#(i didnt even mean for this to be so late i just lost track of time)

[kenlvry]

cheating prank

s : pranking kenny kyle craig and stan wasn't easy, but it also wasn't impossible.

kenny

youve been wearing different perfume for a week now to test kenny, a mans perfume. it was a harmless joke yk its what couples do (not really)

you just wanted to see if he noticed your change in perfume from your sweet scent to a heavy one

you honestly thought that kenny didnt notice but kenny notices, every time he hugs you he sniffs in your scent and recently its gone to feminine to masculine.

your suppose to be hanging out with kenny right now, checking yourself out and fixing your outfit in the mirror you remember to spray your perfume all over, a ring to your bell stops you in your track and you hid the perfume.

"kenny!! hii, you ready?" you said while greeting kenny, his face beamed and hugged you his head falls to your shoulder, face in the crook of your neck sniffing in your scent.

after smelling the familiar scent his smile turn into a frown and tightening his grip on your body "k..kenny" tapping his back violently.

he pulls back with a stern look on his face and walks past you going in your house and searching every inch of your house, you following behind urging him to stop

"ken what r you doing?? if ur looking for something just ask" he stops in your hallway and turn back, running his fingers through his hair

"where is he? its been a week,it seems like you love this man so much to the point you see him before going out with me," he approaches you towering over you. "please, i dont care how many men you want just dont leave me"

you couldn't hold it in and laughed loudly, it lasted about 10 seconds. "you think this is funny?" "IM.. HAHAHA IM JUST PRANKING YOU IDIOT" you continue to laugh while his face go dumb "WJAY, I LITERALLY JUST BEGGED YOU RO NOR LEAVE ME YOU KNOW HOW EMBARASISING THAT WAS??" you laugh even louder at this "WHY WPULD I CHEAT ON YOU STUPIS"

he sulked after that, took three days to get him to talk to you... never again will you prank him

kyle

coming home late wasn't a rare occurrence for you, i mean its not rare you go home past 12 but its 2 am and youve been coming home late for a week and a half now, kyle thought work had taken longer than its supposed to but after a call with a friend from where you work at saying work ended hours ago he goes fuming

hes sitting infront of the door arms cross on the chair he pulled from the dining room. contemplating whether to call you and confront you through call or wait for you

honestly you've been meeting up with your online friend and always forgets the time so really.. was it your fault??

keys clacking he stood up from his chair eyes focused on the door, "oh hi, thought you'd be asleep" you smiled , he opened his arms for his hug everytime you see him but you gave him a side hug and walked away. you had to hold in every urge to hug him tightly

he couldn't take it, if you lost feelings for him you couldve been honest. "y/n, are you even trying to hide it?" he says leaning on the countertop kitchen while you wash your hands

"kyle what?" "i mean if you lost feelings for me atleast tell me so i dont look dumb" he rolls his eyes "the house is yours for the night, have him over, kiss make out heck fuck if you want. im leaving"

you didn't know it'll take this far, your too shook to say anything and hes already putting on his jackets and shoes "wait kyle its-" "its what? a misunderstanding? its not what it looks like? fuck your excuses, i actually trusted you and thought you were at work, i was cooking waiting for you to come home so you could enjoy your meal after a long day at work but your coworker said work ended hours ago so what the hell? i cant even-" "its a prank."

he just stood there, frozen mouth wide open from what he was about to say "im sorry i didn't know i thought it was going to be harmless" you hug the stoned man

hugging you back he sniffles "shit don't scare me like that." your heart shattered when he sniffled fr, after that night you took him out to so many dates ur basically poor

craig

you usually never hide your phone from craig when someone texts you, infact you never did it once. you even let him type back to said person

but lately every time you get a message youd look at it secretly or get up from the couch just to check on it, everytime you put back your phone its facing down and you take it anywhere you sometimes laugh and giggle like a disney princess when you get a notification

now you had to make this believable, youd play your message ringtone and laugh while looking at your settings, texting your friend beforehand so when she replies it seems like someone texted you. to make it work you had to have some effort right?

craig seems like he dont give a fuck honestly but he is so curious he wants to know so bad he is such a busy body, he doesn't really suspect its a man he just thinks its really juicy gossip about his close friends so you try not to let him know

but after telling his friends thinking it was a funny thing hes shocked by the stories, some said that the last time their ex did it, it ended up being a man and they broke up. the other said the last time that happened their ex just randomly broke up with them just to find them taken the next day.

oh now his curiosity has grown from a hundred to a million. he gets it now, why you put your phone downwards or how you immediately grab your phone when his hands go to grab something near your phone.

that night you slept at his house, he's about to sleep, phone on the bedside table and ready to snooze, but you haddd to text your secret lover laughing oh so sweetly while typing back. tbh you were texting your bestfriend and she made to most funniest joke so...

"okay y/n ive had enough" he sits up and looks at you, your face puzzled. "dont play dumb bc i know damn well that you are texting your secret lover" you finally realised what hes talking about and you too sit up, holding back a smile.

"fuck y/n we've been together for 2 years, ive loved you all these 2 years but i guess you haven't. get out. i dont want some fucking cheater in my house" he gets up before you can say anything and rushes you downstairs and infront of the door, you tried explaining but he just wouldn't listen.

just as you're out on the porch you turned around "wait craig its a-" the door slams infront of you. damn. girl u messed up

craig sniffles walking up the stairs, two year relationship gone like that. ding a notification from his phone, he opens it and its you

"its a prank" hes dumbfounded and runs back to the door opening it to find you literally hugging yourself freezing with the cold weather, hugging you he sighs "fuck you"

you laugh "sorry craig"

after that he might have some trust issues but every notification you got you make sure he sees it first so he doesn't get paranoid.

Stan

now stan doesn't give a fuck honestly, he doesn't care who you hang out with what you do with them or what happens, he trusts you ALOT. meaning this prank had to be really believable.

you thought long and hard and finally got it, everytime stan comes over (which is every second) you are going to make a fuss whispering "hide" to make it seem like someone was at your house , genius right?? :)

stan notices quickly, at first all you do is make a lot of rustles, loud noises and eventually the Whispers

stan is immediately curious, you never hide your friends from him bc you know he doesn't care. ultimately his first instinct is to try and search the house but you insist on staying in the living room because your room is 'a mess' but who is buying that honestly?

his suspicions grew and he can't take it, he hears the whispers he hears the loud footsteps up the stairs and he hears you rushing around the house hiding stuff and hes devastated. he cant believe you'd cheat on him

hes had enough, he wouldve barged in to catch you in surprise but you have your house locked, the second you open your door he walks upstairs and you smile and almost laughed, you stopped him saying nothings up there and he shouldn't go in again, using the its a mess excuse but he doesn't care.

he immediately barges in your room and you pause, you walk in sitting on your bed legs cross and smiling

"hes under the bed is he?" "really y/n? cheating on me? you couldve told me you lost feelings, say something or atleast hint at it, fuck man." he turns around one hand on his waist the other rubbing his face. you felt bad and decided to call it off , walking up and turning him around you found him crying. you felt so bad

"stan omg its a prank im so sorry i love you" you hug him and he drops his head on your shoulder arms around you. "you love me right?" he mumbles and you hum "always" he looks up cupping your face and kisses you, his salty tears mixing in with the kiss. you kiss him back and literally curse yourself inside for hurting this man.

your trust in each other grew after a long talk and a whole week of spending every minute together. safe to says hes convinced you love him.

[cannibalismyuri]

i didn't mean it like... that. i didnt mean it like anything. i didnt mean to. it seems like all i do lately is hurt people.

im hurting her, im hurting you, im hurting all of our friends. it isn't fair. i'm always the asshole. i try and try to be a better person, a good person.

but in the end im always the one with the sharpest cut to his words. in the end im always the one that makes you cry. in the end im always the one who has to say goodbye.

i grieve what i never should've lost and its worse because i know its my fault. you're always there when people want you to be, im never there when people need me, let alone want me.

but i guess nobody ever really needs me, do they? she doesn't, she's proved that. you probably dont either. i've spent my entire life being nice, being cool, being good enough to be unique. so that im not a one-off. so that i cant be replaced.

it seems like everything i do lately is detrimental to that. it feels like being nice and trying to be good just comes way more easily to everyone else. everyone has already reached the finish line and im still huffing and puffing my way along the track.

especially him. he's so kind and sweet to people that don't even deserve it. he's kind to me when i dont even deserve it. and it feels empty, hollow, grieving something he lost when its my fault i lost it in the first place.

i don't know why i did that. it must be because im stupid. stupid for hoping you would need me. stupid for ruining the one good thing i had and then mourning it. stupid for loving you when im not supposed to. the way im not supposed to.

stupid.

the will s3 pov counterpart

[slightlyaboveaverageiq]

A Black Rose Among Sunflowers (part 1)

A/N: Okay so a couple things 1. this story is dark, not dark!Reid but part mentions of CSA, childhood sexual abuse, alcohol addiction, PTSD from the CSA, abusive relationships, and domestic violence. The story while also have allusions to dark smutty books such as Haunting Adeline and other books ive read and those come with their own trigger warning so you may want to look at those before reading this. Also we don't kink shame anyone who likes these things CONSENSUALLY and who are above the age of 18. You do you baby boos, that being said minors DNI.

Word Count 2.2k

I bit my lip and gently pushed my key in the lock, it was late, later than I had originally told Casey i would be but with any luck he would have drank himself into oblivion and I would just be able to sneak in. The lights were all out and I breathed a sigh of relief as I pushed the door shut quietly behind me, freezing as the click of the lock seemed to echo through the apartment. I walked down the hallway and placed my keys on the counter not wanting to take the chance of the sound of metal hitting glass waking Casey up. I walked into the kitchen and rolled my eyes seeing the dirty dishes from what I presumed to be just enough dinner to keep him from throwing up like a sloppy drunk but not enough to take his buzz away. Checking the fridge I confirmed my suspicions that he didn't make enough for two, I would probably get some drunken rambling about “If you just cared about me as much as your slut stories we might have dinner together everyone once in a while.” Well maybe if I wasnt subjected to mediocre sex that lasted all of seven minutes with someone who didn't smell like a damn distillery I might not need to live in the world of make believe smutty daddies. I mean honestly who wants to just have their cervix poked awkwardly while their boyfriend completely misses their clit and then gets mad they didnt get off?

“You’re late Addie.” I stilled at the sound of his voice and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Casey had stayed up waiting for me several times and it always led to a confrontation, usually just ending in words being exchanged, maybe a broken glass or two thrown by either one of us, and a ‘whore’ followed by a ‘fuck you’ and me slamming the door and walking to Gabriella (my sister’s house) to sleep for the night. But this…no the energy was off tonight his voice was condescendly sweet and his hands trailed along the back of my neck but the pressure suggested this wasn’t out of concern. No, he was absolutely livid but yet he was calm as a priest and all of the alarm bells went off in my brain.

“I…I lost track of time. And when i saw how late it was i just thought-”

“Thought i would forget and be asleep? Thought Casey’s probably already passed out cold so i might as well just keep doing whatever the fuck I want? Even though I’m in a goddamn relationship and should be at home?” I shivered and moved to step around him but his hand closed around the back of my scalp tightly, my blue tinted hair being ripped out by the root. A sharp cry left my mouth and I instantly clapped a hand over my mouth but it was already too late. Casey had heard it and that meant so had potentially the neighbors, and Casey sure as hell wasn’t going back to jail. A harsh slap came across my cheek and I fell to the ground. I raised my head to look at him but all I got was a faceful of the bottom of his work boots before a sickening squelsh was heard as it made contact with my eye. I'm actually pretty sure the toe of his boot got stuck in my eye goop for a second. Gross. 

“One of us has to pay the rent, and we know damn well it’s not going to be you.” Why the hell did my adhd and my inability to filter my thoughts have to make its appearance right now? Apparently my brain just doesn't understand the idea of self preservation because instead of making a break for the door in Casey’s moment of stunned silence I just stood there staring him down like I’m 6’2” instead of 5’2”. I always joked with my sister Gabriella that men couldnt hurt me because of our father, that a 6 '1'' 200 something pound man beating the shit out of a 6 year old and me surviving meant i could square up with anyone. Like an older sister would be she was mortified and tried to get me to see reason. Mainly: No Adrienne just because you survived horrific child abuse does NOT mean you should go out seeking conflict with grown men just to prove yourself. Alas, my sister got all of the common sense and I got all of the anger issues which has led to my current predicament.

“The FUCK did you just say to me you stupid bitch?” Come on brain do something don’t just have me stand here like a fucking idiot. Casey reached for me but I dodged out of the way picking up one of the sausage pokers (is that what they're called? Whatever the prong looking kitchen utensil you shove inside meat to flip it over, I'd rather shove it up Casey’s meat though). He paused for a moment before he let out a hearty laugh and to be honest if this were a scene in a movie I would probably be laughing too, like what kind of dumb bitch picks up a sausage poker instead of KNIFE when they're in the middle of a domestic assault in their kitchen? “Come on little love, we both know you're not going to do anything with that. Put it down and be a good girl and suck my cock and I might not leave too many bruises' ' I felt my stomach twist at his words and was instantly thrown back to an eerily similar conversation with my father when I was 9. 9 year old little me who couldnt fight back when he would beat me black and blue with a belt, little 9 year old me that couldnt fight back as he savagely raped me because ‘this is how daddies show their love now be a good little girl and suck my cock’

“Fuck off Casey…just just get out.” He was walking closer to me and my blue eyes widened seeing that 1. His pupils were huge and 2. Casey had an erection. Ew, who the hell gets turned on being threatened to be stabbed is this like the backwards version of Haunting Adeline? Only it's not a gun going up a pussy, it's a sausage poker going..well anywhere i can get him really. He walked closer to me again and I swung the poked at him. “I said get out you cunt” His eyes narrowed and he lunged at me, I closed my eyes and moved the poker forward and twisted when i felt it come in contact with his skin. OH GOD I was twisting around the muscle inside Casey’s leg. I watched him fall to the ground and thankfully I gained a brain cell in the process and practically ripped my door off the hinges fleeing in the process. Not paying attention to where my legs were taking me just wanting to put as much distance between Casey and myself in case he magically became the hulk and ran after me. I sighed when I saw the 24/7 cafe Lilianna’s appear in my vision. I threw the door open and I'm sure I looked a sight because Lilliana dropped the latte she was pouring causing the customer to frown and turn to see what could have caused the beverage to be spilled.

