#loop pixar

[hoardingpuffin]

Autistic Person rates Autistic Characters in Media

In this post, I will be rating some autistic characters in media (specifically TV and movies) based on how well represented I feel by them as an autistic person. Keep in mind that this is thus a subjective list since autism is very individual and no two autistic people will have the same experience or opinions. I would also like to add that I am what would be considered a Low Support Needs autistic person, seen that I can generally live without too much assistance or accommodations, which means that my experience is going to not be relatable to autistic people with higher support needs than mine. On that note, also please keep in mind that “low functioning” and “high functioning” are harmful labels and that they are not the same as “low support needs” and “high support needs”. Also, obviously, since this is subjective, I am not saying that nobody else on the spectrum can’t like or relate to any of these characters; this is my own opinion, not a purely objective rating. Finally, whilst I will be rating these characters on a scale of 1 (worst) to 6 (best), I will not be ranking them in this post.

This list includes characters that are explicitly named to be autistic or that are widely accepted to be autistic, for example because the creators or actors confirmed it in retrospect or because the canon very strongly implies it and the creators have not spoken out in denial of it. Also I can obviously only rate the media I have actually seen so if your favourites aren't on this list, this is why.

CONTENT WARNINGS THAT APPLY: mentions of antisemitism (briefly), mentions of Autism Speaks, mentions of ableism, mentions of an autistic male character acting creepily towards women.

I will be signalling Pros/positive points with a + sign and Cons/negative points with a – sign.

Dr. Isidore Latham (Ato Essandoh) – Chicago Med (2/6)

- “curing autism” theme in the episodes centric on his personal experiences

- usage of the outdated and antisemitic term “Aspergers” over “Autism” (this is especially harmful considering Dr. Latham is Jewish)

+ Black autistic representation (which is rare seen that most autistic characters tend to be White) and Jewish autistic representation

+ whilst Dr. Latham is shown to not be the most social man and to be very direct, he isn’t outright rude or unprofessional

- as far as I could find out online, the actor is allistic (it is always better to cast a disabled actor for a disabled role)

Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) – The Good Doctor (0/6)

- the show collaborates with Autism Speaks, who are known to be a hate group not actually looking to help or listen to autistic people

- allistic actor

- extremely stereotypical in its portrayal (extremely antisocial, no friends, always literal, no social awareness – even though autistic people struggle with allistic tone patterns, usually they would be able to pick up at least somewhat what other people consider rude behaviour and would try to avoid it, something Shaun never seems to do)

- transphobia from the one autistic character, implying directly that autistic people are unable to understand the concept of a transgender identity (when in truth, studies show that many people on the spectrum also often identify as not on the gender binary or as transgender)

- Autistic Savant trope (portraying autistic people as geniuses when in fact, less than 5% of all autistic people are a Savant and even if we are very interested in a topic such as medicine, we still need to learn and study just as allistic people)

Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) – The Community (4/6)

+ writer of the series is on the spectrum

+ PoC autistic representation

+ whilst not clearly being labelled as autistic, the character is recognizable as an autistic person without hitting all the stereotypical tropes such as being antisocial, never joking, always being literal or being a “genius” without ever studying etc. - allistic actor

- whilst generally not labelling a character as autistic is not a bad thing, it makes it harder for autistic people to definitely say “this character is autistic”, meaning that allistics can ignore the coding if they wish to cling to their own, often stereotyped idea of what autism “looks like”

Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (3/6)

- allistic actor

- stereotypical, but not as badly as other portrayals

+ avoids the trope of autistic people not having emotions, instead showing Alfred’s struggle expressing and understanding tone and emotions

+ generally good portrayal of a special interest being made part of the life via the job (salmon and fly fishing)

Music Gamble (Maddie Ziegler) – Music (0/6)

- creator Sia has openly shown ableist behaviour, putting down autistic people, not listening to autistic voices and criticism etc.

- allistic actress

- collaboration with Autism Speaks

- extremely stereotypical portrayal and infantalization of autistic nonverbal people

- harmful techniques such as restraining being shown on screen

- graphic meltdown scenes being shown

Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist) – Atypical (1/6)

- allistic actor

- in-universe infantilization of autistic people (via Mother Elsa)

- having the autistic character act dangerously, for example locking someone in the closet because they annoy him or borderline predatorily pursuing his therapist, sheds a harmful light on autistic people

- as far as is known, no autistic people were included in the production or writing process

- many instances show autistic-related habits or traits, for example wearing noise cancelling headphones, but frame it in a way that the audience is supposed to find it funny or laugh at the protagonist

- instead of making Sam sympathetic, he is largely just shown to make everyone around him uncomfortable

+ the ongoing portrayal of Sam’s special interest is generally well-done

- an ongoing theme is Sam’s girlfriend Paige restricting his info-dumping and by extension his special interest (something autistic people get active joy from) to three “dumps” a day so he can act “more normal” – this might teach allistic viewers that this is something they can do to their autistic friends

Sara Eriksson (Frida Argento) – Young Royals (5/6)

- usage of “Aspergers” both in the show and by the actress

+ actually autistic actress

+ autistic traits like mirroring, struggling with social context or tone and directness/bluntness as well as a special interest (horses) are shown whilst tropes like Sara being entirely unempathetic, rude and antisocial being avoided

Isadora Smackle (Ceci Balagot) and Farkle Minkus (Corey Fogelmanis) – Girl meets World (2/6)

- usage of “Aspergers”

- the original title of the episode centric on autism was “Girl Meets Normal”, implying autism is something abnormal, which is a potentially very harmful rhetoric

- autism is shown as something bad, with Farkle’s friends actively trying to fight over him being not autistic, insisting he is “normal”, generally treating autism as something they don’t want their friend to be associated with – a very harmful take in a show for kids and young teens

+ Smackle is a major, long-term autistic character rather than a One Episode throwaway character, even though she is generally quite stereotypical (but given that this show generally has every character act over the top and often fitting in specific categories this is not as bad, it just makes her fit in the framework of the show; she is not the only one who is largely stereotypically portrayed)

+ actor Ceci Balagot is themselves autistic (according to their twitter that is)

Renee (Madison Bandy) – Loop (6/6)

+ PoC nonverbal autistic character portrayed by a nonverbal autistic voice actress

+ in production, an active effort was made to make the actress feel comfortable, so that her experience working on the film would be accommodating and positive rather than unnessicarily stressful

+ generally very well-done portrayal of both sensory seeking and sensory overstimulated behaviour and the experience as an autistic person

Matilda (Kayla Cromer), Nicholas (Josh Thomas) and Drea (Lillian Carrier) – Everything is gonna be okay (6/6)

+ autistic actors playing autistic characters and autistic writer

+ very realistic portrayal of autism and how it differs in different people, as well as how it can affect interpersonal relationships (also having the sister mention that she thought she understood autism as a whole but later realized she only understood her sister's autism specifically because it is so individual)

+ realistic portrayal of sensory overload, stimming, communication between different autistic people etc.

+ queer autistic people – gay and asexual autistic main characters

+ autistic people joking, showing emotions, humour without the autistic people being the butt of the joke

+ empathetic portrayal of an adult realizing they might be on the spectrum and the denial and questioning that comes with that

+ portrayals of autistic special interests and autistic joy

Quinni (Chloé Hayden) – Heartbreak High (5.5/6)

+ autistic actress playing an autistic character

+ autistic queer representation

+ themes of ableism are included but dealt with sensitively and without making the ableism seem harmless

+ realistic portrayal of stimming, struggle with abrupt change of plans, overstimulation, meltdowns, autistic joy, info dumping etc.

+  autistic character having genuine friendships and friends who support her and know her sensory needs etc.

- because it is set in high school, this is a very specific group being represented so it is possible that the largest part of the autistic community won’t see themselves completely accurately portrayed, but chances are they can relate to Quinni nonetheless at least in aspects.

[disability-on-screen]

[dizzy-pops]

Time to continue working on my Loop (Pixar short) review

[paradox-emo]

Ayo how did I JUST learn this ship was confirmed canon???? Gosh the official art is adorable 😭

[edwardwonghaupepelutivrusky4th]

wah i looove their designs and animation...

