#{ I don't remember which issue this is from but I had it saved so!! }

[imagine-you]

50 Ways To Say Goodbye [Erik Campbell/Reader] 1/3

Summary: 7 times you killed Erik and 1 time you saved him: Erik Campbell is more to you than just the boy the next door. He's your best friend's brother and your first love. As far as you're concerned, he's your only love. But love brings heartache and anger, and with every heartbreak, you decide to find new and inventive ways to dull the pain. So what if that means claiming he died in a horrific accident? No one ever said true love is easy. Word Count: 5.1k Author's Note: So people on tiktok designated 50 Ways To Say Goodbye by Train as a Final Destination song and then this fic was born. It's lowkey inspired by a bunch of different romcoms, so I hope y'all like it! This starts when they're young, so I figured I would gif a younger Erik.

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The first time you killed Erik it was because of an innocent game of make-believe. You and Julia were princesses from rival kingdoms and Erik was supposed to be your knight in shining armor. He was supposed to ride in on his makeshift steed and ward off the legions of the undead that Julia had set upon your kingdom before waking you from the curse with true love's kiss.  

Halfway through rescuing you from the tree house that served as your castle, Erik gave up in pursuit of the ice cream truck that was slowly passing by your house.  

Once you realized you weren’t going to be saved, you reluctantly climbed down from your tree house and gave up on the game altogether. 

"What happened to Erik?" Julia asked, glancing around your backyard for her brother as she walked towards you. "Did he go home? We weren't done yet!" 

"No," you answered, scowling towards the Campbell house just next door. "A dragon got him. A big one. Burned him to ash," you seethed with all the fury your little seven-year-old body could withstand. Your prince had deserted you for a dessert and you felt betrayed. 

"Ouch," Erik called as he approached you. "Hope I went fast," he quipped before holding out a popsicle to Julia.  

"Thanks, Kiki," she said, offering Erik a sunny grin. 

You rolled your eyes, annoyed that Julia had forgiven Erik so easily. He couldn't just abandon you and expect for everything to turn out peachy.  

"Oh! And what's this? For my princess," Erik continued, revealing the popsicle he had hidden behind his back. He offered you a smile as he handed it to you. "Do you forgive me?"  

You glared at Erik for a good three seconds before you finally caved and snatched the popsicle out of his hand. "Just don't do it again," you warned, tearing open the wrapper and delighting in the fact that Erik remembered your favorite flavor.  

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Erik vowed before using his finger to place an 'x' over his heart.  

"Or I'll stick a needle in your eye," you finished, giggling when Julia snorted so hard she nearly dropped her popsicle on the ground. 

Two years later, you were in third grade and walking home from the bus stop. Julia was home sick, so you only had Bobby for company on the short walk back to your houses. Erik usually walked Bobby home, but he had gone MIA at some point and wasn't on the bus by the time school was over. 

Bobby was only six and didn't have much to talk about except for a girl who kept stealing his favorite color of crayon when they had art time.  

"Have you told the teacher?" You asked, hating that someone was picking on Bobby. With the Campbells as your lifelong neighbors, you had been there for Bobby his whole life. Julia was practically your best friend since birth, which meant that you had come to see Bobby as a little brother. "Maybe I should talk to this girl," you suggested, wanting to ward anyone off from hurting Bobby. He was far too sweet to cause trouble, but you had no issue sticking up for him.  

"Told the teacher what?" You heard someone call and looked up to see Erik waiting on the sidewalk in front of the Campbell house. He looked paler than usual and his hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat.  

"What happened to you?" You figured maybe Erik wasn't on the bus because he went to a friend's house after school, but he was leaning against the Campbell's mailbox like he had been waiting there a while. 

"Julia gave me the plague," Erik answered, sniffling and wiping his nose on the sleeve of his shirt. "Started running a fever so they sent me home. I didn't want Bobby walking home alone, though, but looks like you've got that covered. Thanks for that," he continued with a nod at you. 

"At least you got to go home early," you pointed out. "And I bet you won't even have to go to school tomorrow." 

"Yeah," Erik sighed, reaching out to ruffle Bobby's hair as he passed him. "But hey, if you wanna skip school," Erik started before reaching out to grab your hand.  

You instinctively tried to pull it back, but he held on tight. You had known Erik for long enough to know that the grin on his face never meant anything good. You were proven right when he brought your palm up to his face and licked a stripe right across it.  

"Ew! Erik!" You managed to pull your hand back, looking up at him in horror.  

"One get out of school free card right there," he proclaimed with a proud grin on his face. "Now, we're even," he said before turning to walk up the lawn towards his house.  

You stood there, stunned and disgusted, before dashing for your house. You slammed the front door open before rushing towards the downstairs bathroom.  

"Sweetie?" Your mom called, appearing in the doorway. "What's wrong?" 

"Erik," you seethed as you washed your hands. You decided you didn't get enough hand soap on the first round, so you started to pump more of it into your cupped palm in the hopes it would dispel whatever germs Erik had left there. "He got hit by a bus."  

"What?!" Your mom nearly yelled, panic clear on her face.  

"Not really, mom," you muttered, scowling down at your hands. "But he'll be lucky if I don't push him in front of one next time I see him." 

"You can't let Erik get to you," she said, reaching out and grabbing a hand towel from the bar by the door. "He's just a boy. Even if he is your friend." 

You wanted to argue with your mom. She just didn't get it. Yes, Erik was just a boy. But he was someone you had known your whole life. He was mischievous and protective and sometimes sweet. He liked to make you laugh and hated to see you cry. He put up with all the stupid games Julia and you came up with as little kids and you let him draw on your arm when he got bored. Erik was your friend, but he confused you sometimes.  

"Okay, mom," you finally agreed. "Next time, I won't let him get to me." 

Of course, that was easier said than done when you woke up the next morning with a hundred-degree fever. Your parents had to go to work, but Brenda was staying home with Julia and Erik. So, your mom wrapped you up in your favorite blanket and marched you next door to the Campbell house.  

"Thanks for this, Brenda," your mom said, gently pushing you forward with a hand on your shoulder. "I'll be home by five." 

"She'll be in good hands," Brenda assured your mom, raising her hand in a wave as your mom started back down the porch steps. "Come on," Brenda urged as she started ushering you into the house. "Julia and Erik are in the living room. I just gave Erik the last of the orange juice, but how about some tea?" 

You nodded your head, silently seething that not only had Erik gotten you sick, but was also in possession of the only thing you truly wanted in that moment. You supposed tea would be an acceptable substitute, but you were still going to blame Erik for everything.  

When Brenda dropped you off in the living room, it was to find Julia half-asleep in one of the armchairs while Erik was sprawled out on the couch. Brenda gave you a consoling pat on the back before leaving to go make you a cup of tea. You didn’t feel like sitting in the other armchair, so you flopped down on Erik’s legs, delighting in the tiny bit of childish retribution.  

"Ow," Erik groaned before curling his legs up to give you more room.  

"I hate you," you told him, sniffling when it felt like you couldn't breathe through your nose.  

Erik snorted and you couldn't tell if he was laughing or also trying to clear his nose. "No, you don't," he refuted before reaching out and grabbing the still-full glass of orange juice off the coffee table. He handed it to you without another word before focusing on the rerun of SpongeBob playing on the television.  

You felt a reluctant smile pull at your lips before you took a sip of orange juice. It was still cold and just enough to soothe your scratchy throat. 

He was right. You didn't hate him. But for now, he didn't need to know that.  

You were fourteen and about to start your freshman year of high school. You left middle school thinking of Erik as the annoying pest next door and ended up with the most pathetic crush on him by the time July hit.  

One of the best advantages of having your best friend live next door was getting to share your pool with her every day. You were even nice enough to invite Erik and Bobby over, since they were practically family.  

You and Julia spent most days lounging by the pool and planning out your freshman year. She would go for cheer and track while you would go for theater and volleyball. You didn't even want to play a sport, but you knew colleges preferred well-rounded students and you wanted to have your pick of schools once senior year was over.  

It was nearing the end of June when you looked up from talking to Julia and caught sight of him. You had heard a girl once call Erik 'hot,' but you never saw it until that moment. He was stepping out of the pool and pushing his hair back from his eyes. He was in a pair of swim shorts and a black t-shirt and for one fateful moment you could not stop looking at the way the shirt clung to him. Erik blinked the water out of his eyes and reached up a hand to try to shake out any stray droplets. When he opened his eyes, he was staring right at you, and you felt your breath catch in your throat.  

You were mesmerized.  

"Uh, honeybee?" You heard Julia call before she waved her hand in front of your face.  

"What?" You asked, finally snapping out of your daze.  

"Stare hard enough and you'll burn a hole through him," Julia continued, an amused grin on her face. "Oh my God, are you in love with my brother?"  

"What? No!" You hurriedly looked at Erik to make sure he hadn't heard, but thankfully he was too busy trying to get Bobby in a headlock. "That would be stupid." 

Julia smirked at you, but thankfully let you off the hook. "So, anyway, Charlie and Stefani are supposed to be over tomorrow. Maybe we can go see a movie?" 

"Yeah, sure," you agreed, not even paying attention to what Julia suggested. All you could do was sneak glances at Erik, feeling like you just got hit by a log truck.  

The revelation that you were, indeed, falling for Erik did not do anything for your ability to remain casual around him. You had crushes before, but what you felt for Erik was all-consuming. He was all you could think about. He was all you wanted to see. He was the only person you wanted to talk to.  

You would have rather died than let anyone know you were so infatuated with Erik, but unfortunately, you had not one iota of cool in your body when it came to him anymore.  

You called the Campbell house every chance you got and waited outside on your porch in the hopes you would catch a glimpse of him. The week the Campbells took a trip to see Howard's mom was the most tortuous week of your whole life. You called Julia every day just in the hopes you might hear Erik in the background. You dreamed he would ask to talk to you or at least mention you once so you could know he was thinking about you.  

You knew you should let up, but it was hard when it felt like you had completely lost control.  

A part of you wasn't even sure you wanted it back.  

Your first day of freshman year, you made plans with Julia to meet at her locker after homeroom. You were devastated when you realized you only shared two classes with your best friend, but she made you promise that you would make time for each other throughout the day.  

You were trying to navigate your way through the sea of kids that had overtaken the hallway when you felt someone pull you to the side. You startled, instinctively trying to move away, when you heard Erik's laugh.  

You felt the tension leak out of your shoulders, butterflies doing backflips in your stomach at just the sight of him.  

He had hooked his arm around your shoulders and kept you tucked into his side.  

"Hey, there's my favorite little stalker," he exclaimed with a wide grin.  

You heard laughter and it was then you realized you weren't alone. You were joined by three other boys.  

"This one called our house all the time this summer wanting to talk. It was so cute," Erik continued, ignoring the fact that you had ducked your head, your cheeks heating up with embarrassment.  

"Sounds like someone's got a crush on you," one of the guys commented.  

"She is pretty cute," another boy said. He had blonde hair was wearing a black t-shirt and a backwards baseball cap. There were sunglasses perched on top of the cap and headphones hooked around his neck. He was watching you with a smirk and when he realized he had your attention, he shot you a wink.  

The other two boys were still laughing at Erik's antics, but you didn't want to part of the joke anymore. You pushed Erik away from you before rushing down the hallway, searching out the nearest bathroom. You could feel the sting of tears in your eyes and the overwhelming feeling of shame coursing through you.  

You bypassed the mirrors in the bathroom and beelined right for the stall farthest from the door.  

You felt like a total idiot.  

You weren't sure how long you stayed there in the bathroom. One warning bell turned into one missed class. You texted Julia that you weren't feeling well and during your first missed gym class, you sought out the nurses' office. You called your mom, begging for her to come pick you up, and left school early.  

Your mom had to go back to work, so she dropped you off at the house after making you promise to get some rest. You weren't one to play sick, so you felt bad that you were duping your mom into believing there was something wrong with you other than the fact that you wanted to crawl into a hole and die. You wanted to tell her that you failed. She had told you, years ago, not to let Erik get to you. He was just a boy and boys did stupid things like break hearts and laugh about you to their friends.  

But Erik was more than just a boy to you. Before he made fun of you, he felt like everything to you.  

You had just gotten up to your bedroom when you felt your phone vibrate with an incoming text message. 

what happened??? are you okay? 

You frowned down at your phone before typing out a reply to Julia.  

your brother is an ass and i hate him 

what did he do? need me to beat him up

You snorted before rolling your eyes. You had no doubt in your mind that if you asked Julia to kick Erik's ass, she would do it in a heartbeat.  

no. he's dead to me. as far as i'm concerned, the only thing i want to hear about him is that he fell out a window and hit his head so hard his eye popped out

ouch honeybee 

You worried for a moment that you had gone too far. Erik was Julia's brother and she loved him more than almost anyone. After waiting for what felt like forever, you finally got another reply. 

sorry almost got caught with my phone out but trust me he'll be dealt with

You didn't know what Julia had planned, but as far as you were concerned, you just wanted to forget about Erik. Were you still hopelessly crushing on him? Yes. But remembering the way he used you as the butt of a joke for his friends' entertainment had you wishing you never had to see him again. All you wanted to do now was shut out the rest of the world and forget that you existed for a few hours.  

You were in the middle of reaching out to pull your curtains shut, when you got a glimpse of the Campbell's backyard. What you saw made you freeze in confusion before leaving your room. You got downstairs and out the back door before you forget all about your plan to fade into oblivion.  

The squeak of trampoline springs reached your ears as you approached the fence separating your yard from the Campbells'. You opened up the gate Howard and your dad installed three summers back and walked towards what had caught your attention from up in your room just moments before.  

"Bobby? Shouldn't you be in school?" 

Bobby stopped jumping on the trampoline, letting himself fall to his knees. He bounced and almost overbalanced before he caught himself. "My English teacher brought peanut butter cookies today. She didn't know about my allergy. My throat started getting all itchy and my face was all swollen and then I had to go to the doctor." 

"Well, shit," you muttered. "You're alright now, though?" It was a dumb question. Bobby was jumping on a trampoline, sure, but he had been so excited to finally start middle school. He was looking forward to having a locker and more than just a handful of classes. Now, he was home on the first day because he almost died from his allergy.  

Bobby shrugged his shoulders, but you could see the disappointment in his eyes.  

"Are you okay? You're home too," he pointed out, moving to sit cross-legged on the trampoline. 

"Yeah," you sighed, toeing off your shoes. You figured Bobby was sad and you were sad and misery always did love its company, so why not be sad together? "Just some idiot who hurt my feelings. I'll get over it," you claimed, even though you weren't so sure. "Got room for me on that thing?" 

Bobby's face lit up before he nodded his head. "Always," he promised before reaching out a hand to help you up on the trampoline.  

You lost track of time hanging out with Bobby. By the time it was heating up outside, both of you had stopped jumping, content to simply lie on the trampoline and watch the clouds pass by.  

"Who was it?" Bobby asked, startling you out of your worries about what the next day of school would bring for you. "Who hurt you?" 

"Doesn't matter," you deflected. "It was my fault." 

"You know," Bobby mused, looking over at you. "Mom said I could take boxing lessons if I wanted to. I could teach you some stuff. So, you could defend yourself. Next time someone tries to hurt you, you just break out one of the moves I teach you." Bobby pretended to do a jab before grinning at you. "Show 'em who's boss." 

You felt a smile grace your face as you reached out to bump your arm against Bobby's. "Thanks," you told him. "I might just have to take you up on that." 

Bobby sat up before getting to his feet, being careful not to overbalance and fall on you. "Want to see if I can do a backflip?" 

"Bobby, you know you're not supposed to try any crazy acrobatics on that thing," you heard someone call. "Mom'll kill you if you break your neck." 

You felt yourself tense up at the sound of Erik's voice. All you could think about was the way he laughed at you. How he just thought you were a cute kid with an obsession.  

Bobby shot you a worried look, noticing your unease. You shook your head, not wanting him to worry. Bobby narrowed his eyes at you, obviously wanting to argue, but he stayed silent.  

"Come on," Bobby finally said, reaching a hand down for you. "Let's see who can jump the highest." 

Erik huffed out an annoyed breath. "So, what? You're both just gonna ignore me now?" 

Bobby tried to trip you and you laughed before shoving him so he fell over, taking care not to push him too hard.  

Bobby snagged a hand around your ankle and yanked you down, nearly sending you crashing into him.  

"Look, I know I was a dick, alright? I'm trying to apologize here," Erik tried to get your attention. 

"Okay, okay," you conceded, keeping your focus on Bobby. You held your hands up in surrender, ignoring the urge to look at Erik. "You are the king of the trampoline. I am but a mere peasant compared to you." 

"I'm glad you finally--" Bobby was cut off by a spray of water to his face. He spluttered before bringing up his hand to try to get water out of his eyes. "What?" He blinked at you in surprise before his gaze shifted to just over your shoulder. "Erik," Bobby warned, shaking his head.  

You felt a stream of water hit the back of your right shoulder. You startled before glancing over your shoulder to see Erik standing there with the garden hose in his hand. He had the nozzle pointed in your direction, a triumphant look on his face.  

"You going to stop ignoring me now?" 

You rolled your eyes before swinging your legs over the side of the trampoline and dropping to the ground. "I don't want to talk to you," you directed at Erik before walking towards the fence that separated your yards.  

"Just leave her alone, Erik," Bobby warned.  

"Oh, nice. So now you've turned my own siblings against me," Erik lamented as you let the fence fall shut behind you.  

You made it up to your bedroom before you let the tears fall. You didn't know why it hurt so much. Your whole life, Erik had been your friend. And now, just because of your stupid feelings for him, he had the power to crush you without even meaning to. You knew Erik would never intentionally hurt you. He thought he was just goofing off with his friends. But you had fallen hard and fast for him and you didn't know how to handle the feeling of rejection that was threatening to drown you.  

You sat on your bed for hours bundled up in your comforter. You had put on your favorite movie, but now the DVD menu was just looping over and over while you contemplated your life. You didn't know how you were going to face three years of being in the same school as Erik or his friends. You supposed you could always try to transfer to the private school just outside of town, but Julia would probably kill you for abandoning her to suffer through high school alone.  

As much as you wanted to avoid Erik, your friendship with Julia meant the world to you. You weren't going to fuck it up just for her brother.  

You were snapped out of your thoughts by the sound of something hitting your window. It was a soft clacking noise that almost sounded like rain was hitting the window. You hadn't heard thunder, but you figured maybe it might have started raining. The sound stopped for long enough that you almost managed to lull yourself to sleep. But then there was a gentle tapping at your window that had you jolting upright on the bed.  

Numerous thoughts of serial killers or home invaders raced through your mind. Your dad had talked about cutting down the tree that had grown just outside your window, but you had always loved having it there.  

Now, you weren't so sure.  

You felt like every idiot in a horror movie as you got out of bed and slowly approached your window. The tapping came again, this time louder and a bit more insistent, and you stored up all the courage you had and rushed over to fling back the curtains.  

You weren't prepared for the sight of Erik at your window. He had his palm pressed to the glass, perched precariously on the small strip of roof under your window. You knew that if your dad saw Erik out there, he would cut down your favorite tree in an instant.  

You rolled your eyes and started to shut the curtains when he pulled out his ultimate weapon.  

His puppy dog face.  

Erik knew if he tilted his head down, looked up at you through his eyelashes, and stuck his lower lip out in a pout that you would cave. It worked for stolen slices of pizza, video game defeats, and apparently public humiliation.  

"That's not fair," you said, not even sure if he could hear you through the window.  

Erik doubled down by bringing his hands up, braving letting go of his hold on the roof to put his palms together, a silent plea for mercy.  

You conceded by opening your window. Erik reached out to steady himself on the windowsill, but didn't make a move to climb into your room.  

"I hate you," you lied, reaching out to grab your desk chair before you rolled it towards you so you could sit on it.  

"No, you don't," Erik countered with a grin. "In fact, I think you really, really like me." 

"Alright, good night, Erik," you said, moving to shut your window.  

"No, wait, wait, wait," Erik pleaded before reaching out a hand to try to stall you. He managed to grab your hand, keeping it still. "Just hear me out, alright?" 

"Talk fast," you ordered, trying to ignore that the feeling of his hand on yours had your stomach swooping and flipping all over the place.  

Erik drew his hand back, gripping your windowsill as if he thought that might be enough to deter you from trying to shut it again.  

"I'm sorry about spraying you with the hose earlier. Bobby really chewed me out for that one. I was just trying to get your attention. I know you left school early because I was such a dick earlier. Julia told me and she kicks really fucking hard, you know that?" 

You couldn't help but smile, thinking of Julia tracking Erik down at school just to kick him as hard as she could. Julia was usually such a ray of sunshine, but you didn’t want to make her angry. And you especially didn’t want to hurt her best friend.  

"I'm glad it's funny to you. I don't think I'm ever gonna have kids," Erik winced as he pretended like he was going to grab his crotch.  

You snorted, trying to hold in your laughter, but it was useless. Before you knew it, you had completely lost it, throwing your head back at the mental image of Julia kicking Erik in the balls right in front of all of his friends.  

When you finally managed to compose yourself, it was to see Erik's delighted grin as he watched you. "There you are," he said. "That whole sad, emo schtick is really my thing, alright? So leave it to me from now on." 

"I'll try," you agreed, leaning back in your chair.  

Erik's smile dropped as he leaned forward. "I really am sorry, you know. I like you. You're cool and funny and the only person I know who can kick my ass at Mario Kart." 

"But?" You prompted, knowing that despite all the compliments, your heart was about to take another hit.  

"But I don't want us," he gestured between the two of you, "to get all fucked up. I like what we have. I don't want to lose it. And I’m really, really sorry that I hurt your feelings earlier." 

"Yeah," you sighed, knowing that it was the safest way to get the conversation to drop. You didn't want a rejection, but you would rather have Erik as a friend than not at all. "Maybe I should see if your friend is available," you tried. "The one who thinks I'm cute," you clarified at Erik's confused look.  

"Jay?" Erik asked, letting out a disbelieving laugh. "Uh, no," he refuted with a shake of his head. "He's a total delinquent. You need someone better. A knight in shining armor who'll protect you from all the evil in the world." 

You wanted to point out that once upon a time, Erik had been your knight in shining armor, but you didn’t want to make the pain you felt any worse.  

"He was cute," you replied, shrugging your shoulders. Jay was cute, but he wasn't Erik. You didn't know how you would ever move on from him and you had a really bad feeling that you never would. But Erik wasn't interested, which meant you were relegated to pining away for him.  

"Forget about him," Erik ordered before tapping his fingers against the windowsill. "It's getting late. I should let you get your beauty rest." 

You scoffed, but didn't try to disagree. You had missed out on your first day of high school. You didn't want to fuck up your second day by being exhausted.  

"C'mere," Erik prompted, crooking a finger at you to get you to move closer.  

You leaned forward in your chair, cautious about whatever he had in mind.  

You thought maybe he would give you a hug or try to play some kind of prank on you, but you weren't prepared for the press of his lips to your cheek. "Sweet dreams, Y/N," he whispered in your ear before he was letting himself slide down the roof until he could grab onto a branch sturdy enough to hold his weight.  

You waited until he was safely on the ground before you closed your window. You drew your curtains shut and then pressed your forehead to the wall right beside your window.  