“Adrienne-” I was about to brush her off but the man was already standing and held my chin in his hand forcing my chin up so he could look at my eye, or whatever was left of it and dear sweet jesus I’m pretty sure this man is what inspires the smutty authors because he is both delicious and terrifying. 

“What happened?” His voice was low and gravelly, obviously physically and judging by the cold calculatedness in his eyes probably emotionally exhausted. His hazel eyes stared into mine, at least they looked hazel blood pouring out of your eye really fucks up you vision. Some kind of badge and gun situated on his right hip, ah law enforcement then, no wonder he jumped up so quickly. For a moment I thought about lying but something about his face suggested it would be a bad idea.

“Dr. Reid if I may…Casey Thomas is a nasty piece of work, that's her boyfriend.” Lilliana’s voice was soft but also strangled, poor woman I was going to have to buy multiple coffees for the rest of my life to make up for the trauma I'm sure I just caused her to witness. His eyebrows raised in a silent question and I nodded my head because apparently shock is you know a thing and I’m fairly certain I'm slipping into it now that the adrenaline has worn off. 

“Let’s go.” In hindsight I probably should have fought harder to stay with Lilliana because even though this cop has the credentials of a man he's still..well a man and I'm definitely at a disadvantage with my blooded eye and my now bleeding scalp. Should’ve taken the poker with me, I read somewhere if you take impaled objects out, well damn i probably kept the fucker alive keeping it in there. I couldn't help the chuckle that came out of my mouth and Dr. Reid looked down at me worriedly.

“Don’t worry doc im not delirious from blood loss, I was just thinking about how I kept the sausage poker shoved in Casey’s thigh and so I’m probably the only reason that fucker didnt bleed out.” I really probably should've just kept my mouth shut because I don't know how close to a confession that could be to attempted murder and I just admitted that to a cop. A pretty cop but a cop nonetheless. I gave him directions to my apartment and he walked up the stairs, gun drawn, I'm sure he was prepared for a lethal Casey, and to be honest so was I. I waited in the car for him and 15 minutes later he reappeared talking to someone on the phone.

“I’m with her now Em. I'll let you know when I know more. …Yeah her apartment is like two down from mine so you know the address. …Alright see you soon.” He disconnected the call and a tired sigh came out of his mouth before he ran his hands through his unruly hair. “My name is Spencer Reid, I work for the BAU. That was my boss Emily, they're coming to check out your apartment. Casey wasn't there.” I felt a shiver wrack through my body out of fear or just exhaustion I don't know. “I’ll need to take your statement about what happened tonight, but let’s get you cleaned up first.” I nodded and he opened the car door for me and started leading me up the stairs just as black SUVs with flashing blue and red lights appeared in the parking lot.

“Reid!” We both turned around at the voice and a dark brunette woman in a power suit got out of the driver's side and walked over, her hard expression faltering slightly when she saw my bloodied face but it was quickly replaced by a cold, stoic expression. So this must be Emily, definitely a bombshell powerhouse, good for her, fuck the patriarchy and all that jazz.

“This is Adreinne-”

“I’m Adrienne Wilson, even though I guess I resemble something out of a horror film right now. My uh…my boyfriend was drunk and angry that I got back so late, he was waiting for me and I'm sure his boot is now covered in my eye juice. Should've shoved the poker up his sausage but I really didn't want to see that…oh shit can I go to jail for that?” Emily and Spencer both looked at me with a mixture of concern and amusement in their eyes.

“I didn't hear anything. Spencer said he would look you over while we collect evidence from your apartment. Would you like a female member of our team to go with you?” Yes probably should have been the logical answer but I found myself squeezing his hand tighter and slightly hiding behind his larger frame. Emily looked from me, to Spencer, back to me. “Understandable, Reid, bring her back to the office once you get her cleaned up.” He nodded and with a gentle yet firm hand on my lower back he led me to his apartment. I smiled seeing all the books cluttering the area. He disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared with both a soapy cloth and just a warm wet one. He gently cleaned the blood off my face and frowned when he saw my eye.

“You’ll definitely have a black eye but i don't feel any broken bones, can you see how many fingers i’m holding up?” I nodded and answered “Any cloudiness, black spots, halos, or double vision?” I shook my head no.

“Do you think I could…I could take a shower?” I didn't even recognize my own voice. It sounded so small and scared. 

“Your apartment will be unavailable at least until tomorrow…you could use my shower if you wanted though.” I nodded and followed him down the hallway. He showed me the bathroom and gave me a fluffy towel along with a t- shirt and sweatpants before closing the door quietly leaving me alone with just my thoughts.

[danepopfrippery]

My thoughts on the leaks

Nandor my bro you DESERVE to lose everything and everyone. Bitch you couldnt just ruin your life and leave Mawra and Guillermo free to live their lives? Or in Mawra’s just stay dead?!

I really hope Derrick turns Guillermo (although bud u didnt have to pay him or even much Derrick would’ve done it to have a bud) and it takes Nandor far too long to realize this til hes at an orgy or something. That man should crawl on his hands and knees for Guillermo’s forgiveness.

I didnt believe the leak when it hit but omfg after property brothers I did. A lot of people kept saying Guillermo stayed with Freddie (and didnt understand why there were two) so Im thinking thats a game of telephone. Guillermo confirms in the final ep that they broke up cuz Freddie is in love with his clone.

Nandor would be perfect for Bridezillas cuz he has no concept or care for anyone but himself. He seems to genuinely not care Guillermo has a bf other than wanting to bone the bf, and he takes far too long to realize he did something wrong. I mean he has a fucking djinn he couldnt wish the clone only looked like Freddie to him?! Also unless I lost track he has 2 wishes left?! Unless the djinn was just fucking done. Even if he used one so Freddie could travel thats still one left?! If he wanted to do some kindness he should wish Colin remembers what everyone did for him.

Nadja my doll you are a mess only losing to Nandor for worst. I wonder what will be of her and of the council next season given...all that. The Guide and Nadjita seem fine tho so good for them.

Poor Laszlo...we’ve seen him be a dick but he really did love Colin. Frankly this beefs up my belief he was Colin’s dad last time or originally even. Its not said but given Colin doesnt really remember (and only had vague descriptions of his parents before) makes me think theres a case for it. I hope someone rips all those pics my little dead heart...

They’ll bring Guillermo back somehow cuz they just will...they brought everyone home in the first ep after scattering last season. Colin will keep on trucking, Laszlo and Nadja will prbly wallow, and Nandor wont get a clue til its too late. I hope it comes when Laszlo hits on a vampire and sees its Guillermo.

[wavetapper]

Hi reyn, one quastion! If you don't mind sharing, what's your VSRG recommendation? I've mainly played osu!mania and while I love its accessibility and its community-created charts, I want to try something more curated. I don't mind either way if there are leaderboards/internet connectivity (it might be nice to not have to connect actually), and key count doesn't really matter to me—I've played 4k and 7k in osu. Are there any games on PC you think I should try? Thanks!

HI SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWR i lost the original essaypost so here is a slightly quicker and less thought out one

tl;dr djmax respect v and ez2on reboot r are good paid options, though they're sadly both always-online for some reason. musynx is a decent third, which iirc doesn't require an internet connection and is a fair bit cheaper even with the full dlc pack, but the timing window situation is ridiculous (normal greats being way too loose, and pgreats being genuinely inhumanly tight) so i hesitate to give it a full recommendation. more people should get into bms so check out bemuse.ninja for an in-browser bms player (free), or get beatoraja for an objectively better experience (also free)

more ramblings under the cut if you want to know my thots on each game individually (FLASHING LIGHT WARNING FOR ALL VIDEOS. They're youtube so they shouldnt autoplay but still)

DJMAX RESPECT V is probably the easiest rhythm game to recommend to anyone. it's got a good balance of difficulty (timing window is fairly wide, but not overly generous) and the soundtrack is really good. there are 4k, 5k, 6k, and an "8k" mode which is still 6 lanes but with two extra buttons (kinda like the fx notes in sdvx if you have any experience with that game), which all also involve this side-track mechanic (two extra buttons only used for holds at certain points in the song)

it also has a ladder match and competitive seasons, if youre into that sort of thing. ladder matches make me grind my teeth to dust they get so close sometimes but thats a skill issue on my part, they are fun. plus you can do open matches with your friends for something more casual and party game :) yay

downsides are it has to be online for it to run, theres a lot of songs locked behind paid dlc (although the dlc does go on sale fairly often, as does the base game), and there's a weird difficulty spike between regular charts (normal, hard, maximum) and sc charts (sc)- sc charts use a different scale nowadays but i guess just keep in mind that an sc1 is equivalent to like.... mx11ish, nothing lower. also theres NO EARLY/LATE DISPLAY!!!! i have no idea why they didnt include one!!!!

moderate/hard difficulty for reference

and a high-level sc chart if you wanna see how this game charts something difficult

EZ2ON REBOOT : R broke into my house and put my wrists in a saw trap and they never fully recovered from them. i will admit the main thing i have to say about this one is its like djmax but harder in just about every way. It also has 4k, 5k, and 6k modes, but their 8k mode actually has 8 lanes which makes it a lot more challenging. The timing window is also much tighter (a KOOL is about twice as tight as a MAX100%) and i might be making this up but i feel like the health drain is also a bit tougher. theres also a basic mode which widens the timing window if you want, but scores are saved separately.

there is no scaling difference between hard and super hard, which is a point in its favour, and the scale goes from 1-20 rather than 1-15 which means it can get a lot more granular. the charts can also get stupid hard, with a lot of stuff even in the 18~19 range making the highest-tier djmax sc charts look tame. its also charted in a different way which you can only really tell if youve played both games but like idk it feels a lot more arcadey.

theres online multiplayer in this one, but afaik they don't have the same competitive season thing as djmax does. you can do open lobbies though.

downsides are always online (again), song list is a bit more hit or miss imo but thats a personal taste thing, and its a lot harder to get into than something like djmax because the difficulty can get a bit silly sometimes

hard/moderate 8k chart

upper level 4k chart. one of very few 4k charts to be rated 20

MUSYNX can be a little bonus interlude here. The charting is mid and the timing window is stupid, but it's priced fairly and the soundtrack is fucking insane if you like bms. So many good licenses in there.

(spongebob pointing .png) look they have upshift i love upshift

as for BMS, i answered an ask about it here and I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CHECK IT OUT...

tl;dr on bms, it's a community-led rhythm game with entirely original music created by and for the players. a lot of bms songs get licensed for other games (conflict is probably the most famous example), and they have yearly music contest events where a bunch of cool new music and videos and charts get released- its worth keeping up with those, even if you dont click with the game itself

you can try out some bms songs IN YOUR BROWSER RIGHT NOW on bemuse.ninja (although the player is a little janky imo), or check out the beatoraja english guide and set up beatoraja to play charts that way. beatoraja is what i use, and the player is super customisable with custom skins and stuff. i edited a little tbh creature as my lane cover :)

heres someone playing new york back raise which is a banger song with a banger music video and a banger lv11 chart which i cant clear yet

[pbandjesse]

I was so tired all day. Having two days in a row where I am so tired was not ideal. But it wasn't bad beyond that. I just wasn't comfortable.

It didn't help that sleep was still not easy last night. Even though I was so tired I was struggling. And then James accidentally woke me up moving my phone to the charger and that was not what I wanted because I wanted my phone with me and the curtains were open and I got all upset. So I didnt wake up nice and was mean to James for no reason so then I was upset with myself and I was just struggling.

I apologized to James and I got dressed. My hair felt bad. I liked my outfit but I didn't feel great at all. My face felt puffy. And I was having a bad time.

But I had to shake it off. It wouldn't work great but it wasn't the worst thing. I did forget my wallet with my cash in it. So I tried to use my gift card for breakfast and was $1 short so I had to use my credit card anyway. And the egg on my sandwich was weird. Like it looked weird. But it was fine. I had my breakfast and felt a little better.

I was glad to see Jack and my other friends. I went and set up balls and track and helped out out tables. I hurt myself a little on a sharp part of the table. But it was fine. I just went and put my head down. I was so tired.

The school would be a few minutes late. But it was fine. They were excellent kids. And we're so easy to work with. I brought them back to the classroom and they would make their groups and we had fun! I didn't bring anything to work on but that's fine. I made a roller coaster with the kids and they did a good job. They were very quick with the vocab and seemed to have a lot of fun.

Lunch was next. And the parents and teacher told me how much they enjoyed the first program so that made me feel good.

I went to the break room and just. Was quiet for a long time. I checked on my birthday sandals and they should be here tomorrow!

But very soon I had to go and get the kids for our next program. We had our cannery and I had to waste a few minutes at the window wall but not very long. And the cannery went really well but we had somehow lost 5 minutes in the intro and then a couple minutes from each shift and so we get to the store and Gabby's like hey why are we so early. And that's when I realized there was a half an hour of the program left when we only had one more store to do. That's not great. So we vamped and did our best to waste time. And the kids did a really good job in the program so that wasn't a problem and we finished like 10 minutes early so I took them out and we looked at the neon signs for Domino sugar and talked about how neon worked and then we took a bathroom break before we met Jordan at Ring of fire and he lit that and we talked about what some of the issues with having natural gas as a chandelier would be and then we went on our tour.

