#you just KNOW they'd insist she call them mom and dad

[whatevertheywant]

You ever think about how the Uplands would have been such good in-laws to elphie????!!!

[lee-laurent]

A Love Like No Other - Quinn Hughes

Summary: faye's whole life gets turned upside down

content: angst, pregnancy, making out, refrences to sex, dirty jokes, fluff, panic attacks, body image issues

wc: 17.8k

notes: i'll make a part 2 if you guys want! this took me ages

"I told you I'm fine, Mom," Faye sighed down the phone, continuing to highlight vocabulary words in her textbook.

"Are you sure? Your dad and I could make a trip to help out. Make sure things are-"

"Mom, you guys don't need to do that," Faye sat back in her chair, pressing her palm against the small but growing bump underneath her very oversized hoodie. It was always like this when her mom called--concern that bordered on suffocation.

"Well that Hughes boy isn't, so we just feel--"

"Quinn is busy, Mom. He's working," Faye gritted her teeth, trying to maintain her composure. It wasn't like Quinn could drop everything and come running every time she needed something. He had his own life...that was over 2,000 miles away.

"You and you're health should be his priority, Faye. It's not just about him anymore." Her mom's voice took on that disappointed edge, the one that always made Faye feel small. "You're carrying his baby and he's playing hockey like nothing has changed."

Faye squeezed her eyes shut, a wave of nausea washing over her and it wasn't entirely from the pregnancy. "I told you, he's helping in his own way. We talk. He's... trying." The words felt flimsy leaving her mouth. Like she was defending him way more than she needed to. Or maybe she was defending herself.

Her mom sighed. "I just want what's best for you, sweepea. Your senior year should be about school, not... this."

And there it was. The disappointment. The subtle reminder of everything Faye was now balancing. Projects, assignments, a baby growing inside her, and parents who could barely look at her the same way since she'd told them. It wasn't how things were supposed to go.

"I know, Mom," Faye sounded exhausted. "I've got it under control. I'm handling it." Even if some days it felt like she was hanging on by a thread.

"Okay. But remember, your dad and I are just a phone call away. If you need anything. Anything at all."

"I know." Faye swallowed back the lump in her throat. "I'll talk to you later, okay? I've got class in a bit."

"Alright, honey. Take care of yourself."

As Faye ended the call, she stared at the phone for a long moment, her thumb hovering over Quinn's name in her contact list. They hadn't talked much lately... not really. It was like there was an invisible wall between them, something neither of them knew how to address. Or maybe they just didn't want to.

She dropped the phone onto her desk and stood up, pushing away the overwhelming feelings of fear and isolation that were creeping in. She had class, a paper due, and a prenatal appointment next week. No time to fall apart.

Now how did Faye get into her current position? Well... it was quite the story.

~~

The early summer air had a way of making everything feel lighter. All anxieties faded into the background as the music thumped through the backyard. Faye hadn't planned on going to the party, but Ethan had insisted, dragging her away for one night relaxation.

She stepped into the crowded house, the smell of cheap beer and sweat hitting her like a wall. She scanned the room for familiar faces, relieved when she spotted a few of the hockey boys gathered around the kitchen table, laughing about something she couldn't hear over the noise.

"Faye!" Luca waved her over, a large smile on his face. "We're playing pong. You in?"

She smiled back, shaking her head. "Maybe later. I'm gonna grab something to drink first." She was already regretting not staying home.

She made her way over to a cooler, but a light tap on her shoulder made her turn around. She was met with a slightly familiar face. Quinn Hughes. She knew him from being friend's with Luke's friends. They'd met once before... maybe twice. She wasn't really sure. But he looked relaxed, a grin tugging at his lips, a beer in his hand.

"Hey, funny seeing you here," he said, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the music.

"Yeah, well, Luke and his friends can be persuasive," Faye replied with a light laugh.

Quinn raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his drink. "You look like you could use something stronger than whatever's in that cooler."

Faye glanced at him, the casual way he leaned against the counter, his presence somehow more noticeable than the dozens of the other people crammed into the house. She bit her lip, weighing her options. It was just a drink at a party. "Maybe you're right," she smiled.

Quinn took her to take a shot with him. Then he went he passed her a cold beer from the fridge, a smile on his face. "They keep the good shit in the fridge."

She hestitated a second, but took it, their fingers brushing briefly in the exchange. "Thanks."

Quinn grabbed himself another beer, popping it open with ease. "So," he said, leaning back against the counter again, eyes on her, "what's a girl like you doing hanging out with a bunch of hockey degenerates?"

Faye laughed, taking a sip of her drink. "Oh, I've got connections," she said, nodding toward the group of guys still crowded around the table. "I'm friend's with your brother's old teammates. You know, the up-and-comers. Met them all first year."

"Up-and-comers, huh?" Quinn smirked. "That makes me feel old."

She raised an eyebrow, her lips turning up into a teasing smile. "You are old. What are you, like 23 now? And still hanging around college parties?"

Quinn let out a low laugh. "I've still got friends here, you know," he said, lifting his beer to his lips. "Besides, I'm not that old."

"Right, you're ancient," she teased. "At least for a college party."

"I'm not out of place. I mean, I can still outdrink everyone here," he leaned in slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. "Think you can keep up?"

"I think I can handle you, Hughes."

"Yeah? I like that."

She chuckled, feeling the lightness in the air between them, the chatter of the party fading into the background as they stood in their own little party. "So, does Vancouver know they've got an alcoholic captain, or is that a secret?"

Quinn put a hand on his chest in mock offence. "Alcoholic? You're really going for it tonight, huh?" He stepped closer, his voice dropping. "Maybe I can prove you wrong."

"Maybe," Faye challenged. She wasn't sure if it was the beer or the way his gaze lingered on hers, but she felt like the whole moment could turn any second. Her usual defences of casual flirting and trying to play it cool, felt harder to maintain with Quinn standing so close.

"You're bold. I like that."

"I try."

"Guess I'll have to step up my game," Quinn said, his eyes flicking down to her lips for just a second. She would've missed it if she blinked. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Faye's pulse raced as Quinn leaned in just enough for their faces to be meer inches apart.

"So," his voice was low and teasing, "are you always this hard to impress, or is just me?"

"Maybe I'm just waiting for you to do something impressive," she tilted her head.

"Alright," he said softly like it was a dare. "Let's see if I can impress you."

Before Faye could respond, Quinn's lips were on hers. The kiss started slow and tentative, but quickly deepened as the spark between them came to life. Faye's heart was racing, her hand reaching out instinctively to steady herself, fingers brushing against his chest. All she could focus on was the heat of Quinn's mouth on hers and the way his hand gently gripped her waist, pulling her closer.

When they broke apart, her breath was short, her pulse still sky-high. Quinn's forehead leaned softly against hers. "Impressed yet?"

"Not bad, Hughes. Not bad."

She glanced around the crowded kitchen, suddenly aware of the fact that they were still in the middle of a party, surrounded by people. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, she looked back at Quinn, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You know," she started, her tone casual but with an unmistakable undertone of suggestion, "my place is just a couple blocks from here."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Faye replied, stepping back. "If you want to... get out of here."

Quinn didn't hesitate, his eyes still locked on her. "Lead the way."

With a smile, Faye took him by the hand, pulling him gently out the back door, the party fading away as they made their way down the street.

Faye walked alongside Quinn, her hand still loosely intertwined with his as they made their way down the quiet street to her apartment. The silence between them wasn't awkward. It was comfortable, a shared anticipation hanging in the air.

Faye fumbled with her keys for a second before getting the door unlocked. She held it open for Quinn, watching as he took in the cozy studio.

"Nice place."

"Thanks," Faye replied, her casual confidence from the party now felt a bit more fragile in her apartment.

He smiled at her, the same easy grin he'd worn all night, and for a second, she wondered if he was feeling just as unsure as she was.

"So... what now?"

Faye smirked, stepping closer. "I think we left off somewhere around here."

She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into another kiss. This was one deeper, hungrier, messier than the one they shared at the party. Neither of them was holding back anymore.

Quinn's hands found a place on her waist, tugging her flush against his body. The soft sounds of their breaths and the rustle of their clothes were the only sound filling the apartment. As the kiss intensified, Faye's hands slid into his hair as he pressed her against the wall. For a moment, she broke the kiss, breathing heavily with her forehead pressed against his.

"You good?" his voice carrying a hint of concern.

She nodded as she leaned in to kiss him again. This time softer and slower, savoring the moment. "I'm good," she whispered against his lips. Quinn smiled into the kiss, and they continued to her bed, the outside world disappearing completely.

~~

Faye lay back against her pillows, the sheets pulled loosely over her chest, her body still warm and buzzing. She glanced at Quinn, who was lying beside her, one arm slung over his eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he caught his breath, his body covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

There was an unspoken understanding between them. It wasn't love. It wasn't anything serious. Just two people enjoying a night that neither of them had planned.

Quinn shifted, lowering his arm and turning his head to look at her, a lazy smile on his face. "So, you impressed yet?"

Faye couldn't help but laugh. "You're really fishing for compliments, huh?" she teased, nudging him with her foot under the blankets.

"Can't blame a guy for trying." He stretched, then slowly sat up, running a hand through his messy hair.

Faye propped herself up on her elbow, watching as he reached down for his jeans. "So... what's the plan now?"

Quinn shrugged, slipping on his jeans and glancing back at her. "I should probably get going," he said, pulling his t-shirt back over his head. "Got some stuff to take care of tomorrow." He looked at her as if he was deciding to say something else or not. But he decided against it.

Faye nodded, not feeling any kind of disappointment. It was exactly what she'd expected. "Yeah, makes sense," she pulled the sheets tighter around herself. "I've got summer class work to do anyway."

There was no need for goodbyes or long explanations. It had been fun, casual, uncomplicated. Just how it was supposed to be.

Quinn finished lacing his shoes and glanced back at her. "This was... cool."

"Yeah, it was. No strings, right?"

"No strings," he echoed, moving toward the door, hesitating just for a second before opening it. "Take care of yourself, Faye."

"You too, Hughes." The door softly clicked shut behind him.

Faye lay back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling, her mind clear. It had been a fun night--nothing more, nothing less.

~~

Faye sat at the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the white stick in her hands. Two pink lines.

She blinked, her mind desperately trying to catch up with what her eyes were seeing. Two lines. Not one. Two. Her stomach churned as the realization slowly set in, sending her world into a spin.

It couldn't be real.

She stood up suddenly, dropping the test on the floor like it had burned her hands. Her hands shook, and she pressed them to her face, trying to breathe, to calm the panic that was rising in her chest. It wasn't possible. She'd been careful. Mostly.

The memory of the night with Quinn flashed through her mind, quick and very much uninvited. The way they had laughed, kissed, fallen into bed with that easy, casual energy, no strings attached. And no condom either.

That night had been something she was supposed to leave behind. But now she couldn't.

Her phone buzzed on her nightstand, filling the silence of her room. Faye glanced at it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw her mom's name on the screen.

"Hey, Mom."

"Faye, sweetie! Just checking in. How's everything going? Classes good?" Her mom's voice was warm and cheerful, completely oblivious to what was storming in her daughter's head.

"Yeah, uh, everything's fine," Faye replied, her voice cracking slightly. She cleared her throat, trying to steady herself. "Just... busy, you know. Summer classes and all that."

"Well, I'm sure you're managing fine, like always." Her mom's voice was full of pride, but it only made Faye feel worse. If she knew... if she knew about this...

"Yeah." Her eyes darted back to the test lying on her bed. Those two pink lines taunting her, screaming at her that nothing was fine. "I'm managing."

She had to tell someone. Eventually. But not now. Not yet. Not when she had barely processed it herself. How could she explain it to her parents? To her friends? Hell, how was she going to tell Quinn?

Quinn.

Her heart dropped into her stomach at the thought of telling him. She barely knew him.

Her mom's voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. "Faye? Sweetie, are you sure you're okay? You sound... off."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied. "Just tired. I'll call you later, okay?"

There was a brief pause, but thankfully, her mom didn't press further. "Okay, honey. Just take care of youself. And remember if you need anything--"

"I know. Thanks, Mom. I'll talk to you later."

She dropped the phone on the bed and buried her face in her hands. She felt like she was suffocating. Her breath came in shallow gasps, and she fought to calm down, to push away the fear that was eating her whole.

Why was this happening? What was she going to do? How could she do senior year with a baby on the way? How was she going to tell her parents? And Quinn... what would she even say?

She had to think clearly. Step by step. She wasn't ready to tell anyone yet--not her parents, not her friends, not Quinn. But she had to talk to him. He deserved to know. No matter what she decided, he needed to be a part of this conversation.

But how?

They hadn't exactly exchanged numbers that night. Faye knew she could probably get his contact info from Luke's friends--Ethan or Luca--but how was she supposed to ask for his question without raising questions? She didn't want anyone knowing the reason why. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Her eyes flickered to the pregnancy test on the floor, the two lines staring back at her, a reminder of the secret she was now carrying alone.

~~

Faye tapped her fingers against her phone screen, staring at the group chat she had with some of the hockey guys she'd gotten close to over the years. She had to figure out how to word her request without making it obvious.

Hey, can I get Quinn's number? Totally normal, right?

She sighed, locking her phone and tossing it beside her. No matter how she phrased it, they'd ask questions. They'd want to know why she needed Quinn's number when she barely knew him. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to guess what was going on before she ahad the chance to figure it out herself.

There was no avoiding it. She had to talk to Quinn.

Her fingers flew over her keyboard before she could second-guess herself.

Faye: hey, does anyone have quinn's number? need to ask him something abt the canucks for a summer class project

Her heart raced as soon as she hit send, the lie hanging in the air. It wasn't a complete stretch--she was in communications, after all--but she felt a pang of guilt lying to her friends. Hopefully, they'd just let it go. No questions. No suspicion.

A few seconds later, her phone buzzed. It was Ethan.

Ethan: You need it for a project? That's kinda random, Faye. You good?

Of course he'd ask questions.

Faye: yeah, it's for a case study thing about sports teams. i figured since i knew some of you guys, i could reach out to a player i've actually met instead of just cold-calling some rando

Ethan: Makes sense, I guess. Hang on, I'll ask Lukey boy for it

At least he seemed to be buying her story now. She stared at her phone, her nerves making it feel like ages before he responded.

Ethan: Here you go. Don't tell Quinn I gave it to you for a project tho. He'll probs think it's weird lol

Followed by Quinn's number.

She copied his number and created a new contact. Staring at his name on her screen felt like she was a step closer to the edge of something terrifying and unknown. She couldn't just sit on it. She had to text him.

But what could she say? "Hey remember me? We hooked up, and oh, by the way, I'm pregnant"? It was ridiculous, but she had to start somewhere.

Faye: hey, it's faye. we met at the hockey house like a month and a half ago. can we talk?

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the screen, waiting for the three little dots to appear. But they didn't. A few minutes passed. Nothing.

Maybe he was busy. Or maybe he didn't even remember her. Either way, she'd have to figure out something soon. She couldn't just not think about this. She had to handle it.

But all she could do for the time being was wait.

~~

Quinn had just gotten back from training with Jack and Luke at a gym near their home in Michigan. All he wanted to do was crash on the couch, maybe play a round of 'chel with his brothers or scroll through his phone before taking a long nap. The grind was constant during the offseason, but he liked to be busy.

He slumped onto the couch, grabbing his phone to check if he'd missed anything during his practice session. That's when he noticed a text from a number he didn't have saved.

Faye? He had to think about it for a second before it clicked. She was an acquaintance of Luke's, someone he'd hooked up with at that party he went to at Umich. He hadn't really thought about it much since then--it had been a one-night stand. Just one night of fun.

But the way her message was phrased didn't seem like a casual "what's up" kinda text. Something about it felt off. So, he replied quickly.

Quinn: Yeah, I remember. What's up?

Faye: can we talk? it's kinda important

Important? His heart raced. She hadn't been weird that night. They'd both agreed it was just a one and done kinda deal. Maybe she needed something. Maybe it was something about Luke, or-- No, it was probably nothing.

Quinn: Sure, what's going on?

Faye: i don't really wanna do this over text. can i call you?

He sat up the straighter on the couch, his heart beating faster. This wasn't normal. Faye didn't sound like she was asking for a favour. His fingers hovered over the screen, before he typed back his response, thinking of the best wording.

Quinn: Yeah, I can talk. Gimme a sec. I'll call you

He headed up to his room, closing the door. He assumed it wasn't a conversation he wanted to have in the living room where his brothers and parents could hear. His gut told him that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good. Maybe she had crabs or something. He tapped the call button, and after a few rings, Faye picked up.

"Hey."

"Hey." Her voice sounded different. Shaky, like she was trying to keep herself together.

"So... what's going on?" he asked, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, waiting for her to speak.

There was a long pause on the other end, and he was considering checking to see if the line had dropped.

"I... I don't really know how to say this," Faye said finally, her voice faltering. "But I'm just going to say it."

He could practically hear her breathing heavily on the other end. He waited, his nerves eating him alive.

"I'm pregnant."

For a second, he didn't move, didn't say anything. His brain was still trying to process what he'd just heard. Pregnant? Did she just say she was... no, surely he just heard wrong.

"What?" his mind was struggling to keep up. "What did you say?"

"I'm pregnant, Quinn." Her voice was steadier, though she still sounded just as scared as he felt. "And it's yours."

Quinn's thoughts raced, spinning out of control. He plus thundered in his ear, drowning out anything else she was saying. How? How could this be happening? They'd only hooked up once. They'd been... no they hadn't. Shit. Once was all it took.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Quinn? Are you still there?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here." His voice sounded far away, even to himself.

Pregnant?

"Are you sure?" The question slipped out before he could stop himself, and he winced as soon as the words left his mouth. Of course, she's sure.

"I took two tests, but I, uh, I'll schedule an appointment with the campus clinic. I... I just found out today."

"Holy shit," he muttered under his breath. This was... a lot. He ran his hand through his hair again, pulling at the roots. He hadn't spoken to Faye since that night. And she was pregnant? With his baby?

"Yeah."

Neither of them really knew what to say. Quinn's brain was flipping through every possible scenario. His hockey career, his family, his entire future. Everything was crashing down on him at once.

"So what now?" he finally asked.

"I don't know," Faye admitted. "I'm still processing it, honestly. I haven't told anyone yet... you're the first."

The thought of being the first person she had told, hit him harder than he could have expected. He swallowed hard, a sense of responsibility creeping in even through the shock. He might not know Faye well, but it wasn't just about him anymore.

She's pregnant with his baby. His.

"I'm keeping it... I think. Like I know this is a lot, but I'm going to keep the baby."

He knew what he had to say next, even if he didn't fully understand it yet.

"I'll be there," he said suddenly, even catching himself off guard. "I mean... I'll help however I can. I'll be there for you. For the baby."

Faye was quiet for a moment, and Quinn was worried that he'd said the wrong thing.He barely knew her. How could he promise something like that? But the thought of leaving her all alone to deal with this felt wrong. Even if they weren't together, it was his responsibility too.

"You don't have to say that. I'm not asking for anything."

"No, I mean it. I'll be there. I don't know how, but... I'll, uh, figure it out." He rubbed the back of his neck, the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders.

"I appreciate that," she replied softly. "I know this is... a lot. I didn't mean to just spring it on you like this, but I didn't really know what else to do."

"It's okay," Quinn lied. "I'm glad you told me."

There was another long pause, the air between them feeling more and more awkward. This was just the beginning of a conversation that was going to change everything for them.

"So, I guess... we'll figure this out?" Quinn said, trying to make it sound like he had some clue of what came next.

"Yeah. We figure this out."

He stared at his phone long after the call ended, his thumb still hovering over the screen like he might call her back, as if there was more he could say.

I'm pregnant. And it's yours.

He leaned back against his headboard, eyes unfocused, staring at nothing in particular. How had his life changed so quickly? One minute he was gearing up for summer training, focusing on hockey, and the next... he was going to be a father.

