#(they get help from some of the vets ofc)

[snowyroads]

oh, 23Bengals rookies 🥹🥰🥰

[yvilonion]

SNOWCROW UNI AU DUMP!!

all of these are reposts from my twitter, and some never seen before doodles :p ive got so many brain rot for this au but i dont have the time to draw them with me being a uni student myself, so i'll use this as an outlet to yap

ofc yes snowcrow are roomies duhhhh. the other boys are included as well but its primarily focused on snowcrow. both of them are nerds, sy just doesnt fit in the stereotype appearance wise. he also rarely leaves his room (bc hes in IT) so hes mostly wearing nothing but his optimus prime boxers. zayne has 5 outfits maximum and repeats the same ones depending on the day, and its either a collared button up shirt or a hoodie. all his pants are identical except for one pair of jeans he wears for special occasions aka going to the mall

in this au, zayne's autism shines more. he's more clumsy and awkward and doesnt get social cue. naive at some times, ESPECIALLY when it comes to ppl tryna hit on him. sy is less macho suave here, chillaxed in a teen core way and an idrgaf attitude. much more of a loser too. and more immature (in comparison to his canon self)

their dorm room: a disaster. its a 2 pax room so both their beds are singles across from each other. only two weeks into the semester sy's space is already full of his stuff to the point he cant even sleep on his bed. robot stuff from his club, personal collection of trinkets and other stuff he COULD throw out but doesnt want to bc he's a hoarder. so now he either sleeps on the floor or on zayne's bed. usually on zayne's bed when he's out for class during day time since his own classes are at night. zayne didnt mind but it meant sy owes him so sy buys him a lot of stuff especially sweet treats and mixue. he also has to drive him everywhere on his motorcycle. "i wanna go to that dessert shop" "you mean the one thats deep in the city full of traffic and hidden in between the alleyways where u have to go through the 7 layers of hell for parking?" "yes" "..................kay."

pets!! sy had mephisto even before entering uni. then later adopted a bearded dragon named bartholomew, mew or bartie for short. zayne took in a stray black cat from the streets. cats rarely like him so when this one didnt run away, immediate adoption. claudius galenus is his name after a greek philosopher, galen for short. obv sy made fun of his name choices, but then again he named a bird after the devil and a reptile "bartholomew". theyre both idiots. sy also enjoys finding random geckos or lizards, and frogs, and snakes. he'd probably own a scarab too. but zayne never allowed those bc galen is a gluttonous hell spawn and eats everything. at one point he started chewing on sy's mattress. no, pets are not allowed in dorms. they got off with a warning the first time. so every time theres even a hint of a spontaneous dorm check, sy asks his mom to babysit their kids. his mom being the sweetheart she is helped them out, though she wondered if her son will ever grow up and be at least acceptable in a professional setting bc she cant imagine him having a corporate career with the way he is now.

money. zayne has a scholarship and during their dorm year, it was easy to live on. he didnt have many assignments that needed money to be spent on, and he was never the shopping type, for clothes or other stuff he cant eat anyways. but ever since they moved out to rent an apartment, money got tighter. sure both his parents are doctors and has no problem giving him extra pocket money, but he prefers to not burden them. so he now he part times at a vet as the clerk! easy click clacking on the monitor job and he gets to meet cute animals. sylus doesnt have a scholar but he's applying for one. in the meantime he gets his money from a website he runs. what website? no one knows. is it legal? most likely no. zayne assumed the site is just an illegal movie streaming platform with how sylus always invites him to watch a new movie on his laptop seconds after its release. but he could be running more than one.

neither of them have that of an exciting social life. theyre either nerding out in their room, or taking a mindless stroll to reconnect with nature. sylus collecting rocks and yapping about the history (or drama) of the british royal family and explaining how the monarchy works, zayne identifying different types of clouds and pulling out candy from his pockets every 10 minutes (they never seem to run out). though at one point, sylus knew how important this stage of their life is. theyre not gonna be young forever and they needed friends, people to socialize with and make connections, mingle with people their age. zayne didnt mind having sy as his only friend, but he did think it would be nice to have a small clique. also the networking thing is important too. so whenever theres an event or festival, they'd always go out with intentions to meet people. it was NOT easy. 1. they dont know how to start a conversation without being too pushy or awkward. 2. they both have resting bitch faces and above 6 ft which makes them seem intimidating. 3. even if they did manage to chat with someone, they would quickly realize how different they were from them. most people who join these social events have **been** social, already in big group of friends that go out partying, clubbing, drinking yadda yadda. not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just a very unfamiliar territory for these two nerds who rarely (or during this point, never) let themselves touch alcohol, couped up in their room with a pigeon, a lizard and whatever the hell galen is, watching pirated movies while wearing matching rocky and bullwinkle socks. so after every attempt at making friends, they'd always walk back to their dorm, just the two of them.

are they dating? no. not yet at least. but do they like each other romantically? maybe. i can vouch for sy tho. the first time he saw zayne he was already smitten by how handsome he was. handsome, but not well put together. baggy clothes, his glasses were slightly crooked, looks like he doesnt know what hair gel is. he didnt know if he was even attracted to men, he did know zayne was the most interesting person he's ever met so far. he brushed it off, thinking its just simple admiration. even if it was a crush, it wasnt a big deal. tho as their friendship grew, he got bolder, casually flirting with him from time to time, just because. zayne being the dumbass he is caught none of it. if sy ever reached out to hold his hand, he's like "oh yeah cool bestie activities" or if he gives a quick peck on the cheek before leaving for class "he must be in a good mood haha" or if he stares longingly while zayne yaps about the history of styrofoams, scooching closer, leaning a bit too close, trying to memorize every detail of zayne's face as if he recognized him from a different life, one where theyre both soul bound, sharing the same last name, melting into each other every night "oh wow he's a really good listener".

yk maybe they are dating. zayne just didnt know about it until it was too late.

that's all i have for now!! sem break is right around the corner so i'll expand this au then :)) pray for me final assessment is biting me in the ass im an animation student and i regret everything

[synthetickitsune]

Bunny Troubles ✧ h.js

Pairing: Joshua Hong x reader (gn) Genre: fluff Summary: Who’d have thought a man like Joshua could turn into a puddle of misery on the whim of a little bunny? Word count: 1.9k Warnings: i never owned a bunny in my life so excuse any innacuracies for the sake of the plot A/N: this is once again @hanniedream's fault because ofc it is, because it always is

“Uhm, love?” you say shyly, quietly, trying hard to conceal your nervousness.

“Love? Is something wrong?” Joshua catches on immediately regardless of your efforts or the fact that he can’t even see you through the phone. You can only sigh.

You look at your friend for support from where she’s sitting with a bunny in her arms and she gives you a thumbs up before you step out into the hall and close the door behind you.

“What do you think about a week of bunny sitting? My friend is going on a vacation and her parents canceled on her last minute.”

“Say that again,” you can hear your boyfriend pause whatever he was doing.

“Shua, you heard me,” you groan, “She will give us everything we’ll need and she’ll bring the stuff over and help me bunny proof the place. It’s just the living room, so it doesn’t wake us up if it’s noisy in the night. She even made a little pamphlet with instructions and important information and the vet’s contact if anything happened.”

You can practically hear the way he holds back a sigh. Waiting for his answer, though, you already start to imagine the little fluffy creature hopping around your living room.

“What if it doesn’t like me?” he asks. That wasn’t really the concern you were expecting if you’re honest.

“Come again?” you deadpan.

“The meerkat on set didn’t like me either, what if I’m just cursed to be disliked by tiny animals,” there’s a pout in his voice, which is pretty much a sign of your victory.

“No no, my friend said it’s the cuddliest bunny she ever had and that it likes being handled,” you coo excitedly, “And the few times I came over it was really sweet and friendly. It cuddles with me today too.”

“But I’m meant to be your cuddly bunny,” Joshua grumbles very quietly on the other side of the phone.

“Baby I think I’ll need to start recording these calls,” you tease and chuckle when you hear your boyfriend whine some more. “Anyway, it’s just a week. Please? She really needs the help and nobody else is available.”

“You know I can never say no to you,” he sighs, “But I don’t want to hear a word of getting one for ourselves, yeah?”

“I promise,” you try to hide your excitement, “I love you. We’ll be waiting for you to come home.”

“I’m kicking it out if it doesn’t like me,” he warns you playfully before saying his goodbyes and hanging up.

“I’m home,” Joshua calls upon closing the front door behind him carefully, mindful of the creature whose presence is already noticeable by the little fence standing in the doorway of the living room.

“Welcome home,” you call back, your voice soft and clearly strained with emotions. He chuckles to himself, first making his way to the bedroom to change into something comfortable before joining you.

He secures the temporary precaution once he steps into the room and smiles again seeing you sitting by the cage with your hand at the door and the bunny sniffing your palm curiously.

“Getting friendly?” he teases, sitting down a good distance from you to avoid scaring the animal who’s already eyeing him with what he thinks is caution.

“I just fed her some snacks, so I think she hopes for more,” you coo without really looking at him, “Her name is Lola by the way.”

He scoffs, making you groan too. “I know, okay? I wasn’t the one naming her.”

“I can see the resemblance though,” Joshua shakes his head with a smile. The bunny’s colors do kind of resemble those of the character. “Do you think she’ll hate it if I come closer?”

“Nope, just take one of those and you’ll be fine,” you nod towards a little packet lying on the floor next to the cage, “I promise I’ll clean up tomorrow, I just didn’t feel like it this late.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he reassures you, quickly stealing a kiss while you move to make room for him at the cage’s open door. The bunny stays surprisingly calm, only putting his paws down on the ground instead of looking out of the cage.

“Hey little one,” Joshua coos at the fluffy ball, and you can already see the enamored sparkle in his eyes, “Let’s get along, hm?”

The bunny’s nose twitches before it returns to its original position and after sniffing Joshua’s fingers for a bit, it discovers the treat and eagerly takes it from him. 

“I think she likes you,” you chuckle. Your boyfriend then moves back to give the bunny space and lets you pull him in for a proper kiss this time. 

“How was your day?” you ask, resting your head on his shoulder as you watch the bunny bobbing its head and hesitating by the open door, unsure if it wants to explore the unfamiliar territory.

“Good, nothing too exciting. She’s cuter than I expected though,” he leans his head against yours.

“Not one word of wanting to get one for ourselves,” you tease, earning yourself a gentle nudge. “Let’s watch something on tv? Maybe she’ll feel more comfortable if we’re not this close. Oh, and I could show you the guide we got.”

The rest of the evening is spent on the couch, Shua resting in your embrace as you go through the brochure together - and him googling tips on how to befriend a bunny faster. Although the animal in your care seems tame enough that his research might prove to be completely useless. 

The bunny doesn’t venture too far away from its cage, but simply the fact that it left its safe sanctuary is a win in your books. The television is just a nice background noise while you both focus on the curious creature hopping around. 

Over the next couple days the bunny gets quite comfortable. Soon enough it’s exploring the entire expanse of the living room, trying to escape further and you let it - with your strict supervision. The animal is an angel, cuddly and sweet - both to you and Joshua. You were a little skeptical when your friend told you her bunny is the friendliest she’s ever seen and wouldn’t last a second in the wild but turns out she was right. And it also turns out that she’ll be her own bunny’s second favorite human when she gets back.

You can’t say you’re surprised exactly when the bunny starts to clearly prefer Joshua’s attention, but it’s very entertaining that your boyfriend keeps trying to persuade the animal to like you more. It’s not that it doesn’t like you, it does, and it’s very affectionate with you. It’s just that wherever Shua appears, you’re immediately just a back up human. 

The bunny lets itself be handled and carried by him, and it’s impossible for you both not to swoon when you see how tiny the animal looks sitting in Joshua’s hands or held in his arms. Treats work well to lure it away from your boyfriend, but it quickly returns once it finishes eating it. At least it’s not jealous and is willing to share him with you, and your boyfriend glows like the sun with you cuddled into his side and the bunny sleeping on his chest.

Anyway - Joshua is the bunny’s favorite human. Even your friend confirmed that much when you facetimed her one night and showed her how her pet behaves.

That’s why it is so confusing when your boyfriend calls you in distress.

“Baby? Baby I did something and now she hates me!”

It takes you a second and another whiny babyyy to process what’s going on and drop the dinner preparations for the sake of your boyfriend and his side chick’s drama.

Joshua sits with his back against the couch, already looking at you with a pout and eyes pleading. You try not to laugh seeing him and look for the bunny instead - not too far away and… stomping her little feet? Thumping. 

“What did you do?” you accuse, pretending to scold him as you sit down next to him. 

“Nothing! I don’t know,” he whines, turning his head left and right, throwing pleading looks yours and the bunny’s way. “Why does she hate me?”

“I don’t know, but according to the guide this means she’s annoyed, so what did you do to her?” you try really hard not to chuckle at his distress. Who’d have thought a man like him could turn into a puddle of misery on the whim of a little bunny.

“Nothing,” he mumbles with a sigh, extending a hand towards the animal. It pushes it away with its paws with another thump and you do fail and laugh at that. You’re quick to coo over your boyfriend when he turns to you with disbelief written all over his face though, his pout deepening. 

“We’ll figure this out, Shua,” you chuckle, kissing his cheek, “You’re her favorite, remember?”

He nods, sighing as the bunny thumps again. It’s cute as ever, maybe more so throwing a tantrum like this.

“So what did you do - what were you doing before she got like this?” you ask, rubbing his arm soothingly. He leans into your touch and he looks so miserable that you almost feel bad for laughing.

“Nothing, I told you,” he -thump- sulks, “I was just petting her.”

Thump thump.

“And then?” you prod.

“Nothing.” Thump thump. “I was petting her and then I stretched, so I- oh.”

Oh indeed.

“Why would you stop petting her and then be all surprised that she’s annoyed with you? Do you have any idea how upsetting it is?” you frown at him.

“Why am I being targeted?” he grumbles before smirking a little, “But thank you for your insight.”

You push his shoulder. “Don’t give in,” you tell the bunny.

“No no no, I learned from my mistakes,” Joshua turns towards the bunny and slowly extends his hand to its little head, “I’m so sorry, little one. Forgive me please.”

He pets it slowly, his fingers stroking the soft fur with patience and dedication that really makes it seem like he’s begging for forgiveness. You regret not having your phone on you to take a video. 

And then suddenly the bunny starts moving, no longer thumping its legs but instead slowly walking towards your boyfriend before climbing onto his legs and settling on his lap. Joshua beams at you and resumes petting the bunny, overjoyed at being forgiven.

“Am I the bunny whisperer?” he whispers, cooing at the fluffball in his lap. You roll your eyes.

“Yeah, and a drama queen,” you tease, but he ignores you in favor of making up with the bunny. It’s a cute look though, so you don’t mind not bickering with him.

“I know I said I don’t want to hear a word about-”

“No.”

He pouts at you when you shut him down immediately.

