of dying. "We need a plan for when we get there." Steve says looking to me. "Yelena, Wanda and I will go to Y/n. The rest of you, clear the building and get Dreykov. Then leave him for us." I order. Nice and simple.

Everyone agrees and as soon as the jet touches the floor, we are running out and heading in. There weren't many guards, clearly this was just a holding place. That works to our benefit. I pushed down every feeling I had to focus on getting to Y/n. I couldn't let my fear of losing her overpower me right now or I'd be no help to anyone. "Over here Natasha!" I hear Yelena shout. With one swift kick, I take out the last guard and rush over to her, Wanda not far behind. "It's locked, but I can hear those assholes in there!" She says as I grab the handle and try it for myself. "I'll deal with it." Wanda states, pushing us back out of the way.

Red whisps come from her hands and within seconds the door is off it's hinges. I gasp as I see Y/n's bloodied form. She's almost unrecognisable. The pool of blood under her body shows that she doesn't have much time. The guards in the room have a smug look on their faces as they turn to see us. "The boss will be so happy when we turn up will all three of them!" One of them sneers. With one swift movement the same red whisps wrap around his body and that smirk is soon replaced with fear.

"I saw you in the video. You enjoyed this the most." Wanda growls, her eyes completely red now as she stalks towards him. "I'll be sure to enjoy this, and with those words she snaps his neck, his body falling to the floor. Yelena and I fight off the three remaining men. As soon as the last body hits the floor I rush over to Y/n.

"Oh my God. What have they done to you?" I whisper. "Yelena, help me get her down." I order. We carefully lift her, but the movement jolts her awake and has her crying out in pain. "Y/n, it's Nat. We're here to take you home." I speak softly, slowly moving some of her hair out of her face. Yelena has taken off her jacket and is using it to try and stop the bleeding from the stab wound that Dreykov inflicted. "I don't have a home." Y/n struggles to say as her eyes flutter close. "No! Keep those eyes open pauchok. Yell at me, tell me you hate me, just don't go to sleep." I beg. Hearing how much she hates me would be better than this silence as she falls into unconsciousness.

"Let's get her to Bruce." I say, slipping my arms under her and lifting her into me. "We have Y/n. Bruce we're on our way to you." I shout into the comms before rushing out as quickly as we can. Yelena doesn't let up on the pressure to Y/n's stomach and Wanda's eyes only leave Y/n to open a door or take out the last few guards. "We have Dreykov." Tony announces through the comms. But right now, it's the last thing on my mind. I just want Y/n to be ok.

Bruce is waiting for us in the medical area on the jet. I gently place Y/n's body down onto the table and step back allowing Bruce and his team to get to work. My arms reach out to grasp around Yelena. I need her close to me and I know she does too. I notice Wanda looking lost, so I hold my hand out to her, which she easily takes. The three of us watch as Bruce fights to save Y/n. Minutes slowly ticking by.

"She's crashing! I need more blood, adrenaline and atropine." Bruce shouts his orders and the team react instantly. It feels like my own heart has stopped as we watch Bruce start compressions. With each jolt of electricity that is used to try to restart her heart, we collectively flinch. Tears are streaming down my eyes as I watch our sister slowly fade away and it's all our fault.

Bruce looks over to us and I see the pain in his own eyes. The short time Y/n had been with us, she had made close friends. Everyone loved her. I'm waiting for him to tell us that he's done all he can. That Y/n, my sister who I was meant to protect, is dead. He goes to open his mouth but it's like he second guesses what he wants to say. He simply turns on the spot and returns to working on Y/n.

He refuses to give up and I couldn't be more grateful when the heart monitor starts to beep. We all let out a collective sigh of relief. But it doesn't last long. "Aw, your pauchok is still alive. I guess I'll have to try harder to squish her next time!" I storm over to Dreykov who has his arms handcuffed behind his back. My fist connects with his smug face, knocking his body to the floor. Yelena is quickly by my side delivering a swift kick to his stomach.

"I'll get out. A prison won't hold me. I have friends in high places." He taunts from the floor. "That won't be a problem if we kill you." I snarl back to him. "You're not a killer anymore Natalia. You've done soft. The Avengers have tainted you." He's so sure of his words. Looking up I see the Avengers, my friends, my family, looking at me. Steve gives me a nod and turns his back, walking towards the jet. It's his silent way of telling me to do what I have to do. The others soon fall in line and it's just Yelena, Wanda and I left.

"You know. I hated my life in the red room. I've spent my whole time trying to make up for the horrible things I did whilst I was under your control. I lost sight of the fact that I gained two of the most important things to me whilst in that hell. My sisters." I tell him, connecting my boot to his face. "She'll never forgive you." He smirks through bloodied teeth. "You're right. I don't think she will. But I won't make the same mistake twice in not protecting her." I tell him, crouching down in front of him. "You two can go. You don't need to be a part of this." I say to Yelena and Wanda. But neither of them move.

"I want to watch this man die after everything he's done." Yelena hisses. "And I want to see him pay for the hurt he's caused to Y/n." Wanda adds on. "You're no different than us if you kill me." He speaks from the floor. I can see he's panicking now. "The only difference is, as much as I want to drag this out and cause you as much pain as possible. I won't. I'll make this quick." I stand up and take my gun from my holster, pointing it to his head. "Wait! No please..." I don't give him a chance before I pull the trigger. The bullet lodging in his skull.

Without giving him another look, I walk away, Yelena and Wanda following behind. When we get to the jet, we all go straight to Y/n. "She's stable for now, but she'll need surgery as soon as we're back at the compound. I've called Cho and she'll be waiting for us." Bruce informs us. "Thank you for saving her Bruce." Yelena says, taking Y/n's hand in her own. "She's not out of the woods yet. But she's strong." He replies, placing his hand on Yelena's shoulder.

The journey back to the compound is much calmer than when we left. The three of us never leave Y/n's side as we make the journey home. Just as Bruce said, Cho and her team are waiting for us and take Y/n straight to the medical wing. "You three should go and clean up. Y/n will be in surgery for a while. I promise I'll update you if anything changes before you get back." Tony tells us. None of us have the energy to fight and I can't bare to have Y/n's blood on my hands for much longer.

After Y/n's surgery, she falls into a coma. Her body had extensive injuries and it's a miracle that she is even alive. But we have no idea if or when she might wake up. Even if she does, she'll have a lot of recovery to go through. Between Yelena, Wanda and I, one of us is always with her. A lot of the time all three of us just sit with her, telling her how sorry we are, begging her to wake up. But nothing changes.

3 weeks. That's how long she's been led in this bed unconscious. Each day I'm losing hope that she'll ever wake up. But I won't give up on her. I have to be there for her as much as I can. Even if she has no clue that we're here. It's a Tuesday lunch time and the three of us are eating our salad around Y/n's bed. Filling her in on the latest stupid thing Tony did. Wanda suddenly grabs at her head in pain. "Are you ok Wands?" I ask, placing my hand on her back. "It's not me." She groans. I instantly turn my head to see Y/n's eyes flicking. "Y/n. pauchok? Can you hear us?" I say, gently running my hand through her hair.

I turn to tell Yelena to get Bruce but she's already out of the door calling for him. When her eyes eventually open, they dart around the room, trying to identify where she is. "You're ok Y/n. You're at the compound you're safe. Bruce is on his way." I try to reassure her. Having her awake, all I want to do is tell her how sorry I am and beg her for forgiveness. But I can't.