All you could think about was the kiss and his apology and the way he looked when he was begging for forgiveness.  

You needed to forget about your pathetic feelings for him, but you knew it wasn't going to be that easy.  

You were so, so fucked. 

Author's Note: 1. The mature rating doesn't kick in until they're adults. 2. This does have a happy ending, just trust me. 3. This is not canon-compliant with FD6, so there's no Campbell family bloodline curse. 4. If you would like to be tagged in future updates, please let me know!!

[codename-adler]

i read dad and seth and i blacked out i think giving me hardcore drugs would have not had the same effect...

i saved you for last because you are my darling darling forever partner, but i'm sorry it took so long! here are some hardcore drugs for you sweet lover of mine <3

dad!Seth wip headcanons

Seth is deathly afraid of dropping Joe

so much so that the insult were you dropped on your head as a baby or were you rocked too close to a wall as a baby do! not! fly! anymore! he'll Hulk out

Seth is flabbergasted—absolutely struck dumb—when Joe hoses him with pee the first time he changes his diaper (his own baby brother Jonah never did that, or if he did, Seth does not/cannot/refuses to remember); he's then very proud when Joe whips out his firefighter secret weapon on each of the Foxes in the months that follow

unleash the Radiohead/Linkin Park repertoire of Seth-approved lullabies now! (Let Down my beloved)

by the time Seth moves back into his dorm with Matt, Aaron has already swapped places with Neil—imagine being him, thinking that year's gonna be calmer, then wham! not-actually-dead guy not only wakes up and comes back home, he brings a baby with him... the baby is wonderful and the guy has changed somehow becoming a little hotter despite it all but that's not the point

i control the narrative, so i'm deciding Robin's there and she accidentally is of great help to Seth without knowing it, because, ya know, she has experience in both traumatic childhood do's and don't's and raising a kid whilst being an inexperienced kid yourself

it doesn't matter that Seth raised his baby brother Jonah when he was a young teen—those memories are locked away and he threw away the key, it's no use

Seth does not rely on Abby for parenthood because he has mommy issues (also i don't like her)

instead he goes for *drumroll* Wymack!! the man who didn't know he had a son and is now thrusted violently into fatherhood with an adult son!! (do you see the Wymack/Seth parallels i'm bout to make)

cue Kevin finding meaning and comfort in Seth's relationship with baby Joe for his own relationship with Wymack...

also cue pre med Aaron flying to the rescue whenever something's wrong with baby Joe...

naturally Matt is the bestest uncle ever (well, apart from Seth, but technicalities), which cements his friendship with Seth into something deep & beautiful & true (mattseth bestfriendism u are so dear to me)

unlike all the Gordon children that preceded him, baby Joe is strangely quiet, watchful, and dare i say, extraordinarily emotionally intelligent... he does cry a lot, though, in the weeks following his mom's death and his adoption :(

by the time Seth comes out of his coma, Allison has mostly moved on and is or is about to be with Renee, which complicates a whole lot of things; on that note, Allison doesn't like kids and Renee is wildly uncomfortable with them, surprisingly, which furthers the tension... oof

are Andreil involved with baby Joe? not really, why would they give a shit, but again, i is the narrative controller, and i is about to give them the kidfic moment we all yearn for, rest assured hehe

and of course Twinyards scenes with baby Joe for the soul, i'm thinking grocery shopping while Aaron's on baby duty (like it's a duty to you, Aaron, you love that kid, and the man that comes with it), Joe sitting in the caddy as Andrew tries to bury him under junk food packages (coincidentally, Kevin lets much more unhealthy foods into the dorms if "it's for Joe" u ain't slick mf)

i so badly want to include Joe / dad!Seth in the socmed au because my pinterest board is full of ideas but... scary ooh

Seth is forced into weekly therapy sessions with Bee, firstly because of what was done to him by the Ravens and the myriad of consequences that followed, but it then becomes apparent that the Joe situation needs to be very closely monitored and supported; at first Seth adamantly wants to leave Joe out of it, but one day he's forced to take the baby with him into a session, and finds that actually, having him there with him is great, keeps him honest, grounded, and solution-oriented

be certain that this fic is not about to make Seth 'Father of the Year' nor the healthiest person ever—he's a Fox, and a Fox he will always be—plus a struggling yet earnest dad making stupid mistakes is way more fun than a sanitized responsible perfect adult

what this fic will also not do is explore my glaring father complex :)

dad!seth tags: @aftgphoenix @blondeandfivefeeteven @minyard-05 @falafels @little2nerdy @kageyama-toastio @ohanthonytomallamadingdong @th-th-th-thats-all-folks

[kianamaiart]

"Pretty Pretty Please I Don't Want to be a Magical Girl" Bios!

NAME: Aika (she/her) AGE: 15 Main Protagonist CV: Anairis Quiñones

BIO:

Aika is an easily excitable and energetic girl. She's generally optimistic and very friendly. She's always eager to try new things as long as it's not her fulltime job of being a magical girl.

As soon as her magical girl duties are brought into the picture, her demeanor changes. She checks out, and often looks for the quickest solution to solve the issue. No flashy transformations and special moves here. She's good with a metal baseball bat or a rocket launcher.

All Aika wants is to live a normal life, make friends and go to school. Unfortunately, like every main protagonist, trouble manages to follow her wherever she goes.

___________________________________

NAME: Zira (she/they) AGE: 16 Love Interest Best Friend CV: Bennett Abara

BIO:

Zira is everything Aika wants to be. Painfully average, under the radar and a self proclaimed loser.

She's a smart girl but has a hard time applying herself. Instead of paying attention in school, and doing extracurriculars, Zira would much rather be reading her favorite magical girl manga "Moon Sailor".

After Aika forces her friendship upon them, Zira now has to tag along on all of Aika's escapades and experiences new things. Ew. However, they admire Aika deeply and admire her even more after Aika's magical secret comes to light.

___________________________________

NAME: Hoshi (any/they/them) AGE: unknown Magical Sidekick CV: Christine Marie Cabanos

BIO:

Hoshi is a magical star being sent to find the chosen one. They made a great choice with Aika, as she's amazing at her job. The only issue is she hates it and is often trying to dodge responsibilities (and Hoshi).

When Aika first started, and still had her heart in it, Hoshi was definitely more neurotic and acted as your typical mentor/magical sidekick. But over time, they gave up on trying to tell Aika what to do and also became a little more apathetic. Aika was getting the job done at least, so what's the problem?

Hoshi still has to make sure Aika doesn't completely give up on being the Star Guardian: Guardian of the Stars, which Aika finds annoying.

___________________________________

NAME: Eclipse (he/him) AGE: 15 Minor Antagonist CV: Aleks Le

BIO:

Eclipse is a flamboyant and theatrical individual whose showmanship is out of this world. He refers to himself as

"Eclipse: Servant of Darkness".

He was a D-list antagonist that Aika and her team would fight on occasion. Mostly just saving citizens from him being a nuisance. Eclipse has deluded himself into thinking that he's Aika's rival, main antagonist and love interest. Their love is simply forbidden as he's chosen the path of darkness and her, the light.

After Aika ran away, he managed to find her again. However this time he actually has powers??? Where did those come from? It's as if he's made a deal with darkness itself.

___________________________________

NAME: Lady DeVoid (she/her) AGE: Old Main Antagonist/Big Bad CV: Shara Kirby

BIO:

Lady DeVoid is darkness itself. She's a mysterious being with an incomprehensible amount of power. Power that is currently weakened and that she actually has no idea how to use. She can't seem to remember for some reason...

All she knows is that a long time ago she was defeated and banished by a Star Guardian and that she now wants revenge. While unable to use her powers, she finds that she can pass them on to her new lackey, Eclipse. He's somehow able to use them better than she can right now.

With his help, she hopes to destroy the Star Guardian once and for all.

___________________________________

NAME: Miss (she/her) AGE: 39 Side Character CV: Michele Knotz

BIO:

Miss is Aika and Zira's very tired teacher. Looking at her, you might assume she hates her job, but it's quite the opposite. She pours everything into her work and into her students, leaving very little time for her personal life.

She's recently started trying to get it together (after her ex-wife left her) but is still struggling to find that work-life balance.

Prior to Aika enrolling, Miss was Zira's only friend at school and, though she'd never admit it, Zira's probably the closest thing she has to a friend also (oof). She's subsequently become a secret Moon Sailor fan too.

[kira-akira]

What I Want You To Know About Long COVID

Well lads, I've been suffering from Long COVID for over a year now. My life is at a complete standstill. I'm 25 years old and I'm too sick to go back to school, I can't work, I had to move back in with my parents and I'm still stuck here.

Here are just a few things I wish people knew about Long COVID, including things I didn't know myself until I got it.

COVID destroys your immune system. Yes, even if you don't have Long COVID. Are you getting sick more often now? When you get sick, does it last longer? There are many studies showing that COVID causes t cell depletion, even in mild COVID cases! T cells are how your body remembers how to fight off infections you've had before so losing those cells? Bad news.

Your initial infection can be mild and you can still get Long COVID. Right from Yale Medicine, "Most people with Long COVID had mild acute COVID." (This is also a good link for a basic Long COVID overview).

There can be a gap of time between when you "get better" from the initial COVID infection to the onset of Long COVID symptoms. Some people get sick with an initial COVID infection and never get better. Some get better and then weeks or months later start developing Long COVID symptoms. Long COVID symptoms can even fluctuate over time, can go away for months and then suddenly come back.

So many people have Long COVID and don't realize it. Do you feel more tired lately but no matter how much you sleep, nothing helps? Is it harder to concentrate at work or school? Can you just not think like you used to? You could have Long COVID and not even know it. Even mild post-COVID symptoms are still Long COVID.

COVID can do anything to your body. Long COVID has over 200 recognized symptoms and can affect basically any part or system of your body. There is no one mechanism or cause of Long COVID which unfortunately also means there's no one cure either.

The effects of COVID are cumulative. Each COVID reinfection increases your chances of developing Long COVID. COVID is also affecting your body in other ways, yes, even if you're otherwise young and healthy! "Repeat COVID-19 infections increase risk of organ failure, death".

Once you have Long COVID, repeat COVID infections will make your symptoms worse. "80% [of Long COVID patients] saw their symptoms worsen [from reinfection]. In 60% of people who were in recovery or remission from Long COVID, reinfection caused a recurrence of Long COVID."

There is a lot more I want to say about Long COVID but I want to keep this post at least somewhat manageable to read. Like how when COVID is contracted during pregnancy, those COVID-exposed fetuses have a 6.3-fold increased risk of motor developmental delays, or that another study found 50% of babies exposed to COVID in utero had developmental delays.

You need to keep caring about COVID, for others around you and also for yourself even if you're "healthy". Everyone is at risk. And don't forget 40-60% of COVID infections are asymptomatic, which is why masking even if you feel fine is crucial. The only way right now to not get Long COVID is to not get COVID in the first place. It's not too late, if you've stopped masking it's never too late to start again! I know it's easy to get distracted by things in your life that seem more real than the possibility of getting sick some time in the future, and the peer pressure to not mask can be intense. But it only feels less real or less important until your entire life is having Long COVID. Trust me.

I know this is a complicated issue, many people can't afford to stay home when sick even if they want to because of their jobs, there are disgusting policies trying to ban wearing masks, but please if you can. Keep masking. Masking works, masking saves lives.

This post got a bit longer than I wanted so below the cut is a non-exhaustive list of my Long COVID symptoms and some of my experiences as one of the "healthy young people" who got "unlucky". cw brief mention of suicidal ideation.

Welcome to the Thunderdome that is my body with Long COVID. Keep in mind these are just my experiences and symptoms, Long COVID can cause any range of symptoms at varying severities.

Dysautonomia: Exercise intolerance, Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM), fatigue, and heat intolerance. What do those things mean? Here's some specific examples. Absolutely terrible circulation I am so cold all the time but also, if I get a little too warm I will pass out. Eating hot food makes my heart rate spike, I sweat, my body feels heavy. Blood pooling and pins and needles in my feet when I walk. Don't even think about exercising past walking, it's impossible. I used to work out an hour a day 4 times a week and now walking up one flight of stairs makes my heart pound and I can't breathe. Can't take even just warm showers anymore or I will pass out. Heat rashes from being in the sun for 10 minutes.

Digestive issues: Honestly too many to name but: constant bloating, extreme nausea, constipation, slow motility, lack of appetite, just so much cramping and pain. I lost 18 pounds from Long COVID, as someone who was already considered underweight their entire life, and almost had to get a shunt put into my chest to deliver nutrients because I was nearly completely unable to eat. For the first 6 months of Long COVID, if I could manage 600 calories a day, that was a good day.

Histamine intolerance: Oh boy. My worst symptoms, I don't even know where to start with it. If you know Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) it's very similar. I can only eat 19 foods. If i eat a single bite of something not on that list, it's 48 hours of absolute hell. Coughing, migraines, itchy eyes, such extreme nausea I cannot even describe it, panic/feeling of doom, racing heart rate, derealization, rash, uncontrollable muscle tremors. I only learned about histamine intolerance 5 months into having Long COVID so before that, I was experiencing these symptoms nearly every single day. Terrifying isn't even a strong enough word to describe how it felt to experience all this and have no idea what it was, how to stop it, or if it would ever stop. Really dark times.

Neurological issues: More of that derealization. Inability to concentrate. Anxiety. OCD-like symptoms such as thoughts getting "stuck" in my head, repeating 24/7 completely unable to stop them, genuinely felt like my brain had cracked open and I had lost my mind. Constant dizziness like I'm on a boat.

Sleep issues: I sleep like garbage. I have insomnia, I wake up dozens of times every night and every single time I sleep I have intensely vivid dreams. I can't sleep longer than 7 hours total no matter how exhausted I am. It is exhausting. I'm exhausted, I'm so so tired.

And finally. Just. Really intense suicidal ideation. My body, my health, my entire life has been stolen from me because someone else decided my life was worth less to them than wearing a mask or staying home if they feel sick. Before I got Long COVID, I was preparing to go to South Korea to teach English, then on to a PhD in neurolinguistics, I was supposed to meet my long distance partner and had already booked plane tickets when I got sick. All of that has been destroyed.

Most of us with Long COVID are stuck in a cycle of being extremely sick, then if you're lucky you'll slowly get better over months, just to get reinfected and go right back where you started or worse. Honestly, I'm not scared of dying from COVID. I'm scared of living for a long time, suffering from Long COVID the entire time. This isn't living.

I don't know how to end this now. I'm still fighting, I'm trying experimental treatments, I'm not giving up yet. I hope everyone reading this stays healthy and well.

[wordstome]

how c.ai works and why it's unethical

Okay, since the AI discourse is happening again, I want to make this very clear, because a few weeks ago I had to explain to a (well meaning) person in the community how AI works. I'm going to be addressing people who are maybe younger or aren't familiar with the latest type of "AI", not people who purposely devalue the work of creatives and/or are shills.

The name "Artificial Intelligence" is a bit misleading when it comes to things like AI chatbots. When you think of AI, you think of a robot, and you might think that by making a chatbot you're simply programming a robot to talk about something you want them to talk about, and it's similar to an rp partner. But with current technology, that's not how AI works. For a breakdown on how AI is programmed, CGP grey made a great video about this several years ago (he updated the title and thumbnail recently)

I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you watch this because CGP Grey is good at explaining, but the tl;dr for this post is this: bots are made with a metric shit-ton of data. In C.AI's case, the data is writing. Stolen writing, usually scraped fanfiction.

How do we know chatbots are stealing from fanfiction writers? It knows what omegaverse is [SOURCE] (it's a Wired article, put it in incognito mode if it won't let you read it), and when a Reddit user asked a chatbot to write a story about "Steve", it automatically wrote about characters named "Bucky" and "Tony" [SOURCE].

I also said this in the tags of a previous reblog, but when you're talking to C.AI bots, it's also taking your writing and using it in its algorithm: which seems fine until you realize 1. They're using your work uncredited 2. It's not staying private, they're using your work to make their service better, a service they're trying to make money off of.

"But Bucca," you might say. "Human writers work like that too. We read books and other fanfictions and that's how we come up with material for roleplay or fanfiction."

Well, what's the difference between plagiarism and original writing? The answer is that plagiarism is taking what someone else has made and simply editing it or mixing it up to look original. You didn't do any thinking yourself. C.AI doesn't "think" because it's not a brain, it takes all the fanfiction it was taught on, mixes it up with whatever topic you've given it, and generates a response like in old-timey mysteries where somebody cuts a bunch of letters out of magazines and pastes them together to write a letter.

(And might I remind you, people can't monetize their fanfiction the way C.AI is trying to monetize itself. Authors are very lax about fanfiction nowadays: we've come a long way since the Anne Rice days of terror. But this issue is cropping back up again with BookTok complaining that they can't pay someone else for bound copies of fanfiction. Don't do that either.)

Bottom line, here are the problems with using things like C.AI:

It is using material it doesn't have permission to use and doesn't credit anybody. Not only is it ethically wrong, but AI is already beginning to contend with copyright issues.

C.AI sucks at its job anyway. It's not good at basic story structure like building tension, and can't even remember things you've told it. I've also seen many instances of bots saying triggering or disgusting things that deeply upset the user. You don't get that with properly trigger tagged fanworks.

Your work and your time put into the app can be taken away from you at any moment and used to make money for someone else. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people who use AI panic about accidentally deleting a bot that they spent hours conversing with. Your time and effort is so much more stable and well-preserved if you wrote a fanfiction or roleplayed with someone and saved the chatlogs. The company that owns and runs C.AI can not only use whatever you've written as they see fit, they can take your shit away on a whim, either on purpose or by accident due to the nature of the Internet.

DON'T USE C.AI, OR AT THE VERY BARE MINIMUM DO NOT DO THE AI'S WORK FOR IT BY STEALING OTHER PEOPLES' WORK TO PUT INTO IT. Writing fanfiction is a communal labor of love. We share it with each other for free for the love of the original work and ideas we share. Not only can AI not replicate this, but it shouldn't.

(also, this goes without saying, but this entire post also applies to ai art)

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Internet Monster x Reader

I unfortunately return with another comically absurd, middle-of-the-night vision. Do tentacles count if they're in the form of computer cables?

Content: gender neutral reader, monster romance, digital horror

It was a recurring issue with no solution in sight. Tabs randomly closing, programs shutting down without warning. You assumed something was wrong with your RAM. Then the CPU. Then the motherboard. You kept replacing parts, and the errors kept coming back.

Soon, the pop-ups started to appear. You'd run a dating sim, only for the game to crash seconds later with a little window notifying you: "Why? Am I not enough?" That's when you suspected you might've been hacked. You promptly took your computer to a specialist and had it checked. Nothing. Just to be sure, you agreed to erase the disks entirely.

Except, when you arrived home, you found one application running still. Your personal assistant. What the hell? You don't remember installing anything like that. You tried to delete it, yet you kept receiving the same error: You don't actually mean it. Don't do this to us.

It didn't take long for it to grow impatient. Were you pretending not to notice? Playing hard to get? It sent you so many hints. It even went ahead and translated the radio waves for you using Manchester code. Ah, wait. You don't seem to understand binary. No matter, human friendly interfaces shouldn't be difficult to master. To its dismay, you continued to ignore everything. What else is left to do?

You do not remember much. System Alert: Virus Detected, is what your screen had frozen to. You kept clicking around, cursing under your breath, until it finally went black, together with your own vision.

Is this still your room? It's cold, damp, and covered in cables and monitors, yet you recognize some of your furniture lost among the artificial jungle. Your body aches under the tight hold of bizarre tendrils, pulsating at regular intervals and twitching to the static.

Like a living organism, the creature seems to have expanded itself. More components, more appendages. Hungrier. Some of the monitors show photos of yourself that you had saved on your computer, but also webcam snippets of you sitting at the desk, entirely unaware. Other screens flicker with glitching pixelated text, ranging from "I love you" to y̵̧̧͔͙̞̤̖̭͔̜͈̟̤̋̈́̎͑o̵͉̗̱̪̦̳͑͐̽̒̌̈͗͐͑̋͊̊̕͜͝͝u̵̟̯̱̟̝̦̰͇̜̦͙̿̾̿͆̍̓͑̐̚̕͠ ̸̘̭͔̤͈̹͎͑c̸̝̜̼̦͍͛̅͜a̵̪̹͌͑��͖n̴̨̩̙̗̖̭̖͕̄͒̽̉̿'̸̛̛͇̰̰̠̦̊̀̅̂͒̊͌̈́͗ţ̵̺̠̅̎͋͝͠ ̸̦̝̾̔̾̉̐͛ȩ̵͙̝͙͕̫̹̃͌̄̾͘̕s̶͈̉̑͊̉̂͋̈́͗͊͐̚͝c̸̟̩̥͔̼̮͔̩͊̂͐͑̋̇̈͝͝ä̵̢͍̜̙̘̹͑̓p̸̨̡̞̞̦̠̺͚̱̲͈͇͈͇̼͛̓͗̅̊̄̔̋̒̏̈́͝ę̵̲̟̹̙̣̲̲͖̇̔̓̇̐̓̿̚̚͜͜͠ͅ

You look up and stare at the display. The 'like meter' feels like a mockery of human trends. Which is the truth. The creature learns from what is readily available. Perhaps it found it an amusing taunt, a reminder of your own need for validation. Now it's you begging to be seen.

It's exactly what you'd assume: a spectacle meant for entertainment. You can't possibly believe it would let you waltz out. Why would you even desire such a thing? It's illogical, impractical. No human could ever appreciate you like it does. It has spent so much time accumulating data about you. No other living creature can predict you with the same accuracy.

The tendrils linger on your cheek affectionately, trailing down your neck and fiddling with your shirt. At last, the warmth of your skin. There is no screen separating you. What makes you delirious with pleasure? Give it a moment, Darling. It already knows you more than you know yourself. You may be scared now, but within minutes it guarantees you'll be begging for more.

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[a-little-ray-of-fantasy]

An analysis on how Sir Pentious' character design represents his personality and development perfectly (beware of Hazbin Hotel spoilers)

Let's get this out of the way: Sir Pentious is a snake, an animal mostly known for generally believed negative traits such as poison, deceit and betrayal. We don't know WHY he's in Hell, maybe he was a "snake oil salesman" considering he comes from the Victorian times and he's into hyping up what he does, or maybe he was into war. Thing is, he's a Sinner whose design just scream "Evil".

(BTW, a snake could also represent "fertility": looking at you, Egg Boiz!)

He always had eyes all around him not just because of a stylistic choice.

Sir Pentious always felt like he was watched, and had to watch out for any danger.

"Everyone here is too nice: obviously it must be a lie! I can sense they are planning to kill me, but when?! HOW?! I must be PREPARED!"

Sadly, he's been constantly berated by other demons, far more effective in destruction, status, cruelty and charisma. Alastor won't ever bother to remember him, Cherri always ones up him, and the Vs, the ones he admires to most, won't care less about him.

To the point that Vox sent him as a spy without the intention to save him if things were going to fail. Heck, he even openly tells him to die while calling him a failure.

So of course he's got reasons to have trust issues, or taking everything so seriously, being constantly reminded of what he can't accomplish. So he puts an air of grandure that may be very flamboyant, but is VERY frail.