“Let’s just offer a free bunny sitting whenever, hm?” you suggest.

“Let’s steal her,” Joshua wiggles his brows at you mischievously. You breathe a long sigh.

Then again maybe looking at Joshua with a cute fluffy bunny cuddled up to him every day wouldn’t be so bad. Especially if all it takes for him to get all pouty is a few annoyed thumps.

Now you can only hope your bunny of a boyfriend won’t take on any of her habits.

[dzvelinaskebiyars]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐖𝐄 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐈𝐓?˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Pov: you saved a stray cat and want to keep it(*´▽`)ﾉ tagging: @shintaru @scareeemonstaah dividers: @dollywons

Wooin:

He knew you loved animals, so much. You'd probably choose some stray dog over him but gosh, he thought it was clear that he doesn't want to take care any animal.

Guess he was wrong to think that.

You just came back home, calling his name happily and he rushed to see you too but the furry ball in your hands caught his attention immediately. It was a cat. Kitten, to be more specific. It had grey furr and big green eyes, comfortably resting in your hands.

"What is that?" He asked with a sigh, already knowing the answer you'd give him.

"A kitten! Isn't he so cute? So adorable?" You said, petting the kitten gently like it could break under smallest pressure.

"I can see what is that. But why did you bring it here?" He questioned you again and before you could answer, he continued. "If you wanted a cat, I could have just bought it. Why would you bring dirty stray cat?"

"Don't say that." You said in scolding tone, bringing the kitten to your chest like it was your own child. "His leg was stuck so I helped him and brought it with me because I didn't have any food nor money on me." You walked past Wooin, who looked like stressed out mom, and went in the kitchen. "I'll feed him here."

"And then let him go, right?" He asked with fake smile, but it immediately dropped when you just looked at him and smiled back without saying anything. He couldn't hold back a groan that came out of his throat - you are going to keep him and he knows he's going to be the one paying for whatever it will need.

Less to say, Wooin wasn't pleased by that cat. Heck, he even called it biohazard which resulted in him getting smacked by you. Despite that, he gave you money you needed to take your beloved cat to vet and got him vaccinated.

To be entirely honest, Wooin didn't complain much. It kind of surprised you. Oh well, if we exclude the times when the kitten pissed on his hoodie that he picked out to wear, which frustrated Wooin to no end. It got worse when the kitten pissed in his car and hence, poor furry ball wasn't allowed in his Mustang anymore.

Ofc you bought sand for your kitten and teached him where his bathroom was. You were so passionate about rising him, always feeding him right on time, cleaning his sand, buying him toys and no matter what he did, you were patient with him. Most of all, you looked happy.

Seeing that, Wooin couldn't bring it in himself to neglect the kitten himself. He wasn't doing anything major honestly, just letting the kitten sleep in his lap and sometimes playing with him if Wooin was in the mood.

"You love him too, don't you?" You asked Wooin one day, pointing at the kitten in your arms while giving Wooin your brightest smile.

Wooin looked up from his phone, stared at you for a few seconds then glanced to kitten and sighed. "No, I just don't mind him that much."

"So you love him~" You sing-songed, purposely getting on your boyfriend's nerves.

"Y/n--"

"Yes you do! You even let him sleep with you." You protested, recalling the sight of Wooin sleeping with cute grey cat snuggling in his neck. "So this kitten is yours too now."

He didn't complain anymore, just letting out small "fine" but you definitely heard it. Not like it wasn't already his considering you bought everything with HIS money for some stupid kitten, but yeah no reason to complain now. Maybe, yeah, he didn't want anything else added to his responsibilities but surely he could handle two cats (one you and second the kitten). But still, there was a line he wouldn't cross. "I'm not cleaning his shit though."

"Oh..." You exhaled. "So you don't like to clean his shit...." His eye twitched slightly, knowing whatever was gonna come out of your mouth was something he wouldn't like. "But you clean up after Joker's butt-"

"That's it."

In the end, you kept a kitten but I'm not sure about your ability to walk...

Joker/Hajun:

On warm sunny day, which was supposed to be comforting, your lovely boyfriend rushed outside from his house, leaving his brothers with tons of questions but he would apologize to them later. Now, he was busy running as fast as he could to the location you shared with him.

Why did she just share her location without saying anything else? Was she attacked? Kidnapped? Is she asking for help? She must be. This is Hajun's thought process right now.

And as he took the turn, he finally saw you - kneeling down, your head down as you were looking at something. His eyes immediately scanned for any suspicious person close to you, highly alerted and waiting for an attack but---

"Hajun, you're here! Look who I found!" You beamed at him happily, showing him the cute white kitten you just found.

Hajun stopped in his track, panting and scanning you with his eyes, then looking at you like you grew four heads when he realized that you were just fine but soon his brain processed that you shared your location because of a kitten.

"Did it scratch you?" He asked.

Your happy expression immediately dropped into confused one. "No?"

"Then did it bite you?"

"No, what-why are you even asking that?! Does she look evil to you?!" You questioned him, checking him up and down with bombastic side eye like he personally offended you.

"Then you aren't hurt, right?" He asked, mostly to reassure himself.

"No Hajun, I'm fine." You sighed. "I just shared my location because this cutie," you turned your attention to the kitten in your hands. "was stuck and I couldn't get her out. But I managed to before you came here."

Hajun stared at you then at the kitten, it had two different eye colors - right was green and left was blue - she kinda reminded him of Vinny, with heterochromia and paleness.

"Is her injury bad?" He asked. "We could take her to vet."

"Nah, she's thankfully fine. But yeah it's better to visit the vet just in case!" You spoke before slyly looking up at Hajun. "So...This means we're keeping her, right?"

Hajun hesitated for a moment. He doesn't have anything against kitten but...Can he take care of her, puppy, his brothers and you at the same time? But, my god, all the worrying thoughts disappeared once you looked at him with those eyes, those cute pleading eyes that he'd gladly start wars for.

"...Yeah." He answered, watching how your face immediately lit up in joy. Gosh, how could he even think of saying no to you?!

Guess his youngest brother will get the cat he wanted! And Hajun?....He'll manage somehow. For you.

Hyuk:

Such a lovely rainy day, the sound of rain droplets hitting the surface was so amazingly calming to the point that Hyuk thought he'd get good nap in your shared bed. But you...had other ideas.

Hearing the unstoppable banging on the door as if someone was getting murdered, Hyuk immediately got up and walked towards the door rather calmly, thinking it was probably that annoying old woman you two had unfortunate luck to have as a neighbor but no, it was you, soaked and holding black furry ball - kitten, in your arms as if to shield it.

"Gosh, it's raining so heavily!!" You exhaled, immediately taking your heels off and throwing your bag god knows where, you were just glad it was finally off your shoulders.

"A kitten?" Hyuk tilted his head to the side to get a better look. The kitten had black furr, scared black eyes, breathing unevenly. It immediately hid its face in your arms after seeing Hyuk. Gosh he really should brush his hair after he gets out of bed...

"Yup! I found him on the streets. He was freezing in the rain, Hyuk." You spoke while hugging the poor kitten, who was still trembling from the merciless cold outside.

"I see.." He hummed, leaning in to get the better look but the kitten kept avoiding making eye contact with him. "Seems like he hates me already."

You shook your head with a chuckle. "Nooo, he's just not used to you yet. In this state, he would be scared of anyone." You put your slippers on and put the kitten down on the floor. He took his time sniffing everything, carefully observing rooms, processing his sudden change of location. Or maybe poor kitten went in another room because Hyuk was watching it like it was some kind of laboratory subject yet to be analyzed.

"You're keeping him? Or are you gonna let him go outside later?" Hyuk turned to face you but you were too busy trying to hold back your laughter at his messy appearance.

"Um...Ke-keep him of-pft-" You couldn't even finish the sentence as you burst out laughing. While Hyuk stared at you like confused child.

His hair looked like it went through hurricane, tornado and electrocution at the same time, his drool was still on his cheek and his eyebrows were so messy. Heck, he even looked like he still hasn't mentally woken up.

"No wonder kitten was scared. You look like you escaped asylum." You snorted, giggling at his frown. "Go back to bed and I'll come back too. I have to go to bathroom first to remove my makeup." You spoke up again, walking towards the bathroom doors.

"Mhm, okey." Hyuk rubbed his left eye before taking steps towards the bedroom again and when he entered, he saw the kitten, looking at him with wide scaredy eyes while Hyuk was equally as shocked.

....

This stupid cat pissed on his bed.

[verstappen-cult]

ouuu, imagine getting a new pet with the f1 grid! like, whether it be just recently moving in together and wanting a new addition or whether it be just a small present, your choice ofc! 💖

GETTING A NEW PET WITH THE BOYS | F1 GRID

★ — LANDO NORRIS (4)

one day you came home only to find lando laying on the floor with a tiny cat sitting on his chest, talking so soft as if he was speaking to a child, hands caressing behind his little ears. “hey, i got you a present!” he was lot more excited than you, and you were the one that actually wanted to adopt a cat. you named her with a little bit of help from lando, and soon became a crucial part in both your lives. every time lando is away, which is most of the time, he’s always asking for pics of his two girls. you’re pretty sure he loves the cat more than he loves you. and vice–versa.

★ — CHARLES LECLERC (16)

it was always a plan. even when you had been dating for just a couple of weeks, you two always wanted to have a dog together. and that’s why the moment you move in together, you go to one of the shelters in the city to adopt one. it’s hard. there are so many dogs waiting for someone to take them home that it is impossible for you to not cry. eventually you take home a little one that kept following charles everywhere he went, and the moment the dog starts running and sniffing everything, making you both laugh, you know he’s the perfect addition to your life.

★ — OSCAR PIASTRI (81)

oscar knows you grew up with a lot of dogs and cats, and that you miss them every day. he also knows you are pretty happy living with him and traveling when you can, but living away from family is hard. it’s no secret that you are the most important person in his life and he will always want you to be happy; that is why one day you wake up with a slight pressure on your chest and two big brown eyes looking at you. you’re very sure everyone in the building heard your scream when you realized it was a rabbit. oscar had the biggest smile on his face, and felt like a very proud boyfriend, as he saw you play with him.

★ — MAX VERSTAPPEN (33/1)

you and max weren’t looking to adopt a new cat, you really were more than happy and done with jimmy and sassy. but then one day you’re walking back to your hotel after lunch and next thing you know, you are inside a pet shop. you were just thinking about getting the cats new toys and maybe a cat tree when you saw her sitting at the counter, looking so soft and tiny. when max went to pay, the owner told you she was a stray cat and the rest was history. there was a lot of paperwork to be able to get her out of the city and back to your home, but it was all worth it.

★ — ALEX ALBON (23)

you’re always looking to adopt new pets. or members of the family as alex likes to call them. you know who you’re dating, so it’s all part of the relationship. not that it bothers you; you’re really happy with the zoo you have at home. the newest addition is a little more big than the rest of the pets, and it doesn’t surprise you, nothing does with alex anymore. and you always wanted a horse growing up, it’s a win for everyone. every time alex has free time you’re traveling to visit alex’s parents where the horse lives and it’s hard when you have to say goodbye but you know alex is already looking to adopt a new cat, or a dog, or another horse, and that makes it a little easier.

★ — DANIEL RICCIARDO (3)

daniel just comes home holding a guinea pig one day and you don’t even question him. he said he found it near the park where he went to run and couldn’t leave it there. just like that you got a new pet. neither of you had a guinea pig before so you don’t really know how to take care of him. or her? so the next morning you take the little one to the vet and then to a pet shop where you buy everything you’re going to need. and some other things that aren’t necessary but daniel saw and fell in love. if you had to drag him out of there before he brought a fish, well, that’s no one’s business.

★ — MICK SCHUMACHER (47)

you were cuddling on the couch, mick with the most awful cold ever known to men when you got a call from her mom, and before she even got to say hi your boyfriend was already asking for the family dog. it was so cute seeing him say how much he missed him and how he wished he could be there to cuddle and feel better (rude!); that was the exact moment you knew what to do. it was a little hard trying to find a shelter, and then complete the form and interview they asked for, but in just a couple of days you were standing in front of a blanket-covered and almost crying mick cuddling with his new dog.

© VERSTAPPEN-CULT ⎯ do not repost, translate, plagiarise or claim any of my works as your own.

[starrgazed22]

WHAT A DAY.

Jim Halpert x gn!reader, 2.5K words Warnings: Vulgarism, pushing. (Not Jim pushing ofc) My comment: First fanfic ever, it's summer and I am bored haha. Enjoy! ALSO I couldn't think of a fitting title. Summary: Jim helps reader out with taking her dog to the vet, inviting her to his roommate's party afterwards.

──────

(Jim talking to the camera crew)

“The way she sits in her chair with one leg up… sometimes both legs up. The way she balances her pen on everything while making phone calls,” he lets out a soft chuckle, “Her origamis that I find on my table every time we come back from lunch.” He starts fumbling in his pants pocket, revealing a small origami frog to the crew. “Like this one today,” he looks at it, then looks back at the crew and does his typical downturned smile.

──────

You finish a call with a client, balancing your pen on its holder, just as Jim described. The cameraman focuses on you, then pans to Jim, who watches you with an admiring smile and eyes full of warmth.

“Yes, February 28th. That’s right,” you confirm to a client on the phone. "Have a nice day," you hang up.

Jim glances at the camera as he gets up and walks over to you.

“Hey, Y/N,” he says nervously, rubbing his hands together. “I was wondering, are you free tonight? My roommate is throwing a party, and I thought we could go together?” He asks, his voice genuine and hopeful.

“Jim, I’m sorry, I can’t tonight… I have to take my dog to the vet. It’s on the other side of Scranton, so…” you say, disappointed. “It’s going to take some time to get there by train—”

“I can take you… and your dog,” he offers immediately, showing the palms of his hands.

“You mean it?” you ask, caught off guard.

“Of course. I want to meet your dog,” he teases slightly, but you know he's serious.

You look at him, touched. “That would be so kind. Thank you, Jim.”

“When is the appointment?” “At 6.” “Great, we’ll leave at 5.” He smiles warmly at you.

He returns to his desk, exchanging a satisfied glance with the camera. Two hours fly by in a blur of Friday phone calls. You both pack up and head to his car. Jim opens the door of the car for you, and you settle into the front passenger seat. You drive to your place to pick up your dog first.

“Are you okay with having a dog in your car?” you ask uncertainly.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” he asks, genuinely confused.

You chuckle softly. “My boyfriend could never handle it, you know. Hates the hair,” you say sadly.

“Oh,” Jim responds, caught off guard by your answer, finding out another terrible thing about your boyfriend.

You arrive at your apartment, Jim and the cameraman waiting in the car. You quickly get your dog and head back out. Jim watches as you and your dog approach. The dog is a mixed breed puppy. Probably a mix of retriever and some other breed he couldn't quite put a finger on. He gets out of the car, squatting down to the dog’s level.

“Oh, hello,” he says in a high-pitched tone. “Can I pet him?” he asks.