Wanda is by her side, her hand interlocked with Y/n's. But we all step back when Bruce enters the room and let him do his thing. She's not very responsive but Bruce looks somewhat happy. "She'll probably be in and out of consciousness for a while, but she seems to be doing ok. I'll do more test when she's more with it and I'll have a better idea at what we're dealing with." He explains before leaving us to it.

Over the next few hours, she goes in and out of consciousness, but we never leave her side. She becomes move communicative as she does, giving us the bare minimum to show she's awake. "Why are you here?" She asks when she's more with it. "I know you have no reason to believe or trust us, but we wanted to be here for you." She looks around the room at all of us but doesn't offer a response.

"Good to see you're awake. Would you mind giving us the room so I can run some tests?" Bruce asks us, taking Y/n's chart. We slip out of the room and stand by the window observing as Bruce carries out his checks. "Do you think she'll ever forgive us?" Yelena asks, the sadness evident in her voice. I sigh knowing I can't really give her the answer she wants. "I'm not sure she will. It was so hard to get her forgiveness when she came back in our lives. As much as that was real to us, it was based off of lies." I reply, giving no reassurance at all. But it doesn't pay to live off false hope.

Wanda stands there quietly, lost in her thoughts. "Are you ok?" I ask her, reaching out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I love her so much. I know it started as a mission, but I fell for her, hard. I can't bare to think that I've lost her. I know it's all on me, but I have to at least fight for her. You should do the same." She says before walking out and leaving us.

Over the next week, Y/n was starting to heal. Bruce had warned us that she would have to go through extensive physio to even have a chance at a full recovery. The beating gave her a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and there is damage to her spin, which at the moment has resulted in paralysis from her waist down. Something Bruce is hopefully will be temporary with the help of physio.

Much to Y/n's dismay, we all stuck around. After what happened, Fury agreed to allow us all an extended leave of absence, only to be called upon for world saving missions. It meant that we could dedicate our time to helping Y/n recover. We are determined to show her that we're being completely honest and want to be there for her. I just don't know if she'll accept it.

Y/n's POV:

Well, that whole experience was hell. I thought I was going to die after Dreykov stabbed me. I had come to terms and accepted my fate. In my mind, I genuinely thought that I was alone. After everything that had happened with my sisters and Wanda, there was not one part of me that thought they would come for me. Especially as it risked opening them up to the risk of being capture by the red room again.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm so unbelievably hurt by it all, but they were there for me when I thought I was alone. But that doesn't make up for everything they did does it? It makes it harder to know what I'm feeling when they're around me all day being sickly sweet. When I heard they had all taken a leave of absence, I was shocked. Nat has always been so focused on making up for her wrongs, missions have become her life.

Seeing Wanda is the hardest. I still love her. That isn't going away any time soon, especially when I wake up to her, my hand clenched in hers, her beautiful red hair splayed over my legs. The pining looks she gives me don't help either. I know exactly how I feel, but I don't have a clue what is real and what is fake anymore. My trust radar is completely out of whack so I've gone completely on the defensive and built up my walls as high as I can.

On top of all this emotional stress, my body is broken. I'm stuck in a hospital bed having to rely on other people to help me do basic things. What makes it worse, is it's the people that I don't want to be around that are doing them. They've managed to scare off every nurse that Tony and Bruce have brought in to help and it's getting frustrating. Everything is just getting too much. I know even if I make ground in rehab, I'm not ever going to be back to where I was. I'll be no use to them for missions, so it won't be long until I'm back on my own anyway. I have sisters I can't trust and who don't seem to trust me and I woman I'm madly in love with but so incredibly hurt by. I just don't know what to do.

Sensing my frustration, Tony was able to convince the others to let him take me to my physio appointment. I was trying to get the use of my legs back. I can stand but walking is proving difficult. It was a relief to not have apologetic and pitying eyes on me the whole session. "Come on Y/n, you've got this. Just one step that's all." The physio, Mark, encourages. I frown as I have failed at every attempt to do this today.

I have a sheen of sweat on my forehead as I hold my body weight up on the two support poles beside me. If Dreykov could see me now, he'd laugh at what he had turned me into. I shake my head, trying to fight off the intrusive thoughts. I manage to get my leg to move forward in an awkward step, but I smile as it's the furthest I've got so far. "Amazing work Y/n!" Tony encourages me from the side. I place my foot down but I get the weight wrong and I'm tumbling to the floor, Tony's arms just catching my head before it could bounce off the padded base.

"You did great today Y/n. Let's get you up and try again." Mark says in an annoyingly enthusiastic voice. "I think she needs a rest." Tony suggests, already seeing my anger. "But she's so close, just one more try...." "No." I growl lowly. "No?" He questions me. "I can't do this anymore! I'm just useless! Leave me alone! Just get out!" I yell, tears forming in my eyes. Mark doesn't need telling twice as she scurries out of the room. But Tony doesn't listen to me. He just sits there holding me as I'm still in a heap on the floor.

My chest is heaving as I breathe heavily from the anger and effort I had put into today. "Talk to me." Tony says softly. "I look between his eyes, my own full of tears. I don't see pity. I just see care. "I'm scared." I admit quietly, afraid of my own voice. Tony doesn't respond, he just lets me reach the words I need in my own time. "I know I'll never be back to how I was. Which means when I leave here, I can't guarantee my safety. Before when I was on my own, I knew I could fight out of most situations. But now I'll be hindered. Dreykov may be dead, but there will be others in his place and my head will still have a bounty on it." I express.

He frowns as I talk but lets me finish. "Why would you leave here?" He questions a little surprised. "I can't bring anything to the team. I know the only reason that you let me stay before was because you were trying to work out if you could trust me enough to be in this team. As soon as my recovery is done, I'll have to leave." I reply but he just scoffs. "You have value without your fighting skills. Do you know how much work you help me do in the last 8 months? You'd be such an asset for me in my lab. But even if you didn't want to do that and just work in a bar. I pay for this place, and I'll decide who lives here and you're one of them. You're not going anywhere unless it's because you want to." He tells me firmly.

I smile at him, appreciating his support. "But I know that's only half the issue Y/n. The other three have refused to leave your side these last few weeks. I sigh, knowing ultimately the main reason for this conflict in my head. "I learnt to trust and forgive them again after everything they did when they left the red room. I can't be angry at them for leaving for a better life." I admit and he nods. "But I feel betrayed that everything was a mission to them these last few months. Did they actually want me to be back in their lives? Was I still an inconvenience to them? Then there's the whole Wanda situation. I don't even know if what she felt for me was real. And that terrifies me. Because I gave everything to her, I was vulnerable, and my walls were completely down. But now? Now I feel like that love was just used and abused all for SHIELD's benefit."

Saying this all out loud is actually helping. I feel a weight lifting off my chest sharing with someone, that I do actually trust, how I'm really feeling. "Y/n. I know what they did was inexcusable. But I can tell you now that Nat and Yelena were so excited for you to come to New York. I've never seen Nat like it before. She was soft. When we were waiting for your arrival, they couldn't sit still. They had spent time trying to make sure you had everything you'd need in your room. It wasn't just obligation." I think over his words, still unsure how it makes me feel.

"And Wanda. That girl has never been able to hide her feelings. The amount of times I would catch her just staring at you with eyes full of love, a smile on her face. You could be doing the simplest of things and she would be there watching you as if you were hanging the moon and the stars." He smirks at me as he remembers. "But she, all of them, hurt me." I state and he nods. "I know. I'm not saying forgive them. I just wanted you to know, that yes, maybe this was all a mission, but I truly believe that they care and love you. Maybe it'll help you get the closure you'll need."