I had all the girls and one boy. And it was a really nice tour. They had questions and they seemed really interested and everything that was going on. I didn't get too much into the gore because one girl got a little gaggy when I started talking about some of the more intense stuff. But everything else went really well and we finished on time and they said they had a good time and that's all I really ever wanted. But man was I tired.

After I drop them off at the lunch room and saw the Dell was there I went to the back to just sit down for a few minutes. I would eat a little bit but I knew me and James were going to dinner later so I wasn't that concerned and I wasn't that hungry anyway. I just had enough so that I wouldn't fall asleep while I was working. And then I went upstairs to work on oysters and make cans and eventually I would sit with Jordan to make some backup cans for the drying shelf. We talked about some stuff politically that he is seeing recently and things about the Ukraine that I didn't know about. And it was interesting. But I was very tired and very much ready to go home.

James had gone in a long bike ride today to DC. And the plan was for them to get the 1:00 train and come home. But they missed the 12:45 and had to wait for the next one and then when they got on that train it made it one and a half stops and the brakes failed and they had to go back to DC and get on a different train. Apparently that one had waited 40 minutes so that they can combine the two trains together it was a whole thing but by the time I got home I only had to wait a few minutes and then James was here too.

I told James I was a very tired though and so we stayed on the couch for about an hour before we picked ourselves up and walked to the brass tap.

I feel like the last couple times we've gone there we kind of get abandoned. The food's always good but our waiter never comes back and gives us refills and that's very frustrating. But the food was nice and well we didn't talk a ton because I was so tired conversation we did have was really good. I love James so much and I love spending time with them.

I took half my sandwich home and we walked back here. It was such a beautiful day. And it's so nice seeing all the flowers blooming even if they are a little too early. I love the part of the year when we have flowering trees and I feel a little spoiled getting them so early.

When we got back here I went and took a shower and washed my hair. And then we got comfy on the couch. I got on my knitting stuff and my tablet to draw another sticker I had an idea for. And we watched The last of Us.

And this episode was really good. I am very concerned about what next week is going to hold but it's the season finale and I think they did a really excellent job with the show. And I'm just glad that Jeff and James convinced me to watch it. And I got four rows done on my knitting. Which I am very behind on. But I will find time to continue to get caught up this week. I don't need to get it completely out of control by missing another whole week.

Now I am in bed. I have been struggling to write this post for the last hour but James is taking a shower now so I'm trying to get it done so that we can attempt to go to bed very soon. Tomorrow I have an early starting and early ending shift at the museum and then I have to go to art with a heart to pick up my supplies for Wednesday. I'm very nervous! I've never picked anything up there and I'm sure I'm going to do it wrong somehow. Mostly I don't know which door to go to so I'm just going to go to the front and just be like hey please explain what I'm supposed to do. So wish me luck and I hope you have a great night. Sleep well and stay safe!

[volumehypeplay]

Favorite Speechless songs of 2022

I know it's been a while and I apologise. After getting lost addicted to The Witcher 3 (I kinda hate that it finally happened), I also discovered a game called Len's Island that have been taking up any free time in my life. But I didn't forget my promise, so today, I will be dropping not one but a double-bill of my favorite songs of last year. We'll be starting with my speechless addiction (meaning OST's, classical etc) and then ending with traditional songs. Let the countdown begin. ↓

Ganbatte

I still remember finding this song in between layers and layers of songs in the seemingly limitless archives of Spotify. Ganbatte by Pogo is one of those tracks that effortlessly get better with every listen. Pogo manages to keep me listening, even as he weaves multiple instruments and genres throughout the 5 ½ min runtime, without ever losing the songs thread. Ganbatte is a wonderful example of sonic storytelling; Pogo using instrumentation and key switches to forward the story and keep you guessing.

Will have this one in constant rotation for years to come.

Aramid

Aramid has already cropped up on VHP so I won't waste my breath re-iterating why you MUST listen to this one. If your ever needing to outrun a pack of lions, just put this on and you'll be gucci.

Try telling me I'm wrong.

FOUNDATION

One of my favorite movies of the last decade is Leigh Whannel's Upgrade. An amazingly clever and violent movie that has a just as impressive soundtrack (check A Better Place). FOUNDATION, to me is the perfect accompanying track to the movie. It continues the themes of Upgrade brilliantly with it's dank, neon singed soundscapes, fitting perfectly in any one of the city scenes. BRONSON (& Odesza) hopefully get a chance to work on a movie at some point, because if the coherence of this album taught me anything, is they have the knack to create something special together.

Precipice

Me and my wife have a running joke in the house about this song. The first time we heard this, we immediately saw it being the backdrop of some modern monster feature. Discovering where Precipice was from, made us double-take 3 or 4 times — and it still didnt register correctly. What kind of scene, deserves the dark, ominous undertones of Precipice in something like Around the World in 80 Days??? Eventually, we'll have an answer to that mystery, but for now, turn the lights low, get under the covers and try not to get creeped out.

Ballade in C# Minor: Coronation

Perfection. This is it. Of all the new songs I discovered last year I think the most suprising one was Ballade in C# Minor: Coronation. Composed by Nicholas Britell, this song does such a good job in conveying the emotions of a scene without me having ever even watched the movie.

From the downtrodden opening; followed by strings (adding anxiety) only for the volume to be raised, the strings to be layered and the tempo increased. Immersing you in a feeling of dread - while being bathed in a very beautiful ambience of the song itself.

Enjoy.

Katana Zero

This one snuck in really late; right at the eleventh hour. It's probably the most gym appropriate song on this list, if your simply looking to go in: rep, after rep, after rep.

The monotone nature of the production makes it extremely easily to zone out, focus and follow the bass line as it grows. If your looking for a song to vibe out too, or simply have playing in the background as you get on with your day-to-day this is perfect.

Impressions Lastly we have another track by Portico Quartet called Impressions. It's possibly the best introductary song to this London based group.

Impressions delivers on everything you'd want out of a Quartet song; it's diverse, groovy and melodic. Immediately your hit with a ridiculous drum-line that just doesn't stop. The amazing thing is how the drums are layered by both live instruments and electronic echoes - while also being abruptly stripped away when the track needs a breather.

If your loving Impressions, definetly check out Monument by Portico Quartet and the Nest remix.

[minilpark]

Heyaa! First of all, thank you for keeping us fed w all the prompt and incorrect top guns 💗. But, could u maybe write one about Bob, being the thigh man he is, being mesmerized by a fellow Lt in the base gym who happens to be doing leg day. And he thought that she’s not as friendly due to her facial expressions in the gym, but later on found out that she’s an absolute sunshine when he hears her singing with Rooster in the Hard Deck. Sorry if this is too specific. Call sign could be loops bcs of her curly hair and the song could be I Say A Little Prayer, but anything else works as well 🥰 sorry if it’s a lot

okay i havent ever listened to the song until now but truly a pretty song and i would l o v e to hear rooster sing it ugh-

i think this prompt is so cute, but i won't specify a callsign just so its a bit more general other than that, i hope you enjoy

y/c/s - your callsign

y/f/n - your first name

y/l/n - your last name

as a lieutenant in the navy it's a given you have to stay pretty fit to do your job

and so today was leg day for you

typically you get up early for a workout, just so you don't run into too many people so you were out your door by 05:30

and you arrived at the (almost empty) gym not that much later

after doing a quick 30 minutes of warm up cardio and streching, you decided it was time to start working on legs

not that long after, bob arrived at the gym too

he's actually really disciplined when it comes to working out

today was arms for him and so after he warmed up he made his way over to the lat pull down machine

and from across the room, he saw you

you were at the seated leg press with your headphones on completely focused on your reps

honestly he found it really impressive that you were pressing the weight you were-

however your expression did intimidate him a bit...

granted he saw you around base often being that you two were both lieutenants and works in the same field

but he never interacted with you before besides the occasional hello while passing by

and he was less inclined than he usually is to do so because he 1. is shy and 2. you are just so,, intimidating and hot-

and he didn't mean for this to happen but while he was working out his eyes would just wander and he saw how muscular your thighs were and he blushed

he really didnt think he would be so attracted to legs, especially thighs but you proved him wrong

after about an hour, you decided you were done for the day and that it would be best to go run your errands, especially since you finally had an off day and time to do everything

bob kinda glanced over while doing his workouts and saw you make your way out, and after another hour, he left as well

later that evening, you and bob found yourselves drinking with some friends at the hard deck

funnily enough, you and bob do have some mutual friends

namely one of them being rooster

speak of the devil and he shall come-

"well if it isnt my lovely singing partner y/f/n 'y/c/s' y/l/n"

you smirk a little and look up from your drink at him

"and you are late mister bradshaw-"

"ah dont hold it against me, i lost track of time doing some work-"

bob seeing the banter you two have across the room almost leads him to believe that you both are in a relationship

but if you were, then rooster would've definitely said something about it

at this point bob is pulled out of his train of thought when he hears rooster playing some chords on the piano

but oddly enough its not "great balls of fire" for once

and so he's dragged over to a seat closer to the piano by phoenix

and you and rooster begin to sing "i say a little prayer"

and its like he's heard an angel

the harmony between you and rooster leaves most of the patrons in the bar speechless

especially bob himself

and the smile you have on your face while singing along feels so contagious

at this point he knows he has more than a small crush on you

when you and bradley eventually finish the song, he high fives you and begins the chords for everyone's favourite-

yep you guessed it, great balls of fire

and you just make your way back to the bar for a break and a little drink

before you even order though, bob gets pushed beside you by phoenix and he nervously takes a seat next to you

"u-um hey lieutenant y/l/n, you probably don't remember me but i'm-"

"oh hey bob how are you?"

he's so confused and speechless rn

"wait what, you know my name?"

"well, of course i do, i mean we're in the same department. i literally say hello to you every day- wait, do you not know my name?"

and he just shakes his head

"uh, no- well, yes i do!"

and you laugh a bit

"well, then there's no need to be so formal! just call me y/n or y/c/s!"

he just smiles and nods and you notice his ears are so red and its spreading to his cheeks

"so, anything you need bob?"

and he just perks up and remembers why he was even pushed over here

"oh, um, i was just wondering if i could buy you a drink?"

you just smile a little and lean in closer to him

"if i didn't know any better, i'd say you're trying to flirt with me, floyd" at which point his eyes widen a bit and no comprehenible words fall out of his mouth

he just clears his throat a little and rubs the back of his neck

"um, s-so would you like a beer?"

"that would be great, bob"

[dayglovv]

𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

↳ Risotto Nero & Bruno Bucciarati

suggestions: 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 asked: "Oh! I didnt mean to fall asleep leaning on you" with risotto?💕 // 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 asked: ooooo if youre still doing this maybe 'i love how soft your lips are' w/ bruno pls! i love your work (≧◡≦) // 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 asked: “Did you do that on purpose?” with a flirty bruno !!!!

ask game: physical contact starters  — closed.

a/n: this has been sitting in my drafts for 1.5 weeks... pls enjoy this horribly expired food, friends.

warnings: mentions of death in Risotto’s part.

— risotto nero.

you know Risotto cares. it doesn’t take a genius to see it. he’s the first to heal your teammates, using Metallica to gather the iron their blood cells for faster recovery. he was the last to leave Sorbet and Gelato’s funeral. and now, after a completed mission, he’s letting you sleep on his shoulder. ↳ “oh! I didn’t mean to fall asleep leaning on you.”    “it’s fine. get your rest.”

what your teammates don’t see is how physically affectionate he can be. it’s not something that happened right away, though. in fact, the first time you held Risotto’s hand, you could feel his entire body go rigid.

but with time, touching you became as natural as breathing. he touches you any time the squad isn’t looking. little things, like brushing your hair from your face or adjusting the collar of your shirt. for as small as these moments are, they’re all things he relishes nonetheless.

you’ll never forget the first time he kissed you out of his own accord. normally he lets you take the lead, but maybe watching you die made him act on pure adrenaline. you took a bullet to the heart. you could hear him yelling, followed by a gushing sound coming from the perpetrator. a quick death from Metallica, unusual from someone like Risotto. but when it was revealed that the wallet in your chest pocket saved your life, that stony exterior faded to something so much more desperate. 

he collided his lips against yours, holding your face so tightly yet so carefully. he had to feel everything about you — your warmth, the rumble from your lips when you moaned, the way your fingers found themselves in his hair. he needed to make sure this was real. you were real. because for a moment, even if for a second, he thought he lost the person most important to him. ↳ “I failed you. I should have been more diligent to protect you and... I’m sorry. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you.”

— bruno bucciarati.

Bucciarati has this warm but almost intimidating aura around him. while he’s widely respected in the community, he didn’t become a capo from being kind to everyone. he’s ruthless, cunning in the missions he carries out. it’s no wonder why troublemakers scurry away the moment they see him.

it’s fair, you think. he has a reputation to uphold. he can’t let people think that he’s weak. that’s why it throws you off when you find out how smooth he can be.

like the first time he held your hand. he asked you if you could hold something for him, and when you stuck your palm out, he laced his fingers with yours. you couldn’t even think of a good reply to that; you just turned away, face red, while Bucciarati chuckled at your response.

after several moments like this, you want to get back at him. it’s late and it’s a weeknight, so not many people are around. quiet nights like these are when he’s most comfortable with dumb antics. that’s when you take your cue. you stop him in his tracks, saying there’s something on his mouth. you ask him to hold still so you can get it. then, before he has much time to respond, you place a quick peck on his lips. he freezes. then he blinks. and finally, he says, ↳ “did you do that on purpose?”

you think you’ve gotten him. you think that after all this time, you’ve finally out-smoothed him. but then he proves you wrong, that you can and will never best him. it’s a lesson you learn as Bucciarati holds your face in his palm before kissing you again, so, so sweetly. he’s smiling. and when you wrap your arms around his neck and you feel him laugh against your lips, your heart just swells. ↳ “you should do that more. I love how soft your lips are.”