Father. The word made his stomach churn. He wasn't ready for that. Hell, he could barely manage taking care of himself, let alone another tiny human. How was he supposed to do this?

Nothing made sense. They hadn't spoken since that night. Just some stupid drunken hookup. He believed her when she said it was. But there was a part of him, a part of him that felt like a dick to say it, but what if it was another guy's. Was she 100% sure it was his? What if she asked for paternity test? No, that was too far. Way too far.

His phone buzzed. But it was a group text from Jack, something about dinner in a bit. He couldn't deal with that right now. He wasn't ready to face his brothers, or anyone for that matter. What would he even say. What could he even say?

Hey, guys, by the way, I just found out I'm going to be a dad.

He stood up abruptly, pacing his bedroom. What would his parents say? What would Luke say when he found out it was Faye? What about his team? Could this mess up his career? It was only his second season of captaincy. He couldn't take a break to look after a pregnant college student.

He stopped, standing in front of his dresser, his hands gripping the edge of the wood. He stared at his reflection in the mirror and he barely recognized himself. His face was pale, his hair a mess, his eyes wide with panic.

I'm going to be a dad. The thought sent a new wave of anxiety crashing over him. He didn't know the first thing about babies or fatherhood. He hadn't planned for this. He wasn't ready for this. But it didn't matter anymore. Faye was already pregnant.

Quinn's phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Faye.

thanks for taking my call. i know it was a lot. but we will figure this out

Figure it out. Easier said than done. His first instinct was to respond, to say something reassuring. But what? The words just didn't come. He didn't want to lie to her. He wasn't even sure he knew how to be the person that she needed.

He didn't respond. Unable to deal with it then. He needed time. Time to think. Time to process. Time to figure out how he was gonna make this work.

He sat back on his bed, his legs bouncing. He thought about his parents. How disappointed they'd be, how they'd probably give him the "we're here for you, but you messed up" speech. He thought about Faye, about how scared she must be, and how, despite everything, she'd told him first. Not her friends. Not her family. Him.

That alone felt like some sort of strange responsibility. She could ever kept it to herself, could have avoided telling him until much later, but she hadn't. Now he was all in. Whether he was ready or not.

Saying that he'd be there for her and the baby was easy in the moment. But now he wasn't so sure. Could he be a dad while balancing everything else in his life?

He needed to talk to someone. Jack? Luke? No, not yet. He wasn't ready for that conversation. He couldn't handle their reactions, not while he was still freaking out. His phone buzzed again, a call this time. From Jack. He didn't answer, instead placing his phone under his pillow. He let out a few long, shaky breaths.

For now, all he could do was wrap his head around it. He had made a promise to Faye, and no matter how scared he was, he couldn't back out of it now. But what came next? He had no idea.

~~

Faye stared at the stack of textbooks on her desk, the words blurring together as she rubbed her eyes. It had only been a couple weeks since the semester had started, but she already felt like she was drowning. Her professors had no idea what she was going through, and she wasn't exactly in a rush to tell them. The fewer people that knew, the better.

She rested her hand lightly on her stomach, feeling the slight curve under her shirt. If anything it looked like she was very, slightly bloated. It wasn't very obvious. Three months. It was still early, but she could feel the changes. The nausea, the exhaustion, how she felt like napping after walking 15 minutes to class. How was she supposed to handle this? Classes, assignments, the baby? It was all too much.

Her phone buzzed on her desk with a message from Quinn.

How're you feeling? Everything good?

Quinn had been checking in regularly since she'd told him, but their conversations were brief. Surface-level. He was busy with training camp and preseason stuff in Vancouver, and she was busy trying to keep her head above water in Michigan. They lived in two differernt worlds, and no matter how many times he texted, the distance between them felt impossible to bridge.

Faye: tired. got a ton of work. but i'm good

She typed the words quickly, not wanting to burden him with how she was actually feeling. What was the point? He had his own life, his own career to focus on. Besides, she had immediate problems... like how she was going to tell her parents. They knew something was off. They'd been calling more often, asking questions, but she kept brushing them off, making excuses. She wasn't ready to face their disappointment. Not yet.

There was a knock at her door. Her friend and neighbour, Casey, peeked her head in. "Hey, you okay? You've been quiet lately."

"Yeah, just tired. I have a ton of work to do."

"You sure? You've been looking... kinda pale lately."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just stressed, Cas."

"Okay, well, I'm just down the hall if you need anything."

Faye exhaled slowly as her friend left, her fingers brushing her stomach. Soon, more people would start asking questions, and she wasn't ready with answers.

~~

Quinn scrolled through his phone, staring at Faye's message. "tired. got a ton of work. but i'm good." He frowned, feeling the distance betwen them more and more everyday. He'd been checking in, but their conversations were always short. It wasn't enough. But how could it be when he was over 2,000 miles away?

Training camp had just started, and the pressure was already mounting. It was his second year as captain, and everyone had expectations--his coaches, his teammates, his friends, his family. There was barely time to breathe, let along figure out fatherhood.

He didn't know how to be there for Faye. Every time he texted, he just felt like he was checking off a box. He really did want to do more, but how? He was stuck there and there wasn't room for distractions.

But Faye wasn't a distraction. She was... something else.

His phone buzzed again. This time with a message from Petey.

Dinner in 10?

Quinn sighed, pushing himself off the couch. He didn't feel like going out, but avoiding his friends wasn't going to solve anything. He needed to keep his head straight. Focus. But even as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, his mind stayed on Faye.

~~

The phone call from her mom came earlier than expected.

"Faye," her mom's voice was laced with concern. "Honey, are you okay? You've been so distant lately. Your dad and I are worried."

She'd been dodging this conversation for weeks, but there was no avoiding it now. Her parents knew something was wrong, and she couldn't keep hiding.

"I'm fine, Mom." Her voice cracked, and she knew her mom had picked up on it.

"You don't sound fine, sweetpea. Is something going on? School? Your health? Please talk to me."

Faye closed her eyes, there was no easy way to do this. "Mom, there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay. Go ahead."

"I'm... I'm pregnant."

The silence on the other end was deafening. Her mom didn't say anything for what felt like forever, and when she finally spoke, her voice was tight. "What? Faye, what are you talking about?"

"I'm pregnant," Faye repeated. "I just... I didn't know how to tell you."

"With who, Faye? Who's the father?"

Faye hesitated, her heart racing. "Quinn."

"Your friend Luke's brother? The hockey player?" She sounded shocked.

"Yes."

Her mom's voice hardened. "Faye, how could let this happen? How could you throw your future away like this?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen. It just... did."

"But now you're stuck," her mom snapped. "This boy has completely derailed your life. Your senior year, your future--all of it, gone! Poof! What is he going to do about it, huh? Keep playing hockey like nothing happened?"

Faye bit her lip, holding back her tears. "He's trying to help. He's... he's going to be there."

"Be there?" her mom scoffed. "How? He's in Vancouver, Faye? You think he's going to stop everything and come running every time you need him? You're fooling yourself."

"I'm handling it, Mom. I'm figuring it out."

"You shouldn't have to figure this out. He should be stepping up, Faye. You deserve better than this."

Faye couldn't say anything. Her mom was angry, but more than that, she was disappointed. And that was the worst part. No matter how much Faye wanted to believe she could handle this on her own, the reality of it was that she knew she couldn't.

The call came late that night, after Quinn had had dinner with Brock and Petey. He'd just gotten home when his phone buzzed with a call from Faye.

"I told my parents."

Quinn sat down, his heart racing. "How'd they take it?"

"They're pissed. They think you've ruined my life. My mom... she think I'm throwing my future away."

Guilt settled in Quinn's stomach. "Faye, I'm sorry. I didn't--"

"I know you didn't mean for this to happen. But I'm the one who has to deal with them. You're not here."

The words stung, even though he knew they weren't meant to hurt. Faye was right. He was in Vancouver, while she was stuck dealing with things on her own.

"I'm trying, Faye. I want to help. I just... don't know how."

"I know. But it's hard. And I'm scared."

Her voice cracked at the end and Quinn felt his heart break. He hated that she going through it all alone, but he didn't know what to do to help.

"We'll figure it out, okay?"

"Yeah."

But the words felt hollow. Like she'd given up on him being there. And Quinn knew that "figuring it out" was going to be a lot harder than either of them realized.

~~

It was mid-term season and campus somehow seemed quieter. The October air had settled, bringing out heavier coats and the crunch of fall leaves. Faye at her desk, trying to focus on her computer, but all she could think about was how tight her jeans felt that morning.

She had switched to only wearing oversized sweaters and hoodies to hide her growing bump. The baby had started to feel more real over the last few days. Her morning sickness had faded for the most part, but now her back had a constant ache. She was falling behind on assignments, skipping study sessions, and avoiding her friends. She couldn't keep pretending everything was normal. Her mom had been encouraging her to go to student services and tell them about her situation. Apparently the school was supposed to help pregnant students and students with children.

Quinn: You okay? Haven't heard from you in four days

It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Quinn--it was just that every time they texted, she felt like she was letting him down by not being stronger, by not being more put together. He was busy with hockey and she was trying not to let her life fall apart all the time.

Faye: yeah, just busy with school. midterms

It was mostly the truth, she was drowning in schoolwork but most of it was that her body was changing faster than she could keep up with. She'd gone up two entire bra cup sizes in a month and new ones were not cheap. But she felt like that was a weird detail to drop on Quinn. Her mom said it wasn't, since he was the father of her child, but Faye disagreed.

She felt more isolated than ever, and she felt that that feeling would just get worse the further along she was. She needed to tell her friends still and it was just a matter of time until someone noticed something was up.

~~

Faye had been invited to the hockey house for a movie night. If she said no they'd definitely know something was up, because she never missed a movie night with the guys. Bowls of popcorn and beers were spread out across the coffee table, and the TV blasted with some shit horror movie they'd found.

Faye had a watter bottle in her hand, keeping it close to her chest, hoping nobody would notice she wasn't drinking. But she could feel their eyes on her already. It wasn't the first time she'd skipped drinking during their hangouts, but the guys didn't want her to think they were peer pressuring her.

"Hey, Faye," Dylan called out. "What's with the water? You've been off booze for weeks."

She glanced at him, then quickly at the others, who were all staring and waiting for an explanation.

"I just... haven't felt like drinking."

But Ethan shook his head, setting down his beer. "Come on, Faye. You haven't felt like drinking since the summer. That's not the Faye we know and love."

"You've been distant. Is something going on?" Mark added.

Time to come clean. She took a deep breath, setting her water bottle down on the table. "I... I need to tell you guys something."

"What is it, Faye?"

She looked down at her hands, lifting up the bottom of her sweater. Her heart pounded in her chest. "I'm pregnant."

"Wait... what?" Dylan asked, blinking in shock. "You're pregnant."

"Yeah. I'm almost four months."

"Four months? Did you get with someone at the party? Last person I saw you talking with was..."

"It's Quinn's?"

"Yeah. It's Quinn's."

"Holy shit, Faye. That's... wow."

"I know," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I didn't know how to tell you guys. I didn't want you to look at me differently."

"Faye, we're your friends. We're here to help you, support you. Not to judge you. You don't need to go through this alone."

"Thanks, guys. I, uh, I'm not fully alone. My parents know. And Quinn. He's... trying to be supportive."

"Does Luke know?"

"Not if Quinn didn't tell him. Luke and I don't really talk that much."

The looks of concern on their faces, the way they were all pitying her made her stomach hurt. She hated it. She didn't want people to be sorry for her. She just wanted everyone to act like things were normal, even thought things would never be the same.

"I need some air," she sighed, grabbing her jacket.

~~

Luke was laying on the couch, scrolling through his phone when he saw a text from Ethan come through.

Ethan: Hey man, Faye just told the group she's pregnant. It's Quinn's apparently. Didn't know they were seeing each other ngl

Luke blinked, rereading the text a few times to make sure he read it correctly. Faye was pregnant? And Quinn was the dad? Quinn hadn't told him he was going to be a dad, let alone that he was seeing Faye.

Luke: You serious? Quinn never said anything???

Ethan: Yeah, dude. She's almost four months along. She showed us the bump. Seemed legit

Without thinking he pulled up Quinn's contact, shooting him a message.

Luke: What the hell man? Why didn't you tell me that you're seeing Faye and that she's pregnant???

Quinn’s stomach dropped as he stared at Luke’s text. His chest tightened with guilt--a guilt he had been pushing to the side for weeks. He hadn’t told Luke, hadn’t told his parents. Hell, he hadn’t even processed it himself. But the truth was out now, and the window to figure things out on his own was gone. He decided to call Luke, instead of texting about it.

"Hey."

"Hey? That's all you have to say after I just found out you're dating one of my college friends and she's pregnant?"

"We... we're not dating. We hooked up at that party the hockey guys threw. Look, I know I should've told you. I just... yeah."

"How about starting with the fucking truth?" Luke scoffed. "You haven't told you family? You can't keep that kinda shit from us."

"I know. I'm going to tell everyone. I just... had to figure shit out with Faye first."

"Next family FaceTime. You should tell everyone. Mom and Dad will help out... probably."

Luke was right. Secret was out and if he didn't tell the family soon, someone else would. He had to tell them sooner rather than later.

~~

Quinn sat in front of his laptop, staring blankly at the screen. His family's faces were staring back at him through the familiar layout of their family FaceTime session. Jim and Ellen in one square, Jack and Luke in another. He hadn't added much to the conversation yet, just letting out a couple half-hearted laughs when someone cracked a joke.

Luke had been on his case all week. Ever since the news had been handed to Luke through his friends, Quinn had felt like his walls were closing in on him. He wondered if that's how Faye felt too.

Ellen was in the middle of asking Jack and Luke about their latest game when Quinn cleared his throat. "Hey, guys," his voice was much more strained than he'd planned. "There's something I need to tell you guys."

Jim raised an eyebrow. "What's up, Quinn?"

He had rehearsed this a hundred times in his head, but the words were stuck in his throat now that he had to say it out loud. He glanced at Luke, who just gave me a slight nod.

"I, um... I'm going to be a dad."

Ellen blinked, her smile faltering. "Wait... what?"

"I... Faye, one of Luke's friends from Umich, she's pregnant. I'm the dad."

Jack was the first to react, his eyes wide. "Holy shit, Quinn. You serious?"

"Yeah. She's almost four months."

Ellen pressed a hand to her chest. "Oh my god, Quinn. Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I didn't know how. I've been trying to figure things out with Faye, but... it's been really hard."

"Quinn, this is big. Have you thought about how you're going to handle this and your career?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, I'm still working through it all. Faye's in Michigan and I'm here, so... I'm just trying to be supportive."

"Oh, sweetheart. We'll help however we can. I wish you would've come to us sooner. You don't have to go through this alone. And neither does Faye. We'd be more than happy to help her out."

Quinn nodded, appreciating his mom's comforting words. He hadn't figured out how he was going to balance everything--hockey, the pregnancy, his future with Faye and the baby--but at least his family knew now.

"You did the right thing, Quinn," Luke nodded.

~~

Faye stood in front of the mirror, smoothering her hands over her flowly tank top. She had agreed to a girls' night out after they'd all finished their midterms, and she was really planning on making it through the night without raising any suspicions. Her friends, Casey and Sarah, were already getting ready, throwing clothes around her apartment and laughing.

Faye had told them she wasn't going to drink because alcohol made her stomach hurt--which wasn't technically a lie. But it also wasn't the whole truth. She was trying to pull her favourite pair of jeans on, only realizing that they didn't button up.

She stared down at the small gap between the button and the buttonhole, her hands trembling. That was it. None of her jeans fit anymore.

"Faye, you almost ready?" Sarah called from the bathroom, sticking her head out as she did her hair. "We're running late!"

"Yeah. Just... gimme a minute."

She stood there, her hands still on the waistband of her jeans. Casey walked over, her eyes scanning Faye's reflection in the mirror. "Did you like... get a boob job or something?" she asked, half-joking. "You look different."

Faye wanted to brush it off with a laugh and make up a lie, but when she glanced at her reflection all she wanted to do was cry. Her body was changing too much, everyone would notice soon.

"I, um..." she bit her lip, her hands falling from her jeans. "No, I didn't get a boob job."

Casey frowned, picking up on Faye's seriousness. "What's going on? You've been acting so weird recently."

Faye exhaled slowly, her eyes stinging with tears she'd been holding back for weeks. She turned to face Casey, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm pregnant."

Casey's eyes went wide, and Sarah, who had just stepped out of the bathroom, froze, her mouth falling open.

"You're... pregnant?"

"Yeah. Four months."

Sarah walked closer, the initial shock wearing off. "Faye, why didn't you tell us? You've been dealing with this all by yourself?"

"I'm just really tired of people seeing my differently. I wanted some normalcy."

"We're not going to look at you differently. You're our friend."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Faye. You're not going through this alone."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I didn't know what to say. Everything's been... changing so fast."

Sarah smiled, giving her a hug. "We're here, okay? Whatever you need."

Casey grinned, her usual humour shining through. "Besides, you look pretty damn good for a mom-to-be. I mean, your tits look fucking amazing."

Faye laughed through the tears. "Thanks, I guess. But they hurt like hell all the time."

"Now, come on. Let's go out! Even if you're not drinking, you deserve a night out."

Faye nodded, digging through her drawers to find a pair of pants that fit and went with her outfit. At least she wasn't hiding from her friends anymore.

~~

The ticking of the clock and the rerun episode of something on HGTV filled the waiting room as Faye sat in an uncomfortable, plastic chair. Her 16-week appointment. She had been dreading this one for some reason, even though she knew it was supposed to be one of the more exciting ones.

It wasn't that she wasn't excited to hear the baby's heartbeat--she was. But there was something about all the changes she was facing that made her uneasy. She had been feeling more emotional lately, the hormones sending her on a rollercoaster ride. And her body? That was a whole other issue.

None of her pants, except for stretch-band waisted ones, fit. Her skin was breaking out like she was in high school again, and the weight gain was starting to show in more than just her belly. It was making her self-conscious in a way she'd never been before. She knew it was all part of journey, but it didn't make it any easier.

"Faye Brooks?"

The nurse's voice pulled her out of her head, and Faye stood up, wiping her sweaty palms on her leggings as she followed the woman into the exam room.

"Let's get you weighed," the nurse said cheerfully, like it was no big deal.

Faye stepped on the scale, trying to avoid looking at the number that popped up, but the nurse read it out anyway. "Looks like you've gained about eight pounds since your last appointment. That's good--right on track."

Eight pounds. Her stomach churned. She knew that gaining weight was inevitable, but hearing the actual number sucked ass. She stepped down, forcing a smile. "Right."

The nurse led her to a small room, where she lay back on the table, her shirt pulled up over her belly. The bump was more prominent, although she could probably still get away with saying she was extremely bloated. The nurse prepared the ultrasound equipment and Faye tried to calm her nerves. This was supposed to be a happy moment. She was going to hear her baby's heartbeat for the first time.

The gel toucher her skin, and she shivered. She closed her eyes, waiting for the sound, the moment that would make things even more real... if that was possible.

And then it happened.

The steady, rhythmic thump, thump, thump filled the room, and she swore her heart stopped. The baby. Her baby. It was real. She blinked back tears, unable to stop the happiness that surged through her.

"That's your baby's heartbeat. Nice and strong."

Faye smiled through the tears. For the first time in weeks, the stress of school faded away. The pimples, the weight gain, the cravings--they didn't matter. All that mattered was that her baby was healthy.

"Would you like some ultrasound photos to take home?" the nurse asked.

Faye nodded quickly. "Yes, please."

She couldn't wait to send the little black-and-white photos to Quinn. He wasn't there, and that still made her heart ache, but at least he could see the baby in the photos. She grabbed her phone as soon as the nurse handed the pictures to her.

Faye: just heard the heartbeat for the first time. sending you the photos :)

~~

Quinn was in the middle of a film session with the team when his phone buzzed. He normally ignored texts during meetings, but when he saw it was Faye, he felt that he had to answer. He quickly checked the message, his breath catching when he saw the words: just heard the heartbeat for the first time

Attached were three ultrasound photos. His baby. He stared at them for a couple minutes, barely listening to the meeting anymore. He hadn't been there with her, but seeing the phots made everything feel a bit better.

