#{magical girl of hope!} (gwen)

[thebreakfastmuses]

♡ basil for gwen lol

Send ♡ to see what my muse thinks of yours

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"It... wasn't enough for him that we were friends... How can he claim to love me when he doesn't respect my feelings at all...?"

[unfortunate-arrow]

HPMA Appreciation Week 2023 → Day 2: Favorite OCs That Aren’t Mine

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐲

→ Nate’s girl. She’s such a darling and my favorite HPMA Slytherin. She’s such a good complement for Nate. I love the complications in her story and the coincidental similarities between her life and Nate’s. She’s just a darling and has really helped to make Nate’s (and by extension, Finn’s) story come into a clearer focus, especially with some of the upcoming changes. She may not have been there from the start, but I love her and she’s such a good fit for Nate. @gaygryffindorgal

𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧

→ Jack’s girl. Probably Thea’s best friend. Benedict’s sister in every way but blood. Sage is one of a kind, hell bent on schedules, which makes her a brilliant complement for fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants Jack. Sage is the first in a series of Ravenclaw HPMA girls that I adore and the Whittens just wouldn’t be the same without her. @kc-and-co

𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤

→ Benedict’s girl. Poppy is the second in the series of Ravenclaw girls that I adore. She’s the one who first truly gets beyond all of Ben’s walls and she’s a sweetheart. I love her, she’s just amazing and I can’t wait to see more of her! @cursebreakerfarrier (I also want to give a shout-out to Jasper because he’s one of the best MA professors and Camila’s favorite guy!)

𝐍𝐨𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡

→ Thea’s girl. Noa is great. I love all of her story and her relationship with Thea. I love that she becomes a quidditch player and all of her little details, as they’re all so interesting. I love her friendship with Poppy and Sage and am very amused by the way that all three Ravenclaw girls end up with a Whitten. She may be the newest to this little crew, but she’s one of my favorite Ravenclaw girls.. @thatravenpuffwitch (I’ll also offer a small shout-out to Rylie and Pat, who were part of why I ended making Declan O’Donnell-Lee a full-fledged OC.)

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤

→ Declan’s girl. She’s such a darling and I love her backstory, it’s quite unique. I love her relationship with Declan and the ways in which their futures influence one another. She’s such a fun character and I love her. She may be the newest to my crew of HPMA love interests, but Callie is so great. @mjs-oc-corner

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚-𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞

→ It felt appropriate to include a Hufflepuff (and a boy) as I haven’t focused much on that with this. So, after thinking on it and even with him being fairly new, Hermes still stands out as quite the interesting character. He also seems to be a great combination of his parents. @slytherindisaster

𝐆𝐰𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞

→ Gwen is such an interesting character, with all of her different interests. I like how all of her hobbies are all quite similar, yet different. She’s a very interesting character, with an interesting backstory and family. Plus Hufflepuffs are always some of the best characters. @magicallymalted

𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞

→ He was probably my first introduction to your characters and he’s quite an interesting one. I love his name (unsurprisingly, as I also have a kiddo named Declan who is also a Slytherin). I also love his faceclaim, which I’m also using but with a set of identical twin HPHL fankids. He’s got one of the most unique storylines amongst HPMA and he’s quite unique in general. I’m also not quite sure why, but he gives me similar vibes to my Lynch boys, like his vibe is a combination of Cillian’s and Tadhg’s, which is very interesting. @potionboy3

— For @endlessly-cursed’s HP Magic Awakened Appreciation Week

[cryptid-paint]

Anodite Devlin Levin!

I always headcanoned Devlin as Kevin's and Gwen's kid, so I wanted to redesign him a bit and add some of my headcanons

-1) he has a lucky cat/lucky girl cat patch that Gwen made him and embroidered into his favorite hoodie and sometimes he Lowkey takes over her identity as lucky boy and takes her cat mask with him on his little solo missions

-2) I headcanon anodites as a female only species (although they don't care much about gender) so Devlin is a trans man, in his anodite form, his top surgery scars are made of stardust and mana and have little stars shining in them.

-3) I also headcanon anodites as goat or deer like, so they have hooves and horns, the older the anodite, the longer their horns grow as a symbol of their power (Devlin is still a teen so his horns are relatively small, they start to sprout as itty bitty little nubs when an anodite is around 10-11, yes that's a Ben 10/Kevin 11 reference lol) I wanted the slight goat features to be a metaphor for how goats have been seen as a sign of secret knowledge, magic, witchcraft and the occult thought history so this is my way of saying I see anodites as the cosmos/universe version of a witch

-4) I also think Devlin would be very into spells and magic and Both him and Gwen would bond over that, Gwen would definitely mentor him in how to use spells and mix it with mana and his anodites powers.

That's all I got for now, hope you guys enjoyed my take on Devlin and Anodite lore

[sexy-sapphic-sorcerer]

1: Magic is a Metaphor < 2: Morgana is a Lesbian < 3: Merlin is Gay > 4: Arthur is Bi

Again with the whole metaphor thing, Merlin's entire character is about having to hide his identity and wishing that he could be free to be himself so that he wouldn't have to lie about how much Arthur means to him. So that's all very gay, but he's also just very queer-coded generally. There are so many jokes about him being more effeminate or wearing women's clothing, most notably in this episode where he dresses in full drag and then takes the opportunity to shamelessly flirt with Arthur. Unhinged.

Basically every other character seems to just assume that he's gay, at least towards the end, because Gaius and Arthur are in utter disbelief that Merlin would be 'seeing a girl'. And of course he isn't, he's actually sneaking around with that druid guy, leading Arthur to question how courting a girl would leave him 'walking with a limp.'

I also think it's very interesting how often Merlin has to pretend to be attracted to women to avoid people discovering his secret, like with Gwen in Series 1 or Morgana in Series 2. Or this scene, where Gwen and Merlin are the only people not affected by the Lamia's seduction charm and they're trying to figure out why. And Merlin says, 'it doesn't affect you because you're a woman'. And firstly, Gwen is like, 'so what?' So, bisexual queen. And then Merlin says, "it only affects men," and Gwen says, "so then why haven't you fallen under her spell?" And Merlin is just like, 'oh shit, I don't know. I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't be seduced by a woman.'

Now, you might be saying, "but Merlin is attracted to women! what about that one female love interest he had for literally one episode who immediately died?" Oh, you mean:

I'm sorry to all of the Freylin shippers out there, but this was so clearly just the writers' last-ditch attempt to make Merlin straight. If you think about it, Freya also 'has magic' if you catch my drift, and that is the only thing that she and Merlin have in common, and the only thing that they talk about. And if you look at their dialogue out of context, it really doesn't seem like it's magic that they're talking about. It's just gay/lesbian solidarity. Also, never forget when Colin Morgan accidentally referred to Merlin's potential love interests as "him or her." So who else could he have been thinking of?

Merlin definitely had a crush on Lancelot. From the moment that they first meet, he just keeps going on about, 'omg, isn't Lancelot so strong and brave and chivalrous? God, I hope he becomes a knight, he would look so good in a suit of armour.' And then he says to Gwen, completely unprompted, "so just for the sake of argument– Arthur or Lancelot?" Why are you thinking about that Merlin? Then that scene ends with Merlin and Lancelot getting drunk and stumbling home together and waking up the next morning having shared Merlin's single bed. So take from that what you will. I don't necessarily think that anything happened between them, not because I think Lancelot is straight, don't get it twisted, just because I think he's a fucking virgin.

But certified pansexual manwhore Gwaine on the other hand, oh they definitely fucked. And it's a very similar situation to Lancelot, Merlin's only flirting technique is just to find some buff guy who's just saved his life and be like, 'oh my god what can I possibly do to repay you? Maybe you could come back to my place and I could tend to your wounds and then we could go down to the tavern, have a few drinks'.

And it works. Merlin literally used his job as apprentice physician to the Knights of the Round Table as his own personal Grindr, and i love that for him. But, of course, these are just side hoes to Merlin's main bitch, Arthur.

You can deny everything else that I've said, but you cannot deny that Merlin was in love with Arthur. And don't even try to say, 'but it's just because it was his destiny'. Because, yeah, like that's any less gay. They're two sides of the same coin, destined to be together, Merlin 'uses magic only for Arthur'. Come on.

Also, it's pretty clear that Merlin cares about Arthur more than he cares about his destiny, throughout the entire show. But it culminates in this scene in series five where, because of very contrived plot reasons, Arthur has to choose between legalizing magic and saving the life of Mordred. And Merlin convinces Arthur not to legalise magic so that he will let Mordred die. He literally enables the genocide of his own people and condemns himself to a lifetime of suffering just on the off chance that he can spend a bit more time with Arthur.

And if that isn't heartbreaking enough, of course, every action that Merlin makes only confirms Arthur's fate. And after he very platonically dies in Merlin's arms, as dudebros do, what does Merlin do? does he go back to Camelot and live a full happy heterosexual life? Of course not. No, he spends the next one and a half thousand years just waiting at Arthur's resting place, waiting for the day that Arthur will be resurrected and they can be together again. What the fuck kind of Greek tragedy, Achilles and Patroclus level shit is that? That is fucking gay.

[gdn019283]

Merlin follows Arthur everywhere, but Arthur follows Merlin everywhere too (what I believe was a possible Camelot’s Golden Age)

Do we talk about this enough? I don’t know (obviously we do), so here I am, because I need to get this out of my system.

But before I get straight to the point, you’ll need to bear with me and listen to my ranting about Freya.

I genuinely don’t know why and maybe I just read the wrong fanfictions, but why does there seem to be a collective thinking about how Merlin wouldn’t have gone with Freya because he couldn’t abandon Arthur?

Are we talking about the same Merlin?

Whatever someone believes Merlin and Freya loved each other platonically or romantically, my man was ready to flee:

Merlin didn’t think about it one second, before he went back home to Ealdor to save his mother and the villagers. “Oh, but it’s his mom”, and Freya was a poor, tortured and outcasted girl, traumatised and oppressed by the same system that oppressed Merlin, who had been finally understood by a girl who was ready to love him and live with him. And my babygirl Merlin was ready to have that, ready to live as himself and run away with someone who cared enough about him to wait for him.