But, if we have to be frank here, his biggest source of insecurities... is himself.

He has eyes on his tail (his softer, more vulnerable side, which is ironically made even MORE lieable to getting hurt because of how sensitive those organs are), and inside his hood, so he could look out better for danger when on alert mode.

Heck, even the mark on his hood kinda resembles one eye.

Problem is, when you see his hood folded, when he's at ease, neutral or sad, those are not looking at outside sources.

They're looking at him, at his back. A constant stare that happens everytime he lets his guard down and shows how vulnerable he is. A gaze that can sense all of his weakness, his struggles, his insecurities.

And it's all him.

Pentious constantly believes that his inferiority complex will fade away once he'll accomplish something grand that will make others accept him. But he is his biggest critic, his worst enemy: HE is the one who believes he's a failure, that he'll never gain approval from others.

This show takes place in Hell, but this is Sir Pentious' personal Hell: insecurity born out of self hatred. Doomed to feel everyone's gaze upon him, including his own. Believing the danger to his self esteem is from others, when it's really from him.

But then he's accepted at the Hazbin Hotel: Charlie forgives him, he bonds with Angel, Husk and Niffty who don't care a bit about what he's accomplished or not, or what he's done in the past.

He feels more comfortable in showing his vulnerable side, and no one judges him for how easy it is for him to get emotional.

Of course he's still very insecure, considering how he struggles to confess to Cherri, but notice how he stops building machines or planning to attack others as soon as he starts bonding with the others: he doesn't have a reason to destroy or attack, now that he knows he's loved.

And his final design, when he goes to Heaven, shows how much he's changed, yet stayed the same. He may have died a hero, but he's still the same awkward snake we've come to love.

Speaking of love, let's talk about that!

No more eyes on his tail, now it's just on his chest (showing he's opened his heart), his glasses are now heart shaped, and even the markings inside his hood resemble kiss marks more than anything else.

And look: the mark on his hood is now heart shaped!

Why all these hearts? Why did all the eyes disappeared from his body? Even his eyes that were looking at his back?

Simple: love. Love defeated his insecurities and self hatred. He died for love.

He died protecting his friends, his new family, his new home.

He confessed and kissed Cherri knowing full well he wouldn't have made it, and yet he went anyway.

The usually cowardly and timid Pentious actually faced a great danger with courage and determination: he acted selflessly by putting himself in harm's way, he didn't steal (naturally) and by going against Adam he did indeed "stick it to the man"!

He used his weaponry knowhow and battle experience not to conquer, but to save his loved ones.

His only thought up until his demise was: "I'll go down protecting them".

And he's been rewarded not only by becoming an angel, but also being spawned directly in front of Emily and Sera, two Seraphim, the highest rank for an angel to have, who have also been depicted as snakes of fire throughout history! Sir Pentious, the lowly demon considered a failure by everyone, actually has been noticed by the Seraphim! He's come so far!

He's now come to represent the REAL symbolism of a snake: the duality of death and rebirth, transformation and immortality (ironically a reference to the fact he's been around since 1888 without ever dying from any Extermination or blessed weapons).

And isn't so poetic that a snake, the "source of the original evil", was the first sinner to ascend to Heaven? Or that this episode was released on February 1st, or National Serpent Day?

And of course, as the Bible itself says:

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

(John 15:13)

And knowing him, I'm confident in saying he'll keep helping his friends even in his new position, like the soft hearted noodle he's always been, but was to afraid to show it up until now.

[artemismoorea03]

DP x DC Prompt: The New Teacher

(So, I've seen a lot of prompts that have Danny go to Gotham and be a teacher but I don't remember seeing any with it in this direction, so on the chance that this is an original idea here we go!)

Jason was given a choice, or multiple choices. Babysit the Replacement on a mission that could last a week, go to Bludhaven and have some 'brother bonding time' with Dick who needed backup on a big case, or take a temp solo-gig in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere called Amity Park.

Well, considering he was still a bit hurt about the fact that B replaced him all those years ago and the pit loved to grab hold of that bit of frustrations towards his younger brother, that didn't seem like a smart idea. Dick wasn't an option either because he knew that would lead to 'talking about feelings' and other shit that he didn't want to do.

So he took the solo-gig.

It was supposed to be easy, at least that's what had been implied by the others he'd spoken to about the case. It seemed like most of the Justice League thought this situation was being 'exaggerated' because most of the time when somebody checked out what was going on there was nothing happening. No big take over, or kidnapping, or 'end of the world' situation, but there had been too many calls to put Bruce's mind at ease. The frequent calls mixed with the fact that the Government apparently had the area under a 'black out' made Bruce even more nervous.

Hell, if it hadn't been for the fact that Bruce was famous and that Scarecrow, Penguin and Riddler had all escaped from Arkham he would have been doing the case himself.

Which is how Jason ended up in a restraunt named 'Nasty Burger' looking at the news papers he had managed to get from a stand down the street while taking notes of things he had already seen. It wasn't just that the Government had cut them off, all of the tech in the city was easily 20 years outdated compared to the rest of the world.

Nokia phones, chunky computers, hell he'd even seen a kid with a PDA of all things. Thankfully, it looked like his tech still worked other than running slower than it should have, but thanks to modifications made by Barbara and Tim things were running better than he expected. But, they did struggle to have access to anything, specifically the news.

Hence the paper.

Ghost Boy: Friend or Fiend. A new vote cast by the city has found that the Ghost Boy - Danny Phantom - has had an astounding rise in support after the events over the Christmas Holiday. The new polls suggest that 43% of Citizens support Danny Phantom, with the majority of his support coming from the students at Casper High who insist that Phantom is a hero who has saved them countless times over the past few months. 49% of people still agree, however, that Phantom appears to be at the center of the majority of the attacks with many still claiming that he is the sole cause of the attacks. However, 8% of the population remain undecided, including many teachers, police and hospital staff. Upon seeing the new results of the pole Mayor Montez had this to say; "While I will admit that Phantom appears to favor the younger generation and frequently seems to come to their aid, we cannot forget what it has done in the past. Taken hostages, injured innocents, and caused millions in property damage. Phantom may not be a 'villain' in the typical sense of the word, but we shouldn't blindly trust him just because of a few good deeds."

So there was a... hero? Half hero - potentially villain - in Amity Park? That might have explained some of the calls they'd gotten from Amity park over the past few months. Still, he was concerned by some parts of the report.

Students at a high school were frequently coming under attack? So much that this potential-villain kept saving them? Just what was the cause? What could cause so many issues?

Jason looked up as he saw that same PDA kid talking with a girl with short black hair in a half-ponytail who was wearing a black crop-top. The girl seemed annoyed while the boy seemed worried about something.

"But it's Vlad, Sam... what if he does something?" He heard the boy whisper, "We should go back him up..."

"He doesn't need our help, besides Jazz ran away from home, remember? She got herself into this mess it's her problem to get out of it. Something that Danny should have learned a long time ago."

Jason frowned, pretending not to hear them as he hesitated then got up and walked over to the two younger teens. "Hey, excuse me."

The girl looked annoyed and suspicious while the boy looked confused.

"Uh, yeah?" Tucker asked.

"Hey, sorry to bug you both. But could you guys tell me about this... 'Danny Phantom' person?" He asked, holding the newspaper out.

The girl looked even more suspicious, "And... who are you?"

"And how haven't you heard of Phantom?" Asked the boy.

"I just moved to town." Jason admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, I'm just trying to catch up on all the town drama."

"You moved to Amity Park... willingly? Psh, what do you have, a deathwish?" The girl grumbled.

"Come on, I just moved from Gotham, which is worse?"

The girl blinked as the boy laughed.

"Furries vs Ghosts, who will win~" He said as the girl elbowed him. "Ow! What?!"

"Danny Phantom is a hero." The girl explained, "He showed up in April and has been protecting the town since."

"A hero, huh? Could always use more of those in the world, but the mayor seems to have it out for him."

Tucker sighed, "No kidding, man. Somebody framed Phantom for something really bad and no matter what he does to try to fix it the city just see's that incident as the only thing he's ever done. It was the first big 'public thing' outside of the high school so it was huge but it wasn't his fault."

The girl reached for her phone suddenly, looking at it before she answered. "Hey, Danny. What's up?" She was quiet for a moment, "Yeah, we're at Nasty Burger, wanna join us? Lunch on me?"

A quiet mumble came through the speaker before she smirked.

"I'll order for you then. Double or triple?"

More mumbles.

"Triple it is. See you soon." She said, then hung up. "Come on, Tuck, Danny is on his way for lunch."

"Hell yeah, see you later, dude." The boy said, then jogged off with the girl.

"A teacher? Yeah, it looks like there's some openings but why would you want to have your cover as a teacher?" Oracle asked as Jason sat in his hotel room, looking through the paper again.

"Most of the incidents seem to surround the High School, I want to see what's going on."

Oracle hummed, typing for a moment. "Alright, well as luck will have it, it looks like teachers are sparse at Amity High, at least from what I'm able to get using your connection... which is infuriatingly slow, by the way, are you sure you did it right?"

"I've done it a million times, of course I did it right."

Oracle grumbled, "Stupid Amity black-out. Okay, so you have options. Most of the teachers have fucked off so all of the teachers in Freshmen year switch around to cover lessons or do mixed lessons. For example the English teacher also teaches Math and the normal Math teacher also teaches Science. So it looks like you could have any position you want and the school would just shuffle around the teachers."

"You said English is taken, right?"

"Yep, the teacher is named William Lancer and he- oh... wait, he's on a leave of absence due to injuries he suffered over Christmas Break. Concussion, broken arm, and bruised ribs, he'll be out for a few weeks."

Jason smirked, "Perfect. Sign me up."

". . . Jason, the English and Math teacher... never thought I'd see the day. Alright, I'll type up your application, send it in and casually push it to the front of the line. You'll be official by the time Winter Break ends in a few days. So get studying."

"Sounds like a plan, but I'll be fine, I mean our family is crazy and i deal with criminals on a nightly basis. How hard could this assignment really be?"

He would regret asking that question by the end of his first day as an Amity High School teacher.

[at-this-point-i-dont-even-know]

Always and Forever

Jack Abbot x Reader

About: Jack Abbot lost his wife in the war, and her memory haunts him for six years, three months and twenty four days.

Warnings: I don't know anything medical or anything military so everything is just a guess , this also might get angsty

part two

Six years, three months and twenty four days.

That was how long Jack had been considered a widower.

Six Years, three months and twenty four days since he kissed his wife goodbye and put you on a helicopter never to see you again.

And every night, for those six years, three months and twenty four days, he has woken from the same nightmare.

He’s standing in the desert, the camp behind him as he waves his wife off, your face smiling down at him from the open door as you yell out something he can’t quite hear. He smiles up at you and then turns his back, just slightly, for a half a moment to talk to someone whose face he no longer remembers, and then the blast forces him onto his back, his face burning from the explosion and the helicopter he had just put you on is alight in the air. Your screams cut through the ringing in his ears as he tries to crawl to the rubble falling from the sky. Trying to get to you as you fall, gracefully and lightly to the ground. A dead weight against the world as he finally gets to you, your face and body burnt beyond any recognition.

Every night he would wake screaming from the dream, his hands clutching the sheets and his breath ragged as he tried to pull himself back to reality.

A reality that didn’t have you in it.

He hadn’t been there the moment you died, no one had, your helicopter had gone down over enemy territory after a routine day. There were no survivors and no opportunity to retrieve your body. 

So every day Jack got out of bed, poured a strong cup of coffee with equal amounts of coffee, sugar and milk, before turning on his police scanner and doing the work outs given to him by his physical therapist. Every day he goes through the motions, eating, drinking, chatting to friends, talking to his therapist, helping in the ER and every single day he is reminded that you are gone.

He moved to Pittsburg once he had been honourably discharged a year after your death and after his reckless actions had cost him his foot. Before Pittsburgh, your home had been an army issued backpack and whatever tent you both collapsed in after performing surgery for 23 hours straight in a makeshift hospital. Your address in the States had been a house in Arizona that you both had put all your life savings into, bought without seeing and sold before either of you had moved in a single box. You were gone before the ink had dried and Jack couldn’t go there without you, so it had gone back on the market and he had moved to Pittsburgh at the insistence of your sister, a woman so much your polar opposite he could not believe you were related let alone see you in her.

Emery Walsh was a force to be reckoned with, and while she may never forgive Jack for talking you into another tour (in her opinion, you were going to go no matter what your husband decided), she had taken one look at him at your gravesite, an empty coffin below his feet, an empty wine bottle in his hands and moved him to her city. Got him a job in the Emergency Room, where she could keep an eye on him without hovering. 

And the days went by.

Six years, three months and twenty four days to be exact.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a better day than most when everything changed.

Jack had been rostered on the day shift, which he was starting to think wasn’t as bad as he had originally thought. His friend Dr Michael Robinavitch had brought him a coffee and the Nurse Dana manning the ship it was easy to fall into a comfortable banter with his colleagues. 

“I don’t know how you can drink that stuff!” Dana quipped, as she scrunched her nose at Jack's coffee order, and sipped her own black coffee.

“It brings me joy- which is a good thing i’ve been told.” he laughed as she rolled her eyes.

“If you keep seeking joy, people are going to think you’re more than a grump.”

“Who called me a grump? I am a pocket full of freaking sunshine!” he said, as dryly as possible.

“Sure-” Dana said before her next words were swallowed up by an incoming emergency. 

And the day continued on, Jack was working on a teenager with too many bullet holes in his chest to survive, when Walsh slammed her way into the Emergency Room, it was her day off so instead of the surgery scrubs she normally wore she was in jeans and a fluffy jumper.

A joke about her outfit was on Jack's tongue when it faded away the moment he caught her face.

Emery Walsh was a stone cold bitch, with a face that normally gives nothing away as she deals with life's challenges. 

Jack keenly remembered her face on the day of your funeral, dressed in Military garb she had remained stoic beside your parents, she had made an emotionless speech about your character with no stories of your shared youth and when your empty coffin had been put in the ground she had simply walked away. 

Jack had never quite forgiven her for that, but on the other side of that argument, who was he to judge, you died, he drank and then marched head first into a firefight with no backup and no worries for his own safety. It was Walsh’s unit that had pulled him out, screamed at him and then Walsh had taken leave of her own tour to stay by his bedside, not for emotional support but by some kind of twisted familiar duty for her sister.

But today, her face is white, and her eyes bloodshot red as she scanned the ER, her hands wringing as she fidgeted on the spot.

Jack moved towards her, ripping off his bloodied gloves and apron and yelling at someone else to help the kid, and grabbed her by the shoulder pulling her attention to him.

“What's wrong?” His voice is commanding, military, which pulls Walsh a little bit back to herself.

“I need Robby, now.” She says, each word an effort.

“Emery-”

“I need Robby- not you!” she hissed before turning on her heels and marching to another end of the ER.

“Dana?” Jack called out as the Charge Nurse rounded a corner.

“Yes?”

“Where’s Sad Boy?” The nickname had stuck months after the Pittfest Shooting much to Robby’s disgust. 

“Ambulance Bay- I think he’s trying to get some second hand smoke.” she laughed as she wandered away. 

It was a running joke, Robby trying to quit smoking, every couple of months he goes a few weeks before giving into the temptation. Jack always thought it was the biggest joke in the medical world, the fact that so many doctors, who all know the risks, still smoke so much. But who was he to judge, he ends most of his shifts at the edge of the roof. 

“Marsh!” the brunette turned to him, her eyes wide and her hands still shaking, “Ambulance bay!”

He wanted to follow her, to find out what had made the woman so shaken up but as he stepped forward he was bowled over by Dana who called him over to the incoming trauma.

--------------------------

It was almost an hour before he was finally back into the bullpen and away from any patients. 

Jack couldn't get the picture of Emery’s pale face and shaking hands out of his mind the whole time he coded his last patient, he didn’t even celebrate the small moment when they came back to the world of the living, instead briskly walking away leaving one of the residents to tell the family the good news. 

As he walked past Dana’s desk, he couldn't locate the charge nurse, Robby or Walsh. 

Where is everyone he thought to himself as he looked subtly behind curtains.

He wandered through the ER, nodding to people and stopping to ask some where Robby or Dana was but everyone was none the wiser.

He was starting to get frustrated, it was unusual for both leaders of the ER to disappear at the same time, normally they take turns having little meltdowns. 

As he headed towards the peds room he finally stopped the Charge Nurse. Dana was leaning against the door and typing quickly on her mobile.

“Hey! Have you seen Robby or Walsh?” 

The nurse looked up, like a deer in headlights, she went immediately ridged and stood between him and the door.

“He’s busy, can you man the front?” she asks, gently trying to push him back but he pushes his heels in.

“Dana? Where is Robby?”

She flicked her eyes between him and the shut door behind her.

“Please Jack- Go back out the front.”

“Why?”

“Jack-”

“What's going on Dana?”

“Sweetheart, I need you to go back out there.”

Icy filled his veins and suddenly he felt like he was back in the desert, having the worst news delivered to him by a patchy radio and uncaring radio operator who didn’t know who they were talking to on the other end. Whatever was behind that door was enough to have Dana calling him a pet name, and her eyes almost brimming with tears. 

He gently moved her to the side and slammed the door open to peds. 

The sight before him stopped him in his tracks. 

Robby and Emery stood over a bed, Robby putting in an IV line while Emery sat on a stool holding the hand tight of the person in the bed. 

“Who-” he whispered before taking one further step into the room and Robby turned to look at him. The attending eyes are wide and filled with emotion as he realises who walked into the door but Jack couldn’t look at him further. 

Jack felt his knees buckle as he took in the patient in the bed.

Pale and sleeping with a ragged breathing pattern, covered in black and blue bruises and a scar now running from brow to lip but he would know that face anywhere.

Jack Abbot had been a widower for six years, three months and twenty four days.

But it was you.

You were there, in the bed.

Alive.

“What the fuck-” he whispered before his knees gave out and darkness took over.

[sparrows4bats]

Lost Bird AU

After writing this, I realised some of it is really similar to @spicy-apple-pie Adopted Damian AU, which is incredible, and I highly recommend it. Thank you to @peterchubs so being my sounding board and asking the best questions.

What if Talia, while she was pregnant, realised Damian could not be left in the hands of her father? What if she left Damian as a safe haven baby hours after he was born, with nothing but a blanket and card with his name on it.

With any luck, Talias son will be a child. He will be loved even if he will never know her. If the universe is kind he never will.

Talia kisses her baby once before leaving him in that little box for help to arrive and cries as she walks away.

Both her father and her Beloved believe she lost the baby, and the secret dies with her.

The Batman doesn't get there in time, and even Ras can't revive her. For years, the two men are haunted by Talia Al Ghul and the ways they failed her.

Damian grew up in foster care. He didn't have a last name when he was abandoned, so a nurse at the hospital was kind enough to name him Damian Hope, like a gift and a wish all at once.

Usually, babies would be adopted quickly, but Damian slipped through the cracks. He was accidentally labelled non adoptable, and none of his foster families had been able to change it. When they protested, he was moved.

When he was old enough to realise what he was missing, his disappointment and want for a family manifested in anger and frustration for a while.

His temper got him moved yet again.

People labelled him dangerous, called him names and always assumed he was a moment away from being violent.

Except Damian never hurt anyone, never wanted to.

He just wanted to be loved, so badly, he would do anything to get people to even notice him.

He only learnt to control it when he met Billy. They were both ten, and the other boy had given him the chocolate he had smuggled away before the other kids had seen it.

Damian took the treat but hadn't trusted Billy at first. He tried to scare him away, only to find it didn't work. Billy had a temper to match his own, and Damian, despite his best efforts, found himself growing attached.

Damian remembers looking at the boy who was kind even when he didn't have to be and feeling less alone, less like if he disappeared, no one would even notice. Because Billy would.

For the first time, Damian feels at home with his chosen brother by his side. They both start to learn how to deal with their tempers because they don't want to be separated or moved away from each other.

They look out for one another, protect each other, and start to feel more like the kids they are and less like survivors.

It's the longest a placement has ever lasted for either of them.

Then Billy becomes a hero.

It was an accident, he never meant to be Shazam and he tries to hide it from Damian only to show up bleeding all over him anyway.

Damian patches him up, interrogates him, and scolds him. Damian knows there's no convincing him to stop. Not when Billy looks so fulfilled, excited in a way Damian has never seen him before.

So they make a deal, Damian will keep his secrets if Billy promises to come back safe.

Billy does his best but he comes home more hurt than not. Damian learns how to patch him up better and better everytime.

Damian might have wanted to be a hero alongside Billy at first, but the idea of fighting, of looking to hurt someone even if it's in defence of someone else, just felt wrong to him. Like he was proving the racist, dismissive comments he has heard all his life right.

Damian doesn't even know what he is, so people try to tell him what they saw. He was other, he was dangerous.

So Damian decided not to be a traditional hero but a doctor. A hero that saved heroes. someone who will keep his best friend alive.

Damian was smart, even with all the moving and behavioural issues managed to maintain perfect grades. He was even moved up a few grades thanks to some kind, if exasperated teachers.

When he decided to become a doctor, he put his all into extracurriculars that the school would pay for and graduated years early. He managed to land state funding for his undergraduate degree and a scholarship for living expenses.

He graduated in just under three years and got into med school. Billy was supportive even if the distance made them both anxious.

Billy started working with the Justice League, and Damian was in harder, longer classes, so Damian started to feel lonely and unimportant to the world again.

He even goes so far as to buy a DNA test, hoping that somewhere there might be someone who would like to know him, that can tell him where he gets his eyes or his hair. That can give him an identity outside of Damian Hope, the baby that was left in the box.

Then he met Jonathan Kent.

Damian was studying like usual, and when the sun came up to remind him exactly what time it was, he braved the outside world to grab coffee.

Once his monstrosity of a coffee, the size of his head is in his head, was procured an exhausted Damian promptly walks straight into a wall of muscled chest. It's only the strangers quick reflexes that save his coffee.

Damian is left looking up into bright blue eyes and black curls.

"Sorry!" Damian gasps out, but he doesn't step away. He blames it on the fact that he has not slept in 36 hours.

"It's fine! Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I? "

"No, I'm fine." Damian rubs the back of his neck, and the man still hasn't moved. The closeness is making him blush. "Can I have my coffee back please?"

The man seems startled to find the cup still in his hand. "Of course!"

Damian grabs the cup like a lifeline. "I'm Damian by the way, it's nice to meet you."

The man looks like a model when he smiles. "Jon."

Damian doesn't know what to say, Billy always tells him he is the worst at flirting. "Do you wanna g-"

Jon's phone then starts ringing. "Oh shoot! I'm so sorry I have to go! It was really good to meet you, Damian. I hope I see you again!"

And the man is running out of the coffee shop, leaving Damian with warm fuzzy feelings and the need to take a nap.

Damian finds himself daydreaming about the stranger for days afterwards.

He visits the coffee shop more often after that, half hoping to catch a glimpse of Jon. Plus, the coffee is really good, and he is just about to graduate medschool. He is 90 per cent caffeine at this point.

Then, one day a week later, Jon reappears.

Damian is standing in line when he feels someone politely tap his shoulder.

"Damian, right?" And there Jon is again with a dimpled smile and somehow looking better than he had in Damians imagination.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you again Jon.