Quinn: Wow. That's amazing, Faye! Wish I could've been there

God, he wished he could be there.

~~

Faye left the clinic with the photos tucked in her backpack. She felt so much joy hearing her baby's heartbeat, relief that everything was going well, but also frustration with everything happening to her body.

Her cravings had gotten stranger--pickles with vanilla ice cream, enough strawberries to feed a small town, peanut butter on everything--and her emotions were all over the place. Some days, she felt like crying over nothing. Other days, she was just restless. Her sex drive had skyrocketed, which was great since she wasn't seeing anyone and Quinn was in fucking Vancouver.

It sucked. She wasn't about to start dating while pregnant, but the hormones had her feeling much more needy than she was comfortable with. She tried to push those kind of thoughts aside, but when she was laying in bed at night, she couldn't help but wish Quinn was there with her.

That night, she stood in front of her bathroom mirror, staring at herself. She tugged at her shirt, trying to flatten it over her belly, sucking in as much as she could. But even when she sucked in, she wasn't as thin as she was pre-pregnancy. Her skin was breaking out, a cluster of pimples along her hairline and on her chin. Her hips were wider, her thighs thicker, and her favourite clothes didn't fit the way they used to.

She felt... ugly.

Her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a reply from Quinn. He'd asked for a 'bump-date.'

Quinn: You look beautiful. I know this is hard, but you're amazing. Can't wait to meet our baby

Quinn always knew how to say the right thing, but it didn't make the insecurities go away. She was grateful for his support, but it wasn't enough to make her feel better about the changes happening to her body. She was supposed to feel strong and capable, but she felt was out of control.

She sighed, placing a hand on her bump. "We've got a long way to go," she whispered to the baby. "But I'm doing this for you."

~~

Faye sat at the back of the lecture hall, her arms folded over her stomach. It was the same spot she always sat in, tucked away in the corner where fewer people could see her. But even when she tried to disappear, she couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was staring at her.

With her belly starting to show more and more, and her face breaking out into what felt like a million pimples, she felt like a different person. She no longer looked like herself. Every time she caught her reflection in a window or glanced down at her swollen feet, she wondered where the old Faye had gone. The Faye that felt comfortable wearing the shortest mini skirt and tank top to a party.

She tugged at the hem of her Wolverines hoodie, trying to cover her stomach more. People were definitely noticing. She could feel their eyes on her when she walked through campus, feel their whispers following her as she sat down in class or waited in line at the coffee shop.

It wasn't just that she was pregnant. It was that she was pregnant, in college, and very much not in a relationship. Every time she passed a group of students, she imagined what they were thinking. Is she a single mom? Did the dad ditch her? What's her story? She hated it.

By the time class ended, Faye felt like she was suffocating. She gathered her things quickly, keeping her head down as she hurried out of the lecture hall. She was halfway home when her phone buzzed.

Sarah: girls night at my place tonight! you in?

Normally, she loved hanging out with her girlfriends, but lately, she'd been so tired, so emotional, that the idea of socializing just felt exhausting. But she also didn't want to push her friends away. They were one of the few things keeping her grounded.

Faye: yeah, i'll come by

At least she had friends. They didn't look at her with pity or judgement--at least, not in the way that she imagined other people did. They just supported her. And that's all she needed.

~~

Sarah's apartment was warm and inviting, the smell of freshly baked cookies filling the air as Faye stepped inside. She shrugged off her coat, glancing at her friends already lounging on the couch with wine glasses in hand.

"Hey, girl!" Casey waved her over. "We saved you a seat!"

Faye smiled, making her way to the couch. She was grateful for the normalcy her friends provided. She sat down, tucking her legs under herself, and reached for the glass of water Sarah had already set out for her. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to her.

"So," Sarah smiled. "Tell us what's new. How're you feeling?"

She wasn't sure how honest she wanted to be? How was she feeling? She felt like shit. Her body wasn't her own anymore between all her side effects, but she didn't want to bring the mood down.

"I'm... okay. Tired. Hungry all the time. You know, the usual."

Casey raised an eyebrow. "Girl, you've been looking tired. No offence, but your skin's been freaking out lately. Did you change your skincare routine or something?"

Faye bit her lip, trying to push her self-conscious thoughts aside. "Yeah, it's the hormones. I can't seem to keep up."

"That sucks, but you still look amazing."

She was trying to stay positive, but the truth was, she'd never felt more disconnected from herself. This wasn't her. The Faye she knew wasn't tired, overly emotional, or super uncomfortable in her own body. And the worst part? She had no idea when--or if--she's ever feel like herself again.

~~

Quinn stared at the ultrasound photos on his phone again, a grin tugging at his lips. He had saved the images Faye had sent him and found himself looking at them whenever he had a quiet moment.

The baby. His baby. It still felt surreal at times, but whenever he looked at the black-and-white photos, a wave of excitement washed over him. This was real. The tiny little being in those pictures was growing inside Faye, and even thousands of miles away, he felt connected to it.

He scrolled through the photos one more time before pulling up the family group chat. He hesitated for a second, then decided it was time. His family had been asking about the baby since he told them, and now he actually had something to share.

Quinn: Hey guys, just got some ultrasound pics from Faye. Meet baby Hughes :)

He attached the photos and leaned back on the couch, waiting for the answers to come through. And it didn't take long.

Jack: Holy shit! That's so cool!

Mom: Oh, Quinn, that's amazing! Look at that little face! I can't wait to meet them

Dad: Proud of you, Quinn. Keep us updated

Warmth spread through Quinn's chest as he read their responses. Even though he wasn't physically with Faye, sharing those moments with his parents made him feel like he was more of a part of the journey. It made him feel less alone.

He sent Faye a quick text.

Quinn: Shared the ultrasounds pics with the fam. They're all super excited. How're you feeling?

He knew she was struggling, but every time he asked, she shrugged him off. He was trying his best. He was falling more in love with the idea of being a dad every day. He still had to figure out how to be there for Faye though.

Faye: i'm... okay. just feeling kind of off ngl. don't really feel like myself anymore

Quinn: I get it. But you're doing amazing, Faye. You're strong, even if you don't feel like it. Wish I could be there

She appreciated the support, but right now, no amount of reassurance was going to make her feel like herself again.

~~

It was late, and Faye was curled up on the couch, flipping absentmindedly though a textbook she wasn't really planning on reading. She felt like she hadn't had a moment to relax recently. She sighed, shifting uncomfortably. He back had been aching all day, and felt an unfamiliar tightness in her lower belly.

She placed a hand on her stomach, furrowing her brow. The sensation wasn't painful exactly, but it felt... strange. A dull pressure that came in waves. She tried to brush it off, assuming it was just another pregnancy symptom she wasn't familiar with. But the tightness came again, stronger this time, making her sit up straight.

Something didn't feel right.

The pressure intensified again, her belly growing hard under her hand. Panic surged through her. This wasn't normal. It couldn't be normal. Was she going into labour? The baby wasn't due for months--she was only 20 weeks along.

Another wave of tightness hit her, and this time it was even more painful. She grabbed her phone, hands trembling as she dialed Quinn's number.

Quinn was getting ready for bed when his phone rang. When he glanced down and saw Faye's name, his heart skipped a beat. It was late where she was, and they hadn't planned on talking that night.

"Faye? What's going on?"

"I- I don't know," her voice was shaky and strained. "Something's wrong. I keep feeling this pressure in my stomach... I don't know what's happening, Quinn. What if the baby's coming too early?"

"What? Are you sure? How bad is it?"

"I don't know!" she cried, her panic rising. "I've never been pregnant before. What if something's wrong?"

Quinn's mind immediately went into overdrive. He wanted to be calm for her, but the fear that something was wrong with the baby made his pulse pound in his head. He needed to be there. He needed to help.

"Okay, okay, listen. You need to get to the hosptial. I'll book the next flight out."

"But Quinn, it's so far away--"

"I'm coming. I'll be there as soon as I can. Go to the hospital and let them check you out. Everything's going to be okay." He hoped his words sounded more confident than he felt.

"Okay. I'll call you when I get there."

"Text me as soon as you're on your way. I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up and immediately pulled up flight options on his phone. He mind was racing, fear settling deep in his gut. What if something was wrong with the baby? What if Faye was going into premature labour?

He fired off a text to his coach, explaining the situation. Within minutes he had a response telling him to go to Michigan. That they'd be fine if he missed two days of practice for his baby.

~~

The hospital smelled sterile, and Faye felt her nerves buzzing as she sat on the exam table. Her hands were clenched in her lap and every slight tightening of her belly made her wince.

She had texted Quinn when she had arrived and he was already on his way to the airport. Finally, the door opened, and the doctor entered the room, offering her a calm smile.

"Faye, hi. I hear you've been experiencing some discomfort," the doctor said as she sat down beside her, pulling on a pair of gloves.

"Yeah. I've been having these weird contractions or something. I don't know. I'm only 20 weeks..."

"Let's take a look."

As the doctor examined her, her breath came in short, shallow bursts, her nerves eating her alive. But after a few moments, the doctor straightened up, her smile reassuring.

"It looks like you're experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. They're often called 'practice contractions.' They're not harmful, and it doesn't mean you're going into labour."

"So... I'm okay? The baby's okay?"

"Yes! Everything looks normal. It's common to experience these at some point in your pregnancy. It can be uncomfortable, but it's nothing to worry about."

Faye let out a shaky laugh. "Oh my god... I thought I was going into labour."

The doctor chuckled. "No, not at all. Just keep an eye on things, but everything's perfectly fine."

As soon as the doctor left, Faye texted Quinn.

Faye: false alarm. it's just braxton hicks. baby's okay. everything's okay

~~

Quinn's flight landed early the next morning, and as soon as he stepped off, he checked to see if Faye had texted. Relief flooded his chest, but even knowing things were okay, he still needed to see her. When she opened the door, she looked exhausted. Her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep, and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun. Quinn didn't care. He pulled her into a hug, feeling the tension leave his body the second he held her.

"I was so scared," he admitted.

"Me too," Faye whispered, clinging to him. "I thought something was really wrong."

Quinn pulled back slightly, looking down at her. "I'm glad everything's okay. I'm staying for a couple days, just to make sure you're good."

Faye hesitated, then nodded, too tired to argue. "Okay. That... that would be nice."

~~

Quinn sat on Faye's couch, a cup of coffee in his hand, while Faye lay stretched out beside him, her head resting on a pillow. She still looked exhausted, her body worn out from stress and the Braxton Hicks scare.

"How are you feeling now?"

Faye shrugged, resting a hand on her belly. "Better, I guess. I still feel... off. But the doctor said it was normal. It just freaked me out."

Quinn nodded, then hesitated before reaching out. "Can I...?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Quinn placed his hand gently on her stomach. It was the first time he'd touched her bump, and the feeling of life growing beneath his hand hit him like a ton of bricks. He swallowed hard, his throat tightening with emotion.

"That's... our baby."

Faye smiled weakly, "Yeah, our baby."

Quinn's phone buzzed with a text from his mom.

Mom: Heard what happened. We're so relieved everything's okay. If Faye needs anything, let her know I'm here, okay? She's family now.

Quinn smiled, showing the message to Faye. "Mom wants to help you out. She's pretty excited to be a grandma."

"I appreciate that. Your mom's always been so nice."

"She means it," Quinn said. "And so do I. You're not doing this alone."

"I know."

~~

It had been two days since the scare, and while Faye had physically recovered, the emotional exhaustion hadn't lifted. Having Quinn around helped, though. It was strange at first, seeing him so much more than usual, but also comfortable. He wasn't hovering, like a helicopter parent, but he was there, offering a helping hand

She wasn't sleeping well, though. Not anymore.

At 20 weeks, she'd finally hit the point where it was becoming increasingly difficult to sleep. It didn't help that her back constantly ached and her hips throbbed with every moment. Lying flat on her back made the pain worse, but when she shifted onto her side, it was like her belly was pulling her down, straining her already sore muscles.

Late at night, Faye lay awake in bed, shifting restlessly. Her body screamed for relief, but no matter how she positioned herself, the ache in her body wouldn't go away. She tried hugging a pillow like she'd seen online, but it didn't help. She was surprised she hadn't woken up Quinn with her constant tossing and turning, the rustling of her bedding.

Quinn had insisted on sleeping on the couch to give her space, but when the pain became unbearable, Faye found herself padding softly to the couch. She stood there a moment, watching him sleep, unsure whether she should wake him. But the dull ache made her decision for her.

"Quinn?" she whispered, nudging his shoulder. "I... I can't sleep."

Quinn blinked awake, his face full of concern as he sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I just... I can't get comfortable," she admitted, her hand resting protectively on her belly. "My back is killing me."

"How can I help?" his voice was deep with sleep.

"Come lay in bed with me?"

"Okay," he pushed himself up, following her over to the bed. Faye lay down beside him, curling onto her side, and after a second Quinn's arm came over her stomach. She closed her eyes, letting out a soft sigh of relief as his hand helped her prop her stomach in a more comfortable position. His touch grounded her in a way that felt... right. She shifted slightly, nestling deeper into the curve of his body, and for the first time that night, she felt like she could sleep.

"That better?" he murmured.

Faye nodded slightly. "Yeah. Thank you."

As she drifted to sleep, she realized how much she needed this--needed him. She wasn't used to relying on people, but with Quinn, it didn't make her feel weak. It just felt... safe.

~~

In the morning, Quinn was already awake when she opened her eyes. His arm was casually draped over her, and Faye's cheeks flushed as she remembered how she practically crawled onto him in the middle of the night.

"Morning. How're you feeling?"

"Better," she replied. Her back still ached, but he pain wasn't as intense as it had been when she was trying to sleep. "I think you might've saved me last night."

"Glad to be of service."

She sat up slowly, stretching her sore muscles as she glanced to the textbooks scattered around the place. Finals were creeping up on her, and while she'd tried to keep up with classes, the pregnancy was making it hard. Her professors and the school were understanding, but she still felt the pressure to stay on top of things.

"Do you need help studying? I've got time," he suggested, following her gaze.

"You? Studying?"

"Hey," he shot back playfully. "I wasn't a complete slacker in school, you know."

"I wouldn't mind the company."

They spent the next few hours at her small dining table, Quinn helping her go over some notes for upcoming exams. It felt strangely normal, having Quinn sitting beside her, scribbling down notes on things she missed, cracking jokes to lighten the mood.

Faye let herself imagine what it would be like if things were different. If Quinn lived closer, if they were a couple, if they were navigating this together in a real, committed way. But she quickly pushed the thought aside. It was too much to think about.

"Do you ever think about the future?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah. I think about it a lot."

"And?"

"And..." Quinn's gaze dropped to her stomach before meeting her eyes again. "I think about how I want to be there. For you. For the baby. I know it's complicated, but... I'm in this with you, Faye."

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

~~

That night, Faye lay in bed, Quinn next to her already this time. She needed rest, but her body was only sort of cooperating. Quinn groaned slightly, having trouble falling asleep with all her tossing and turning.

"You okay?"

"No. I can't fall asleep."

He pulled her closer to his chest, nuzzling his face in her neck. "Better?"

"A bit."

She turned over, resting her head on his chest, closing her eyes.

"Better?"

"Thanks," she whispered, her breath warmth against his skin.

Faye could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her mind spinning from the physical relief but also the chemistry she was sure was between them.

And then, in the heat of the moment, their lips met. Faye's heart raced as his tongue swiped across her bottom lip, her body responding to the need she'd been ignoring for weeks. She pulled back, her breathing uneven.

"It's the hormones."

But Quinn just smiled, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I know. But if you need me... I'm here."

She blushed but still laughed at his flirting. Then tension between them was electric, and she leaned up for another kiss. Quinn rested his hand on her belly, pulling away when he felt something.

"It moved."

"What?" she whispered, not liking that he'd ended their make out session.

"The baby, I felt it. It was like a little flutter. Did you feel it?"

"I wasn't really paying atten--"

Then she felt it, the strangest feeling yet. Just like Quinn had said, like a little flutter.

"Oh my god. It's moving!" she laughed, cupping Quinn's face. "Our baby is moving!"

Quinn leaned in, pressing a bruising kiss to her lips. Resting his forehead on hers as they pulled away.

"That's... that's so fucking cool, Faye! That's our baby!"

"I know, Quinn," she giggled, but as excited as she was, exhaustion was starting to take over.

"Do you want me to move my hand?" Quinn asked.

"No. It's fine there," she mumbled, falling asleep while Quinn sat there and waited for the baby to move again. He was even more in love with the baby and it wasn't even there yet.

~~

It was Quinn's last day in Michigan, and Faye didn't like the heaviness that settled in her chest at the idea. She knew he had to go back to Vancouver. It was his job after all, but after everything that had happened, having him around felt comforting. He made everything seem a little less overwhelming.

To make the most of their last day, they decided to keep things light, indulging in Faye's latest pregnancy cravings. Currently, they were at her small dining table, staring at an odd combination of food.

"Are you seriously going to eat that?" Quinn asked, eyeing Faye as she spread peanut butter over a pickle.

"Trust me, it's so good," she insisted, though she had to admit it seemed strange. "It's the pregnancy."

"Well, I'm in. I promised I'd try all your cravings today, so let's see what this tastes like."

Faye handed him half the pickle, watching with amusement as he hesitated before taking a bite. His face twisted in confusion, then something more like... surprise.

"Okay... that's not as bad as I thought."

They spent the next hour going through her line up of food combinations--pickles in vanilla ice cream, hot sauce on a piece of white toast, avocado and chocolate, babybel cheese with whipped cream, lots and lots of orange soda. Each bite brought laughter and more jokes from Quinn, and Faye feeling better about her stupidity.

After, they sprawled out on the couch, stuffed from their culinary adventure. Quinn pulled out his phone, opening an app he'd downloaded to track the baby's development. "So, I was reading about what's going on with the baby at 20 weeks," he said, scrolling through the information.

"What does it say?" she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Apparently the baby's about the size of a banana now. That's... actually kinda big."

"A banana?" She placed her hand on her stomach. "Wow."

Quinn grinned, scrolling further down on the app. "It can hear things now too. Like they can hear your voice when you talk or when music is playing."

Faye smiled, imagining the little banana-sized baby growing inside her. She felt more connected with the baby every time she learned a new fact, but also much more anxious about the future.

As if reading her mind, Quinn set down his phone and said, "I ordered you something, by the way. It should be here tomorrow."

"You ordered something for me?"

"Yeah, I've been reading about pregnancy pillows. I figured it might help with the sleeping problems you've been having."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I know," he smiled softly. "But I want to help however I can. Even when I'm not here. I hate that you've been struggling with getting to sleep."

Quinn had been supportive than she ever imagined, and while they hadn't had a serious conversation about the future, moments together like that made her feel like things would be okay.

They decided to end the day with a movie, cuddled up on the sofa. Faye was wrapped in a blanket, her head resting on Quinn's chest. It was peaceful, but just as she was getting comfortable, her phone rang.

"It's my mom," she murmured, sitting up.

"You want to answer it?"

Faye nodded, then slid off the couch and headed to the bathroom for some privacy. "Hey, Mom."

"Faye, sweetpea! How're you feeling? You've been awfully quiet lately."

"I'm okay. Just... busy with school and stuff."

"Well, your dad and I were talking, and we think you should move back home once the baby's born," her mom said. "It'll be better for you to have support--proper support."

She knew what her mom was getting at. "Mom, I'm fine. I can manage on my own."

"Faye, be realistic," she snapped. "You're going to be a single mother. It's hard enough raising a baby when you have help, but you'll be alone most of the time. And if you think Quinn's going to be around for the sleepless night and dirty diapers, then you're being delusional."

"That's not fair. Quinn wants to help."

"He might think he does now, but once the baby is here, he's going to be focused on his career, on hockey. You'll be left doing everything on your own. You should come home, where we can help you."

"I'm not moving back home, Mom! I've got everything under control."