I instantly pull Tony into a hug, even in our awkward position on the floor. He hugs back within a heartbeat and chuckles. "You're already getting your strength back I see." He says, pretending to choke. "Sorry." I say, letting go of my death grip. He helps me up off the floor and takes me back into the hospital room.

I get about 20 minutes of peace before two assassins darken my doorway. "Can we come in?" They ask. "You've never asked permission before." I snap back to them. "We realise that we've been a bit over the top these last few days and weeks." Nat admits shyly. It's very unusual to see her like this, the confidence drained from her. I nod and they both enter, taking a seat to the side of my bed. "How was physio?" Yelena asks when an awkward silence fills the room. "Ok. I took a step..." "That's great!" Nat interrupted but I shook my head. "Then fell on my ass." I add on and see them both frown.

"I told you I didn't like that, Mark. He's a fraud." Yelena huffs to Nat. "He's a physio Yelena, he's just trying to help." Nat defends. "Then why did our sister end up on the floor?!" Yelena shoots right back. I find it quite amusing seeing their little back and forth. It used to entertain me greatly back in the red room. It was some of the only humour I got.

After their bickering ends, Nat has been able to convince Yelena to not kick Mark's ass. "Did you just come in here to argue or was there something else you wanted?" I say when they finally stop their fight. The two of them look between each other and sit up straighter. "We would like to talk. But we'd also appreciate if you would let us finish before you say anything." Nat answers. I sigh but wave my hand for them to continue.

"I'm, we're both so sorry. I know that's not enough. We have let you down and betrayed you twice now. There are no excuses for how we acted this time around. But please know that we are both so happy that you are back in our lives. When Fury told us that he found you, we were so happy. We had heard rumours you were dead and that broke us because we thought we missed our chance to make things right. But when we got the chance to do that, we royally fucked up." Nat starts, Yelena nodding along the whole time.

"We have always trusted you. Although it may not seem like it. We were scared we'd lose you and wanted to do everything in our power to keep you safe and with us. So, we listened to Fury and agreed to this stupid mission. But it back fired and you ended up getting more hurt than either of us thought possible." Yelena now takes her turn to speak. I've never seen her talk with such sincerity before. No sarcasm or snarky comments.

"You died. We watch you die and then watched as Bruce fought so hard to bring you back to us. It was all our fault, if we had just been honest from the start, you'd be fine now. Not having to learn to walk and do basic things all over again." Nat takes a breath before looking at Yelena, who gives her a sad nod. "We know that you probably won't be able to forgive us and, as much as it hurts, we're ok with that. We just wanted you to know, that it was real to us. All of it." She finished her little speech and I let the words sink in.

They both give me a smile and stand up to leave. I watch as they get closer to the door. I'm sure they're walking slowly, hoping I call after them. "Oh, I'm going to regret this." I mumble to myself. "Wait!" I call after them. They both spin around to face me again. Expectant looks on their faces. "You're right. I'm not sure if I can forgive you. Not easily anyway." Their faces drop at my words, and I notice Yelena reach out to Nat's hand, seeking comfort. "You know, I worshipped the ground you walked on when we were in the red room. I would go to bed every night and dream of what we'd be like when we would finally escape and be free. This is far from that dream." I share and they both nod.

"I'm willing to try to, you know, maybe work things out." I say almost at a whisper. Both eyes suddenly lock on to me, but I can't meet theirs. "But there can't be anymore lies and you need to be patient with me. I don't think we can fall back to how we were." I explain, finally lifting my head to see my two sisters, who's eyes have tears brimming in them. "Really?" Nat whispers and I nod. "oh pauchok. I promise, we'll do everything you ask. We won't fuck this up this time." She replies through a cry.

"Can we hug you?" Yelena asks timidly. I nod hesitantly, but the moment both of them wrap their arms around me, I feel safe again. There is a part of me that hates that I feel like that so easily. I still want to be mad and angry at them. But I'll take this moment, this feeling. It's a long way, but I hope maybe we can get some resemblance of the relationship we used to have.

The next few days are like the others, though the tension with my sisters is a little less. I thought that after our talk they would be back to working and backing off a little. But they don't, they promised me there were here until I was fully recovered, and they were sticking by it but promised to respect my boundaries. I really appreciated it.

I had noticed that Wanda had been around less. I thought it wouldn't bother me, but I guess I found comfort in her presence. But I can't blame her, I haven't been the nicest person to anyone recently, and regardless of what happened between us, it's no excuse for me to be a dick.

Today I was having a rough day. Physio was hard, although I'm getting a couple of steps at a time now, the frustration that it's not progressing quicker really hindered me today. I fell, a lot, and I'm hurting. My mood is low and I'm really just not in the mood to see anyone. But tonight, my sisters decided they didn't want to respect my boundaries.

"Come on! Up in the chair, you're getting out of this room and getting some fresh air." Nat orders with a big smile on her face whilst Yelena is fighting with me to put a coat on. "I'm quite comfortable in here. Please just take your cheeriness away from my dark cloud today!" I complain. Both of them just laugh at me. "Oh, mladshaya sestra. Let us help to cheer you up." Nat cooed. I reluctantly agree, knowing that it'll be easier than fighting. Besides, I've barely been outside since I ended up in the medical wing.

They help me up into my chair and roll me to the small lake in the grounds of the compound. As I get closer, I see a familiar red head, standing awkwardly, picking at the skin around her finger nails. It's then I notice the picnic blanket and food dotted around. "Well, have a nice evening." Yelena says, letting go of my chair, which carries on rolling as it's on a slope. "Hey, what?! Wait!" I call after them. "You didn't need to push her." Nat scolds as they run off. "What, the witch will catch her." I hear Yelena defend.

And she's right. As I turn around to stop the chair, Wanda is already there, her hands on the arm rest to stop me going any further. "Hi." She squeaks when our eyes meet. "What's this?" I ask, pointing towards the little set up. She rolls me closer and offers to help me out of the chair, still not offering an explanation. I raise my eyebrow at her not letting her help until I get some idea of why we're here. "Can you please just sit with me, and I'll explain?" She pleads. Against my better judgement I agree.

She helps to lift me out of the chair and onto the blanket. She is then quickly throwing another over my lap to keep me warm. My eyes are firmly on the ground, embarrassed that I still need help to even get in and out of this damn chair. "You shouldn't be ashamed of it." Wanda's voice breaks through my thoughts. "It's not weak to need help." She adds on. I sigh and look at her. "I'm sure you didn't bring me here to talk about my wheelchair." I say, a hint of frustration in my voice.

She quickly shakes her head. "I love you." She blurts out and it takes me by surprise. I can tell by her body language there is no lies, but I still find it hard to believe. "Yes, it started as a mission, but it very quickly stopped being one for me. All the feelings I had, have, for you are real. I never should have agreed to the mission in the first place, but I was desperate to prove myself to Fury. I didn't even stop to think about feelings through it all. But once I started to fall for you, it was all I could think about."

She rambles on as all her feelings come tumbling out. "I hated lying to you. I should have ignored Fury and just told you the truth. I know that you still probably would have left me, but at least I could have explained it all to you. I'm so sorry Y/n. I really am, I'll regret what I did for the rest of my life." She's crying as she speaks "I wouldn't have left you." I say quietly. "What?" She questions. "If you had told me. I would have been really mad, but I wouldn't have left you." I tell her but that seems to make things worse. I guess it just reiterated for her that she made the wrong decision.