“Sure,” you laugh as Finn jumps on Jim, licking his cheek. The cameraman captures the moment from the car window. You decide to sit in the back with Finn, next to the cameraman, to keep him from jumping on Jim while driving. Finn sniffs the camera, leaving the cameraman with an adorable footage.

You drive to the vet, chatting about how you got Finn and today’s rabies shot. The drive is short, filled with easy conversation. Finally, you arrive, leading Finn inside with Jim following behind.

The veterinarian takes Finn’s lead from your hand, and Jim squats down to give Finn a reassuring pat.

“You’ll be alright, big boy, we’ll be back tomorrow, okay?” Jim murmurs, rubbing Finn behind his ears. Your heart melts at the tenderness in Jim’s voice. Your boyfriend never talks to you or your dog with such genuine care.

──────

(Y/N talking to the camera crew)

“Jim has been incredibly kind, helping me out like this. My boyfriend wouldn’t do anything like this for me,” you confess, a mix of gratitude and sadness evident in your expression.

──────

You and Jim leave the vet, checking your watch.

“Wow, 6:30 already, that was quick today,” you exhale, a small puff of steam escaping in the chilly February air. Jim chuckles, his breath forming another cloud.

“So, are you free now?” he asks, a playful smirk on his face.

“I guess so.”

“Still up for the party?” Jim kicks at a rock on the pavement.

“Alright, sounds fun,” you agree, smiling warmly at him.

You drive off, recognizing the route from earlier. Suddenly, you take a different turn, pulling up in front of what seems to be Jim’s house, glimpsing people inside having a good time.

“Here we are,” Jim announces. You get out of the car.

He holds the door open for you with a gentlemanly gesture, “After you.” You step inside to the sound of someone singing karaoke to “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers.

“Not my favorite song,” you joke, earning a laugh from Jim.

──────

(Y/N talking to the cameraman)

“I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like my boyfriend isn’t really there for me… but with Jim, it’s different,” you share with the camera crew, your voice tinged with both relief and uncertainty.

──────

Jim introduces you to his roommate and his girlfriend, and you both mingle with the party guests, sipping wine and making small talk.

After some time, all of the guests has already arrived. No one else is expected.

Doorbell suddenly rings, signaling a new arrival. The roommate opens the door confused, and the camera zooms in on the newcomer’s face.

“Is Y/N here?” a familiar British voice asks. Your heart sinks, and Jim freezes at your sudden reaction.

“What?” he asks, concerned.

You rush to the door, Jim following closely behind. “David, what are you doing here?” you say, a mixture of anger and fear in your voice.

He chuckles sarcastically. “More like, what are you doing here?” You pull David aside.

“I had to take Finn to the vet, and Jim offered me a ride,” you try to explain.

“Wow! This is a hell of a vet!” He gestures wildly at Jim’s house, “Should’ve taken a fuckin’ train, bitch!” He starts shouting.

“David, did you track my phone aga— I— I can explai—” “Shut up, you whore!” David interrupts, pushing you roughly. “Fucking whore, I knew you were screwing him the whole time,” he spits out, moving toward you aggressively. You're taken aback by his blunt accusation, feeling a mix of shock and disgust that he would make such a false statement.

“It’s over, David. It’s over!” you declare.

The camera catches Jim’s tense expression as David moves closer to you again, prompting Jim to step in.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Jim intervenes, pushing David away and guiding you protectively behind him. “Leave,” Jim demands calmly.

“Okay, but give me my fucking girlfriend,” David hisses.

“What is she, a fucking thing?” Jim shoots back sharply, stepping forward. It’s the first time you’ve heard Jim curse.

“Well, to me, she is—” David starts to say.

"She said it's over! Did you hear her?" Jim repeats what you said.

"Not until I say so." David spits.

“Leave,” Jim repeats firmly.

“None of your business—” David stops short, spitting in Jim’s face. Jim remains composed, wiping his face with his sleeve.

“Fucking prick with a fucking whore. Perfect match!” your now ex shouts as he storms off to his car. “Bitch, burn in hell!” he yells out of the open window as he drives away.

Jim quickly returns to you, finding you standing there, visibly shaken, tears streaming down your cheeks.

“Are you okay, Y/N?” he asks gently. You lean into him, wrapping your arms around his torso, seeking comfort. Jim strokes your hair soothingly with one hand, the other arm around your shoulders. “It’s okay now. Everything’s fine,” he reassures you. “Thank you,” you whisper softly into his shirt.

You both stand there in a comforting embrace, surrounded by the silence of the chilly February night, illuminated by a warm streetlight. After what feels like an eternity, Jim speaks softly. “Are you sure you don’t want to come inside? It’s kind of cold out here.” You finally look up and nod, smiling faintly at him. He takes your hand in his, not intertwining fingers, but offering a protective hold, leading you back into the house. “I’ll make you some toasts, okay?”

Inside the house, apart from the roommate, no one seems to notice what just happened outside. You’re grateful no one did; it would have been embarrassing. You follow Jim to the kitchen through the living room. You lean on the counter to watch him make toasts. He tries to distract you from the recent events by explaining his toast-making technique, which surprisingly works. You can’t help stealing glances at him. He’s perfect. He’s been there for you through so much, always supportive. And that smile of his, it warms your heart.

You move to the living room together, holding your plate of toasts. You both settle on the couch, finding two free seats across from the karaoke machine. A girl joins you, curious about the gossip Jim tells you about, bringing you a coke mixed with rum you didn’t ask for but accept anyway. She leaves when the talk turns to Dwight, which she has never heard of.

Suddenly, Jim’s roommate takes the karaoke microphone, addressing Jim in front of everyone instead of taking a few steps for a private chat.

“Jim’s back, everybody!” Everyone cheers, and Darryl, Jim’s roommate, continues. “A prince on a white horse, with his rescued princess!” You look at Jim in surprise, bursting into laughter, fueled by the wine and coke you’ve been drinking. Jim looks slightly embarrassed. “Ignore him, that’s just the alcohol talking,” he dismisses with a wave of his hand.

“Come on, you haven’t sung yet tonight!” Darryl says into the mic. “Come on!” You draw out the word as you nudge Jim playfully in the shoulder. Jim sighs.

“Alright, alright,” Jim gives in, buoyed by his roommate’s friends’ enthusiasm. He gets up from beside you, heading over to the karaoke machine, where he and Darryl select a song. Your song. By Elton John.

“It’s a little bit funny…” Jim starts singing the lyrics. Some people join in, others start dancing. You sit back and watch, impressed by Jim’s singing ability, even if it’s just a little. “...You see, I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue.” Jim squints playfully, locking eyes with you as he sings, mocking the lyrics. You chuckle softly. He gestures with his free hand for you to come over to him. “...Anyway, the thing is…” You get up and join him, Jim’s arm around your shoulder. “...Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen.” His gaze shifts between your eyes. You realize it's just lyrics, but there's a subtle undertone in his delivery that suggests the lyrics might mirror his thoughts. Jim catches your hand, and you start to slow dance together, his singing still filling the room. Others begin to join in the dancing.

As Jim finishes the song, everyone cheers and claps.

“Thank you all for coming! You’ve been an amazing crowd tonight!” Jim jokes, accepting the applause graciously.

“That was really good!” You poke Jim, and he thanks you with a smile. As you both head back toward your seats, you find them occupied by other friends. You hesitate for a moment.

“Looks like we’re standing,” Jim remarks, realizing the lack of available seats. He notices how much you’ve had to drink, noticing you sway slightly, whether from the alcohol or the emotional rollercoaster of the evening.

Jim smirks to himself, leaning in to whisper in your ear. “Want a tour?” he raises an eyebrow suggestively.

You look at him, a mix of surprise and anticipation. “Lead the way.” You interlace your fingers with his, feeling a slight jolt of electricity between you both, which Jim acknowledges with a subtle smirk.

As you come up the stairs, Jim begins the tour. “Here’s the bathroom,” he gestures playfully with his free hand. He leads you further, showing you Darryl’s room, then his own.

“And this is mine. I cleaned up a bit this morning; it usually doesn’t look this good,” he admits with a sheepish grin.

You release his hand, stepping into his room. You notice a guitar in the corner. “You play guitar? Why didn’t you ever tell me?” you ask, genuinely curious.

Jim shrugs, leaning against the doorframe. “I’d rather talk about you,” he admits softly. You feel a pang of realization, contrasting sharply with memories of your ex-boyfriend’s indifference. With Jim, you feel appreciated.

You look around Jim’s room, taking in the framed photos, medals, and posters, gaining insights into his life. You sit on the edge of his bed, noticing how comfortable it feels. “Nice bed, too,” you remark with a genuine smile.

Jim enters the room, searching in one of his drawers.

“I wanted to give you this on your birthday, but I just can’t wait to give it to you,” he says. “Okay, close your eyes, okay, I haven’t wrapped it up yet,” he lets out a soft chuckle. You do as he says. He sits next to you on the bed and hands you what feels like a jewel case, his fingers lingering on your hands longer than necessary.

"You can open them now."

You open your eyes, revealing a jewel case containing 'Hot Fuss' by The Killers CD. “No way!” you exclaim excitedly. “I— I don’t know what to say. Thank you. Thank you so much,” you stammer gratefully.

Jim smiles warmly at you, and you hug him again.

“I have a player. Want to listen to it?” he offers, taking the CD from your hand and placing it in the player. The first song begins to play, and Jim adjusts the volume. He returns to sit beside you.

“What a great taste,” he remarks casually.

“Stop,” you playfully protest.

“No, really. I mean it,” he insists, locking eyes with you. You meet his gaze, and he shifts closer. He cups your cheeks slowly with both hands, silently seeking your consent. You nod in response, and he leans in slowly, tenderly kissing you. You kiss him back, uncertain but drawn to him.

It’s okay. Everything’s fine, you reassure yourself internally, repeating what Jim said earlier. You deepen the kiss, the emotional intensity building between you both. Jim’s hands leave your face as he crawls over at you, making you lay down under him.

The cameraman discreetly decides to leave them to their private moment, closing the door for them.

THE END.

Kinda out of pocket story haha, but I hope you enjoyed it!

[copper-16]

You Can Do This

Mapi for the life of her, cannot find Bagheera. The cat is in a place where the Spaniard and Norwegian least expect her to be.

(a/n: this is a mix between fluff and just a little bit of angst that is easily soothed. This is kind of introducing a theme about Mapi's specific struggles with becoming a parent, that is a topic I want to talk about and explore more in future stories about these three. Also, wanted to write some Bagheera/Elena content for @acornsquish, ofc :)

Mapi really, really hated waking up her wife when she did not need to. 

Ingrid was notoriously grumpy in the mornings, especially before she had her coffee, so the thought of getting the Norwegian up and knowing that she would likely be annoyed with Mapi for the rest of the day was not an enticing thought for the brunette. 

But the Spaniard also didn’t know what to do, because for the life of her she cannot find Bagheera anywhere. 

Mapi prided herself on knowing the cat well. She had been here before Ingrid, before Elena, and she had been the Spaniard’s ever since she was just a tiny kitten. The defender loved the cat with her life, and she was sure that she knew her well enough to know all of her hiding spots. 

The nook behind their kitchen table, behind the big armchair in the living room, under the TV in their bedroom. 

So when Mapi got up this morning to take Bagheera to the vet and hadn’t been able to find her, she had checked all of those hiding spots first. She was sure that the cat was somewhere in one of those, simply hiding from the crying from Elena that would start up soon enough when she awoke. 

The poor cat tolerated the baby, but she wasn’t exactly a huge fan of her either. Mapi and Ingrid were careful to keep the two relatively separated, not wanting Elena to accidentally pull at Bagheera’s tail or something like that. 

And for the most part, the cat stayed away without having to be told. She wasn’t a huge baby person, evidently, and Mapi couldn’t really blame her. She hadn’t exactly been bringing a bunch of babies home in the past, to be fair. 

But Elena wasn’t leaving, and neither was Bagheera, so the two learned to coexist peacefully, away from one another. 

Bagheera wasn’t in her cat tower, or in the nook behind the kitchen table, or by the armchair, or their bedroom. In fact, Mapi couldn’t begin to find the cat in the whole damn apartment. 

As the time of the cat’s vet appointment drew nearer, Mapi finally broke down, deciding that she needed to wake Ingrid up to help her look. 

“Ingrid, Ingrid!” Mapi whispered harshly, slightly shaking the Norwegian’s leg from her spot at the foot of the bed. 

“Mmm, go back to sleep Maria,” Ingrid mumbled sleepily, turning back into her pillow. Mapi swallowed thickly, looking around as though the cat would suddenly appear, and then squeezing her wife’s leg harder when she didn’t. 

“Ingrid!” She tried again, and apparently her voice was panicked enough that she got the dark haired woman up, the Norwegian blinking several times before looking up at her wife, who appeared more than a little frazzled. 

“What? Is something wrong?” Ingrid was suddenly very awake, wondering if there was something amiss with the baby. The next words out of her wife’s mouth are not, however, what she expects, given how panicked the Spaniard is.  

“The cat is missing!” Mapi hissed, and the dark haired woman’s whole face scrunched in confusion. 

“The cat is what?” Ingrid repeats, her words slightly slow as she struggles to follow the brunettes train of thought. 

“The cat is missing!” Mapi echoes, looking around again. 

“Mapi, she’s a cat. She’s not missing, she’s somewhere in this apartment,” Ingrid reasoned with far too much sureness for someone who wasn’t abreast of the current situation. 

“No, I’m telling you! I’ve looked in all of her usual spots, and she’s not anywhere! You need to help me look, I have to take her to the vet,” Mapi insisted, not waiting for Ingrid’s answer before she walked out of their room, her steps hurried but quiet, well aware that their six month old baby was still very much asleep. 

Ingrid let out a heavy sigh before she slipped out of bed, running a comb through her hair and brushing her teeth before she joined her wife in her quest to find their cat. 

Together, the two Barcelona players scoured the living room and kitchen, trying to find the black cat. When they didn’t find her there, they moved into the dining room, and then their bedroom. It was Ingrid who finally decided that they would check the one place that they were sure Bagheera wouldn’t be in. 

Elena’s room. 

The baby was six months old, and entirely the light of their lives. 

Bagheera’s life? Not so much. 

But Ingrid drags her wife down the hallway, despite the Spaniard’s insistence that there is no way Bagheera would be caught dead in there. 

The Norwegian pays her no mind, pushing the door open and walking into the room. She looks around, at the changing table, the rocking chair they have in her room, in the closet. 

But it’s Mapi who finds the cat first, her jaw flopping open in shock. 

“Ingrid,” she whispers urgently, moving toward the crib. And sure enough, there was Elena sleeping peacefully, with Bagheera wrapped around her. The black cat looks completely content and happy, more than willing to just sleep with the baby. Elena’s little fist is resting on the cat’s belly, and her face is turned toward Bagheera, even in sleep. 