Merlin never thought about the consequences of helping someone, especially in the first seasons. I could argue the point that he didn’t care about Freya (much like he didn’t care about a lot of other people) with season four/season five Merlin, but in the second season, Merlin still had the faith and hope of doing what was right, and even if very dangerous, didn’t care about his actions to the point even Gaius didn’t know what he was up to.

The following up seasons are a contradiction to the first two, because Merlin and Arthur had began to finally change. We see them talk back to both Gaius and Uther, siding with Morgana and her plans, and try to do what was right in the best of their capacity (and it makes even more sense that Merlin couldn’t still do much, since he was starting to understand his powers and their extent only then)

And even in season four, with no one by his side, not even Arthur, and barely Gwaine, Merlin didn’t think about it twice to go save Gaius all by himself, against people he didn’t know, Agravaine and Morgana.

So for those who has stayed, here comes my point:

Arthur has a tendency, if we don’t want to name it an homosexual calling towards his manservant, to follow Merlin almost everywhere:

Even if Merlin and Arthur had already tested their limits, and by this, I mean for how long they could stay more than one inch apart from each other, Arthur followed Merlin to Ealdor. My man had two heads, and for a moment longer than what was considered not gay, he thought more with one than the other, and we all know which one I’m referring too. But jokes aside, Merlin had already drank poison for Arthur, and yet, he loved more people than just him, like his mother, and did what he felt was right;

With Freya, Arthur would have resisted two seconds without Merlin, somehow found out that the idiot had had to protect the fourth magical creature of the week, and after rolling his eyes and debating his heterosexuality for the umpteenth time during the last hours, would have packed his things and followed Merlin, to hell with the kingdom (and if we want to be romantic, what’s a kingdom to Arthur without his best friend, court sorcerer, lover, Merlin? Consequently, Arthur would have even followed Freya, and the three would have been followed by Gwen and Morgana, and together start the revolution we deserved to see).

And if it hadn’t been for Agravaine, with his horrid, yet somehow successful manipulation, (I blame this on Arthur’s stupidity and his lack of affection), Arthur would have believed Merlin’s thoughts about Gaius and followed him there, too.

And I’m not even talking about the times where Arthur blindly followed Merlin on quests because of his ‘funny feelings’, didn’t think about it twice to bring Gwaine with them on a quest that was supposed to be a secret, followed Merlin around the castle, because he needed him either for practise or to clean his things, or to polish the bloody armour (it should have been the other way around, Merlin following Arthur around because the chores were literally his job, but fine) and whenever Merlin mysteriously disappeared, Arthur questioned the entire castle about him, following not Merlin, but those who could have seen him. If we were given the show we deserved, now we would have scenes of Arthur walking all the way down the lower town in nothing but breeches, a tunic and bare feet to haul Merlin by the back of his collar and bring him back to the castle, with a grumpy face on, because: “How could you abandon me, Merlin?” (he had been gone away for one hour).

We often talk about how much Merlin goes around Arthur, because he is literally his destiny, but if we are talking about two sides of the same coin, two halfs that cannot hate the other, very heterosexual endearing names they have given each other over the duration of ten years…

Then,

Merlin is Arthur’s destiny.

It’s balanced, even with their relationship:

One is a servant, the other is a prince/king;

One is oppressed, the other oppresses him;

One is rich, the other is poor;

One is awful at fighting (with anything other than his magic), the other is one of the best warriors in all Five Kingdoms;

One is literally magic, the other doesn’t have it, but was born of it;

In the first part of the series, one has a father, the other has a mother;

One is good at and likes hunting, the other isn’t good at and dislikes hunting;

One is an idiot, the other is… Alright, this is fair, at least.

One is gay, the other isn’t.

The differences are there, but Merlin and Arthur have one goal in common:

Bring peace to Camelot, and unite all of Albion.

Aside the obvious fact, which is that they both didn’t achieve the goal, and when trying to do just that, they were both shite at it, the Golden Age they had to bring was literally each other.

Merlin and Arthur are balanced by character and personality, behaviour and station, but there was only one thing they really cared about:

each other.

Merlin had to bring out Arthur’s love and respect for those unlike him, show him that magic was not the fault of people’s crimes, but their actions, help him distance himself from Uther and everything that is Uther, and build a new reign of prosperity and equality, and therefore peace.

Meanwhile, Arthur had to help, by being a king, bring out Merlin’s voice, powers, true self, and by listening to him, following him, and liberating all who were like him and make actual peace.

Okay, both didn’t do shit, but we can say they tried (?)

All of this to say that Arthur and Merlin did things the same, but differently. The story described them as two sides of the same coin, and did show exactly that (even if, at times, poorly).

If they had the chance to truly loved each other, in the right way, the Golden Age would have arrived for everyone.

And the Golden Age was meant to first make Merlin and Arthur see who they really were, show their true feelings, and finally fuck each other’s brains out, and then to bring prosperity to the kingdom of Camelot, and therefore all of Albion.

We can say:

Merlin’s Golden Age was Arthur, and Arthur’s Golden Age was Merlin.

And this implies that Albion’s greatest need is Merlin, and Arthur will rise again when Merlin will need him the most.

[coraniaid]

I read this post the other day and now I can't help but try to plot out a S3 AU in which Gwendolyn Post is just a little more patient (and maybe, as a result, she's not yet managed to get herself expelled from the Watcher's Council, so she doesn't have to worry about being exposed as a fraud the minute Rupert Giles thinks to make a single phone call).

A world where Gwen realizes that having unlimited access to a emotionally unstable teenage Slayer with no friends or family in town -- a Slayer who will do almost anything for the smallest scraps of positive attention from an even vaguely maternal authority figure -- might, on balance, be more beneficial to her personal quest for power and magical treasure than immediately burning all her bridges to steal a metal glove that can't ever be taken off and continually casts a spell that summons lightning directly down on to the person wearing it.  

Put yourself in Mrs Gwendolyn Post's shoes. 

Isn't it much smarter to keep playing the part of the stern but genuine Watcher, a part you did after all train for for years of your life -- and maybe quietly help yourself to a few of the more valuable magical items your Slayer happens to bring you on the side -- than to risk it all for one single prize, however rare?  If, with just a little molding and prodding and some barbed compliments now and then, you can get that teenage girl to go out and kill demons and steal all their stuff and bring it all back to you, no questions asked, where's the harm?  All you have to do is keep making sure she remembers that she's fundamentally unlovable and unwanted and that nobody else but you will ever accept her and the best she can ever hope for is your occasional fleeting and conditional praise, as long as she does what she's told and keeps it all a secret.  Half of that is taken verbatim from the Council's own script for enlisting new Slayers anyway. It'll be easy.

Maybe you tell her how impressed you are that she's training throughout the winter, rather than letting herself get distracted by things like holidays or parties or presents. Tell her some half-true story about the focus and determination of long-dead Slayers before her.  (You can go to all the parties you want, of course.  These rules don’t apply to you.)  Maybe you show up at her motel room briefly later, just to make sure she didn't take up that irritating other girl's unexpected offer to go to her house for dinner.  Maybe you reward her dedication to the cause with some little unimportant bauble; something cheap and meaningless you notice she keeps wearing for weeks afterwards, even if she pretended not to be impressed with your gift at the time.  Maybe you stick the crappy little (obviously shoplifted) presents that she nervously watches you unwrap later in a drawer somewhere and never think about them again.

Maybe you give her a little bit of advance warning about the Cruciamentum. Not early enough she can tell anyone else, of course, but early enough that she's ready for it. Not because you care (and you really don’t; she's an easily manipulated idiot and you don't respect her in the slightest), but because you want her to realize that the rest of the Council can't be trusted. That Mr Giles can't be trusted.  That there's only one person in all the world who she can trust.  

And if one night she shows up at your door uninvited to tell you that she killed an innocent man by mistake (you really don't care about this either), and she doesn't have anyone else to turn to (you try not to make it too obvious how pleased you are about that), then ... well, what an opportunity for you.  Obviously you're not going to let anyone else on the Council know about this: maybe they'd take her back to England, wasting all your hard work. Maybe they'd send a new Watcher to interrogate her.  But the Sunnydale police department aren't exactly competent.  You can make it all go away, you tell her.  And you do. 

But you let her know, subtly -- just not too subtly -- how disappointed you are by her carelessness.  How she'll have to work a lot harder from now on to get back into your good graces.  How you've really risked a lot for her tonight (you haven't) and how much she owes you now.  How you'll expect her to do better from now on (or at least to do more, more often, without ever asking inconvenient questions).

The disgrace was almost getting caught, you'll tell her later. That's what you found so deplorable. The mistake was needing to be bailed out.  There’s no excuse for sloppiness.  Killing some idiot who got in the way while the Slayer was doing her job though … well, Faith’s right to think that he wasn’t important.  He didn’t matter.  Oh, and the Sunnydale natural history museum is hosting an exhibit of a few rare magical objects next week that it would probably be best to keep in safe hands.  (Which is to say, of course, your hands.)  You don’t think Buffy or Giles need to know about it, do you, Faith? It would be best to be discreet about securing the necessary items, but if some idiot happens to get in the way, well...

There's no real risk of Faith being tricked into outing herself, the way she was tricked into revealing she was working for the Mayor in canon, because it's not a secret that Gwendolyn Post is Faith's Watcher.  Faith is supposed to listen to her Watcher, isn’t she?  And if her Watcher tells Faith to kill some demon and bring her the valuable books he was trying to sell, why shouldn't Faith do it?  Killing demons is her job, isn't it?  She’s good at killing things.  Good at stealing things, too, it turns out. Sometimes you don't even have to pretend to be impressed.

If Faith seems increasingly sad and withdrawn all the time, why do you care? It doesn't make her any less useful. And if Faith doesn't talk to anyone much anymore, and keeps some of her missions secret from her fellow Slayer and all of that other Slayer's little friends and hangers-on, what's so strange about that?  They're not Faith's friends, after all. None of them are.  Faith doesn't have friends.  Never needed them.  She's got somebody though.  She's got Mrs Post.