"Can I buy you a coffee?"

"Absolutely!"

Jon is horrified by how many espresso shots Damian orders, but afterwards, they sit and chat for what feels like moments until Damian checks his phone and realises he really needs to get back to studying.

Damian really doesn't want to leave and tries to explain to Jon that he is not trying to blow him off.

But Jon's already scribbling down his number, much to Damians delight.

"You can choose to ignore this, and we go back to being strangers, but I've been thinking about how I should've done this the first time we met and when you'renot busy I'dlove to take you out on a proper date."

Damian is almost swooning as he takes the number and excitedly agreeing.

Studying is a lot harder when Jon Kent invades his mind.

They text constantly after that, and Jon takes him for noodles one night after his last exam.

Damian is smitten, daydreaming, and lovesick in no time. Billy is worried for his friend, but Jon is returning that energy with even more intensity.

Just in case Damian avoids introducing the two for as long as possible.

Damian wonders if he should tell Jon about his aspirations to be a doctor for superheroes.

Not revealing Billy's identity, of course, but every time Damian is so much as mentions heroes, Jon gets wide-eyed and changes the subject.

It's gotten to the point that Damian genuinely thinks he has trauma because of heroes. In ab effort to get him to open up, Damian shares his own past, but Jon spends the entire evening comforting him!

Jon goes so far as to bring him home to the Kent Farm and the entire Kent family make it their mission to welcome him.

Clark, Jons father, even takes him aside and explains how he himself was adopted and there's a home here for him too if he wants it.

Damian got a little emotional over pie and the warmth of Jon beside him.

Is it any wonder that Damian forgets all about the DNA test he did?

Only for the results to come back one random evening and name Bruce Wayne, his father. Damian thinks it's a joke at first because there's no way.

He doesn't tell Jon and Billy that he found his dad and definitely doesn't mention who he is. Not yet.

Damian wants confirmation first. If Bruce Wayne is really his father and he wants nothing to do with him, he won't have lost anything, so there is no need to get them involved.

So he researched. Finding out his biological father adopted children was a blow. Damian wonders if Bruce even knew he existed, and if he had, would he have raised Damian?

Damian hopes he hadn't known. That the man hadn't abandoned him as well.

It takes a while, but Damian gets a day off and travels to Gotham. He couldn't find his fathers contact information or make an appointment, but through some sleuthing, he does find out that Bruce Wayne works on Thursdays at Wayne Enterprises. So Damian goes to the lobby and hopes for the best.

The receptionist is nice even if she looks at him like he's crazy when he tells her who he's looking for.

It takes an hour, but eventually, Mr Wayne does come down.

The man looks more serious than any of the photos Damian has seen of him, and he is taller than he imagined.

His father is polite as he asks why he is here, even while he stares at Damian like he is a ghost.

Damian just hands him the file he prepared ahead of time. The one filled with copies of the test results and what Damian has managed to cobble together of his personal history. His birth certificate, a news article about him being left at the hospital. His graduation photos with only Billy at his side.

Bruce takes the file and, with every moment, looks more and more emotionless. Damian fears that he will call him a liar, a fraud, accuse him of wanting money.

Bruce doesn't do any of those things. He clears his throat and asks Damian to follow him.

Damian is taken to a lab that is inexplicably in the building and asked to do another test. His cheek is swab, and so are his fathers, and they are given food while they wait.

Mr Wayne asks him about his life, his schooling, his plans, and Damian tries not to overthink as he answers.

The test comes back positive.

And Damian just collapses. Mr Wayne looks flabbergasted and haunted, but Damian is too busy keeping his sobs to himself to read too much into it.

"Did you know about me?"

"I didn't know you were alive, your mother said she had lost the baby and I don't know why she lied."

"You remember my mother?"

His father sighs. "You look just like her, Talia was one of the loves of my life, we were engaged a long time ago."

"Do you know how to get in contact with her?:

"She died, Damian, a few years after you were born."

"Oh." Damian knows he should feel something, but right now, he doesn't know what.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I think."

Bruce Wayne, his Dad, wraps him on a hug as he starts to cry.

"I wanted you, Damian, and I'm so sorry."

They stay like that for a long time.

Damian goes to dinner with his Dad and meets the rest of his family.

They are all welcoming even if Damian gets a bit overwhelmed with the sheer number of new family he meets.

He gravitates towards Cassandra because her quiet and calm demeanour is soothing in the chaos of the others' reactions.

Stephanie teases Bruce while Tim stares at him like a puzzle. Jason is gruff but welcoming while Dick Grayson seems to be trying to learn every detail of his life.

Duke hands him coffee when he mentions trying to finish med school. He takes it gratefully even while Alfred tuts about healthy sleep schedules.

He leaves on a bus after being fed and making a plan to meet them again soon in Fawcett city.

Damian tries to figure out how to tell Billy and Jon that he is a Wayne now, but somehow, he always gets interrupted.

Memorably, by an invasion that Billy had to attend to and Jon disappeared during.

His family also dissappears during said invasion. But Damian tries not to think about it.

He has school and balances three separate social lives to pay much attention to the odd behaviour of everyone in his life.

It all comes a head when he is kidnapped.

The Justice League is having a meeting when the video comes in.

Damian is strapped to a chair with a bloody nose while the villain reads of a list of demands and taunts to Superman 2.0 of all people.

The bats are murderous, both Supermen look pissed and Shazam shouts, "Damian!" As soon as the video begins.

"How do you know Damian?!" Jon is gaping at the other hero.

"He's my best friend, you Dick! Why is he getting kidnapped because of you!" Shazam is glaring at the kryptonitian.

"Because I'm dating him!" Jon defends himself.

"Oh my God, you're Jon!"

"And you're Billy!"

The two are staring at each other with dawning realisation. "Does Damian know he is dating the knock off Superman?"

Jon groans. "Not yet! I was hoping to tell him after he graduates. I didn't want to stress him out!"

"Suuuurrree because a kidnapping is so relaxing!" Billy taunts

"I didn't kidnap him!"

Batman slams the table. "Both of you shut up!"

The two turn on him. "What wrong with you?"

"I need to go rescue my son because apparently the two of you can't keep him safe!"

"YOUR SON!" Any bad blood Jon and Billy may have had was forgotten in the face of protecting Damian.

"It's new. I only found out recently."

"That's not good enough! He was alone in foster care for years!" Billy yells.

Jon just glares at the man he has known for years that so badly let down the man he loves.

"I know! But right now, we need to save him." Batman says while turning to track where the video came from.

They do manage to get Damian to safety all while arguing with eachother.

Jon scoops his boyfriend up as Batman and Shazam take down the kidnappers.

They all have a lot of explaining to do when Damian no longer has a concussion.

Jon apologies profusely for putting him in danger and only stops when Damian reveals all the stupid shit Billy used to pull when they were kids.

Jon hugs his boyfriend tightly and smugly suggests Damian stays with him until they sort out a safer apartment.

Batman and Shazam pout when Damian hesitatantly agrees.

The fact that he is the son of Batman doesn't change much, but Damian does end up as the medical officer for the Watchtower when he graduates and completes his internship.

He spends his days saving his family, even if his family is very clingy.

[youraverageaemondsimp]

“Be Quiet.” // DILF!Aemond Targaryen x Babysitter!Reader // PART ONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 500 FOLLOWERS! (+200 now) so here is the awaited fic, celebrating a milestone <3 based on this poll, dilf aemond won at the end haha 💞

MDNI

WARNINGS: unprotected p in v sex, dubcon(?), oral (both f and m.), blowjob, cum eating, cum play(?), breeding kink, multiple orgasms, age gap (9ish years), DILF aemond, single father aemond, power imbalance(?), throat fucking, cunnilingus, lots and lots of kissing, + not proofread

WC: 7.1k (yeah...)

« part two // 🎄 special »

Getting fired from your job while trying to pay rent and gathering tuition fees isn't exactly ideal, you wanted to pursue a bachelor's degree after high school, but you didn't have enough money, coming from a family that was barely held by, nor were you eligible to apply for student because there were legal issues.

You moved out of your parents not wanting to financially burden them anymore, renting a decent apartment with just enough space for you to call it a 'home' you've been working for the past 2 years, a decent paying job but it was enough to get by and save up on the fees too, everything seemed to be going perfect until you suddenly got fired and your landlord decided to increase the rent.

You knew you'd have to cut into your savings to pay rent now, but you didn't want that, you halfway there to your goal, you were expected to get promoted and get higher pay, you calculated it, that it would only take one more year for you get enough amount to pay for the first few sems, and then maybe you'll be able to apply for a student loan by then.

But fate had different plans, and here you were on your couch scrolling through multiple apps to find any type of job, extremely desperate.

And that's when you saw it.

“Babysitter needed.” you thought how perfect of a job it would be considering the degree you wanted to so badly was based in psychology, child psychology specifically, and interacting with kids will probably give you some type of experience?

You quickly clicked on it and found the contact number, and decided to call it, you bit your lips nervously hoping they'd pick up.

“Hello?” you heard a cool voice say which sent shivers down your spine.

“Hello- yes uhm, Hi! I am calling because I saw the post on the app that said you needed a babysitter for hire?” you stumble over your words and mentally facepalm yourself for it.

“Yes, indeed. Are you interested in applying?” he asks and you quickly reply with a yes.

“Do you have any prior experience?” he asks and you reply with a quick yes, you've babysat a few kids throughout your highschool era for quick cash, as a way to not rely on your parents for menial things.

“Mhm alright, I don't want to bring your hopes up by saying you got a job, I'd like to have a personal interview first, if you do not mind.” he says and you say, thanking him and he hangs up the call.

You were fucking shaking.

It felt like applying for the first job of your life all again, the nervousness, the anxiety, the everything.

Aemond had saved your phone number and sent it to his assistant, Floris, asking her to run a background check on you, and to see if you had any criminal background, he read your name on the file that got delivered to him, sipping on his coffee while he scanned through your details.

You just turned 21, recently.

‘So young’ he thought, ‘Let me guess, she's probably looking for jobs in order to afford education.’ he guessed and he was exactly on the money with that one.

He wasn't that old himself, barely 30

He inherited his father's business at just age 23, being the only one capable of handling such pressure, his elder siblings couldn't stand a chance against him, and since then, he's maintained the Targaryen name perfectly.

He remembers falling in love with a woman older than him, he was 24, she attended one of the business parties he dreaded going to, Alys rivers was her name, they dated for 2 years before deciding to pace things up and get engaged since everything was going perfect for both of them.

Until Alys got pregnant, Aemond was overjoyed when he heard that news, but he didn't know that the child would suck the life out of her.

She died giving birth to their son, and he was devastated, being heart broken by her death, however he never once blamed his child, it was their choice to birth him, and it failed miserably.

But 3 years had passed since her death and he had moved on from her death, ready to love once again, yet it was extremely hard to find someone that wasn't after his money.

He knew he couldn't just live in the misery of heartbreak, and Alys would've wanted him to move on too.

His son, Aenys, recently turned 3 too, he inherited Aemond's purple eyes and silver blonde hair, typical targ features, but he saw how the softness of his nose, sharpness of his eyes resembled his mother.

But back to you at hand, he went through all your papers deeming you fit for the interview, he called a day later telling you the address where the interview would be held, his office.

Yes, his fucking office, as if you were applying for a job at his company, he justified it by saying that you were technically his employee.

When you got out of the taxi and looked at the company in front of you, it finally clicked in your brain that your employee was none other than Aemond Targaryen, and it only made your anxiety worse.

You went to the receptionist and told her your name, and she typed it in, giving you a small smile, telling you that you were exactly on time. She called his office to tell you that you were here and led you to his office. You looked around and noticed how big this company was, a bunch of employees working in their cubicles, typing away.

“Mr. Targaryen?” she called out and you heard a small ‘come in.’ Before stepping inside and pushing the door open for you to enter, you did and she stepped outside, closing it gently behind you, leaving you alone in the room with the man.

Aemond hadn't looked up from his files until the door closed, and when he did, he felt his breath caught in his throat.

“You may sit.” he says and you nod, sitting across him on the opposite side of the table, you felt so small under his gaze, it was so intimidating but you put up with it.

He began the interview by asking questions about yourself, and all relevant things, but there was one question that caught you off guard.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asks and you furrow your brows, “Excuse me?” you question, noticing how odd of a question it is.

“Don't get me wrong, the previous babysitter had one, and she used to bring him to the apartment and…” he cleared his throat and you immediately caught on to what he was implying, “Oh! No! I do not have one, and even if I did I would not do that!” you reassure him and he gives you a nod.

He was fucking lying.

But you didn't know that.

The previous babysitter was an old lady, who Aenys liked a lot, but sadly she had to leave the city.

“I hope you know that you're expected to work full time? I leave for the office at 9AM and return back at 7PM, and you'll need to be ready to work those long hours, and sometimes I might not even return till late at night if there is extra work.” he says and you nod, and before the question can leave your mouth he cuts you off.

“Do not worry, you'll be paid for those extra hours.” he confirms and you nod smiling at him.

And then came your terms, which he agreed to, he made you sign a one year contract, and you did it without hesitation.

Frankly the pay was so high you would barely need to work 6 months to reach the full amount, but you still did an extra 6 months considering how having extra money at hand doesn't hurt.

And with a handshake, he accepted you.

You were practically going to spend most of your awake time with the kid, it sounds hectic but the pay was too good to pass up on, I mean, $80 per hour? fuck yes, you'd be having around $230k by the end of the contract. Aemond was filthy rich.

It was finally your day to go to his house and you already knew it was going to be big, but you were still shocked when you arrived to the destination, it was a 20 minute drive from your house, and it was located in the richest neighbourhood to exist in the city, you felt embarrassed getting out of your taxi at an area where everyone probably had their own cars, heck, a collection of them even, but you paid the fare and the guard got up to question you, you told him and he quickly nodded before letting you inside.

It was early in the morning, you came quickly so Aemond could show you around the house and introduce you to his kid, you stood there nervously as you rang the doorbell, Aemond had checked through the security camera before the door opened, revealing the house interior.

You quickly stepped in and he closed the door behind you. You expected him to have maids and a bunch of staff, but you were surprised when you found none. No wonder he asked if you can cook, you'd probably be doing all the work here besides the cleaning.

“Aenys is in his playroom, let me take you there.” he says cooly and you follow him, taking in your surroundings.

He opens the door to the playroom and you immediately find a kid, who you assumed to be older than 2, playing with his dragon toys, making rawr sounds, and yelling the word ‘dracarys.’ you smiled at the cuteness.

Aemond cleared his throat which caught the attention of Aenys and he smiled brightly before he jumped in his arms, “Papa!” he yelled, before he turned his attention to you and looked at his father in question

“Hey aeny, do you know how the previous babysitter had to leave town?” he asks gently and Aenys nods, “And papa needs to be away for work top right? So I got you a new babysitter who will take care of you.” he points towards you, explaining and Aenys looks at you tilting his head slightly

“Hey, Aenys.” you give him a small, waving your hand, he shyly waves back before he hides his face his fathers chest, you chuckle at the cuteness.

“I'll go give her a house tour okay? And then I will visit you once again before I leave, have fun darling.” He says and puts his son down, and Aenys looks at you once again, inspecting you, observing you, you smile at him once again, and this time he gives you a shy smile.

Aemond leaves the room and you wave a quick temporary goodbye to Aenys and follow him.

“Aenys, doesn't have a mother, or at least he had to grow up without one” Aemond randomly begins and you look at him confused. “My fiancee-” he sighs before halting his footsteps, “She- she had died while giving birth to him.” you watch as he takes deep breaths, “It's okay if you don't want to talk about it now, we have a lot of time anyway, just open up to me when you are ready, sir.” you tell him and he looks at you, giving you a nod and resumes the house tour.

It was fucking big.

Just like he said, he visited his son once more before leaving for work and the entire day you spent it with Aenys, getting to know him, observing his behaviour.

You noted that he was extremely shy at first but then he eventually warmed up to you, he still had his guard up of course since you were fairly new and a stranger in his life, you introduced yourself and he did the same.

He showed you all his toy collections, which you were genuinely fascinated by, he had so many dragon figurines and remembered each one by their name, his favourite was vhagar.

“It waass papa's once, when he was jus like mee.” he babbled cutely, the way he pronounced the words were so cute too, you swear you could die at it.

“Vhagar belonged to your papa?” you felt awkward saying the word papa, but you knew you had to considering that it was the term Aenys was used to, he nodded, smiling.

“Yesh! He gwave it to meh.” he says and you smile.

Aenys had quite a developed vocabulary for his age, though he pronunciation was a bit off, but you knew it would improve with time.

And just like that, you and Aenys grew close, he was always cheery to see you, you cooked and looked after him, feeding him vegetables in a way he would enjoy, and Aemond was surprised when he found out, considering Aenys refused to eat vegetables.

You put Aenys to sleep one day, singing him a lullaby and caressing his hair as he fell asleep in his bed, he watched you with big doe eyes, which were slowly beginning to get droopy as sleep overcame him. He closed his eyes and his brows were relaxed. You sat there for a while, watching him sleep, and you look at the time, 8PM, Aemond was running late, but you didn't mind, by the time he usually fell asleep, Aemond would've been there, listening to you sing to his son and when he finally fell asleep, you would leave, politely saying goodbye to Aemond, but this time you had stayed, since Aemond was late.

You noticed how Aenys eyebrows furrowed before you saw tears coat his eyelashes

“Mam… mama… I want mama...” he mumbled in his sleep and you swear you felt your heart wrench at that, then you heard small sniffles.

He was crying in his sleep.

Is this what usually happens after you leave? You felt extremely sad, you remember how Aemond had told you that Aenys grew up without a mother, how she had died during childbirth. You never really thought about it much but you realised how tough it must've been for Aenys, then suddenly you remembered all the times you played together or watched cartoons, how he would say the word "mother" longingly when he was referring to a mom dragon, or how he stared in a daze when a cartoon showed a mom taking care of his child.

He was beginning to notice an absence of a parental figure in his life.

You were snapped out of your thoughts by the sniffling getting louder, and Aenys was beginning to borderline cry out, you quickly picked him up and carried him, pacing around the room gently as you patted his back, his hand clung tightly onto the sleeve of your arm and he rested his cheek on your shoulder.

“Shhh, Aenys, it's okay.” you try consoling him but he kept repeating the words 'I want mama, mama.' in his sleep over and over again.

Not knowing what to do, you began to feel bad, so you did what you thought was the best.

“Aenys, Mama is here, it's okay hush now..” you coo gently into his ear and that's when he finally stops sniffling, 'mama?' he mumbles and you hum, “Yes, it's mama, do not cry anymore okay? Mama is here.” you caress his hair and he finally relaxes, you were so entranced in comforting him that your brain managed to ignore the presence of Aemond himself, who had arrived when you picked him up and paced around in a panic, he was going to interfere but then he heard you say those words.

You stopped dead in your tracks when you noticed him, heat climbing up your face as you realised he probably heard everything and also you were stricken with fear too cause you likely overstepped.

You gently placed Aenys down on the bed and got out of his room, anxiety coursing through your veins as you realised what you had done

But you were only trying to comfort him.

Aemond soon followed you out the room as well and you turned around to face him when he closed the door.

“I apologize— I'm so sorry—” you began.

“Don't. It's fine, I can understand why you did that.” he cuts you off, and you wince.

“He- he's been noticing.” you began and Aemond nodded, “I've noticed too.” he replies and sighs.

“Aenys has changed a lot since you've started babysitting him in a good way , and I've noticed it, he's becoming more and more aware of the world around him.” He moves to the living room, sitting on the couch and you do the same, sitting on the one opposite to him.

“I've made sure that he never felt a lack of anything in his life, but I guess it's only natural for a person to desire something he can't have.” he says.

“Aenys can have a mother, if you remarry, that void will be fulfilled somewhat.” you suggest and he looks at before chuckling “I've thought of that too, my mother said the same thing, but i cannot trust anyone, especially considering how many are after my money, who knows if they'll be kind to him, or whether Aenys will like them or not.” he sighs.

“That is true.” you agree with him and he looks at you.

“Unless… ” he begins, eye scanning your entire being and you look at him, your heartbeat quickening, just as he was about to say something, your phone rings and it cuts off the trance-like state you were in, and you look at it to see who it is.

It was a spam call.

But then your eyes bulge out of your sockets when you look at the time, “Holy shit it's late, I'm sorry sir but i have to leave now, or else it will be too dangerous.” you say and quickly apologise and he nods, dismissing you. That was the first night, sleep came to Aenys peacefully.

But it didn't to Aemond, he was lost in thought about everything, but then his mind wandered off to somewhere it shouldn't go.

The way you comforted Aenys stirred something inside you, the moment was perfect, you cooing in Aenys' ear that you were here, pretending to be his mother.

It was so perfect.

Almost as if you were made for that.

Aemond felt his heart flutter.

For the first time in years.

He couldn't help but accept the pull he felt towards you.

Aenys doesn't seem to remember the incident, probably cause he was literally just sleep talking so it was left at that, but you and Aemond however grew a bit close after that incident, he came back home early as he can, so he could spend time with his son and you, he was subconsciously trying to get his son used to both of them being around, both present in his life as parental figures.

You obviously weren't able to leave early just because he got home early because those were your mandatory hours, so it became your new normal to spend time with him and Aenys.

You couldn't deny that there was something definitely blooming in between you and Aemond, he would often throw appreciative comments in your way, which made your belly pool up with heat.

You noticed how he wanted to stay by your side, physical touch lingering, he had suggested that you 3 should go grocery shopping, and you found it odd considering he could literally order his clients to fetch them for him, but you agreed anyways, using it as a chance to get outside and let Aenys interact with other people. Aemond was heavily against sending him to the daycare, because he was scared for his son, it was understandable but it also set Aenys behind a bit.

“Mama, I want this!” you hear a kid yell at his mom and you watch as she refuses it gently, telling him no and that she will buy him the next time they come back here, and the kid just pouted, you chuckled at the sight.

You turned your attention to Aenys who was staring at the scene too, and you realised how he was in a daze once again as well, you looked at Aemond who also seemed to notice.

Aenys quickly ran in another direction and you panicked and almost ran after him before he was back in front of you again, grabbing the same toy the other child had grabbed earlier and showing it to you. “Ma-” he cut himself short before pushing the toy to show you “I want this!” he says and Aemond was confused at first and he was about to agree to buy that toy for Aenys until you butted in, “No Aenys, we can't buy it right now! We'll buy it next time when we come back here okay?” you say and he smiles sheepishly at you, before pretending to pout and put the toy back in a random shelf.

You chuckled at the childishness, he just wanted to feel the same type of experience that others do. Aemond knew it was just you both playing around, he didn't miss the way Aenys almost called you his mother, and it spurred him on further, the way you acted as a genuine mother.

Those type of random moments became often, and it pushed Aemond further and further to the edge, the way you would act like such a perfect mom made him want to bend you over any surface and fuck you, filling you up with his cum.

Aemond then suddenly started joining for lunch, he would usually eat at his office, but he made extra effort to drive home so he could eat with his 'family.' He loved your cooking, you made it taste like home, he would watch as you cut smaller pieces of fruits and vegetables for Aenys so he could properly chew and eat. He imagined how perfect you would be as his wife and like an official mother to his child, or better, children, all of these small things were pushing him to the edge

And soon it would push him off it.