The entire cat’s body is curled around their baby, her body wrapped around the baby’s head, her head laid gently on the mattress. 

Even the cat’s tail is laid over the baby’s body, resting lightly against her little belly. It’s the cutest thing Mapi’s ever seen in her entire life, and she quickly takes her phone out to snap a picture as Ingrid joins her at the crib side. 

“Who knew,” Ingrid hums softly, her voice affectionate at the sight in front of her. The two appeared entirely enraptured with one another, and Mapi felt bad about disrupting their peace. 

“I should take Bagheera, her appointment is in a bit and I don’t want us to miss it,” Mapi said forlornly, but she reached down to grab the black cat regardless, knowing that they really did need to go to the appointment. 

Bagheera limply allowed herself to be lifted, her eyes opening as her owner lifted her from the crib she had been occupying. She allowed herself to be maneuvered with little fuss, but the disruption was less than ideal for Elena, apparently. 

The baby began to fuss almost immediately, missing the comforting presence of the cat that had come to be a common presence in her crib at night, unbeknownst to her mothers. The little baby reached out for the cat instantly, looking for fur and warmth. Mapi placed the cat on the ground before she returned to the baby, her face knitted in concern at the clear unhappiness on her daughter's face. 

The Spaniard looked over at her wife with big, worried eyes. She made no move to reach for Elena, despite the fact that she was now crying. 

“Ingrid,” she prompted, looking down at the baby with an expression akin to fear. The Norwegian softened, knowing why Mapi was so concerned. 

Ingrid had been the one to deliver her, and subsequently the one who stayed home with Elena the first few months of her life. Becoming a mother had been natural to Ingrid, and she was quite good at it. She knew how to soothe, and swaddle, she had since she was a young girl. The Norwegian had slipped into the role of mother seamlessly, unlike Mapi. 

The Spaniard had not grown up around babies at all, really. It wasn’t something she was accustomed to or used to, and Elena was practically the first baby she had ever handled, apart from the odd ten minutes when she had been passed a baby who belonged to a distant relative at a family reunion or wedding. 

Throughout Ingrid’s pregnancy, Mapi had spent more than her fair share of fretting about what her relationship with her daughter would look like. Would she be close to her, would she come to understand what her baby needed, would they bond. She wasn’t the one to carry her child, but that didn’t make her love Elena any less, right? It didn’t make her any less hers, did it? 

“You are her mother too, Mapi,” Ingrid reminded the center back, not because she was chastising her, but because sometimes those were the words the defender needed to hear. 

She was ashamed to admit it, but it had been six months and she still wasn’t sure that she felt connected with her baby. When Elena cried she didn’t know what to do like Ingrid did, she just panicked. The baby didn’t look like her, or feel like hers. She saw so much of Ingrid in her daughter, and she loved that very fact, but she also ached to feel close to her. It felt like she was playing pretend, like she was a fraud. 

But she wasn’t, and Ingrid was always there to remind her of that fact. 

“I am going to get changed and take Bagheera to the vet. Why don’t you spend some time with her this morning?” Ingrid suggested, noting the panic that immediately flashed across her wifes face. She placed a comforting hand on Mapi’s shoulder, her words sure as she spoke once again. 

“You can do this Mapi. She is a baby, not a nuclear bomb. Hold her, check her diaper, feed her and snuggle with her. I know you know how to do that, and you can do this. I believe in you,” Ingrid promised and it took her a moment but Mapi nodded eventually, her face still a little worried, but holding more confidence now after the pep talk from her wife. 

The center back went to get a bottle prepared while Ingrid changed, getting Bagheera into her carrier before she returned to the kitchen, back to her wife. 

“If anything goes really wrong, you can always call me,” the Norwegian soothed, kissing the Spaniard sweetly before she slipped out the door with their cat, leaving Mapi alone with their daughter. 

With renewed determination, the brunette went back into Elena’s room. She quickly changed the baby’s diaper before giving her a bottle. But even after that, and being burped, the little baby was still fussy. 

Mapi bounced her gently, unsure of what to do. The baby just wouldn’t settle, and she found herself beginning to panic, not knowing what the next step was in trying to calm her. 

“Okay, what would Ingrid do? What would your Mama do, mi sol?” Mapi asks the little baby, receiving nothing but a noise that was somewhere between a whimper and a cry. She holds Elena tightly to herself, feeling on the verge of tears, the overwhelming feeling in her gut being one of failure. 

This was her daughter, and she could not make her feel better? Could she not soothe her own child? 

She felt like a rotten parent. The brunette looks down at the little baby, at the tear tracks that run down her cheeks, at the wetness of her little eyes as she stares up at the defender. She feels a renewed sense of determination to make the baby feel better. It hurt her heart to see her upset, and she wouldn’t stop trying to make her happier until she had exhausted all of her options. 

“Come on,” Mapi decides, walking out of Elena’s room and back into her own, sitting down on the large bed. She carefully places Elena on her back on the bed, ignoring the shrill shriek that she receives in response, in favor of first stripping her own shirt, and then her daughter out of her little onesie. 

Mapi lays back against the bed, sitting up against the headboard. She settles Elena on her chest, and is genuinely shocked by the speed at which the little baby settles, melting into her mother as her cries subside almost instantly. The baby's body is warm against her own, and her little limbs relax until she is completely limp and cuddled against the Spaniard. 

The brunette brings her hand up to rub soothingly over the baby's back, and Elena lets out a relieved puff of air at the feeling. Mapi feels herself exhale a breath she hadn’t realized that she was holding as her daughter snuggled into her. 

Elena waves one of her arms, making a little grabby fist at Mapi’s other hand that was not currently on her back, and the Spaniard brings it up, allowing her daughter to grasp her pointer finger in her tiny fist, holding it tightly to her chubby body. 

“I’ve got you, mi sol,” Mapi promises, her voice thick as she drops her head to place a kiss to the crown of Elena’s head. As much as she is worried about bonding with her baby, she knows that there is no shortage of love that she feels for her daughter. 

She would happily go to the ends of the earth for her little girl, no matter what it took. She can’t imagine not loving Elena, not having her in her life. And it’s moments like these, with her daughter completely relaxed into her chest, completely content, that remind Mapi that she can do this. 

Progress is not linear, and neither is being a parent. At the end of the day she loves Elena, and she would do anything for her safety and happiness. 

And that is enough.

[lainiespicewrites]

Coach Syverson

Okay, Y'all I'm trying something new and posting one of my Henry Cavill Character fics. I haven't posted a fanfic in so long it's gonna be a short story probably only a two-parter maybe 3. Let me know what you think! I loved writing this. I think it's so cute!!!!

Warnings: None for Part 1 :) Definitely will be smut in part 2!

High school football coach Sy and school guidance counselor OFC

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

I was locked in a trance,  typing in progress notes from an early morning meeting I’d just finished with a student.  The sounds of the office, which was just coming to life outside my door, fuelled me. I almost never came in this early. But, one of my seniors was having a crisis and this was the only time we could work into her busy schedule. It’s gonna break my heart when that girl graduates this year. I get so attached to the students. I can’t help working as a school counselor. It's hard not to.  

“You’re in early,” The voice coming from the doorway made me jump. He chuckled softly.  “Didn’t mean to scare ya.”  After a brief heart attack, I finally looked up. I smiled when my eyes met his. 

“No, it’s okay, I just didn’t see you! Good morning Coach, What can I do for you?” His soft blue eyes held my gaze, before shooting me a gentle smile. Coach Syverson and I had become good friends since he started working at the school a little over a year ago. Like many good high school football coaches, they made a history teaching spot for him. Unlike others, he’s actually a great teacher! 

I met Logan Syverson for the first time in a staff meeting. Our principal introduced him at the beginning of the meeting going on and on about all the improvements he would bring to our team and our community. He certainly looked like a football player. The guy was huge! Tall, large muscles, and a full beard. His eyes were a deep blue. He had a winning smile and a southern accent. The English department was drooling. I hated him immediately. 

I figured he was just going to be a self absorbed prick like the last coach. who only cared about the popular students, peaked in high school, and got fired because he got a little too close to one of the cheerleaders. We were not at all sorry to see him go. Well, those of us with half a brain weren’t anyway. Some of the community and staff were more worried about the football program. But I digress. 

I was even more annoyed with him when I caught him falling asleep during the same meeting 30 minutes later when we were discussing the budget for new textbooks. I’m not exactly sure what came over me but I kicked him under the table. He was immediately alert. I expected him to glare at me. Or maybe even smirk. But the look on his face could only be described as apologetic. He quickly caught up to me when we were leaving the meeting. “Some first impression I made, huh?” When I didn’t immediately respond he added. “I swear I’m not some asshole that doesn’t care about education, that’s not like me, just didn’t sleep much last night. I had to take my dog to the emergency vet, she broke her leg in the woods late in the evening and didn’t get back until late and…”

“Is she okay?” I asked quickly. He looked completely dumbfounded.

“Uhm what?” He asked, clearly confused. I smiled sympathetically. I did exactly what I told my students not to do and judged him too quickly and I felt like an ass about it. 

“You’re dog, is she okay?” He smiled softly and nodded. 

“Yeah, Yeah she is. They got her all wrapped up and in a cast, poor pup, but she’ll be alright.” There was a brief pause and then. “I’m sorry, what was your name again?”

“The students know me as Miss Plummer, but it’s Alayna. And um.. Sorry I kicked you. I don’t  know why I did that.” I smiled sheepishly. 

“Alayna,” He repeated. And then chuckled and squeezed my shoulder “No need to apologize, I’m glad you did. That would’ve been embarrassing. Falling asleep in my first staff meeting doesn’t really look good. Thanks for saving my ass back there!”

 We were fast friends from that point on!

Sy pushed off the door frame he’d been leaning against and walked into my office. “Brought ya coffee, I was gonna sneak in and leave it on your desk but I guess it’s you surprising me this morning,” He said, setting the cup from our local coffee shop down on my desk. 

“That’s sweet of you!” I took a sip and almost choked. I expected just plain black coffee. He wasn’t the kind of guy to order fancy coffee. But this was actually my coffee order. “How did you know my coffee order?” He had a big grin on his face now. 

“I remembered it from that morning when we ran into each other in line a few weeks ago. Thought I’d be nice and bring my work wife some coffee since I was there.” He shrugged. He really was such a sweetheart. He looked tough and scary. I know he did. When he and a few of the other teachers in the history hall gathered between classes they looked intimidating. At least from a student's perspective.I knew them all well though. I’ve talked with students failing his class because they wouldn’t ask questions. When I asked why, they said they were nervous. But he was certainly no one to be afraid of. Yes, he could yell, but he saved that for the football field. The man was a damn teddy bear. 

“Thank you!” I smiled. I quickly looked out into the guidance office to make sure there were no students around. “But I know you didn’t walk all the way down here just to bring me coffee for the hell of it. You’re buttering me up for something. What do you need, Logan?” He laughed and shook his head plopping down on the edge of my desk.

“You know me too well, sugar. Two things!” He said. I rolled my eyes. “Hey now young lady, don’t get an attitude with me I’m not asking you to give up a kidney!” I hid my smirk behind a sip of coffee and nodded at him to continue.  “First, Can you look up Ty’s grades for me just at some point by the end of the day. He came into my office this morning and was all nervous about his algebra grade, swearing up and down it’s because he failed one quiz. But, I’m pretty sure,” I cut him off. 

“He’s not turning in his homework because he just started dating Caitlyn and they’ve been staying up texting all night.” He raised an eyebrow. 

“Uh, Yeah, How’d you know?”

“Caitlyn stopped in to see me this morning and we had a chat about it, amongst other things. I’ll double check but I’m sure you’re right. I’ll email it to you so you can have a chat with him. I was going to call him in  today but he listens better to you. When you talked about being a veteran and your time in Iraq at the Labor Day assembly, I think that really struck something with him. He looks up to you.” his eyes locked with mine and he smiled softly placing his hand over mine on the desk just for a second. 

“Thank you for saying that,” He said before moving his hand and leaning on the desk again. I just smiled. 

“What’s the other thing?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because you could’ve just sent me that in an email.” He smirked. And his nose crinkled a little. Oh no. 

“So our first away game is tomorrow night,”

“I know,” 

“And you’re a big football fan, and you love those boys don’t you?” He was deflecting

“What do you want, Sy?” I asked again. He let out a long breath. 

“Carol was supposed to be a student chaperone for the student fans buuuttt well, you heard her kid is really sick? I need you to come chaperone. Actually. I kinda already said you would.” He quickly stood up from my desk and backed up to the other side, like he was afraid I’d hit him. 

I just leaned back in my chair and groaned, 

“ugh Sy! What if I had plans?” I cocked an eyebrow at him. He chuckled 

“You don’t!” I scoffed 

“You don’t know that?” I retorted. He smirked 

“Yeah, what big plans do you have for Friday night?” He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. I sighed. 

“Okay I don’t! But I could’ve!” I argued. “Why, didn’t you ask one of the other guys? Like Nick or I don’t know Mike?” I asked. 

“Nick’s an assistant coach, he’ll already be there. And we both know as much as Mike loves teaching…he does not want to spend his Friday night with the kids and at a football game making sure there’s no funny business. And you love the kids.” He was pleading now. Practically giving me puppy dog eyes. “And…Maybe I want you there,” He winked playfully. I looked down and jiggled the mouse on my computer to hide my blush. 

Jessica, who works the front desk of the guidance office swears he flirts with me. But I know he’s not. We’re friends. Good friends. We tease each other to make work a little more fun at best. But that's all it is. A man like Logan Syverson would never look twice at a girl like me. He’s fit and strong and tall and handsome. I’m pretty but I’m short and round and a little too quirky for my own good. Girls like me only get men like him in the movies. And I’m not stupid enough to believe otherwise.  Moment’s like these though. I do wonder a little. But I don’t let my thoughts wander too far. 

“Oh yeah?” I joke, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I mean maybe you’re our good luck charm. You’ve been at all our home games this year and we haven’t lost a game.” He said with a cheeky smile. 

“We’ve only had two Sy.” I say matter of fact. He just shakes his head. 

“That doesn’t mean you’re not good luck, but okay,” He held his hands up in defeat. “If you don’t want to do it I’ll figure something out. I messed up and didn’t ask you first. I’ll tell the boys their favorite guidance counselor doesn’t want to come support them. It’ll break their little hearts sugar but I’m sure they’ll find,” He pauses and lets out an exaggerated sigh “Some way to pull through and play a good game of football.” He frowned, shaking his head. I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows looking straight at him. 

“Are you done?” I deadpanned. He snickered softly and nodded. “Fine, I’ll go,” He smiled and walked over squeezing my shoulder. 

“You’re the best! It’s supposed to be chilly! Wear a sweater! And Free coffee,on me all night! I promise,” I rolled my eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah okay,” I chuckled.

“Seriously, I owe you sugar! I’m happy you’ll be there, I better get goin, class starts soon and I probably shouldn’t be late being that I’m the teacher,” He chuckled. 