[moonlit-imagines]

The Doctor Is In

Stephen Strange x reader

Bruce Banner x reader (platonic)

warnings:

a/n: hey! idk how to build stairs guys. i didnt feel like researching it. i dont care if it’s wrong. leave me alone. part 2/2.

prompt:

Out (1)

There was no hope of Stephen coming back. Every truth you had to face was harsher than the last. Even when you got home and realized that Wong was among the vanished...and he didn’t fix the stairwell.

Maybe the stairwell was a good thing. It gave you something to focus on in these hard times. Sure, it’d been a month since the incident, but that still wasn’t enough time for the world to heal. That meant that contractors were hard to come by. But the roof would have a tarp over it for some time. No way you’d deal with that.

So you took a trip to the hardware store, you stocked up on wood and nails, lacquer and wood stain. Anything else you needed for the project. Anything to keep you busy.

There were so many sleepless nights. You hated being alone in Sanctum, hated being alone in your bed. Every so often you would nap on the couch, but then you’d get right back to work. Weeks on end you spent on the stairwell. How long will you stick around while I talk about the stairwell?

Doctor Banner called you from time to time. His voicemails were kind, heartfelt, but you couldn’t stop now. The gutted stairwell from a couple weeks ago was coming by very nicely. As nice as it could when worked on my an amateur. Alright, it looked awful, but you couldn’t stand using a ladder to get to the second floor.

As you were staining the wood, you played a message from Bruce:

“Doctor L/N, it’s Bruce. I hope you’re doing alright, but you know that if you’re not, I’m here for you. All the remaining Avengers have kind of...gone their separate ways for the most part, they’re pretty broken up about everything. I just want you to know that because you don’t...have to be strong right now. I understand if you can’t be. Just call me back whenever you can? I want to make sure you’re alright. We’re survivors, we should stick together.”

Bruce hadn’t known you long, but he was still a great person and friend. You should call him back, but if you lost focus, you may lose yourself. So you continued to wipe against the grain of the fresh stairs and moved to the next step. And the next. And the next.

The last step was the lacquer and seal. You were scared to finish up. What would you occupy yourself with once this was over? You thought about the answer until the very last step and admired your shabby craftsmanship. It’ll do. Or maybe you should tear it all down and start over? While you were thinking over your newest thought, your phone rang again. Bruce Banner.

“Hey, Bruce.” You answered the phone as you normally would and sat on the floor in front of your work.

“Y/N?” Bruce asked in disbelief. “Y/N, hey! How are you? I don’t know if you’ve been getting my calls..?”

“I have.” You quickly replied.

“Oh.” He quietly nodded to himself.

“I’m sorry, Bruce.” You realized your mistake and knew you may have come off as a little rude. He’d been nothing but kind to you, but you’d just realized you were alone today.

“No, no! It’s okay! I understand, don’t worry. What have you been up to?” His effort to start a conversation may be successful this time around.

“I fixed the stairwell. All of it. That’s what I’ve been doing the past few weeks. I just finished a few minutes ago.” You felt awkward talking to him. Not because of him, not at all. Just because you hadn’t really had any human contact in a while.

“I didn’t take you for a carpenter, Doctor.” Bruce was genuinely surprised with your skillset, you could hear it in his voice.

“And you still won’t once you see the job I did.” You actually managed to let out a chuckle. You didn’t know you could still do that.

“Oh, I hear ya loud and clear.” Bruce laughed, too. I wonder if he was having the same thoughts as you. “Y/N, do you want to go out to lunch like, now? I could use some company, maybe you could, too.”

“Yeah,” you checked the time on your watch, Stephen’s watch, and realized you worked through the night and day, “text me an address, I’ll meet you anywhere. See you soon.” You hung up pretty quickly, only to get ready ASAP. You were sort of covered in “stair supplies” and smelled like...not good. You’d take a quick shower, put on some clean clothes, and take off. Unfortunately, the stairs weren’t dry, so it was another round up the ladder.

—————

You finally took a trip back to your bedroom and shuffled through the closet filled with your...late husband’s clothing. It still smelled like him, surprisingly. You wondered just how long it would last. You hoped it’d be forever, but you grabbed your own clothes and quickly got dressed, then checked your phone to see that Bruce was running “a little late.” It’s okay, you were, too.

You took a seat on Stephen’s side of the bed and decided to snoop. Did it count as snooping if he was no longer here? You knew that he didn’t keep secrets from you, so what was the worst you could stumble upon? Books, books, and more books. But some were important books, ones detailing mystic arts. Maybe...maybe it was time to pick up a new skill. You stuffed the book in your bag and decided to head out now before you got too comfy in an actual bed.

—————

You and Bruce sat at a booth in the empty diner, awkwardly gazing over the menu while trying to stir up some conversation. It’d been a while since either of you had visited someone, you didn’t even know what to talk about.

“So, home renovations, huh?” Bruce asked while peaking over the fold of the laminated list.

“Something like that.” You sighed and set yours down and aside. “I know what I’m getting. What about you?”

“I just need a minute.” The only noise besides your bland conversation was the rustling of dishes in the back, which didn’t last for long. “Got it. A burger. That’ll do it.” Bruce announced and got the attention of the waiter.

Ordering took a second, but soon you and Bruce were alone again and ready to talk.

“How are the other Avengers? I know you said they went their separate ways, but...” You inquired and were surprised to see a smile crack on Bruce’s face. “What?”

“At least I know you listened to my voicemails.” He chuckled and took a sip of his iced tea. “They’re dealing with it. I don’t exactly know how. Nat’s staying at the compound, I’m sure she’s glad to have a home again. Cap went out on his own. Thor went back to his people. Tony and Pepper are trying to separate themselves from the world, I think. I don’t blame them. That’s all I know.” You stayed silent, but nodded along to his outer thoughts. “You alright?”

“I’m sorry, Bruce.” You started. “I didn’t mean to ignore you, leave you hanging. I just still don’t know how to take this. I keep thinking about what Stark told me when he came back. His whole ‘this will all make sense soon’ thing. Nothing about this makes sense to me.”

“Well, Strange was different, wasn’t he? He had that Stone, he had those powers, he might know something we don’t.” Bruce explained to you, an attempt to comfort you. “We’ve tried everything, y/n. Maybe it’s time to wait, maybe in time you’ll see that he sacrificed himself...for you.” You teared up at the scientist’s words and quickly wiped your eyes as the food was placed before you. “Thank you, sir.” Bruce said as the waiter walked off. “Hey, y/n? It’s okay that you’re hurting. I get it. But please don’t act like you’re alone. I’m gonna be here for you, okay?”

“Yeah,” you sniffled while hiding your wet eyes, “Me, too, Bruce.”

—————

When you got stressed out when you were younger, you threw yourself into your studies. Maybe that was why you were such an accomplished scientist. But what studies did you have now?

You had a library full of knowledge. It wasn’t your usual knowledge, but it would suffice. Now, the book that you’d snagged from Stephen’s bedside was a bit advanced for you, but that was okay. You had options.

Where would you even begin? This place was bigger than you remembered. Was this another spell? Did you know what you were talking about? Stop thinking, y/n. Start reading.

You picked out a book. You just ran with it. You recalled stories from Stephen. You remembered you needed the ring. What did he call it? Song ring? Sink ring? Slink ring?

Sling ring.

Not a problem, you could find one. Sanctum probably had tons. Maybe in Stephen’s study? You wished you had asked him more about his arts before, you just didn’t get it at the time.

One was stashed in a drawer. It was Stephen’s ring. The one he used himself. And it was the only one you could find, so it’d have to do. And so you got to studying.

The first time the air sparked by your hand was magical. Literally. But it made you feel something for the first time in nearly three months. And that was just the beginning. It felt like you were carrying on Stephen’s legacy in a way. You’d never be “Sorcerer Supreme,” but you didn’t have any intention of that. You just wanted his memory to live on, even if it were through you.

So you’d practice and you’d learn and you’d practice and you’d learn. You’d see Bruce whenever you could, and he soon noticed your mood change.

“I’m glad to see you happy for a change.” He told you while you walked through the park.

“Yeah, it feels great.” You told him while watching construction vehicles cleaning up the debris that had been lying around for months.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s with the ring?” He looked at your hand and you lifted it closer.

“Oh...it’s Stephen’s.” You simply stated.

“Is it like a wedding ring?” He took a closer look and let you laugh it up for a quick second.

“No, no!” You shook your head at the ridiculous question. “I might as well show you. I haven’t told anyone yet, but that’s because you’re the only person I talk to.” You stopped in your tracks and shooed him back to give yourself enough space. “Ready?” Bruce looked terrified, but nodded a response and watched you raise your hands ahead, concentrating on the small portal you had began to open. Bruce recognized the opening since he’d fallen through it before.

“You’re one of the sorcerers?” Bruce’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I just started learning!” You exclaimed with a bright smile. “I needed something to get me through this all...and I wanted to protect Sanctum like Stephen and Wong had always stressed doing.”

“That’s...amazing, y/n. Self-taught magic? By a scientist, no less. Look at you go!” Bruce had a knack for being supportive. You were glad that he crashed through your roof and into your stairs.

“Thanks, Bruce. Maybe in time I’ll be able to cast a spell that fixes my roof.” You shrugged.

“Oh? Come on! I said I was sorry!”

—————

And then five years went by. Flew by, actually. You’d become a skilled sorcerer and used your skills around Sanctum. There wasn’t much to do here on Earth. It was a bit quiet.

Bruce was still a close friend of yours! You’d advised him in his quest for balance. He was no longer at war with himself.

The roof was fixed! You had Bruce spectate your very own spell to repair the damages he’d inflicted, but all was forgiven.

Then one normal day you got a call from him.

“Hey Bruce! How’s it going?” You answered, even though it interrupted your meditation.

“Can you meet me at the diner ASAP?” He sounded a little off, but still upbeat, so you opened a portal and stepped through to find yourself right out front. It was easy to spot him through the window, but there were others with him. Avengers.

“Hey, all.” You took a seat beside an unfamiliar one. “Hi, I’m y/n.” You told him as a plate of food was set in front of you.

“I ordered you your favorite. Hope you’re hungry.” Bruce smirked at you and let you get to it.

“So, it’s been a while, huh?” You asked the two Avengers across from you.

“It has.” Natasha sighed. “I wasn’t aware you were...also a sorcerer.” She began.

“I had a lot of free time.” Last they saw you, you weren’t as cool, calm, or collected. They were glad that you’d found peace. “I have a feeling this isn’t a social lunch.”

“I’m sorry to pull you from your calm, Doctor L/N—” You cut Steve off.

“Y/N is fine.” You replied.

“Scott here,” Steve motioned to the awkward man sitting alongside you, “was stuck in the Quantum Realm for some time, if you’re familiar. He thinks that there’s a way to...to undo what Thanos did.” You peered over at Bruce and watched him shrug as your heart started to beat faster and stomach started doing turns. You hated the thought of getting your hopes up, but you still dearly missed your husband.

“What can I do?”

—————

You had a hand in opening the dozens of portals around the ruins of the Avengers Compound, but you weren’t the only one. Stephen, Wong, and hundreds of other sorcerers were assisting to bring an army to combat the troops of an outdated Thanos, and you were so close to Stephen.

Using your magic to create a pathway to the sky, you leaped from step to step to get a clear look of the battlefield. And to let Stephen see you. He did. And so did the cloak.

You’d never used your powers to fight, so you’d have to step it up out here. But you knew Stephen wouldn’t let you get hurt. And you believed that you could handle this yourself.

“Y/N!” Stephen called to you as he flew to your altitude and held you in a special embrace that you’d nearly forgotten the feeling of. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Are you kidding me, Stephen?” You chuckled through tears that you just couldn’t hold in, tears that dragged through the dirt and dust on your face, clearing small lines down your cheeks. “I have missed you every day since the moment you left. I am so glad to have you back.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye, y/n. I truly am. But I knew that you would manage without me. You always have.” He explained to you in such a heartfelt way, admiring your capability to still be standing in the air.

“You knew I’d become a sorcerer, didn’t you?” You cocked a brow and watched him smirk.

“I had an inkling.” He joked with you as the firefight below was still rampaging.

“It’s very unprofessional of you to be talking to your s/o during times of crisis like this.” You chuckled and broke your spell to fall back to the ground, stopping yourself before it was too late in what could only be described as a “superhero landing.” Now that you were on the ground, assistance was required for your own side of the battle.

You and your fellow sorcerers had to defend more than anything. Shields popped up across the battlefield in an effort to keep your people alive. There were too many close calls and you wanted to survive long enough to go home with your husband.

“Y/N, over here!” Stephen beckoned you to the flood that would have made this fight much harder, and you were delighted to defend alongside him. The cloak rushed to you and gave you a fast track to the edge of the water, you couldn’t help but that it for it’s kind service. “Ready?”

“Of course.” You lifted your palms and motioned towards that water, redirecting it and keeping it at bay for the time being. “I love you, Stephen.” You remembered to tell him.

“I love you, too, y/n.” He replied with his focus still on the flood. “And I’m proud of you. So very proud.”