[misterlemonztenth]

02-14-24 | PIXAR's Ratatouille came out in 2007. misterlemonztenth.tumblr.com/archive

[true-autistic-tales]

just breathe

[georgi-girl]

Personal Announcement

For those who are interested in my crossover Babble, I am editing the separate chapters and posting them as a full-length fanfic on my Wattpad account. I will still be posting the 'rough draft' chapters here on Tumbler.

The edited version will be slightly better than the original, but I still welcome any suggestions or critiques. The story includes characters from Trolls, Inside Out, Coco, Up, The Bad Guys, Rise of the Guardians, Gravity Falls, and the Pixar short Loop.

[definitelynotacannibal]

I LOVE the Pixar short Loop. It gives me so many EMOTIONS and TEARS and it's great REPRESENTATION and I love their FRIENDSHIP AND I JUST RAHHHHHHHH

[factual-fantasy]

26 ASKS! :DD THANK YOU! :}} 🥓

I mean, knowing me I'll come back around to it someday. I love Octonauts and tend to loop back around to that show every so often.. Its just that I've had a lot of uncomfortable experiences in the Octonauts fandom. Especially recently..

I don't really wanna go into detail, but I will say that I've encountered more upsetting situations in the Octonauts fandom, than I have in nearly every other fandom combined. Which is rather surprising considering its a kids show. And also unfortunate, since I don't really feel free to have fun in the Octonauts fandom the way I want to..

I'm hoping that at some point I can get my confidence back and find my way around that fandom and have the fun I want. But for now I'm just kind'a keeping my distance and thinking about it. I don't need any extra stress rn-

@unpopularartist14

I use FireAlpaca! :D As for how to draw injuries and bruises.. hmm.. well.. injuries are different from drawing to drawing and hard to explain.. but bruises? aaa how do I explain it--

Well, for character with pale skin. Like Wario and Waluigi.. I find I just airbrush some deep purples and reds in one spot on their face and put some dark purple/red scratches on top.. and how much purple or red you use depends on the freshness/severity of the bruise. If that makes sense..??

Like- Using this post with the Wario "bros" as an example, the bruise on Waluigi's chin/cheek is a muddy purple and has dark purple scratches on it. I feel like using purple makes the bruise look little older and likes its healed some.

Meanwhile on Wario's chin the bruise is pink/red-ish. Making it look "bloody" and fresh. I think so at least--

AGHHG- sorry, I'm not the best at explaining things. I hope you can look to that post as a reference and draw some bruises. I used the airbrush and pencil tool to draw them if that helps! <:D

@untitled-7613 (Comic in question)

Hmm.. my favorite Disney character.. I know that Disney bought Pixar and now owns all the characters. So I'm trying to think of characters that Disney made, not bought.. and I'm having some trouble remembering the older movies..

I think I liked Tarzan! Though I wouldn't say he's my favorite.. hmm.. I like Mufasa from the Lion King and I like the Genie from Aladdin! I also liked John Silver from treasure planet! (That was Disney right?) But idk if I'd say they're my favorite Disney characters.. hmm..

Now, if you're asking what my favorite Disney/Pixar character is? Well that's easy 👇

@tallchest13-blog

XDD Thank you so much! :DD I'm glad you like it! :}}}}

:x I have not seen the welcome home update-- all my info comes from MatPat/his channels. I'm way too lazy to actually go look into any welcome home stuff myself <XDD

ALTHOUGH!- I have heard that Julie has monster paws! :DD No doubt she has them for different reasons than my Julie, but still! it felt like an Apollos dodgeball moment for me! XDD

I'm not sure why you're telling me all this.. but I suppose I'll put in my 2 cents while you're here-

While some of this is true, this sounds like a rather 1 sided view of Alphys' character. I know most of the Undertale characters are beautifully complex and thought out, Alphys included. And I don't think this view is accurate to who she really is.

For example, as far as I remember she wasn't watching anime to "slack off". I'm sure she was severely depressed and extremely overwhelmed with everything going on in her life atm.

I think it would be a good idea for you to watch some character analysis videos on Alphys. Since I don't remember her very clearly, I cannot defend her very well. But I recall seeing a lot of posts/videos in defense of Alphys and explaining why she did the things she did.

Basically, I think its worth your while to actually look into Alphys and give her a chance! Who knows, after gaining some more understanding of her, you might just like her! :}

WAAAHAAG THANK YOU SO MUCH!! THAT MEANS A LOT TO MEEE!!😭💖💖😭💖

And hey, I get where you're coming from about the whole art theft thing. :( That is my biggest struggle being here on Tumblr. The constant art theft is so disheartening. In fact there were several times in the past where I almost threw in the towel and quit Tumblr all together over it.

But what's kept me around is people like you! :D There's some folks out there that really care about what I make. And are excited to see what I make next! The nice comments they leave me and the engagement with my work has really stuck with me. And it's what keeps me coming back! Maybe someday if you decide to take that first step and post some artwork, you'll find a lotta nice folks that make the art theft seem not so bad :}

Also giant watermarks. Giaaant watermarks that are just annoying to look at. That might discourage art theft <XDD

As for Jevil and Grillby.. In my AU, Jevil has this power to create mirrors and jump from timeline to timeline through them.

At some point when it was just him and Seam traveling together, they wound up in this Snowdin at night. Grillby was about to close his bar but he saw these too tired and hungry people so he let them in.

At some point while they were sitting at the counter and talking to Grillby.. Jevil could feel in his soul that this timeline they were in was about to collapse. Killing everyone in it. Jevil reacted on instinct and grabbed Seam and Grillby's arm and pulled the three of them through a mirror. The timeline was destroyed as soon as they disaapered.

What this meant is Jevil had saved Grillby's life!.. But his AU/timeline no longer existed. All of Grillby's friends and family were gone.. his home was gone.. He was now a homeless wandering traveler just like Seam and Jevil.

Deep down, Grillby doesn't really hate Jevil. He just took the grief of it all really hard and blamed it all on Jevil in response. He wished that Jevil hadn't saved him so he could have just died with the rest of his family.. and not have to experience this grief today..

Overtime he gets better.. and he understands that Jevil didn't want for any of this to happen. Eventually they talk about it a little and they end up on better terms. Maybe even becoming true friends someday. :}

@astaherussy (Recent development post on the Wario "bros") (Old Wario "bros" post) (Old King Boo/Boos post)

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like what I've made! :DD As for Wario and Waluigi.. the main changes I'm working on are visual/design changes. In their outfits especially. And I'm thinking of taking away their hats. They looked obviously very similar to Mario and Luigi's..

When it comes to their story, that is also being developed. I think I wanna keep the aspect of the Mario bros getting in some trouble and the Wario "bros" rescue them. Though with recent developments.. I don't know if the whole thing in Shy Guy woods is gonna work out-

In other news, actually no! :0 I wasn't aware that Spidercrab is so liked, but I am very glad to hear that he is! :DD

And a lot of those vibes was what I was going for! Tired, traumatized, has anxiety but is better at hiding it. Though the father figure is unexpected XD but I guess it fits! He's rather introverted and prefers quiet and space. But he is also the crews medic, and boy does he worry and care too much for his own good. He cares too much about them to spend all his time alone. He not only cares about their physical health, but he cares about them as people.

He wants to be there for his crew. He want's to be the first to notice when something is wrong or one of his crew is unwell. So he tries to participate in all their gatherings. Despite how much he'd rather just go read a book in his hammock <XDD

Though, he is still antisocial/awkward.. so there could have been many times he noticed one of the crew seemed off. But he didn't have the guts to talk to them. So he would go and tip off one of the other crew members to check up on them. Stuff like that I imagine is his way of showing he cares. :}

WAHG! I rambled a bit there didn't I? <XD Well I hope it was a fun read at least- as a thanks for taking interest in Spidercrab! It means a lot to me :}}}

Thank you so much!! And indeed he is! I'm so honored that you remembered him! :DD Though he's looking at some major re-designing and a biiiiit of lore re-structuring too <XDD 💔💔

<XD Unfortunately for many reasons I cannot/will not drink any of the things on that list. But! I can drink water! :D

@badlyblurry

<XDD I suppose so, at the very least I'm dipping my toes in and having some fun!