“Get out of my office Logan!” I laughed. He smiled. 

“You’re the best!” He said one more time before finally walking out of my office. I shook my head and tapped at the keys on my keyboard to wake up my computer. I felt eyes on me and looked up to find Jessica standing in my doorway. 

“Don’t start!” I warned her. 

“Please, sugar. I really want you there!” she mocked. “He knows your coffee order, Alayna. How long are you going to ignore what’s right in front of you?” she asked exasperated. 

“It’s not like that Jess, He was just being sweet because he needed the help.” I said.

“Like you wouldn’t have done it anyway. You were trying to play coy but we both know you would have done it anyway.” She laughed. I blushed. And threw an eraser at her. 

“Get back to work!” She laughed. 

“Whatever you say… Sugar!” I snorted and we both chuckled for a minute. “I mean it Alayna, He’ll be kinda busy during the game and yes you’ll be keeping an eye on the students but take the opportunity to flirt back, he likes you, I’m not wrong!” She turned and walked back to her desk before I had a chance to say anything. And before I could spend any more time thinking about it my email notifications went off pulling me back into my work. 

The rest of my work day went by in a blur. I had meeting after meeting with students. My seniors were in panic mode, my juniors have early onset senioritis, and the freshman and sophomores came into vent about the daily woes of high school drama. Oh to be 16 again. 

With a full schedule of meetings I barely had time to eat lunch even in my office. When my phone lit up with a group text from two of my girlfriends asking about our weekly Thursday night dinner. I was quick to respond. 

(I’ll be there!) I sent the text, before packing up my desk for the evening. It had been a late night for me so it was just past 5. I didn’t bother going home first to change into something more casual. They were used to the office style by now. I felt my shoulders relax a little as I slipped into the booth next to skyler.

“Hey!” she said cheerfully, slowly pushing the glass of white wine they’d ordered for me closer. 

“You know me so well!” I smiled at her. 

“Long day?” Hayley asked from across the table, she picked up a tortilla chip and filled it with queso. I shrugged. 

“Not long in the sense that it was rough, just busy,” Skyler nodded and took a sip for her wine glass. 

“I feel that. I tried to get some school work done while the kids were down for a nap.” She runs an in-home daycare. She adores kids. But she’s also going back to school for a degree, Pediatric nursing. She’s a saint. I don’t know how she does it. 

“I commend you babe. The school is asking me to take classes, they want someone to take on the position as school psychologist. They’ve been trying to nudge me toward it the past couple of weeks. It’d be a raise but, that on top of the current workload? I don’t wanna drown myself ya know?”

“I totally get it, it’s not easy! But you should think about it. You’ve talked about it before! At least consider it.” Skyler said. 

“She’s got a point dude,” Hayley added. “Look at you guys moving up in the world while I’m stuck with an art block. If I can’t think of anything, my online shop isn’t gonna take off and I’ll be stuck at the factory forever!” She groaned and downed a quarter of her strawberry lemonade that was no doubt spiked. I looked sideways, meeting Skyler's eye. She was giving me the same look. 

“You’re just getting started Hayley.” Skyler said. 

“I know but if..”

“Ah, no buts!” I cut her off “We have to allow ourselves room for mistakes and error when we’re trying something new. You will get there. Give yourself the love you give your art! I don’t wanna hear anymore of that self deprecating bullshit from you! The people love their ghost fish!” I demanded, trying to hide a chuckle. She could be so stubborn! She was starting an online etsy shop for commissions and spreading the word through social media. She had all these fun ideas. She was a great artist. But of course it’s not an easy way to make money. And right now, things were slow. She would get there though! I know she would!

“Have I ever told you how annoying it is when you use your psychoanalysis shit on us?” she deadpanned. 

“Everyday but I still do it anyway, and that’s why you love me!”  She just laughed.

“Yeah okay buddy. Enough work talk, I lifted a bunch of heavy shit all day and I don’t wanna think about it. I just wanna eat my chips and queso and get drunk with my friends!” She said and scooped another chip through the queso. I laughed and held up my glass

“Cheers to that! Although we all know damn well it’s a Thursday night and we all have to get up early and we drove separately so drunk is relative but yes!” Skyler laughed and clinked her glass with mine. 

“Let her have her moment. Cheers to drunk Thursday dinner!” she said. 

“Fuck yeah!” Hayley added and added her glass in with ours. We all took a drink and it was quiet for only a second. 

“So,” Skyler spoke immediately. “It’s been a week, what's new?”

“Nothing for me, just still considering the offer to go back to school. My job would pay for it. Love life is still dry and I’ve bought like 3 new spicy romance books on my kindle this week!” I said laughing. 

“Fun!” Skyler smiled. “Hayley?” She asked and directed her attention across the table. 

“I went to Target and spent an obscene amount of money on fall stuff. We have a fall party coming up at work that I volunteered to do face painting for, but that should be fun! Oh there’s this new movie that came out I want you guys to come see with me I was hoping maybe tomorrow night?” she said. I started to agree. But then remembered my conversation with Sy earlier. 

“Oh tomorrow night? I can’t. I’m actually busy!” They both looked at me with raised eyebrows. 

“Since when are you busy on a friday night?” Hayley asked. Here we go. This is gonna open a whole can of worms. If Jess was good at getting my hopes up about Sy, these two were going to have me down right delusional. 

“There’s a football game. I like to support the team.” I said. Skyler snickered and a smirk spread across Hayley’s face. 

“You like to support the coach you mean?” Skyler asked. 

“That’s not true! I’ve always been a football fan!” I defended myself. Hayley chuckled

“Sure but since when do you go to away games? Isn’t it like 2 hours away?” She raised an eyebrow. I sighed. 

“Coach stopped by the office this morning, one of the other teachers that was supposed to chaperone the roadies tomorrow canceled and since he and I are friends he volunteered me to do it. He buttered me up with free coffee this morning and practically begged me to go tomorrow and… I just can’t say no to him. Plus he said he really wants me to be there.”  I swirled my wine glass and stared down at it. I knew the looks they were giving me.  I heard skyler squeal.

“Shut up! He asked you to come because he wants to spend time with you! Watch, I bet next week he’ll ask you out!”  She bounced in her seat. 

“He does not! He’s going to be busy with the team! He’s not going to have time to talk to me or anything.” I said taking a big gulp of wine. 

“Why else would he say he wants you there though. And clearly you want him to hang out with you. Or you want to hang out with him. Or you wouldn’t have given up your precious Friday night in!” Hayley smirked. 

“Okay, so what if I do. He’s not into me like that. He’s just friendly. He’s southern, it's just how he is!” I said, trying to hold onto whatever sanity I had left. 

“Really?” Skyler said. “Does he bring anyone else coffee? Ask if he can eat lunch in anyone else’s office?” Hayley but it

“Didn’t he get you a christmas gift last year?” she asked. 

“He was my secret santa!” I stated. They both sighed. 

“ I don’t know why you can’t see it but he likes you!” Skyler said. I started to  object but Hayley cut me off. 

“You don’t have to believe us. Just pay attention to how he acts around you tomorrow and the next couple of days. He's trying to make a move. And I know you have your little no coworkers rule,”

“Because if…”

“Ah, I don’t wanna hear it! He’s clearly trying to get your attention. And you work in a public high school it's not like everyone else isn’t hooking up.” She stated. 

“She’s got a point, remember all the teachers when we were in school? And he’s not just trying to hook up. He’s playing the long game,” Skyler said. “All we’re saying is IF we’re right,”

“And we are,” Hayley added. Skyler gave her side eye but laughed. 

“If he asks you out you should give him a chance. We’ve never met him but it’s clear he’s so into you. And he seems like a great guy. Don’t push him away because something COULD go wrong.” she said. At that point the waiter came up and we placed our order. I also ordered another glass of wine. But a wine buzz wasn’t enough to convince me they were right. Sy couldn’t like me. I wasn’t his type. But it didn’t matter. I will go tomorrow and have a good time watching the game and cheering on the boys and watching Sy in his element. And when it’s all said and done I’ll ride home with the student section and maybe catch the chance to say goodbye to my friend before we leave. And on Monday everything will be as it always has been. Sy and I are friends. 

I repeat that to myself as I walk the hall toward the gym after school on Friday. I turned down the hall toward the locker rooms and found his office door open. Sy was leaning back in his desk chair watching the tape from a few weeks ago. He noticed me before I spoke. He paused the video and smiled. 

“Hey you! To what do I owe the honor? You never venture down this way?”

“Just coming to double check the plan for tonight! We’re meeting back here at 5:15 and the bus leaves at 5:45?” I asked him. He nodded, running a hand over his beard. 

“Yeah, but I was thinking, you got plans for dinner?” He asked and raised an eyebrow. 

“Uh I was just gonna run home for dinner, why do you ask?” I leaned against the doorway and crossed my arms over my chest. I watched curiously as he chewed at his bottom lip for a moment. 

“I was gonna grab a bite to eat in town before the game. I won’t have time to go all the way home. Do you wanna come with me?” He finally made eye contact with me again and gave me a soft smile. 

“Oh um,” I hesitated for a second. 

“I’ll buy,” He smirked. I rolled my eyes. 

“You don’t have to do that, Sy,” I said softly. He stood up grabbing his keys off the desk. 

“I know, I want to.” He smiled and brushed his shoulder against mine as he walked out the door. “Come on, I’ll drive.” I raised an eyebrow 

“Driving me to dinner and you’re paying? Sy if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were flirting with me.” the corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk and he stopped walking. He turned toward me and bit his lip trying to hold back a grin. 

“Alayna,” He chuckled nervously, “I find it hard to believe after all this time…” He was cut off by a loud whistle down the hallway. 

“Well ain’t that a cute couple!” a voice said in a horrible mock southern accent “Get it coach!” One of Sy’s boys called from just outside the weight room. Another one of the football players popped his head out the door to see what was going on and started making kissy sounds with his lips. Sy dropped his chin to his chest and shook his head but his shoulders shook when he chuckled, giving him away. He loved those boys he couldn’t be mad if he wanted to be. 

“Tyler you’re already on thin ice don’t make me bench you tonight! You too Matt. Don’t think I forgot about the little stunt you pulled in the parking lot last week!” He gave them a stern look

“Sorry coach!” they said in unison 

“It was funny though,” Matt mumbled. Sy shook his head

“Sure, You boys get out of here and get something to eat, I don’t need you passing out on me on the field tonight.” He held Matt’s gaze. 

“It was one time!” He stressed. 

“And it’s only gonna be one if I can help it. Go eat!” He barked. The boys immediately straightened up and nodded. 

“Yes coach!” Logan just chuckled and we kept walking. 

“They adore you,” I said. He smiled 

“Nah, they just know I’m not kidding’” I laughed. 

“Oh come on Sy, you aren’t that mean, or you wouldn’t care so much,” We walked out the back door to the teacher parking lot and headed to his truck. “Hey… what were you saying earlier,” He raised an eyebrow. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about sugar,” He smirked. 

“Sure you don’t cowboy,” I rolled my eyes and hopped up into the truck after he unlocked it.  He slid in next to me and started the engine. 

“Where do you wanna eat?” He looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged. 

“Doesn’t matter to me, you’re buying,” I said flatly. 

“Sugar,” He threw his arm over the back of the seat, his fingertips brushing my shoulder, as he backed out of the parking spot. He left it there as he pulled out on the road. “Don’t be shy with me, I know you love food darlin.  I’ll drive all around town and we’ll starve until you tell me what you want.” I looked over at him just in time to make eye contact before his eyes shifted back toward the road. He shook his head and tried to hide his smirk. 

“You are so dramatic,” I teased, trying to play it cool but I could feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. 

“Oh, I’m dramatic? Weren’t you the one tearing up in her office because of a book you were readin?” He snickered. I reached over and playfully smacked him in the chest. 

“Shut up!” I laughed. He held his hand to his chest feigning hurt. 

“Ow!” He pouted. 

“That did not hurt! I barely hit you!” he side eyed me still pouting but the corners of his mouth started to break into a smile

“Over here committing spousal abuse.” He shook his head. I laughed so hard I snorted. 

“We’re not married Sy!” 

“You’re my work wife, it's the same damn thing” He chuckled. “Seriously, where do you wanna eat, I’m starving.” 

“My god Logan,” I laughed. “Um fine, I haven’t tried that new sushi and ramen place yet!” I said. He almost slammed on the break. 

“You haven’t?! That place is right up your alley, all trendy and shit. It’s real good too!” 

“You think I’m trendy?” I raised an eyebrow. He looked over for a moment and caught my eye giving me a gentle smile. 

“I think you deserve to be taken out to nice places.” And here I was blushing again. 

“Sy,” I started but my phone buzzed in my lap distracting me, I wasn’t really sure what to say anyway. It was a group chat with the girls asking me what time we leave tonight. They were going to have a field day with this. And instead of just replying I decided to start a fire. I tapped my screen to open my camera and held it up to take a selfie “Smile, cowboy.” He chuckled. 

“What are you doin over there, sugar?” He smirked but glanced over at the camera quickly so I could snap a quick photo. 

“Lighting a match.” I smirked. He bit his lip and chuckled softly. 

“You’re something else,” He spoke as we pulled into the restaurant. I quickly sent the picture to the group chat and slid my phone into my purse.

Sy was right. This place was incredible. And very trendy. 

“God I can’t get over how good this place is!” I said for like the 4th time. Logan smiled. 

“I told ya, Darlin,” The waitress came and brought out our bill and I reached for my purse. “Hey, No, I told you, I’m paying.” He said pulling out his wallet and handing his card to the waitress. 

“Thank you Sy, I appreciate it,” He grinned.

“Anytime, you deserve it,” I blushed, “ you’re really saving my ass tonight.” I forced a smile, so that’s what this is about. I told the girls this was all just because he needed something. 

“It’s no big deal Logan.” I said. I pulled my phone out and checked my messages. There were like 10 from the group chat now. 

“OMG YOU'RE WITH HIM?!”

“You didn’t tell us you were getting dinner with him.”

“UNLESS THEIR NOT GETTING DINNER ;)”

“What else would they be….oh”

“Alayna you better not be fucking the football coach right now.”

“Leave her alone Hayley she can fuck him if she wants to BUT IF YOU DO I WANT DETAILS”

“ALAYNAAAAA”

“GIRLLLL ANSWER USSSSS”

“Seriously dude you can’t just send us a picture of you with your hunky football coach man crush and just disappear.”

“OMG THEY’RE TOTALLY FUCKING”

I held back a smile and shook my head. 

“It is a big deal,” He said and grabbed my hand across the table. “I’m glad you’re gonna be there tonight.” I smiled but pulled my hand back. 

“Sure, because you needed another chaperone.” I joked. His eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head catching my eye. 

“Yeah, but I wanted it to be you, I like hangin out with you. And you’re really fun to watch in the stands. I didn’t know you could be so…aggressive.” He smirked. 