"You're not thinking clearly, Faye! You're being stubborn, and it's going to cost you. You need to think about what's best for the baby."

"I am thinking about the baby," Faye fought back her tears.

"Then why won't you listen to us?"

"Because I don't want to move back home! I can handle this on my own! And Quinn's not going to just disappear, okay? He's been helping me, and he's going to be there."

Her mom sighed heavily. "I hope you're right. I don't want you getting your hopes up, Faye."

Faye ended the call abruptly, feeling her entire body tremble as she leaned against the counter, sobbing quietly.

Quinn had heard bits and pieces of the conversation from the couch, but when he saw Faye's face, he immediately stood up and rushed over to her.

"Hey, hey," he murmured, pulling her into his arms. "What happened?"

Faye sobbed into his chest, her words coming out in gasps. "My mom... She thinks I should move back home. She thinks... She thinks you're not going... to be around."

"What? Why would she think that?"

"She... she thinks you're just going to focus on hockey, and I'll be stuck all alone. She doesn't believe you'll actually be here."

Quinn felt a surge of anger rise in his chest, not at Faye's mom, but at anyone who would think he wouldn't be involved. He cupped her face, wiping away her tears. "Faye, listen to me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm in this with you. We're going to figure this out together."

Faye sniffed, "What if... What if my mom's right? What if this gets too hard, and you--"

"It won't. Yeah, it's going to be hard, but I'm not going to walk away. I care about you, and I care about our baby. I'm going to be here for you both of you. No matter what. Okay?"

"I'm scared."

"I know. But we'll figure it out. We're a team, Faye."

Maybe, just maybe, they'd figure this out together.

~~

The snow was falling softly outside the Hughes' house, making everything look like a scene out of a Christmas movie. Faye stood by the window, watching the flakes settle on the ground, her hands on her ever growing stomach. It was strange being there surrounded by Quinn's family. Strange but... comforting.

She was 24 weeks along, her belly undeniably visible, and the baby had started kicking more regularly, constantly reminding her it was there. Her back ached 24/7 now and she slept most of the day, but she was still trying to enjoy her holiday break.

"Everything okay?" Quinn's voice came from behind her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Yeah. It's just... nice here. Your family is so kind. I still can't believe they invited me to stay for a few days."

Quinn chuckled, "Of course they did. You're part of the family now, Faye. Besides, my mom's been looking forward to spoiling you and the baby for weeks."

Ellen Hughes had gone out of her way to make her feel welcome, treating like she was already part of the family. And was overwhelmed as she felt, the whole thing made her feel less alone.

Later that evening, Faye sat on Hughes' couch, enjoying the warmth of the fire place, when Ellen came in and placed a large, beautifully wrapped, present in front of her.

"These are just a few things we thought might help," Ellen said, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I know you've probably already started planning, but every little bit helps, right?"

Faye blinked, holding back her tears as she unwrapped the box. Inside was a collection of things she hadn't even thought about yet. There was a breast pump, a coupld sets of baby clothes, a few board books, and even a set of parenting books. One for her and one for Quinn.

"Oh my god, Ellen," her voice wavered as she ran her fingers over the small onesie. "This is so thoughtful. Thank you."

"It was mostly my mom," Quin grinned. "But I helped."

Ellen waved a hand dismissively. "Quinn picked out a few things. The parenting books were his idea."

The fact that he had been thinking about this--about them, about the baby--made her feel even more connected to him. Quinn was clearly committed to figuring things out.

"Thank you, Quinn. I mean it," she whispered.

Quinn reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We're in this together, Faye. You and me."

~~

Faye was exhausted from socializing, so she and Quinn retreated to his childhood bedroom. It felt cozy and nostalgic, with posters of old hockey heroes still hanging on the walls and a few trophies lined his dresser.

"So this is where the great Quinn Hughes spent his teenage years, huh?" she teased.

"Yeah, it's nothing fancy. But it's home."

Faye lay on her back, immediately feeling the stretch of her belly above her. "It's nice. Being here with you. I wasn't sure how'd I feel, but... I like it."

Quinn lay down beside her, propping himself up on his elbow. "I'm glad you're here. It feels right."

They spent an hour talking about the baby, about names they hadn't settled on yet, and how crazy it was that in just a few more months, they would be parents. As the conversation quieted down, Quinn placed his hand gently on her stomach, his face lighting up when he felt a kick under it.

"Hey, there's my little buddy," he whispered, voice full of wonder. "You're getting strong in there."

Faye smiled, her heart swelling at the way Quinn talked to the baby. She placed her hands over his, enjoying the warmth. "The baby likes you."

Quinn leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her belly. "I like the baby too."

It was late by the time they finally turned off the lights, but Faye found herself still wide awake. She shifted slightly, trying to find a comfortable position without her pregnancy pillow. Sighing softly, she turned to face Quinn, who was lying beside her, his eyes closed but not quite asleep. "I can't get comfortable."

"How can I help?"

"Pillows and cuddles?"

"I can do that," he handed her an extra pillow from the floor, allowing her to stick it under her stomach. "Better?"

"A lot," she sighed.

Quinn gripped her jaw, turning her face towards him. He pressed his lips to her, a strong, quiet kiss. They'd shared kisses before, but this one felt more intimate, more real.

"I'm glad I'm here."

"Me too."

~~

It was nearing the end of January, and Michigan was wrapped in a thick blanket of snow. Faye sat cross-legged on the couch under a heavy knit blanket. The baby's kicks were getting stronger, whenever she placed her hand on her stomach she could feel it responding to her touch.

She was 28 weeks, officially in her third trimester. The reality of everything was hitting hard. It wasn't just the growing bump, the constant back pain, or the shortness of breath. Now, the emotional weight of it all was settling in, and the need to start planning for the birth was unavoidable.

Faye glanced down at the notebook in her lap, where she'd started to write out ideas for her birth plan. It felt weird, putting pen to paper and trying to map out how it would all go. Of course, she couldn't fully predict how things would play out, but the idea of having a plan eased her worries,

Her phone beside her buzzed, and she smiled when she noticed it was Quinn texting her. They talked almost every day now, and she felt like a school girl with a crush every time he texted or called.

Quinn: You free for a FaceTime? Been thinking about some stuff we should figure out

Faye: yeah, call me!

Seconds later, her phone rang and Quinn's face filled her screen. His hair was damp, probably from a post-practice shower, and he was smiling brightly.

"Hey, how're you feeling?"

"Tired. The baby's getting bigger and I swear I feel every, single kick these days."

Quinn laughed. "Strong kid. Probably gonna play hockey."

"We'll see about that," she rolled her eyes, looking back at her notebook.

"So, I was thinking... We should probably start to make some real decisions here. Like about the birth and everything that comes after."

Faye nodded, "Yeah, I've been thinking about that too. I kinda started writing out my birth plan, but it's a rough, rough draft."

"Yeah? What kinda things are you drafting?"

"Well, I want to have the baby here in Michigan. I've already talked to my doctor about it, and she's amazing. I don't want to risk flying anywhere when I'm that close to my due date."

"Good call. I'll come as soon as I can. Make sure I'm there for baby's due date."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that too. I know you'll have to travel for games, but I want you here as much as possible."

"I will be. I'll talk to the team, make sure I'm there whenever you need."

"Okay, so after the baby's born..." Faye trailed off, trying to put her thoughts into words. "I don't think I should fly to Vancouver right away. I'll need time to recover and moving across the country with a newborn... it just seems like too much."

Quinn nodded, "Makes sense. I don't want you to have to deal with that stress right after giving birth."

"So, I'm thinking I'll stay here in Michigan for the first few months. Maybe two or three? My parents will stop by and help, and you can come visit when you can."

Quinn's face dropped at the mention of her staying in Michigan. "I hate that we won't be in the same place right after the baby's born. But... I get it. It's the best plan for now."

"I know," she mumbled, her heartbreaking. She also hated the idea of being apart from Quinn for those couple months, but she knew it was necessary. "I just want to give the baby a stable place before we have to move all our shit to Vancouver."

"Absolutely. And I'll come to Michigan as much as I can. And then, when you're ready, you'll move to Vancouver. You... you can move in here with me or... we can get you your own place."

It wasn't something they'd discussed in detail yet, but Faye's heart fluttered at the thought of sharing a place with Quinn. The thought of building a life together with their baby, filled her with a lot of hope for the future.

"Okay, sounds like a plan."

"I've been looking into baby gear. Cribs, strollers, cars seats, all the works. We'll need to figure out what we need in Michigan and what we need in Vancouver."

"Yeah, I've been looking into childcare options for when we move to Vancouver. I still want to finish my degree online. It'll be a lot."

"It will be, but we're in this together. You're not doing it alone, Faye."

"Thanks, Quinn."

"Also, I think we should make a list of names. It'll help."

She giggled, "You've really been thinking about this, huh?"

"Yeah. This baby's gonna need the best name ever. No pressure."

"Alright, let's do it. Let's make a list."

~~

Faye groaned, rolling over to look at the clock for the thousandth time that night. 2:47 AM. She was exhausted, but her body refused to cooperate. The baby liked to be active as soon as she was ready to rest. Which made it impossible to get comfortable and sleep.

Not that comfortable really existed anymore. She felt huge, like she had an oversized balloon under her shirt at all times. The baby had officially taken over. Every breath she took was shallow, and her bladder felt like it was the size of a peanut. She had to pee all the time. Every time she'd get settled, she'd have to get right back and waddle back to the bathroom.

With a groan, she pulled herself out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom yet again. She'd lost count of how many times she'd made that trip in the last hour alone. The baby pressed on every single one of her organs.

"I swear, if you keep pushing on my bladder, you're grounded for life."

The baby gave a strong kick in response, making her wince and laugh at the same time. It was like they already had the same sense of humour.

After what felt like an eternity of pissing, Faye made it back to bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She drifted in and out of fitful sleep, and then the dreams started.

Faye's dreams had always been weird, but lately, her pregnancy was putting them on a whole new level. Vivid and bizzare, often leaving her very confused when she woke up. This dream, though, took the fucking cake.

In her dream, she was in the hospital, ready to give birth. Everything seemed fine at first--the doctors were calm, Quinn was there, holding her hand. But when the baby finally arrived, Faye's eyes widened in horror.

It had tentacles.

It wasn't a normal, chubby-cheeked newborn. No, this baby was some kind of squid creature, with wriggling, slimy tentacles where it should have had arms and legs. And instead of crying, it made this weird gurgling sound like it was trying to communicate to aliens.

Faye had stared at it in utter shock, unable to process what she was seeing. Meanwhile, Quinn was completely unfazed. He smiled down at the baby-squid hybrid like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Isn't it cute?" Quinn had said, his voice filled with pride. "Look at all those tentacles."

Faye woke up, her heart racing. She blinked in the darkness, trying to shake off the unease from the dream. 3:30 AM. No way she was getting back to sleep after that. She grabbed her phone, texting Quinn.

Faye: u awake?

Quinn: Yeah, what's up?

Faye: had the weirdest fucking dream. call me

"Hey? You okay? What happened?"

Faye bit her lip, trying to keep from laughing as she thought about the dream. "I had a dream that the baby came out... but it had tentacles instead of arms and legs."

Quinn was silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah! It was like the baby was a squid or something. And you were completely fine with it. You were holding it like 'Look how cute it is!'"

"Well, I mean, if our baby has tentacles, we'll figure it out, right? It'll be the cutest squid baby, ever."

"I'm blaming pregnancy hormones for that one. These dreams have been getting weirddd."

"I've read about that. Strange dreams are super common in the third trimester. So... get ready for more squid babies."

"Great. Just what I needed. As if peeing every five minutes and feeling like a human punching bag wasn't enough."

"How are you feel otherwise?" Quinn asked. "I know this trimester has been harder."

"Honestly? I didn't think it could get worse, and then... it did. I can't breathe half the time because the baby is squishing my lungs, and I'm always tired but I can't sleep. The baby decides to have a fucking dance party every time I lie down."

"Sorry, Faye. Wish I could help."

"I know. It's not your fault, Quinn. Every week I feel like something new pops up to remind me how massive I am."

"Baby's gonna be here soon. And the sleepless nights will be for a different reason," he offered.

"Great," Faye said sarcastically. "Something to look forward to."

~~

31-weeks. 9 more weeks until their baby would be there. The days were flying by, and with each passing week, she got more and more anxious. Quinn wanted to be at the appointment with her, but he was busy doing hockey stuff. They were doing their best to navigate long-distance pregnancy, something she never thought she'd have to do.

Her OB entered the room with a smile. "How're you feelin' today, Faye?"

"I'm always tired, but good. Baby's active, which is probably a good sign."

"That's great to hear. We're mainly looking for the baby's position, measuring your uterus, and making sure everything is progressing as it should."

Faye nodded, trying to relax as the doctor took her measurements. She watched the doctor gently press along her stomach, feeling for the baby's position. The cold jelly made her shiver slightly, but she was more focused on the doctor's facial expressions.

"Looks like your little one is head down, which is exactly what we want to see. No signs of breech, which is good news."

"That's a relief."

"Things are looking good, Faye! And just to double-check you still want to keep the gender a surprise?"

"Yeah, Quinn and I talked about it, we both want to wait until the birth to find out."

"That takes some serious patience. But it'll be a great surprise when the time comes."

After the checkup, Faye called Quinn. He always wanted to be filled in on what was going on after appointments.

"Hey, Faye! How'd it go?"

"It went well! Baby's head down, which means no breech. Everything is looking good."

"That's awesome. I was worried about that."

"I know you were. But they're in the right position. Doctor said everything is on track, and we're still in good shape for a natural delivery."

"And the gender? They didn't slip up?"

Faye shook her head with a laugh. "Nope, still a mystery. Doctor asked, but I said we're stickin' with our plan."

"As much as I want to know, I think the wait will be worth it."

"Same. But it's getting harder to wait," she admitted, climbing into her car. "I keep imaging what they'll look like. If they'll have your eyes or my nose."

"Well, if they come out with tentacles, we're prepared."

"Let's hope not," she groaned.

"You're doing amazing, Faye. We're almost there."

"Almost there."

~~

The day had finally come and Quinn was back in Michigan, standing in Faye's apartment, helping her settle down for the final countdown. 1 week until her due date. Faye had been anticipating this moment for months, but now that it was there, all she could think about were the things they needed to get done before the baby arrived.

It didn't matter that she'd already gone through every room, tidied the apartment, and organized all the baby gear. The urge to keep preparing, making sure everything was perfect, was strong.

"Hey, how's everything going?" Quinn asked, dropping his bags on the ground.

Faye barely heard him. "We need to get the crib set up today," she blurted out. "And I need to reorganize the dresser-- I don't think I folded all the clothes properly. Oh, and we need to clear space in the freezer for breast milk."

Quinn looked at her with an amused smirk. "You know the baby isn't coming today, right? We've got time."

"Time?" Faye repeated, staring at him like he'd grown a second head. "We have less than a week, Quinn. What if the baby comes early and something isn't ready?"

He laughed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Okay, okay. Let's do whatever you need. Where do we start?"

Faye was in nesting mode. She had Quinn building the crib, while she sorted through the baby clothes for the tenth time. Everything needed to be perfect.

"Do you think I should organize them by size or typer?" she asked from the floor, surrounded by baby clothes. "Or maybe I should put the newborn ones on top. But then again, I don't know how fast the baby is going to grow."

Quinn glanced over from where he was screwing the last part of the crib on. "I think whatever you decide will be great."

Faye huffed. "You're just saying that. What if I mess this up? What if we're totally unprepared for when the baby gets here?"

"Faye, we're ready. The baby's not going to care if it's socks are in the wrong drawer. You've done so much already."

"I want everything to be perfect, Quinn."

"It will be perfect. You're not doing this on your own."

"I know. Thank you for being here."

"I'd rather be here than anywhere else," he leaned down and kissed her temple. "What's next on the list, boss?"

~~

Faye stood in the middle of the room, staring at the crib. It was freshly made, ready for the baby with nothing that cause any dangers while it slept. It should've given her a sense of peace, but instead she was still freaking out.

"We have the crib," she gnawed at her bottom lip. "But... we also have the bassinet."

Her eyes darted between the two pieces of furniture.

"Why do we need both?" she frantically ran her hands through her hair, pulling at the roots. "What if the baby hates the bassinet? What if they refuse to sleep in either? What if we've set everything up wrong and the baby doesn't sleep at all?"

Quinn came through the front door, just as she was doing another lap of the apartment.

"What's going on?"

"Do we really need the crib and the bassinet? Why do we have both?"

"The bassinet's for when the baby is super small. Easier to keep them close that way. Then we'll use the crib when they're older. That's what the book said, remember?"

Faye just let out a frustrated sigh. Of course she remembered. But nothing felt logical anymore. Everything could go wrong in a million different ways.

Quinn moved to the kitchen to make some tea while Faye continued to pace.

"What if the baby doesn't latch?" she stopped in her tracks. "What if breastfeeding doesn't work? What if we have to switch to formula and we're unprepared?"

"If breastfeeding doesn't work, we'll figure it out. Formula is fine, Faye. We'll handle it."

"But what if the formula we pick isn't right? What if the baby's allergic to it or something? And I've been reading about colic. What if the baby screams for hours every night and we don't know what to do?"

Quinn walked over, gently taking her hands in his. "Breathe. We'll figure it out if that happens. And if the baby doesn't latch, we'll get help. It's not all on you."

"But what about the bottles? Why do we need a warmer and a sanitizer? Can't we just use the microwave?"

Quinn stifled a laugh, realizing Faye wasn't in the mood for humour. "The bottle warmer is supposed to heat it more evenly than the microwave. And the sanitizer is for making sure things are really clean. Trust me, people do it all the time. We've got it covered."

"It just feels like there's so much to keep track of. I keep thinking I'm missing something important, and then I panic," she sighed, collapsing onto the couch.

"You're not missing anything," Quinn reassured. "You've done everything. The apartment is ready, the hospital bag is packed, the car seat is installed in your car, we've got all the gear we need. We are prepared."

"What if the baby gets cold at night? And the swaddle isn't enough?"

"They'll teach us about that at the hospital, Faye. And we have those sleep sacks, we'll make sure the baby is all nice and cozy."

"I-"

"Faye, no more. We're going to be fine. We don't have to be perfect. No first-time parents are perfect. Now, let's watch something and stop talking. You're giving me a headache."

"Hey!"

Quinn was right. They didn't need to be perfect, they just needed to work together.

~~

It was late in the evening, just two days before her due date, when Faye felt a strange twinge of pain. She had been lying on the couch, flipping through Netflix while Quinn did dishes. At first she thought it was just more Braxton Hicks, she got those a lot, but as the pain spread and deepened, her brain told her it wasn't.

She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm as another wave of pain gripped her lower back. She knew what was happening now. This wasn't a false alarm.

"Quinn?"

"What's up?"

"I think... I think I'm going into labour. The baby's coming."

Quinn froze for a moment, his eyes widening. "Are you sure?"

"I don't now," she admit, feeling the pain again. "But these feel different. Stronger."

Quinn was at her side in an instant, his hand resting on her lower back. "Okay, let's time them. Figure this out."

The next half hour was a blur of counting and breathing. Faye's contractions came steadily, each one closer than the last. She could feel the baby moving lower with each wave of pain, the pressure in her abdomen nothing like she'd ever experienced before.

"Four minutes. We should go."

~~

Once Faye actually got in a bed, doctors and nurses were hooking her up to things, checking her vitals, checking the baby's heartrate, seeing how dilated she was.

They told her she was about six centimetres. And that she and Quinn had some time to wait. Faye had to take her mind off the pain, wracking her brain for something to do.

"You know, Quinn, I really don't know the basics about you."

"What do you mean?"

"Like your favourite colour, favourite movie, that kind of stuff."

"You want to play 20 questions while you wait to push?" he laughed.

"Yes. I'll go first, what's your favourite colour?"

"Blue. I know it's basic. What's yours?"

"Green. But not just any green. Like forest green. Like deep in the woods of Vermont typa shit."