“Couldn’t have done it with you.” You joked and stabilized the rushing waters, giving you a true load-off before the end was clear. Dust passed through the sunken hole you all stood inside. Dust of your enemies that had finally lost. You and Stephen stared at each other in disbelief, yet couldn’t help but run into each other’s arms. “This is real? We won?”

“In a way.”

—————

Stephen and you dressed in all black were standing in the back yard of your savior. Tony had given his life to give others a life. You were just sorry that it had to be him.

Bruce stood alongside you with a long face and an injured arm. It was time for you to be there for him like he’d been there for you.

“Thanks for bringing back my husband, Bruce.” You whispered to him while holding Stephen’s hand tightly. Over the past few days, you just couldn’t seem to let go of him.

“Oh, yeah? That was nothing.” Bruce playfully answered through his sorrow.

“How’s your arm feeling?” You asked him, making sure the sling wasn’t twisted up an any way.

“Not the greatest, but I’ll be okay.” He assured you and watched as you leaned your head onto Stephen’s smile with a sense of relief. “I’m really happy for you, y/n...”

“But?” You raised an eyebrow with a hint of worry.

“But you better still hang out with me.” He smiled at you and you even heard a chuckle escape Stephen’s lips.

“You can count on it, Bruce.” You lifted a hand for a fist bump and collided your knuckles with his, even if they were a bit oversized.

“Shall we get going, dear?” Stephen asked you while he hooked his arm around yours and opened a portal home. You waved goodbye to Bruce and went on your way, stepping right into Sanctum as the way closed behind you.

“So you really meant it, huh?” You asked your husband while setting your belongings down.

“That I love what you’ve done with the place?” Stephen laughed at your oncoming smirk and walked forward, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you forward to kiss the top of your head. “Of course, dear.”

“Even the stairs?” You peeked your head up to look at your husband and watched his smile grow. You’d never bothered casting a spell to properly repair them. Maybe you were just too proud of your work. Maybe it was a reminder that you got through these five years on your own terms.

“I do.” He leaned down to kiss your lips. “It adds character to this place.”

“More character than the magic?” You prodded at him.

“I think you mean ‘sorcery.’” He corrected as you leaned into his chest and slightly swayed back and forth, taking in his presence for the 50th time since he’d come home.

“Oh, of course. Silly me.”

taglist: @alwaysananglophile // @rorybutnotgilmore // @locke-writes // @sweetheartliz07 // @queen-destenie // @natasha-danvers // @lokihiddles // @frostedficrecs // @lotsoffandomrecs // @johnmurphyisqueer // @teenwaywardasgardian // @pappydaddy // @captainshazamerica // @freya-xo // @ravenmoore14 // @thisetaernallove // @ofthedewthesunlight // @canarypoint // @zoeyserpentluck // @randomawesomeperson102 // @ghost-bich // @wonderful-writer // @of-a-chaotic-mind // @groovyfluxie // @procrastinatingsapphictrash // @lxncelot // @swanimagines // @randomfandomimagine // @blizzardbabe // @agentshortstacc // @rosadiaz-sarayvargas-harleyquinn // @werewolf-himbo // @comiocudequemtalendo1 // @mochamoff // @the-marvel-meme-emporium // @summersimmerus //

[bridgyrose]

Ruby chuckled a bit as she watched Penny shove forkful after forkful of food into her mouth, practically moaning after each bite. “You should slow down. If you eat to fast-” 

Penny started coughing after a bit, trying to dislodge a chunk of meat that got stuck. “H-how… how do you do this?” 

“By eating slowly and taking your time. But humans arent meant to eat that quick.” Ruby sat down next to Penny, giving her a soft smile. “I know you’re getting a lot of new sensations, but its okay to take things slowly.” 

Penny nodded, feeling her heart start to beat faster as she looked at Ruby in her own body. She wasnt fond of the idea of having feelings for her own body, but knowing it was Ruby… She looked away and blushed a bit, putting a hand to her cheeks as she felt her face warm up. “R-right. Maybe… maybe you can help do this right. I mean, if I have to be you for right now-” 

“Of course I will,” Ruby replied, gently picking up the fork and knife and trying not to break them. “Besides, your father told us we need to try to keep others from noticing what’s going on. If they ever find out-” 

“Find out what, Penny?” 

Ruby nearly jumped as she turned around, giving a nervous smile to Ciel. “O-oh, you know, just… spending a bit of time with my girlfriend.” 

“And you’re approximately-” Ciel pulled out her pocket watch and let out a sigh. “-an hour late for our training session. I’ve been looking around all over for you.” 

Penny flinched a bit, not realizing that she had forgotten about the training session with everything that had gone on. “Right, I should get-” 

Ruby quickly covered Penny’s mouth, giving a nervous chuckle. “I’m sorry, I had forgotten all about it. A uh… mission came up and ‘R-Ruby’ and I were needed to clear out grimm.” A hiccough escaped her mouth, causing her to immediately put a hand to her mouth in slight embarrassment. “It will not happen again. I’m sure we could reschedule-” 

Ciel grabbed the back of “Penny’s” shirt and started dragging her off to the training room. “We do not have time to reschedule this. It’s unlike you to forget about something you had promised, but we’ll make up for the lost time.” 

Penny sighed as she watched Ruby get dragged off, slumping a bit in her seat. “I will have to make this up to Ruby.” She stood up to follow, only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. 

“And where do you think you’re going, Runt?” asked Harriet. “You and I have a training mission scheduled.” 

Penny paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. She very well couldnt tell Harriet that she wasnt Ruby, mostly because she knew Harriet wouldnt believe her, but that would also be throwing Ruby under the proverbial bus. But she couldnt exactly say she was Ruby because that wasnt exactly true either. “I… am needed by the General-” 

“Wrong answer, kid.” Harriet deployed her weapon, using the exo-skeleton arms to pick “Ruby” up and drag her away for the mission. “You said you wanted to work on your speed and now’s the best time to do so.” 

Penny struggled to get free, no longer feeling the strength her other body had given her. She gave up after a few seconds of struggling, letting out a heavy sigh. “I… alright…” 

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

General Ironwood pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked over what was left of the experimental rocket that was supposed to get Amity just enough altitude to send a message to the rest of the world. “Let me get this straight: you destroyed this in order to free it from a geist that had made it part of its body?” 

Weiss looked away, hesitating for a moment as she tried to get her words together. “W-well, it wasnt exactly… us…” 

“There was already some sort of explosion from the dust.” Blake pulled out her scroll and showed a few pictures of the site she took. “Considering what Ruby and Penny had gone through, we’re pretty sure the rocket was the cause of the explosion.” 

Ironwood nodded and let out a sigh, turning away from the rocket and looking out the window behind his desk. “And how are Miss Polendina and Miss Rose doing? They’re still recovering, correct?” 

Yang nodded. “They’re both recovering but I’m not sure they’re fit for combat right now. Still a bit shaken up from the explosion and Ruby has a wound in her side-” 

“Then I’ll let Doctor Polendina know that he has full access to anything he needs to get them both back on their feet. We need Amity to work if we’re going to defeat Salem. And when you see Ruby, send her up to my office.” 

“Y-yes sir.” Yang took a deep breath and started walking out of Ironwood’s office, her prosthetic shaking a bit. 

Blake noticed and gently took her hand to try to keep her calm. “Everything’s going to be alright. You said it yourself, Ruby and Penny are recovering-” 

“That’s not it.” 

Weiss looked at Yang curiously. “Then what is it?” 

Yang quickly moved Blake and Weiss to a quiet spot in the hallway, making sure no one was listening in. “Ruby and Penny arent… exactly themselves anymore.” 

Blake sighed. “You’re going to have to explain what you mean. Did something happen to make them lose their memories?” 

“N-no, they’re literally not themselves.” Yang hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. “They uh… their minds are… switched.” 

Weiss blinked a couple times, keeping a straight face as she spoke up. “They… switched minds?” 

“I know it sounds crazy but Ruby is Penny and Penny is Ruby. I… I dont know how it happened but it had to be something in that explosion with that rocket. You saw the dust and even you couldnt recognize some of it.” 

Weiss thought back to the geist they saw, trying to remember what dust was attached to it. There was plenty she knew she recognized, but then again, some of the dust didnt reflect the light quite right. Almost like they shined in a kaleidoscope of colors… 

Blake shook her head and started walking back to the dorms. “I’m sure you’re just imagining-” She stopped in her tracks as “Penny” flew through the wall, nearly hitting her. 

“Penny” rubbed the back of her head, letting out a sigh. “How does she control these things…?” She turned her head and smiled as she saw her team. “Hey guys… er… I mean… Sal-u-tations! Did you find the rocket?” 

Blake and Weiss both turned to stare at Yang, who had a smug smile on her face. 

“Yeah, we found it.” Yang walked over to help “Penny” up, shaking her head and keeping her voice in a low whisper. “I thought you were supposed to be trying to keep a low profile until we figured out how to fix this, Rubes.” 

“I’m sorry but there isnt exactly an instruction manual-” 

“*Manual download commencing,*” chimed a voice in Ruby’s head. 

Ruby paused for a moment as letters and data flashed in front of her eyes, filling her mind with everything she needed to operate her new body. “Okay… nevermind. Guess there is one.” 

Weiss slowly walked closer. “R-Ruby? Is that really you in there?” 

Ruby instinctively saluted to Weiss, giving a smile. “Ruby Rose reporting for duty. Now if you will excuse me, I need to show Ciel that I’m combat ready!” Without a delay, Ruby rushed back to the training room, letting her floating array out and using it to guide herself through the walls. 

Blake hesitated as she watched, slowly raising a finger. “Should… we be concerned?” 

Yang nodded, turning around to thead to Peitro’s lab. “We should let Pietro know what’s going on.”

[omegalomania]

I think tumblr ate my ask or it just didn't sent but what are your favorite Bastille songs / what are some songs you recommend?

i did NOT get this ask im very sorry anon.

it's genuinely hard for me to narrow down cause bastille is pretty up there in terms of favorite artists. i love all their shit, but a special mention goes out to their second studio album wild world since it's the one that made me a Fan

uh so here's a primer i guess i spent too much time on this lmao.

if you wanna listen to their big hits:

flaws - their first single in the uk. if you ever listened to ship playlists on 8tracks in like 2013-2015 then you've probably heard this song or a variant on it at some point.

pompeii - this is the song that really put them on the map and you definitely know it. it dominated the charts all over the place.

happier - the marshmello song that you've definitely heard before too. i think bastille wrote this for justin bieber or some shit but then decided they liked it too much to give it to him? lmao. anyway if you're not digging the version you hear on the radio all the time i recommend trying the stripped down version

good grief - their big hit off their second album. big in the uk, didn't really make as many waves elsewhere, but it's a really solid song anyway. one of those "upbeat tunes that's actually really fucking sad" ones

things we lost in the fire - another one off their first album. if you live in a wildfire area this might not be one to turn to. or maybe you'll find it cathartic idk i certainly do!!

quarter past midnight - a song about escapism, as was fitting when it was released in 2018 and equally fitting now. running away for a night of fucking around with friends, craving any kind of brief departure from the chaos of the modern world

skulls - this one was not a hit or a single and is technically a bonus track but i'm including it because once again if you ever clicked on a ship playlist on 8tracks in like 2013-2015 you've heard this one. and you know what that was justified this one is also good

if you wanna feel existentially depressed:

their whole discography. i mean i kid but i also don't. that's just kind of how bastille does it. BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS ones that hit me in particular would beeee

two evils - kind of a grim, haunting one introspecting about morality of the self.

oblivion - musing about the afterlife, love, and how time changes all of us.

those nights - contemplating what it is we seek when we plunge into reckless escapism, and the inherent loneliness of it; how even when surrounded by people there's still the pressure of the world outside, continuously coming to pieces

the draw - this one was written about the pull of pursuing a career in music vs. staying home with family and friends. in a broader sense, it can apply to a lot of things. i always felt it resonated with feelings of paranoia and displacement

winter of our youth - discusses childhood, nostalgia, and regret. if it feels like everything's slipping away, is it easier to relive the past, especially if the past is tinted rose?

sleepsong - loneliness, desperation, and the cyclical, abyss-like nature of all it encapsulates

if you want discussion of serious topics:

final hour - a bonus track off their second album that also became a bonus track off their third album? anyway this song talks about climate change and gun control. happy stuff

doom days - this one talks about, uh, everything! doomscrolling, political divides, escalating national tensions, climate change again, etc.

the currents - a song centered on political rhetoric and the power that figureheads have over the masses, the way they can orchestrate hate. basically it's not so subtly aimed at donald trump lmao, dan's literally sung it as much in a few live settings

WHAT YOU GONNA DO??? - social media addiction and the way capitalism and corporate interests have annexed our online experiences, fighting desperately for our attention as they seek to monetize every available aspect of our lives

four walls (the ballad of perry smith) - well this one is about uh. perry smith. who was charged with the death penalty for killing 4 people in the late 50's. but it's less directly about him and more a discussion of the morality of the death penalty and capital punishment

snakes - burgeoning anxieties and the impulse to turn to easy outs, like ignorance or alcoholism, to escape the world's global problems

if you want some pop culture sprinkled on top:

icarus - greek mythology. i like this one because it addresses something that i feel isn't addressed enough in discussions of this myth, which is that icarus is a very young lad. less about the pride of the fall, and more about the inherent tragedy of that.

laura palmer - the whole song is a david lynch shoutout. i've never seen twin peaks myself but the song still slaps.

daniel in the den - christian mythology. discusses the biblical tale of daniel in the lion's den and links that up to themes of betrayal and family.

poet - this one's a double feature, referencing both william shakespeare's sonnet 18 and edmund spencer's sonnet 75. also one of my favorites.