"But you have to understand how hard it is to trust what you're saying right now." I say with more confidence. "I do. But let me show you. Let me show you that everything I felt was real. You can do with it as you please, but at least you'll know the truth." She suggests. I think for a moment before nodding. She raises her hand to my head and red whisps appear before my vision is clouded. I see flashes of all the times that we're together and how she was feeling. It's almost overwhelming how much love she feels towards me. She also shows me the sorrow and pain she felt when I was gone. As my vision starts to return, she's looking at me with tears falling down her face.

"You don't have to forgive me or take me back. I just had to let you know that it was all true. I couldn't bare you thinking that I manipulated it in anyway." I really appreciate her doing that. It helps to bring me the closure that I need. "I'm not sure what to do with this." I admit and she scootches forward a little and rests her hand on mine. "You don't have to do anything. But if you don't push me away, I'd like to try and make things up to you. Maybe we can get back to being friends at least. Maybe one day you might find it in you to forgive me." She replies. "But for now. Just sit and enjoy this picnic with me?" She says but it comes out as a question. I nod and reach out for the plate on the blanket. It's a nice evening and there is no pressure.

It takes time, but I can feel the relationships between my sisters and Wanda starting to mend. They stick by my side through my recovery, along with Tony, and I didn't realise how much I needed that. All of their actions went to show how much they care for me.

A year after the kidnapping, I'm finally up and walking, with the help of walking sticks, but I'm not reliant on the wheelchair anymore. I'm helping Tony out in his lab, as he suggested, and I'm really enjoying it. Problem solving and building tech that helps people is really rewarding to me.

Nat and Yelena are slowly starting to go back on missions but are around a lot more. It took me a while, but I think I'm finally there in trusting and forgiving them. I feel like I have my sisters back. Along with it I gained a family with the Avengers. Something I never thought that I would get.

And Wanda you ask? Well, our friendship really started to flourish and became really important to me. But tonight, I think that friendship could be ruined. But in all the best possible ways as we're going out on our first official date.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for siding with my Dad and actively shit talking/giving points about things his wife is wrong for?

Using 🎸🎶 as my emojis so I don't get lost.

For context, I (17F) and my sisters (14F and 12F) have lived with divorced parents for the past almost 13 years, nearly our entire lives. Our Dad (38M) and our Mom (38F) got divorced long ago, and since both have been remarried and divorced. My dad is currently married to his third wife (37F) and things have gone to shit. They grew up together and reconnected through Facebook a while back and began to talk. Since early July, they reconnected around late June, we have; drove 40 hours to Ohio to see and meet Wife and her 3 daughters (15, 7 and 5 F), moved them down over 80 hours of back and forth with both pets and kids, lived in a small trailer house until we closed our half million dollar one, and now we live in an old 1940s house where Wife never has to work unless she wants to. My Dad provides for her and her three kids easily on his own due to owning a fraction of the company he works for, but money has been a little tight due to a lack of houses to work on and her excessive spending.

This morning was when it bubbled over. She woke him up 30 mins before he needed to have his trailer, and hour away to pick it up, and be in another city still 30 mins from there, to pick up a free dresser we do not have room for. While getting ready he was informed her two youngest did the dishes to ask for something, a habit they all have. And to be clear, they ONLY do chores to go places and do things, so the house is often trashed. My Dad boiled over after both things adding onto all the stress of caring for 8 people and only seeing his 3 kids 4 days a month, and it started a scream fight that she encouraged. She loves to rile him up and then play victim, and this time was no different. Despite being angry, he asks if she still wants to go get the dresser, and she says she won't ride with him even to talk it out or get the fifth dresser for their room. So me and my middle sister (14F, we'll call her D.) Go with. We get the trailer, get into town, and he calls to confirm the address. Rather than tell him, she plays hard to get to piss him off, and we leave instead, not getting the dresser and taking the trailer back. The entire way Dad, D and I air our grievances about the behavior of Wife and her kids, discussing habits we don't like and clarifying we aren't doing it to be mean. It turns out, she was also bitching about the laundry and how she does everything when I've only ever seen her do theirs and no other chores. My Dad offers to solve it by having his own basket for his own laundry and even cooking his own meals if that's what's bothering her. Instead, she takes off her wedding ring rather than accepting the solutions. We talks, discussing how yes, they've been through a lot, but so have we, and that doesn't excuse her behavior.

We get home and the fighting starts again rather quickly, we don't catch much before it dies out but he tries to reason with her. I paint and everyone is calm for a bit. Well, I'm sitting on my bed and the fighting starts again. D and I share a room right over the garage, where the fight was, and D drops to the floor to listen. Our Dad uses many of the points we brought up in the car, and it hits hard and rings true really. At some point Wife complains that we never talk to her, and Dad points out that she picks fights when we're here and we know what divorce sounds like and refuse to get attached. She calls him our for being married and divorced twice, and Dad gets petty and tells her he didn't have kids outside marriage. And finally she complains that we don't do anything, and my Dad points out that we're self sufficient and do everything when we're here. The fight continues, he keeps making points we all discussed on the way to and from the trailer and failed dresser retrieval, and he keeps bringing up the ring since he doesn't want to divorce again.

Anyways, its causing a rift and I haven't told anyone but my Mom that I helped supply points, but I just feel bad because I feel like I somehow made the fighting worse by mentioning all the shit she does and talks about him and us.

TLDR; Dad and new wife were fighting all day and my sister and I gave points and talked shit about what's been bothering us in the car and our Dad brought up those points in the fight.

So Tumblr, am I the asshole?

What are these acronyms?

[ramona-quinn]

It Takes a Hotel to Raise a Cub

Chapter 1 - Morning Time

Plot: Another morning at the Hazbin Hotel.

Content Warning: Religious trauma, stabbing, wounds, nightmares, family issues

Crymini was out on the streets in Pride City. Where is Pride City, you may ask. Well, it's in literal Hell. She was with her pack, The Sore Thumbz. They were known for causing trouble all throughout the Pride Ring, via shoplifting and vandalizing property. Crymini was currently doing graffiti in the exact same alleyway where she woke up after dying from a drunk driving accident. Her friends, Ash and Raven, were smoking near a dumpster.

"How long has it been since you appeared here?" Ash asked as he lit a cigarette.

"Since the 90s. I'm thinking..." Crymini pondered as she counted the years in her head. "Twenty-nine years."

"Wow, thirty years next year," Raven chuckled. "It feels like yesterday when we found you getting evicted from your apartment. You've really come a long way, haven't you?"

All of a sudden, Crymini and her friends heard someone screaming. They looked and saw a bunch of sinners running for their lives. They then saw a bunch of Exorcists flying down from Heaven. Oh, shit, it was Extermination Day. Crymini dropped her spraypaint and went to hide in a crate while Raven and Ash hid in the dumpster. Crymini could feel her heart pounding from her chest and her palms sweating. She could also feel her body quivering and her breathing becoming increasingly heavier by the minute, even though she was used to this annual bloody event by now.

Thoughts raced in Crymini's mind. When she was alive, she lived in a town where it was extremely conservative. She was warned by her Bible-thumping parents and local church in the living world about Hell. However, she already lived through it, so why relive it again after she died?

Crymini's train of thoughts were interrupted as she heard Ash and Raven scream, followed by the sounds of slashing. An Exorcist flew by and lifted up the crate she was hiding in. The Exorcist slammed the crate down, breaking it into pieces.

"Wait, wait! Don't do this!" Crymini pleaded.

The Exorcist took off their helmet, revealing a familiar face — Crymini's former youth pastor, Sister Dawn.