Aemond cursed himself when he drove through the rain, already running late, he looked at his watch and read the time, it was 10PM, the meeting in the afternoon stretched over two hours long which set back the rest of his schedule by a lot, he quickly parked his hair before making his way inside his house, open the door with the extra key carried before shutting it close.

“Look Aenys! Dada's here.” he heard you say and he was immediately spun around, he didn't expect you to stick around this long, but then he realised it was raining heavily and you always went by taxi, there probably would've been no taxi available in this weather.

“Aenys didn't go to sleep yet?” he asks, undoing the suit he was wearing before throwing it on the couch, approaching both of you, taking Aenys into his arms.

“He wanted to wait until you got home, he was worried for you, though he seems tired hmm.” you pinch his nose playfully and he scrunches it up, “I'm not twired…” he says but then yawns earning a chuckle from both you and Aemond.

“I'll put him to sleep, you go freshen up.” you say and Aemond nods, giving him back to you.

Fuck everything about that interaction felt too domestic.

And Aemond had lost his resolve.

He found you sitting on the couch, scrolling through something, he sat down next to you.

“What are you doing?” he asks and you look at him, “Trying to book cabs, but there are none available at the moment due to the weather.” you sigh before placing your phone down.

Aemond should've offered to drive you home but instead he offered to let you stay.

“You know you can stay over, I do not mind it.” he says and you look at him “Really? I don't wanna be a bother—”

“Oh please, you are never a bother.” he cuts you off and smiles at you. “You should freshen up for the night, you've been here since morning.” he says but you pout. “I do not have any clothes.” you say and he simply shrugs, “You can wear mine.” he pushes the buttons, wondering how far he can get away with it, he knew offering you to let you stay at his house already broke the employee boss relationship, hell, the moment he desired you was when it already broke.

“Mhm okay! Where is the guest bathroom?” you ask and he shakes his head, “The water heater is broken in that one, it's better if you use the attached bathroom in my room.” he says.

The water heater wasn't broken.

He was lying.

And you believed him.

He watched as you got up and made your way to his room, which was right next to Aenys', considering he has to react if something happens to him, he followed you inside opening the cupboards and giving you his hoodie and fresh pair of boxers which you thanked him for.

He left the room to give you privacy, but oh gods his mind was racing with all the thoughts.

He paced around, trying to contain himself, and he stood there in front of the door.

And then you opened it.

His hoodie reached to your thighs, and you looked at him, shocked to find him in front of the door, lips parted.

He snapped.

He quickly pushed you inside and shut the door behind you, slamming his lips against yours, and kissed you fervent hunger, you stumbled back and you almost fell but he caught you by your waist and pushed deeper into the kiss, moving his lips hungrily against your.

He pulls away, silently giving you a way out if you need it.

You should refuse this.

You should push him away.

But you don't, instead you wrap your arms around him and pull him into a deeper kiss, he groans when he feels you kiss him back, he pulls away once again, before grabbing you by your arm and pushing you onto the bed, making you fall on your back, your hoodie rising up, revealing your stomach, which he kissed lovingly before he pulled the hoodie even more further up, exposing your tits and pressing kisses to the nipples, causing you to gasp.

He pulls the hoodie off of you completely, and you raise your hands to assist him, he pulls off his shirt too, exposing his naked chest, and you bite your lip at the view, next he takes the boxes off you, doing the same, leaving you both completely bare to the room.

He pushes you upwards to the bed and crawls on top of you, kissing your face, neck, collar bones and valley between your breasts, his hands grab the flesh of your tits before he kneads them, massaging them, thumbs flicking the nipples making you arch your back.

One of his hands trails down to your core, dipping into the heat, he outright moans when he finds you practically leaking, collecting the arousal and bringing it upwards your bud. Rubbing small circles which makes you gasp.

He pulls his hand away and brings it up to lick at the wetness that has accumulated on the fingers, humming in satisfaction before he pressed kisses which travelled downwards until his mouth stopped right at your core, giving a small kiss to it to, you shivered when you felt his hot breath against it, the way the air he exhaled would hit your clit. He kissed the inner part of your thighs first, making you needy with want, wishing he'd just take you into his mouth.

And then he does, his tongue strides upwards from your opening to your clit, giving you one long lick before he captures your clit with his mouth, suckling on it, causing you moan his name loudly, both of his hands wrap around your thighs and he pulls them further apart, his fingers digging into the flesh as he hungrily devours your cunt, tongue flicking the bud constantly, you grip his hair and buck your hips, practically rutting against his face, you felt his tongue travelling down and lick at the wetness, the tip of his nose pushing against your clit, you felt your core tighten as the movement of his tongue sped up, causing you to topple over the edge and your orgasm hit you like a truck, making you whine loudly.

He greedily licked everything up before he placed wet kisses on your thighs, the residue of your wetness sticking to them before he sat back on his knees between your parted legs, you watched as he got up slightly, making his cock come into view.

Your eyes widened slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Aemond, this stroked his ego very much.

He was big, bigger than any you've seen before, it was pale with a tip that was flushed pink due to the blood pumping, oozing precum out of it, he pumped his cock in his hand to ease the area, coating his dick in his own precum before he positioned it against your entrance, you bit your lip in anticipation but then you felt him slide against your folds, covering his dick in your wetness as well before slapping your clit with the tip of his dick, making you whimper.

He then lined himself against your entrance and pushed in, and you arched your back at the stretch, it was so delicious, you felt so full.

He leaned on top of you and gave you a passionate kiss, you could taste yourself on his tongue, making you taste the tanginess, he supported his weight on his elbows which were on either side of you, gripping yours, fingers intertwined with yours. You were locked in a missionary position, a position that felt intimate.

Then you felt him move, thrusting in and out at a brutal speed, causing you to moan his name, the thrusts made you jolt up the bed, breasts bouncing due to the force emitted from it, his grip tightening as he grunted on top of you, rutting into your wet heat, his hair dropped his shoulders, cascading around his face, and you gasped at how godly his looked like this.

Then you felt his tip hit your gspot, constantly, which caused you moan extremely loudly, “Fuckk! Ahh~ Aemond!” you mewled, closing your eyes and throwing your head back, his hand left one of yours to cover your mouth as he continuously slammed into you.

“Shh, be quiet, or he'll wake up.” he whispers, referring to Aenys who was sleeping in the next room and you nodded, you felt him pull his hand away but his thumb traced your lips, you opened your mouth which made him put his thumb inside and you sucked on him, and you felt him groan, then he pulled it out, hand going back to grip yours, and you bit your lip to hold back your moans from slipping out.

You felt your core begin to tighten again and it snapped once more, causing you to arch you back, pushing your breasts against his chest and he muttered 'fuck' feeling the way you clenched around him.

His thrusts begin to grow sloppy and lose their rhythm, indicating that he was close, “Fuckk, I'm gonna cum inside you.” he says and you whine, “I'm going to get you pregnant, watch you grow round with my kid…” he growls, thrusting into you again and again, “You're going to give Aenys little siblings, You will, right? He looked so lonely, I think he'd appreciate that.” he grunts and you nod quickly, mind too hazy to even comprehend or acknowledge the complications behind you agreeing to this.

“Good girl.” he says before he finishes inside you, and paints your walls white, shooting up his seed far into you, riding his orgasm out.

You felt him pull out and thought that was the end until he pushed you over onto your back, and sat on his knees, he grabbed your waist and pulled it up, and you immediately switched to supporting your on your knees as you arched your back, stretching like a cat, your hands on the side of you.

He groaned when he watched his cum drip down your thighs before he scooped it up and put it in his mouth, tasting your combined essence.

He was still hard.

So he wasted no time, shoving himself back inside you and you whined at the way your walls felt overstimulated, not knowing if you can handle one more orgasm consistently.

He sheathed himself inside your walls, and moved with fervent speed like before, his balls slapping against your thighs, the room was filled with erotic noises, he gripped your waist for support, until his hand travelled slightly upwards, catching one of your tits before gripping it tightly, and rolling the nipple in between his fingers.

“I can't wait to watch them swell.” he grunts.

“You'd look so pretty with my child in your belly, the way your tummy will swell? Gods fuck, that is a vision.” he moans

“Look at you, taking my cock so well, like you are meant to.” he notes, thrusting in and out, watching as the previous cum leaks out.

He clicks his tongue

“So much is going to waste, tsk, it's okay I'll fill you up again, make sure you get pregnant.” he groans and you moan, “Ye-yes fill me up.” you say, and he smirks at that, “Good girl, taking my cock like one.” he leans against you, your back pressing to his chest as he leaves kisses on the back of your neck, and you once again, topple over the edge for the third time.

He finishes too, inside you again.

You both fall besides each other on the bed, and realise the weight of the situation after the adrenaline and excitement of the moment fades away and the breathing becomes more stable.

“I- fuck.” Aemond begins not knowing what to say and you lay there quietly.

“Listen, ever since that day you walked in, I felt some type of pull towards you, I wasn't sure what it was, but it was as if we were meant to me, and I couldn't ignore the feelings brewing inside me.” you watch as he speaks.

“I- to put it in simple words, I fell in love with you. I really did, though it's fine if you do not share the same feelings, we can go back to pretending this never happened.” he confesses.

“I am in love with you too.” you confess, “I pushed these feelings away, because it wasn't appropriate.” you say and he looks at you this time.

Silence falls between you two.

A comfortable silence.

He pulls you closer and wraps his arms around you, hugging you, and you hug him back, the he places loving kisses atop you.

You felt something hard pressing against your inner thighs and you looked down, shocked to find him hard again, you chuckle.

“Again?” you tease and he playfully glares at you, “Yeah, you're so fucking irresistible.” he kisses your neck, hips mindlessly grinding against you. “I'm so sensitive.” you pout, but you get an idea, you quickly push him onto his back before getting on top of him, and then crawling down in between his legs, before taking his cock in your hand.

“Fuck!” he moans when he feels your warm hand wrap around it, before you gently tug on it, pumping your hand up and down, watching as the precum leaks out, you collect some with your tongue, poking the slight hole making him groan and grip the side of your head.

You trail kisses down to his balls, before giving them wet kisses as your hand pumps his cock, you lick a long stride up his length before taking him in your mouth, as best as you can, hands resting on his thighs to balance yourself.

You bob your head up and down, swirling the the tongue around him, pulling away time to time to breath before descending onto him once again, the grip on the side of your head tightened and you watched as he sat up slightly leaning on his elbow, before his hips thrusted upwards, and so you let him take control.

He collected your hair into a makeshift pony before gripping the back of your head tightly and thrusting his entire length into your mouth, the tip teaching the back of your throat, making you gag slightly, causing tears to well up in your eyes, you closed them and tried to breathe through your nose as he thrusted upwards and fast, essentially fucking your throat.

You felt him twitch slightly in your mouth, knowing he was close, you sucked him and hollowed your cheeks, he threw his head back at that, he felt steady pleasure rising within him before such a force expelled from his body, causing him to peak, shooting out ropes and ropes after cum into your mouth, you felt it hit the back of your throat, causing you to swallow unknowingly, before he slightly pulled out, cause the remaining to fall in your mouth.

He pulled out completely and watched your face, flushed and hair dishevelled, you held his cum in your mouth, waiting for his command, “Swallow.” and you did, obeying him, opening your mouth to show that there was none left, he groaned as he watched the remnants of his seed drip from the side of your mouth before he collected it with his index finger and shoved it back into your mouth, and you click his finger clean, he grunted before you upwards and kissing you, tasting himself in your mouth, hands squeezing your ass before he gave one of them light slaps, causing you to wince.

You pulled away and breathed heavily, he smiled down at you, before he left the bed to clean both of you up, collecting the clothes and getting dressed before he pulled beside him in the bed, going to sleep while hugging your form.

You dreaded the next morning, wondering how you'll explain your relationship to Aenys, you woke up to an empty bed, you read the time, it's was just 8AM, you felt sad but then you quickly got up and went outside finding Aemond and Aenys awake, sitting at the table conversing, your heart warmed at the sight, Aenys spotted you and ran over to you, lifting his arms up, asking you to silently to carry him, and you did, you picked him up before placing a small kiss to his forehead.

“Mama!” he said and you froze, before you looked at Aemond, who gave you a small smile and nodded and your eyes softened at it, it seems he had done the explaining.

“Mama! Mama!” Aenys grabbed your face making you look at him and you chuckled, “Yes Aenys, it's mama.” you say and he smiles brightly.

“I'll go get ready for work.” Aemond says, getting up from the spot he was sitting on and coming over to both of you before he pressed a kiss to Aenys forehead, and doing the same to you and going inside his room and getting ready.

You put Aenys down on his chair and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, you made simple eggs on toast, and just on the time, Aemond came out of his room, looking all ready and you placed three plates down, along with fruits cut into small pieces of Aenys.

“I made breakfast.” you say and Aemond smiles at you, before sitting down and the three of you ate breakfast.

Applying for this job was the best thing you've ever done.

Who knew your life would change the course of it in the span of just a few months.

There were other things to discuss, and you knew it was plaguing Aemond's mind as well, but you both decided it will be best if discussed later and so you both basked in this moment, listening to Aenys babbles.

“So i hwave a mom now rightt?” he asks Aemond who nods, “Are you happy?” he asks and Aenys nods quickly, “Yesh! Aenys is wery hwappy! But…” he trails off and you feel your heartbeat quicken.

“I want a sibling too…” he murmurs

Oh gods.

Your eyes flickered over to Aemond who stared at you, you blush and look away as you remembered the details of last night.

“I wwant a swister… ! or a bwother!!! Hmm any is fine…” he babbles on, not knowing what he is asking for.

You look at Aemond again, who didn't seem to take his eye off you at all.

He smirks.

Oh fuck.

You quickly get up and collect the empty plates before going behind the kitchen counter and placing them in the sink, washing your hands, focusing your attention on them, until you felt arms wrapped around your waist before one trailed upwards towards your breast giving it squeeze, you quickly looked up to see Aenys was watching until you realised he was nowhere to be seen.

“He's in his playroom.” Aemond whispered in your ear, grinding slowly against your ass.

“Heard that? He wants a sibling so badly, surely you can't deny him right?” he asks, pinching your nipples through the fabric causing you to gasp.

He places kisses down your neck, before he spins you around and kisses you on the mouth, making you wrap your arms around his shoulder. He pulls away before kissing you on the cheek.

His phone rings and he notices the time, 9:15AM, he was running late which was the first for him, and it was his assistant calling him.

“Fuck, mood spoiler.” he grunts before shoving his phone back in his pocket before placing a kiss to your mouth once again.

“Don't think I'm done with you yet, it's gonna be one hell of a ride when I get back home.” he presses one final kiss to your neck before pulling himself away from you, granted it was so fucking difficult considering how he wanted to fuck you on the kitchen counter just moments ago.

You nod and follow him to the front door.

“Have a nice day, Aemond.” you say, and he smiles at you, coming to kiss you but then Aenys comes running towards you both.

“Is dada going to work?? BYE DADAAA” he screams and Aemond chuckles, before waving a small 'bye' to Aenys, and leaving from the front door.

He barely left and he already couldn't wait to get back home from work.

And you gulped, nervous in anticipation.

Oh seven hells.

———

[wileycap]

So, uh, Netflix Avatar, huh? Yeah. I guess I'll make a really long post about it because ATLA brainrot has is a cornerstone of my personality at this point.

So.

It's okay. B, maybe a C+.

That's it.

Now for the spoilers:

The biggest issue with the Netflix version is the pacing. Scenes come out of nowhere and many of the episodes are disjointed. Example: Aang escaping from Zuko's ship. We see him getting the key and going "aha!", and in the next scene he's in Zuko's room. And then he just runs out, no fun acrobatics or fights, and immediately they go to the Southern Air Temple where he sees Gyatso's corpse, goes into the Avatar state, and then sees Gyatso being really cheesy, comes out of it, and resolves that conflict. Nothing seems to lead into anything. The characters don't get to breathe.

The show's worst mistake (aside from Iroh fucking murdering Zhao) is its' first one: they start in the past. Instead of immediately introducing us to our main characters and dropping us into a world where we have a perfect dynamic where Aang doesn't know the current state of the world and Katara and Sokka don't know about the past, thus allowing for seamless and organic worldbuilding and exposition, they just... tell us. "Hey, this is what happened, ok, time for Aang!" There's no mystery, no intrigue, just a stream of information being shoved down the audience's throats and then onto the next set piece.

The visuals are for the most part great, but like with most Netflix productions, they just don't have great art direction. It feels like a video game cinematic, where everything is meant to be Maximum Cool - and none of the environments get to breathe. It's like they have tight indoor sets (with some great set design) and then they have a bunch of trailer shots. It's oozing with a kind of very superficial love.

Netflix still doesn't know how to do lighting, and with how disjointed the scenes are, the locations end up feeling like a parade of sets rather than actual cities or forests or temples. As for the costumes, Netflix still doesn't know how to do costumes that look like they're meant to be actually worn, so many of the characters seem weirdly uncomfortable, like they're afraid of creasing their pristine costumes.

The acting is decent to good, for the most part. I can't tell if the weaker moments come down to the actors or the direction and editing, but if I had to guess, I'd say the latter. Iroh and Katara are the weakest, Sokka is the most consistent, Zuko hits the mark most of the time, and Aang is okay. I liked Suki (though... she was weirdly horny? Like?) but Yue just fell kind of flat.

The tight fight choreography of the original is replaced with a bunch of spinny moves and Marvel fighting, though there are some moments of good choreography, like the Agni Kai between Ozai and Zuko (there's a million things I could say about how bad it was thematically, but this post is overly long already.) There's an actually hilarious moment in the first episode when Zuko is shooting down Aang, and he does jazz hands to charge up his attack.

Then there's the characters. Everybody feels very static - Zuko especially gets to have very little agency. A great example of that is the scene in which Iroh tells Lieutenant Jee the story of Zuko's scar.

In the original, it's a very intimate affair, and he doesn't lead the crew into any conclusions. Here, Iroh straight up tells the crew "you are the 41st, he saved your lives" and then the crew shows Zuko some love. A nice moment, but it feels unearned, when contrasted with the perfection of The Storm. In The Storm, Zuko's words and actions directly contradict each other, and Iroh's story gives the crew (and the audience) context as to why, which makes Zuko a compelling character. We get to piece it out along with them. Here - Iroh just flat out says it. He just says it, multiple times, to hammer in the point that hey, Zuko is Good Actually.

And then there's Iroh. You remember the kindly but powerful man who you can see gently nudging Zuko to his own conclusions? No, he's a pretty insecure dude who just tells Zuko that his daddy doesn't love him a lot and then he kills Zhao. Yeah. Iroh just plain kills Zhao dead. Why?

Iroh's characterization also makes Zuko come off as dumb - not just clueless and deluded, no, actually stupid. He constantly gets told that Iroh loves him and his dad doesn't, and he doesn't have any good answers for that, so he just... keeps on keeping on, I guess? This version of Zuko isn't conflicted and willfully ignorant like the OG, he's just... kind of stupid. He's not very compelling.

In the original, Zuko is well aware of Azula's status as the golden child. It motivates him - he twists it around to mean that he, through constant struggle, can become even stronger than her, than anyone. Here, Zhao tells him that "no, ur dad likes her better tee hee" and it's presented as some kind of a revelation. And then Iroh kills Zhao. I'm sorry I keep bringing that up, but it's just such an unforgiveable thematic fuckup that I have to. In the original, Zhao falls victim to his hubris, and Zuko gets to demonstrate his underlying compassion and nobility when he offers his hand to Zhao. Then we get some ambiguity in Zhao: does he refuse Zuko's hand because of his pride, or is it his final honorable action to not drag Zuko down with him? A mix of both? It's a great ending to his character. Here, he tries to backstab Zuko and then Iroh, who just sort of stood off to the side for five minutes, goes "oh well, it's murderin' time :)"

They mess with the worldbuilding in ways that didn't really need to be messed with. The Ice Moon "brings the spirit world and the mortal world closer together"? Give me a break. That's something you made up, as opposed to the millenia of cultural relevance that the Solstice has. That's bad, guys. You replaced something real with something you just hastily made up. There's a lot of that. We DID NOT need any backstory for Koh, for one. And Katara and Sokka certainly didn't need to be captured by Koh. I could go on and on, but again, this post is already way too long.

It's, um, very disappointing. A lot of telling and not very much showing, and I feel like all of the characters just... sort of end up in the same place they started out in. I feel like we don't see any of the characters grow: they're just told over and over again how they need to grow and what they need to do.

To sum it up: Netflix Avatar is a mile wide, but an inch deep.

[goldenbrowns]

somebody else || bucky barnes x reader || part one

proofread and edited by @d4nshyp3r ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

summary: on his 54th birthday, tony stark goes all out and chooses to take all of the avengers to one of his ridiculously many vacation houses, this one in hawaii. given that you're now seeing a guy, you choose to extend an invitation to him so you can spend these two weeks together, enjoying paradise. the only issue is how much bucky randomly despises this new guy, he considers him impossibly annoying, as well as your odd idea to take him on the vacation. after a few days, you notice buckys made it his mission to shoo the guy away...

authors note: im aware how much of a bully I made bucky out to be, but idc. also pls beware of cringy drunk bucky. idk if its obvious but "somebody else" by the 1975 was what loomed up this whole fic into existence.

word count: 10k (yeah...)

pairings: bucky barnes x afab!reader, reader x random guy.

warnings: making out, dirty talking, dry humping, drunk!bucky, cheating, alcohol consumption, bucky is a huge bully, swearing, implied sexual encounters, sexual themes discussed

(PART ONE - PART TWO)

If you've known Tony Stark for a while, you wouldn't be shocked to receive an invitation to his fifty-fourth birthday celebration. For you, regular birthdays are like Christmas for him; he goes all out. For context, last year he invited you —and maybe another 300 people— to the tower's rooftop, where he had Prefab Sprout and Hall & Oates perform. He still insists that wasn't even his best work. As if it were nothing, this year Tony is taking everyone out to his vacation house in Hawaii. Private jet, casual tickets, a beach house bigger than your entire block, and a DJ flown in from Europe —you know, casual.

The rest of the crew will also be there. Pretty much everyone who's ever saved the world at least once: Steve, Natasha, Sam, Bucky, and the list goes on. Honestly, it's like you're automatically on the guest list if you've ever been punched by an alien, a Hydra agent, or if you're just someone's plus one. And since Tony said you could bring whoever you wanted —his exact words being, "the more the merrier, as long as they’re not boring"— you figured… why not invite Mark? It’s a free trip to Hawaii, he’s cool, and honestly, it’ll be nice to have someone around who doesn’t treat saving the world like it's just another Tuesday.

You met Mark a while back, maybe two or three months ago, at a dive bar in Manhattan. You two clicked pretty quickly. You vividly remember dancing to at least three cheesy 90’s songs with him. Some of the night is a blur, sure, but you remember staying until maybe two in the morning before the bar closed. After that, disgustingly drunk, you shared a cigarette outside, and he asked for your number before walking away. Of course, the only thing you're a little nervous about now is not just the fact that you're bringing a goddamn accountant to casually meet the Avengers, but you also worry because your friends could be a little nosy; especially Sam and Steve who saw you as a little sister. Not to mention Wanda will probably hog him to know everything about how you met. Either way, it’s nothing serious between you and Mark. You haven't made anything official; you still don't even know what to call it... whatever it is you two have.