[mintkookiess]

It started out slow (Miles x fem!reader)

I saw someone post about writing a fic where Miles is cheating on Gwen with us (I reblogged it like before this post) and I just had a surge of "HOLY SHIT LET ME COOK SUMTH" So here we are I made this like straight out of bed at 7 am.

Not proofread as I was hurrying to squeeze the creative juices out of me before it runs out. Hope yall still enjoy!

Love,

Mint

Summary: Miles had garnered a new friend, but didn't know it would cost his relationship, and start a new one.

Tags: Miles x fem!Reader, Miles x Gwen, cheating au, kind of fast paced, idk what else to put here

Word count: 1.7k

It started out slow.

You first saw Miles at a supermarket and thought nothing of it, thinking it’s just the ordinary stranger you see around the city.

But then you suddenly just see him everywhere.

Like fate wanted the both of you to meet so bad.

You were both given so many chances; finding out you sit beside each other in the movie theater? To find both your families eating in the same restaurant? Or you’d see each other at the supermarket again but with a more familiarity and peculiarity at the same time.

So it started out slow.

With the casual curious glances, or catching the other staring then immediately looking away.

When fate has finally had enough, it forced Miles to accidentally pour juice on your white dress in a crowded mall.

“O-Oh crap, I’m so sorry!” Miles had exclaimed, mentally slapping himself for being such a klutz. You hadn’t even minded a bit in the least when it happened, but you did finally get the name of the boy you’ve been seeing everywhere a lot lately.

“I’m uh Miles. Sorry about the juice.”

You had shook your head at the time, a polite smile on your face as you said that it was fine and that he didn’t have to worry about it. You introduced yourself and that was that, you both became friends.

That polite smile of yours had become friendlier.

When you find out you both were neighbors and you spotted him by his apartment building’s entrance with his mom smooching his cheeks as he was ready to leave for school, you couldn’t help but stop and watch in amusement.

He catches your eye and he grows red with embarrassment, you nonchalantly walked towards them as his mom spotted you and asked if you both were friends earning her a nod of affirmation from you.

So suddenly, you’ve been invited to dinner.

And almost every week after that.

What he didn’t tell you though, was that he has a girlfriend, Gwen Stacy.

You didn’t think much of it, since you were content with being friends with Miles, but there were times where you knew your presence was causing a little rift between them.

He had introduced her to you at one point, but the girl was immediately playing in the defense with you, and you weren’t entirely sure why at the time, till you overheard them in his bedroom one day when you decided to help his mom with her groceries.

“I know you like her Miles,”

“Me? Gwen you’re my girlfriend why would I like anyone else?”

“I’m not blind.”

You immediately knew it was about you, because you were the only other friend he had other than Ganke, and you’re a girl.

You didn’t worry about it since you know you haven’t done anything wrong.

Until you both did.

The kiss was magical.

Miles had swung you on top of a building when he told you about his Spiderman identity. He was so excited to tell you, wanting nothing more but to show you a cooler side of his.

The two of you watched the sunset for a few minutes until you both were hyper aware of this strange tension between the two of you.

You thought something was bothering Miles, and he thought the same with you,

“Are you okay?” You both had said simultaneously, but only made the two of you laugh, the sun seemingly making your faces glow a tinge of orange.

It started out slow.

The way his fingertips touched yours, and his smile faded into a more serious look as his hazelnut eyes stared into yours.

You hadn’t even seen it coming, but the next thing you know your lips were enveloped between his. You remember your mind making siren noises, warning you that this was completely wrong.

He has a girlfriend. But the girl he was kissing right now, definitely was not said girlfriend.

And it all went downhill from that.

Or uphill, depending on who’s perspective you’re looking at.

The two of you were awkward after that kiss, not talking to each other for a week, and Mama Rio of course notices this but doesn’t pry.

But when Miles couldn’t take it any longer, he swung to your window and immediately apologized for what he did.

You had apologized too, wholeheartedly, but…

Neither of you regretted it.

You haven’t said that part out loud and neither did he, but you two knew by the way your eyes danced around each other between the silence and darkness of your bedroom.

The next days were full of poor attempts from the both of you to salvage the normalcy of your friendship, but at the same time wanting nothing but to repeat that kiss again.

But the both of you knew you’ve done something terribly wrong.

Miles had been torn ever since, getting extra jumpy whenever Gwen would suddenly appear in his room unannounced, kissing his girlfriend hello but it felt different.

He couldn’t help but compare your lips to hers. Gwen’s lips were so different from yours, from the feeling to the taste, how soft it was, and how much he wanted more of you.

He knew he was being a terrible boyfriend, but fate had different plans for him apparently.

Falling for someone other than his girlfriend was definitely not a part of his life plan, but here he was, back in your bedroom window once Gwen had left.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so freaking sorry.” He had said, before strutting inside with no greeting and immediately grabbing your waist to pull you against him, lips instantly smashing together.

He didn’t know why he was apologizing exactly, there’s so much to be sorry about and he just wanted to say it out loud maybe to feel some sense of humanity. Like he’s showing the world how sorry he actually was but internally wasn’t at all.

This second kiss was more urgent, held more longing from the both of you.

You had held out for as long as you could, but the moment he was on you once more, all that willpower you had mustered to distance yourself from him faded into dust in seconds.

It started going fast.

The way his hands gripped on your hips as the both of you made out in the middle of your bedroom. So many words hung in the air, but neither of you spoke up.

Your arms locked around his neck, your head tilting slightly and he took this as a silent permission to deepen the kiss. Next thing you know he was pushing you down on your bed, hovering above you as his hands started to roam your sides.

That night went by blissfully, being in each other’s arms without a single word being said and just letting your bodies do the talking. You both knew what was happening.

But you two weren’t ready for the consequences.

The next weeks were full of hidden kisses, secret meetups, or whenever Gwen was sure to be in another dimension fixing anomalies.

There wasn’t a day where you had thought of how shitty of a person you were, and the same could be said with Miles. But the heart wants what it wants right? And fate had both your hearts twisted around each other into something that was just too complex to just suddenly cut off.

Miles had tried. He definitely did.

Tried to destroy his feelings for you as he couldn’t handle the guilt. Gwen had known something was up since he was acting strange, but he’d blame it on Spiderman duties. He was still too scared to tell her, not really ready to lose Gwen.

But also wanted so much more of you.

It started to slow down to a halt.

How the time seemed to have stopped, the world stopped turning, and the both of you with the same horrified expression as Gwen stood by the doorframe of his bedroom door, watching as he was positioned above you, hands on the hem of your shirt.

The color seemed to have drained from his face as he scrambled to get out of bed, chasing Gwen out of his apartment and left you in his bed with tears streaming down your face.

It had finally happened, the thing that the two of you were dreading the most.

You stayed seated, covered by his blanket as you leaned against the pillows, staring at the ceiling as more tears fell down silently.

Miles had come back after two hours or so, you couldn’t really tell as you were busy wrapped up in your self-hatred.

He had told you how Gwen broke up with him, and you could tell it was bad by how his eyes were bloodshot and puffy, his nose still sniffing and his lips held a frown you rarely saw on his face.

The two of you didn’t know what to do, but before you could make a decision to distance yourself from him, fate had other plans as he beat you to it.

He wrapped his long arms around you, and the both of you cried that way for the remaining time that the night allowed you until you were sure it was getting quite late.

“Don’t leave me, please.” He had begged, his voice barely above a whisper as he buried his face in your hair. You thought he’d want to push you away for ruining his relationship, but it looks like you thought wrong.

“I need time Miles.” You replied, staining his black shirt with your tears and you felt him nod in silent response. “It’s okay, I’ll wait. No matter how long it takes.”

Soon, it started to move again.

The two of you had ignored each other for months after that, or more like he gave you as much space as you needed. But it was the biggest, fattest mistake you’ve ever made.

You longed for him more than anything despite everything. You know you should be wallowing at how you broke up a relationship, but wanted nothing more to be in his arms once again, and he did too.

You both agreed to meet at the cafe you both had grown accustomed to going to together through the duration of your friendship. You ordered your usual, and he ordered his.

The silence was defeaning, and the noises of the customers around the both of you seemed to have drowned out.

You wanted to say something but as always, Miles beat you to it.

“Can we, start over again?”

And you had nodded, tears forming as a smile danced across your lips. “I’d like that.”

Fin.

Taglist: @ii01vp @laylasbunbunny @missusmorales @fiannee @faeriesberries

(If you want to be on my taglist pls let me know!)

More of my Miles content here babes!

[chloe-skywalker]

Magic Divide - Arthur Pendragon (Part 1)

Arthur x fem!reader

Warnings: judgy-ness?

Word count: 2,310

Summary: Arthur has found out Y/n has magic. He didn’t react in the nicest way so Y/n decides to leave Camelot.

Authors Note: My first writing for Merlin BBC, love Arthur from the adventures of Merlin. Hope you all enjoy it! P.S. theres a part 2! (an its already written!)

Masterlist

Merlin BBC Masterlist

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Y/n stood not far from the stables as she packed up some of her stuff, getting ready to leave when she heard footsteps and yelling of her name.

“Merlin?” Y/n spoke as she turned to face the people she considered family. She was confused as to what the rush seemed to be.

“Y/n!” merlin shouted again as they all came to a stop around her. “What are you doing?”

Y/n looked to all their faces before looking to the floor feeling slightly ashamed. “Leaving.”

“Leaving Camelot?” Gwen wondered with a furrowed expression like the rest as to why she would be leaving.

“Why?” Lancelot asked feeling concerned about the girl he considered like a sister.

“Arthur found out.” Y/n sighed out softly.

“About your magic?” Merlin questioned now feeling alittle worried.

“Yes. And feels betrayed, as he should.” Y/n added feeling disappointed in herself. It was a lose lose situation. Tell him about her magic and risk losing him or he find out and still lose him. Or worse.

“No, he shouldn’t.” Morgana stated shaking her head ‘no’ as she walked forward to wrap her friend up in a hug. They grew up together, practically sisters. Morgana always trusted Y/n and Y/n always trusted Morgana. It hurt Morgana to see her hurting over stupid Arthur.