Hmm.. out of all the Mario games I can remember.. I think red shells from Mario kart got on my nerves the most <XDD

That, or this one very specific Zinger from Donkey Kong country. But I get that a DK game might not count XDD

📢📢SHOUT OUT TO YOU SETH!! :DD 📢📢

Thank you!! :DD

@neo-metalscottic

Ahh, I see, thank you for the info! And I'm glad you like my interpretation of them anyways! :DD

And oh yeah, his children's safety is his #1 priority. He's probably getting Kamek to create more Goomba's and rearranging his troops. Setting up a big chunk of them to just be on watch duty around his land. In case the hero's decide to come back..

He's also probably tightening the defenses around his hidden palace. (Where the Koopalings, Kamek, Kammy and the Blue paratroops all live.) Most likely by stationing more troops there and hiding out there himself. He wasn't able to beat the bros but he will still be an obstacle for them if they ever make it to the palace and try to hurt his kids. (Mario and Luigi wouldn't do that most likely but Bowser doesn't really know anything about them at this point- other than the fact they are very powerful and very scary)

I didn't think much about K rool when I made my version of DK. But that guy and his species are intended to exist and be causing problems on DK's island. Though all the details I'm unsure of.. perhaps its what you said, maybe they want the special beets and fruits that the kongs eat? Or maybe they came from another island that didn't have much to eat and now they're here to take over.?? :00

Sorry, I don't take requests! And my ability to draw rn is rather limited anyways... 😅

BUT! May I direct you to this post and point out a detail in the background? Cici only ate the frosting off her cake slice. So Bibi offered his slice so she could scrape off his cake frosting and eat that too XDD What a sweet brother he is :}

@2006-stupid-thatsme

I am not familiar with those sites.. <:0

<XD Mike was kind of a jerk though. Now don't get me wrong, his voice was killer! But I don't think he really changed as a person by the end of the movie.

If they had put him in the second movie he was gonna need a major personality change in order for me to like him <XD

@candyglumboy

I think its alright. :0 And if I have drawn one of the characters? I cant remember doing it <XD

(In relation to this post)

Aw, I'm sorry that you have to deal with all this. It doesn't sound fun that's for sure. :( But thank you for the info! :DD

@littlelightfish

XDD IM GLAD YOU LIKE HIM!! And these are all good questions! Unfortunately I haven't thought much about these things- so let me make some of it up on the fly- <XDD

I imagined he likes to mess with the crew sometimes and pull little pranks. Its all in good fun! Just a bit of goofin off. And he mostly does it to Coco XDD

Now his favorite crew member.. hmm.. I feel like that might be Ellie. Despite her cold exterior, she had a big heart and really does love her crew. Even the butthead that is Tuna <XDD I can see her getting the other crew members to lay off and give Tuna some space. She is known for cooking food to everyone's specific preference, no matter how much longer it takes to make. And she would do the same for Tuna. Cooking what ever he wants, how ever he wants it cooked.

That really means a lot to Tuna.. if he can count on anything, he can count on Ellie to cook a perfect meal just for him.

Now the crew member that understands him the most would be who ever has had similar experiences to him, right..? In that case it might be Pinwheel. Orrr Coco.. maybe Spidercrab..? Ah, I'm gonna need to do some more thinking on that one <XD

The crew member he doesn't feel so comfortable around could be Cuttlefish. She is very mysterious and some would even say untrustworthy. He is probably spooked by her and doesn't fully trust her. Though I'm also experimenting with Tuna having trouble with authority figures. So mayyybe he's less comfortable around Seafoam and Octo..?? :00

Also thank you for your enthusiasm and interest in Tuna! Its the biggest compliment to me/my OCS 🥰🥰

@raccoons-in-a-dumpster

XD Yup! Its me! And thank you! :DD

@beryl-shade

XDD Do they say that? Are there popsicles in the oceans from that game??

I'm not sure.. I'd assume so..? Keep in mind that these character were made from a game that I know next to nothing about-

Maybe? :00

@yeetmysoulintothevoid (Post in question)

No its not a sexual dimorphism thing, its all about stress, exhaustion, health,, etc.

Peach and Daisy have very thin blue markings (like their species is SUPPOSED to have) because they are well fed, well rested, and pampered as princesses.

Wario and Waluigi's blue markings are very large and puffy becuase they eat garbage, get very little to no sleep, and are fighting for their lives on the daily pretty much- if they had a saver living environment and a secure source of food, their eye bag would be much less noticeable-

Now Rosalina's blue marks are noticeable and puffy mostly due to her grief and depression. And partly because she isn't exactly.. aliiive..? Anymore..?? <:D

And yes! Everyone's ears are emotive! :}} Maybe subtly though. They can perk their ears up or droop them down, much more than a human typically can. But they cant do really fine and quick movements to improve their hearing/listen in a certain direction. Like Dogs, cats and rabbits can for example. Its all slow and mostly intentional movements.

Nope, I don't have plans to finish that comic. The writing was horrible and everyone acted super out of character all in the name of angst. 👎👎👎

If anyone wanted to know the ending, Kwazii was gonna patch Barnacle's face and the rest of the crew was gonna show up in the gups. They get him in a gup, take him to the octopod and he gets situated in the sick bay.

Then Kwazii and Peso have this stupid emotional talk about how Peso feels bad for not being there for the captain and blah blah blah. VERY out of character for Peso. The entire point of Peso's character is that he "helps any creature who is hurt or sick, no matter what." There is literally nothing on earth that could have stopped him from helping his own Captain, no, his friend in his time of need. That writing is juuuust so dumb.

Plus Kwazii was a total idiot in that comic- realistically Kwazii would have taken that situation very seriously and would have listened to anything that Peso told him to do. And even if for some reason he was being stupid and continued to approach the Captain, Peso would have stopped him.

And this is even beyond the fact that this whole comic starts with Captain Barnacles doing a series of very stupid and irresponsible things that he would not do. And then a perfect storm of "whoopsies!" happen ever so perfectly to have him wind on that island.

Over all its a veeeeery bad comic. Not my best! 0/10 would NOT draw it again! XD I don't even want to re-write it to make it good. Becuase that whole situation just wouldn't happen from the start.

Although, I am keeping the idea that Barnacles has a very sensitive nose/face. (Due to him being a polar bear with many muscles and nerves in his face) And if he ever got hit in the nose/face? It would be incredibly painful and he would be very disoriented for a time. But the rest of that comic can go down the drain XD

[sirfrogsworth]

Most people will go through a lot of effort to prove themselves right and be vindicated. But my weird anxiety brain feedback loop made me spend hours trying to prove myself wrong. It's weird how these little Internet spats can drive you to madness and make you lose sleep. It just kept cycling over and over in my head and I couldn't get it to stop.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't talking out of my ass and veering out of my lane. All I really cared about was someone judging an artist and calling them bad at their job. That just really bothered me. It didn't seem right but I don't work in that field and it's hard for me to be sure.

I looked through the original Twitter thread. Hundreds of replies and quote tweets. I could not find one negative comment from an industry professional. But I did find about a dozen animation professionals who worked at places like Disney and Pixar and Adobe who all said that was a pretty standard practice. I couldn't find anyone saying he was a bad animator.

I thought maybe if he was bad at his job he couldn't get consistent work.

I think I have done enough research.

Clearly something else was going on and I stepped in the middle of it.

All of my information was accurate as far as I can tell.

And this Ecanto animator is definitely failing upwards at an astronomical rate if he is actually bad at his job.

This is the last I'll post of this.

I just needed closure so I can hopefully yeet this from my brain.

[sir-adamus]

A facet of the whole "Ironwood was ruined" mentality comes from how villains having moments of rage and petuence aren't exactly... en vogue these days.