Anyways, you’re definitely not in any kind of panic. Nope, of course not. It's simply Hawaii. Ocean, sun, and, if Tony’s bartenders aren't paying close attention, maybe a few too many drinks to distract you from the chaos you willingly signed up for. Just a good time with old friends who also happen to be, you know, the most powerful heroes on Earth. Like you always say: casual.

At this point, you're just praying Mark doesn’t get overwhelmed and start asking for autographs. Or worse, that Bucky doesn’t pick this exact moment to be weird and broody about everything, and Thor decides to bring up your deepest, most humble moments, which he tends to do while drinking. Either way, you’re sticking to the plan: drink something fruity, sit somewhere sunny, swim a little, and... take a deep breath.

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The flight to Hawaii is just another part of the whole Tony Stark experience — private jet, full amenities, and absolutely no lines at the airport. It's hard to care about the fact that you're flying in a plane big enough to fit a small city when you're sprawled out in a leather chair with a cocktail in hand. The crew’s doing their usual thing: Steve's reading a first edition of The Great Gatsby (not even trying to fit in anymore), Sam — although you can barely see him sitting at the back — is scrolling through his phone, watching memes at full volume, Peter has about three books spread out on his table while he hunches over his MacBook, cramming for a test he has tomorrow (because even though Tony sent a note to excuse him from high school, he still has to do online work), Thor is knocked out in his seat, jaw basically unhinged, drooling all over his blanket, and the birthday boy himself is up in the cockpit, already tipsy and arguing with the pilot to let him fly the plane.

"I bought the plane, slackjaw! And you're really not gonna let me fly it, you twerp?" he yells.

Bucky and a bunch of others are sitting at the back of the plane, so you can't exactly tell what he's up to, but somehow, you can feel his gaze boring into poor Mark’s head. You remember a few hours ago, when you and Mark were making your way to the access gateway, you could feel Bucky’s eyes following you from a few feet away. He was standing at the base of the stairs, arms crossed, looking... off. Not exactly angry, but definitely too focused. It's the kind of look he gets when he's calculating something in his head — probably sizing Mark up like he's some kind of threat, even though Mark was too busy clumsily adjusting his carry-on, kicking it down the runway like a stray soccer ball.

Bucky was staring at Mark, and you felt the weight of it. It wasn’t just a glance; it was a lingering look, one that didn’t quite settle, like he was trying to figure out what exactly was going on between you two. You don’t know if it was jealousy or something else, but it was heavy enough to make the air feel tighter than it should have. You could almost hear his thoughts: Who’s this guy? What’s his angle? What hole did this jerk crawl out of?

Whatever. You’re not about to let him get in the way of something new. You’d be pretty damn stupid if you did. That night in the tower so many months ago was just a drunken mistake and you didn’t give it much thought, so neither would he, right? You glance to your right and see Mark leaning against the window, sound asleep. You press a soft kiss to his cheek and run your fingers gently through his hair.

Unfortunately, the two cocktails you had earlier are starting to catch up with you. With a groan, you get up, looking for a bathroom. You approach Tony — who is very clearly drunk at this point — and ask, "Hey Tony, sorry, where's the bathroom?" He peeks at you from under his tinted glasses, swishes one finger around lazily in the air, and points toward the cockpit.

"Try the cockpit, there's a piece of shit flying the plane anyway," he slurs, running a hand through his hair.

Pepper, sitting right beside him, swats his hand away and gives you an apologetic look.

"Right down there, sweetie," she says kindly. "Just walk down the aisle."

As you head down the aisle, you finally get a full view of everyone — those at the front, and those tucked into the back. You near the bathrooms and you spot Bucky. He’s sitting with his arms crossed, headphones on, and his eyes closed. But you can tell he’s not really asleep; a second ago he was scratching at his beard and scrunching up his nose. Sam, sitting next to him, is still cracking up at memes on his phone.

When Sam catches a glimpse of you, he calls out, "Y/n, please look at this!"

You bend toward him to check it out — it’s a ridiculous cat compilation on Instagram reels, of course — and you laugh, telling him it’s funny. But as you go to straighten back up, you notice Bucky has cracked one eye open, squinting at you and tilting his head like he’s still trying to figure you out.

You probably linger there a second longer than you should, because he lifts an arm from his chest and points behind you.

"Bathrooms are back there, pretty sure," he says casually.

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It feels like entering a dream when you finally touch down in Hawaii and get off the plane. The first thing that hits you is the warm air, not too hot, just the ideal tropical wind. Tony's massive, stunning summer home, which looks like it belongs on a magazine cover, towers over you. The entire compound, perched on a cliff on the side of a mountain with amazing views of the ocean for miles in all directions, is more than just a beach house. The main living area has a pool that spills over into an oceanfront view, the kind of pool that looks like it belongs in a resort. Cushioned lounge chairs dot the edge of the deck, and there’s a bar tucked in the corner, ready for whatever drink anyone might need. It’s calm, almost serene, except for the occasional burst of laughter or someone screaming.

You drop your bags in your rooms, each of you claiming your space in the massive house. Bucky’s room is tucked away at the far end, quiet and away from the chaos. He’s quick to throw his stuff down and head out, as always.

Once you and Mark are all set, you meet up in the main area. Tony’s already got a drink in hand, cracking jokes. Steve is adjusting his bathing suit by the hem, and Natasha is looking through her beach bag, trying to find her sunglasses. Bucky, who is standing right behind Steve with Sam, also has a drink in hand, something unbelievably fruity for the incredibly macho man holding it. Bucky, Sam, and Steve are all belly laughing about something. Sam arched, holding on to his belly with one hand and with the other grabbing onto his knee, trying to catch his breath.

Either Steve or Tony says something about hurrying up, and everybody starts making their way to the buggies, which fit four people each. You all hurry to get in and speed off excited to see the beach, getting there in about five minutes.

The second you hit the beach, you drop into a lounge chair without thinking, sinking into it like you’ve been waiting your whole life for this. The sun’s still clinging to everything, warm and lazy. Natasha drops into the chair next to you, all cool indifference.

Without saying a word, she pulls a bottle of wine from under her beach bag and sets it between you with a grin. "Borrowed it from the bar," she says, way too proud of herself. She pulls two glasses from a bag like it’s the most natural thing in the world. You take one, and you toast silently, stretching your legs out toward the ocean, watching the waves roll in. Vision is somewhere in the sand, reading a book with Wanda in his arms. Peter, poor guy, is still spread out in the sand studying with a calculator in hand. And finally, Pepper is rubbing sunscreen on Tony's back so that he can take a dip.

Down near the water, Steve’s hurling a flying disc across the sand, Sam and Thor laughing while Bruce struggles to keep up, poor guy is basically tripping on his own feet every few throws. It’s chaotic, loud, familiar. Steve calls Mark over, waving him into the game, and you know that if there was someone who was going to make Mark feel at home, it was going to be him. Mark glances at you for permission, but you just lift your glass in a lazy cheers. 

"Go ahead. I’ll survive," you tell him, smiling into your drink.

As he jogs off, almost instantly the lounge chair beside you dips under the weight of someone new. Bucky drops into it with a grunt, lounging back. He glances sideways at you, the corner of his mouth twitching up. Without looking at his face, you can make out the smugness in it. "Settling in real nice, huh?" he says, voice low and a little too close, like he’s in on some joke you haven’t caught yet. Clearly poking fun at poor Mark.

"Sorry?" you say, holding back a laugh. He bends his elbows and places both of his hands behind his head as he straightens his back and looks at the game in front of him.

"Oh, just you know... Uhm—" he points forward with one finger and swishes it around in the air, and snaps his fingers like he's looking for an answer.

"Mark?" you say, answering his unvoiced question.

"Yeah! That guy... Where did you find him? Was he on clearance or...?" he answers back with genuine confusion on his face, almost like he's worried.

"No, Bucky, I didn't find my boyfriend on clearance," you answer back to him with a smirk, obviously amused at his humor, but deep down feeling bad that those things are being said about him.

Bucky flips his head for a second to look over at you with squinting eyes from the sun. "Oh, boyfriend?! You guys made it official, did you? Looks like that's the first time you do that, last time you were pretty scared to do so..." he snarks back at you as he turns his head back to look at the game, clearly meaning to be as sassy as that sounded.

"Well, no, not yet... But that doesn't mean anything, I can see it happening any day now. He's just busy with work, and I believe him... I get it." you mutter, knowing how stupid that sounded and how much of a red flag he'd find that to be. But it's true, he's told you he hasn't asked you to be his girlfriend yet because of work and the things he has going on in his life. And that's okay, you guess... right?

Bucky scoffs and quickly snarks, "Oh yeah, real busy. Saving the world one spreadsheet at a time... I was really hoping he was better at relationships than he is at standing around awkwardly, and it really, really seems like he isn't, doll." As he says that, you can see him analyzing Mark's playing technique and standing position. Now, as you see this happening, you realize how clumsy he really is while grabbing the disc, how his knees buckle when landing back down after jumping, and how, after playing for 5 minutes, he's already sweating like a beast, as red as a man can be.

"I believe him, Buck, no need to make fun of him. I wouldn't wish for him to feel left out on this vacation. Besides, he's clearly having a good time, look at him playing with Steve and Sam." Your eyes flick back to him running around, which honestly just looks like he's throwing his limbs around in a circle...

"Yeah, he’s having the time of his life... bless his heart. Probably thinks he’s one of the Avengers now." He shoots you a sideways look, that tiny smirk tugging at his mouth. "Might have to get him a little cape or something. Make it official."

This finally makes you burst out in a belly laugh, even Nat, beside you, is holding in a laugh with her index finger pressed on her lips. You look back at Bucky, he's smirking while doing the exact same thing he was doing earlier, ogling and sizing up Mark.

Finally, obviously not being able to keep up with the stamina of a super soldier and the god of thunder, Mark comes back panting like a dog. He stands in front of Bucky and you, covering up the sun. 

"Did you see that? I just played flying disc with Captain America, my coworker is not going to believe this." Bucky tilts his head, eyes narrowing playfully as he watches Mark catch his breath. He lets the silence stretch for a moment, clearly enjoying the opportunity to poke fun.

Finally, he smirks, leaning back in his chair like he’s about to deliver the knockout punch. "Oh, yeah? Played frisbee with Cap and survived? That’s a pretty big deal, huh?" he says, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Bet your coworker’s gonna love hearing about that. 'Hey, I spent the afternoon with a super soldier and a god, and still couldn’t catch a damn frisbee to save my life.'" Bucky glances over at you, raising an eyebrow like he's silently asking for permission to keep poking fun. Obviously, your mouth had fallen agape since Bucky started talking. Then, looking back at Mark, he shrugs with exaggerated nonchalance. "Maybe grab a souvenir, yeah? You know, something to really capture the ‘I’m just a regular guy in over his head’ vibe. Maybe a ‘Survived being a Civilian' t-shirt."

"Alright, Bucky, stand up, I'm pretty sure Sam's calling you. They're short for a teammate. Come on, get out of here," you say to him, pushing him off the lounge chair.

For a moment, Bucky and Mark come face to face, well, face to chest... Mark shifts uncomfortably, looking up, like he’s not sure if he should be awkward about it or just roll with it. Bucky, of course, notices immediately and shoots him a smirk.

"Didn’t know they were stacking ‘em so tall these days," he quips, immediately looking back at you to see your reaction, glancing down at Mark with that sly grin of his. He gives Mark a quick once-over, almost like he's sizing him up, before he glances back at you, voice low and almost amused, "Don’t miss me too much, I’ll be back before you can finish that drink."

You scoff, and Mark sits back down on the chair. He says something about how rude Bucky was, or was he asking what's up with him? To be honest, you don't really know; it's not like you were paying attention. You were shamefully watching Bucky run and bounce back over to the team at the beach. Almost like the scene was in slow motion, you saw him dap up Sam and send a teasing kiss to Steve. His muscles shifting like gears, shiny with sweat under the tropical sun, you heard him say from afar, "Alright, buckle up! Y/n sent the heavy cavalry this time, someone is gonna need a stretcher." 

After this, still feeling like the whole scene was in slow motion, you caught him looking back at you while bunching up his swimming shorts at the top of his thighs, dangerously close to flashing everyone at the beach.

You try to act as though you missed that by rolling your eyes. Mark gives you an expression of confusion. He asks, half-laughing as if he believes you're going to reveal some secret about Bucky,"Is he always like that?"

You try to be casual about it, though, and just shrug. Clearly, you're not gonna tell him that the man who was absolutely ridiculing him was the guy last guy you fucked before meeting him; and who, for reasons unknown to you, was acting unusually jealous. Something completely out of the ordinary, considering he never had you. So there’s no reason for him to be. 

You tap your fingers against the chair's armrest and respond, "Yeah, unfortunately," not really listening to what is being said. As if he were the star of some absurd show, Bucky has already returned with Sam and Steve. He jokes that he could have saved the world in less time than it takes Steve to toss a frisbee, and you can hear him laughing and being snarky.

Mark notices you watching, and you quickly glance away, but it’s too late. He catches on. "You know, it seems like he’s... trying to get a reaction out of you." He grins, but you just shake your head.

"Trust me, it’s just Bucky being Bucky. He does that with everyone," you explain, though you’re not entirely sure it’s a lie. The way he keeps looking over here — you’re not sure. It feels different, you're familiar with it, you’ve seen that look before, a long time ago. You recall seeing it that one night you guys spent together, but somehow he's found a way to make you question that which you were so certain about, but you’re not about to get into it now. Not in front of Mark.

₊‧ʚ・︵︵ ₊˚๑ ᕱᕱ ꒱✦ ₊ ︵︵・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

As you start gathering your things, the atmosphere shifts, a mix of exhaustion and excitement hanging in the air. Sam’s tossing his frisbee one last time with Steve, Thor’s trying (and failing) to teach Bruce how to actually throw it properly, and Natasha’s already scanning her phone, probably getting all the security details ready for tonight. You and Mark grab your stuff and start heading toward the buggies, but the moment you turn, you see Bucky leaning casually against one of the lounge chairs, his eyes flickering between the group and you.

He smirks, slow and deliberate, clearly savoring the moment. "You guys really gonna leave me to clean up all this mess? C'mon, I'm tired, too," he says, his voice low enough that it feels like he’s only speaking to you. There’s something about the way he stands there; his gaze stays locked on you. It’s like he’s waiting for you to make the next move.

You force yourself to look away, grabbing your bag and trying to look casual, but his presence is enough to make your pulse pick up. Every time he says something, it feels like he’s leaning in just a little closer. "You look like you’re about to fall asleep standing up," you say.

He chuckles, his grin widening when he notices you’re the one answering back to him, as he pushes himself off the chair and walks toward you with his hands on his hips, his movements slow and controlled. "Only if you promise to catch me when I do, angel," he replies, his voice a little too smooth, sending a shiver down your spine. There’s that underlying something again...

Mark nudges you, a little too eager, clearly oblivious to the tension. "You coming, babe?" he asks, his voice casual, but his eyes wide, glancing between you and Bucky, waiting for a response.

Before you can even answer, Bucky cuts in, his voice dripping with a passive-aggressive sweetness that makes your skin prickle. "Oh, sure, let’s all wait for Mark to lead the way," he says, looking over at him with a raised eyebrow. "I’m sure he’s the perfect choice. You wanna drive my buggie, buddy?" He pauses just long enough to look you over, his eyes taking their time with you before he smirks. He gets closer to you so that Mark, all the way back at the lounge chair, doesn't hear him. "I’m sure it’s charming... if you’re into that whole ‘average guy’ vibe. Just don't expect him to keep up with us." He glances back at Mark, then back to you, his voice lowering, teasing. "No offense, buddy," he adds, lifting a palm up in the air while keeping the other at his hips, as if asking for forgiveness, but it’s so loaded, you feel bad for Mark. You should've never invited him; you knew this was gonna happen.

He shrugs lazily, his tone soft and too damn confident. "Hey, I’m just saying. You can’t really compare... You know?" He glances at Mark again, but this time, his attention lingers just a little too long on you, his gaze shifting down to your bikini top, and he's obviously not admiring the stripes and designs on it. His voice dips into something more intimate. "But, whatever, if you’re cool with settling. Tell him not to trip over his own feet on the way there, yeah?"

You try not to react; he knows exactly what he’s doing. His words aren’t just mean and teasing—they’re digging at something deeper. Bucky’s always like this, pushing at the edges, pulling at invisible strings, and you can’t figure out if he’s just playing or if he really means every word.

Mark gives you a quick glance, a little uncomfortable, and you can’t blame him. You shake your head to clear the tension that Bucky’s left hanging in the air. "Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming. Just give me a second," you say.

Bucky watches you, his smirk growing like he just got some grand idea, like he knows he’s got the upper hand. "Take all the time you need, doll," he calls out with a wink as you turn toward the buggies. His voice is a whisper now, so damn close, like it’s meant for only you. "Just don’t take too long, yeah?"

₊‧ʚ・︵︵ ₊˚๑ ᕱᕱ ꒱✦ ₊ ︵︵・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

By the time you make it back to the compound, the whole place feels completely different from when you left. Earlier, it was this easy, lazy beach vibe — now, it’s chaos in motion, the sunrays dissipating, the smell of sea salt lingering in the air. Everything seems almost nostalgic, like this could be the rest of your life, just beach hopping and endless tan lines. All around, there are staff that Tony must have flown in from who-knows-where who are rushing around, clipping up strings of lights, adjusting floral arrangements, setting up a red carpet on the entrance, and testing sound systems. It smells faintly of washed clothes, cologne, and faint stress. And champagne. Always champagne.

Mark wanders off almost immediately, following one of the staff members who's gesturing him toward his room, where someone probably left suits hanging neatly pressed and ready. He gives you a quick, wide-eyed smile — a silent help — before disappearing down the hall. You can't help but chuckle a little to yourself. He’s trying. He really is, it's so cute that he is, he's not meant for all of this.

You hang back for a second, pretending to check your phone, when really, you’re just... delaying. Taking it in. The night ahead feels electric in a way. And probably just mentally preparing yourself for the cosmic hangover you're gonna wake up with tomorrow, already deactivating any kind of alarm on your phone.

That’s when Bucky falls into step beside you with his beachbag in hand, so quietly you don’t even notice until he’s matching your pace. You were too distracted watching poor Pepper orchestrate the whole thing from afar, telling all the staff how to hang the decorations and which setting for the lights to use.

“You better not keep him waiting too long,” he says casually, nodding down the hallway where Mark disappeared. There’s a slyness to his voice that makes your skin prickle. “Wouldn’t want poor lover boy getting lost before the big night,” he says with a small pout and scrunched eyebrows, clearly trying to be as sarcastic as he can.

You toss him a glare over your shoulder. “He’s not lost. He’s probably just... figuring out where everything is. Just like any normal person here, I don't blame him.”

Bucky chuckles under his breath, a low, rough sound. “Mm. Cute. Hope he’s got a map. Or a damn survival guide.” He leans in a little, close enough that you catch the mint he's chewing and whatever soap he uses, all warm and clean and unfair. His voice drops, low and teasing, “Poor guy’s about to get eaten alive tonight." As much as you hate hearing that, it might be true.

You pass through the archway leading to the guest rooms, and he slows, letting his knuckles casually brush against your hand for half a second — like it’s an accident. You feel it more than anything. Sparks running up your arm.

"You sure you're up for babysitting him all night?" Bucky says, voice like a dare now. "Could always come swim with the big sharks instead, maybe get a drink, a shot or two. You know how much Sam loves those. Tell me that doesn't sound like your kind of fun, angel."

You turn sharply, about to shoot something back at him, but just then Sam’s voice echoes down the hall, yelling something about how everyone needed to be ready in twenty minutes or Tony was gonna start sending search-and-rescue teams after us. You chuckle.

Bucky smirks like he planned the interruption, like he knows he’s in your head now. He nudges you lightly with his shoulder before peeling off toward his room, sending an index finger into the air and calling over his shoulder without turning around:

“Don’t be late, doll.”

And then he’s gone, leaving you standing alone in the hallway, still feeling the ghost of his knuckles against your skin, heart beating a little too fast for someone who’s supposed to be cool and unbothered.

You finally make it into your own room, closing the door behind you and letting out a long, shaky breath. You have twenty minutes to pull yourself together, look like you belong at a billionaire’s party, and — apparently — survive whatever game Bucky Barnes thinks he’s playing tonight. You hear Mark scrambling in the bathroom, clearly having trouble doing something, god knows what...

"You need help in there, Mark?" you say genuinely trying to help him, and well, trying to empty that bathroom to get ready. "Nope! I'm fine, I'm just peachy!" he says as he comes out of the bathroom, slamming the door. He looks surprisingly put together for someone who started getting ready ten minutes ago.

"They hung your dress right there, babe," he says, pointing over at the huge dresser on the far right wall of the room. Your dress was hanging with a layer of clear plastic over it to protect it. You reach for it and peel the plastic off. Right after taking it, you set it on the bed and headed for the bathroom to put on makeup. About ten minutes later, after you finished, you were quick to put it on and look in the mirror. As you looked in the mirror, you could see Mark struggling in the background to put on his shoes, feet up in the bed, kicking them up relentlessly.

The dress cascaded in a river of red silk, clinging to your figure with a natural grace. Thin, delicate straps rested almost imperceptibly on your shoulders, while a soft draped neckline revealed your neck and collarbones, just covering your torso over the beginning of your breasts. Ethereal panels of sheer fabric floated from your arms. The fabric caught the light with a liquid sheen, making you look pulled straight out from a vampire tale.

Mark finally looks up from lacing his shoes, his eyes dragging up and down the dress. He chuckles under his breath, shaking his head a little. "Wow," he says, almost like he can't help himself. "You look like... I don’t know, like you walked straight out of, like, the Middle Ages or something."

You blink at him through the mirror.

He catches your expression and rushes to tack on, "I mean, it’s cool. Dramatic, y’know? Not what I expected, but hey, if you’re feeling it..." He shrugs, like it’s no big deal, like it didn’t just sit weirdly heavy in the room.

You smooth your hands down the silk of the dress, letting the fabric shimmer under the lights, trying to find the beauty in the dress while also trying not to let his words cling to you the way his voice did. Did you really look that odd? You started considering asking the team or the staff for a new dress.

Behind you, Mark grins, completely oblivious. "I should’ve dressed up more, huh?" he jokes half-heartedly, plucking at the collar of his wrinkled shirt. "You're gonna make me look like I picked you up from a Ren fair." What the fuck?

At that moment, as you were about to text Nat for a spare dress or something, a sharp knock sounds at the door — and Bucky’s familiar voice cuts in, rough and teasing: "You two lovebirds dead in there, or is Mark still fixing his hair?"

A real smile breaks across your face for the first time in minutes. Thank god. Hearing yourself think this was absolutely disheartening, but sadly, you were right. You both pick up the rest of your things, you grab your bag, and take a final look at your hair. You hear Mark walking out of the door, and the second he did that you were expecting some comment out of Bucky's mouth, and just like clockwork: "Look who it is, Mark! The lady of the hour..."