Y/n turned to look at Morgana, she could tell the y/h/c-ed girl had unshed tears in her eyes. “Yes, he should. He had every right to feel betrayed and angry. I kept something big from him.”

“No, Y/n. If anything he should understand why you never said anything.” Lancelot agreed with Morgana. With how Arthur was raised, and his views on magic he should’ve understood why Y/n didn’t say anything.

“Doesn’t matter now. He hates me. Arthur hates me now because I possess magic.” Y/n’s voice cracked and it broke their heart to hear. Y/n snuffled and cleared her throat before giving them a tight smile. “So I’m leaving.”

“You can't leave.” Lancelot wanted to change her mind.

“We’ll miss you to much.” Gwen gave her a sad smile.

“Don’t leave. Not because of Arthur.” Morgana scoffed at the future Kings idiocy.

“I value my friendship with all of you. With the other knights, with Gauis. But-” Y/n didn’t want to leave but what was holding her for good anymore. “I don’t have anything holding me here anymore. Not in the way I was. With Arthur and I’s relationship- or even just friendship. I don’t feel welcome in the castle, and if I don't feel welcome where I’m staying what's the point?”

“Your not just staying in the Castle, but in Camelot. We’re-” Lancelot waved around to acknowledge them all who were there. “In Camelot.”

Gwen smiled at Y/n, stopping forward. “You could stay with me.”

“Or me. Gauis loves you.” Merlin added, also smiling at the princess.

“No one want’s you to go.” Morgana pointed out smiling at Y/n. They all would miss her so much if she decided to leave. Who knows when they’d see her again. “You could stay with me. We’re like sisters.”

“I love all of you.” Y/n smiled gratefully at them but she needed time to think. Plus she hadn’t been home in what felt like forever due to her and Arthur's somewhat courtship. “But I think it’s time I go back home. I haven’t been in almost a year.”

As much as it saddened them they all also understood where she was coming from. “You better come visit me.DOn’t leave me alone in that Castle forever okay?” Morgana smiled getting both of them to laugh alittle.

“I won’t.” Y/n smiled at Morgana, who didn’t know that castle needed more women. Y/n looked to Lancelot, Merlin, Gwen, and Morgana smiling at them with a mixture of sadness and happiness. “An your always welcome to come visit me as well. All of you are welcome. Anytime.”

“I’ll miss having you here.” Gwen told her with watering eyes. 

“I know.” Y/n gave her a tight smile. She’d miss them to.

“Be careful.” Lancelot stated as he pulled her into a hug, resting his head against hers.

“I will.” Y/n smiled into the hug.

“An expect a visit soon.” Lancelot smiled sending her a wink as they pulled out of the embrace.

Y/n laughed nodding. “Ok.”

“Arthur’s a clotpole.” Merlin said shaking his head at what the princes’ actions were causing.

“Sometimes.” Y/n nodded in agreement. Arthur could be at times.

“Please visit.” Merlin pleaded pulling her into a hug.

Y/n smiled at his actions. “I will. But I need to be home right now.”

With goodbye’s said and hugs done they did try to get her to stay once more, especially once the rest fo knights found out she planned to leave. Y/n decided she had to tell the her main reason for leaving. The things Arthur had said to her since he found out, they were horrible things. About something, she had no control of inheriting. After she told them they all agreed she needed to get out of Camelot for a while, and away from Arthur.

^     ^     ^

“What's with the look’s Morgana?” Arthur grumbled, he was getting fed up with the looks she had been sending him for a while now.

“Screw you, Arthur.” Morgana scoffed before she stalked off out of the castle, pissed.

“What’d I do now?” Arthur asked looking to Gwen for an answer since he was confused.

“No offense your majesty but I agree with Lady Morgana on this particular topic.” Gwen stated before following out where Morgana had went.

Arthur now shocked and even more confused turned to his knights before asking. “What’d I do?”

“Sorry Prince but we-” Gwaine turned guestering to himself and the rest of the knights, then back to himself looking at the prince. “Agree with the women.”

Arthur walked over to Merlin in a slightly dazed state of shock before asking his servant. “Merlin-”

“Don’t look at me sire.” Merlin shook his head, looking away from the prince. In fact, looking anywhere but at Arthur.

“You agree?” Arthur questioned, with raised brows.

“Yeah.” Merlin gave him a quick nod before he pursued his lips together. Leaving Arthur with no real answer.

^     ^     ^

“Have you seen Y/n around, Merlin?” Arthur asked curiously. He hadn’t seen her in a while even though he had been avoiding her. When Merlin stayed quiet Arthur called his name. “Merlin?”

Merlin gulped he decided having to be the one to tell him this sucked. “She’s no longer in the castle, sire.”

“Then where is she staying?” Arthur asked puzzled to where else she would stay.

“At her home.” Morgana stated giving him a deadly look with her eyes.

“Morgana-” Merlin tried to cut in but Morgana wanted to rip Arthur a new one. She’d been holding her tongue long enough.

“No. He should know. After all if he’s just now aksing after a week of her being gone from Camelot,and many more weeks that he had avoided her. He should know what he did. What he caused.” Morgana continued, letting out her thoughts she’s held in.

“What are you talking about, Morgana?” Arthur squinted at Morgana’s rant. Not knowing what she was talking about. Not a clue.

“Y/n left.” Morgana stated plain and simple. Maybe that he’d understand.

“Left?” he repeated now very interested.

“Yes, left. Y/n left Camelot and went home about a week an half ago.” She explained and watched Arthur’s face morph into one of shock. “You look shocked Arthur? Did you really think she’d stay? After you said such horrible things to her. About something she was born with. Something she’s only used to help people with. You ignoring her, not speaking to her, acting as if she did the most terrible thing in the world.”

Arthur sighed. “She has magic Morgana-”

“So what?” Morgana shouted,how could he just forget about all the good times, how could he forget his love for Y/n over something so little. “Not everyone that has magic uses it for evil intentions. Y/n has saved her kingdom, Camelot, my life, yours, she had done nothing but good things with her magic and you made her feel awful about it. . . SHe thought you loved her more than that- hell Arthur most of us thought you loved her more than that. Thought you loved her enough that something like that wouldn’t matter. Guess we were all wrong.”

Arthur felt hurt by all the things Morgana was saying. He knew they were true which also hurt a lot. But magic, he’s been taught it’s evil. Didn’t that matter? “She kept it a -”

Morgana thought she knew Arthur but if he kept this up she knew she’s been dead wrong.

“From you? Yeah, she did. She kept it a secret from everyone the only reason some of us knew was because we caught her saving someone or something.” How could he not see she was scared? How could he not see why she was scared to tell him? “Arthur, don’t you get why she hid it from you? Uther hates people who wield magic. An you sometimes tlk the same, because he taught you to think it’s all bad and to kill them when you find them.”

That stunned Arthur. Y/n actually thought he would hurt her? Is that why she left? She feared for her life and feared him. “She thought I would’ve had her killed?”

Morgana looked at Arthur and really looked at him to see his emotions. He looked distraught in his eyes, so she sighed. “With the things, you said, how you looked at her and then how you treated her after? I would’ve thought you might of if I was in her shoes as well.”

Morgana left to let him think on her words. And he did. Arthur turned to Merlin. “Was I really that awful to her, Merlin?”

“Yeah, Arthur. You were cruel to her.” Merlin admitted to the blonde. He kinda felt for him though.

“y/n really left?” he whispered hoping if he spoke softer his voice wouldn’t crack.

Merlin sighed sadly. “She said she was here because of you. She no longer had you, so she left. Went home.”

“God, Merlin.” Arthur rubbed his hands over his face and then through his hair. “How do I fix this?”

“I don’t think anyone but you can fix it, Arthur.” Merlin told him, it was one of the rare times he actually wanted Merlin's advice. So he was happy to give it to him.

“Yeah. But how do I fix it is the question.” Arthur muttered to himself before he headed off to his room. He needed to think on this one.

^     ^     ^

“You asked to see me, father?” Arthur spoke as he entered the throne room. Hoping he wasn’t in trouble.

“Yes, Arthur. It seems Morgana would like to go visit Y/n. Now since she had gone home she’ll have to travel. I have to much to do so you’ll be escorting her. You and your knights. For Morgana’s safety.” Uther explained to his son. He was way to busy with King Duties to leave Camelot right now. Besides he had other motives for sending his son. Y/n had gone home 2 months ago maybe this was the chance he needed to fix things between them. The chance he’s known Arthur has been looking for.

“Yes, father.” Arthur nodded, ready to leave now if possible.

“You all leave tomorrow so inform your knights. All of you should pack tonight.” Uther stated.

“Yes, father.” Arthur answered turning to leave to go inform his knights to pack.

“And Arthur.” Uther spoke up stopping Arthur before he could leave through the double doors. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but you might want to fix it.”

Arthur nodded in understanding. “I have a plan.”

“Good. Now go pack.” Uther dismissed his son to leave the room.

“Yes, Father.” Arthur said before leaving the room, nervous and excited.

^     ^     ^

“So where are we heading out to this time, Prince?” Lancelot asked as they finished packing up the horses.

“Valmore.” Arthur stated as they got ready to head out.

Everyone looked at eachother in question before Gwaine spoke up. “Valmore?”

“Isn’t that-?” Leon questioned out loud looking to the others for confirmation.

“Y/n’s kingdom.” Morgana finished and confirmed with a nod and smile. Morgana mounted her horse. “Yes, it is. I miss my friend.”

“So we’re visiting.” Arthur stated as he to mounted his horse and the others followed.

“So, do you have a plan?” Merlin asked as he came up beside the prince also on a horse like the others.

“Yes, Merlin. I have a plan.” Arthur rolled his eyes at his servant's question.

“Is it good?” Merlin turned his head to look at the prince.

Arthur scoffed and turned to glare at the scrawny manservant that gets on his nerves all the time. “Yes, it’s good, Merlin. I don’t have bad plans.”

Merlin squinted and gave a tilt of his head, teasing the prince. “Well…”

“Back off Merlin.” Arthur stated before he went ahead of everyone else, leading the way.