I'm probably one of the rare breeds of people who enjoyed Disney's Wish. It shouldn't have been its 100th anniversary film and the director shouldn't been allowed to cook like its Pixar buuuuuuut I nowhere near think that the outrage on YouTube alone is warranted. "Mid" isn't the insult they think it is and its box office status means diddly in the age of streaming.

But that aside, the villain, King Magnifico, was a point of contention because of how he was an out and out Disney villain rather than him being a third act twist villain. Me? I loved him and Chris Pine's acting for him, especially in how he actually seemed to mirror Walt Disney in various respects.

One point I dislike is how he was ruined when he dabbled in dark magic and became more deranged. That is, he hardly holds up to older Disney villains that did get angry but also had control. Except that in seeing him as a Disney CEO analogue, I found that he was on point with how his type of evil was banal and trying to enforce a system that'd never challenge him or his way of running things.

Looping back to Ironwood, it feels like many disliked his breakdown in Volume 7's finale and especially his deterioating mentality in Volume 8 because on top of going full mask off, he got so emotional and, well, bratty over not getting his way.

Except he was like this in Volume 2 with how he took the initiative in ways that felt like he didn't like not getting his way. His army coming to Vale in a time of peace? Encouraging Ruby in trying to get Cinder despite her not being liscensed? Penny being unknown to Ozpin?

They just don't like it when a manly man acts all emotional "like a woman would." God, that made me sick just putting in airquotes.

couple that with the "muricah" mentality of believing the military can do no wrong forever and you've got a recipe for a bunch of whiny armchair critics complaining about the writing of a character they clearly never understood the point of

[reydiantskyes]

I think this trailer brings up a fascinating point where a lot of these CGi studios mimic the Pixar artstyle

With a character like Fix It Felix, someone who is clearly got Mario inspiration in his DNA, this gives a bizarre feedback loop where Mario heavy gives Felix vibes

Ts the eyes, brows, cheeks and the nose imo

[cadfreakingspinner]

Nick Looping Lopez headcanons

He HATES water with a passion. If you gave him a bath he’d screech like a demon

The first time he did his loop he accidentally crashed and had to be hospitalized for a week

His mother owns a cigar factory

He owns a giant collection of dvds and Blu-ray’s

If he was a human he would have a Pixar dad mustache

He draws in his spare time and one time blade saw his drawings and immediately got jealous.

He has chronic back pains (human au)

Sometimes when he’s bored he begins to fly around the set

He also owns a pet John deer (cars verse). When people ask where he got it he just says “it appeared one day and didn’t leave”

[k-evans-reads]

In Living Color

Chapter 15 - Part One

Summary: When Natalie Marton, lead character designer for Buzz Lightyear, meets the voice of Buzz, Chris Evans, the sparks are undeniable. But when their work pushes them away from each other, both physically and emotionally, will the sheer differences between their worlds be enough to force them apart?

Pairing: Chris Evans x Pixar Animator OFC Natalie Marton

Word Count: 7,622

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: None.

Previous | Main Masterlist | In Living Color Masterlist

November 21st, 2021 

Nat held Lily’s hand tightly in her own as they made their way through the concourse, music pumping through the speakers over the chattering of the excited fans – and the excited kids around her. They were following Eric, Heather, Ryan, and Ella to their suite at the Seahawks game today, and with a glance over her shoulder, Nat smirked from behind her face mask at Chris. He was walking behind them, a hat pulled down over his head, sunglasses, and a mask on, but Carson practically vibrating next to him as he rushed to keep up with Chris’ long strides was a sight to see. 

She and Chris had gotten into Seattle early the previous night, having flown from an airfield in Los Angeles. It had felt weird to Nat, not landing at the large international airport, the very one that’d welcomed her home each and every visit home in the last ten and a half years since she’d moved to California. But the one thing she still struggled to wrap her head around was the world she’d stepped into, the one where private flights with her partner had become a regularity and not a one-off experience, paid for by work for an international premiere, one where she was accompanied by other coworkers.

But as the only passengers on the plane, it provided them with the privacy that they needed, but it was a little laughable given where they were now, in stadium with tens of thousands of fans, one where nearly anyone could recognize the towering frame clutching her three-year-old nephew’s hand as Chris tried to navigate the busy concourse while also listening to the boy as he rambled about the fish he wanted despite his parents’ refusal, but Nat was thankful with every passing face that Chris seemed to be flying under the radar. 

They slipped into the suite with little fanfare, and the door shutting behind them was barely noticed as the kids rushed over to the snack table as Chris slipped his sunglasses into his pockets and the adults removed their masks and tucked them safely into their pockets now that they were the only ones around.  

Heather collected the kids masks before she and Nat began helping the kids get some food while the guys got everyone drinks, and before long she and Chris were standing at the high-top counter overlooking the field while her family got settled in some of the seats below. His arm was looped around her waist while he sipped at a beer, a sideways grin on his face as he caught her staring at him. She leaned up to peck his cheek before she turned back to her plate, taking a chip and snacking on it.

Heather stood from where she’d squatted down in front of Carson’s seat, pulling a knit hat over his blonde hair as the boy munched happily on some popcorn next to his grandfather. She walked up the short stairway to the main area of the suite, admitting, “I can’t believe we’re actually sitting in here. I feel like a celebrity.” 

Her husband, Ryan, rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his plush seat next to his daughters. “The only reason we got a suite is because we’re with a celebrity,” he corrected her. 

Nat leaned into Chris’ loose embrace, her side pressed against his firm chest as her eyes moved over the kids scattered between the adults below them until she glanced around the field in front of them, littered with players as the game got underway. “The real reason Chris got us a box wasn’t for privacy. It’s just because he knows that they’d sniff him out as a Patriots fan,” she laughed, tapping his chest with a grin as he laughed loudly. 

Chris nodded, a smirk on his face. She knew it was all in good humor – the teasing, the ribbing – but he certainly was making an effort today, to do something with her family and make a big gesture like this, and it wasn’t going unnoticed. “It does go against my religion to be rooting for the Seahawks but I guess I can make an exception this one time,” he conceded, smirking below his baseball hat. 

“You better, otherwise we’d have to ship you back to Boston for Thanksgiving,” Nat murmured as her hand slipped over his shoulder to rest on his back, a sideways smirk on her face as he met her eyes. 

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head, telling her, “I gotta make it more than a day before I get kicked out.” 

Heather chuckled as she made her way back down the stairs and sat down next to Ella, handing the girl a water bottle as Nat pointed out, “Technically you haven’t even made it a day yet.” 

“Thanks for that reminder, babe,” he muttered playfully as he rolled his eyes, slipping his arm away from her waist as he grabbed his beer with a small smirk.

Nat watched as he made the short trek down the stairs, going to sit next to Carson and Eric. “I’m just saying you still have plenty of time to get kicked out,” Nat called, crossing her arms over her chest. 

But before he could respond, Carson turned to look at her, his little face screwed up angrily as he told her, “No! Chris can’t leave! He’s gonna play trains with me!” 

A pleased, almost cocky look appeared on Chris’ face as he glanced back at Nat rested his arm over the back of Carson’s seat. “That is true, Carson and I have an appointment to play together tomorrow so that can’t be broken,” he grinned, the cocky look becoming genuine when Carson beamed up at him. 

“Then I guess we’re stuck with you for at least another day,” Nat laughed, leaning her hip against the counter as she looked down at her father, Chris, and Carson, all together as they began explaining parts of the game to the boy. “Although I certainly hope that I’m stuck with you a lot longer than that.” 

Chris didn’t miss a beat and his eyes met hers as he honestly said, “Me too, Nattie.” 

She watched them for a few more moments, seeing the way Carson’s face would scrunch up in confusion and he’d point a finger at something, then the way her dad and Chris would easily explain what was going on to him. A fond smile was on her lips but soon she heard Lily ask her to come sit by them, and without a second’s hesitation she joined her nieces, sister, and brother-in-law. 

“Looks like the boyfriend is trying to make a good impression with this whole Seahawks game, huh?” Ryan asked her with a chuckle, but she knew there was no harm behind his words.

She shrugged and took a sip of her seltzer, explaining, “He wanted to do something nice for everyone since we invited him for Thanksgiving.” 