"You have quite the way with words, Faye."

"I know," she winked.

"If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

"Hmm, anywhere that I'm happy and with people I care about. But preferably close to a body of water. I find that calming."

"Vancouver, here we come," Quinn smiled, allowing her to squeeze his hand as another contraction hit.

"Are you scared to be a dad?"

"Wow, hard hitting question. I mean, a little. But isn't everyone? I think I'm mostly worried about being there for you guys. Are you scared to be a mom?"

"Fucking terrified. But I can't exactly shove it back in the oven for any longer," she joked, allowing him to brush some hair from her sweaty forehead. "Do I look hot?"

"Oh, amazing. Hotter than when I met you at that party."

"Don't even mention that party. That party's got me pushing a watermelon out of my--"

"Shut up," Quinn cackled.

~~

"One more big push and we've got the baby, Mama!" the doctor smiled.

"I hate you, Quinn Hughes. Ahh!" she gripped his hand, giving her one final push. And then cries filled the room.

"It's a boy!"

Faye collapsed, too tired to cry as they placed the baby on her chest. Quinn, however, wasn't too tired to cry. He wiped at his eyes, staring in wonder at the slime-covered baby on Faye's chest.

"We'll get him all cleaned up and then you can hold him, Dad."

He nodded, kissing Faye's forehead. "You did it, Faye. I'm so proud."

"Is he okay?" she mumbled, beyond exhausted.

"He's perfect. He has my nose, I think. You tell me what you think once he's all clean."

"He's really here."

"He's here," Quinn nodded. "Our baby boy."

A couple minutes later, the nurse brought the baby back, now clean and bundled up, only his face peeking out of the blanket. "Here he is, Mama."

Her little face was scrunched up, his eyes closed, and his lips puckered in the most adorable way possible. Faye stared at him in awe, lightly tracing his cheek with her knuckle.

"Quinn," she whispered. "He's perfect."

Quinn leaned over, wrapping his arm around her as they gazed down at their son. "Yeah. He's perfect."

His little nose did look like Quinn's, but she could see traces of herself in him too, in his chin and the curve of his lips.

"He has your mouth," Quinn said softly, noticing the same thing she did.

"And your nose."

Quinn reached out, gently loosening the blanket and brushing the baby's tiny hand with his finger. The baby stirred slightly, his little fingers curling around one of Quinn's. It was just the three of them, wrapped in their own little perfect bubble of love.

"What are we going to name him?" Faye continued to whisper, not taking her eyes off the bundle of joy in her arms.

"I think... he looks like a James. What do you think?"

Faye smiled. "James. I like it. James Hughes."

Quinn grinned, kissing the top of her head. "James Hughes it is."

Everything they had been through--the stress, the worry, the fear--had all led to that moment. It was all worth it. And as Faye held James close, she felt her heart swell in a way it never had before. She'd never held so much love for one thing.

She glanced at Quinn, who was still staring at James. She reached up, wiping away the last of Quinn's tears with her thumb.

"We're a family."

Quinn smiled, leaning down to give her a proper kiss. "Yeah, we're a family."

[crushedsweets]

im so curious how it would play out in the hypothetical, unlikely situation that toby does read that letter/ connie catches him some how

i like that you specify hypothetical/unlikely cuz you know my annoying ass would be like "tbh im not sure it would happen cuz xyz" LMFAOOOOOOOOO.

anyhow. in the TOTALLY POSSIBLE situation that toby read the letter(smth adjacent to "i love you, i care for you, i forgive you, im sorry for everything, youre still my baby, take care of yourself") i think he might cave. wait for a day connie visits lyras grave and anxiously walk towards her. all quiet, giving himself time to change his mind. he tics and catches her attention - no choice but to say hi now.

immediately she'd start bawling, crumpling to the ground and wailing out apologies and pleas and asking him where he's been, what he's been doing, has he been safe. in every other situation, toby tries so hard to be strong and put up a facade of arrogance, sadism, carelessness. but i think if he saw connie like that (years after killing his dad, when he's developed a stronger support system and improved his mental health) he'd start crying too. kneel down in front of her and try hugging her, something about "stop that mom stop stand up please stop crying stand up please" and choke out the saddest laugh in the entire world when she cries about how he's gotten so big and his voice has gotten so deep.

i think she'd be able to convince him to come sit in the car with her and talk. she'd be impossible to console, holding his hand and crying. she'd calm down, and then look at how tired he looks, start crying again. calm down, see that he still wears lyras necklace, cry again. etc etc. eventually she'd exhaust herself and actually maintain a conversation with him, but it would mostly be toby being like "i just cant talk about it, but i promise im doing good ma. i got friends, really good friends" and skirting around a lot of her questions. he'd forget to ask her questions, because he stalked her enough to know most of the answers, but she wouldnt mind.

neither of them want to talk about frank, and if she even tried bringing him up, toby would cut her off and insist they dont need to talk about it. he'd struggle with it a lot, MAYBE coughing up an apology for widowing connie, but he's not sorry about killing frank and he's trying not to tell her that. so he rather avoid it entirely.

she'd try to ask him to stay, but he'd be like ??? r u serious. and shed be like okay. youre right. im sorry. and i think thatd kill him a little, watching her apologize to him like that.

in a nicer world, he'd give her a phone number to call and they'd keep in contact. but toby is more likely to tell her he cant keep in touch(he'd make up an excuse, refuse to tell her its cuz he's scared she'll call the cops, even if he wants to trust her).

anyhow. um. um. shakes your hand. im tired n the rogers family hurts my soul

[dullgecko]

I love a trans Riz moment and one of my headcanons is that goblin names are gendered by the number of syllables (Pok, Sprak, Riz all being one syllable, Sklonda being two).

And we all know that middle school Riz was Going Through It in terms of bullying so he was almost certainly also misgendered constantly by the other kids.

I think that’s part of why Sklonda is so against the other Bad Kids using nicknames for Riz because The Ball is two syllables and they’re accidentally misgendering Riz (according to goblin grammar) and she has had enough of other kids misgendering her son because they think it’s funny.

It’s also why Riz hates the multi-syllable nicknames like Rizbert and Rizwalda and keeps insisting it’s “just Riz”. But equally he also doesn’t want to come out. He’s sure it would be fine, but he doesn’t want to risk it just in case things go wrong. So he doesn’t know how to explain it so he doesn’t say anything, but it definitely hurts every time they do it.

(I think at some point he does deserve to snap at them though, as a treat).

(I’ve been trying to write a fic about this for ages but the words aren’t wording right, so I offer it up as a humble headcanon to be rotated in other peoples brains)

Goblin biology is different from humans or elves or even half-orcs. They're goblinoid not humanoid after all, their anatomy was different and their ancestors could be traced all the way back to the fae realms in eons past. Like with most creatures of the fae realms their relationship between their biological sex and gender is fairly loose, or more realistically practically non-existant. Hells, if you want to be a different biological sex the switch is incredibly quick and easy. Just go and talk to one of your hordes elders and with magic you'd be done within half and hour. Simple.

Riz grew up in Elmville though and Solesians tended to be weird about the whole thing. Sex and gender seemed to be intrinsically linked for some reason and, in order to naturalise better, goblins tended to stick with the gender that most-accurately reflected what was expected of their current biology.

Riz was six years old when he told his dad he didn't want to be a girl and that was that. A quick jaunt up to his families ancestral home, dinner and a minor name change and he was back in Elmville ready for school on Monday. It should have been as easy as that but even after explaining that he was a boy now the kids at his school just didn't seem to understand. They constantly kept calling him by his old name, some of the Helio kids even going so far as to corner him and preach at him about how what he'd done was evil. The bullying lasted for years and followed him all the way through middle school, only adding more ammunition to what he was already dealing with just by being a goblin in the first place.

He thought he'd managed to leave he worst of the bullying in the past when he finally made it to high-school. None of the kids who knew him in middle-school had come to Aguefort so no-one knew that he was a girl before. Just to make double sure though he made sure to dress the part. No one would call someone in a suit a girl, it was the most masculine outfit he could think of after all.

Honestly it was going better than expected. He did wince initially at the whole The Ball nickname but that was fine. His friends didn't know the multiple sylables were a thing in goblin, though his mom still drew her lips into a think line and glared whenever she heard Fabian call him that. They didn't even call him that in a teasing way anymore, it was more of a title so he felt like it didn't have the same kind of connotation.

At the moment though they were teasing him a little bit. It was all good-natured, someone having commented that the nickname Fabian still used for him was weird and they should really think of another one. They'd rotated through quite a few humerous titles but had somehow strayed dangerously into nicknames playing off his own name which he protested.

"Oh! What about Rizbert? Or Rizmothy." Fig waved her spoon towards the goblin, swallowing around mouth full of icecream even as Riz winced.

"Guys no. Just Riz is fine. Or The Ball. I dont mind The Ball. Plus you keep making my name longer aren't nicknames supposed to be short?" He clutched at the glass of his milkshake, claws tapping at the glass as he tried to get them to change the subject.

"Yeah but you cant go shorter than Riz so we need to think of something else." Kristen nudged her shoulder against their rogue, the height difference meaning she just bumpd him directly in the head which made him make a quiet 'ow' and rub his temple where she'd clocked him.

"What about Rizzy?"

"Guys seriously I don't-"

"Rizriz?"

"Please stop."

"Rizbian, no thats too close to Fabian."

"Kristen honestly I don't like-"

"Rizgug! No wait same issue as the Rizbian one. OH how about Rizik."

The goblins eyes narrowed down to thin slits as the last name was said, Riz baring his teeth and slamming his glass into the table with a loud bang that made his party members jump.

"It's just Riz." He spat, venom lacing the short sentence as he pulled his ears back and down. Kristen holding her hands up in front of her in a defensive posture even as the goblin grabbed his breifcase off the seat beside him and slid down under the table.

Riz duck between his party members legs, not able to hear them calling after him over the sudden roaring sound of his own blood in his ears, and stalking out of the diner without another word. Milkshake dripping onto the spot where he'd just been sitting because the glass had cracked when he slammed it down with too much force.

They'd tried to follow after him but it was basically impossible after he left their line of sight, the rogue was incredibly adept at not being seen when he didn't want to be and he really didn't want to be right now.

He managed to drive his party into a mild panic after only a few hours, the goblin marking himself as offline in their group chat and declining their calls after a few rings (including Fabians, which did not bode well considering how pissed off he'd been when he had stalked out). Adaine had even tried to skry on him, but his wisdom was high enough that he easily slapped down her attempt and sent her a single text message consisting of the word 'no' before turning his crystal off completely.

They'd ended up splitting up to search for him across the city, heading for any spots he might go and promising to fill eachother in if they spoted him. Fabian had been circling the town on the Hangman for a while by this point, squinting down alleyways as he passed just in case he could spot their sneaky party member down one of them.

He'd passed the Strongtower Appartments at least twice before he thought to check there as well. Sure, it was a far too obvious a spot but maybe The Ball HAD just gone home.

Fabian hopped off The Hangman outside the front of the apartments, patting its seat and telling it to continue circling and searching without him as he stepped inside. He knew where Riz's appartment was, hells he even had a key these days, so he head there directly and let himself in.

He probably should have knocked before just barging in though, given that there was a rather pissed off goblin woman currently sitting at the dining room table glaring daggers at him. "Ah. Apologies. I did not expect you to be home. Have you purchance seen The Ball recently?" He had paused, half-inside the apartment with his hand on the doornob and very nearly backed all the way out again when she somehow managed to look more annoyed when he spoke.

"I'm not going to confirm or deny if I've seen Riz recently." She put heavy emphasis on his name, ears flicking as she interwove her fingers on the table in front of her. "But, if you have come to apologise I may see fit to pass it along when I do see him."

"Pardon?" Fabians look of genuine confusion made Sklondas demeanour shift, ears flicking into a more curious position rather than the angry one they'd been settled in before.

"You're not here to apologise for deadnaming him?"

"Sorry I'm not following? We were having lunch and he got pissed off and stormed out. We were looking for him because well.... we were worried and he switched his crystal off." Fabian entered the apartment completely, letting the door swing shut behind him with a click as he stood awkwardly in the entrance area.

"You called him Rizik."

"Kristen called him Rizik." Fabian corrected her, noteing that the normally open door to Riz's bedroom was shut. "Fig mentioned that you didn't seem to like when we called him The Ball and was trying to find a new nickname. I recall that may have been among them."

Sklonda rubbed her hands over her face, heaving a sigh before tipping her head back to look towards the ceiling as if asking a higher power for help. "Don't use that name again. Didn't you know it would upset him?" "No?"

The goblin woman gave him a confused look, pushing back her chair and heading over to Riz's room to knock on the door. Cracking it open slightly and chattering at the person hidden inside in goblin before shutting it again.

"Goddamnit kid. How are they supposed to know if you don't tell them." She donked her forehead against the closed door before turning back to face the fighter.

"Look he's fine and home. Tell the others that but he doesn't want to see anyone at the moment. I think he's mostly feeling silly about getting so pissed at you all and storming off because you couldn't have known it would upset him." She pointed a finger at Fabian before waving for him to sit down at the table. The half-elf pulling out a chair and sitting down obediantly when directed to.

"The kids at his last school used to call him Rizik all the time and thats because it was his name. He shortened it when he told us he was a boy and I'm only telling you this because he said i could. Don't tell the others."

Fabians eye went a bit unfocused as he tried to process what he was being told, eyebrows shooting high on his forehead when he finally put it together. "TOLD you he was a boy.... So he wasn't before... Ah. Deadname. Understood. I'll.... inform the others that that particular nickname is completely off the table."

[sugar-omi]

I hate myself for thinking this but, what if MC finds out she’s pregnant and the first thing in her mind is that she’s fucking up Cove’s future. So instead of telling him she just breaks up with him and shuts herself away from him so he can’t convince her that they’ll work it out. Now Cove has no clue why the love of his life just broke his poor heart. Skip to five years later, Cove comes back to surprise visit his dad but surprise there’s MC, Cliff and a little five year old boy that looks way too much like Cove. Like I’m talking copy and paste that’s a little Cove

oh my fucking god.... i. pls i have some thoughts but also OUCH. BIG OUCH

mmm i'm not gonna make a full fic/detailed post... maybe later if we're all itching for some angst or i'm up for causing more heart ache n then i am very much open to expanding on this (already thinking abt cove getting to know his son.... omfg my heart HURTS)

but i wonder how MC "gets away" (for lack 'a better words) with not telling cove about the kid.

because i can tell you right now, cliff and kyra can't know about it and keep it a secret. not for 5 years at least.

so does she beg everyone in her family to keep it a secret? i think that's the best bet. moms would really prefer Not to keep it a secret, but they also can't force you to tell cove...

but i also don't see them letting 5 years without cove at least knowing, go by either... they'd try to keep the secret, but seeing cove's sad face would break them quickly, if not instantly.

also your friends!!! god, they can not keep a secrete to save their life, especially that big. so you can tell them, but expect the news to find its way back to cove in about.. mmm... 4 hours? so yeah....

anyway!!! lets say that your family kept the secret...

i think your son would eventually start asking about his dad. he sees how you and your family react to him, hears all the mumbling about how he looks so much like... "cove"? when you think he's in the other room.

and he sees how sometimes you look sad and how you slowly and tenderly run your fingers through his hair. and how sometimes you tell him "yknow, daddy has hair just like yours."

and when he asks why you're sad, if you respond with something along the lines of "you look just like your dad, thats all."

or even if you say that in response when he asks what his dad looks like (if you haven't shown him pictures), or if he overhears you saying he looks like this "cove" guy

you notice he starts looking at himself more often... maybe even asking, "does daddy have green hair like mine?" "are his eyes really blue, just like mine?" "does he wear glasses too?" and still in awe that he and this man he's never met, but already seems to adore him (as much as a toddler can adore someone they don't know), share the same features.

and if you show him pictures of cove, which i hope you do, but if you don't, don't worry because your son will probably realize "he has green hair like me!!!!" and he'd either run up to enthuse about it or run up to ask him if he's his daddy bc they have the same hair color... or just call him daddy n if anyone tries to argue about it, wdym?! they have the same hair color, what more do you need?!

so hopefully, cove is the only man with specifically seafoam green hair. otherwise, you're shitting yourself every time your son runs off to meet his green-haired-brethern

anyway. I think all your sons questions, and seeing pictures, knowing that he shares so many traits with cove, and seeing you miss him.

oh god, seeing you sad would make him insist so so much on seeing cove.

"if we meet daddy, will you be happy again?"

also can't believe I almost forgot.. your son being sad about not having a dad, and being jealous of other kids for spending time with their dad, etc.

he'd ask you questions about why he doesn't have a dad, n if he does. why isn't he around? and a real heartbreaker.. does daddy hate him? does he not love him? is that why he isn't here?

so I guess that means it's time to go back to sunset bird! and finally explain why you moved away n never looked back, and why you don't talk to anyone but your parents from back then...

now I won't get into everything right now (im a fuckin liar. I can feel a tangent coming on)

but I wanna talk abt how cove would feel, just a bit, and how I think your future with him would look...

I think at first, he'd be really shocked, seeing this carbon copy of his much younger self. the only thing telling him that his 4-5 year old self didn't jump out of one of his many childhood pictures,

is any birthmarks or beauty marks that maybe you have, or the boys hair being curlier than his, or his skin tone, or maybe he has your nose. whatever it is, he knows he's looking at the imperfect combination of you and him.

(cove's heart is beating outta his chest right now, n you're lucky he only stumbles instead of fainting, because this really is a shock... but that deeper part inside of him, that egotistical, primal almost, part of his heart swells up at the thought, the reality. that his son looks mostly, if not entirely like him.)

but after shock, he's sad. I think he'd be really sad, because he realizes that this is why you broke up right? and no matter how in control of your emotions you think you may be, your wide eyes show how afraid, nervous, and sad you are. he knows. he knows without even talking to you and it hurts

and after he gets past the anger and confusion stage, maybe even in between in fact- which would be more natural since, I think he'd feel this all at once but that's besides the point

he'd be really sad he missed all his sons milestones. walking, first words... God he probably dreams about it (when he does eventually fall asleep), and now his heart is tugging at the seams and the seams are RIPPING.

he also starts thinking about how hard it must've been doing it by yourself. and going through all that without him, your partner.

but maybe you didn't rely on him like he relied on you? maybe you didn't trust him like he did you, maybe you just... didn't need him. like he needed you.

you did break up afterall, and you never let him know about the kid until now, so maybe you thought he'd be a failure of a father and nipped it in the bud before disaster struck...

but I also think that's where anger comes in. because you didn't tell him. he didn't have a choice at all.

he knows he had a tendency to hesitate or run away, but he thinks really hard about it, and he knows he wouldn't have ran away from this.

leaving you alone would scare him a lot more than being a father. being a bad or absent father would scare him a lot more than trying to be a good one. knowingly abandoning a life he helped create, would scare him so much more. he wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise.

so while he gets it. he doesn't get why you didn't try.

and if you explain that you worried about ruining his future, he's so upset and so mad because how could you make that choice for him? how could you take on the burden alone?

this is also where confusion merges in, because while the answers are so obvious or easy to guess, he just can't believe it. he doesn't wanna believe it...

now about your future...

cove still loves you. he's loved you his whole life, it's hard to stop even 5 years later... and seeing you, it makes his heart throb because he's dreamed about this for many nights.

you broke up with him without giving any answers. you even up and moved by the end of the week so when he tried to give you space, before talking to you, it was too late. your room was pretty much void of every sign of life.

you took all your treasured items, your clothes- spare some youd been meaning to get rid of, your pictures, your hobby items. everything. he's surprised you didn't just take the bed and frame.

he's surprised you didn't just carve out his heart n take it with you, because if it's still in his chest, why does it feel so hollow?...

it'd take a really long time to even think of a romantic relationship. if at all. maybe cove's even accepted the break up at some point, depending on how long you'd been together. but if you'd been together since you were 13, it's a hard pill to swallow. bc you can put up with his angsty teenage self, what changed...?