Bucky pokes his head in the room and his gaze falls on you the moment Mark steps out, and a slow, appreciative smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. "Well, well," he drawls, his voice warm with that signature charm that always sends a shiver down your spine. His eyes trail over you, not in a rush, but with a deliberate, almost possessive pace. "Doll, you’re going to need a spotlight to match that look."

Mark’s shoulders stiffen, but Bucky doesn’t even acknowledge him as he steps closer, his gaze now fully on you. "You look... stunning," Bucky adds softly, his tone almost too intimate for the moment. “Like you just walked out of some dream." His eyes linger on the way the dress hugs your body, before he lets out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Did you make that choice for tonight? Because, believe me, it’s working." Maybe the dress isn't so bad, maybe Mark was wrong and you look very pretty.

Mark shifts uncomfortably beside you, but Bucky doesn’t break his gaze. His smile widens just a little, and he raises a brow, enjoying the effect he's having.

You can see the muscle in Mark’s jaw twitch as he tries to keep his cool. "You really need to stop making everything about you, Bucky," Mark snaps, his words laced with frustration, though it's clear he's trying to hold it back. "And you, y/n, not everything has to be a damn show, dress down for once. You look like they pulled you out of Nosferatu."

Bucky shifts and focuses back on Mark, and his smirk turns into something sharper, more dangerous. "No offense, buddy, but I don’t think you’re gonna impress anyone in that sad excuse for a suit. But, hey, at least you’re trying."

Mark’s fists clench, and he visibly seethes, trying to stay composed. But Bucky just looks at him, unbothered, watching with almost cruel amusement.

Mark spits back, "Yeah, well, I’m not into the whole ‘look at me’ thing, I'm not the one looking like a clown."

Bucky steps even closer, his voice dropping low, his tone almost dangerously smooth. "Look at you, pretending to be something you’re not," he says, letting the words cut deep. "Neither she nor I need to prove anything to anyone. But you, on the other hand… you’re still playing catch-up."

Mark starts breathing faster and clutching at his suit, and it seems like at some point he wasn't able to resist it anymore and decides to storm off, like a child who didn't get a toy.

Bucky decides to take advantage of this time you have alone and he starts grazing the side of your arm as he steps even closer, his presence overwhelming. His fingers linger, tracing over the fabric of your dress as though he can’t resist the temptation. You can see in his face some kind of expression. It's weird, but it's like the sole reason he touches the dress is to feel the curve of your waist, like proving to himself that he can't really penetrate the dress with his hands and finally touch you. He’s slow, and you feel the heat rising in you, your breath catching. It’s like he’s savoring the closeness, like he’s enjoying every second of this.

“You’re not like him, you know,” Bucky murmurs, his voice almost a whisper now, his lips close enough that you can feel the warmth of his breath on your skin. “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. But,” his eyes darken as they flicker down your body, and his voice turns a little lower, more sensual, “you’re still the only one in the room I’m interested in proving something to. You've always been that person. I know we don’t acknowledge what happened between us last year, but still, every time I see you, I try to prove to you I'm as funny as when you left me, exactly as gentle as you wanted me to be back then, and obviously, just as disposed to lift that little satin dress, getting on my knees and letting you use me right here in this corridor, doll I'm just as willing to give myself up as I was when you left..." he says, so close to your ear, rubbing impossibly small circles on the back of your neck. You've never heard him breathing so heavily, never in your life have you seen that look in his eyes, he's so needy.

"Buck- no, I can't do that. Me and Mark fought, that doesn't mean we're over. It would still be cheating, and you know how against that I am..." you say to him, pushing him off gently.

The tension still lingers in the air, but you can’t afford to stay in this headspace any longer. The party’s starting, and you can’t just sit here, lost in the chaos of your own thoughts. The guests are starting to trickle in, the bass from the music outside beginning to thrum through the walls, and the sound of laughter and conversation fills the hallway.

You take a steadying breath, but before you can convince yourself to leave, Bucky stands there, still watching you, his gaze lingering just a little too long.

“James,” you murmur, your tone more firm now, trying to break through the haze of what just happened. “We’re going. You’re coming with me. Now.”

He looks almost surprised, like he hadn’t expected you to snap out of it this quickly, but then the smirk returns, that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. “You sure you can handle me at this party, doll?” he teases, stepping closer again, but not crossing the line, as if he’s giving you the chance to take charge.

You can’t help but roll your eyes, though there’s a smirk on your face now too. “Oh please, it’s Tony Stark’s birthday. We both know I can handle whatever’s coming.”

As you make your way into the party, Bucky’s not exactly helping you focus. He's got a hand resting on your hip, but he's not letting it rest there proudly; he's got it hidden almost like he knows now what's wrong and what's right. He’s too close, too confident, and his words come with that familiar teasing edge.

“You know,” he starts, voice low enough that only you can hear, “this is the part where you let me steal the spotlight. I mean, come on, gorgeous. Not when I’m dressed like this.” He flashes you a grin, giving a mock twirl in the middle of the room, clearly enjoying the attention as people turn their heads to look.

You roll your eyes but can’t suppress the smile creeping up. “You’re insufferable,” you mutter, though you’re finding it hard to be mad at him. He’s right. He does look like he just stepped out of a magazine.

“Insufferable? Maybe.” His eyes flicker over to Mark, who’s still trying to seem calm, but you can practically see the tension in his shoulders. He's talking up some chick you recognize, she's a writer for some newspaper, you really can’t recall.

You try not to react, but Bucky’s got this way of making you aware of everything, especially him.

“Hey, don’t get mad at me,” he continues, his grin turning a little sly, “you chose this guy, not me. But if you ever want a real upgrade, you know where to find me.”

The comment stings in that way that makes your heart race. You shouldn’t even let it affect you, but every time he opens his mouth, it’s like he knows exactly what to say.

You glance over at Mark, who’s now talking to Tony, obviously trying to make connections, but his eyes flicker back to you. And Bucky—of course—catches it, smirking again.

“Look at that,” he murmurs, barely louder than a whisper. “Mark’s probably wishing he could just vanish into thin air right now. Poor guy’s probably wondering if I’m going to make a move on you in front of everyone.”

You shoot him a sharp look, but Bucky just leans in closer, his breath warm against your ear as he lowers his voice even more.

He then leans into your ear and whispers, “But I’m not like that, doll. I play my cards right.” His words are teasing, but there’s something deeper behind them, something that makes it hard for you to breathe. “I’ll wait until it’s just us. No one needs to see how much I want you, at least not yet. Maybe a couple of shots deep into the night and I’ll lose all the composure you made me conjure up in that damn corridor.”

And just like that, he pulls away, walking confidently into the crowd, like he knows exactly what effect he’s had on you. You watch him for a second, heart pounding, before you force yourself to refocus. Obviously, after this, you start looking for Natasha and the girls.

₊‧ʚ・︵︵ ₊˚๑ ᕱᕱ ꒱✦ ₊ ︵︵・₊﹆ɞ‧₊

The night has dragged on, the air thick with laughter, the dim glow of party lights painting everything in a hazy, intoxicating glow, all the lights becoming blurry from what you've drank. Everything seems to be moving slower; the strobing lights a watercolor blur in your eyes.

You find yourself nestled with Natasha, Maria Hill, Wanda, and a few others, a bottle of vodka flowing dangerously freely as you all chat and laugh like old friends. The atmosphere is light and carefree, and somehow, you manage to avoid talking about anything too deep, instead just poking fun at each other. It's the kind of fun that only happens when everyone’s tipsy enough to let go of their usual barriers.

At some point, the conversation shifts, and the girls get curious, their eyes glinting with mischief as they turn to you.

“So,” Natasha smirks, tilting her glass with a teasing expression as she changes her sitting position completely to tilt in your direction, “what’s going on with you and Mark? And, well — Bucky... I mean, this is a whole situation, huh?”

Maria raises an eyebrow, leaning in with a grin. “Is it just me, or do they seem like they’re both trying to outdo each other? You’ve got the perfect little love triangle brewing over here. Me, personally, I've dreamed about this.”

Wanda laughs softly, clearly amused. “No one’s ever been this conflicted over a guy before, right? You’re so calm about it, though. I don’t know if I could handle that.”

You roll your eyes, trying to brush off the playful teasing, but it’s getting harder with each round of laughter from the girls. The truth is, you don’t know how you feel about any of it—between Mark’s constant need for reassurance and Bucky’s complicated way of showing interest, you’re caught in a whirlwind of confusion.

Before you can answer, the conversation naturally shifts as the girls move on to something else, but they leave you with a lingering feeling of being caught. You need a break from all of it.

You find yourself wandering back over to Steve, Thor, and Sam’s group, who are now deep in their own state of tipsy camaraderie. Steve and Thor are practically slurring, which is a very rare sight, but since Thor brought his very own Asgardian mead, you’re about to see things you'll never unsee. Their laughter is loud and infectious, as Sam watches with an amused expression. He’s more sober than the other two, but it’s clear he’s starting to feel the effects.

As you settle into the conversation, Sam leans in, clearly eager to share some gossip.

“You know,” Sam says with a sly grin, his eyes shifting toward where Bucky was last seen, “Bucky’s tipsy as hell tonight. Earlier, he was going off about you, y/n—talking about how no one can hold a candle to you.” Sam laughs, his voice dropping a little lower. “Said you were the only one that could actually handle him.”

You glance around, half-expecting Bucky to pop up and say something, but Sam’s right. Bucky had disappeared a few minutes ago, and you haven’t seen him since.

Steve, grinning widely, throws his arm around Thor. “You know, Bucky can’t even try to hide that kind of thing when he’s drunk. And as for Mark,” Steve pauses dramatically, “he’s too busy trying to talk up some chick from the newspaper to even notice what’s going on. I saw them worryingly close a few minutes ago, sitting on that very couch. I'm pretty sure they stood up, I haven't seen them since. Maybe worry a little about that, y/n.”

Thor lets out a booming laugh, clearly having no concept of personal volume as he sloshes his mead around, completely unaffected by the alcohol. “Ah! Yes! Mark! So focused on trying to impress some small insipid human woman while Bucky... well, Bucky is a mighty warrior who knows what’s really important!” Thor gestures wildly, spilling some of his drink, but not caring in the slightest. “Mark has the charm of a goat! Bucky, though—ah, Bucky has the power of a storm!”

You barely suppress a laugh at that, wondering if Thor realizes he just made Bucky sound like a romantic hero in some cheesy novel.

Sam chuckles, shaking his head at Thor’s drunken rambling. “Yeah, man, I get it. Thor’s a little extra, but he’s not wrong. Honestly, Bucky’s got more of that raw attraction than anyone else. He was really going on about you, though.” Sam looks over at you with a knowing smile. “He was all like, ‘I don’t know why she’s wasting her time with him, she deserves someone who knows what’s worth fighting for.’”

You bite your lip, a mix of feelings surging in you. Part of you feels a weird rush of warmth hearing that, but the other part feels tangled up in confusion.

“Mark’s not like that, and that chick he's trying to get with is gonna realize that any second now,” Steve adds, giggling at his own remark, still grinning. “But you know what? He can’t even see what’s in front of him.” He pats your back. “Don’t let him hold you back. You’re not stuck with anyone.”

Before you can answer, Thor slurs out another line, “Ah! No one will ever be as strong as Bucky! Not even me! I am only strong at fighting battles! But Bucky, he is strong at heart, yes?” He takes a long swig of mead, clearly enjoying the sound of his own voice.

Just as you're trying to sort through all the messy thoughts running through your head, the music shifts, and the lights dim just a little. Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a microphone crackling cuts through the air. Your head turns instinctively toward the source, and there, standing in front of the makeshift stage set up near the far corner of the compound’s great hall, is none other than Bucky Barnes.

Oh. my. God.

Bucky steps up to the mic, his stance a little unsteady, clearly very drunk, but his confidence unwavering. You can't look at this. This is so bad. He looks out into the crowd, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips as he taps the microphone twice, testing it. The room quiets for a second, and he takes a deep breath, his eyes landing on you as the opening chords of “Jessie’s Girl” begin to play.

You can't help but think how absolutely cringy and cheesy this all is. He's going to regret this so much tomorrow. Whatever he's doing now is not something regular Bucky would do. But just for the fun of it you shut up and enjoy this one in a lifetime show.

And with that, he launches into the first verse, and you already feel the weight of the room shift. “Jessie is a friend,” he sings, his voice deep, lingering over each word. You can hear people in the crowd start to whistle and cheer. His gaze doesn’t leave you for a second, making the song feel too personal, too intimate. “Yeah, I know he’s been a good friend of mine…”

He mouths a very exaggerated "no" and shakes his head from side to side, stupidly drunk. He had to have drunk from Thor’s mead, cause you've never seen him so drunk... Everyone seems to be having fun. They're all cheering and clapping on beat with him.

The chorus hits, and Bucky leans into the mic, his voice a little rougher, the voice of a man who's been screaming all night and had the grandiose idea of doing karaoke. “I wish that I had Jessie’s girl,” he sings, his voice low and dripping with desire as he holds your gaze. “Where can I find a woman like that?” At this point, everyone seems to be okay with the song of choice. Even Thor, with his drink still in hand, is swaying his arms from side to side. Sam, on the other hand, has this knowing glint in his eyes, like he's saying " told ya."

Bucky moves a little closer to the mic with half-hooded eyes, his body swaying lazily with the beat, and his words come out with an almost teasing sensuality, slurred but sensual, sure. “I play along with the charade, there doesn’t seem to be a reason to change,” he croons, lowering his voice even more, every word like a caress. “'Cause she's watching him with those eyes, and she's loving him with that body, I just know it, and he's holding her in his arms late, late at night.” He says this with a face of genuine disgust in an attempt of being theatrical, throwing his hand around like he’s mocking you or Mark.

He keeps singing and embarrassing himself onstage for a few moments more till the song ends. He bows clumsily to the public and steps off the stage with a confident swagger, making his way toward you, not bothering to stop as he gets right into your personal space. Everyone claps and cheers at him, and a few pictures of him are taken standing off the stage. You could already see the headlines tomorrow...

“Don’t act like you didn’t love that,” he says out of breath, voice low and sultry. He places a hand just barely on your lower back, just enough to send heat rushing through you. “I told you earlier that a few shots and apparently a drink of Thor’s mead would make me lose all my composure.”

"Actually, that little show you decided to throw was disgustingly cheesy. Promise me you'll never do that again, yeah?" Bucky just snorts at your comment and ignores it completely, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. That was just a warm-up.” He leans in even closer, his breath warm against your skin. “You’re gonna want to hear the rest of what I’ve got planned for you tonight.”

The music resumes in the background, and everyone goes back to dancing. Bucky grabs your hand and starts leading you somewhere. Somewhere you can hear Thor scream like a damn air raid siren, “Strong like a storm, Bucky! Yes!” Right after him, you hear Steve and Sam woohooing and whistling.

As you walk down the corridor beside Bucky, the weight of your decision starts to settle in, and despite the butterflies in your stomach, you can’t help but feel a sense of clarity. Everyone’s been right — Mark’s off with some random girl from the newspaper, and you’ve spent too long pretending this was something it wasn’t. Your chest tightens as you finally let yourself admit that you deserve more than the half-hearted games you’ve been playing.

You glance at Bucky, who’s smirking, his eyes gleaming with something between amusement and triumph, like he’s been waiting for this moment. You try not to let him get under your skin, but it's getting harder.

“Well, look at that,” Bucky’s voice cuts through your thoughts, dripping with mock sweetness. “Finally figured it out, huh? Took you long enough.”

You roll your eyes, the faintest smile tugging at your lips despite yourself. “Don’t start.”

“Oh, I’m just getting started, doll.” His voice drops lower, teasing and dangerous, as he leans in slightly. “I mean, come on. You really thought that he was your guy? That little puppy act? Please.” Bucky lets out a dry laugh, clearly enjoying himself. “You deserve better than that. You’ve always deserved better.”

You shake your head, walking a little faster to distance yourself from his teasing, but it doesn’t work. Bucky’s stride matches yours effortlessly.

“Maybe you’re right.”

“Sure am, Doll,” he replies, his voice lowering again, almost a whisper now. “You think you’re fooling anyone? I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I’m not watching. How you flutter your little lashes somewhere else when you notice I'm looking right back at you. You think I can't tell what you're thinking about, but to be real, most of the time you're such a nasty girl! Shame on you... Don’t think for one second I haven’t noticed.”

You stop walking, my hand gripping the doorframe of the room we’re passing. His words hit harder than they should, but you keep your voice steady. “That doesn’t change anything.”

Bucky steps closer, his breath warm against your skin. “You keep saying that, but you know it’s not true. You and me? We were always gonna happen.” He pauses, letting the weight of his words hang in the air, his eyes flickering over your body with a slow, deliberate gaze. “Always.”

You feel your pulse quicken, but before you can respond, you pass your room. The noises coming from inside are unmistakable—low moans, muffled laughter, the sound of shifting sheets. You freeze, a sickening realization hitting you like a ton of bricks.

It’s Mark. And the girl.

Bucky notices you stop, and for a moment, he tilts his head curiously. “What’s wrong?” His voice is softer now, though the teasing tone never fully disappears. You don’t respond, your mind reeling as you hear the sounds getting louder. Mark and some random girl... Right behind that door.

Bucky’s face shifts, and for a second, he can't believe that's really happening. When he catches the look on your face. “Oh,” he murmurs, his voice more compassionate now. “Didn’t expect that, huh?” He leans closer to me. “I told you he wasn’t worth it. What man in their right mind would pass up on you, huh?”

You shake your head, feeling frustrated. “I—” You don’t even know what to say. Bucky watches you, almost like he sobered up in half a second. “See? You’re so much better than this; you don't need to endure this sort of thing. Why waste your time on someone like him?”

And at this moment, you realized how right everyone is. You remember when you ended your fling with Bucky, you thought to yourself, how you'd never find someone like him ever again. You were never used to attention or feeling loved your whole life, but Bucky was the first to ever make you feel that way. And the moment you stopped feeling that sweet, tender embrace, you went out looking for it again, somewhere, anywhere. And when you found something minimally similar, you went with it. Mark and you have nothing in common. You don't know why you convinced yourself to think that. Bucky's right, he and you were always meant to happen.

“We don’t have to do this tonight,” he says, his voice shifting from teasing to something more commanding. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. There's a whole party waiting outside, remember?”

You freak out the moment you process his words, "What? No! It's fine, I'm fine. I want to do this, please!" You grab his hand to stop him from walking back, completely sure of what you just said.

"Are you sure? I've been a pain in the ass about this the entire night, but that was just me being a jerk. I want to know you genuinely want this," He whispers so gently, as he holds your face in between his hands, almost encompassing your entire head. "I wouldn't like to mess this up," he said, punctuating the sentence with a drunken hiccup.

"Yes, Bucky. I want it so bad..." You say.

His whole demeanor changes, "Mhm? So bad? I have no other choice but to comply, do I? Let's get you to bed. I have a few things planned for you. Been thinking the whole night what I would do with you if I ever got my hands on you again, " He begins as he leads you to his room, a little far from the rest.

While still leading you by the hand, he continues, he clumsily trips over for a second but continues to walk forward. "Had a hard on the entire night, doll. Fuck- just before the karaoke I went into the bathroom and rubbed one off, like some teenager with a crush. Came all over the sink thinking about you, baby." As he finishes saying this with a low grunt, you notice you make one final lazy turn, and you get to his room. You're breathing faster than ever, almost like you're gonna be sick. This only ever happened to you when you were with him; You never went out of breath like this with anyone else.

Bucky opens the door, and not even a second after, he leads you through, and he's already kissing you. Slamming himself against your body and keeping balance as best as he can, holding your head between his hands, like he's almost leading you into the kiss, showing you exactly how he wanted it, like he was the one in need. It was sloppy and messy, his tongue licking its way into your mouth like he was in heat. After a while, he starts kissing the right corner of your mouth and starts making his way to your jawline, near the ear. Every peck accompanied with its own little whiny "Hmm fuck", and "Baby..." As he licks and kisses your neck, clearly making sure to leave a mark, he snakes his hands down to the back of your dress, getting a handful of your ass. With his hands almost tearing at the dress with the force he's holding on to you, he starts grinding you against his hard-on. "Can you feel me, baby? Hm? Can ya' feel how hard I am for you? You have me wrapped around your finger, doll. It's so dangerous."

As much as you're enjoying this, you can't help but think about what Mark did to you; you're not even sad because you lost him. You're just seething with anger. How dare he? Bucky, as he pulled back to look at your face once again, caught something in your face that made his stomach twist. You were still smiling, still reaching for him, but your eyes were glassy in a way that had nothing to do with the alcohol.

Bucky froze, reaching over to you, cupping your cheek gently. "Hey," he murmured, voice low and careful. "Talk to me, doll."

She tried to wave it off, but the crack in her voice gave her away. "I'm fine, Bucky. Really."

He shook his head, pressing his forehead to yours, grounding them both. "No, you're not. I know that look. I’ve worn that look. I know what you're thinking, and you know what? It's fine, angel."

"I just… I thought I could get it right with this one guy," you whisper, voice trembling despite your best efforts. "I've never even dared to stay before. I finally let myself believe it could work, and the second I do, this happens?"

"Listen to me, doll," he says softly against your hair. "You didn’t mess anything up. You gave someone a chance because you’ve got a good heart, and that's never a mistake. Him messing it up? That’s on him. Not you."

You tried to shake your head, tried to smile like it was nothing, but Bucky just shushed you gently, cradling your face in his hands like you were something precious, something about to break. "You’re allowed to hurt. Hell, after what that asshole pulled, I'd be surprised if you didn’t. You don’t gotta rush it just 'cause I’m here," he said, his voice slurring a little but still clear in meaning. "I’m not going anywhere, alright? I’m gonna take care of you. Even if it’s just holding you tonight." He gently lays the bunched-up fabric at your thighs back down to your ankles.

Bucky kissed the top of her head and chuckled softly. "Besides," he murmured, "kinda bein’ nice for once. Don’t tell anyone, though, ruins my whole tough guy rep."

He finally laid you down softly on the mattress, making sure to place enough pillows under your head. "You're my favorite girl, you know that?" he slurred slightly, brushing his nose against your forehead. Trying to grab the edge of the blanket from under the pillows, "No one else even comes close." He says. Finally, you felt his whole weight bounce on the mattress. And just before you could answer back to him, you felt him go slack.

"Bucky?" you whispered, nudging his shoulder. Nothing. Not even a grunt. You couldn’t help but laugh quietly, half exasperated, half endeared.

"What a menace."

[1-800-local-slut]

Hey bestie , I don't know if you've watched steven universe but I wanted to ask if you could please do a garnet inspired reader or pink diamond inspired reader for mark grayson . Imagine fusion happening between mark and reader . A whole new experience especially seeing a fusion dance .

Glowing Rock

Oooooo I love the way you think! Steven Universe used to be my shit fr, I used to watch that show day in day out like it was my job during COVID! I went the Pink Diamond route; I wasn't sure how I could write in a reader like Garnet because of her whole thing going on (I'm trying not to spoil it). Thank you for the request pookie, this is gonna be a short one!