“I think the nicest thing he gave anyone was letting Alex and Zach stay home alone with the baby so they could actually rest,” Heather sighed as she leaned back in her seat, one hand holding Lily’s loosely as the little girl watched the game for a moment before she picked up a colored pencil and began coloring in a book on her lap. Nat knew Alex and Zach were a little bummed to miss the game, but they certainly had looked forward to an afternoon alone with Jack. He was almost three weeks old and she absolutely loved getting to meet the newborn the previous night, but between the chaos of the holiday season, having a three-year-old and a newborn, and Zach going back to work soon, the couple were definitely ready for a bit of a break. 

“I think you might be right,” Nat told her sister, smiling as Lily showed her one of her drawings. “It was his idea to bring Carson so that they could have a break.” 

Heather raised a surprised brow at her words. And Nat wasn’t lying – Chris had tried to think of a way to help Alex and Zach with this transition, coming up with so many, between them watching Carson for a night or two, going grocery shopping for them, really anything, but she was glad that this was what he landed on. “So he’s really trying to earn points, huh?” Ryan asked with a laugh. 

“He’s already earned plenty in my book,” Nat assured them, unable to stop her eyes from drifting at Chris, catching him as he watched Carson talk animatedly with a smile. 

She didn’t catch the pleased look Ryan and Heather shared, but when Ryan cleared his throat, she turned her attention back to them and watched as he shared, “This morning when we were getting the kids in the car he was telling me how much his family loves you, so you must have made a good impression on Halloween.” 

Nat sighed, shaking her head as she confessed, “I sure hope so.”

She loved him – she knew that without question. But it was no secret how important his family, his friend group, and his hometown crowd were to him. She always thought that had things not gone perfectly, it would provide a huge strain on the relationship and possibly even end it, knowing that from her own experience with her family and how important it was to her to have someone who not only fit in with her family but loved them and that they loved in return. He had always spoken so incredibly highly of his family and friends, and couldn’t help but feel nervous showing up as a non-famous, slightly awkward, curly headed artist, wondering what they all would think of her and then relay to Chris. But in the weeks since her visit to Massachusetts, she’d felt herself being able to breathe deeper with each and every hour that passed without a hint of rejection, knowing she had passed the test. 

Heather’s lips upturned into a smirk as she watched Nat, shaking her head as she sighed, “You’re in so deep for him, Nattie.” 

“That’s what dad told me months ago when I came for Ella’s birthday,” Nat laughed, a faint blush warming her cheeks. 

Ryan smirked, rolling his eyes as he listened to Ella as she whispered something to him.“Well it’s only worse now with that puddle of drool you have coming out of your mouth every time you look at him,” he told Nat. 

“You can’t really blame her on that though, I mean look at that guy!” Heather laughed, but patted Ryan’s chest reassuringly as he looked at her in faux-shock. 

“It’s a lot more than that. Chris is just…” Nat trailed off, shrugging with a smile. 

Lily’s head turned to look at Nat as her hand paused, mid-coloring. “What is he, Auntie?” She asked Nat, her voice soft and innocent. 

Nat smiled down at the six-year-old, her body angled towards the girl. “He’s wonderful, that’s what he is. And I love him a lot,” she told her honestly. 

Ella leaned forward from in between her parents, asking, “Are you going to marry him?” 

“I don’t exactly know yet, but I sure hope so,” Nat smiled, feeling her heart skip a beat at that – very real – idea. 

Nat knew that it was still early on in the relationship, having been together just a little over six months with a couple of those being long distance, but even with it being early on, she knew that this was special. Never before had she experienced a love and connection on this level that felt so genuine and pure. Even in five years of being with Shane she couldn’t build what she had in just a few short months with Chris and when she saw Chris turn his head from where he sat and looked up at her, just shining that beautiful smile at her before turning back to watch the game, she knew what she felt was reciprocated. 

Feeling the warmth in her chest, Nat couldn’t help but get up to walk down the few stairs and file into the row with her dad, Carson, and Chris, stopping for a moment to retie Carson’s shoe before she sat down in the empty chair next to the man she loved so deeply. Almost instantly his arm snaked around her shoulders, pulling her in a little closer to him as he pressed a soft kiss to the edge of her forehead and whispered a soft, “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” she smiled, leaning her chin on his collarbone. “And I love that you’re here with me.” 

Nat took in the sight of tenderness on his face before he connected their lips for a soft kiss that said all the things they were both feeling. She stayed warm curled up against his side with his arm still resting around her while the game went on. 

Carson began to doze during halftime, and stayed asleep while Chris carefully passed him over to Nat. Before long, Ella and Lily joined their aunt, cousin, and Chris down in the first row while Eric moved back to sit with Heather and Ryan. Eventually, the cold wind was too strong to ignore as the kids' cheeks and noses turned pink, and before long the adults decided to head home, knowing that lasting three quarters was a success in itself. 

With their masks back on and Chris in his sunglasses as well, Ryan carried a sleeping Carson through the club-level concourse as the Martons made their way towards their car in the reserved parking lot. With the game going on, the hallways and stairwells were relatively empty, but with tired, cold kids, they still moved slowly. 

“Auntie Nat, I’m tired,” Lily complained as they moved down the flight of stairs, their voices echoing in the space. 

Nat gave her a small smile, knowing she was telling the truth. It’d been an exciting day and she was feeling worn out herself, but Lily had been overstimulated and was feeling it. “I know honey, but you could take a nap in the car. It’s a little bit of a drive back home,” she assured her niece. 

The little girl’s stride stopped as they reached the landing of the stairs, a frown likely on her face. “Will you carry me?” 

Nat sighed, knowing they still had two flights of stairs and a long walk through the parking lot. “Lily, I don’t think I can. It’s still a long walk down to the car,” she admitted, her heart breaking at the sad look on the girl’s face. 

Chris’ hand landed on the small of Nat’s back as he reached the landing, his voice low as he asked, “Do you think Lily would be okay with me carrying her? Or I could take Carson so that Ryan could carry her.” 

Nat pursed her lips as she thought over the options, but as she looked at Lily, she realized something. “Why don’t you ask her?” She asked Chris as she glanced over at him and down to Lily. 

“Hey Lily?” Chris asked as he kneeled down to be eye level with the shy girl,  his voice tentative and soft. “Would you be okay with me carrying you?” 

Nat watched her niece’s face, knowing that this would be a big step for her. Lily had struggled with anxiety and being comfortable around other people, but Nat thought that this would be a good opportunity to give the sweet little girl a choice and she couldn’t help but smile ear to ear when Lily just nodded softly. 

She watched Chris’ thick arms reach out to scoop Lily up gently, holding her against his chest while her tired head laid on his broad shoulder. Nat reached out to tuck a piece of Lily’s soft hair behind her ear before they started walking to catch up with everyone else, but with Nat just a few steps behind Chris, she couldn’t help but melt at the sight of her sweet little niece wrapping her arms around Chris’ neck to hold onto him as she closed her tired eyes. Although it was a big step for Lily to accept Chris’ offer, Nat almost figured that she shouldn’t be surprised with the aura of comfort that Chris seemed to exude. He had a way of putting people at ease and was always willing to meet everyone with understanding and compassion, and Lily was no different. 

Her eyes were practically glued to him the entire journey to the car, watching him use one of his hands to rub Lily’s back comfortingly before he carefully buckled her into the carseat. It wasn’t surprising to her how good he was with kids, knowing how much he enjoyed them, but actually getting to watch the way he took care of them, listened to all their chattering, and played games with Ella on the way back to the house, allowed her to see just what a natural he was and made all kinds of emotions stir inside her. 

By the time they’d made it back to the outskirts of Kirkland, Carson and Lily had woken up from their nap and were happy to climb out of the minivan behind Ella before they ran toward the house. Ryan and Heather were following behind but Eric veered off to go feed the chickens until Nat waved him off and told him that she’d take care of it. 

A pair of footsteps could be heard behind her and she instantly knew who it was when a warm hand came to rest on the small of her back and she could smell his musky cologne before he chuckled, “You know, it kind of doesn’t surprise me that your dad has chickens.” 