I think seeing you be a parent, and so adored by your son, warms up his heart. makes him fall in love a bit at the sight.

it's not instant, he's getting to know you again. and getting to know this life that he didn't even know was waiting for him.

it's a good 2 or 3 years of figuring out this mess until it becomes something that makes sense. or as much sense as it can make. and if there's still something there, no matter how miniscule. it will catch fire.

now about the kiddo... he's so scared. and I hope you took a few days of talking with cove, and prbly cliff n Kyra bc they have a lotta feelings n thoughts on this too, before you try to integrate cove into his life.

it's small. cove meeting you at the park, and either your son is asking cove a billion questions (both abt why the sky is blue, and awkward questions abt why he wasn't present before...)

or he's trying to drag him on the monkey bars (doesn't work, cove's feet are on the ground still....)

or he's sitting silently on the blanket, reading, occasionally showing cove his favorite scene of the picture book or making him pronounce a word

but it does get bigger, it becomes lunch-n-movie dates, spending the night at your house (at your son's insistence. prbly bc he didn't want him to leave after a fun day), then cove taking him out alone..

it's a lot. and sometimes it feels like you're going backwards or that you're not moving at all because it's hard, for awhile. and even though his dad is on speed dial, there's not enough information he can give cove in how to take care of and deal with a kid he just met a few months ago.

especially a kid who already has a bit of personality, is hell on wheels (like most 5 year olds), possibly has many questions n sometimes problems with cove suddenly being here... it's a lot. n cliff can't help with any of it really.

he does get comfortable, eventually. although there's still times when he's sad, sometimes even angry about what happened, and all he's missed out on, he's so so happy to not miss out on anything else.

[crimsonhydrangeavn]

Sharing A dinner with the li, but like they indirectly kiss?

Garret is a planner and he would have planned out each and every indirect kiss opportunity. For example would have "accidentally" forgotten to ask for straws when ordering drinks. Then he'd seem surprisingly interested in taking a sip of your drink/water instead of ordering one for himself. He'd also insist on sharing dessert and "accidentally" dropping his spoon so you'd have to share yours. If you tried to flag any waiter over to help out, he'd give them the deadliest glare whenever you weren't looking to keep them at bay, only to flash you the most dazzling smile when you glanced at him. Garret knows exactly what he wants, and he is going to get it one way or another...

Honestly, it would surprise Marcelo just how much the thought of an indirect kiss affected him. As a proud Latino, he's no stranger to physical displays of affection like hugs or kissing people on the cheek in greeting. However, his confidence and calm demeanor all goes out the window when it comes to you. The thought of sharing a straw, sipping out of the same glass, or putting the same utensils that touched your lips in his mouth... Well, let's just say it makes his heart race more than he'd like to admit.

Camilla would honestly be pretty nonchalant when it comes to indirect kisses. She shares drinks and foods with her good friends all the time so while you're absolutely special in her heart, she isn't particularly phased by it.

Rita would actually be a bit surprised that you were so willing to share an indirect kiss with her. She's not entirely used to sharing food or drinks with others, so she would be a little hesitant and timid at first, a faint blush betraying her embarrassment. However once she got used to it, she would come to expect it of you. Like, if you both got different flavored drinks, of course you're both going to try each others drinks.

God forbid if you ever tried to have a meal without sharing it with Teagan in the past. When you were together, it was an unspoken rule that you both shared everything. Whether it be food, clothes, friends... Honestly, there was nothing that you could have refered to as your own. They even called your parents mom and dad. They took everything about you, and especially your kisses both direct and indirect, for granted in the past. However after everything that went down between you two, they'd have a whole new appreciation for the closeness you both once shared. This time around, they'd actually savor any indirect kisses you so graciously granted them... though that doesn't mean they weren't greedy enough to ask for more direct kisses as well.

[ravenwitch45]

Can we get Platonic Headcanons for Moxxie and Millie becoming parental figures to male or gn reader? So reader is like, 18 or 19, and their parents never showed them proper affection, I think this could be fun! Thanks for your time!

Oh so essentially M&M adopt reader, okay then yeah this sounds cute. I'll go GN reader cause if that's an option or it's not specified I always do that so anyone reading can essentially choose the gender they like/identify as ^^

Moxxie and Millie Adopting Teenage Reader who had bad parents.

Both have... not perfect parents, especially Moxxie so they more then get it and sympathize immeditately once they learn about your situation.

It start out with them offering to let you stay with them, when you just don't feel like going home to your indifferent parents. They insist on it if you try to say no. They only really have a couch to spare but they still try their best to accomadate you, blankets, pillows, even a stuffed animal if you need it.

This also leads to them bringing you to the office, mainly cause you don't want to be alone all day and the like. They don't mind bringing you, just tell you to be aware of Loona's grumpy nature and Blitz's mood swings. Though you actually hit it off with Loona, both enjoying just chilling round the office and sharing memes mostly.

It isn't until Blitz notices and goes "Mox, Mils your kid seems pretty close with Loonie it seems" and they just blank out at the idea, realizing they did kinda adopt you, heck you kinda moved in with them at this point, and they see you as their responsibility too.

There unsure if you see it the same way, just keep addressing you normally.

They, especially Millie include you in everything they can, pulling you in for team hugs and selfies, your part of family game night and stuff that Blitz does for the company.

If you decide to join the company, they'd likely try to push you into a safer manergerial part of the company, but if you insist on going out into the field with them, they will train you WELL, like weeks before they approve you to go out, but there not pushy, you learn at your own pace and they respect that.

They will also go with you on most missions to start just to keep an eye on you and to keep you safe.

Then, IT happens. After you come back from a mission or something, Moxxie asks you if you did a few things, cleaning weapons, reloading all that and you get exasperated and go "Yes Dad, I did all of those, It's fine." and Moxxie's eyes go wide before they start watering and he ducks into a hallway so you don't see him cry tears of joy at that.

Blitz sees, calling him soft jokingly before Loona calls out "Hey Dad! is Moxxie alright?" so he starts crying happily and the happy dads just hug eachother tightly as they cry

Millie is a lot more calm the first time you call her Mom, it's after a messy mission and after you finish cleaning up you hug her and say "I love you Mom" She sniffles a little but keeps her composure and hugs you back tightly "Love you too kid"

They do eventually officially adopt you, happy to have you legally and wanting to see you grow up and become the great person they know you'll be. And also have you along the ride of wacky and crazy hijinks there lives are.

Okay there you go, actually pretty proud of this one and hope I got the wholesomeness good, I really liked this. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for asking!

[lolasimms]

a lots gonna change pt.18

Summary: Married life isn’t great, infidelity ensues, and things change.

next chapter

3 years later

"Levi, no." You hear Lila yell loudly from the dining room. You pause what you're doing, placing the wooden spoon on the counter and turning the stove off.

"Dina, I'll call you back. These kids are driving me nuts." You end the call, placing your phone down and enter the dining, where the commotion was taking place.

"What's going on in here?" You huff, both hands resting on your hips as you look at the two children questioningly.

"Levi's throwing his food on the floor again and he won't stop." Lila grumbles, the seven year old still growing accustomed to having a sibling.

You roll your eyes, you had things to do and dealing with this at the moment wasn't one of them. You walk away from the dining and into the living room, in search of back up.

"Your son is throwing food on the floor again." You arms are crossed as you address her and she pauses the tv, following after you into the dining room.

"Levi, why are we throwing food on the floor, buddy?" Abby reaches over to the baby, pulling him out of his high chair and playfully scolds him. He lets out a high pitched scream/giggle, you couldn't tell the difference.

"If you joke around with him he'll keep on doing it Abs." You say, knowing she'd rather have him continue to throw food on the floor than ever scold her little boy.

-

Both the children knew that she was the fun mom, she never yelled unless she had to and she never gave them rules to follow. which most of the times set you off. She loved to play with them, and whenever they played they really played. They both adored her and it made your heart soar.

You'd made your choice and that was Abby. It hurt you to part with Ellie, being it that she was the first person you'd ever loved. But you knew sometimes it was best that you let things go, for better or for worse. Abby had done nothing but prove to you that she was the best partner you could ever ask for and to this day she'd remained loyal and loving.

After Ellie recovered, you broke the news to her, that you forgave her but couldn't forget what she had done. It was hard for the both of you but it needed to happen. Your co-parenting relationship was healthier than ever and both her and Abby managed to stay civil with each other.

You married Abby during the winter, it was simple and intimate. Her dad, your parents, Nara, Dina and the boys, Joel and Ellie. You assured your ex that if she wasn't comfortable then she didn't have to come, but she insisted that she wanted to be there, that she was happy you were happy.

A year later you and Abby had secretly started IVF treatments, knowing you didn’t want to get everyone's hopes up if you were unsuccessful. Thankfully by month four your doctor had assured you the baby was completely healthy and that you could announce it to your families.

Everyone was excited to know another Lila would be coming into the world, but even more when they'd found out it was a boy. You and Abby had no preferences, just happy to have another little one around the house. Lila on the other hand was not amused when she'd found out about her new sibling. It was after school and Abby had picked her up when the announcement was made.

You were having the second trimester symptoms and could not for the life of you do anything extravagant. So you planned a simple reveal of the child to Lila. I'n an envelope you put a photo of your sons ultrasound and wrote a small "Hi big sister" in black sharpie.

"What does it mean by, “Hi big sister?" Lila had asked looking at the ultrasound.

"It means mommy's pregnant, we're having a baby"

Abby announced, joy on her face. The two of you anticipating a shout or cheer from Lila but you got nothing.

"You're going to be a big sister baby, your having a brother!" You tried sounding excited, thinking it would make her feel the same but she just stared at the two of you.

"I don't want a brother. I don't want a baby. Can you get rid of it mommy?" Both you and Abby let out gasps of surprise.

Long story short is that after a few days of icing you out and trying to get you to "give the baby back" Lila had finally come around to the idea of a sibling. Fast forward 2 years later, and the two of them loved each other despite the fact that Lila sometimes grew irritated by her brothers antics.

-

"I know baby but I just can't say no to this cute face." Abby squishes Levi's cheeks and Lila huffs irritatedly.

"Mommy, Abby has to clean it up since she's letting him off the hook." The seven year old announces, grabbing her plate and heading to the kitchen to wash it.

"She's got a point." You smile, patting Abby's shoulder and then pinching the baby who was sat in her arms, smiling with his gummy teeth.

You made your way into the fridge, checking to see that the cake had been untouched, knowing your daughter loved sweets. To your surprise it still sat in its clear box, fresh as ever. You waltzed into the living area, coaxing Lila to get showered and dressed, and then headed into your room to ready yourself.

"Y/N?" You hear Abby's voice call out to you from the room as you're towelling off  inside the ensuite. You exit the room with your towel wrapped around yourself, to see her stood with a sleeping Levi in her arms.

"I was just in the shower, Lev sleeping already?" You ask, walking over to your vanity and grabbing a bottle of lotion. She nods, placing him on the bed and then creating a barrier of pillows to prevent him from falling.

"Is Shay here yet?"

"She's on her way, I should probably get ready as well."

"Good idea baby, I'm gonna get dressed and go check on Lila."

-

After what felt like hours of doing your hair and makeup, doing Lila's hair, finding Abby an appropriate outfit and waiting for the babysitter to arrive. The three of you were finally out of the house with a gift and the box of cake in your lap.

"Hey, you made it." Ellie smiles, opening the door to let you guys in.

"Hi momma" Lila walks over to Ellie and gives her a hug. "Hey baby, is that for me?" Ellie asks referring to the gift bag Lila was holding. "Yes, but you can't open it till after cake" Lila asserts, managing to always find someone to boss around. It was a consequence that came with being a big sister, she thought she could boss her entire family around.

"Hey, thanks for coming and thanks for the cake."Ellie smiles at you and Abby as she motions for you to enter.

"No problem and happy birthday Els." You smile, giving her a friendly hug.

"Happy Birthday Ellie." Abby says, they exchange a civil handshake.

-

You looked around the room and immediately a smile was brought to your face. Sure life had thrown you obstacles that made you believe happiness was far out of reach, but finally you were happy. Your unorthodox family stood around the table singing happy birthday to Ellie.

Lila sitting in her mothers lap, laughing as she sang along to the song. Tommy and Maria and their kids, Joel grumpily singing along, Abby who was new to this but fit right in. You couldn’t complain about all the hurt, the change, the pain , because finally it felt worth it. You were happy.

taglist:

@moonlightdivine @maybe-cece @macaroni676 @sawaagyapong @katiemars @ellieseater @dakota-dream @joliettes @hebrokeimup @bratydoll @wakasaaa @catostrophiclesbian @dinas-a-bird @lazyunknownwerewolf @h3sitant-alien @ceo-of-ellie-simps @mechetegirl109 @kashoot-me269 @lonelyfooryouonly @ellieswifee @doodlebob-mp3 @ellieismami @sl-ut @starhrtz

[crimson-calligraphyx]

Tag List: @cheyfi @kingdomof-omens @daylightlvrs @blade-in-red @ladyveronikawrites @jay02bo @itsmrsfuentes @cncohshit

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, tossing my phone down, and stood from my place on the couch. I returned to the kitchen where my mom and Victoria were having a lively conversation. Not wanting to impede, I simply went back to my task of making eggnog for the holiday, having only the eggs and sugar whipped together. Mom insisted she would start heating the milk in the saucepan while I took Noah's call, but I told her to let it be, knowing our conversation would be short-lived.

"Everything okay?" Vic asks after I slip by them to grab the milk and heavy cream from the refrigerator. "Just peachy," I mumbled, measuring the dairy and pouring it into the pot. I set the burner on medium before turning to the cabinet to grab the nutmeg, "Noah's flight was delayed. Supposedly needed to land elsewhere due to the snow here."

I hear my mom hum sympathetically, placing her hand on my upper back to rub. I shouldered her hand away, not wanting to be touched as I started to stew in aggravation and disappointment. "You know he'll be here, honey," she says calmly. "He's a man of his word." I laughed dryly, sprinkling the spice into the milk. "Sure, he is."

The room became thick with tension, and I felt their eyes on me while I worked away at the eggnog. I kept mine and Noah's dirty laundry packed away with a smile on my face whenever they'd ask how we were doing, but I felt that the facade I displayed was soon going to be torn down. Vic knew me too well for this to go by without some sort of discussion.

Still, I tried my best to keep my walls up and finished putting together the eggnog, placing it in the fridge after covering it properly. I took a deep breath and tacked on a grin before turning to them. "Why don't we open presents?" I asked, hoping to ease the discomfort in the room. I watched my mom's face light up, and she nodded before making her way into the living room where the tree was.

"Liv..." Vic calls my name softly, and I can see the worry strewn across her face when I bring my attention to her. Eyebrows pulled together and lifted, hazel eyes soft as they searched mine for a snippet of what was in my head. I pressed my lips into a saddened smile and averted my gaze from hers, trailing behind my mom before she had a chance to say anything.

We all sat in front of the tree in our matching pajamas, something we always did no matter our age, and handed each other our appropriate gifts. As we tore off the gift wrap, balling it up and tossing it at one another like children, I was able to keep my worries at bay with the laughter that bubbled out of me. The doubts I had were buried deep in the crevices of my mind, forgotten about as I took in the moment for what it was.

I held one of Vic's now-opened gifts in my hands. It was a Homesick candle, the state it represented of course being Virginia. It smelled heavenly; notes of pine needle, fir, and sandalwood. Immediately I'm blanketed in the comforting warmth of childhood memories—my mom's soothing voice, my dad's embrace that I missed dearly, late-night adventures with Vic and Ricky. With a smile, I closed my eyes and inhaled the aroma one more time before putting the lid back on and thanking her. I already couldn't wait to go home and burn it.

Her second gift was less sentimental, but it made me laugh—it was so her. Inside the box sat a silver chain, laid across a card that read 'I'd Help You Bury The Body'. Looking at it closely, there were beads so small that they were nearly flush against the chain in what appeared to be no pattern in particular. However, according to the card, they were strung in a way that displayed the message in Morse code.

I smiled over at her after slipping it onto my wrist, being met with a shit-eating grin. She winked, and I immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. "I knew there was a reason that you're my best friend," I giggled, resting my chin on her shoulder. She squeezes me and slowly rocks us side to side, "Don't fucking forget it, Liv. Miles and time zones away, I'll still find a way to stab a bitch."

At that moment, I realized just how much I missed her. She had been there for me through the thick of it, always encouraging me to stand up for myself. And if I didn't? She had no problem biting someone's head off for me—or anyone, really. I could only imagine what she would have to say if she knew how rocky things have been with Noah lately.

She would, without a doubt, call him up and tell him to pull his head out of his ass amongst other not-so-nice things...but she would also yell at me for drinking because of it. I felt the tears well up just thinking about it. I blinked them away before pulling away from her and thanking her again, promptly handing over the presents I had for her so that the tears wouldn't find their way back.

I had a similar gift, though less vulgar, consisting of best friend necklaces; one adorned with the state of Virginia, the other California. She loved them, but the other gift really won her over, having her throw her head back with laughter. It was a basic T-shirt that read 'ADULT DAYCARE DIRECTOR A.K.A. The Bartender'.

"I took some time putting this together, and I think you'll really like it," Mom tells me as she hands me her gift, a bright smile on her face. I was taken back by the weight of the present, but I returned the smile as I began to tear off the wrapping paper. I soon realized the reason behind the weight—it was a photo album, and jam packed by the looks of it.

My heart swelled as I flipped through the years; there were photos of me as a baby all the way up to present day. My first steps, birthday parties, holidays—my favorite being the year I took the tree down while my dad hoisted me up to top it with the star. There were two pictures of that moment: one as I was stepping into Dad's hands, the other a blurry picture as the tree came crashing down.

I laughed and continued flipping through the album, only for my smile to falter as I reached photos of my wedding.

It truly was a beautiful day; it was everything that I dreamed of, and more. The venue was immaculate, brandished with maroon and notes of silver, the bridesmaids' dresses perfectly matched. The room was filled with bliss, everyone's smiles genuine and bright. I was marrying the man of my dreams, nothing but love and adoration in mine and Noah's eyes as we said 'I do'.

That was the best day of my life, and I felt like I was on top of the world, on Cloud 9. But now? I was falling through that cloud at light speed, and I didn't know how to stop it or slow it down. Things were not the same as they were that day, and I hated it. He no longer looked at me like that, he no longer made a conscious effort in our marriage—it took me breaking down and relapsing for him to notice I wasn't happy.

And even then, things would get better for such a short amount of time that it all felt fabricated, temporary. I was beginning to think that maybe this marriage was temporary, and that broke my fucking heart.

"Olivia, what's wrong?" My mom asks, moving the book and taking hold of my hands, giving them a firm squeeze. "Talk to me baby, why are you crying?" I hadn't realized I was crying until she asked. All I could do was shake my head, not knowing where to begin as the sobs rolled out of my mouth.

"I'm gonna have to beat his ass when he gets here, aren't I?" Vic says, trying to make light of the moment. I wanted to laugh and tell her that it wasn't that serious, but I was too distraught to even crack a smile. I shook my head 'no' and sucked in a choppy breath, trying my best to gather myself as she rubbed circles in my back.

After a few minutes of breathing deeply, I ran my sleeve under my eyes and my nose with a sniffle. "Things just haven't been the best lately," I croaked, my throat raw from how hard I was crying. "What do you mean?" Mom asks gently, taking hold of one of my hands again with a squeeze. "I just feel so alone, so insignificant," I whispered, closing my eyes as tears started to burn them again. "It's all about the music." "Oh, honey," she coos, rubbing my shoulder. "I know it seems that way, but you know that's not true. That man loves you with all his heart."

My lips trembled, once again shaking my head. It sure as Hell didn't feel that way from all the excuses he spewed whenever I voiced my concerns.

"Then why did he take his wedding ring off, mom?" I whimpered, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I found it tucked in my shit when I got back from being on tour with him for a week. And have you noticed the glove on his left hand?" I laughed incredulously when she said she hadn't. "I sure did."