"I told you about this horrible place," Sister Dawn chuckled heinously as she held her angelic spear up to Crymini's neck. "I told you that you've always broken and needed to be fixed, but you didn't listen. You didn't listen to me, to your parents, to anyone but yourself. Now, I get a chance to fix you once and for all."

"Wait, no!" Crymini shrieked as the pastor stabbed her.

—————————

Crymini bolted awake, panting. Her forehead was drenched in sweat as she frantically looked around. She was in her bed, in her room, in the Hazbin Hotel. She sighed with relief as she plopped back down, trying to go back to sleep. She rubbed her arm, which was healing from a stab wound. She was stabbed by an Exorcist during Extermination Day and was found by Angel Dust, who had found her after work and took her to the nearest hospital. Her friends — Ash and Raven — didn’t make it out alive. She wished her friends were here. They wouldn’t make staying at this shitty, happy-go-lucky hotel so bad.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Oh, Crymini! Are you awake?" Charlie's voice sang from the other side of the room door. "Rise and shine! My dad's making pancakes!"

Crymini snarled as she pulled her bedsheets over her. She never understood why the princess wanted everyone up this early in the morning. She was never a morning person to begin with.

———

Everyone was eating breakfast in the dining room. Things were fine until Charlie looked around the table and saw an empty chair. She counted around the table and asked herself, "Crymini's not here again?"

"Is everything okay, Charlie?" Vaggie asked.

"Yeah, it's just that Crymini's not here for breakfast again. In fact, she hasn't been here for any of the meals ever since she arrived here," Charlie frowned. "It's the tenth time she's done this. Maybe she's not hungry? I mean, it's important for her to listen to her body."

"That's true, but Crymini needs food to live. She can't just starve herself," Angel said, having overheard the princess' conversation. "I'll go check on Crymini if you want me to."

"Thanks, Angel."

Angel got up and went upstairs. When he approached Crymini's bedroom door, he knocked on it and called out, "Hey, Mini, are you awake?"

"Yeah, you can come in," Crymini grumbled.

Angel opened the door and spotted Crymini sitting in her beanbag and texting on her phone.

"Hey, are you gonna come down and eat?" Angel asked.

"Nah, I'm not hungry," Crymini shook her head, not looking up from her screen. Her stomach started growling, which caused the spider to raise an eyebrow.

"Um, I think your stomach is saying otherwise, kid."

Crymini rolled her eyes as she continued texting.

Angel sighed as he sat down in front of Crymini.

"Can you put the phone down for me, please? It's distracting," the spider said.

No response. Angel's tone became firmer.

"Crymini, please put the phone down, or I'm gonna have to take it from you so you can listen to me."

"Ugh, fine!" Crymini groaned as she set her phone down rudely. "What are you, Vaggie Jr.?"

"Look, I know it's hard to adjust to this hotel. Hell, I've been in your shoes and thought this place was the most ridiculous idea in the afterlife, but you gotta give it a chance. It's all about baby steps," Angel empathized.

Crymini just gave a blank stare.

"You don't have to eat everything or talk to anyone. Just get something in your belly and not be cooped up in your room all morning, okay?"

"Fine, I guess," Crymini rolled her eyes.

———

Crymini kept to herself at the dining table. She looked down at her pancakes and pushed them around, only taking a few bites.

She couldn't even bother to eat in the first place. She didn't like sitting at the table with a bunch of people. It reminded her of her home life in the living world, where it was full of praying and talking about the conservative side of politics. In public, Crymini's parents were a perfect portrayal of a godly couple, always bringing kindness and charity to others and loving each other. However, at home, it was a different story. There was also a lot of shouting and fighting. It even occurred during family gatherings during the holiday season. She hated it when her parents fought, especially with her. She stuck out like a sore thumb wherever she went, from home to church. She was shamed for minor things, from not listening to her parents to not doing her chores. She wished she could at least please her family, but it was never enough. Why did she have to be raised in a Bible-thumping town filled with a bunch of hypocritical asshats that say they're warm and friendly, but only love on their own terms and conditions? Why did she have to grow up feeling like an outcast that always did wrong? Why did she have to be created by a god that was supposed to be loving and merciful, but was actually a crock who expected everyone on Earth to praise him, even though he's done more harm than good?

"Hey, Crymini."

Crymini looked up and saw that most of the residents left, minus Husk and Angel.

"Are you feeling okay?" Husk asked.

"Yeah, why?" Crymini shrugged.

"You've been staring at your plate, and you barely ate anything."

"So? I wasn't that hungry."

"You've said that for the past three days since you've been here. Not to mention that you haven't been participating in the activities Charlie set up," Angel pointed out.

"Well, I think the activities are stupid and I didn't feel like eating," Crymini argued. "I told you guys many times that I wasn't hungry, so leave me alone."

Crymini got up and went upstairs to her room. Husk and Angel looked at each other with concern.

[idowhatiwantspock]

The night before my wedding I slept over at my Person of HONOUR's place with her and her wife.

Her wife had set up a beautiful little display for my arrival and joined us after her show was done for the evening.

We worked on last minute art tasks, and I wrote down my vows

(definitely made my fingers cramp but so worth it for the ceremony)

We ate snacks and smoked together outside and I helped them finish painting a bench for their dining table. It was such a relaxing and love filled evening after a busy afternoon and before an early rise and loooooong day.

Woke up at 8 a.m. for one last pick up that required my signature and then back for a bath and some breakfast before heading out late to go to the venue.

My (now) husband got a migraine after dinner the night before so their morning, while as early as mine, was much less pleasant and consisted of hugging a fancy hotel toilet bowl, lots of different liquids, and a long nap before also heading to the venue late.

When we got to the space I immediately got to work helping set up and do last minute tasks and delegation. Took zero photos, that's why we hired a photographer.

The ceremony started almost an hour late but Elliot was feeling much better and all of our guests were happy to listen to the amazing pianist play while they waited.

Photos were a little rushed and I got the most anxious I had felt all day after waking up the calmest and most certain I've ever felt. But communicated really clearly and we got to the reception only about half an hour late!

The cake cut and first dance were quiet and very well documented by everyone around us. And I grabbed the instax camera Elliot had got for the wedding and started taking photos of as many guests as possible. We now have a STACK of photos to enjoy while we wait for the professional ones to be edited.

We stayed till the very end of the evening and I barely helped with clean up because they were doing so well without me. I felt a little lost but in such a supported way.

We got a ride home and spent a lovely grounding moment with Elliot's sister and boyfriend before staying up way too late unpacking and re hanging our bedroom art and looking at the unexpected number of gifts and cards we received.

We slept till the afternoon and had a slow day with some friends who dropped off an apple pie for us (and an early birthday gift for me) had a much needed, very hot, bath for our aching joints. And finished out the evening by watching Pride and Prejudice (2005) which I love and my husband had never seen.

I feel so incredibly lucky and so excited for this next chapter of our relationship.

Tomorrow two of my boyfriends are marrying each other and on Wednesday Elliot and I leave for our honeymoon! I am so looking forward to resting on the west coast with them after such a busy last few months.

[weabdl]

Baby Salon Part One [Patreon Commission]

Thank you to @Nope for this story! They are a Diaper God tier and have decided to use their 1500 words a month to have this story written. They told me to post it to whatever tier, and I decided that it would be public, they will always have the right to change this if they want to but until then enjoy part one. Also make sure to thank them in the comments.