“I’m just really passionate about football!” I argued. “And how do you know you like hanging out with me? We've barely seen each other outside of work.” I questioned. 

“Well we should change that,” he said.

“Won’t your girlfriend get jealous?” I asked. I knew a lot about him but he never mentioned any relationship. I’d be stupid to think he wasn’t seeing someone. He laughed. God I loved that sound. 

“Don’t have one sugar,” He said with a mischievous grin on his face. 

“How?” It was my turn to be confused. 

“Why don’t you have a boyfriend?” He retorted quickly. 

“I … because…” I stuttered, unable to come up with an answer.

“Haven’t found the right guy yet huh?” He pauses, “guess that’s where I’m at, she just ain’t found me yet.” He smiled. Right then the waitress came back with his card. “Thanks honey,” He said, giving her his signature smile. He signed the receipt and stood from the table. “We oughta get going. Don’t wanna be late for the game!” 

Sy drove us back to the school and parked his truck next to my car. “Oh no!” I sighed. 

“What's wrong?” He asked. 

“I was going to grab a sweatshirt when I went home and,” I opened my car, turning on the light to look in  the back seat. “I don’t have an extra in my car.” I pouted. 

“Is that all?” He chuckled. He reached into the back seat of his truck and pulled out a black hoodie. “Here. I always have an extra in the truck you can wear mine. Don’t want you to catch a cold.” I took it from him tentatively. 

“Sy, this is your coach sweatshirt.” I said. 

“One of ‘em yeah.” He smiled. 

“I…okay,” I just shook my head and pulled the hoodie on. He bit his lip. 

“Looks good on ya,” He smirked. 

“Shut up,” I rolled my eyes. Before we could continue to tease each other the buses pulled up. And I could see some of the students' cars pulling into the student lot “We’d better head over there!” I said quickly. Logan nodded. 

“Yeah, we better get going.”

[cryingatwindermerepeaks]

hihi !! could you write smth with little!misty in your living together au? any carer idm!! no pressure ofc! :3

Little!Misty Hcs

Unintentionally keep forgetting about Misty while I’m writing safe and sound </3 But she is around !! I’ve decided just to write some Hcs (sorry anon, I couldn’t think of a fic with her but I thought this might be equally as enjoyable!!)

- She regresses typically between 3-7

- She looooves china dolls. She has heaps and heaps, they all have names and backstories and set personalities. She has a doll per Yellowjacket. She does their hair, and dresses them up and tucks them into bed every night. Some people *Melissa* think they are creepy. Others *Mari* say they are creepy just to upset Misty. But mostly people are fine about them unless they get in a fight with Misty in which case it’s an easy spot to pick at.

- She also really loves baby dolls and getting to play mama!!

- She usually plays with Jackie, Nat, or Lottie. For caregivers she gravitates towards the same people - and of all the little’s she’s probably the least starched to Tai and Van, though will still go to them for comfort.

- She loves tea parties and Sylvanian families, which make Lottie and Jackie prime playmates for her.

- She Loves getting to take care of the smaller littles. She has a toy first aid kit which she drags around with her all the time. Van got her some Band-Aids especially to go in there that she can use for playing after one too many occasions of her ransacking the actual Band-Aid box. She’s just not allowed to use them on Jackie because she cries everytime bandaids have to be taken off.

- She’s always asking to help out with cooking (though usually this is Mari’s job and she does not like having Misty help) and cleaning (it’s really easy to palm your chores off to Misty).

- She usually clings to a cg - not in like a physically clingy way, but in a following them around allll the time way.

- She volunteers at the local library and usually takes Mel, Van, Shauna and Lottie with her because they love the library so much!!

- She’s padded at night, information which she tries but greatly fails to keep from a lot of people. Some people are allowed to know - Nat & Lottie - but others just find out.

- Her bedroom is up in the attic, and she gets it all to herself. Well, Wasp is usually up there too. It’s pink and filled with cat themed decor.

- She picks up a new grandma craft every month or so and spends the whole time fixated on making little things for everyone.

- She loves to play vets with Wasp. He does not love this too.

- She often makes up ‘secret clubs’ with very exclusive entry. It’s a response to being left out so often as a child but usually upsets a lot of the other littles. Jackie in particular who Does Not get left out. It takes a bit of probing from Tai to figure out what’s going on and explain to her that it isn’t ok to leave your friends out of things.

- Chronic pacifier user. It’s almost always in her mouth. She has so many and she’s decorated all of them!!

- Gets really frustrated with taking care of her hair when she’s small, and almost always needs someone to handle it for her which no one minds doing.

- She’s very tantrum prone. Usually if she’s upset with herself.

- She loves wearing overalls with knitted sweaters, and so so many colourful cardigans!! She also has little chains for her glasses so they don’t get lost or fall off when she’s little! They have pink beads on them!!

[deepdeanvsweston]

Can you please do some beanie martineau headcanons

Ahhh ofc! Hope these are ok <3

- modern au she's soooo rocking shorts and tights look. 2010s twee

- ugg boots too

- chattier than everyone expects. Say you asked Kitty how to describe Beanie, and she'd go 'oh she's quite quiet' but then do a double take because is she actually? No

- lives with George occasionally (not to self-promo but I do have a George and Beanie friendship hcs post in my pinned <3)

- Horse Girl!!! Shoutout to Boggles the horse

- rip Beanie you were born too early to relate to Bill from Mallory Towers in your secondary school years </3

- used to be a lot closer to Daisy in first year because they were both Major Horse Girls, and Kitty was still wandering around with Clementine

- after her mum dies she has a love/hate relationship with horses because they remind Beanie of her mum but also they remind Beanie of her mum yk

- starts to direct her Horse Girl energy into a new animal: rays

- they're essentially horses of the sea right

- rest assured she is keeping all libraries in Britain going as she finds all the books she can

- this is canon but because it's a fact I enjoy about her and may elaborate on it's going in: she's in the school choir!

- I love to think that if she ever retires from being a nurse, she'd become like an opera singer in the late 60s <3

- she used to wear her hair in 2 plaits, but when she got to fifth form, she was all "I'm very nearly a Big Girl now!" and changed to 1 plait because she sees it as a maturing of some sort

- after Deepdean and/or when she signs up to be a nurse, she gets into cut into a bob

- but when The Sound Of Music comes out she Immediately gets a haircut like Julie Andrews in it

- essentially short hair Beanie has my absolute HEART

- has prominent freckles in the summer that fade almost completely in the winter

- her favourite biscuits are both custard creams and bourbons and all her friends think she commits a cardinal sin when she takes the top off a custard cream and the bottom of a bourbon and puts them together to make The Ultimate Biscuit

- I like to think there's some old crotchety lady who lives in Deepdean Village, who always shouts at the first years giggling around her cottage, and snitches on the Big Girls secretly meeting up with their bfs. Essentially she has a Reputation™ amongst the students for being scary and horrible

- but one day she bumps into Beanie on a walk who's lying facedown on a cattle grid trying to rescue a hedgehog who's stuck down there

- Old Lady is immediately all "What in god's name are you doing down there, girl?"

- Beanie is scared of the lady, but she's more scared of leaving the hedgehog, so she explains, and something in the old lady softens and they rescue the hedgehog together

- the old lady invites her back, and Beanie is scared again, but she reminds herself 'Detective Society never say no to tea' and accepts

- she finds out the old lady is called Greta, and finds out she worked illegally as a vet during WW1. Most people kept quiet about it because she was pretty damn good

- Beanie reminds Greta of herself and she tells Beanie "Never take nonsense unwillingly, girl."

- still likes being called Beanie by her friends as she gets older, but starts telling new people, like the other nurses at the hospital she works at, "I'm Rebecca, but you can call me Becs."

- has a French gf (who I made a post about here if anyone was interested <3)

- almost always called in to soldiers in their last moments to sing to them

- scared of the school bell, it just gave her such a fright every single morning that her body would wake her up feeling sick in anticipation

- Air raid alarms Do Not help this fear

- but because of this she's an early riser

- which she quite enjoys actually! It feels like a special secret only her and the morning have

- building off this, she's quite observant but just doesn't feel the need to mention what's she noticed, and honestly probably doesn't realise how much she knows

- like for instance, Lavinia will wake up during the night and grab the doll at the bottom of her tuck box to have in bed with her, only to cart it out of bed again when noone is awake so noone knows she cuddles it

- (Beanie will always pretend to be asleep so Lavinia doesn't feel embarrassed)

- or that Kitty will wake up under the pretence of needing the loo and actually do her hair and clean her face so she can pretend she woke up like that

- when she was small, her cat used to climb up trees a lot, and so she would follow to try and rescue him. This only led to them BOTH being stuck up the tree

- and listen. She loves all animals. But when she grows up and gets her own cats, she chooses old, lazy ones. Who don't climb trees

- her and her French gf Theodora name them after fabrics: chiffon, satin, and corduroy

[snootlestheangel]

Just read His wounded cry.... love it so much, the whole concept and then the writing is just brilliant.. please ignore my comments, I was having a Moment.

I have some questions (some aren't even questions just me being unable to not blab) if you don't mind answering? 👀

1. I know you said Ghost is a big wolf when shifted, where would his shoulders reach in comparison to let's say Soap?

2. I saw another post you've made about the fic where you said you were tempted to make Ghost adopt a load of orphaned wolf pups and I can't help imagining him discovering a little cage with maybe 3-4 little pups huddled in the back (unfortunately my hyperactive imagination gave them colours too- one little brown one, a black one, a white one and a silver one because why not? I dunno) maybe they're scared of one of the vets or something and he protects them from the dodgy vet (Sarah's part of the fic mentioned some people in her practice not respecting wolves?) And shows them that Sarah is safe and they can trust her.. he ends up with the wolf equivalent of ducklings

3. If Soap went on leave do you think he'd piece together Ghost's identity based on the clues his sister infodumped on him? Or do you think he'd recognise his eyes and mannerisms? Would he even go on leave to his sister's place?

4. Blue stuff..... does it perhaps inhibit ghostie from shifting back to human? If so, rude, but also would that come back in blood tests if the vets ran any?

5. Soap... my heart broke for him repeatedly throughout reading the fic (definitely not a question but hush, I'll leave it in)

That's all (for now)

Love the fic so thank you for writing it :]

We have no choice but to get married now

Jk but like seriously!!! I'm actually gonna flip out, I've been feeling very sick and the last few weeks have had some rough moments, today almost gave me a heart attack

So to see this and then your comments and just *happy noises* I'm proposing, we're getting married

I will happily answer every question you ever have and will be a very active listener anytime you want to blab because holy fuck

Anyways!

Big wolfie Ghost in comparison to Soap? I picture his shoulder height being roughly in line with Sarah (Soap's big sister's) waist/hip, so since Soap is taller probably mid to upper thigh? I think that's the right translation of the visuals in my head

The colors you picked for the pups was eerily close to the ones I pictured... and the number... get out of my head (affectionately ofc). I definitely may not have made it as clear as I wanted about how this world views Wolves, but it's not great. There's definitely a big stigma against them and the MacTavish family's practice is probably the most humane. Definitely one of the vet techs is not great, but only MacTavish family members are the actual doctors. With the puppies, I was thinking of the pups being brought in, and since Ghost is under Sarah's care, he's there and helps calm them down. I pictured there being 2 older ones (twin boys, early teens), a younger girl (7-10), and then a baby pup (4-5) so this would be her first shift. Sarah says the pups can be placed with other family members for foster, but Ghost is now super protective of them, besides it's easier to communicate with them.

Hmm... I've thought so much about how Soap would find/figure it out and I have no clue. It's honestly part of why I haven't been able to make much progress on the story cause I just don't know how to solve that. I think Soap would definitely piece it together pretty fast. His mannerisms and eyes would definitely be dead giveaways, but especially when Sarah tells him about his condition and the deactivated chip, he'd know instantly. I definitely want to have a situation where Soap's Dad doesn't want to get him involved, so maybe at some point Soap comes home and that's when he learns everything (he's not happy about Soap's career choice because when he was their age, there was a big thing that happened with the military and wolves, and there was a serum going around with very similar effects to the blue stuff.) Bonus, Soap would not voluntarily take leave because he's going to do everything in his power to find Ghost first.

Blue stuff absolutely prevents him from shifting back, and it does show up on blood tests. Sarah, Clyde, and others wouldn't recognize a lot of the compounds and stuff found in it, but there are some key ones that Clyde MacTavish would recognize from the earlier incident I mentioned :) I want it to become really widespread and the 141 has to shift focus a bit. This could be how Soap ends up back home/at the practice because he's having to inform them and provide some helpful stuff they've learned in their own research of some of the confiscated serum. But at the same time, I also don't like the idea of Soap showing up in person for it, I feel like he'd call cause he's too focused on finding Ghost

I know my poor baby... I definitely think Sarah is gonna piece two and two together. She and Soap are closer than the rest of the family is with him, and he confides in her with a lot of things. That's why I really wanna do the phone call of Soap saying the military knows, be prepared to keep finding/treating wolves for this (there's not a cure yet) because during the call she gets him to open up about what's bothering him. She already knows about a "Simon" guy but he tells her about the conversation they had in the flashback and how he feels about the situation. She doesn't say anything about the wolf (Ghost) but that's because she isn't confident yet. She does some prying though and figures some things out.

I'm so glad you like it!! This deadass might get me to reread it so I can work on an update cause wow

I do still seriously love this fic (I think about it all the time)

[jackalopc]

its-- done? its-- over? I'm done moving?

pretty much, more or less!

I'm officially out of the old apartment! I turned in the keys and have everything in the new place! nearly everything is paid for in terms of equipment, etc. kitties will be home on the 2nd! Internet coming tomorrow~☆

more just random details below if anyone is interested lol

I have a vet appointment on the 2nd for the kitties, and since they get so sooo freaked out from the carriers *and* the vets ofc and they've been in a strange place for a few days without me-- I wanna reduce that stress as much as I can? so I'll be waiting til the 2nd to pick them up from my mom's, take them straight to vet appointment, then back to our new place! it's gonna be a lot but like the less I have to have them in carriers the better. esp since trying to find them in this mess in such a huge place would be a nightmare 😅 so sadly 1 extra day but overall I think it would be better

(for extra context like, yes carriers scary and so is vet etc. but there is like no way to even get them in carriers like chill and not wound up because they don't even like to be picked up and held normally in any way. so they're already cranky when I gotta pick them up and then just freak out at the carrier 🫠)

my internet will be set up tomorrow! huzzah! I'm setting up my computer desk and computer tomorrow morning or right after the set up.

I'll be prepping the place for the kitties too ofc tomorrow.