“That he got just for fun,” Nat smirked, leaning into his touch as they made their way towards the fenced in chicken area. 

Chris’ left hand was shoved in the pocket of his jeans as they walked, shaking his head as he told her, “That sounds like a very you thing to do.” 

“I got it from somewhere,” she shrugged simply, a slight frown on her face as she thought. “And from everything I know about her, my mom was normal so I definitely don’t take after her.” 

Her comment hung as she slipped out of his grasp and stepped into the chicken area, grabbing the bag of feed and spreading it on the ground. The chickens came running out to eat, but one  – the latest chicken to join the Marton family, along with Erwin – made its way around the group and to Nat. She bent over, picking up Matilda and smiling at Chris’ surprised chuckle from the other side of the fence. She turned with the hen in her arms as she faced Chris, posing with a laugh as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to take a picture. 

Once the picture had been taken, she put the hen back down. The couple were silent as she stepped back outside of the coop area, both of their eyes watching the animals in amusement. She was surprised when Chris’ arm slipped around her waist again but relaxed in his embrace and took the chance to tell him, “...They really love you, you know.” 

“The chickens? How can you tell?” Chris laughed, his nose scrunching with the action as she rolled her eyes at him. 

“Not the chickens you idiot,” she corrected, swatting at his chest as he kept laughing. “My family.” 

“Do they?” Chris asked, his voice genuine and a bit quiet. He waited for her nod, then shrugged and confessed, “I’ve honestly been kind of stressed about it. I can tell your dad likes me but I don’t know everyone else well enough to read them.” 

“They really do, I promise,” she reassured him, turning in his embrace to face him. Both of his arms were now wrapped around her waist, while her hand hooked over his shoulder as she looked up at him with a soft smile. 

“I’m so fuckin’ relieved,” Chris shook his head while he half-smiled. His shoulders relaxed under the reassurance and he quietly admitted, “I was stressing at the game with what Ryan was saying about the box and me being famous. I had thought the game would be a nice gesture but then was freaking out and thought that maybe they all just thought I was just some asshole bigshot trying to just show off or win them over or something.” 

Nat gave a sympathetic smile, knowing she’d felt the same only weeks ago. “And I thought the exact opposite when I was in Boston,” she told him. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, his brows furrowing with confusion as he looked at her. 

She’d kept this fear deep inside of her for a while now, never wanting to make anyone think differently of her if she were to share it with them. But here now with Chirs, she felt safe, she felt loved, and she knew he wouldn’t judge her at this point – he knew and had seen far too many worse and crazy things from her for this to be the thing that scared him off. “I was so afraid your family and friends would think I was just some gold digger or social climber because I’m just a normal person,” she informed him as she shook her head at herself. 

“Everyone who met you loved you instantly, and told me so themselves,” he assured her, a frown on his face at the implication of her words. She knew he likely was more upset over the insecurity laced in her confession rather than any possible dig to any friends or family back home, but no matter what, he clearly didn’t like that confession from her. “I love who you are Nat, and I love that you don’t care about the shit that comes along with me. I love acting and I’m so thankful for the opportunities I’ve gotten to have but one day, and I hope this day is sooner rather than later, I don’t want all of that. I want to just have a normal life. I want to be able to come home to my wife and drive our kids to school and decorate the Christmas tree and have barbecues in the summer. I want my own family and I care more about that than any film or project that comes across my desk.” 

An emotional smile on her face appeared as she listened to him, hanging onto every last word. He could always do this, quell any lingering anxieties or fears with a simple reassurance, without hesitating. It meant so much to her and she truly didn’t want a future without him by her side, no matter what it looked like – struggling to scrape together money or living life without any worries about their security. As long as they were together, it was worth it to her. “I feel like we’re getting a little bit of that now,” she couldn’t help but point out to him. 

“We are, and I love it,” he grinned, his hands splaying across the small of her back on her black turtleneck. “It means a lot to me that you invited me here, Nattie.” 

Her lips pursed a little as her hand moved from his shoulder to the back of his head, running through the hair at the nape of his neck slowly. “It means a lot to me that you wanted to come,” she admitted to him. 

“Nowhere I’d rather be but with you,” he assured her, his grin turning into a wide smile. 

And Nat felt that to the core of her being when he pressed his lips to hers lovingly, before his arm stayed wrapped around her as they made their way back up to the house. All of this just felt so right. Nat was here with the people she loved most in this world, and Chris just seemed to slot in so perfectly, as if he had always belonged there and that spot had been waiting just for him. 

Her focus was pulled off of him once they were back in the house and Alex was handing baby Jack over to her while Alex made her way to the bathroom, but Nat certainly wasn’t complaining. She hadn’t gotten the quality time with Jack that everyone else had the past few weeks since he’d been born with her still being in California, but she was soaking up every bit of it now that she was here and just nuzzled her face against his soft cheeks before going over to the couch and sit down with her tiny nephew in her arms. 

They spent the evening like this, with the kids all playing in the house that their mothers and aunts grew up in, surrounded by their uncles, grandfather, and Chris. They enjoyed their pizzas as they spread all over the kitchen, with the kids at the kitchen table with Eric, Alex, Zach, and baby Jack, who was sleeping on his dad’s chest, while Heather, Ryan, Chris, and Nat hung near the kitchen island, a few beers on the counter around them as they all talked loudly. 

Nat could barely contain the emotions she felt as Zach passed Jack to Chris so that he could have a break and eat his dinner. The sight of that little infant in Chris’ arms as he laughed quietly and listened to the stories the kids were telling about the latest happenings at school, was almost too much to handle and she was thankful for the reprieve when Heather took Jack, offering to get him ready for his bedtime soon. 

The kids had moved into the family room and around the television with the rest of the adults while Nat and Chris put away the leftover pizza and started tackling the dishes, but soon some tiny footsteps trailed down the hallway outside of the kitchen and came to a stop in the archway. Nat glanced to make sure it wasn’t Carson needing something or wanting Chris, but she was surprised to see Lily hovering nervously in the doorway. 

“Hey buggie, looking for something?” She smiled at the girl, reaching for a dish towel and drying her hands off. 

“Um…” The little girl trailed off, eyes nervously glancing to Chris, who was reaching for a dishwasher pod below the sink before he put it in and turned on the dishwasher, and back down at her hand, which was furled in a tight fist. 

Nat raised an eyebrow, moving to crouch down in front of Lily. “What is it, Lils? Do you want a snack?” She asked, pointing back at the pantry from over her shoulder.

“No,” her niece said, a deep blush settling on her cheeks. She opened her fist as she explained,  “I…I…made this.”

Nat’s jaw dropped open a bit as she looked down at the large rainbow beaded bracelet in her hand. “This is so sweet, buggie,” she told Lily, her eyes moving over them, seeing the variety of beads on them, her eyes lingering on the ones that spelled out his name. “Chris, I think you should come take a look at this bracelet.” 

“Oh I’m coming. I can’t miss out on this gorgeous jewelry that Lily is making,” Chris laughed from the sink, shutting the water off and drying his hands. Nat picked Lily up, putting her on the counter next to them and standing in front of her as Chris came to join them. 

“Do you see the name on this bracelet?” Nat asked, pointing a single finger at the bracelet in Lily’s left hand.

His brows raised, an excited look on his face as his eyes twinkled. “Lily, did you make this for me?” He asked her, his voice soft and touched. 

“...Your bracelets aren’t sparkly,” Lily murmured as she nodded, wide eyes as she reached out to lightly touch his red bracelet, one of the ones he’d shown her in September. 

“That is true. They look so lame compared to this gorgeous bracelet,” he agreed, his hands twitching a bit. Nat knew he probably wanted to hug the girl, knowing how much his heart must be bursting from the gesture by Lily, but that he was trying to not make her feel uncomfortable. “Can I wear it right now?” 