send them off! - this is another one of my favorites of theirs. it's also been described by dan as "othello meets the exorcist" and it very much delivers there

if you want something uplifting:

joy - while bastille (understandably) has a bit of reputation as a band that makes sad music about sad things, they've definitely got some happier songs in their catalogue. pun intended cha ching. this one's one of their more straightforwardly happy tunes

survivin' - this was a song they wrote while they were touring and then felt weird about releasing once the panini hit because it felt a bit on the nose. they ended up releasing it anyway and i am so glad they did cause it's a mood

act of kindness - the "happy" part here is debatable but i'm gonna include it anyway. it’s when someone does something nice for you and that impulse Changes you way down deep you know???

warmth - one of those "the world's going to shit but at least we have each other" kinds of tunes

the anchor - one of those "the world's going to shit but you're the one fucking thing that's still keeping me here" kinds of tunes

give me the future - their latest single as of this writing and one of the more optimistic tracks in their catalogue imo! it's yearning, but it's also with a genuine hope for the future.

and LASTLY. because im going to take every chance i can to plug this band. im going to throw some collabs and covers at you because there's one thing this band does SUPER well and it's collabs and covers.

of the night - this is the big one. it mashes up rhythm of the night by corona and rhythm is a dancer by SNAP! and it's so good they still do this one live and it goes off every time.

no angels - a mashup of "no scrubs" by TLC and "angels" by the xx, poured into a strangely mournful tune with clips from the hitchcock movie psycho. doesn't sound like it should work but it does. kinda really does.

torn apart - with GRADES and lizzo no less!!! it's got two parts but they're both excellent listen to them both

weapon - collab with angel haze, dan priddy, and F*U*G*Z and one of my absolute favorites

remains - remix of their song "skulls" but featuring rag'n'bone man and skunk anansie that adds an entire new dimension to the song, really fucking excellent

old town road mashup - lil nas x's old town road meets lizzo's good as hell meets radiohead's talk show host meets talking heads' road to nowhere meets the osmond's crazy horse. "what the fuck that shouldn't work" i KNOW and yet here it is!! BLATANTLY BANGING!!!

we can't stop - one of the few times dan smith subtly changes the lyrics of the song he's covering (most of the time he opts to keep the original pronouns and the like, which is very nice to see). anyway this one mixes miley cyrus's we can't stop with eminem's lose yourself and billy ray cyrus's achy breaky heart. and also the lion king's i just can't wait to be king is there. yes i know it sounds batshit especially because the whole thing is surprisingly melodic and heartfelt and you know what it works.

anyone but me x nightmares - mashing up joy crookes' anyone but me with easy life's nightmares and absolutely one of my favorites.

bad guy mashup - how many songs can they include with the word "bad" in the title? we've got bad guy (billie eilish), bad decisions (bastille), bad romance (lady gaga), and bad blood (taylor swift). bastille even has a song called bad blood and they didnt use it. they used taylor swift's version. also the distinctive guitar riff from dick dale's misirlou is there.

somebody mashup - how many songs can they include with the word "some" in the title? someone like you (adele), somebody told me (the killers), somebody to love (queen), use somebody (kings of leon), and someone you loved (lewis capaldi). seriously these guys take mashups to a new level.

final song - this is a cover of MØ's final song. it also adds in craig david's 7 days and, impossibly enough, europe's final countdown. how does it work. how.

ALL RIGHT. THATS ALL IVE GOT IN ME. HOPE THIS HELPED ANON AND IM SORRY IF THIS IS TOO MUCH

[peterrparrkerr]

Moodboard for the series (don't judge me I usually do gifs, this was something new. Also, I could not get the collar to look right)

So I meant to upload this yesterday but I lost control of it and then got busy, so here's a little over 3k for you!

Also, tagging @snowstark because this is our baby. Ao3 version here!

Idk what to tag this. Dark themes, spanking, forced to choose a punishment, uuuh, not sure what else. Enjoy!

*-*

Bucky knows when Peter is going to have a hard time adjusting to Tony being gone. It had been close to a year since Bucky started working for Tony, and he's gotten familiar with all of Peter's little quirks.

And he knows the slight pout Peter sports as he waits beside Bucky for Tony to come to the door, means Peter's going to be a slight handful.

But Bucky can handle the teenager. He's been in charge of Peter's safety for long enough. Aside from Tony, Bucky knows how to get Peter to do as he's told.

Tony comes down the stairs, suit tailored and travel bag in hand. "What a sight," he grins. "My pets waiting for me."

Bucky clenches his jaw at that, but he doesnt say anything. Peter though, steps up to the Superior nuzzling into Tony's chest.

"Don't go," Peter whined. Bucky watched with a familiar jealous rock in his gut, but he stays still.

"I'll be back in five days," Tony sighed, kissing the top of Peter's curly hair.

Peter's in a pair of soft blue jean shorts and a faded Yankees sweater, the bottom cut off to show off his midriff.

Tony pushes Peter back a little and smiles fondly down at him, fingers fixing the collar around his puppy's neck, little bell tinkling.

"You be good," Tony orders, leaning down to kiss Peter's pouty lips.

Peter sulks as Tony steps away, towards the door and closer to Bucky.

"I'll be back late," Tony hums, patting Bucky on the cheek. "I'll see you both when I get back."

And with that, Tony's gone. Bucky rubs at his cheek with a slight scowl. Its a new thing, Tony touching him. And Bucky doesn't like it.

Peter spins on his heels the moment the door is shut and storms off, making Bucky sigh explosively before making his way after him.

Alpine slows him down by weaving between his legs, meowing needily.

"Damn cat, go away," he snaps, nearly kicking the thing before remembering she's Peter's.

The door to Peter and Tony's bedroom slams and Bucky sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

So it's going to be like this then. Bucky decides to let Peter wallow on his own. Sooner or later his emotions would get the best of him and he'd come out for comfort. Bucky wouldn't force him to before then.

Its the same song and dance. Peter cries when Tony's gone, he doesn't eat much, and just kind of sulks around the house.

If he were a real puppy, Bucky could just imagine him crying at the door with his tail tucked between his legs, looking extra pathetic.

It was during these days when Tony wasn't around that Peter got a little less obedient.

Most incidents Bucky kept to himself. Little scenes of Peter acting out of his emotions. Tony didn't need to be informed of everything.

The bigger incidences though was definitely taken to Tony. They hadn't had an incident in a while -not since Peter ran out and Bucky got shot.

Peter had been terrified after that, refused to leave the tower even with Buck and Tony there with him.

Tony had punished him good and hard for that -it still makes Bucky's stomach roll at the thought of Tony hitting Peter. Bucky still remembers how small he looked when Tony had guided him back into the penthouse.

His eyes all red, tear tracks down blushed cheeks. He had been trembling slightly. It had made Bucky sick to his stomach.

But Peter hadnt done it again. When Tony left, Peter stayed put.

"Peter, time to eat," Bucky called after knocking on the bedroom door. Peter had been locked in there for most of the two days so far Tony's been gone.

He sulks under his covers, and when he does come out, its with a pout. Something Bucky is used to.

"M'not hungry," comes Peter's petulant response through the door.

"Yes you are, pup," Bucky sighed. "Come on, out with you before I come in there."

"Said I wasn't hungry," Peter spoke, voice raising a little. Bucky cocks an eyebrow, then tries the handle of the door. Its locked.

"Peter, open this door."

"No," Peter said.

"You open this door or I'll kick it down," Bucky threatened. Peter's never locked his door before.

"Do it!" Peter snapped. "Then Tony'll be mad at you and send you to the basement!"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Bucky muttered under his breath.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, override the lock for Peter's door," he says, looking up at the ceiling.

"I am sorry, but the lock is manual, it will have to be unlocked by Peter, Mr. Barnes."

Bucky growls, clenching his teeth.

"Open the door, Peter," he tries again.

"No."

"C'mon, pup, open up," Bucky sighed. He really didn't want to break down the door. What has gotten into Peter? He's never like this.

"Nuh-uh," Peter said. "Leave me alone."

"You know I can't do that, Pete," Bucky huffed.

"I don't need a babysitter," Peter called out. "I can take care of myself. Tony doesn't need you anymore."

"You've got five seconds and then I'm breaking the door down," Bucky said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Peter says nothing. Bucky begins to count. He thinks Peter will crack when he reaches two, but the boy doesn't make a sound.

"Alright, last chance."

Nothing.

Bucky tries the handle once more before stepping back. He lowers his shoulder, ready to drive it into the wood before slamming into the door.

The frame splinters and the door slams into the wall with a deafening crack.

Peter jumps from his spot on the bed, eyes wide and mouth gaping in shock.

"What is going on with you, Peter?" Bucky demands, a little fed up with his behavior. "You've never acted like this before."

Peter's shock falls away to anger, eyebrows furrowing and arms crossing.

"Get out."

"No, you need to tell me why you're acting like a brat," Bucky demanded, crossing his own arms.

"M'not a brat," Peter snipped, little bell sounding as Peter turned his head away from Bucky, glaring at the wall.

"No? 'Cause you seem pretty bratty to me," Bucky challenged.

That gets Peter standing from the bed. "I'm not!"

"I'm not going to fight with a fucking child," Bucky muttered to himself. "Go into the dining room and eat your lunch."

Peter sets his jaw. Its cute. Little thing trying to be tough.

"I said I'm not hungry."

"Well, Tony wants you to eat," Bucky tries. Usually talking about what Tony wants would get Peter to do as he's told. But it doesn't work today.

So Bucky grabs Peter by the upper arm and pulls him out of the room. Peter grunts, digging his heels in, but he's small and doesn't have much muscle.

"Eat," Bucky demands, gesturing to the food he sits Peter down in front of.

Peter glares up at him, though its not as effective as he thinks with his pastel blue tshirt and matching collar.

"I hate you," Peter bites out.

"Good for you, now eat your God damn lunch before I force feed you."

To say the next three days is difficult is an understatement. Bucky has no idea why Peter's acting out the way he is, but he's had enough.

On the fourth day, Bucky actually swatted him! Peter looked up at him with wide eyes, mouth clicking shut. Bucky instantly felt sick, but he forced himself to stand his ground even as hurt and anger filtered through Peter's features.

"You hit me," Peter said. It made Bucky feel even worse, but he didnt back down.

"You're being bad," Bucky said. More anger filtered in, and Peter reached forward to try and shove him.

Bucky caught him by the wrists and Peter yelled loudly, beginning to flail.

"Peter, stop it!" Bucky snapped, pulling the pup in close and pinning him against his chest. He doesn't have room to thrash now.

"I hate you! I hate you!" Peter yelled. Bucky can hear the beginnings of tears in his voice. "I don't want you here! I want- I want Tony!"

Bucky holds Peter as he chokes on his tears, forcing Bucky to carry his weight when Peter stops holding himself up.

Bucky let's him cry it out, walking him to his bedroom. The door still wasn't fixed -Bucky didn't have time, what with Peter acting out.

He deposited Peter onto the bed. "You can come out when you're done being a brat," Bucky said shortly. Peter just fell to his side, wrapping his arms around a pillow and drawing up his legs.

Bucky walked out and flopped onto the couch, leaning his head back and staring up at the ceiling.

Maybe Tony would know what Peter's problem was. Just because he's never acted like this since Bucky moved in doesn't mean its never happened before.

Bucky's never been more glad when Tony arrives the next morning. He's exhausted. Tony -the perceptive bastard- notices right away when Bucky greets him at the elevator.

"What happened," Tony demanded. Bucky let out a sigh, shoulders slumping just a bit. He didnt like feeling like a whiner, and explaining to Tony what the past five days have been like definitely makes him feel it.

"I don't know whats gotten into him," he finishes with. He just wants to sleep for a couple days. He's never felt more like a babysitter than he does now.

"Oh, I do," Tony huffed. Bucky raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "He's jealous."

That throws Bucky for a loop. "Jealous? Of what?" He can't help but demand incredulously.

Tony smiles knowingly and lifts his hand, brushing his fingers over Bucky's jaw, pinching his chin and giving a little shake.

"Of you, pet," Tony hums, looking amused. "He's used to getting my full attention. I think he's feeling a bit misplaced."

Bucky lifts his head, pulling his chin free from Tony's grasp and taking a small step back.

"He's got no reason to be jealous of me," Bucky grunted.

"No?" Tony asked. "Lets go see our puppy then, hmm?"

Bucky frowns as Tony walks past him into the penthouse. Our puppy?

He quickly spins on his heels and follows after Tony. Theres a disapproved hum when Tony notices the door leaning against the door.

"Tony!"

Peter scrambles from the bed, rushing over to Tony and crashing into his chest. Bucky keeps his distance, hands clasped behind his back.

"I missed you."

"I'm sure," Tony hummed. "Bucky told me about your behavior while I was gone."

Bucky winces in sympathy at the tone Tony uses with Peter. The pup steps back from him, brows furrowing.

"I-"

"I don't want any excuses," Tony interrupted. Bucky watched as Peter's demeanor shifted. He knew he was in trouble, he could see it in the way Peter's shoulders slumped.

"Go wait for me in your room," Tony continued. "And when we're gone, we're going to have a talk."

"But, Tony‐" Peter began. Tony grabs him by the arm and yanks him towards the elevator that leads to the basement.

"Go," he snaps, features twisting into a look of anger. Bucky holds his ground, but he wants to rush back out of Tony's line of fire.

Peter shrinks at the tone. He doesn't try again, just makes his way to the elevator, like a dog scurrying out of trouble with his tail between his legs.

"Are you really going to punish him?" Bucky asked, following Tony towards the elevator Peter had just disappeared through. "If he's just acting out of jealousy-"

"His acting out got me a broken door and a puppy with an attitude problem," Tony said. "I brought you here to take care of him while I'm away. His behavior hindered that and that won't do."