“He have a plan?” Gwen asked as her and Merlin became parallel on their horses.

Merlin shrugged his shoulders at Gwen's question. “Says he does.”

“It better be a good one.” Morgana said riding next to the two. Morgana hoped Arthur would pull his head out of his ass and fix things with Y/n. She missed her friend and truthfully she was worried about Arthur. He’d been different since Y/n had been gone, not the bright Arthur he was usually was.

“Hopefully.” Merlin sighed.

~

Tag list:

@gruffle1 @padawancat97 @mininjageek

[daresplaining]

Mattea Murdock, the Daredevil Drummer of Philly

In celebration of the forthcoming new Spider-Punk: Arms Race series (not to mention Hobie stealing scenes in "Across the Spider-Verse" last year), I wanted to finally write up my long-overdue overview post on Mattea Murdock! If you haven't read her introductory run yet, check it out here.

Mattea truly stands on her own in the wide canon of alternate universe DDs. She is a female Daredevil, she is Latina, and she somehow managed to escape Marvel's NYC gravity and base herself in Philadelphia, where she defends its citizens from violence and exploitation. Hobie and his self-styled Spider-Band encounter her in Spider-Punk (2022) #3, when they make a detour to fix the busted Spider-Van. They are all immediately-- and correctly-- impressed.

Mattea: "Yo, Kam!" Hobie: "Wait, you know each other?!" Kamala: "Duh! You think I wouldn't know the Daredevil Drummer of Philly?" Hobie: "You're a drummer too?" Mattea: "Best in town." Hobie: "Oh man, my friend Gwen is a pretty dope drummer too. I think y'all would definitely get along." Mattea: "Hope they're ready to get outplayed by a pretty, blind girl." Spider-Punk vol. 1 #3 by Cody Ziglar, Justin Mason, Jim Charalampidis, and Travis Lanham

I talked a little about her killer character/costume design when she was first introduced (I was a fool; of course she's blind), and my love for her look has only grown. It's badass, distinctive, and it slots her beautifully into Hobie's punk rock world while still evoking that trademark Daredevil image (red, sticks, pointy bits...). Her irises are red, which is a visual choice I enjoy in more heightened, fantastical DD stories/art styles, and I think it works for Mattea. Heck, I could even imagine them being colored contact lenses she's chosen to wear for the aesthetic. Also, one detail that wasn't in the previews is the fun little laughing devil face on the back of her jacket (I'm not punk rock enough to get the reference if it is one, but it reminds me of Darkdevil):

Of course, always a big priority for me is Daredevil's power-set, and Mattea provides a quick primer on her unique perspective, mostly focused on hearing and the radar sense:

Mattea: "What? You think just 'cause I'm a blind girl, I can't see? Echolocation, my abuelas used to call it. But it's more intimate. Instinctual. Can hear a kick drum from ten blocks away. Can see it too. If I think hard enough, I can even see what the garage it's being played in looks like." Hobie: "Yo, are you doing it right now?" Riri: "She's definitely doing it right now."

This is not my favorite description of Daredevil's powers, nor-- to be honest-- a particularly informative one. She can gather spatial information through walls...from ten blocks away? I also never love an overuse of visual language in any explanation of these powers, especially as it's implied that Mattea, like Matt, is completely blind. Surprisingly, no direct mention is made here of the hypersenses as a whole, beyond the reference to hearing a kick drum from ten blocks away. Even her hearing doesn't receive that much attention in the story overall, which feels like a missed opportunity for such a musical character. Her blindness, too, is pretty much irrelevant to the story, and never comes up again. But I do LOVE that she uses the term "echolocation", though is still very clearly the radar sense, in all its vague, undefined, semi-magic glory.

And visually? This is great. I'm always a fan of the cross-hatching visual, especially against a black background, and artist Justin Mason doesn't go too overboard on the detail, which is another preference of mine. And thematically, I love the ways in which Mattea's drummer identity is tied into her superheroics-- not just for laying a beatdown on bad guys, but also for channelling and enhancing her echolocation/radar sense. One of my favorite scenes in the comic is when she plays a drum solo on a roof edge to scope out the Kingpin's lair. I'm willing, in that moment, to ignore any gripes about radar sense irregularities out of respect for the coolness and thematic heft of the concept. I mean, this rocks:

Mattea: "Come on, show me the good stuff."

At the end of the day, though, this is not a Daredevil comic and Mattea is not the main character. Plus, it's only five issues long, and introduces a bunch of other new characters as well. There was only ever going to be room for the creative team to offer a cursory introduction, hopefully generating enough interest to prompt these characters to appear again in other comics. In that, I think they fully succeeded with Mattea; we get a cursory sense of her powers (or at least, enough to show that they're the normal DD set), her personality (delightfully cocky, playful, tough, fearless), a few hints of her backstory, and some truly kickass fight scenes. There's a bit of suspension of disbelief required to believe she can use drumsticks as a stand-in for billy clubs (unless her drumsticks are made of something really hefty-- and hey, maybe they are), but this is Spider-Punk. Hobie killed Norman Osborn with a guitar--twice. It's not about realism, it's about style.

Mattea: "Been waiting for this for a long time, Fisk. Real long time." Fisk: "I'm going to break you, li'l girl--AWGGH!" Mattea: "Big, strong man who sends out his band of wackos to push over people too weak to fight back." Fisk: "Wouldn't get too cocky, girlie...you're not the only one who's fast! I'm gonna hurt ya. A lot. Then I'm gonna kill ya. And I'm gonna love every second of it. You know, this is the same look you had when I had your old band clapped a few years back. I like it. Brings out your eyes--GAAAH!" Mattea: "There's something you need to understand about me, papi. I'm not the kinda girl who goes down without a fight."

I can't wait to see more of Mattea and learn more about her, her world, her friends, and her enemies. In particular, she seems to have a history (possibly romantic?) with this world's Kamala Khan, and I would love to see more of that relationship. While Mattea Murdock clearly has a lot in common with Matt Murdock, she also seems happy to be a team player, unlike Matt, and I really enjoy that. Though I guess it's not that surprising a distinction. After all, every drummer needs a band.

[ramblings-of-lola]

My thoughts on S3 of Merlin

aka me breaking down the characters this season cause that's how my brain works

Morgana- I've got mixed feelings. On one hand, I love seeing her grow into her identity with magic and be "evil" but I do miss her kindness. She has wanted to kill Merlin, Arthur, and Gwen multiple times and has become obsessed with power. But, her anger towards Uther is very fair.

Uther - This slime ball keeps getting chances to live that he doesn't deserve and quite frankly, I'm a bit sick of it. As Merlin pointed out, Uther is a huge hypocrite when it comes to magic. Also I hate that his first reaction to Alice using magic to HEAL people is that she needs to be killed. And it was revealed this season he cheated on his wife, as if I needed another reason to hate him. I hope he dies soon.

Merlin - my sweet boy, he's my favorite character. I love his kindness and effort to see the best in everyone. I also liked his moments with magical figures, like the fisher king and the king in the crystal cave. There's a sense of guidance and peace in those scenes. I think his relationship with the Dragon has changed too. They seem to respect each other more. I also love Merlin's banter with Gwaine, they've got a similar sense of humor. I really want him to tell Arthur about his magic and just list all the times he's saved him.

Arthur - He's so noble and genuinely cares about his people. His unwavering loyalty to his father is slightly annoying but that's the type of person Arthur is, loyal to a fault. I loved the episode when he and Gwen's love was discovered, Arthur's fierceness to protect her was great.

Gwen - She's also a very kind character. My poor girl had to get kidnapped AGAIN this season. I liked seeing her relationship with her brother. I am a bit worried about things now that Lancelot is back.

Gwaine- I really like his character; he's fun. I like how he's just willing to help Merlin and Arthur with whatever quest they're on because they're his friends and he has nothing better to do.

Cenred - I was mad when he was killed by Morgause. I figured it was going to happen but I wanted him to have more interactions with our main characters because he's this character that radiates evil and maliciousness that's very captivating to watch.

Tagging: @gay-for-zoya and @swans-chirping-in-the-distance

[thebreakfastmuses]

"L-Listen, Miss Devona, why don't we break down the very nuanced differences between love and lust..."

[msnihilist]

going against the woke mind virus to say that i want to hear about your gwevin batb au!

SAY NO MORE, BELOVED ANON!!

Okayokay, so the world in this AU has magic, but not aliens. Ben is in possession of an incredibly powerful artifact, the Omnirune (name still pending) that lets him shapeshift into all sorts of creatures. It was created by Azmuth, the (arguably) most powerful wizard who ever lived. (Many who follow the Old Majick believe that Bezel is the greatest sorcerer ever.)

Anyway, none of that matters. Anodites in this AU are a female-only sect of witches, and they are incredibly powerful. Verdona was crushed to give birth to two boys, but when they grew up and married, she was hopeful that one of them would have a daughter so that she could pass on her majick. Both families were terrified of this happening, because it meant that Verdona would take their daughter away and raise her into majick without any interact from her parents.

By pure luck, Sandra and Natalie went into labor on the same night, a terrible, stormy night in December. Sandra was premature by two months, but to everyone's surprise, she still gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Natalie and Frank were devastated to be handed a baby girl.

To prevent Verdona from taking their daughter away, Carl and Frank switched their babies. After Verdona inspected Ben and lost interest in yet another male, Carl swapped Ben and Gwen and he and Sandra loaded up into a carriage and left in secret. Frank and Natalie presented a boy, and Verdona left. Later, they all met back up and decided that they couldn't lie forever — to keep Gwen safe and with them, their family would have to run away. Max helped them, even though it meant going against his wife. He didn't want to lose the kids any more than their parents did.

So the seven of them jumped from town to town. As Gwen grew older, her majick became stronger. And majick can be tracked, so they had to keep moving.

Eventually, though, when Ben and Gwen were eight years old, Max happened to run into an old warlock named Hex. He knew of an old place, an abandoned castle, where majick was shielded from the outside world, and had been staying there with his niece, Charmcaster. Hex allowed the Tennyson family to stay, as well.