My sister has always been such a pain in the neck, ever since we were little, just because we were twins somehow made it my job to be the mature one, or at least that was how it used to be. Somewhere down the line she had turned more mature and dependable, even started her own salon! I can’t describe how happy that made our mother, I mean ya sure I was in between jobs at the moment but that didn’t make my degree in computer science any less impressive.

But sadly, the job market dried up once anyone with a chrome book could do it, once A.I had mastered the art of programing, companies dropped the pay from over 100k a year to a basic minimum wage paying job. That and it wasn’t even programing anymore, it was just looking over the A. I’s code to fulfill certain legal requirements.

“Ring, Ring, Ring,” I woke up on a normal Monday morning to the sound a feeling of my phone going off, I slowly rolled over and pulled it up revealing that my sister was calling, that's when I noticed that the clock read 7:35, with a loud Grone I slid up answering the call. I knew that if I declined it she would be pissed and probably just wake me up in person.

“What do you want sis?” I asked making sure the grogginess was apparent in my voice! I mean most people didn’t wake up till eight anyways, right? So why was she calling this early?!

“Well morning to you too princess, hey I know you need a job and I need a someone who is decent with computers to come and do my internet set up and manage my outreach,” my sister Sophie said, I could feel her clicking her perfect nails together while she said this.

“... Sure,” I said after thinking it over for a few seconds, while I knew I would hate working for my sister I really needed the money, that and I wanted out of my parents' house as quickly as possible. While they didn’t berate me or anything I still found it hard to live there. I had always been a diaper lover, well ever since my late teens, and when I was making good money, I was able to buy diapers whenever I wanted, even had a good stash at one point. But that was starting to get horrifically low, and I needed some way to buy more.

“Now I can’t offer you what you were getting before A.I took over, but I can at least offer you a livable wage you pampered princess,” I heard her laugh as she said this. I could feel the hairs on my neck stand up at this comment, while this would just be normal banter for anyone else, my Tumblr and other secret social media’s handle name was in fact Pampered Princess, and while I had never shown my face on these platforms or connected them to any of my personal emails this comment seemed very out of place.

"Oh, and my friend Abby is now working for me, you know the one you had a massive crush on!” She said, I could feel my face grow red at this comment.

“Ya, ya whatever, anyways I will be over in like thirty minutes then,” I said getting up finally.

"Ok, see you then princess” Sophie said before hanging up, leaving me with way too many questions and not enough answers!

[kiankiwi]

Babysitter:

Summary: You had to go on an overnight business trip but Austin's in littlespace so you leave him with your sister. Many tears ensue!

*

You and Austin were just finishing dinner and you were getting ready to have a big talk with him. You needed to go on a trip overnight for work and Austin had been showing signs he had needed to regress so you had asked for your sister to come over to take care of him and stay with him in case he went into headspace while you were away. But this is the first time he'd technically have a "babysitter" so you didn't know how it was going to go. Good hopefully.

Austin was putting the last of the night's dishes into the dishwasher and you sat on the couch, gesturing for him to come over. "Hey babe, can we talk?" Austin eyed you, trying to see if he missed something he needed to remember or if he was mad at him. "What's up love?" You sighed, hoping you didn't make him sad or mad. "Baby... I gotta go do something for work tomorrow and it has to be overnight Aus." Fear flashes in his baby blues. "What if I slip? I-I haven't gone down in weeks and-and I'm s-so tired, mama, I just- what if-" His hands slowly go up to his blonde locks and pull at them, his voice laced with so much anxiety.

You stand and take a step toward him and wrap your hands around his arms, pulling his arms down so he doesn't pull his hair out and take both of his hands in his. "Baby, slow down okay? I figured you wanted to slip so my sister, Angie, you remember her? She's is gonna come and stay here overnight just in case okay? And if you don't slip that's fine too but seeing you stressed out over the last couple of days, I'd rather not have you stay in the apartment overnight alone just in case okay? Angie already knows about your headspace and expects you to drop so you don't have to worry about any judgement okay? She wants to help you and I'll be gone for only 1 day? One full sleep okay? But I have to go, baby." You drop his hands and cup his face in your hands. He sniffs, nodding. You can tell by looking in his eyes that he's already starting to slip right in front of you so it's safe to say he'll be completely down by the time you leave him with your sister.

"Is there something you want from me, bubs?" He reaches up to knuckle at his eye. "C-can I-I slip now? Is that okay?" You rise up on your tiptoes to peck his forehead and Austin drops his head down so it's easier for you to give him kisses. "Of course baby, you know you don't have to ask me to go down, I'll always take care of you, you don't need permission baby." He nods. "'kay mama." You reach down and squeeze his hand. "How should we end this night? Jammies, teefies or a bottle?"

He looks to you, confused because you were giving him a choice even though you knew his bedtime routine. He very much wants his regular routine. You put a finger up, amending your statement. "Sorry, which one do you want to do first?" He nods, looking at his socked feet. "Um, baba please." You nod. "Lay down and I'll get it ready." You say, pointing to the long couch.

You were up very early the next morning, letting your sister into the apartment by 5:30. You had told her to text you when she got there instead of knocking because you wanted Austin to stay asleep for as long as possible because you had a feeling when he woke up and realized that you had left him in head space he'd rain hell down on your sister.

"Hey, thanks for doing this. I was right, he slipped pretty soon after I told him I was leaving last night." Your sister nods, taking her coat off and getting comfy. "Of course! Is there anything I need to know?" You grab your coat and look around the apartment, trying to organize your last minute thoughts.

"Uuuum, let him sleep for as long as he wants today, I imagine he'll be a bit of a terror today when he realizes I let him sleep instead of saying goodbye. Um, it helps keeping him occupied, give him tasks to keep him busy but if shit hits the fan, you guys can facetime me whenever. He's obsessed with Mac and cheese right now so that's probably what he'll want for dinner, you can take him out if you want but he might be scared of paps, uh, bedtime is usually around 7:45-8 but he usually wants snuggles so he's allowed to sleep in my bed tonight and he knows that. After dinner, he's very particular about his bedtime routine; It's always dinner, bath, bottle, story and bed. I ran it all by Austin last night trying to calm him down about it so... if you have any other questions you can always text, call or if all else fails, ask him." Your sister nods, putting her hand up to stop you. "What are his toddler words? So I don't have to decode his language very much." You smiled. You loved explaining his baby speak. You tried to think of toddler words Austin would use. "Let's see, stuffed animals are stuffies, milk is milkies, mac and cheese is just cheese, story is stopies, strawberries is strawbabies, his blankie is manky, pretending is 'tending. Um, sorry I can't think of any more."

Your sister nodded. "It's okay, you gotta go, if I need anything I'll just text you." You nodded. "And I'm sorry in advance if he gives you a hard time this morning. He doesn't like being left alone. Especially if I'm the one leaving." She nods and asks, "You got everything?" You look toward the bedroom with a sad look on your face. You don't want to leave.

"Should.. should I say goodbye?" She shakes her head. "No, no, that'll just make it worse. Just let him sleep, now go, go!" You nod and Angie basically shoves you out the door.

Angie decides to nap on the couch until Austin gets up since he runs their day.

And he finally gets up around 9:30 quietly shuffling out into the living room with his blankie or as Austin likes to say, his "manky" clutched tightly in one hand. He looks at Angie who waves, not getting closer to the tall boy unsure of what he's going to do with his big emotions. "Good morning, how'd you sleep buddy?" Austin points to the front door and whispers, "Mama go?" his lip wobbling. Angie nods, walking over to Austin. "Yeah Aus, she didn't want you wake you." Austin starts to cry he sits in front of the front door of your apartment, pulling his knees up to his chest and putting his head on his knees, rocking a bit as he cries out, "Mama didn't even say 'oodbye! Mama! Mama you forgot me! Mama!" Austin screams for his mama, throwing his head back.