Lily’s little head nodded, a shy happy smile on her face as she held her hand out and Chris took the beaded bracelet, sliding it on to stack it with his other thin bracelets. Nat almost wanted to laugh looking at the rainbow beads on Chris’ wrist but she knew how much this moment signified, loving to see her shy niece show the deep affection she already had for Chris. She kept watching as Chris gushed over and over about the bracelet, pointing at every tiny detail and assuring her how much he loved this gift and just how talented she was. 

Nat knew that any child would have loved the attention but it ran so much deeper with Lily. She was so shy and reserved, struggling so much with her anxiety that it made it hard for her to warm up to new people, so for her to be this attached to Chris already was a sign of just how much she liked him and nothing touched Nat’s heart more. 

“Lily, I love this so much. Can I give you a hug?” He asked, waiting for her response patiently. At Lily’s shy nod, he wrapped his arms around her, holding the young girl as he whispered, “Thank you for my bracelet, Lils.” 

“I liked making it,” she confessed as he stepped back. 

“Can we go show everyone my bracelet, or do you want to keep it just between us?” He asked, raising a brow but smiling reassuringly at her. Nat knew without a second of hesitation that he’d do whatever Lily wished, but she found herself hoping Lily was confident enough to tell everyone about the bracelet.  

“I… I wanna show them,” Lily decided, her voice sounding more confident than it had before.  

Nat kept watching as Chris wrapped his thick arms around Lily, balancing her on his hip while she wrapped her little arms around his neck to hold on. He easily held her with one arm while he held out his other one, showing off the bracelet as he walked into the living room and loudly announced, “Look at the present I just got!” 

Even from the kitchen, Nat could see through the open archway to Lily blushing furiously as she clung to Chris but that smile of pride was evident on her face as Chris walked around to each member of her family to show off his new accessory. 

It was a few hours later with the memory of the bracelet fresh in their minds as Nat confessed to Chris, “I think you might upstage me as Lily’s new favorite,” as she shut the white door behind them, the small bedroom a little cramped with the suitcases and backpacks piled in the corner near her dresser. Chris’ bag, obviously packed for his forthcoming trip to Disney in a few days made her heart clench, but she pushed aside those emotions as she focused on right now… at how perfect today had been, so much so that she’d wished every day could be like this. Happy, peaceful, relaxed, and their own little… thing together. 

“Have you seen the way Lily looks at you? I don’t think I could ever upstage her precious Auntie Nat,” Chris smirked as he undressed down to just his boxer briefs and his new bracelet, climbing onto the creaky bed and laying against the wall. His eyes softened as he met her gaze, his voice nothing but honest as he pointed out,  “All of those kids are so obsessed with you.” 

She rolled her eyes fondly as she threw a sweatshirt over her frame and pulled on a pair of pajama pants, explaining, “It’s because I’m the out of town aunt so they just like that I bring them presents when I come.” 

“I’m pretty sure it’s not that,” Chris laughed, pausing as a long yawn escaped him. His left arm rested above his head while his eyes drooped a bit, but his voice was engaged and low as he added, “I think I can guarantee it’s that you make them feel so loved. You’re pretty fucking good at that.” 

“It’s easy with them. I love those kids,” she whispered, sitting at the foot of the bed as she reached for her lotion, rubbing it into her hands. She silently offered him the lotion and with a shake of his head, she put it down next to her, massaging it into her arms and legs. 

“Have you thought about how many kids you want one day?” He asked her quietly, his eyes locked on her. 

“I’m not really sure,” she shrugged, looking down as her hands kept moving. “I know I want kids, but I don’t know how many though.” 

“I want a couple at least, hopefully more,” he shrugged, his answer a little more specific than her non-committal one. 

She arched her brow, looking at him with a smirk as she asked, “Are you the one having them?” 

“Nat,” he rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at her comment, his tone turning more serious before he looked right at her. “What are your thoughts on kids in the future? I think it’s important for us to talk about.” 

Having a family and children was something Nat had longed for deep in her heart for a long time, but had given up on that idea the past couple years. Once things with Shane were getting worse and then their inevitable breakup, she had given up hope on the thought of having a family of her own. Nat wasn’t stupid and knew that she was getting older and with a career like hers that she had dedicated so much of herself to, she knew that by the time she could even find someone to spend her life with, it might be too late for children… that was if she even found someone that loved her. 

But here she was, being in love and being loved beyond her wildest dreams and having him express his feelings of wanting to have this - a home with their children running around - with her was something that made tears sting in her eyes. This wasn’t some far off fantasy anymore, this was something that was possibly on the horizon and knowing that he was thinking of a future together raising their family side by side was enough to have her heart flutter. 

Nat pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she rested her chin on her knees. Although she was so happy to know that he was bringing up this possibility, she had stuffed down this deep want of hers for so long, trying to let it go that the thought of it being brought up again felt slightly terrifying. Nat couldn’t help but feel her mind wander to the what if’s, wondering how she’d be able to handle entertaining the idea only to have her hopes dashed in the future and although she didn’t mean to, Nat slipped into her coping mechanism of humor as she glanced at him sitting with his back against the headboard, only clad in those tight black boxer briefs on his toned tattooed body and she shrugged, “I mean, with you looking like that I wouldn’t mind having ten or twelve kids.” 

But he didn’t laugh as he normally did to her jokes, knowing her too well and just giving her a look as he lightly nudged her with his foot,  “C’mon, I’m being serious.” 

“So was I!” She laughed, her cheeks turning a little pink at his prodding.

“Nattie…” 

“I do want kids,” she reminded him, shrugging a bit as she looked around before she met his gaze again. “It’s just hard to think about.” 

He nodded, his voice lower and quieter as he asked, “Because of your mom?” 

“No, it’s more just that I’m afraid to entertain that idea and know it might not happen,” she finally confessed, pausing as she mulled over his suggestion. She still found herself struggling lately, even after Chris’ revelation about Shelly back in Massachussetts a month prior. He’d pushed her to finally admit the very thing she’d been scared to – that she felt no connection to her mother, and she struggled about where she fit in with her remaining family members because of it. And while she had been more open and honest about that with Chris since, it didn’t mean it still wasn’t hard. “And a little about my mom, I guess. I mean, I don’t know that I really know how to be a mom because I never had one.” 

“I already know that you’re going to be an incredible mom because of seeing how much you love your nieces and nephews and how much they adore you,” he assured her, a tiny half-smile on his face. “And I really hope that I’m the one who gets to see you be a mom.” 

“You’d want to have kids with me even after six months of finding out about how crazy I am,” she stated dryly, giving him a skeptical look.

Chris’ loud laughter echoed around the small room, loudly enough she began to worry he’d wake one of the kids as they slept happily down the hall. But before he could ruin the fun and allure of their week-long sleepover at grandpa’s, he stopped laughing to tell her, “Remember I knew you a couple months before we dated, so I knew you were crazy long before we got together.” 

Nat smirked, pushing his foot off of her leg as she pointed out, “Hey, I was trying to be serious and now you’re the one being the sarcastic asshole,” 

“I was just trying to make you laugh, but you’re right,” he agreed. His eyes moved over Nat as she sat at the foot of the bed, her legs bent at the knee as she rested her chin on her kneecaps. He raised an eyebrow at her as he sat up, hands hovering in mid-air. At her nod, he leaned forwards, gently unfurling her body and making her relax as they sat closer together, his hand resting on her leg, which was now straightened across the bed. “I’m being completely serious when I say that I want kids, Nat. And I want them with you. I know that we’re still getting closer and working on this relationship, but I really only see this relationship heading one direction because I love you so fucking much, Nattie.” 

“I love you too,” she breathed, knowing she’d never hesitate to say those words to him, never questioning whether either of them meant it when they spoke them. “And I want all of that with you too.” 

She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. His hand slid up her leg to her arm until it rested on her cheek, holding her in place until their lungs began to burn a bit. As they caught their breath once they parted, he looked at her up through his long eyelashes and confessed, “You looked so fucking good with that baby in your arms.” 

“So did you. I didn’t think my poor panties were going to be able to stay on while you were holding Jack,” she laughed, running her own thumb over his bearded cheek as she smirked. 

“Hey, I thought we were being serious.” 

She laughed sharply, shaking her head. “I am being serious!” 