I gotta also go and pay for the cats + give some info to the office. oh and rent a washer/dryer bc I wasn't sure if I could afford it on last months paycheck 😬 at least I have all my clothes again 😅

i sound very chipper despite the amount of pain I'm in... it's immense lmao uuhhh idk if I'll end up with a fibro flare but I wouldn't be surprised, ngl 🙃🫠 tmi but like yeah, I am writing this while taking a very cold bath to help w/ pain... May follow then with hot bath idk yet mostly I just need pain + any potential inflammation to go down aaahhh

[devilofthepit]

seeing ppl i follow spread this post around are we seriously still scamjacketing gazans asking for help

1) quite often people will provide links to where they have been vetted and if they haven’t often people in the notes will add that info. and if no one has done that you can always reverse image search the photos on the post/gofundme. and also gofundme donations are protected so you can get a refund. but clearly people don’t care about any of that to be making these kinds of posts lol

2) do you live under a rock?? there are gazans begging for your help on all social media sites this is a genocide that has been live streamed all over the internet. they have tumblr in palestine lol as evidenced by the fact that many of the vetters such as @/90-ghosts have BEEN on this site for years. it’s not like they’re spending all day in your inbox but yeah when they have access to the internet (which isn’t a given ofc but a) that’s why we buy them esims and b) there are some places that do have internet access even though getting there may require potentially dangerous travel) they absolutely can copy and paste a message a bunch of times.

3) this is just patently untrue. first of all these are not usually organizations (though sometimes they are, such as project watermelon on instagram) but palestinian bloggers and painting them as some organized crime ring is despicable. second of all i know of no vetters that have been exposed for posting porn; perhaps this person is referring to a particular situation where the person was sending people porn bot-type messages, but when a vetter got in contact with him it turned out that he didn’t speak english very well and had copied them from other asks (maybe ones he’d received? i don’t really remember) thinking they’d be helpful. when this first got out, the blog that had vetted the fundraiser immediately notified their followers, put it on hold, and updated the spreadsheet accordingly until they had the rest of the information, as has been done on the rare occasions a vetted fundraiser DOES turn out to be a scam—in which case more often than not the scammer is the person OUTSIDE of palestine who organized the gofundme (as gofundme does not operate in palestine and thus they have to rely on outside sources).

and stop reporting gazans’ accounts! you don’t have to donate if you don’t trust them but palestinian blogs keep getting deleted because of people thinking they “seem sketchy” or something

if you’re still here donate to the ihyaa initiative’s work to help gazan students continue their education, this family with a mother who is battling cancer, nesma’s starving family of 12, or crips for esims for gaza

[gracebethartacc]

Hewwo! You wanted mlp rw asks I hope you don't mind me putting a buncha stuff in one ask here hehe

- Ramble about CMCs maybe! How do they get their cutie marks? What's changed from canon? Do you have ideas for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? Do they ever attend Twilight's school maybe?

- Is Owlowiscious around? Are you keeping all the pets in general? Do you plan to redesign them at all, or are they staying pretty much the same?

- Curious to hear more about the Student Six, at least what you've figured out so far!

- I believe you've said before that the school is kinda just Twilight's thing here and I'd like to hear more about the other mane six's jobs :0 some of them are a bit obvious I guess but I always found it kinda funny that Pinkie's got so many potentials like. She briefly did some babysitting, she often bakes, she's mainly a party planner, etc. But anyway yeah like what are their jobs how're their businesses doing lol and just any notes on that that you might maybe have. Also Starlight I guess like does she have a job?

- Got anything you haven't said yet about the changelings? I know you love them, just kinda wondering if there's any details you've thought of that you've yet to share! Or maybe some little Sunrax headcanons

- Any more worldbuilding notes? More on the magic system in general, or on different locations or species or..? Just uh anything relating more to the world overall

Just stuff from the top of my head I guess. Feel free to ramble as much or as little as you want :3

SMO MANY,,,

1: honestly not many ideas for changes bc I enjoy them as is in canon! I do like them getting their marks simultaneously so I think the episode would moreso have them individually show their talents off in ways/as they help Diamond and the other students, and it would cumulate at the end w them getting their marks! I can have my cake and eat it too they can have matching And individual marks at the same time :3 for more specific stuff uhhh no scoots parents stuff here they just live w their aunts I think their parents would be a soos gravity falls dad situation like they send letters talking about their missions and all as a excuse. As for diamond and silver!! DT I’ve not rlly thought on BUT silver I’m combining with twist, so she used to be apple blooms friend, got her mark, and suddenly DT stopped bullying her and basically friend adopted her now that she was part of the cm havers (her spoon CM/name initially was a baking thing but DT saw it and assumed it was a decorative/fine china kind of thing and SS wasn’t bothered to correct her bc hey she’s being nice to me now)

2: keeping all the pets yes!! I loveee them sm I never thought to redesign them but i definitely will now eeee I love animalsssss grahhhhhh

3: current student six (or well 7) line up!! Yona (goat), Sandbar (Kelpie), Gallus and Gabby (siblings, griffin), Smolder (dragon), Ocellus (flutter pony (changeling/pony hybrid)), and Screwball (Qilin (draconiquus/pony hybrid)(same species as kirin in mythology it’s just a different name/the Chinese interp of the animal so it fills same role as a dragon/horse combo but I don’t step on the mlp kirins toes and shows that disc isn’t a regular dragon ofc)) only change was just changing some species so they’re all non ponies plus got rid of silver stream only because im just. Not a fan of the hypogriffs I don’t even have a reasoning I just have never been a fan of them <\3 plus sandbar is already water themed in name/design so like? Why not just use him? Plus dropping one member have me two slots open for wiggle room (hence gabby and screwy :3)

4: aj has the farm ofc, rainbow is a wonder bolt, rarity has the boutique, flutters in canon has her sanctuary but I can see her opening like a home run vet? Animals coming to her and or ponies w their pets coming to get help, also off topic but idk if I ever mentioned it but my flutters lives in the everyfree! I’d like to think post redemp disc protects her/the domain from the more dangerous animals and in turn protecting ponies coming through to her vet services n all. Pinkie by this point in timeline I can see probably having the knot tied with twi so like you said I can see her with a lot of jobs! I like to think she part times at the bakery as well as her party planning but I think her party planning is more a commission/appointment type schedule vs her bakery helping is more consistent/general, plus her baby sitting was more to me I think just her way of helping the cakes bc they had to run to store vs in this timeskip w their school the cake twins are probably adults or at the least late teens by now (bc the student 7 are teens yeah but like prettyyyyy young teen age range id think, the ship kid duo of ocellus and screwball id think ocellus would be older vs screwy being younger BUT screwball doesn’t have to exactly go on perfect timeline logic bc i hc she was magic made by discord rather than naturally born, so maybe disc proofed her up at a bit older age like 1 year old or so rather than just conjuring up a actual infant LOL yk?) all of that to say pinkies baby sitting isn’t really on the table anymore bc it to me was more just for the cakes (who are basically her second parents so ofc she’d wanna help them) as for starlight I do really like her being a guidance counselor I think that’s very fun!! I’ll probably be keeping that (though another part of me likes the idea of her and trixie going off on their own little B plot missions like in the initial plans for her before the writers changed it up)

5: I’ve honestly shared everything I think ? As for a sunrax hc: they loooveeee getting to infodump to eachother it’s peak yapper ans listener dynamic but it depends on the day who is who. Something something geeks in love lemon demon idk

6: I’m trying to think of stuff but nothings coming to mind atm😭 maybe I’ll come back w a reblog when I’m hit with something to say but for now uhhh that’s all lols

[acotarmemes]

ACOTAR tweets + headcanon // OBGYM

This is less of a meme and more of a headcanon for the Twitter AU. It's been on my mind for a while; I really wanted to do something with the Valkyries (and to explain their absence on Twitter). They've been working hard to get this off the ground.

I haven't actually thought of the Illyrian culture for this AU, so I'm just going with whatever SJM did for them. I do wish it had more depth/nuance, but I'll save that for fics 🙂

I believe that Nesta would have busted her ass and used her position of privilege to get the support/financial backing for this idea.

OBGYM -- the branding is meant to deter ignorant males who think 'ew, female private parts'. The branding/pun actually came from Cassian who's really good at making gym puns (as you'll see in the tweets below).

The gym is a front for a women's shelter. Politically, I imagine that Rhysand can't openly do something like this without risking losing his army, but I've always imagined him as cunning so he would absolutely help Nesta, Emerie and Gwyn to get this going. If any of the Illyrian lords question him, he says his hands are tied as this is a private institution + I'm sure he would have worked out a good deal in terms of money going back into Windhaven so it makes it hard for the War Lords to complain because idk capitalism? Idk how it works dude, I don't think Windhaven has formal permits and all that.

The seven donors are the High Lords, naturally. Eris, yet again, swooping in on behalf of Beron who wouldn't care about this shit so the donation was from his personal funds on behalf of Autumn which is why Autumn is not listed as open for visiting. Winter is not included even though Vivienne pushed hard for this, I always imagined Kallias has struggling to be open again after UTM (or in this AU, some type of trauma). They will soon, though! Vivienne is currently working on opening a sister OBGYM in Winter Court.

Part of the donations includes clothes from other courts.

I also want Mor to open an OBGYM in Hewn City, too. After she becomes Mayor, ofc. Another reason why she's got no time to tweet 😂

The "protein/snack" bar is actually a full kitchen.

How else do you move an army into a politically tricky situation? THEY'RE JUST WORKING OUT, BRO 💯

Vela-LIFT (a pun on Velaris hehe) is opening their gym exactly at the same time as OBGYM, if not earlier.

Cassian's army has a lot of Illyrians who moved from serving their War Lords to working with Cassian directly; sharing the same mindframe as their general, I feel like Cassian's Illyrian soldiers would go above and beyond to help protect OBGYM from those who disagree.

The outdoor gym is specifically so Cassian's longtime members can keep an eye on OBGYM, hopefully making Illyrian women who come and go feel safe that there are trusted, vetted males (by the Valkyries) nearby. Anyone tries to mess with OBGYM? Well, they're about to find out how easily a 45lbs plate can be thrown like a frisbee at a head 😂

This may be one of my super far off canon headcanons, but as a gymrat, in my experience, the largest, scariest dudes at the gym are always the nicest. Maybe not the brightest--I had to steer a guy into the correct changing room this morning, he was so lost it was sweet--but super kind. This is the perspective I'm approaching this with, SO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR CASSIAN'S GYM MOTIVATIONS 🔥

If you have any questions, or headcanons you'd like to know about (or my Twitter AU version of them), feel free to jump into my ask box.

If this wasn't for you, that's okay, the Twitter AU exists in multiple shapes and forms, as you've seen from the different ships happening at once 😂

cassian's icon is by @copypastus

[echoingbirdsofprey]

Back Forty View (On Our Piece Of Ground)

5 - The Pain Ends When You Let Go

Pairings: Tyler Owens x OFC Georgia Tennley-Owens, Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x OFC Samantha Kazansky

Rating: EXPLICIT (MDNI! SERIOUSLY)

Warnings: TRIGGER WARNINGS Graphic description of animal death and disposal of a body. Please read at your own discretion. I wanted to highlight this because this is a real part of having livestock. This is written based off personal experience from working in the equine industry for over 20 years, though obviously elements were changed to fit the fic and the characters. The decision that Georgia is forced to make is one for the well being of the animal and is something that you have to think about every single day owning animals, especially ones as large as horses and even cows. Again, please read at your own discretion as some elements may be disturbing to readers.

A/N: I did in fact cry writing this and I will cry re-reading it every single time. This one means a whole helluva lot to me. Likes, comments, reblogs, feedback is forever and always appreciated. Even thought this one is sad, I hope that if you do read through it all that you can appreciate the journey it puts these characters on. Thank you again for reading <3

Tags: @mrsevans90 @djs8891 @gpsmississippihippie @barnesboo1967 @dizzybee03 @coloraturadiva @kmc1989

Just After New Year’s

Georgia had gotten up earlier than usual. Jaycen was kicking hard and making her uncomfortable, as if he was trying to tell her something. She fed all the puppies, both theirs and Jake’s, and then headed outside to feed the horses. It was surprisingly warm, so she’d only put on a light jacket. There was still some ice from the Christmas snow storm. 

She greeted each horse and noticed that Wilene didn’t come up to her feeder when she dumped the grain. She peered over the stall door to find the mare laying on the ground. Once Twist had finished her grain, she stood at the back door of Wilene’s stall, her head peeking in and trying to touch Wilene’s nose. The painted mare was soaked in sweat and breathing heavily. She looked as though she’d been struggling to get up. 

“Wiley, mama...what’s goin’ on?” Georgia asked as she knelt down as best as she could by the mare’s belly. She placed her hand there feeling that she was cold. Too cold. Georgia rubbed the mare and she did nothing more than weakly swing her head in Georgia’s direction. She stood and began to wobble toward the house, all the puppies in tow.

Tyler had gotten up not too long after, as had Jake, Sam, Boone, and Lily, who had come to spend New Year’s at the Owens Ranch. They were all gathered around the kitchen table as Tyler had put on a pot of coffee and took out some eggs and bacon to start breakfast. He heard the door open and Georgia ushering the puppies in. He paused and looked directly at Jake when he didn’t hear her come all the way into the house.

“Tyler...” Her voice was low and sullen and he dropped what he was doing immediately. Jake watched his brother, ready if he needed help. Tyler walked to the door and saw there were tears in Georgia’s eyes.

“What’s wrong, Gee?” He asked, reaching for her. She drew back and motioned for him to follow.

“I need you to come out to the barn, now.” She demanded and Tyler slipped his boots on as fast as he could. He half expected Jake to follow him too, but he didn’t. He followed her and she opened Wilene’s door and let him go first.

“Aww...fuck...Wiley...” Tyler said, tone melancholic as he ran his hand over his mouth and scratched his beard. He rubbed the back of his neck and bent down, feeling the mare’s side. “Gee, she’s cold. You wanna call the vet?” 

“The vet won’t get here fast enough...I don't know how long she's been down...she hasn't even tried to get up...” Georgia folded her arms across her chest. Tyler sighed deeply.

“You want me to do it then?” He asked as he stood. He pulled her into his arms as she nodded. “Okay...you stay here and say your goodbyes then...” He kissed her forehead and headed back toward the house, stopping momentarily to gather his composure. Dread filled the pit in his stomach at the reality of what he was about to do. But it was the only thing to do, and he knew as the provider and protector of this family, it was his duty to do it. This was the worst part about having livestock. As he stepped through the door, everyone stared at him, but Jake locked onto him.

“Tyler...everything okay?” Jake asked, following his brother as he walked through the kitchen and into one of the spare rooms. Tyler opened the case with his old hunting rifle and loaded a bullet. He cocked it and carried it, then gained everyone’s attention with the click of the bullet into place.

“Tyler! What is going on?” Jake demanded, stepping toward his brother.

“R’member dad’s old rope horse...went down in the stall? I’ll need your help after...and you too Boone...” Tyler said, resolve thin, but there and firmly holding the last strip of it. Jake glanced around the room as his brother headed out the front. Jake jogged after him.

“Tyler, call the vet.” Jake said as he caught up and grabbed Tyler's shoulder.