Angie decides she has to do something she can't just sit there and watch him unravel. "Oh, I'm so sorry sweetheart. But mama always comes back, oh sweetie." She sits in front of Austin and pushes his head into her chest, letting him lay there, rubbing his back as he lays half on his "aunt" and half on the floor, his legs bent so he doesn't feel as big. "Mama didn't forget you bug, it would be so boring at mama's meeting so she trusted me to hang out with you for a bit, is that okay?" No, Austin decides that is most definitely not okay. He pushes Angie away, rolling away from her. "No, no! You're not my mommy! You're not mommy, I want mommy!" He gets up and runs back into the bedroom slamming the door behind him.

Angie sighs, sitting back on the couch, deciding to just let him have a cry and have his feelings. And he most definitely doesn't want comfort for her so she'll just wait until he cries it out.

Fifteen minutes later, Austin's cries finally quiet down. He reappears in the living room entryway, leaning tiredly on the wall, eyeing Angie. "Hi bubs, want to try this again? What would you like for breakfast?" Austin silently quirks his lips, thinking of his options. "Mickey awfuls please?" Angie smiles nodding. "Sure bud. Here I'll get those started, why don't you come sit down." Austin looks back at the bedroom. "Can.. can my puppy come too?" Angie resists cooing at how cute he is. "Sure bud, go get your puppy." Angie smiles as she prepares the waffles, hearing Austin scampering back into the room grabbing his favorite stuffed blue dog.

"What's your puppy's name buddy?" Austin smiles for the first time today. "He's Pepper." Angie shakes the paw of the stuffed dog just to amuse Austin. "Well nice to meet you, Pepper." Austin snickers as Angie sets Austin's plate of two waffles with pictures of Mickey Mouse on the top, already pre sliced.

"Eat up Mister. Then we'll do something, fun okay?" Angie pours a little bit of syrup on his waffles but Austin looks expectantly up at her as soon as she stops pouring. "No, that's enough for that much bud. Gosh you are gonna be so messy.." Angie whispers as an afterthought as she watches Austin begin to eat, almost opening his mouth as wide as it will go the way toddlers do.

Angie starts cuing up a movie for Austin when she hears him yelp. The tears start again as Angie turns to find out what happened. "What happened buddy?" Austin points to the stuffed dog on the table next to his plate that indeed has syrup splotches on it. "I-I-I just wanted Pepper to try some and his fur got m-m-messy. I'm sorry!" Angie stands behind his chair, running a hand comfortingly through his dirty blonde curls. "Oh that's alright sweetie, I'll wash him for you. It's all okay. But we don't feed our stuffies our food okay?" He nods, pouting at our plate. Angie points to his food. "Finish up and I'll help Pepper okay? He'll be okay I promise."

Austin looks up at her hopefully. "You a stuffy docta?" Angie nods. If that's what he wants to believe, sure. "Of course, And all my patients leave feeling all better. Okay? Now eat!" Austin nods and digs back into his waffles, trusting you with his friend.

After breakfast, Angie starts a disney movie for Austin and he scoots over to his tub of alphabet blocks and looks to Angie, silently asking for permission. He was a quiet boy. Angie nodded. "Yeah, you can dump them out." Austin grinned, happy to cause some destruction and be messy. He looked through all the letters on the wooden blocks thinking of all of the possibilities. Angie leans forward on the couch and taps Austin on the back. "Can you spell... your name?" Austin grins even wider loving the new task he was given and quickly finding the letters to spell out his first name.

"Good job, lovie! Let's send that to mommy okay? Show her what a smart boy you are!" Austin nods, giggling excitedly. Angie snaps a picture and claps, encouraging him. "Now... do you know what momma's name is?" "Y/N." He whispered. Angie highfived him. "That's right buddy. How about you show momma you can spell her name now?" Austin gets to work but he has a different idea.

While Angie is texting you, updating you on the day she and Austin had had, Austin poked her in the knee and pointed to his new masterpiece. His name in blocks was still there. And below it was the word Mommy. Angie laughed, "You silly boy."

Angie then texted you, asking if it was okay to facetime as a nice surprise for Austin. The phone immediately started ringing. "Aus, come up here, mama's on the phone." Austin scampers onto the couch, sitting next to your sister as she accepts the call. Austin waves his large hand in your face. "Hi momma! Hi!" You laugh, laying on the hotel bed in your suite. "Hi baby, you being a good boy for Angie?" Austin looks down, unsure. "Uh..." You give him a stern look. "Austin?" Angie jumps in to defend him. "We had a rough morning, poor baby was sitting by the door wanting you but we fixed it and had waffles, huh bud?" He nods, his finger in his mouth now. "Mmhm got syrup on Pepper." Angie quickly gives him paci that was on the coffee table and you give your sister a thankful look.

"Ah baby, I'm so sorry you were sad but mommy had to go. You wouldn't like it here, I wouldn't get to spend any time with you here baby. And I figured you wanted to stay down longer..." Austin looks far off, trying to process in his kid mind what she's explaining to him. One lone tear falls down his cheek though and collides with his pacifier. "You didn't say goodbye. No hug..." You sigh sadly. "I'm sorry baby. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to wake you, I wanted to let you sleep. Can you forgive me, baby?" Austin thinks for a minute and eventually nods. "Yeah, mama." You smile at him. "Good. What else did you do today?" You ask, hoping to get him on a different subject.

Austin adjusted, curling his legs up on the couch, turning to the side so he can still see you on the phone and laying his head on the back of the couch. It was getting close to his nap and he was showing it. "We watch a movie and I spell with blocks." You nod, grinning proudly. "Yeah, I saw that baby, you're such a little genius." Angie turned the camera so you could see he spelled Mommy too. "This was his next creation." "Oh wow!" You gasp. "I love that baby. You're such an artist." Austin giggles tiredly as Angie turns the camera back so you can see Austin. You frown, you won't be there to tuck Austin in for his nap.

"Gosh baby, you're looking sleepy." He nods, yawning hugely. "Oh wow, so sleepy." Angie puts her head on top of Austin's to lean in. "I think it's time for a nap buddy. You wanna say goodbye to mama?" He whimpers, "No, I don't want mama to go away again!" You sigh. "It's okay baby, I'll call again before you go to bed for the night okay? And then I'll be home so soon okay? Go get cozy in bed and Angie will get you another baba and when you get up you can play some more. Maybe spell me some more words." Austin gives you a soft smile. "Okay mama. I be good and go s'eep." You blow Austin a kiss. "You're always my good boy baby, even if you get sad sometimes. I love you sweet boy." Austin blows you three noisy kisses. "Wuv 'oo mama." You smile as you hang up with him.

Austin gives Angie back the phone and dashes to his bedroom, dutifully getting under the covers, hugging another one of his stuffies to his side and snuggling down into the blankets. You hand him a bottle she had quickly made while he was choosing which friend to nap with. He quickly spits out his paci to replace it with his bottle, sucking greedily at the sweet milk.