There was a weight in my chest that only got heavier and heavier as they remained silent. Soon enough, that weight pulled my heart straight to the pit of my stomach, churning as the uncertainty of this marriage sank in. The thought of leaving him to never return home, the home that we made our own, made me so sick to my stomach...but maybe it would be easier than hoping things would go back to the way they were.

-

I woke up to the feeling of the comforter being lifted from my body, the chill in the air caressing my shoulder. I kept my eyes shut while the mattress dipped as someone joined me and placed the blanket back where it belonged. I knew it was Noah as he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me against him, kissing my forehead. "I'm sorry," he whispers, followed by a huff as he settles into the mattress. "Me too," I whispered back, still waking up. He rubbed my back, and I relished the warmth that spread from it. "For what, love?"

For doubting that you'd be here, for being an emotional wreck, for drinking.

I sniffled, the remorse heavy and bringing tears to my eyes. "Everything," I struggled to say, trying to hold back a sob. "I told you I'd be here, Liv," he reassures me gently. Another pang of regret hits my chest, "I know, I'm sorry." He moves his hand to my head, running it down the length of my hair, and a comforting tingle runs down my spine. “Shh, enough of that. I’m here now, and we’re still going to celebrate Christmas, even if I’m a day late. Okay?” I nodded against his chest. “Would you like to open your present now? I have it here with me.”

I don't say anything, mulling over his question. He'd have to turn on the light, and he'd know right away that I had not only been crying, but drinking, too.

He huffs and kisses me on my forehead again before getting out of bed and turning the bedside light on. I immediately grimaced from the brightness, a dull ache forming behind my eyes. I rubbed one of my eyes to ease the pain as he turned with my gift in hand, and I watched his face fall when he took a good look at me. I know he knows I've been drinking.

Still, his lips curled up at the corners in a saddened smile as he took a seat, and he held out what appeared to be a wrapped picture frame. I take his gift, giggling at how shitty his wrapping skills still were after three years of trying to teach him how to properly do it.

I sat up before tearing off the paper, my eyes landing on two navy blue hearts, speckled with stars. I gasped, the title reading 'The Night Sky', followed by the dates of our engagement and wedding underneath their corresponding heart. It displayed how the stars aligned at those very moments, and it was beautiful—it filled me with happiness, with validation.

Yet I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face from this rush of guilt I felt due to the doubt I still had. Sure, this was a genuine, sentimental gift, but did it make up for all the forgotten dates and lonely nights?

My chin hits my chest as I crumple forward, sobbing, and Noah takes the gift from my hands before scooping me into his arms. I shoved my head against his chest, clinging onto his shirt, and held him against me while he let me cry.

"Olivia, please," he tries, rubbing my back. "What's going on?" He sways us back and forth gently, but I don't say anything. I can't, I didn't know how. "I-I'm sorry if my gift wasn't what you wanted—" "No," I cut him off when I hear the worry in his voice, and look at him through tear filled eyes. "I-it's everything that I wanted." It wasn't a lie; it was what I wanted, but I couldn't help the uncertainty that I still felt.

"I'm not understanding, Olivia," he says, shaking his head in confusion and holds my face between his hands. "What's got you so upset, then?" He brushes away the tears that fell from my eyes. "I'm scared," I say, my voice quivering. He scrunches his brows, still confused. "Scared of what?"

That this marriage is failing, that things won't go back to the way they were. That I'm losing you.

His eyes darkened with sorrow, bouncing back and forth between mine as he searches for an answer. I couldn't stand the anguish strewn across his face and closed my eyes, letting out a cry from how much it hurt me to admit these things.

Noah whispers my name, and I'm met with the same agonizing stare from him when I open my eyes. "What are you scared of, love?" I open my mouth to speak, but the words don't come out. My throat is dry, my heart is pounding in my chest, and all I can do is continue to look at the distraught expression on my husband's face when I finally say 'Us'.

His eyes gloss over, and it was like I punched him in the chest from the gasp he took. For the second time, I broke his heart. And I hated myself for it, but it needed to be said.

"W-what do you mean, 'us', Liv?" His voice shakes, and I know he's trying to keep his composure. "Look at us, Noah," I choked out. "Have things been okay between us? And don't say yes, because you know that that's not true." His lips parted, but he doesn't say anything. "You were barely home before tour, you constantly forgot about our dates, our anniversary dinner. It was like I didn't even matter to you! And then the ring?" I croaked on the last sentence, my throat burning from trying not to cry. "I-I didn't mean for those things to happen, Liv. And I swear to you, I only wanted the ring to be safe," he tries to reason with me. "I wasn't thinking when I put it in your bag." I shook my head in his hands, "I'm sorry, Noah, but I... I don't believe you." I squeezed my eyes shut; I couldn't bear seeing the despair on his face.

He presses his lips on my forehead, and he lets out a sob as he kisses me, feeling the warmth of his breath ghost over my skin. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Olivia," he whimpers, his mouth still against my forehead. “Please let me fix this. I promise I’ll do whatever it takes. I-I can’t lose you.” His voice cracks, and he rests his forehead against mine. I wrapped my hands around his wrists, holding myself up as I wailed in front of him. I could feel his pulse against my thumbs, pounding with anxiety induced adrenaline, and it made me cry even harder. I knew I was tearing him apart, which in turn was tearing me apart, too.

“Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep, Noah. I can’t handle another broken promise.”

|Chapter 13|

[outlawssweetheart]

Lana sounds like a freaking disaster of a person (I love that) 😭😂

Could you spare more info about her ? Or just about the Black family as a whole ? 👀

Like, Skarlet's and Erron's reaction when they learnt they would be parents, how they raised their daughters and did they raise them in Outworld ? Do the sisters get along ? How would Erron react to his little princess joining the BD ? 🤭

Also since you always insist that Skarlet would love Lana Del Rey, did she name her daughter after her after finding out about her or is it just a personal reference?

AHHHHHH, THANK YOU FOR THIS!! I love yapping about my OCs! 🤗

So, I'll start with her name. She is partly named in honor of Lana Del Rey, though not by Skarlet. By me. Sit back because it's a long story.

During the summer of 2021 (my first year as an MK girlie), I started developing an original story to just help myself write; it was supposed to be kinda dumb and was/is basically an MK fanfic, just to get me comfortable writing, but it ended up quickly becoming a legitimate story. So, I made a character who was my idea of a Skarron baby, and since Skarlet's voice actor is Polish, I just made this character's mom Polish. So, I decided to give her a Polish name, and I saw Lana listed. I thought "Lana Del Rey..." But I also thought of a Twitch streamer Viviana who had a GTA character named Lana Valentine, a messy bad bitch. (I watched her a lot back then, but she sadly doesn't stream anymore from what I've seen. 🥺) So, I named her in honor of both Lana Del Rey and Lana Valentine. 💅🏽

Their first child/daughter is named Elizabeth. Erron chose that name. (I Googled common names in the Old West.) He calls her "Lizzie" most of the time.

When they first learned they were expecting, Skarlet was very happy about it. Erron... was less happy, but he dealt with it and tried to be supportive, but supportive isn't his strong suit.

When Lizzie was born, he was afraid to hold her. (That familial trauma of his hit hard.) Skarlet had to practically force him to hold his daughter. Once he did, everything changed. He became a Dad™️.

I like to think they raised the girls in Earthrealm. Give them a chance at a normal-ish life. Though I suppose they'd probably still do some kind of dangerous jobs for income because that's what they know, and it's what they do best. (And Erron would lose his mind without some "thrills" at least every once in a while. 🙄)

The girls get along well enough. They love each other very much, but Lana is so damn ANNOYING that poor Lizzie can't stand her 47% of the time! 😩

Elizabeth is honestly chill. She's the normal one in the family. She's a social media girlie/wannabe Instagram influencer. She's honestly so boring, and I kind of love that for her.

Erron would literally attempt to murder Kano if Lana joined the Black Dragon. So would Skarlet. I just can't see it working out. And she loves her parents so much that she would just have to find something else to do.

Skarlet & Erron are definitely the weird parents who talk about their past shenanigans in front of the girls' friends, unsettling the poor kids.

If they live in Earthrealm, then they live in Texas! Somewhere like Austin, probably. Erron would only step foot back in Wickett to visit his sister and her family. (She has 2 or 3 kids of her own.)

Skarlet is so overprotective of her girls! Like, overbearingly so. Lana can't stand it, and Erron (free bird that he is) thinks she needs to "let up on" them.

I think that's all I have for now. 🫶🏽

(Lana Black, for those who don't know her, for context.)

[bobbinalong]

Your “Steph keeps the kid” au is incredible! Do you have ideas about the relationships between little Allie and the batfamily? Does she call them Aunts and Uncles? What about Young Justice? Are they the uncles and aunts as well? Sorry I am having a lot of emotions.

I'm so happy people are liking that AU, honestly. I've been meaning to draw some more of it, so I think that I will be doing tomorrow. As for your questions: I hadn't invested too much thought in it, but this is a perfect excuse to do that. So! We're doing this from youngest to oldest. (This is gonna be way too long.)

Damian, when he comes along, is faced with a rambunctious three-year-old who wants to be his very best friend. He's not used to other children, he's not used to the idea of a big family, he just pushed her step-dad off a dinosaur. She does not care. And he gets used to that eventually. I don't think she'd ever necessarily call him uncle (they're only like seven years apart), but they are close. Having another kid around does him some good.

Sorta skipping Duke because I haven't read enough of his comics, BUT I know he's cool with Cassandra and Damian, who are both more than cool with Steph and Allie, so they'd hang out eventually. He's a bit of a daredevil, I know that much, and a bit of a nerd, and I think Allie would like him. If he wants to be Uncle Duke (it's not like Bruce ever officially adopted him, his mom's still around, but he IS part of the Batfam), he'd absolutely get to be.

Young Justice don't find out for a while. Mostly because they don't even know exactly who Robin is. I think they'd just ... as a collective be very surprised by their sixteen-year-old teammate having a (step)child, but they took Anita having to raise her re-incarnated infant parents so well, I frankly don't think anything would throw them for long. They're some of Tim's best friends, they'll grow into being this kid's aunts and uncles. (Bart's her favourite.) (Because he's mine.)

Cass absolutely adores this kid. They first meet when Cass breaks into Steph's room (the only time Steph ever gets the jump on her), and she's not letting go. Steph brings her around the clock tower sometimes. Practicing to read is easier when you do it for a curious little girl. The baby doesn't expect long conversations. Cass has no experience with babies but she knows exactly what not to do, so what can go wrong, right? And she absolutely insists on being Aunt Cass.

I'm skipping Jason because frankly, I don't know enough about him to talk about him in any capacity. I know even less about him than Duke.

Dick is Tim's big brother. He almost fell off a roof when Tim told him his girlfriend was pregnant. He is not ready for his baby bro to have a baby of any kind, step or otherwise. But Tim's a good kid and Steph seems to be one, too, even if Bruce doesn't always seem to think so, and they're gonna need all the help they can get, and he's not immediately gonna take off his mask, but fuck it, he's Uncle Nightwing now. And Uncle Dick eventually.

Babs is ... not too keen on a baby in the clocktower at first. Or on Steph, even, when she's vigilanty-ing. But Tim's her bud and it's not like he's gonna change his mind on any of this, and Steph's stubborn as hell, too, and at least Cassandra is practicing her letters when Allie's around, so. O well. She comes around to her eventually. And probably doesn't want to be Aunt Barbara at first but ends up being exactly that, anyway.

Bruce is. Tricky? He's very hot and cold on Steph. He doesn't want Tim to reveal his identity to her until he does (and then does it himself), so he's not happy when Tim takes that step without consulting him in this AU. Allie's also born during No Man's Land, so at that time, he has bigger fish to fry. Jack and Dana are still around, too, so he's not yet Tim's (adoptive) father. He's not terribly involved in Allie's life, I think. And he still dies soon after Damian comes along and I'm not yet sure if I'm resurrecting him. So. I think they're getting closer before he dies, but no Grandpa Bruce in this AU, unfortunately.

Alfred seems to be very protective of Tim. He's angry with both Bruce and Steph when Bruce tell her who Tim his. (Which doesn't happen here, but. Just as a baseline.) I think he wouldn't be too excited about Steph at first. He's an old man. Maybe a little old-fashioned, too. But I think once he's sure that Tim is safe and happy and that this is what he wants, he'd get right to making cucumber sandwiches for Steph, too. His boys are just always his first priority.

And ... that's the main fam, right? I think. I hope. All the people I can say anything about in any case. This isn't the absolute happiest of AUs, but it is happy-ish. And it does end in relative harmony.

Thank for the ask. Hope I answered it properly. Feel always free to send more, if you read all that, haha.

[journey-to-the-attic]

Can't wait for the new chapter!!!!

While I wait for the chapter however, I keep thinking of an IK who's actually a hybrid between and angel and a human (aka her mom was an angel and fell in love whit her dad and stuff and that's why she left in the first place)

I keep imagining that one day,as she's hanging out whit the bros and Solomon wings just suddenly pop out of her back and she's like "oh" while the brothers are FREAKING.OUT.

ATHEY CALL UP SIMEON AND DIAVOLO OUT OF PURE PANIC AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT TF IS GOING OUT WHIT THEIR HUM- ERR..ANGEL?

also if you could write some hcs abt this?? If you want to ofc ^^ ♡

one minute ik's having a perfectly nice day and the next she's on the floor because those wings are HEAVY

this is a super interesting concept!! i'd be happy to brainstorm some ideas ^^

there are Implications and Logistics of ik's mother being an angel, so let's imagine there's some kind of god barrier override that would let a low-level angel (i.e. one that god isn't paying much attention to) sneak out of the celestial realm without being noticed, and that's how that happens

(the idea that an angel snuck out of heaven, made it down to earth, then saw ik's dad and was immediately like 'oh but i must' is so funny)

(given how he fares in the ddvd au, this seems to just be the effect zhao has on demon and angelkind alike)

either she somehow sneaks back to the celestial realm or is still living in hiding on earth, but it doesn't really matter much for the purposes of ik being a hybrid

i imagine that being exposed to the magic of the devildom and other angels for a long time has 'awakened' her more angelic traits, so to speak?

anyway first things first

ik is panicking because she can't actually balance with these massive fucking wings on her back, so she literally can't stand up until simeon manages to get her to retract them

everyone else is panicking because shit this is really bad actually

like, if word gets out to the celestial realm - who knows what could happen?? the high council could very feasibly declare ik under their jurisdiction, being part angel, and then it'd just be free reign for whatever they wanted to do

there's solomon, who could claim guardianship since ik's still part human, but he's just one human - plus, with how autocratic the celestial realm is, it's very doubtful they'd listen to him

so, while diavolo, lucifer, solomon and simeon are deliberating how to handle the whole situation, ik's trying to figure out what the HELL just happened

they're fledgling wings, so they're covered in silvery down and can't actually be used to fly yet, but they're still so heavy

ik does not want this (no offence to her angel friends), and to be honest she'd be a lot happier if the wings disappeared and never came back

it kind of sucks for a while - whenever she gets stressed out, the wings unfold, and every single time they bring her straight down to the ground

sometimes it feels like she's suffocating in them and it just makes things worse

some of the brothers are more conflicted about this than others - but it's not like this changes the fact that one of their own is in distress, so ultimately they're still all focused on taking care of her

asmo knows what it's like to hate your wings, so he's extra careful to be there as soon as ik gets stressed. he very affectionately calls it 'going feathery', and he'll stay there for as long as ik needs until the wings go away. sometimes he'll brush the feathers

lucifer's mainly just worried about ik's safety, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy teaching her the ropes of having feathery wings. he promises to teach her to fly properly once her flight feathers come in, and the fact that he seems to be looking forward to it makes ik feel a little better

mammon's VERY insistent that this doesn't change anything. see, he can still pick ik up just fine, even with the extra weight of the wings! so don't be sad, because it's not as if this matters a jot to him!

there's a sort of identity crisis to be had here... ik doesn't know how to see herself anymore - human or angel? she's lived her whole life fully believing she was just human, but now that the wings are such an invasive part of her life, she can't just ignore the angel part

solomon does his best to reassure her - as far as he's concerned, she's still an essential example of humanity, and so will always be firmly under his protection

but luke does a better job, because his view of the matter is very simple: to him, there's no point in putting her in either camp exclusively. ik is his best friend, and that's the important part, whether human or angel

(though a part of him is kind of happy about the news - even if he feels really bad about it)

ultimately, this is the view the others decide on too

ik being part angel doesn't change anything about what she did - because you don't have to be an angel to keep choosing kindness the way she does

it's a bit of a weird situation overall, because there's not exactly been other well-known hybrids that they could seek out advice from; if they do exist, they have to have been lying very low to avoid the celestial realm's persecution

that's all i have for now!! sorry it was mostly more angsty things, but there's a lot to do with this prompt, so i'd be happy to talk more about it in future!!!

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for kidnapping a kid and killing one of his parents?

Just so its clear I do think I'm the asshole here, But my friends associates think I'm being to hard on myself. Anyway, I (M108) work for this science place and have for a long time at this point (Their the reason I've lived so long), I'll admit that joining wasn't entirely of my own volition, I was a mercenary and I did some jobs that pissed them off so they tried to kill me and after defending myself I told them I'd be a lot less of a problem if they just hired me outright, I knew they'd keep sending people after me and didn't want to have to keep traveling just to live. They took me up on the offer and I became their boogeyman. Eventually, they send me to retrieve this sample they really needed, only it turned out this sample was a kid. I didn't say anything but I was really uncomfortable with this the moment I found out- I don't like hurting kids, eventually, we're grabbing the kid and the dad really doesn't want to let him go and I end up shooting him, I hated it immediately afterwards but didn't show any regret because I try not to let my employer know how I'm feeling at any given moment, but we get the kid, lock the mom back up as a backup and leave.

A long time later, mom (Lets call her M) gets out and is really pissed about the whole kidnapping thing, which she should be, I had something similar happen to me with my wife and kid and I acted just like that, anyway, she tracks me down with some help and kills me, but afterwards I end up stuck around her and another guy (M??) we'll call N, Anyway, I still think I'm the worst thing thats ever happened to her and try not to talk much, but eventually she ends up in a really shitty situation and I have to take charge to get her and N out. Cats out of the bag and all. Then she tries to talk to me and apparently she feels bad for me because she went through my memories to try and find her kid? Like, Ok a bit weird but what the fuck. I try and tell her no its ok, I was an awful person and deserved to die anyway but she's weirdly insistent that I'm some kind of victim to, like some weird twisted coping I guess, Like sure my employers weren't exactly the best at human rights and viewed me as nothing more then a tool to be used, but thats what I am, Its what I agreed to be, besides the whole surgeries without anesthetic didn't bother me to much after the pain inhibitor got put in anyway. I continued to argue with M but she wasn't having it and eventually N had to break us up, She still insists I'm not as bad as I think I am but I couldn't disagree more, so can you finally settle this and convince her to drop the whole thing?

AITA?

[thruheavenandhighwater]

Pairing: Eddie Munson/ Steve Harrington

Requested By: NA

Word Count: 2,932

Series Summary: Eddie left Hawkins in 1986 with no reason to ever return. But now, a few years have passed and life has changed. Eddie finally returns home and has to deal with everything he left behind, including Steve Harrington. This story starts in May 1991.

Chapter Summary: A peek into the Munson's future together. This takes place in 2008.