“Vet won’t get here in time. She’s in pain. I’m not havin’ that mare be in pain, she’s done too much for Gee. She’s been too good to wait. I’ve done this before...” Tyler murmured and Jake nodded. Tyler turned to leave and then turned back to speak. “I’m gonna send Gee out of the barn. Please Jake...I need you to take her in the house, keep a hold of her until I come back in.” Jake shook his head and watched as Tyler headed into the barn, his gait stiff. 

He found Georgia standing, holding her stomach. Twist had her head behind Georgia, steadying her.

“You okay?” Tyler asked, propping the rifle against the wall, ready to offer her support.

“Baby’s kickin’ bad.” She said, her voice crackly. 

“Okay. Just push Twisty out of the way and shut the door. Head up to the house and stay with Jake until I come back in. It’ll be quick, I promise.” Tyler explained and Georgia was thankful for his calm demeanor. It put her at ease even though this was one of the worst days in a while. She moved Twist back and closed Wilene’s door. Wilene poked her nose out toward Georgia, who bent down as best as she could to give the mare a kiss on the nose. The mare blinked and closed her eyes as Georgia held her chin one last time.

“After...can you just look her over...see if you can figure out what happened?” Georgia asked as she stepped toward Tyler. He reached for her, pulling her into a tight hug and then kissed her deeply. There was an understanding passed through that kiss that somehow put Georgia at ease. She would and could  only ever trust Tyler with something like this. With what he was about to do.

“I will. Now go to Jake.” He said and tears welled as Georgia went toward the house. She met Jake on the porch and he wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her into the house. Sam saw him take Georgia in his arms, placing his chin atop her head. She folded her arms against his chest and he wrapped both of his arms around her tight. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on Jake’s breathing, which like Tyler’s, was calm.

Tyler, in the barn, knelt down and rubbed the mare’s head and pressed a kiss to her nose. She knew full well what was going on and tears stung Tyler's eyes as he scratched her chin. 

“Oh, mama...I’ll make it quick. You were a good girl, Wiley. Took care of Gee for a long time. Now you’re gonna go for a nice, long sleep, aright? I hope you get to chasin’ cans and cows up in the sky all you want.” Tyler spoke softly to the mare, all the while rubbing her neck. Then he stood, cocked the rifle and placed the muzzle end above her eyes and between her ears. Wilene held perfectly still and Tyler fucking hated that, because he knew she understood what needed to happen. The old mare sighed heavily, a shudder evident in her breath. She was ready to let go. He hesitated, swallowing hard, then wiped sweat from his brow, even though it was cold. His hands were shaky, but they steadied for the singular moment and the singular breath that he pulled the trigger. He didn’t miss. He couldn’t. He owed it to Wilene and to Georgia to make sure he didn’t.

Everyone in the house heard the shot and Georgia jumped in Jake’s arms. He held her tighter, feeling her breath stop for a moment and then she dissolved into tears, wetting Jake’s shirt. He rubbed her back and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Sam watched with tears stinging her eyes, seeing a glimpse of the Jake she knew before he was captured. She knew it was still in there, that softness, and she knew that if it had somehow been flipped, some kind of similar situation where Jake had to take care of it, Tyler would have certainly been the same, comforting Sam in the same way. That was the one quality that the boys shared and Sam firmly believed it came from their mother. They were both so sensitive and gentle in times when it was really needed.

“Goddamnit, Tyler.” Jake muttered under his breath and then he felt Georgia’s nails digging into his chest through his shirt. “He’ll be back in a minute, Gee. I’m so sorry...”

Tyler waited, making sure the mare was dead. Once he was sure, he placed the rifle on the ground and climbed over the mare, examining her quickly. He’d sworn he’d heard a rattling sound right before he pulled the trigger, as the mare was shaking, damn near vibrating, from pain. He ran his hands over her hindquarters and pushed down as much as he could. She had lost some weight recently, and though she was still in good condition,  he could feel her hip bones and felt across her stifles and loins. There was swelling across her sacroiliac joint and the flares of the mare’s pelvis. He tried to move one of her hind legs and could hear the bones crunching and shifting as he did. He had his answer. Tyler stood and picked up the rifle and headed into the house.

Jake heard him coming up the porch and as he entered, Jake guided Georgia to Tyler’s arms.

“She’s gone, darlin’. And I’m sorry to say, Gee, she wasn’t gettin’ up if we got a vet here anyway. I’m pretty sure she broke a hip or her pelvis, maybe even both. Probably just slipped and fell like old horses do. You made the right decision and now she’s not in pain.” Tyler explained as he patted Jake on the shoulder and pulled Georgia tight to his body. She had stopped crying and wiped her tears on Tyler’s shirt. He ran his fingers through her hair gently and kissed the top of her head. “Want you to stay in here while Jake, Boone, and I go bury her, okay?

Georgia agreed to Tyler’s statement and he guided her over to the couch. He motioned for Sam or Lily to come over. Sam took Tyler’s place and Georgia fell into her arms. Sam was impressed. She knew it wasn’t the same as losing a human, clearly, but she was surprised how quietly Georgia held herself. This was not a decision made lightly, and Sam knew the loss was heavy in Georgia’s heart and it would be for a long time. Lily decided she was going to start making breakfast, figuring it might be good for everyone to have some food in front of them, if only to distract from the situation for a little bit.

Tyler put his rifle back and when he stepped back into the living room, he crossed it and knelt in front of Georgia. He placed his hands on her knees for a moment and his eyes were soft as they met her misty ones. 

“Darlin’...is there anything you need from me right this minute?” Tyler asked and Jake's head tilted at the tone of his brother's voice. It was the steadiness that drew his attention. Sam's eyes met Tyler's but he was only focused on Georgia.

“Just...please...her tail. As much as you can.” She brushed her fingers over his. He stretched up and kissed her and she folded back into Sam, who's eyes never left Tyler's. She saw a familiar sadness there, or maybe even solumn resolve, something she'd seen in Jake’s expression as of late.

Jake and Boone followed him out to the barn. Boone fired up the tractor and Jake locked Twist and the other horses in their stalls so that they could drag the mare’s body to the back of the property. Tyler opened the door to Wilene’s stall and pulled her front legs out straight and wrapped a heavy chain around them. When Jake entered, the sight of the blood on the wall and floor stopped him in his tracks for a moment. Tyler glanced up at him.

“You gonna be able to do this?” He asked and Jake cleared his throat.

“Yeah, just...the smell of blood hits a little different now. You ever think about how metallic it smells? Makes me nauseous now. The smell, I mean.” Jake asked, stepping closer. He glanced down at the mare’s body, noticing how sweat soaked she had been. “Fuck...how long was she down?”

“I’d like to think not that long but...with how sweaty she is...you see the boards behind her head?” Tyler pointed and Jake leaned over the mare to look. They were bowed and there was blood there. 

“Was she tryin’ to kill herself?” Jake asked, scratching his stubble. Tyler shook his head.

“She was thrashing trying to get up. The shavings are all kicked out from under her. Gee is gonna be kickin’ herself, thinkin’ how she shouldn’t’ve left the doors open last night. She’s gonna say she shoulda locked them in...” Tyler’s voice broke then and Jake grabbed his shoulder.

“You and I know better than anyone...sometimes there’s nothin’... nothin’ you can do to prevent somethin’ like this. You and Georgia care for these animals so much and you let them be horses. You give them as much freedom as you can. It’s no one’s fault.” Jake said as Tyler knelt down, he grasped Jake’s arm for support. 

“God, Jake. She’s gonna be heartbroken...” Tyler heard the tractor coming from the shed. Boone had taken a few minutes to let it warm up. He stood after throwing the end of the chain out the door. “And yeah, Jake...I’ve thought about my own mortality more than once...you know that...better than anyone.” Tyler's eyes glazed over and Jake was familiar with that look. Tired. Exhausted. Damn near burnt the fuck out. Tyler was sick of talking about his own mortality. That was a different time best left behind.

“That’s not what I asked.” Jake��s green eyes met his brother’s, shrouding his meaning but his brother knew.

“No, but it’s what you meant. Jake...talk to me...you haven’t. Did you tell Samantha?” Tyler shifted his weight to a cocked hip. 

“I gave her the PG version.” Jake murmured, glancing past his brother. Tyler threw a pair of gloves at Jake, old cowhide ones that were ready to be thrown out. Tyler put on a pair himself as well.

“Look at me.” Tyler demanded and Jake did as he was told, pretty green meeting rugged sage. “I want the R rated version. What’d they do to you, Jake?”

“They tortured me, Tyler. Strung me up with rusted shackles to a ceiling, starved me, beat me half to fuckin’ death, fuck...they...the drugs...were the worst part of it. Them dictating whether or not I was gonna be in pain...and not being in control of my own body...” Jake’s voice trembled, his hand on Tyler’s shoulder vibrating. Tyler pulled his brother into a hug.

“Guess it’s my turn to tell you that you’re gonna get better...all that shit...was just shit that you had to go through to get to the good shit. Jake...look at what you have now.” Tyler’s hug was tight and comforting to Jake. He closed his eyes as they heard the tractor idle. They parted and Tyler patted Jake’s back. Jake took a moment as Tyler went out to tell Boone what to do, and he knelt down and placed his hand on Wilene’s ice cold neck.

“What was the last thing you saw before you galloped across that big field in the sky, mare? Was it Georgia sayin’ goodbye to you? Or maybe it was Twist? Hell if I know, but I know I saw Sam in front of that big ball of light that day that I almost...” Jake heard boots enter the stall again. He stood, meeting his brother’s gaze, leaving his thoughts in the space between the mare’s faded soul and his own vibrant one.

“I fuckin’ hate this part. Hated doin’ this at the rodeos. Boone...” Tyler said to Jake as he motioned to Boone to bring the tractor closer. Tyler hooked the chain on the bucket and Boone lifted it. “Ah shit, hang on...” Tyler grabbed the mare’s old halter and put it on carefully, then tied the lead rope tight to her front legs so that they weren’t dragging her head in an awkward way. He still wanted to respect the mare, even though the way they had to dispose of her could be construed as harsh. Boone lifted the bucket and began to drag the mare out of her stall. 

All twelve hundred pounds of dead weight. 

Tyler and Jake had put a lead on each of the mare’s back legs, helping to guide the body out of the stall as smoothly as possible. Once she was out, Tyler stopped Boone and he asked Jake to grab a brush. He quickly brushed out the mare’s tail, braided it and then cut as much of it as was clean so that he could have something made from her tail hair for Georgia. He placed it in his pocket and asked Boone to continue.

Tyler instructed Boone where to pull the tractor so that instead of dragging her all the way back toward the woods, he could scoop her into the bucket. Tyler and Jake secured her into it and followed as Boone drove the tractor way back. Once they were in a good spot, Boone placed the mare’s body down and Tyler told him where to dig. After they covered her, Tyler had Boone drag a few large rocks over and place them over the top. He wanted to make sure Georgia knew where the mare was once the grass grew back eventually as there were no remarkable trees to use as indicators.

The whole process had taken about an hour, and when the guys headed back down to the house, the ladies had saved them food. Tyler still had to take care of the blood and mess in the stall so he had Jake help him with that before they ate. He needed to shower too. 

“T...you really fuckin’ love her...I don’t know if I could’ve done what you did this mornin’.” Jake said as they washed down the stall and cleaned it out. They let the other horses out and allowed Twist to check everything out, but she seemed sullen and she tried to stick by Tyler as they tidied up.

“I do, Jake. I mean...it’s what I had to do. It’s my job to take care of certain things around here as the man of the house. This is what I’ve always wanted, to be a provider for her. It’s just where I feel like I fit...” Tyler sprayed the area down with bleach and the hose and they scrubbed the wall. There wasn't much he could do for the bowed boards at the moment. That would be a project best left for warmer weather.

“Yeah...I guess I’m just still tryin’ to figure out where exactly I fit.” Jake leaned against the stall as he pulled off the gloves his brother had given him. 

“You fit with Sam, trust me. I ain’t never seen you look at a girl like you look at her. And I know you guys are workin’ through some shit, but it’ll all iron out. You gotta believe that. It’s just bumps on the long road of life, but you’ll be happier havin’ her alongside you for it.” Tyler took the gloves and trashed both pairs, making a mental note to grab a few pairs when he went to the feed store next.

“When did we switch places, Ty? When did I become the fuckin’ problem and you became the wise one?” Jake asked as they threw down shavings to soak up all the water. Tyler closed the stall doors so that it could all absorb and they could come back out later to shovel it all out.

“What the fuck you mean, boy? I’ve always been the brains here.” Tyler mused, patting Jake on the back. They headed toward the house, and Tyler paused for a moment, pulling the braided tail hair from his pocket.

“Nah, nah, nah. You may’ve been the brains to get us into trouble, but I always got us outta shit.” Jake chuckled as he watched his brother's expression change, humor fading to introspection.

“Yeah for sure, you did. I don’t know...Jake...having a kid really puts things into perspective...I mean I wanted to be back with Gee...always have...but then when we decided to do this, really commit...it just changed everything. And I know people always say that...but I feel like it made me realize I wanna live this life with someone I really love...and I know Gee is a sure thing.” 

“It’s good to be comfortable...I’d like to be right around comfortable again soon...Tyler...you think I’d be a good dad?” Jake asked, as they slowly made their way toward the house. Jake realized then that Tyler was given himself a few moments to try to decompress before he headed into the house, knowing that the rest of the morning was probably going to be spent comforting his wife. Tyler wanted the rest of his energy and mental capacity there for that. That was where Jake again, studied his brother and looked to him for guidance. 

“I do. You’re great with the dogs, and you love Sam. You’re a good guy, Jakey. You just need to jump into the deep end now.” Tyler said and then he clapped a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “Y’know, I just get the feelin’ that Sam’s in it for the long haul with you Jake. Who else but me is gonna put up with your sorry ass being emotional and shit? I know, I know you went through some shit...but not a lot of women would be okay with all the shit you gotta do to get better...and I think some guys wouldn’t even try to get better. Look at all what she’s already gone through with you. She’s a keeper for sure.” Tylers words were not lost on his brother. Jake soaked in every single one of them, agreeing with each point wholeheartedly.

“Yeah, no, I mean...I wanna get better for her. I am getting better.” Jake grabbed Tyler’s jacket and stopped him, his eyes darting around almost nervously as if he wasn’t sure that he was getting better, even though he knew he was.

“Yeah, you are. No more panic attacks?” Tyler was right there affirming his brother's beliefs though.

“Haven’t had one in a few weeks. It’s been nice to be out here though...away from everything.” Jake said softly, a small smile creeping across his lips.

“Never forget your roots.” Tyler rubbed Jake's back roughly, putting some energy into the space between them both.

“I’d never. They’re too strong. They’re too good.” Jake's voice filled with resolve, something that had been erratic up until now. The brother's headed inside to eat, and rest for a while before they did anything else for the day.