Bucky follows Tony into the elevator. He doesn't say anything, just stands beside Tony, watching the floors pass in glowing numbers above the doors.

When they reach the basement floor, the doors open and Tony steps out, already heading for the door that leads to Peter's room.

"Come on, pet," Tony calls over his shoulder. Bucky's legs work without him, taking him out of the elevator and into the main room.

"I'm not a pet," Bucky grunted. Tony glances over his shoulder, smirking. His blue eyes shining with amusement.

"I beg to differ," Tony hummed, before reaching a hand out and clasping Bucky by the back of the neck.

Bucky allows the Superior to pull him closer as they make their way to the door.

Buck decides not to argue the issue. Better to keep on Tony's good side.

Tony opens the door, and Bucky's eyes widen at the sight of Peter on the bed, naked. Hes on his elbows and knees, pert little ass up in the air.

He's hidden his face in his arms, and doesn't realize Bucky is here with Tony.

"He does paint a pretty picture, doesn't he?" Tony murmurs lowly, arm still wrapped around Bucky's shoulders, nosing at Bucky's jaw.

"I can leave," Bucky says lowly, glancing from Peter to Tony.

"No, I want you here," Tony decides, shutting the door. Bucky chews on his inner cheek, staying close to the door as Tony walks over to the wall of -Bucky feels his stomach drop. He doesn't know if he can watch this.

"M'sorry," Peter whines, turning his head to see Tony at the wall.

"I know you are," Tony said, looking over the items hanging on the wall. Bucky's never seen so many switches and floggers before.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you were a bad puppy."

Peter's breath hitches and he hides his face again. Bucky watches Tony pick out a flat leather paddle from the wall. One of the less intimidating items hanging on the wall.

"How many hits do you think he deserves?" Tony says, catching both Peter and Bucky off guard. Peter's head turns, wide eyes locking onto him before he seems to shrink, hiding his face away again, but not leaving the position Tony most likely trained him to be in.

It takes Bucky a moment to realize Tony was talking to him, and he blinks, looking over at the Superior. "What?"

"You had to deal with his poor behavior for five days, so you decide his punishment," Tony said.

Bucky looks wide eyed at Peter, pale and naked except for the baby blue collar around his neck. He shakes his head.

"Come on, pet," Tony goads. "What does he deserve?"

Bucky hears Peter whimper at that and he feels his skin crawl. He shakes his head again, feeling sick. "I can't."

Tony's mouth drops in a frown, looking disappointed. Bucky doesn't care. He can't.

"Fine," he hums. "Then fifty hits."

Peter lifts his head, breath hitching and tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Ten for each day."

Bucky feels his throat closing up.

"N-no," Peter sobbed. "No, please, Tony!"

Tony looks at Bucky, challenging glint in his Extremis blue eyes. "Bucky doesn't want to choose, so I'm chosing for him, puppy."

Peter turns to look at Bucky, pleasing with a trembling breath.

Bucky digs his nails into his palms. He looks from Peter to Tony, then back to Peter.

If Bucky chooses a lower number, Tony may not agree to it. But Bucky doesn't want Peter being hit -especially in front of him.

"Twenty," he manages to say, unsticking his throat. His voice is tense, body rigid and hands clasped behind him. Outwardly, he looks calm and collected, but inside he wants to do nothing but run out of the basement.

Tony doesn't say anything for a moment, and Bucky's sure its just as long for Peter as it is for him.

"Alright, twenty it is," Tony agrees. Bucky feels the muscles in his shoulders unwind a little at that.

"Count them out, pup."

Its the worst few minutes of Bucky's life. He served tours over seas. He's killed people with his bear hands and lost an arm, and he'd go through all of that ten times if it meant he didn't have to be in the same room as Tony and Peter right now.

Each smack has Bucky's pulse spiking, each sobbed out count down like agony. Its a punishment all its own to be forced to stand by while Peter cries, the loud smack of leather on skin filling the room.

The worst thing is Bucky is the reason he's got twenty spanks in the first place. Sure, its less than fifty, but he's still the one who offered a number.

Bucky doesn't even care anymore about Peter's behavior. He just wants Tony to stop.

Peter's ass is just as red as his face, and his breath hitches on cries, but the boy doesn't move. Bucky has no doubt if he had, the punishment would be far worse.

"Twen-twen'y," Peter finally gasps out wetly, dropping onto the bed.

Bucky restrains himself from rushing over there and scooping the boy up. His nails dig painfully into his palms.

He watches Tony do it instead. Watches as Tony's hand turns soft, scooping Peter up and settling him onto his lap, careful of his poor bottom.

Tony smooths Peter's curls from his forehead, muttering lowly against Peter's cheek as the boy cries, arms lifting to wrap around Tony's shoulders.

Tony glances up at Bucky and nods. "Come here, pet."

Bucky's too concerned with Peter to argue the pet name. He makes his way over to the bed in three long strides and sits down beside Tony and Peter.

Peter peeks out from Tony's neck, eye red rimmed. His breath hitches.

"M'sorry, Bucky," he cries, voice reedy and wobbling with tears.

"Thats alright, Pete," Bucky said softly.

Peter tucks himself back into Tony's neck, allowing the Superior to smooth his hands up and down Peter's bare back.

"Go with with Bucky, pup," Tony says a moment later, once Peter's tears have tapered off a little. Bucky's eyes widen at that, but he can't do much else, because Peter's crawling out of Tony's lap and settling into his own.

Bucky doesn't know what to do. He's wearing cargo pants, and he can't help but worry they're too rough for Peter.

And then he's stuck on the fact that he's got a very naked Peter in his lap. The boy leans into Bucky's chest, head resting on his shoulder.

Bucky settles a hand on Peter's lower back -as low as he dares- and rubs circles into his skin.

"I think its time we had a little talk," Tony said, looking first at Peter, then at Bucky.

[yinses]

ethereal lullaby 

| days, months, years… it didn’t matter. you were willing to wait a lifetime.|

siren!gojo satoru

rating: T ( yeah i know, surprised myself) 

a/n: not going to talk about me accepting this without understanding what a siren was. thank you to new friends for helping me not look like an idiot. took the friends to lovers approach because simp vibes. amen. i might do a sequel just to up the rating a bit because this already got so long. we’ll see. 

thanks to @kinbari14​ for the hc. it was a fun challenge. 

your parents tried to highlight the positives- how could they not after dragging their fifteen year old away from home. you were in the middle of your teenage years, just starting to hone confidence in your social skills. they told you it would be exciting. 

r_ight next to the ocean_, they coaxed as if you’d ever cared to swim.

sitting on the shores now with your toes curled in the sand, you wondered if your friends were missing you as much as you missed them. 

the moon full and bright, high enough to signal that it was well past your curfew. but your parents were more lenient this summer, trying anyway they could to smooth your transition. it was a brief allowance that you would take advantage of while you could. 

collecting the shoes at your feet, you sighed heavily, deciding that it was time to head back for the night. the more effort you made the easier it would pass through.

your back had just turned to the shores when you heard the sound- soft, melodic as it seemed to warm your ears. 

it sounded like a song, but you’d never heard anyone on the radio sound this good. the voice tickled your consciousness and you shook your head to fight away the haze. yet the cloud lingered, drifting down to your feet this time. 

it felt like you were walking on cotton candy, a jovial step, knocking your knees together as you put more distance between yourself and the house. a tinge of fear cooled your spine but the sensation wasn’t strong enough to sway the superior force. 

the closer you got the more you came to recognize the sound. not able to tie it to a specific person but certain that it was a person. it reminded you of the choir melodies from your old school but not even the star could compare. 

you were able to register the shift from sand to rocky gravel but not the sharp pinch as rocks dug into your feet. the song still carried you closer, around the bend and towards the mouth of a cave. 

despite every strand of common sense warning you not to, you crossed the threshold. the cavern played a devil’s advocate- enticing you with mystery while amplifying the the lyrics you still couldn’t place. 

the effort to figure it out didn’t seem worth it, nothing superseded the call. 

all too quick you reached the wide pool that spread out at the end and suddenly the song stopped. the splash of water at your feet was enough to startle your system, sending you reeling back as you tripped against the damp ground. 

something too intense to call an emotion trampled your ability to move as you were left frozen to watch as a figure pulled itself to the edge. 

the first thing you took in was the shock of white hair but that was nothing compared to the two turquoise pearls blinking up at you. 

“huh… you’re what i caught?”

 it almost sounded bored. 

the shrill of your scream drowned out the slow drawl of condescension. the- boy? hissed and shrank back, hand coming up to cover his ears. 

“no, no! stop. goddess that hurts.”

you instinctively go to kick back, but he is faster, something wet and slimly curling around your ankle. the grip draws you closer, uncaring of the way the unforgiving ground bit into your back. 

your lips part to scream again but the sound gets stuck at the sharp glare you receive. water continued to drip from the strands of his hair, the drops that met your skin were ice cold. he was close enough now that you could smell the salt from the sea against his skin. near enough that you almost lost yourself in the bright pools taking you in equally. 

his eyes track the motion as you lick your lips. “who are you?”

the hand that still ensnared you loosened to a soft caress as his fingertips traced your skin. as he did, you came to note that his wasn’t quite as smooth- something akin to glossy ridges.

you didn’t like when he hummed. not because the sound was unbearing, but because of the opposite. the pull wasn’t as powerful as before but there was no denying the source. 

“who are you?” he echoed back. 

when your eyes narrow, he shoots you a wicked grin full of sharp teeth. 

unable to do much else, you offer you name and find yourself surprised when he returns the gesture. 

“satoru.”

you try the name for yourself. neither of you can deny that it doesn’t fall quite the same from your lips. your gaze cuts down as he shifts again, revealing the bareness that stopped just short of his waistline. cheeks warming, you decided that his eyes were the lesser evil. 

“aren’t you cold?”

satoru’s head tilts at the question. “no … are you?” as if he could check, his thumb brushes against the sensitive side of your ankle. you can’t resist another kick, but he’s more than prepared. 

this time however, he doesn’t just hold it down, instead lifting it closer as he inspected your heel. 

“these were always peculiar to me. so many little appendages, yet too small to do much.”

these?

as if you enunciate your curiosity, your toes wiggle in response. the action prompts melodious laughter.

“what, and yours are better?”

the old battle of boys vs girls somehow melds into the bizarre situation. as if catching on to the challenge something akin to glee lights up in his eyes as he draws closer. but before he could accept the provocation, another voice breaks into the conversation. 

the voice is urgent, worried and carrying your name. 

astonished, satoru’s grip loosens enough for you to wiggle out as you scramble to your feet. his eyes narrow as he realizes this and he his arm shoots out to reclaim his prize. this time you’re faster though and step back. 

you don’t like the way he rises to this new dare as if he as prepared to intervene if necessary. 

“that’s my dad,” you explain, not sure if you should even be telling him this. “ i need to go.”

“no.”

your mind halts at the intensity behind command.

‘’what do you mean no? i’ll get in trouble. i’m already in trouble.”

the waters shift violently behind the boy as he raises onto his elbows as if to present a greater turbulence should you not heed. 

troubled, you bit your lips as your father’s voice carries near. it was only a hunch, but something told you that their meeting wouldn’t be a good thing. quickly you scramble for an alternative. 

“if you let me go now, i’ll come back and bring you something. its summertime so i have more freedom.”

though you felt your privileges dwindling the longer you lingered. 

satoru took too long to consider your offer and you began to question your chances of just running for it. 

“fine, but you better be back.”

relief filled your chest as you already turned towards the mouth of the cave. 

“yes! i promise. sooner than today though, i wont be able to be out this late again.”

you tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it wasn’t returned. there was distrust in his eyes but he didnt pursue. 

“when the sun sets then.” he adjured. and you were but a humble servant on the prince’s shores. 

“sunset,” you agreed as you broke into a run. 

the moment you broke free of the grotto you crashed into your father’s arms. the relief on his face was evident.

“there you are! why didn’t you answer, we were worried.”

his arms come around you and you realize you’re shaking. 

“jesus, you must be freezing. let’s get back before your mother sends out a search party.”

your arms encircle his waist as you let him drag you away. in one ear, you hear him start up a conversation about the neighborhood you had yet to explore to its fullest, tacking on a few names of children who belonged to some of his new coworkers. 

in the other, you heard the beginnings of a new song, one that didn’t seem to reach your father. and you didnt know what to do with that information.

sunset came all too soon the next day, the sun lowering just as dinner came to a close. you lingered close to your mother as you finished the last of the dishes. the tasks were dragging longer than needed, but no one would ever complain about them being extra clean. 

as you ran a rag over the porcelain you wondered what would happen if you didn’t show up. you couldn’t get the image of those teeth at of your head, the sharp glint gnawing into your dreams last night. they came off as an obvious threat but surely he couldn’t hurt you. 

then your mind drifted to that song. the same nameless lyrics that put you in the predicament in the first place. there was no denying that there was something going on there as well. just avoiding the cave wouldn’t be enough. 

all that was left was your curiosity, left to simmer under the plague of ‘what if’. the mysterious surrounding satoru wouldn’t leave you until you made good on your promise. the vow becoming something of a vice. 

with your mind made up, you turned to your mother. 

“do we have any mochi left?”

your parents hesitantly let you out with a curfew. you’d mentioned that you were held up late by a friend last time- to which your father questioned why you hadn’t mentioned it until now. they were obviously worried about your lack of agreeableness to reach out to the other kids so this initiative helped to ease their weariness. 

clutching the small container of sweet mango filled dough to your chest, you made your way back to the little cave. the distance traveled was kinder to you this time with shoes as you made haste down the gravel banks. 

uncertainty slowed your steps as you approached the widening curve of the stillness pool. depending on how you gauged the sun, you weren’t terribly late. it was technically still sunset. 

a mix of disappointment and relief swam in your gut as you came to the conclusion that your new acquaintance hadn’t met their own end of the deal. maybe his parents had also got onto him about being so late. 

it was probably for the best anyway. 