There, they all finally settled down. Gwen could practice her majick freely and finally make friends who she wouldn't have to run from, thanks to the nearby town. Ben became enamoured with the idea of knights, and he swore that he'd always protect Gwen from their grandmother.

Fast forward, and Ben and Gwen are ten. They've strayed far from the castle while playing and stumble upon an old lab. This is where Ben finds the Omnirune, which seals itself to his wrist and won't come off. When the two of them flee, they're attacked by strange creatures guarding the place and Ben is badly injured. Gwen heals him, and the two of them manage to escape back home.

But in all the rush of making sure Ben is alright and trying to get that thing off of his wrist, Gwen barely even remembers healing him. She neglects to tell her parents that she used majick outside of the protective barrier. And it only takes a few days for her to pay the price.

Verdona arrives, smiling serenely. "This game of hide and seek has been fun," she says, as her family stares on in frozen horror, "but we've waited long enough to begin your training, Gwen. Come with me, darling." She isn't asking. It's a threat.

Ben makes the mistake of trying to defend Gwen. His newfound power makes him believe he can do it, and Verdona proves him wrong in an instant — she runs him clean through with a majick construct.

As Ben bleeds out, Gwen frantically tries to heal him. But it's not working. She can close the outside of the wound, but Ben has already lost so much blood, and his insides are damaged so badly, and he's going pale and slurring his words and all Gwen can think is, "not him, please, anyone but him."

"Poor thing." Verdona tsks in mock sympathy. "Perhaps his parents should have taught him to respect his elders."

And Ben's hand goes limp in Gwen's, his eyes glassy, and Gwen snaps.

All of her majick explodes out of her body in an energy wave that destroys the courtyard. With her fury comes cold, sweeping in like a terrible storm on a dark December night. Everything in Gwen's immediate vicinity freezes — the plants, her home, her friends and family. All of it is covered in a thick layer of ice.

But her outburst doesn't stop there. It sweeps through the village, a coldsnap that kills crops and animals and infants. The people flee while they still can and, slowly, clouds roll in and snow begins to fall.

Gwen collapses to her knees over Ben's frozen body. He's not dead — her majick got him lodged somewhere in between. And as for herself, Gwen looks at her hands and they aren't human anymore. She overdid it, literally blew her own skin off, and the being of pure majick at her center is all that's left of her. She doesn't know how to turn back, and there's no one left to teach her.

But she doesn't want to, anyway. Gwen can feel that, if she becomes human again, her majick that's holding this place at a standstill will fade. The ice will thaw, and Ben will resume bleeding out.

Gwen is stuck, in a prison of her own making. And she's okay with that. (It only takes a few months for the cold to inch its way inside of her, too, and Gwen quickly forgets what it was like to not be okay, or how to be sad or happy or anything at all.)

Years pass. Enter Kevin.

(Yeah, that's all just the background, lmao, I bet you forgot that this was supposed to be a Gwevin AU!)

I will save those details for later, if I get another ask about it. I think this post is long enough as it is!

[aurumacadicus]

It's time to pick our August book for book club! Tumblr will vote, and the book club will then vote among the top three in Discord. If you’d like to join the book club, send me a message and I’ll send you a link to the discord! Keep an eye out for the other poll, and check out the books’ summaries under the cut!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

It’s been hundreds of years since King Arthur’s Reign. His descendant, Arthur, a future Lord and general gadabout, has been betrothed to Gwendoline, the quick-witted, short-tempered princess of England, since birth. The only thing they can agree on is that they despise each other.

They’re forced to spend the summer together at Camelot in the run up to their nuptials, and with 24 hours, Gwen has discovered Arthur kissing a boy and Arthur has gone digging for Gwen’s childhood diary and found confessions about her crush on the kingdom’s only lady knight, Bridget Leclair.

Realizing they might make better allies than enemies, they make a reluctant pact to cover for each other, and as things head up at the annual royal tournament, Gwen is swept off her by her knight and Arthur takes an interest in Gwen’s royal brother. Lex Croucher’s Gwen & Art Are Not in Love is chock full of sword-fighting, found family, and romantic shenanigans destined to make readers fall in love.

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horrible and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.

It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.

Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.

But as he realizes nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?

A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. All in all, Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon

Twenty-nine, depressed, and drowning in credit card debt after losing her job during the pandemic, a millennial woman decides to end her troubles by jumping off Seol’s Mapo Bridge.

But her suicide attempt is interrupted by a girl dressed in white—her guardian angel. Ah Roa is a clairvoyant magical girl on a mission to find the greatest magical girl of all time. And our protagonist just may be that special someone.

But the young woman’s initial excitement turns to frustration when she learns being a magical girl in real life is much different than how it’s portrayed in stories. It isn’t just destiny—it’s work. Magical girls go to job fairs, join trade unions, attend classes. And for this magical girl there are no special powers and no great perks, and despite being magical, she still battles with low self-esteem. Her magic wand . . . is a credit card—which she must use to defeat a terrifying threat that isn’t a monster or an intergalactic war. It’s global climate change. Because magical girls need to think about sustainability, too.

Park Seolyeon reimagines classic fantasy tropes in a novel that explores real-world challenges that are both deeply personal and universal: the search for meaning and the desire to do good in a world that feels like it’s ending. A fun, fast-paced, and enchanting narrative that sparkles thanks to award-nominated Anton Hur, A Magical Girl Retires reminds us that we are all magical girls—that fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight can be anyone’s game.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Shiori’anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to forswear—no matter what the cost.

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

“Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.”

As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the chaotic Obsidian gods at bay. Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. The winner carriers light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all—they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body melted down to refuel the Sun Stones, protecting the world for another ten years.

Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn’t worried about the Trials . . . at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidiós and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten.

But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but two Jade competitors. Teo, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old child of the god of bad luck. Now they must compete in five trials against Gold opponents who are more powerful and better trained. Worst of all, Teo’s annoyingly handsome ex-best friend and famous semidiós Hero, Aurelio is favored to win. Teo is determined to get himself and his friends through the trials unscathed—for fame, glory, and their own survival.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to the Lost Apothecary…

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Carline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

Vermilion by Molly Tanzer

Gunslinging, chain smoking, Stetson-wearing Taoist psychopomp, Elouise “Lou” Merriwether might not be a normal 19-year-old, but she’s too busy keeping San Francisco safe from ghosts, shades, and geung si to care much about that. It’s an important job, though most folks consider it downright spooky. Some have even accused Lou of being more comfortable with the dead than the living, and, well… they’re not wrong. When Lou hears that a bunch of Chinatown boys have gone missing somewhere deep in the Colorado Rockies she decides to saddle up and head into the wilderness to investigate. Lou fears her particular talents make her better suited to help placate their spirits than ensure they get home alive, but it’s the right thing to do, and she’s the only one willing to do it. On the road to a mysterious sanatorium known as Fountain of Youth, Lou will encounter bears, desperate men, a very undead villain, and even stranger challenges. Lou will need every one of her talents and a whole lot of luck to make it home alive…

[theroundbartable]

Can I ask from this ask game : https://www.tumblr.com/toomanyfandomsthings/749729499738996736/send-me-a-ship-and-a-number-and-ill-tell-you?source=share

No. 2, 10, 11, 12, 15 for Merthur, Klance and Drarry....Thanks 🌻

I don't mind being asked :). @comingfromastatechampionasshole, I hope this is alright with you, since it's your post. ^^ 2. What their love letters look like

Merthur: I imagine that Arthur would be the one writing love letters. Merely because Gwen told him he was unromantic and that Merlin WOULD do it. Merlin doesn't do it, however, because Arthur keeps calling him a girl. Besides, giving him flowers does the job just fine. So Arthur writes and writes and doesn't ever dare to give them to Merlin because of how much he himself cringes. Merlin finds the attempts between tax reports and the drawings Arthur sometimes makes of him. Merlin never mentions it either but they both know he's seen them.

Klance: Lance writes a DOZEN letters all the time for Keith. He makes a full show of it. But he also gives friendship love letters to Hunk and Allura and Pidge and everyone who appreciates it. Once in a while, Keith would give him one back and every single time, Lance starts to cry when no one is looking.

Drarry: Draco. But it's not love letters, it's HATE letters. It's little pictures of Harry getting electrocuted or sending goblins with insult poems at Harry. Once, he accidentally mixed a drawing of them holding hands up with one where he slapped him and when he noticed, he nearly obliviated Harry.

10. What TV shows they watch together, and which ones they hide from the other

Merthur: They watch Disney movies and specifically King Arthur movies together. Arthur hides that he's watching BBC Merlin though because he loves seeing Merlin use magic and wants to know what he's done the entire time. Merlin keeps that very show from Arthur, unsure how Arthur would react. Unbeknownst to him, Arthur keeps gushing about him every single episode.

Klance: They watch - I would say anything together. From documentaries to soap operas, they watch everything together. Keith hides that he's watching Mamma Mia though because he knows Lance will be insufferable when he finds out.

Drarry: When I say they watch everything, I mean EVERYTHING. Draco doesn't like to admit it but he's really fascinated with muggle technology and especially the effects, so he watches it all and then talks about how "shitty" those effects are, even though he's secretely amazed. Harry knows and teases him about it all the time.

11. What their first impression was of each other Merthur: instant attraction. Have you seen the episode? They were flirting. Merlin =brave idiot, Arthur = kind pratt Klance: Lance was amazed at first, completely focused on him which then turned into jealousy and an awkward crush. Keith didn't notice Lance at first, then slowly got to know him as Lance wiggled his annoying habits into Keith's life and Keith never wanted to let him go again.

Drarry: Draco had always wanted to meet THE Harry Potter and be friends with him, from the very day he learned they were the same age. When they met, he was shocked to find Harry to randomly antagonize him for reasons Draco couldn't fathom. Harry just saw a blond guy who reminded him all too much of his bullying cousin and instantly disliked him.

12. What they do for their anniversary Merthur: Arthur would absolutely forget about it until Merlin reminds him. Then Arthur would make Merlin plan a picnic, which Merlin has long planned anyway. And then they ride out and end up in trouble. It happens every year, the bandits are basically family by now.