While Austin is asleep, Angie gets to work on washing Pepper in the sink. She's just drying him off and thinking she'll get to cleaning up Austin's blocks when she hears him whining from his bedroom. "You okay buddy?" She walks in to see see Austin clutching his bear to his chest and crying. Angie sits beside him, cupping his wet cheek in her hand. "What happened love?" He hiccups on the words, "B-bad d-d-dream...." Angie hugs the sleepy boy to her chest, rocking him until he's just whimpering. "Oh I'm sorry baby, do you want to tell Aunt Angie about it?" He shakes his head, sucking hard on his paci. "Is mama okay?" He asks. Angie is pretty sure you were in the dream at that point and that's what prompted his question. "Yes baby, she's still texting me about all the plans we have for today." Austin's lip wobbles. "Will she be home when I wake up t'morrow?" Angie tsks, sad to give him the news. "No but she'll be home around noon okay? So if you want to sleep in tomorrow, that's totally okay." He nods, looking around his bedroom, seeming to remember what he was doing there before the bad dream.

"You still sleepy bud? You can go back to sleep for a little." Austin immediately lays back down, still holding Angie's hand. "Snuggle please?" She nods. "Of course I'll snuggle with you."

Later that night, Angie was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner while Austin was watching Dora and interacting with it. To be quite honest, he was procrastinating bedtime because he knew you wouldn't be here to put him to sleep. Yeah, Angie was okay but you were his mommy. And damn he missed his mommy. After cleaning up the toys Austin had played with thorough out the day and cleaned up the kitchen from dinner you put Austin's favorite things to sleep with on your big bed and prepared him another bottle with vanilla mixed in, offering it to him as he stood in the middle of the room answering Dora's questions.

"C'mon Aus, it's bedtime buddy." He tapped his foot on the ground, hesitant to go with her. He wondered if he could just snag the bottle and run off to avoid bedtime. "Uh, not yet Angie." But not even ten minutes later, he rubbed his eyes, proof that he was sleepy again. "C'mon buddy I know you're sleepy. Let's go get nice and cozy c'mon and you can have your baba and bed, c'mon." Austin backed away from her a step and whimpered, "Mama..." Angie sighed. "I know bud but the sooner you go s'eepies the sooner you wake up and she'll be back here with you." Austin groaned wanting to cry but not having the energy. "Let's go buddy once you get in bed we can call her again okay?" That did it, as soon as Angie offered his bottle, jammies and another call with you, he was ready for bed.

The next day, Angie doesn't wake Austin up at all, just cleaning up the house and letting him sleep so that he'd spend less time missing you until you were actually here. He stumbles sleepily out the bedroom at 11:30, hair messed up, paci in his mouth and blankie dragging behind him. You were due home in 20 minutes. "Hey sleepyhead." He eyes the door as he shuffles over to the couch and drops onto it and bunches his blankie on his lap. "Guess who's already on her way home!" Austin's eyes light up. "Mama come home? See Ausie?!" Angie nodded, looking through the options for a late breakfast. "Yep! She'll be here so soon! What do you want for breakfast while we wait for her baby?" Austin, excited now toddles over to the kitchen and sits at his usual spot requesting yogurt this morning.

You were finally home. You expected to hear screaming and crying as you walked through the door but surprisingly Austin didn't even notice you were in the apartment, too focused on his morning cartoons. Your sister does notice you though and points to you. Austin launches himself at you with a squeal of glee. You cuddle him close, squeezing hard until you hear, "Mama.... can't.. breathe." You pull back to notice Austin's eyes are brimmed with tears yet again. "Oh it's okay baby. Mama won't leave again, you're okay." Austin hugs you again, nuzzling into your neck whispering, "Missed you so much!" You put your hand on the back of his head, leaning back a bit to peck his cheek. "I missed you too baby. I was thinking about you all night." You sit with Austin and your sister on the couch. You were prepared for Austin to be clingy for the rest of the day, attached to your hip. Austin climbed into your lap which wasn't an easy task and snuggled into you while you turned your attention to your sister. "Everything went okay?" She nodded, grabbing her shoes. "Yeah, we had some tears and he had a bad dream earlier today but other than that all was good. I'll get outta here and leave you two be. Love you guys." You nodded, carding your hands through the back of Austin's hair as he laid his head on your shoulder as he sat on his lap. "We love you too, say bye Aus." Austin doesn't move from inside your neck as he says, "Bye Aunt Angie." Only caring that his momma was back with him.

After your sister left, you soaked up your baby's cuddles as much as you could. "Do you want a bottle baby?" He nodded but refused to stay back on the couch, he had to be at least holding your hand while you went to the kitchen and made it. Good thing you were used to making bottles one handed.

You settle back on the couch and gesture for Austin to make himself comfy against you before you shake up his bottle and hand it to him. He shakes his head, he wants you to hold it for him, it helps him feel smaller that way. "Oh okay baby, I suppose I can hold it today." He sucks down the yummy bottle, not daring to take his eyes off of you and eventually reaching his hand up and cupping your cheek, tapping his large fingers against your skin. "Yeah I'm right here, love. I'm not going anywhere. You can nap baby, I won't disappear." He nods and finally lets his eyes drift shut

*

My babysitter fic is finally done!! I wanted to post it before I went to bed! I hope you enjoy it. This was just over the span of one night but I may write one where it spans over a week so if you want that let me know <3 Hope you enjoyed! @mooodyblue

[foster-the-world]

Another bad pickup

Ugh. Once again I asked the teacher how he did. "He needs a lot of redirection. He mostly does his own thing." Very monotone. Looks very annoyed but maybe i'm reading into it and/or she's just not a person that smiles. I responded with "hopefully the assessment will provide more support for him." She stares at me with a blank face. "We are open to any suggestions for working with him." No response. Another stare with a blank face. Thinking maybe the time was too busy "We are happy to meet another time to come up with some strategies that could help." Another blank stare. It felt so odd. Why would you not respond one way or another? If its too early for a meeting just tell me that. I know he's a high maintenance kid. I'm trying to help/work together.

This morning was the first time he woke up saying he wants to go back to daycare :(

My husband and I discussed and decided I'm not asking anymore questions. I'm getting zero helpful information. I have no idea if the redirection is super difficult/unmanageable or just a normal part of starting school. She's making it obvious she does not want to talk to me. If he has major problems then I assume we will hear about it.

In total the girls have had 7 teachers at this school. We've 100% loved/adored 6 of them. I thought Bee's prek teacher was a little grumpy but maybe because it was covid times and not a big deal at all. Bee loved her so we were happy. And honestly if the girls had a teacher we weren't a fan of we'd mostly not worry about it (assuming no gross negligence, of course). They do well academically and can handle themselves. Now the time Baby boy really needs a strong teacher I don't have a good feeling. It's day four. Hopefully, I am reading her totally wrong. The Assistant teacher is a sweet granny type whose been with the 4k kids for 15 years - so I'll try talking to her. I'm not asking for a deep dive with an educational assessment. I just want to know if my kid is generally happy or driving everyone nuts.

Reminder to myself to stop the spiral worrying - My kid is happy. My kid runs out of school happy to see me. He gives his sisters bear hugs at drop off and pickup. My kid does not care if his teacher doesn't like him. My kid is safe, loved, and will be well taken care of no matter where he ends up this year.

Last night he passed out at the dinner table at 6:30. Then we had to wake him up this morning. I'm not surprised. He's still a really strong napper. This weekend when we didn't wake him up he took a 3.5 hour nap. They do nap at school but its only an hour. Its a good time to adjust for him.

Still diving into all of the special edu school info. Lots to unpack. So much I'm embarrassed to say I didn't now. NYC is the most racially segregated and the most segregated special ed program in the nation. When there is so much evidence which says both of those things are bad for ALL KIDS!