“You’re ridiculous and I love you,” he chuckled, sliding a bit farther back up the bed as she moved over to the singular nightstand. “But you still didn’t answer my question… how many kids do you think you want?” 

“Maybe two or three,” she shrugged, putting the bottle of lotion on the beat-up wooden nightstand, the one that had always been in her childhood room. “Probably four max.” 

Chris nodded as they settled below the covers, yawning again as she turned off the lamp. “I think that feels like a good number. I want my kids to have siblings so I want more than one but somewhere between two and four seems just about right.” 

“I want to be married first though,” she told him, her voice a bit firm. “I want that before kids.” 

“Don’t worry baby, you won’t have to twist my arm,” he laughed, his voice dropping lower as she rolled over, resting her head on his chest. “I have no intention of letting you go.” 

Her hand rested on the firm pec below her, a content sigh escaping her lips. “I have a feeling when the time comes for kids, we’ll know it,” she mused, knowing Alex and Heather had always spoken about having just…. known when they were ready to add to their little families. 

“I think we will,” he agreed, his voice hardly above a whisper. “I just hope we know before I’ve signed onto anything.” 

His words barely were cause for concern as she relaxed against Chris, quietly telling him, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” 

“I know, but I don’t want to be that dad,” he confessed. Her eyes opened at those words, narrowing as she stared at the yellow wall next to him. Just as he’d earlier clocked her insecurity-fueled words, she was catching this, this self-hatred and fear he had about what was meant to be such a special time in the future for them both. 

“What ‘dad’?” She asked, wanting him to clarify it for them both. 

“The dad who’s always gone,” he explained, shrugging half-heartedly, causing his chest to rise and fall beneath her cheek. “I don’t want to be stuck filming for months somewhere while I miss out on my kid’s lives. 

“You won’t be, Chris. You’re not like that,” she reassured him, shifting her body so she could look up at him. He had a scowl on his face, one that almost told her he barely believed those words, but she persisted and added, “And even if you are gone, you’ll still be involved because that’s who you are.”

His scowl became a frown as he pointed out, “I just already am going to be the older dad, I don’t want to be gone on top of that.”

She knew their family would likely look a bit different than most, no matter where they lived. They’d have family on opposite coasts, split time among Los Angeles, Washington State, and Massachusetts, but most of all, the biggest oddity would be Chris. His job provided him – and those around him, by default – with the security that came along with blockbuster contracts, royalties, and comic book franchises, but it also meant him going away for weeks and months on end, sometimes several times a year, having a microscope on his life, and being gossip fodder. 

But none of that mattered when she looked at the grand scheme of things. She saw that it meant they’d never have to worry about having money to put any of their kids through college, they could take care of their parents when that time came, be generous, charitable, and use it for good. Sure, him being gone when they have a baby might have her eventually singing a different tune, but Chris…. Everything he was, kind, funny, smart, caring, crazily energetic, and most of all, a good person? That was worth anything, and it always would be.

“Age doesn’t make a difference in what kind of parent you are and in fact, I think being older helps you be even better,” Nat pointed out. She knew his age was something he’d grown to be insecure about as time passed without starting a family, but it would not be a crutch, not for a long time. “But let’s try not to worry about it now, okay? The future will take care of itself.” 

His frown and deep worry lines relaxed as he shook his head in disbelief, telling her, “I still can’t believe how you can always do that. You can always cut through the noise and get right to my heart.” 

“I’m kind of partial to that heart of yours,” she laughed, her eyes slipping shut as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers again. 

As they settled back into the mattress to fall asleep, his heartbeat and breathing slowed beneath her cheek as the long few days of travel and chaos with her family caught up with him. She was close to sleep herself as her eyelids grew heavy, but a distant cry in the room down the hall brought her back to awareness as Jack woke.

And as muffled movements from Alex or Zach could be heard, Nat couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like when it was them waking up to their baby crying. She couldn’t help but think about when it would be, in two years? Three? But most of all, she wondered what their kids would be like, if they’d get their blue eyes or somehow get the brown eyes that her dad and sisters had. If they’d have Chris’ reserved personality or her crazy one, her curls or his rich brown hair, thick from toddlerhood. 

But most of all, she couldn’t fucking wait. 

A/N: We hope you enjoyed this part! We truly adore it. We are so so proud of so much in this story already, but ESPECIALLY this chapter. It just means so much to us, as does your support and comments! Thank you so much for reading!

[cowboytarlos]

Tarlos headcannons pt. 3

-When Carlos was 16, his appendix ruptured after a week of pushing himself to go to school with a ‘stomach bug’. He spent two weeks in the hospital, and scared his parents sick. Andrea told TK this story after he woke up from his coma, and all he could think was ‘that explains the scar there’.

-When TK is nervous around Carlos, he’ll fiddle with Carlos’ fingers, running fingers up and down them etc. Carlos thinks it’s sweet, and has been able to easily pick up when he’s nervous. He just sticks his hand out subtly for TK.

-Andrea absolutely adores TK. Every time She calls or Carlos calls, she’ll always ask how TK is, sometimes before she asks how Carlos is. Carlos jokes about how she’s got a new favourite son.

-Carlos is a huge great british bake off fan, and immediately gets TK obsessed with the show.

-Andrea did wind up having a very serious conversation to TK over breaking up with Carlos. After the conversation ended, Carlos whispered to TK ‘I’ve never heard her so mad before’.

-Carlos has the world worst hay fever.

-TK could barely remember his own phone number, but knows Carlos’ off by heart.

-Carlos is a mitski fan. He also listens to a lot of Hozier.

-TK blushes easily. Like a teenager in their first relationship. Carlos recorded a show he very briefly mentioned so he wouldn’t miss it? Bright red. Carlos made him a cup of coffee without asking? Flushed for an hour. Carlos randomly bought him something? Never forgets it. Carlos compliments him? Flustered, extremely flustered. People think Carlos is doing this on purpose, but Carlos doesnt realise he doesn’t have to try.

-Carlos can be completely oblivious. One time, Carlos was grocery shopping with TK, and a women started subtly flirting with Carlos. TK noticed immediately and made it very obvious who he was to Carlos without saying it. As she walked away, TK pointed it out to Carlos and all Carlos had to say was ‘i thought she was being nice,’. 

-TK was a theatre kid in high school. Carlos was on the football team.

-Carlos doesn’t know how to use emojis. He texts like an old man.

-TK is a huge Pixar fan. His favourite Pixar movie is Ratatouille.

-Carlos bruises super easy. He’s absolutely covered in bruises, just all over. Loads on his shin. TK comments about the possibility of Carlos having an iron deficiency, cause no normal person should bruise this easy. But after a blood test, turns out he doesn’t. Still a mystery to this day.

-Despite being a paramedic, TK has a crippling fear of other people being sick. Like throwing up. He’s fine (as fine as one person could be) when he’s sick, but can’t do it with other people. Gets incredibly tense and anxious. When Carlos caught a horrible flu for the first time with TK in his life, it was a slight disaster. TK wanted and was very determined to look after Carlos. But when one of his new symptoms was not being able to keep anything down, it became a little harder from him to stay focused.

-Carlos was pretty short for all of middle school, but during the summer before high school, he had a very sudden and huge growth spurt. Like almost an entire foot sort of spurt.

-TK was a massive one direction fan, whilst they were band. But if you ask him now, he’d deny it.

-Carlos has incredibly sensitive hearing. Can’t not stand loud noises. Terrified of fireworks, likes the concept of concerts, can’t actually go to them.

-TK’s phone is literally never charged. But always has enough battery to answer Carlos. Drives the team insane.

-TK had a adult onset allergy to pineapple. He would eat loads as a kid. Always in his lunch box, gallons of pineapple and tropical juice in the fridge, loves pineapple sweets. So when he has a horrible reaction to eating pineapple, it really threw him through a loop.

-When TK moves to Texas, that’s when he learns how easily he burns. Carlos just tans, TK is extremely jealous.

-TK s is left handed. Carlos is right handed. So Carlos will hold TK’s right hand, so he can use his left hand.