Klance: Stargazing. But like, in the black or blue lion on a different planet. Lance really likes water planets and Keith likes deserts, so they switch it up every year.

Drarry: Draco would be OBSESSED with anniversaries. He makes monthly anniversaries and he keeps annoying Harry with it all the time. Like, "It's our 34th monthly anniversary, I GOTTO call at the Ritz to get a table!" Meanwhile, Harry is like: "He just loves going out and I like when he's happy." Anyways, Draco sometimes REALLY blows it out of proportion and arranges a meeting with the queen or something.

15. What they would change about each other

Merthur: ... "I don't want you to change. I want you to always be you."

Klance: At first it was the Mullet, but when Keith came back from the abyss, Lance is furious that Keith is now taller than him. So it's that, the height. Keith however, he's the jealous type, he's make Lance flirt with him more often. And yeah. MORE. Just so Lance doesn't flirt so much with everyone else anymore.

Drarry: Draco has a list. A very long, very detailed, very annoying list. He means absolutely none of it. Harry wishes Draco would stop writing that list. This was very fun to do haha XD I hope it was fun to read, too ^^

[gdn019283]

Arthur’s talking about Merlin in this scene (02x03, “The Nightmare Begins”)

Let me break down this scene, not real quick, because, oh my Lord.

1) The choice of words, especially Arthur’s (and I’m not adding how tender they are spoken):

A) Arthur starts his reproach by saying that, “this has to stop.” Merlin’s first reaction could hint that he’s worried Arthur found out about his magic, but I don’t think that’s the reason. “There’s no point denying it.” Arthur has no idea Merlin had been the one to help Morgana in this episode; he couldn’t have known about Merlin guiding her to the Druids’ camp; he couldn’t have known Merlin had helped her get back, because no one had seen him. And Merlin knows this, so he shouldn’t be afraid of the magic, yet he freezes. He’s not scared that Arthur believes he and Morgana are a thing, since Merlin has never showed any interest in her, especially in the second season. Merlin stops, because he thought that Arthur figured out his silly, little crush on him. So, Merlin’s response, “denying what?”, around a gulp, makes much more sense. He knows Arthur could get angry if he finds out about Merlin’s true feelings. We can see Merlin is nervous but, the moment Arthur says, “the affections for the Lady Morgana”, Merlin’s second reaction is to smile. He knows he’s safe again. The love Merlin has for Arthur is as dangerous as the secret of his magic. But Arthur is also afraid, and we know why.

B) “Take some bit of advice from someone… Who—knows about women.” First of all, Arthur’s pause before deciding to use the word “knows”? It was intentional. Oh, please, this is too easy. Knows? Not, “has been with”, or “has talked to”, but knows? What, exactly, do you know, Arthur? (Barely nothing. Like I explained in my post here about why I believe Arthur isn’t attracted to women, he can’t even say “hello” to Gwen, without giggling like an imbecile, and you mean to tell me this same man knows about women? Sure). In retrospect, Merlin’s response is hilarious, since, after Arthur’s interactions with Gwen, and the failure of said interactions, Merlin definitely knows Arthur is just a laying liar who lies, (he also knows about what he’s actually lying about) and this is the best part of the scene. They’re both on common ground. Merlin is hiding his magic, and Arthur is hiding his own feelings, much like his manservant, except that Merlin believes Arthur wouldn’t reciprocate. It’s like they both know what they are actually telling each other, but can’t really say it out loud. Meanwhile, Arthur is hoping his words would make Merlin stick by his side, rather than by someone else’s.

D) “The king would have your head, if he found out.” Uther would have Arthur’s head, if he finds out about his son’s affections for Merlin, a man, in the same way Uther would have Merlin’s head, if he finds out about his magic (or his feelings for Arthur, for this matter). Therefore, Arthur is projecting everything he’s saying onto Merlin. It’s a warning to himself. Arthur’s refraining himself from doing or saying something he knows it’s impossible for him to have.

C) “Stick to girls who are more… How can I put it… On your level.” Arthur isn’t on Merlin’s level, and Merlin isn’t on Arthur’s. And they could never be. Not in this case. Arthur cannot be in a relationship with him, so they will never be on the same level as partners.

D) “She can’t be your friend… Let alone anything else.” If Arthur is really referring to Gwen here, instead of Merlin, then why does this phrase make no sense? Arthur is friend with Gwen. He knows that they truly love each other, and that one day, when he is crowned king, he will marry her. That’s the only thing Arthur has always been sure about, and maybe has doubted only once or twice. But if Arthur was, theoretically, to marry a man, who is also his friend, then his phrase makes total sense. And it changes meaning. Merlin can’t be even a close friend, let alone Arthur’s lover. In a world where queerness has to be hidden much like magic needs to be, Arthur cannot be seen being that friendly with Merlin, who, ops, happens to be a man. “I can’t really be seen buying my servant a drink.” As he says in season one, Arthur is very aware of the situation he and Merlin have been put in. So, no, she can’t be anything else, but Arthur isn’t afraid of telling Gwen of this, especially when he realises what he feels for her, so why should he feel differently now that he saw Merlin might have affections for Morgana? Arthur wants Merlin to stay alone just a bit more, much like he is alone, in a world that’s against who he actually is. He wants an ally in his loneliness and isolation.

E) “You can’t hide anything from me, Merlin.” Arthur says it in hope that his message is clear, satisfied that Merlin is going to be his just for a little longer (this man cannot, for the love of him, communicate feelings, let’s all forgive him). And Merlin responds with, “wouldn’t dream of it”, because he longs to be the only one by Arthur’s side too, but he also knows that it’s not going to be like that forever, and that his dream is going to shatter, once he’ll realise he could never be with Arthur romantically, and he has to give up his feelings for the greater good (like always).

2) The facial expressions:

These speak louder than words. Merlin’s eyes, as soon as he realises what Arthur’s talking about, flicker closed and open so many times, disbelief painting his features at how Arthur could even think that Merlin, of all people, would want to be with Morgana, when he has already sacrificed everything he is and had for Arthur and his sake. It’s almost as if Merlin’s grumpy that Arthur could think that, and Arthur watches in the distance while he speaks, as if melancholic over something that hasn’t happened yet. And before parting ways, we can see Arthur’s eyes linger over Merlin’s face, his neck, as he squeezes and pats his palm over Merlin’s shoulder, testing to see if he can actually be true to his words and not do anything else. It’s almost like Arthur is telling Merlin that they could part ways together, if only he was more courageous. But they don’t, and things stay the same. And when Arthur actually goes away, Merlin’s smile fades so quickly, we can see he wants to follow Arthur like always. It’s a metaphor of how, in this case, they would always have to keep apart.

3) Last, but not least, Arthur’s touches:

He can’t seem to let go. He watches Merlin entirely, scanning him up and down, before deciding to go with his plan and placing his palm on Merlin’s shoulder. And he does not just place it, oh no. He guides Merlin the entire time he speaks. And Merlin doesn’t move a muscle (I swear the pat on the shoulder is their mating dance). Homeboy’s touch starved, so Arthur makes sure Merlin watches him while he lingers his caress, and listens to him, and Arthur has the bit of freedom to touch him. Merlin’s body automatically turns into Arthur’s grip, without complaint, because that’s where he belongs, and the both of them are aware. Arthur crushes Merlin’s shoulder, and let himself be vulnerable, even if only for a small fraction of time, before going away with everything he has stored for so long already: Merlin, and what he harbours for him on a daily.

I think the real meaning behind the scene has been hidden like in so many other ones. Gwen could be described in the same way Merlin is often described, so that no one would question the scene further, except that I did, and I made it much more homosexual. I believe Arthur’s words were meant for Merlin and Merlin alone. And deep down, Merlin knew all along too, but didn’t act on it, on none of his feelings, incapacitated after Arthur’s so many warnings.

If Merlin’s secret to hide is his magic, then for Arthur, it’s his queerness.

Two side of the same coin and all that. *angrily shakes fist in the air*

[reidslovely]

Ever Since...Queens. (Mob! Peter Parker)

Pairing: Mob! Peter Parker x Fem! Reader.

Requested: Yes based on this request here

Description: Peter Parker when rushed into position of bossman, he thought finding the love of his life like his uncle would be easy. Three girls, three different stories until he realized she had been in front of him all along. 

Content Warnings: Peter is really vain in the beginning like any teenage boy is. Nothing really outside of this, mentions of murder? Nothing descriptive. 

AN: Written a little different than my other stuff, and a little rushed...still hope you enjoy <3

______________________

Love was always a complicated thing for Peter.

As much of a man Peter had to be, on the inside for a long time he was still the teenager he was when he was thrusted into the position. When Peter was rushed into the role of boss he had to look around and decide where his life was going to go from here. At seventeen years old he had to decide who he was going to marry, and how to keep what Ben had built. It wasn’t as easy as Ben made it out to be, and Peter wasn’t ready to fall in love. He wasn’t even sure he knew what love felt like. It took time but, he did with the right woman.

“What do you mean you don’t think you’ve ever been in love? You and Felicia dated forever. You didn’t love her?”

Harry laughed as he sat in the leather chair by the open window summer breeze blowing into the office. Peter sat there, twisting in the chair of his uncle's office. It all still felt foreign to him. He didn’t fit, if someone had walked in here now no one would take him seriously. He was some scrawny kid sitting in a chair that looked like it could eat him whole, he felt like he was playing pretend.

“I cared for Felicia, I liked her. But I never saw myself being with her, I never saw us getting married, having kids. I didn’t even want to go to prom with her” Peter straightened up in the chair untucking his leg from under the other, staring at the wedding photo of Ben and May positioned happily in the corner. The door pushed open, May’s laughter could be heard from down below as the three girls entered the door also enjoying the older woman's joy.

“Hello girls, what can me and my very scary hitman do for you?”

“Shut up, Osborn.”

Gwen laughed, dropping herself on the couch next to Mary-Jane. The other girl was sitting on the arm of the chair, Peter had watched (Y/N) closely, how she hid herself away from her friends, always seeming a bit lost in her own thoughts. Peter caught her staring at him often and it gave him a tight, weird feeling in his chest. One he couldn’t place, sort of like anxiety.