Stranger Things Masterlist

Steddie Masterlist

Series Masterlist

~~~~~

"We're gonna be late!" Eddie called up the stairs for the third time in five minutes. "Listen, I know I'm cooler than Dad, but you don't have to be exactly like me, Lu!"

Lucy bounded down the stairs with a smile. Her hair and makeup were done, dress on, shoes in hand. She sat on the bottom step and slid one tan sandal onto her foot, fussing with the buckle as she did her best to fasten it as quickly as possible.

"She's not exactly like you, babe," Steve said, rounding the corner to join them at the stairs. "Lucy's graduating on her first try."

"And you're not cooler than Dad," Lucy said as she stood from the step. "I just tell you that so you'll let me borrow the car."

"I've been doomed to live the rest of my mortal life in a family of really mean, not funny comedians."

As much as Eddie whined and complained when Lucy and Steve would gang up on him, he wouldn't trade it for anything. The past seventeen years with them had been the best of his life. Probably the best years ever, if he were to guess.

Eddie and Steve had become official two days after Eddie kissed him in front of his uncle's house. Three months later he and Lucy moved into Steve's apartment. Then, once Lucy was old enough to need her own room, into an even bigger apartment. And finally, in 2001, they bought their forever home. It wasn't anything fancy. Two floors, three bedrooms. But it was theirs. They were even able to get themselves a dog. Not a golden retriever, to Steve's dismay. But a big, hyper German shepherd that Lucy had named Sully. Their life was perfect.

Together they'd seen it all. Lost baby teeth and skinned knees. Lucy's first crush and school dances. Even a trip to California the year Lucy found out about "gay days" at Disneyland and absolutely insisted they all go as a family. "You guys are gay!" She said almost too excitedly, earning exhausted eyerolls from both of them. "It's like, meant for you!"

They'd only heard from Billie twice since that November day in 1991. Once, when Lucy was six she'd tried to take Eddie to court again. But when her lawyer showed up and she didn't, the case was dismissed. And then earlier this year she'd found Lucy online and wished her a happy 18th birthday, two weeks after her 17th birthday. It had hurt Eddie to see her so upset, clinging to Sully as she asked her dads why she didn't have a mom like everyone else's.

But through it all, their little family stayed strong. When Wayne fell at work and cracked a rib, Steve was there every morning to check on him. And when Steve's mom passed away from liver failure, Eddie had held him every night for eight months while he mourned a woman who had been out of his life by her own choice for nearly a decade.

"Call your grandpa and tell him we're on the way," Steve said as he opened the door to usher Lucy and Eddie outside. He loved both of them more than anything, he really did, but the Munson gene of being habitually late to everything was not going to work. Not today.

Once they arrived at the high school Lucy had just enough time to run inside and slip into her rented green robe. Eddie, Wayne, and Steve bid her goodbye and good luck, each of them giving her a hug before watching her walk through the glass doors of Hawkins High.

The ceremony itself was exactly the same as Eddie and Steve remembered. The principal led the faculty out onto the stage, where they all sat in a line of folding chairs behind him. He gave a speech, more or less the same speech he'd given at every commencement ceremony he'd ever done.

"And now," he said, the microphone cracking with feedback as he picked up the stack of note cards he'd been reading from. "The valedictorian of Hawkins High School class of 2008, Lucy Munson."

Eddie and Steve stood from their seats immediately. They both clapped and loudly shouted as they watched Lucy walk to the podium. Wayne clapped along with them, staying in his seat and tucking his cane between his knees. Eddie didn't even try to hide the few tears that were falling down his cheeks as he watched his daughters brown curls bounce over the shoulders of her green robe. He felt Steve's arm wrapped around his back. He leaned his head onto his shoulder, wiping his cheeks. The two sat down as Lucy cleared her throat, leaning away from the microphone just like Eddie had taught her. He placed his hand on Steve's knee with a sigh.

"How did we raise a valedictorian?" Steve asked. He could hear the pride in his voice.

"No idea," he answered quietly. "More importantly, how the fuck is Higgins still principal?" Steve giggled, pressing his cheek into Eddie's hair as Lucy began to give the speech she'd written.

"To all of the family and friends with us today, I want to say thank you, from all of us, for being here. It wasn't an easy road for any of us, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that it means a lot to us for you all to be here."

"She's good," Steve sighed.

"She gets it from me," Eddie answered with a shrug.

Steve laughed just a little. He turned his head, his lips resting atop Eddie's head. He closed his eyes as he kissed Eddie's hair. It took everything Steve had not to cry. He listened to Lucy through the speakers, talking about her teachers and her memories of her time in school. But all he could think of, all he could see in his mind, was Lucy at six months old. The day he met her. The day he knew that he was going to love her for the rest of his life.

He heard her start to talk about prom and how it was the last time their class would all be together, hearing the smile in her voice. He remembered eight months ago when he took her to the small bridal shop in town. The way her eyes lit up just like Eddie's did when she found the perfect dress to wear, a baby blue strapless gown. He remembered the way he and Eddie had both shed a tear the exact moment her dates car turned the corner.

"And finally, before I hand the ceremony back over to Mr. Higgins, I want to take a moment to thank the men who raised me to be the person I am today." All three of them sat at attention when they heard her sniffle into the mic. Steve turned to face the stage just in time to see her reach up and wipe her nose before resuming her speech.

"My dads, Steve and Eddie Munson. The best dads anyone could ever hope to have. And my wonderful, funny grandpa Wayne." Lucy sniffled once more, taking a deep breath as she looked up to the stands, easily finding her family in the front row.

"I'm lucky enough to be loved by the three most incredible men in the world. I was raised in a house full of music, and fun, and terrible jokes, and love. From Sunday night football with my grandpa, to dinner time dance offs in the kitchen with my dad. Even having to listen to Anthrax while my daddy taught me to drive last year."

By now even Wayne was getting misty eyed. Eddie nudged him with his elbow, smiling as his own tears fell freely over his cheeks.

"They have always done so much for me. My entire life none of them have ever told me 'no.' Perks of being the only child and the only grandchild," she joked, earning wet giggles from the three of them.

"But the most important thing they've ever given me was my attitude. My adventurous and hardheaded spirit. They worked together for the last seventeen years to teach me that life… Man, life is though. But Munson's are tougher. And for that, I want to loudly and proudly say thank you. And I love you all more than words could ever say. Thank you."

There was not a dry face to be found among the Munson family as Lucy took a step back from the podium. Eddie's chest swelled with pride as he watched her walk across the stage, down the stairs and to her seat. Lucy was happy. She was healthy and thriving in a town that he had tried so hard to get away from.

The following afternoon was Lucy's graduation party. Steve stood at the grill in their backyard, burning hotdogs and burgers for their friends. Eddie was playing his favorite role, busy housewife. He was in and out the back door a thousand times. Bringing more meat to Steve for the grill, refilling drinks, opening fresh bags of Doritos.

"Daddy, relax!" Lucy called from the picnic table she was sat at with her friends. "Sit down and eat something before dad yells at you."

Steve clicked his tongs twice in her direction. She was right and everyone at the party knew it. Eddie rolled his eyes dramatically and picked up a green paper plate from the stack on the food table. He sidled up to Steve and bumped his hip into him.

"Scared of your daughter?" Steve asked with a smile as he turned a row of hotdogs.

"No," Eddie scoffed. "Scared of your daughter. She's mean when she acts like you."

"Sometimes you need to be humbled," Steve answered with a shrug. Eddie smiled as he wrapped one arm around Steve's waist. He turned to look over his shoulder. He saw Lucy surrounded by her friends, laughing as one boy snapped off pictures with his new digital camera - a graduation gift.

"She's a good kid, huh?" Eddie asked, his eyes still on Lucy. Though she was nearly grown, he had a hard time looking at her and seeing anything other than the half bald little baby he'd brought back to Hawkins seventeen years before.

"She's an awesome kid," Robin stated matter of factly, suddenly standing on Steve's other side. Eddie jumped higher than he thought was possible, muttering a string of profanity under his breath as he begged his heart to stop beating out of his chest. Robin laughed, shaking her head as she held her plate out in front of her. "Man, that never gets old. Honestly, though, you did a good job on her."

"What about me?" Steve asked, his mock offense almost seeming real.

"I watched her drink pickle juice out of the jar when she was nine," Robin told him, her voice suddenly very serious and monotone. "I have yet to be given a reason that that wasn't your influence at work."

Steve scoffed and dropped a burnt hotdog on her plate. "The only influence I've had on her is that she brushes her hair every day. Other than that, poor girl is all Munson." Eddie let out a small laugh, his smile bright as he looked down to his feet. Steve nudged his shoulder with his own, pulling his attention back to him. "But, I guess there are worse things."

Lucy's party spanned the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. All of her aunts and uncles made appearances, bringing with them hugs and cards and congratulations. Lucy spent most of her party alternating between spending time with her friends and running around with the kids who were, for lack of a better word, her cousins. Watching her play hide and seek with Max and Lucas's twins was nearly enough to bring a tear to Steve's eye.

Eventually, the sun began to set and their friends and family slowly started to trickle out. Lucy hugged Will and Jack goodbye, ruffling their daughters hair as they turned to leave. As they walked around the house to their car Lucy walked over to where her dads were standing with Robin, watching the last few embers of the grill die down.

She had her hands clasped in front of her as she walked. She ducked her head, revealing the best puppy dog eyes Roane County had ever seen when she finally looked up at Eddie. The picture of innocence.

"Daddy?" She started quietly. "Can I pretty pretty please stay the night at Lindsay's?"

Eddie looked over her shoulder to where the friend in question was sat on a patio chair, anxiously watching the interaction. "Dunno, kid," Eddie started with a sigh. "It's a Sunday. Don't you have school tomorrow?"

Lucy immediately dropped the innocent, pleading act and turned to Steve. "Dad? Please?" Steve looked from Lucy to Eddie, who was wearing the textbook definition of a shit eating grin.

"Oh, be nice," Robin admonished him, landing a soft smack to his shoulder.

"Fine," Steve relented. Lucy bounced on her toes, Lindsay stood from the patio seat behind her. The girls ran into the house, Steve calling out behind them. "We're doing thank you cards tomorrow!"

A few minutes later Lucy reappeared in the doorway. She stuck her head out and announced that she and Lindsay were leaving.

"Get your ass over here," Eddie told her. She rolled her eyes, set her bag by the door and walked towards her dads and her aunt. "Just 'cause you think you're grown now don't mean you can get out of hugs, young lady."

Lucy hugged each of them before retrieving her bag. She turned back to them, "Love you guys!" She called out, waiting for a chorus of the same sentiment in return before letting the door fall closed behind her.

Eddie leaned into Steve's side, hugging him close as they listened to the girls leaving for the night. Steve wrapped his arm around Eddie's shoulders, pulling him tightly to himself and placing a kiss to the top of his head. "We should make a new baby," Eddie sighed. "Ours is old now."

"We haven't had any luck yet, but I do love trying," Steve answered, his voice low as he purred the final words. Eddie lifted his head only enough to capture Steve's lips with his own.

"Disgusting," Robin gagged dramatically.

"Don't you have your own house you could be at?" Eddie asked, dropping his forehead to Steve's shoulder.

"But I wanna hang out with my husband," she whined. "And my husband's husband."

Eddie sighed, moving to hide his smile against Steve's shoulders. "That joke hasn't been funny for like, 15 years."

"It was actually never funny," Steve asserted. "It's always stupid. Can't believe you thought I'd marry her."

"It was funny for a little bit, baby," Eddie told him softly.

"It was kinda hot that you got all jealous on me," he relented. "I liked seein' ya get all squirmy on that stool when you thought you didn't have a chance."

Eddie smiled up at him as the sun continued its descent in the distance. He moved forward, kissing him softly. He heard Robin groan behind him. He felt Steve smile into the kiss. For a moment he considered putting on a show, just to annoy her. He moved his hands to the hem of Steve's old t shirt, his skin soft and warm against his palms. Just as he was beginning the move up towards his chest, taking the cotton with him, she spoke up.

"Okay, oh my god," she whined. "I'm leaving. At least wait until I'm out of earshot to start your nastiness, please."

Both men hugged her tightly before she rounded the side of the house. They listened, waiting for her usual send off. They heard her car door close, then the engine roared to life. "Peace out, husbands!" Before she backed out of the driveway and turned left towards home.

Steve and Eddie began to clear up from the party. Eddie followed Steve around with a trash bag, holding it open for him. They moved the grill back to its spot on the back porch. Eddie complained about having to eat leftover hot dogs for a week as they packed away the uneaten food. He was placing a plastic bowl full of Wayne's famous potato salad when Steve appeared suddenly behind him.

Steve placed his hands on Eddie's hips. His lips ghosted over the sensitive skin of his neck. His hand began to move, his fingertips dipping into the waist of his jeans.

"I got a hot dog for you right now," he whispered.

Eddie shivered against him. "I hate that I'm already in love with you," he sighed. "That was the worst fucking pick up line I've ever heard."

"But did it work?"

"Yes, but I'm homophobic now."

Steve chuckled, his lips curling into a smile against Eddie's skin. He pulled his hands away from Eddie only long enough for him to turn around. They heard the refrigerator door close behind them as Steve led Eddie upstairs. They both giggled as they almost tripped over Sully, sleeping at the bottom of the stairs. Once they were upstairs, in their bedroom at the end of the hallway, they were like kids again. Neither said as much, but both of them knew that no matter what, they'd always be those two early twenty-somethings who were hopelessly in love and trying to figure out life together some seventeen years ago.

~~~~~

previous part

~~~~~

Oh, how I've loved sharing this story with you all. I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing this. Also! I used my own baby pictures for this because it felt weird to me to try to find pictures of random children online. Please appreciate how cute I used to be 😅

I'm going to make an official post in a few days, but I figured I'd let my loyal readers know first. I'm not at all ready to leave these boys and their little family behind. So I'm asking for requests for them! If there is anything you'd like to see the Munsons get up to, please let me know!!

[curryfury13]

Hello again!!

I'm back again for the next retrospective of my first ever fan-fiction, True Friends. This time, I'm going through the second and third chapters.

As a reminder, you can click on the banners to go read the chapters for yourself in full. I'll just be giving some commentary about them about where I was as a creator at the time and my thoughts.

Thank you for reading!

Hinata awakens!

And I've realized I had her awaken with brown eyes, rather than golden as she has in the rest of the story. Ah well!

There's little bits of description in this chapter that have still held up for me, but I was still very much to the point and direct with a lot. Still caught up in the, much to do, much to see. Chop chop! It's fun to see at the beginning, considering things slow down soon when I get caught up in the fun of being on Destiny Islands.

I remember when I chose the name Aiko. I thought I was so clever! If any of my old readers are going through this, did I trick any of you with that? I'm certain I didn't. I won't say the spoiler on the off chance someone is reading this that doesn't know, but Aiko is something Hinata still refers to in her current story. It's stuck around even after all this time! Even if I cringe a little bit every time I use it. I will keep insisting on its usage.

And then we get to Kairi and Sora beginning their research about her memories! I liked this concept. I still do in theory. It reminded me a bit of the Twilight Town shenanigans and the 7 Wonders in Sunset Terrace. But, I will be honest, I was coming up with that "research" for Sora and Kairi on the fly and it shoooows in later chapters.

Outlines are important, guys!

"That would be nice," Riku unknowingly said aloud.

A sigh escaped Riku's lips as he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, thinking about Hinata. He remembered that she looked about the same age as him, and maybe she would end up being in the same grade.

"Excuse me Riku," Riku's History teacher, Mr. Zhoa called; bringing him out of his thoughts and making him look up front at the teacher. "You think that forcing children to do manual labor would be 'nice'?"

----

When I tell you I thought this was hilarious writing back when I wrote it... I thought I was the bee's knees. And who, may I ask, also picks up on the super subtle ATLA reference with Zhoa as the history teacher, soon to also be the sparring teacher? That's right. I was both amusing and with the times a decade ago.

There's so many lines in this series that make me groan now days. That sort of groan that actually aches your soul a little bit, like why did I do this? Ok, maybe that's a little bit dramatic. It's more like when Facebook likes to remind me of a status I wrote when I was in junior high and thought I was hip and everyone just needed to know when I needed a snickers.

In the end though, both those statuses and those silly lines aren't bad. Sure, they might make me groan a bit or snicker, but they are harmless and fun, too. And why can't we all have fun with storytelling?

Moving on with the rest of the chapter, we had Sora and Kairi getting to meet Hinata officially! It was all under the guise of the "research" that quickly led to Kairi's adopted parents also adopting Hinata. Like a domino effect, I guess. There was a cleaner way to do it, but I understand the reason I went with it the way I did. Kairi's family already handled this in the past, they'd be the go-to people for it again. I don't think the research needed to be tangled up in it.

It is also where we first learn that Aiko isn't Hinata's younger sister's real name, but a nickname! This was an interesting concept to me and is why I'm not sure I like Aiko for it. The idea behind it, that I don't recall if I ever really explored in the story, is that Hinata's parents were split on the name for her sister. Mom wanted Aiko, Dad wanted the other name that ended up getting chosen. After she was born, the mother continued using her chosen name, claiming it as a nickname.

In that sense Aiko works. Without that explanation, Aiko isn't like her real name at all and is just confusing as to why it's used. It's my story, so why didn't I put that explanation in from the beginning? It's because I didn't think of that explanation at the time and figured it out later.

Another point goes towards story planning!! And multiple drafts, I suppose.

[theresnohopelivinghere]

The Journal of Emme Walker, May 2019

If you walk the streets at night in Hope, there will be no hope for you.

My grandparents used to tell me that all the time when I was a little girl.  Even from a young age, I never took it seriously.  I was a prideful child.  I thought I was invincible and that nothing could take me down.  That’s probably why my mom, bless her heart, had such a hard time coming to terms with my rampant curiosity and my thirst for adventure.  But my grandparents would not be deterred from scaring some sense into me.

The thing about rural towns is that people love to make up stories about them to make them seem more interesting or just to pass the time.  Hope is no different.  It was once an out-of-the-way town out by the sea, in the middle of nowhere.  I’m talking about dusty roads, ample farming, spotty local transportation, stores that looked like they came straight out of a black-and-white film, and older residents living the last of their lives in the one place they’ve always called “home”.  

It used to be that I’d just spend my summers there with my grandparents, helping out with their garden while partaking of the harvest.  But after my dad died, my mom moved back there and I went to school there from grades 4 to 6.  We moved before the development push.  She was offered a cushy job in a city she'd always wanted to live in that would allow the two of us to live comfortably into the foreseeable future.  A get-out-of-rural-jail card, if you will.

Seriously. According to her, it was our one escape out of a town that had proven itself to be anything but idyllic. If she hadn't taken it...well, things would be very different.

She's not a fan of me going back there to interview people for my dissertation. Which is funny because growing up, she'd tell off my grandparents whenever they'd tell me all the stories about all the terrible monsters that lurked within the town of Hope. All the old folks in town had their own stories about what happened to children if they stayed out too late at night or didn't trust their intuition.  Mom didn't believe in using scary stories to ensure that kids behaved themselves.  She told me that if she wanted me to behave myself and be a good girl, she’d just say so.  But my grandparents wouldn’t listen.  They insisted on me telling me these tales so that I could protect myself. Because there were too many instances of children who disappeared because they weren't warned properly.

I'm glad they did. Mom won't admit it, but she's glad, too. And yet here I am, on my way back to that town, ready to hear the stories of the children who didn't escape from the elders that still remain. Hope may be different now - young families moved in to take their place and brought with them the promise for gentrification. Shopping, entertainment, the town holds its own.  The local elementary school is top notch and so is the high school. There’s train service that links up to the other parts of town as well as the bigger cities, and paved roads that get you to the highway system.  You can go everywhere now.

And yet...

I know studying modern folklore and urban legends in the town of her birth won't get me a cushy job in a corporate office but this is something I want to do. Have to do, even. The tale of a seaside town plagued with paranormal activity, rumored to be once started by and controlled by a mysterious cult who swore allegiance to malicious entity who has been around since time immemorial until one they just disappeared - it's all very juicy stuff.

I’m not sure what I'm doing with all this. Why I'm going back. Everyone says if you brush against the shadows of Hope and survive, you should never come back. But that's why I have to. Come back. If there’s one thing that living in Hope has taught me, it’s that old habits die hard and old legends never die. I can feel the shadows stirring again, unhappy that they've been forgotten. They want the people to remember...to fear their power. I can feel the chill in my bones, and the terror squeezes my heart like a vice. I don't know what I'm trying accomplish, but I know I have to do something. For my mother and my grandparents. And for the children who couldn't escape the shadows.

Including the boy I loved.