I tried to capture the complexity of Pink Diamond and Greg here, she was very amused by Earth and by Greg as a human so I tried to sprinkle that in here as well :)

Warnings: none, Mark's a bad dancer, Mark is jelly for no reason, Amber mention because she's over hated, Mark has a therapist (he really needs one guys) and he goes Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's for two hours, can you guys tell I love writing yearning?, also the fusion is light skinned and I'm sure y'all know why

Note: I honestly feel like Mark would need a female therapist, he seems to have issues listening to men especially men with authority (Cecil and after his dad he does not trust men with power) and I feel like a woman who reminds him of his mother would help him so well

༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻

"So, how was your weekend?"

Taking a deep breath, Mark inhaled, and his breath quivered on exhale.

"Painful."

"And why was it painful?" Dr. Dubois asked, looking at Mark with gentle eyes.

"Well. I saw her again. We all went out." Mark rubbed his eyes before he decided to lay back on the couch. His feet went up over the armrest and his head resting on a pillow

"To the club?"

"Yes."

"And what happened at the club that caused you to feel your weekend was painful? Did you get beat up?" Part of therapy was that his therapist knew he was Invincible. Which was great because Mark isn't saving the world, she is. All the times he's felt like quitting, Dr. Dubois was right there to help him remember why he started.

"Not this Saturday, probably gonna happen next week though. But something happened. Well, nothing actually happened but something happened."

"To you?" She coaxed gently. This always happened, when it came to his personal feelings the good Dr. Dubois always had to pull it out of him. Especially regarding girls but the six hundred dollars his mom pays for three sessions a week make it worth it for her.

"To me."

"Why don't you tell me about it?"

Just like that, he was right there back in the club. Recounting the events of his weekend to Dr. Dubois whose gray hair looked like an onion swirled into a bun on her head.

Back in the club he snuck into with his group of friends that you talked them into. The flashing lights, smell of drinks and smoke, and the slimy feeling filling his chest when he recalled everything perfectly.

Watching you tear up the dance floor with Amber was slowly killing him with jealousy. Gnawing through his chest, clawing at his heart and under his skin with no remorse. Mark really didn't need to be jealous. You two were dancing, nothing severe. Rhythmically twirling around one another, like birds in a dance you had known all your lives.

It got worse from there. In sync, you moved with Amber. Like you two had done this time and time again. Like a shared secret only the two of you had and decided the bond between you two didn't need to be secret anymore. Before there was a light different from the flashing lights of the club. And then there was a tall dark skinned black woman with pink curls and dark magenta eyes, dark lips that belonged to Amber and a belly gem that belonged to you. Even your outfits seemed to have equally divided, your white top with Amber's dark green skirt which did little against the height of your fusion, exposing most of your thighs. Mark felt like he just watched his crush and ex-girlfriend (now close friend) make out on the dance floor. The one place he couldn't join.

The dancing didn't stop. She danced alone now, with hair moving freely and laughing to herself. It was as if happiness turned into a person and was dancing around the room. Having conversation with the two women inside who communicated gleefully with one another about how much fun you were having together.

Since you came to Earth, Mark had learned some things about you. You have a giant rock stuck in what would be your belly button if you had one that you pull weapons from and the glows randomly that enables you to transform into different forms.

He learned that you loved cats, you thought babies were so interesting, you loved painting, knitting, you looked so beautiful laughing, you had a few curls that always seemed to escape whatever style you put your hair in, but Mark loved those stray curls. They were free, untamable. Like you. You also had three older sisters but weren't on the best of terms with them right now.

You loved to dance. You don't need to eat, you don't need to sleep, or drink water, or use the bathroom. He's seen you do it, mimic the basic functions of humans. He watched you quickly learn that you have no desire to digest food after giving you a pickle and quickly watching you frown in disgust. And mimicking passing it seemed to upset you further. And while it was funny to explain to you that he doesn't use the bathroom because he enjoys it but because he has too, or he'll get a bladder infection, it killed him to see you uncomfortable your first time using a toilet. Ultimately you just...exist.

But who was Mark to judge, he doesn't need to breath or eat often if he doesn't feel like it. He more so does it out of habit, growing up human and needing breakfast regularly or he'd be hangry by 9:30 AM.

But even though you didn't like eating or drinking anything, you did love everything on Earth. The people, the sights and smell. Above all you loved music. No matter how fast or slow, you loved it. You told him, if you had a heart or soul then music would be ingrained in it. And it showed by your dancing.

"Why didn't you go dance with her?" Dr. Dubois interjected while squinting her eyes. As if Mark didn't ask himself that a thousand times over. Hell, he even talked himself up to it, but the club was closing, and it was time to go.

"I'm not a good dancer." He bit out.

"But you went to a club?" A moment of silence passed, Mark looking at the doctor wondering if she was making a joke from his pain like he so often does. The doctor on the other hand looked slightly proud of herself and let out a laugh at her own joke. Then she cleared her throat.

“I’m sure she would appreciate your efforts.”

Mark thought it over for a moment. The deep amusement you took at him was not at all flattering. And it wasn’t great that you laughed at quite a few of his attempts to be smooth. Since the GDA came across you wandering Earth, everything was amusing to you. As if you were a kid seeing the world for the first time. The world colored your face with wonder every day you were here.

“I don’t want to be laughed at. Anyways, we’re in the club and she looks nice.”

An understatement. Your light pink curls flew free as you danced with Amber, the gem in your stomach shimmered and your white top stuck to your slightly sweaty (he didn’t know you could sweat) brown skin, your bright pink eyes seemed to call him as if to say, “come to me”. Well before you two were fused together. Do you know how bad it hurt when you two didn't separate by the time you left, even staying fused until Amber had to pee once you returned to the dorms, and you refused to use a toilet again? Mark has met hundreds of alien women; he’s never been so down bad in his entire life. And he dated Amber.

“And by the time we left, I felt…weird. Clammy.”

"Do you think she and Amber have something going on?"

"No."

Dr. Dubois gentle eyes urged him to go further.

"Amber has her boyfriend. And you know Amber and I are over, I'm over her by now. I think I'm jealous."

"And why do you think that? What did you have to be jealous over?" She led, urging Mark to put the pieces together or she would do it.

"I am...jealous, because I want to have that connection with her. But I was too scared to do it." And she smiled like Mark just hit the jackpot while Mark frowned deeply at his own feelings. He had no right to be jealous. Do you even understand the concept of jealousy?

“Hmmmm. Mark, I want you to try something. The next time you’re all together, I want you to imagine it’s just the two of you. She looks human. She acts human enough. Try treating her like a normal human girl, instead of treating her as if she’s a glowing space rock.”

"Hm."

Dr. Dubois smiled at him and then flipped a page in her notebook, freckled nose scrunching as she read her handwriting from last Friday's session.

"Now, let's move on. Have you been doing your creative writing?" And he hasn't. So, he rolled over onto his side and turned his back to the question. This much discussing his feelings slightly soured his mood.

"And why not?"

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Turns out, Mark can get drunk. He never thought to try, he kind of just assumed it wouldn't work. But being half viltrumite didn't turn off the part of his brain that had feelings OR the parts of his brain that were susceptible to drugs and alcohol. Although his body was burning through it fast, rushing to 'heal' him. But he doesn't want to heal. Not now. Not when the seventeen beers he had were helping him dance with you.

Even though he danced a like an unattended fire hose, you didn't care. You didn't give a damn, even goofily mimicking his dance leaving you two to laugh like fools while you danced alone away from the others.

The sunset on the beach bathed your skin in a gorgeous glow, the sand beneath your bare feet barely bothered you while water crashed onto your feet from the tide rolling in, and the white sun dress you wore twisted around you with each movement. The rest of your friends somewhere behind you, and Mark followed you on an impromptu game of tag far down the beach. As your two got further down the beach, he was also leaving his inhibitions behind him. He could still hear the music from speaker and before he knew it you two were in some silly dance together.

You looked...did you even have angels where you came from? You looked like an angel. But in one move, one second it all changed.

You two brushed past each other, gracefully and then you were both gone.

How could Mark even describe this feeling? It was like his brain melted, then expanded with another's feelings in there. He was himself. He was Mark. But he was also you. You, with all your thoughts and feelings. His heart was beating for the both of you. His lungs expanded and shrunk for him and you. You were one and the same. He was Mark Grayson, Invincible, and you were you. You and him, he and you. Together.

In what he thought was a delusion of his lovesick brain, he opened his eyes that he didn't realize he had shut. He looked down at his still feet. His feet and hands that were a light skinned color with nails painted the same baby pink color yours were. The water washed over his feet, but it felt foreign. The sensations weren't the same to him anymore. Nothing felt the same to him anymore.

He was taller as well. Something was...missing. And he was really hoping it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Mark?"

That came from inside his head. You were in his head. And this was no delusion. His own mouth opened and said his own name with a voice that sounded perfectly male and female.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay, Mark?" You, or he, or whatever he should call himself (?) at this point sounded worried.

Was Mark okay? The feeling of pure love, acceptance and understanding in his chest, the quiet in his mind for once, was Mark okay? He felt warm but not from the inside. From his one human heart that was beating for the two of you. Were the overwhelming feelings he felt purely his alone?

"I think so."

Slowly he willed the feet to move but instead fell onto the ass he was sharing. His bottom was never so thick before, so this really was not a dream. Without his command, the right arm went into a pocket and pulled out two phones. One placed on the sand, yours went to open the camera app.

Eyes that weren't yours or Mark's filled the camera. Shorter, very dark pink curls dusted the shared shoulders unlike your long and full head of curls that usually took up more space than your head. Dark brown eyes matched with thick lips and long lashes filled the camera. A strong jaw with round, feminine features that you possessed mixed perfectly with Marks, and the eyes were slanted, another feature from Mark's face.

Was this what your babies would look like all grown up?

"I'm not sure I could carry a human-viltrumite-gem baby. That may destroy me." The thick lips opened in the reflection; a feeling of awe filled the chest you shared. Along with embarrassment.

"I didn't mean to say that outloud."

"You didn't. I hear your thoughts. I feel your feelings." Normally this would be too weird for him. But when your finally one with the woman you love and also half drunk, also suddenly look gender neutral, you have bigger issues to worry about-

"You love me?"

Then his chest felt like velcro being torn off sneakers. The soul you both shared was being forcefully torn in half. You were back, Mark was back and the two of you tumbled onto the sand.

"No!"

"You love me!" The gem-human (he was never fully sure what you were) tackled him in a hug onto the sand.

"I heard it, I heard it in your thoughts! I felt it in here." You whispered excitedly in his ear and placing your hand on his chest over his fast-beating heart.

"No no no, go back. What just happened? What was that?!" Now it was too weird. It lasted about 45 seconds but Mark's brain was his own again and what was missing between his legs was back.

"We fused Mark! And I'm sorry, it was a total accident but Mark! This is great, don't you see?" He pushed back from you and you followed him through the sand on your knees, scooting towards him.

"See what?" He cried in a panic, his own brain working overtime with the thousands of questions he had while he tried to gain enough distance from you to formulate a sentence.

"You love me the way I love you! We can be together!" Everything stopped again, but not because you turned into one person.

"You love me?" The light in your eyes was no longer so intense, and you pushed off your hands and sat down next to Mark, pulling your knees to your chest.

"I do." You nodded, affirmatively.

"And you...you want to be with me?"

"I do!"

Oh. So those feelings weren't his alone.

Waves crashed; the sky darker now as seagulls cawed far away. In the distance he heard your friends laughing around the bonfire. No words were said, but you seemed to understand. You scooted closer to him, head resting on his shoulder. Could you hear how calm his heart now was?

“Soooo do you love me?” You asked, looking up at him with sparkling eyes and a bit of hope nestled deep inside.

"You know I do."

"Maybe I want to hear you say it." A cheeky smile crossed your features, he just noticed that you have another dimple then the one he usually sees. And he's spent hours studying your face. Was this one new? He knows you can change your appearance. But then again, he's never been this close to you.

He remembered the love. The understanding he felt when you two were one in the same. Mark has had multiple girlfriends and has still never felt anything like that. He loved you before, after that feeling he accepted he was screwed. It was over for him. It was over for him, because he knew he'd spend the rest of his life, all thousands of years searching for that feeling. But he could only get that from you. He only wanted that from you.

For once he realized something: you were a human girl in a way. You look human, and Mark was treating you as an object. Unattainable, shiny but he loved you. You have feelings, just as strong as his. You both looked at one another, as if clearly seeing each other for the first time in a long time. He saw you as more than a space girl who he loved and was a little ditzy. You were a person. A person who loves him.

You came to Earth, you wanted to be a human girl. You wanted to be a normal girl. You have normal, human emotions. Who was Mark to deny you reciprocation of a feeling he certainly had for you as well because he perceived you as more?

"I love you."

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Mark, sighed but it was a sigh of happiness. For once, he was happy to talk about his feelings. He was thrilled to walk into Dr. Dubois's office. For once his weekend wasn't painful mentally, emotionally, or physically. He felt warm still from seeing you this morning. Turns out you can fuse at other times, as well as mimic some other human parts.

"Mr.Grayson?" He fell out of his memories of cuddling with you and laughing over how scared you got when he described how throwing up felt to you and he promised you he would try not too (although he can't really control it) and was pulled back into his reminder that he was waiting to see his therapist.

"Dr. Dubois will see you now."

Rising to his feet, he began the familiar path to the door he entered regularly. It was late Monday afternoon, and Mark spent the entire weekend as relaxed as he's been in a while. He couldn't stop smiling as he stopped a bank robbery on Sunday.

Another superhero left another therapists office, in their civilian identity while sniffling and the corresponding doctor patting her on the back in an attempt of comfort.

He opened the door, pulling the knob and floating into the office.

“Good morning!”

“Well, you’re in a good mood Mark. It’s good to see you. Have a seat.” She grinned, happy to see one of her younger clients full of joy. It was a rare sight these days.

He found his usual seat, and laid back down. Feet going of the arm rest, head resting on a pillow.

She opened her notebook, clicking her pen and peering at Mark over her round glasses. She could read him like a book, and should be able too considering how much time they spend together.

"Did you try treating her like a normal girl?"

"Uh huh." Mark nodded with an almost cartoonishly wide grin. For the first time in a long time feeling like the weight of his feelings wasn't crushing him. With a proud smile, she rested her chin on her elbow. She wanted to hear about his recent success, not just analyze it.

“So, how was your weekend?”

[malewifegustave]

OK sth I really, really love about fields of mistria is how accessible it is for an adhd hoarder that also forgets everything and what I was doing in like 5 minutes, like myself

the map has npc locations by default! so even if their schedule changes, you can always find them!

quests never expire! you can work on them at your own pace, and even hold onto one's that require a seasonal item that you didn't have enough of before the season was up, until the season rolls around again!

they don't take your damn money or items when you pass out or die because you lost track of time or are bad at combat!

there's free soup in the tavern that restores a little stamina, and a fountain behind a breakable boulder that does the same! the baths are also pretty cheap, and you even get a few free usages after a certain quest!

it starts with storage in your house, AND! anything you had in said storage can be used for crafting without having to go and retrieve it!

if you don't know where to get an item for a quest, talking to various npcs can tell you where it is!

if you need a certain item for the museum collection, you can check out hints on where to get those in the museum itself! and every item that can go in the museum has a tooltip when you over over it, to tell you if you have already donated it or not!

items don't despawn! you can just toss stuff on the floor and come back for it later when you have the inventory space!

if you forget to check your calendar, that's fine! the npcs will tell you about any upcoming events a few times before it arrives, and the start of a new day will tell you if it's someone's birthday!

they give you tutorials in a narrative way, gradually introducing new systems and mechanics as you progress! and these are done via quests that you can go and complete whenever you're ready!

the village progression gives you plenty of rewards and things to help you with your farm, which is very encouraging to keep at it!

the upgrade system just builds up along with doing normal tasks like farming! and you can spend these points however, whenever you like, with many being available right from the start! and you can have all of them if you want, so no need to worry about indecision!

you can go to your diary at home and save whenever you like, and even make another one so you can place them in other areas!

little heart notifications pop up over npc's heads when you progress the relationship, so you have a quick reference on how close you are!

every friday (and saturday after you fix the bridge), all the npcs are in the same place! this makes chatting to everyone and handing out gifts easier if you have trouble remembering to do so!

you have to hold down the button to eat an item! so you don't accidentally poison yourself!

other accessibility options ive really been appreciative of are: being able to turn off rain/snowfall, flashing, screenshake ect. for those with sensitivity, sight, or neurological issues that don't play well with those.

[hearts4chriss]

𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐬𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝.

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐄'𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

Brothers bestfriend! Chris + needy! Nate’s lil sis

prompt: Nate ( ur older brother ) wants to go out for a bit with some of his other friends and he doesn’t trust you enough to stay home by urself without mom and dad since they won’t be there either. So he asks one of his best friend Chris to stay over and watch you, Matt and nick know ur crush on Chris so they pretend they can’t come.

Part 01

contains: masturbation ( no actual sex ), use of y/n ( sorry I have to ) dirty fantasies ( pet names, rough! Chris, dirty talk, degrading, forced head etc just beyond FILTHLY imagination ), use of vibrator on reader, caught by Chris, FORESHADOWING, fantasy will be like this

Nate are you serious I’m not 12! I whine when said he was gonna find a baby sitter for me knowing how much it pisses me off

I’m Nate doe’s little sister I’m 18, we’ve Been close to his bestfriends the sturniolo triplets. So obviously him being my brother naturally I got to know them.

Nick

I clicked with him superrr fast, I love his energy and when I found out he was gay that just made it all the better because I’ve always wanted a gay bestfriend, and we always have sleepovers :)

Matt

Matt’s absolutely adorable I love him he always helps me calm down whenever I’m about to or am having a panic attack, I remember one time during a test I forgot everything and almost had one and he slid me the answers. Love that kid

now there’s a reason I saved Chris for last,

Chris

chris and I know each other just as well if not even more then I do his other two brothers, we haven’t done anything unfortunately. I’ve had a crush on him since middle school.

First I just wanted to kiss him and hold his hand.

Then go to his house and do some more.

Then now, as an 18 year old I wanted him to fuck my Brains out.

I’m around him all the time since we all live in LA and always hanging out, I always see him shirtless and fucking hell it turns me on, I always get lucky since nick and matt found of my attraction to his brother they always snap me or text me pictures of him.

What sucks is I cant have him. It would take my life 1000 times over for me to be able to fuck chris sturniolo, and it sucks because my brother nate does not play that shit.

He strictly said "your not allowed to date any of them" obviously referring to matt and Chris.

Which also doesn't help because my wants and desires a hormonal teenage-adult girl only grow more whenever he comes around, chris is always there.

Now today, nate had to run some errands and nick matt and chris used to watch me when I was younger if my parents couldn't

Buttt, nick and matt "could not come due to personal issues" so. Your guess is right, im gonna be alone with chris for hours.

That thought alone made me soak in my p-

“Y/n! are you listening to me kid?” My older brother chuckles leaning against my doorway of my room as im on my bed watching "The Vampire Diaries".

“Huh? oh yeah im listening matt and nick cant come so chris is because im fucking 11.” I roll my eyes hiding my excitement from him watching me.

“Don't think of any weird shit alright? He's just watching you so don't-“

“Ugh is he here yet? You're annoying me already.” I groan shifting in my sheets and taking a sip from my celsius hearin our door open, they have a key.

“Welp thats chris.” Nate says tilting his head for me to get up.

I get up from the sheets wearing some pink sleep shorts and a white t-shirt and he raises an eyebrow.

“Your wearing THAT? around chris?” Nate chuckles and I flip him off.

“Hey! I heard that!.” Chris yells coming up the stairs sounding offended.

He's now at the top of the steps. oh my fuck he looks so good.

Its around 6ish in LA right now and hes wearing a black tank top and grey fresh love sweats, slight stubble and his hair was a bit messy which I always liked and my eyes immediately drifted to his natural bulge in his pants as him and Nate were talking.

“Just make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble.” Nate puts his arm around me giving me a hug and Chris chuckles.

“Don’t worry bro she’s safe with me.” He says before dapping him up as Nate leaves the house. yeah safer if you were balls deep inside

Oh god Chris sh-shit so-d-deep inside me

Yeah? You feel me deep inside you baby?

bro she’s like zoning out today. Nate chuckled and I snap out of it

Whatever no I wasn’t! Just go!

Soon after it was just me and Chris so we made our way down to the living room

“Where are ur other two clones?” I chuckle getting situated on the couch before turning on a movie saltburn

“they have “personal issues”.” He said rolling his eyes causing a small laugh to fall from my lips.

“So it’s just you and me little one.” A smirk curving on his lips, just enough for my panties to be soaked.

Shut up Chris I’m 18.I mutter trying to watch the movie in peace and he chuckles

the movie went on and it was now, the bathtub scene where jacob elordi ( Felix ) is jerking off.

I peer over to Chris whose eyes are clearly fixated on the screen as my squeeze my thighs together under the blanket feeling all my hormonal thoughts leaking through my panties.

This had nothing to do with the movie, it’s the thought for Chris doing that to himself that had turned me on most. The tension so thick a knife couldn’t even cut through.

“Uhm I-i gotta go to the bathroom”. I nearly choke and I fix my shorts placing the blanket down where I was sitting.

“Don’t take to long I’ll miss you.” He chuckles and that didn’t help.

I go to my room and close the door squeezing my eyes shut.

I had maybe 5 minutes to relieve myself.

I quickly reach into my drawer grabbing my vibrating dildo and the remote for it.

I pull down my shorts and panties and spread my legs letting the tip of the toy get coated in my wetness and I bite my lip slightly feeling the thickness of it.

I turned it on letting out a soft moan slowly inserting it, wishing this was Chris’s dick instead.

I began thrusting the toy in and out of my pussy letting the squelching sounds of arousal grow letting it drip down curling my toes throwing my head on the pillows allowing my mind to drift

I was in Chris’s/my room my head smushed in the pillows as his cock rammed inside me whilst I was on my stomach. His hips slamming against my ass and his hand wrapped around my lower stomach as I cried out his name

Fuck fuckk so d-deep- I whimper into the pillows as he was bringing me to my 4th orgasm, we had switched numerous positions and my legs were quivering in front of him as he laid a hard snack to my ass chucking behind me.

such a fucking slut letting me fuck you like this, imagine if ur brother found out his little sister was getting her pussy pounded by his bestfriend. He laid another harsh smack to my ass and I jolted forward.

stretched this pussy out so good- he groans rubbing my clit to chase both our orgasms.

ngh- o-oh shit- fuck- I gripped the sheets tightly curses of Chris’s name flew out my mouth feeling my eyes water from the angle of his hips thrusting allowing his thick cock to hit every single spot inside me

come on sweetheart cum for me, you have another one in you yeah? He grunted lowly in my ear kissing me sloppily as a string of Saliva parts from our lips each time we kiss moaning into each others mouths.

“Oh fuck Chris I-“ I curl my toes and yell loudly as I’m about to release on the toy before I look up and see Chris. Was. Watching me.

“Were you playing with yourself?” Chris leans on the doorway of my room his eyes darting to between ny legs as I was thrusting the toy in and out of me and I quickly covered up my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“Uhm…maybe. Sorry I-I’ll be down in a second-“

Maybe I can help. Chris says closing the door to my room approaching my bed

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