Don’t get him wrong she was kept, and well groomed for the most part. Her hair did stick out here and there, maybe because of the heat wave going through Queens currently. Makeup was smeared slightly under her eyes like she had slept in it. Her clothes were always a bit ill fitting, like she was hiding herself. If Peter was going to pick someone, she couldn’t look like that. Let alone she needed to have some social skills, and (Y/N) did not.

Gwen’s well manicured, pink clad hand reached out for Peters, pulling his gaze away from (Y/N) and to the blonde.

“You seem lost.” She jokes, her thumb stroking over the back of his hand.

Gwen had a thing for Peter, she had since they were in middle school and Peter couldn’t lie he had enjoyed the attention she gave him.

“Never.” Peter teased back, his grin wide on his face. He took her hand in his, his thumb brushing over her dainty ones. “What are you doing this weekend?” He asked, no one in the room gasped but the tension multiplied. Watching Mary-Jane and (Y/N) traded looks, and Harry’s eyes looked as if they were going to roll out of their sockets.

“Nothing..I’m all yours.”

There that feeling was again, anxiety and had he turned his head he would have seen (Y/N) staring at the back of his head with a frown on her face.

Then like magic Gwen was all his. For four years, before she dumped him to leave for England on the day he was gonna propose.

She had begged Peter to give up the family business, to come to England with her that they could be normal. Normal sounded good to Peter, great even. However, Peter had racked up a higher kill count than anyone ever thought he would, this meant his family and friends were at risk if Peter let them out of their sights for even a minute. That’s why he didn’t go, at least that’s the reason he gave himself.

In the weeks time Gwen left Peter had found solace in (Y/N), a person he grew very close with very fast once he could get her to stop hiding in the back of their friend group.

“You’ll find some one Pete, you’re amazing! Girls throw themselves at your feet all the time.”

(Y/N) said, closing her laptop as they spoke over the phone. Peter, now twenty-one, could appreciate the way they had all changed over the years. Harry was his second hand man, he had gotten over his womanizing ways and finally chose to be serious about his life. Mary-Jane, who was going through her own rocky break-up, had finally moved out of her dad’s house and was on a small off broadway play now.

Then (Y/N).

(Y/N) had become a great friend to Peter while he was dating Gwen, mostly because she and Gwen were inseparable. She was filling out herself. Her clothes started to fit better, and she had cut a few inches off her hair keeping it from being frizzy. Yet, she didn’t want to date, Peter had even tried to set her up with Harry at one point. While she was thankful, she stated she wasn’t interested.

Shame.

“Yeah, I’d like to meet them.” Peter laughed into the phone as he stepped into the black SUV. “Give them my number and tell them to call me.” He said laying his head back.

“I’ll tell you what, why don’t we all go out tonight. Me, you, Harry and M.J. It’ll make you feel better.”

Peter thought on her words, watching people on the street pass by as he rode in the back of Miguel’s car.

“Yeah, okay. Don’t make me regret it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

There was a sadness in her voice. Peter noticed it a lot when they talked, he thought maybe she was lonely. Which is why he was always trying to set her on dates.

Peter didn’t regret going out that night. He sat in the booth at the club watching M.J. and (Y/N) dance together. The two laughed and grabbed onto each other’s shoulders as they yelled lyrics at each other, once they were a couple shots deep.

“She’s gorgeous huh?” Harry laughed. “Really filled out.”

What a weird way for Harry to talk about Mary-Jane. Mary-Jane has always been gorgeous with her soft red hair, green eyes that look at you with care and understanding. Peter had even gotten to kiss her in the school play in middle school. It was accidental, but it happened.

“Yeah, but she’s always looked like that.” Peter laughed still nursing his old fashion. Harry’s energy sat up straighter, suddenly more interested in what Peter was saying. Yeah, he’s cutting Harry off at three next time.

“Yeah? She’s always had a thing for you. You should ask her out, if..if you’re ready of course.” Peter thought for a moment, biting his inner cheek. Harry was right. Gwen was gone, she was in England and she was not coming back. As if on cue, the girls walked back. (Y/N) slid in next to Peter, and Mary-Jane next to Harry.

“What were you guys talking about?” (Y/N) asked, drinking her vodka soda. Looking up at Peter with her big puppy dog eyes. He didn’t know how to answer her, as he looked down at her.

There was that ping in his chest.

“Harry was talking to me about something and helped me realize.” Peter pulled his gaze away from (Y/N), back to Harry. There's a grin on his face no one has seen since Gwen.

“M.J. you wanna get outta here?”

M.J. looked at Peter a bit taken back, her pale cheeks flushing a red that matches her hair. “I, yeah sure.” She says grabbing her bag from the other side of Harry, rushing out of the booth. (Y/N) moved slowly out of the booth, letting Peter out, tossing enough money to cover their tab.

Had he turned around he would have seen a very sorry Harry, comforting a very upset (Y/N).

Things got in the way very quickly. Peter had to get out of New York for a while, taking May and M.J. with him. He didn’t stay in contact with anyone outside of them for their own safety. Except Harry of course, keeping everything good in New York as he worked out of the Keys for a bit.

‘A bit’ quickly turned into three years.

Mary-Jane was there through it all. Police interrogations, which Peter effortlessly outsmarted. Quick little moves they had to make, they even almost got married. Peter however, saw how much she wanted out. She longed to have a life that she didn’t feel out of control of, she longed to get back into acting. They loved each other, but he couldn’t hold her back.

They broke up once they got back to New York. There was no heartbreak in it this time, there was no denial like there was with Gwen. Maybe because a part of Peter knew he didn’t love M.J. the way he had loved Gwen. He was even learning to admit he was not ready to marry Gwen.

Everything happened to Peter for a reason. A reason he didn’t understand.

Not until he was standing outside a bookshop in the city, staring at the name printed at the bottom. His chest tightened, he wasn’t sure if it was the memories that came with the name or how proud he was. He hadn’t known she wanted to be a writer, she was always scribbling or writing in her journal for as long as he could remember. Whenever he’d ask she’d just say it was nothing important.

“Going in?” A mother asks, her daughter's hand in hers.

“Oh, yes.” Peter opened the door for them letting the mother and daughter in before him. He fixes the scarf wrapped around his neck, pulling it off his neck and into his pocket.

There she was.

Peter's heart thumped in his chest as he watched her interact with the kids. She smiles as she signs their books, and talks to them about the little bunny on the cover. He remembered the stuffed bunny she lugged around in elementary school, how Flash Thompson ripped it from her hands throwing it in a puddle. Peter remembered throwing down flash getting on top of him hitting him before grabbing the stuffed yellow rabbit from the puddle wiping it against his white shirt. The way she looked at him, was the first time he felt that tightening in his chest.

The tightening that made his heart felt like it missed a beat when she smiled at him, engulfing him in a hug as a thank you.

After all these years, he could place the feeling. It wasn't anxiety, it wasn’t regret. It was adoration taking a physical toll on his body. It explains the way his hands would shake when she’d hand him something. Now it’s all the same as he reaches the front, being the last in line.

“I don’t have a kid with me, but maybe you can sign something for an old friend.” Peter laughed, placing the book on the table.

“Peter Parker.”

They share a smile, (Y/N) stands going in for a side hug. Peter engulfed her his hands firmly on her back, holding them together. There was so much to say, but he didn’t know where to start for once. How to voice what he was feeling. (Y/N) pulled away from their hug but there was no gleam to her eye like there usually is, but she still had the same sweet smile.

She bent down to sign his copy of the book.

“Are you done here? Do you have dinner plans?” He asked. (Y/N) opened her mouth before shutting it. “I uh, don’t no. Why?”

“I thought maybe we could get dinner..as like a date.” (Y/N) looked like she had been waiting for those words all her life. (Y/N) looked up at him, and then back down at the ground.

“No, no Peter, I'm sorry.”

Everything felt like it crashed down. No, what did she mean no.

“What..why? We can do tomorrow, I just wanna take you out.”

The sigh that left her mouth disappointed Peter to an extent he hadn’t felt in a long time. Why? Had he been too late?

“Peter..had you asked three years ago, even last month I would have dropped everything and said yes in a heartbeat. I have been hopelessly, and devotedly in love with you since that day in fourth grade that you beat Flash up for me. But you never saw me, you never looked at me, and I just don't wanna be a rebound, I can’t sit here and love that you’re finally seeing me as more than the ugly duckling only to be dropped a few weeks later.”  

(Y/N) rambled her words just falling out of her mouth, Peter listened to everything she said. He stood there shocked and confused, why would she- oh.

“I gotta help clean this up Pete, but we shoul-”

“No (Y/N), it is not like that. I..please.”

He couldn’t get the words out before she was already walking away. He wasn’t giving up this time, he wasn’t going to just give up. That’s not who he was.

He cut in front of her grabbing her shoulders, eyes pleading her to look at him, to listen.

“It is not. Do you hear me, it is not that.” Peter says his hands holding her face. “It has always been you. Ever since I was that little boy in Queens, it has been you. You make me so nervous, yet so giddy. I have this ping in my chest everytime you look at me or talk to me. I just wanna be with you. Forever, for as long as you will have me. That faceless girl I see when I picture a wedding, or kids. She is you, and I see that now. I just had the chance to know you, to share my life..”

(Y/N) grabbed Peter’s face, pulling him in for a heated kiss. Something she had waited years for, Peter could tell in the way she kissed him.

“Again, Daddy, again.” The little boy in bed begs, holding the signed copy of his mothers book in his hands.

“Noooo, no more.” He laughs. “You gotta get to sleep. Big day tomorrow.” Peter kissed Benji’s head, leaving the room. He stopped by the nursery watching his wife rock their newborn daughter back to sleep. (Y/N) caught his eye, giving him a toothy smile as she hummed to the little girl. Peter grinned to himself, the ping in his chest growing, feeling him with that boyish feeling all over again. She was finally his, the girl he had defended all those years ago, and promises to continue to defend even after it is all over.

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