“what’s that?”

the volume of your scream made even you wince as the tupperware toppled to the ground. turning on your heel, you came face to face with satoru. you never heard the water part at his entrance. 

he wore a bored expression but there was a hint of a smile to his lips. this time he didnt scold you for shrieking, too interested in the container that had toppled near the shore. 

bringing your hand to your chest, you reasoned that scolding him would be useless. “its mochi.”

for once, it was his tongue that made the words sound off. apparently the rounded desserts werent part of his vocabulary. 

carefully easing onto the ground, you brought the container into your lap. 

“it’s my surprise. i hope you’re hungry.”

as you cracked the top, satoru move closer, nose twitching as the smell of mango drifted out. your mother had been all too happy to pack all the extras for you to share. 

you offered one.

satoru took it carefully, bringing it to his nose for another cautious sniff. you took in the point of his nails as he split the soft dough. he collected the orange the oozed out and brought it to his mouth. 

in the span of seconds, he devoured the entire bun in one bite and snatched the remaining from your hands. 

“this is good! i’ll excuse your lateness, this time.”

without the weight in your lap, you drew your knees to your chest as you watched on as he greedily ate one after the other. you considered warning him of the stomachache he would endure if he held the pace, but you decided that it would only fall on deaf ears. 

instead you ask,” so about those toes?”

it seemed like such a weird question to ask. equally as strange to satoru as he brow pinched. he brought his fingers to his mouth to clear away the stickiness. 

“what are those?”

an age old meme resonated within you and you waited with baited breath for him to carry the joke, but only silence drenched the space between you. 

pursing your lips, you shake your foot in reminder. “remember? apparently yours were better?”

“oh.” satoru’s lips smacked audibly as he polished off another bun. and as if it was the most natural thing in the world he shifted back, a bright blue tail that matched his eyes broke the surface. 

if you were sure before, you were certain he was going to eat you this time.

because you screamed again. 

satoru demanded that you bring him mochi everyday from then on for hurting his ears again. 

yes, everyday. 

there would be multiple days to instil the notion that you had met a mythical creature. you were still trying to assure yourself that you have been awake the whole time.

your parents no longer needed to worry about you making friends, because apparently you’d managed to befriend a merman. 

siren, satoru had hissed after bitting into a blueberry mochi. asking your mother to make mochi only worked for the first few visits. eventually her curiosity to win and lead you down a path you weren’t ready to accept yet. 

the trail leading to the acceptance that you were conversing with a fishman- boy.

lounging on your blanket, you had come to store little things for comfort around the cave. sunset rolled back a few hours to afternoon and before you knew it you were spending the majority of your days with satoru. 

“don’t your parents ever worry about you being gone so long?”

as usual, satoru was eating. he’d already finished the dango you had brought and moved on to the squid you’d turned down with barely restrained disgust. undeterred, he’d only shrugged and proceeded to gnaw off one of the tentacles. 

“no.” 

and that was that.

so instead you quizzed him on the mythical world you had and most humans were blind to. he talked about submerged cities, described aquatic creatures you could have never dreamed of if you tried and dissuaded your worst fears.

“so you don’t eat humans?”

“no we do. but i don’t want to eat you.”

you waited for the yet but it never came. satoru seemed content consuming whatever sugary treat you brought and sated the rest with whatever he caught swimming by. 

Eventually you let go of the imagery of ariel and her seaside romance and began to soak your free time in legends of beautiful sirens of the sea who took pleasure in drowning their victims. every story warned land dwellers from entering the waters, something you had never shown interest in doing nor had satoru pressured you.

“how old are you satoru?”

“how old are you?”

he always did this, answering questions with his own. it came to you that he might just be remaining within your boundaries to keep you from screaming at him again. a fair assumptions, but you were genuinely curious. 

“fifteen,” you offered, prepared to have the same response thrown back at you.

“sixteen.”

satoru raised a brow at your suspicion of disbelief. “i think i know how old i am.” 

and you couldn’t fault him for that. you just weren’t expecting him to be so young. sure he looked like he could have been a boy at your school aside from the freckled scales and obvious tail. 

“i beat you again, by the way.”

his words draw you from your thoughts. “huh?”

he swallows the remainder of a melon bun. 

“i’m older. so i win again.”

you roll your eyes. 

tail or not, apparently some things are the same. 

two weeks have passed before you realize he hasn’t sung for you since that day. the two of you often meet in the morning now, break for lunch and resume in the late evening. as far as your parents are concerned, you’re on the way to making a new best friend which will only be promising for when you start school. 

“you act all funny when i sing. its not meant for your pleasure anyway,” he adds. 

for once he’s not eating. he’s lying closer to you, tail still dipped under the water but more of his top half is lain out on the shore. when you try to give him a blanket to lie on to put something between himself and the rocks he gives you a funny look but concedes. now watching as he nuzzles into the the fabric of your cotton blanket, you hide a knowing grin. 

“but it sounds pretty, toru.”

when you had first tried out the nickname, you had hesitantly rushed it into a sentence. you were growing comfortable with the siren but the dangers were still present. like most things, it didn’t get past him and he grinned smugly but didn’t tease you further than that. 

you were grateful for that as it allowed you to become more comfortable with its usage, likely his intention. 

he hums in agreement, eyes sliding close as he readjusts. his tail follows the movement lowly, making small ripples. 

“can’t you sing in a way that wont affect me?”

satoru’s eyes flash up to you suddenly and your breath catches in your throat at the sudden shift in the mood. 

“no, because then it would be bad for me. if i cant control you then i cant drown you.”

you dont bring up how that would also be bad for you. 

you dont bring up his singing again. 

summer is edging near completion and your parents start to curb your outings. 

“you’ll see them more when school starts. if you dont start to getting to bed earlier now you’ll just make it worse for you.”

there is no way for you to explain how it will be harder to approach your situation to satoru. you were knowingly wedging yourself deeper with him. the first day you met him had marked a streak of possessiveness that kept drawing you back in. 

you weren’t just his friend. 

you were his. 

the thing he looked forward to each morning and regretted parting with each afternoon. you knew this for a fact, because you felt it too. 

“okay, i’m going to go a little earlier today. then”

your mother lets you go with a short kiss to your temple and a promise that you’ll return for lunch. 

satoru took the news about as well as you would expect. 

“you can’t go.”

letting your head fall back on your shoulders, you stared up at the small break in the grotto above. “i have to go to school, toru. if i dont go then ill get in trouble and if that happens then i definitely cant come back.”

you know he knows this too. satoru was smart. a species like his didnt survive this long unknown without intelligence. 

but then again, he let you in on the secret and it was too early to gauge the genius in that. 

you were more comfortable around each other now, legs bare as your feet dipped into the water. satoru still resumed his post on the shore, arms crossed by your hip as the white of his hair brushed against your thighs. 

he seemed to still be digesting the news which gave you the opportunity to probe again.

“i mean, surely you have stuff to do as well. what did you do before you met me?”

satoru deflected the question, head lolling to the side to rest against your skin. the slippery surface of the scales littering his cheek always felt like ice chips. 

“ate more stupid people.”

you’d asked about this of course. probably worrying your parents when you brought up with questions of drowning in the area. they seemed unsure before your father assured you that they wouldn’t have let you venture so close to the shore if that was a problem. 

so if satoru was indeed eating people like he said, it wasn’t from around here. 

part of you still felt like there was a bit of myth still lodged in his truth.

“so you can only meet me at sunset again?”

you make a noise of affirmation, hand raising as it hovers over his head. you had never actually touched it before but as it tickled the inside of your thigh the curiosity grew. before you talked yourself out of it, your hand dropped. 

his hair was silky, still damp but drying at a reasonable pace. his head moved under the weight of your hand, but it wasn’t to shake it off. you accepted the invitation and weaved your fingers further. 

“on most days. with homework i wont be able to everyday like this either.”

his loud groan rumbles against your leg and he slowly slinks back into the water. your hand clenches around the absence. 

“for every extra day you’re not here, you better bring me something great.”

its probably time for you to be going anyway. 

you go about collecting your things and tucking away what you could. when you finally stand, you trying to shake way the numbness that had settled. 

“we should probably figure out days, so you’re not always just here-”

“no need.”

satoru swam on his back for about half a meter, showing off his full length before his slipped under and reemerged at your feet. 

“when you come back i’ll be here.”

the two of you managed to meet a few more times before the first day of classes started. satoru was noticeably nicer to you, or atleast as pleasant as he could be. after finally realizing that you had no interest in dead aquatic animals, he began corralling live ones for you to view.

you realized that the two worlds had different names for a lot of things as he listed off various species and colors. you took a few of them with your phone before the idea hit you.

“hey, toru can i take a picture of you?”

he made a face like he might disagree. there was no need to explain the device as you’d already done plenty of show and tell. one of the earlier showings leaving you to soak your phone in rice for two whole days. 

eventually he shrugs and you snap a photo immediately after. 

the night sky begets a short flash, one that he winces at and moans in protest. but the picture is worth the complaint. 

he looks almost like a human boy wading in a pool- aside of the assortment of blueish scales to his cheeks. your only regret in that he’d closed one eye in reaction to the sudden light. there was a light frown to his face too but that was as genuine as it got. 

“let me take one of you.”

you were too surprised to deny him, wordlessly handing off your phone with less worry than you probably should have had. he handles it carefully though, biding by your instructions before you too were wincing away from the flash. 

the smile you get from him was better than anything you could have captured. 

“can i keep it?”

you laugh, “no, toru. but i can make you something you can.”

highschool was hard enough transitioning up with your junior classmates, the challenges of tackling your first year without out them met your expectations but not the worst of them. you learned quickly who to avoid and who you could be amicable with. 

being the new girl was an easier pill to swallow when you came equipped with a few stories from your past home. it gained the interest of a few which made a way from conversation to acquaintanceship. 

nothing was quite as exciting as your meeting with satoru but that was to be anticipated. 

satoru … unfortunately was seen less and less as the weeks went by. your parents were keen on you making a good first impression which meant a heavy emphasis on your school work. 

you mother had offered for you to invite your ‘friend’ over more than once, and invitation that had spanned since your early meeting. but the only thing harder than trying to explain that your satoru was a fish was to add that he was also a boy. 

your father might actually overlook the former in favor of the latter. 

so you were left to visit him on the weekends and thus compiled your allowance to purchase bigger treats and delicacies alike. 

his introduction to cake had a been a messy occurrence. naturally he would forgo the fork you brought to dig in with his fingers. 

satoru surprised you by asking about your schooling.

“what? it’s not like ive ever been around that many human before. sounds smelly.”

you laugh, because he’s not wrong. you go into detail about your different teachers and classmates, offering vivid retellings that you hadn't even shared with your parents. 

satoru hung onto every words, though not without crass comments and frequent jokes, his attention sent something new aflutter within you. 

“i can’t believe the year is almost over, toru.”

your hair is getting wet but you can’t be bothered to care. the two of you are resting from opposite directions with your heads on the bank. your eyes are trained on the pink hues above but your cognitive of satoru’s warmth and the feeling of his breath fanning against your cheek. 

it was nearing a year. a full eight months at your new school and a solid nine of knowing satoru. you were already planning something for your year anniversary. 

friends did that, right? it wasn’t weird just because he was a boy. 

speaking of boy, it didnt escape your knowledge that he was changing as time passed as well. he still held onto his boyish features but there was something different. 

“did i miss your birthday?”

“huh?” the question surprises even him as he tilts his head to look at you. 

time has made you better about not getting lost in his eyes, but it doesnt stop you from looking. not even the night sky can dim the ethereal shine. 

your shoulder shrugs against him, “you know, when you get a year older? you told me you were sixteen so obviously those add up.”

he blinks,”oh, yeah i’m already seventeen.”

you dont expect the shock to be painful. when you sudden sit up, satoru makes a sound of protest but you ignore it in favor of leaning over him. 

“you had a birthday and you didnt tell me?”

“i was here, you werent.”

he said it so matter of factly, as if it didnt pierce your heart with another blade. 

you dont notice the tears until the first drop meets his cheek. satoru recoils immediately face pulled in confusion. 

“why are you crying? you were at school.”

you knew you were a blubbering mess, snot slinging as you rub the back of your hand against your face uselessly. why was he so indifferent about it? did he not want you to celebrate with him?

“that doesn’t mean that i wouldn’t want to celebrate with you? am i not your friend, toru?”

satoru sits up at your question, rising to a height taller even as you sat side by side. you feel the gravel crumbling away from his palm before the skin of his hand. he doesnt seem to care about the wetness as his hand combs back to tuck away your hair. 

“youre my everything.”

it feels like it should be taken more seriously but the moment is cut short when he pulls away, huffing as he rinses his hand off in the water. 

“if you want to make it up to me, bring me something you’ve never brought me before.”

and then he smiles and your heart grows three times bigger.

you beg your parents to take you back home to sendai that weekend under the precipice of seeing your old friends. 

the next day you bring back kikufuku.

satoru says he’ll forgives you for the next five birthdays. 

you can only hope for more. 

as summer approaches again, so does your birthday. your parents had conveniently waited until two weeks after before laying out the news of your move. last year you celebrated with old friends, and this year some new. 

you still received some gifts from sendai. a plethora of little plushies and memories from the past. your new friendships here offered to throw you a small party, all gathered on your porch as you mother cut the cake.

you leaned into the kiss she life at the crown of your head, thanking her again for all the arrangements. 

“i wish your summer friend could have come.”

“i plan to meet them later so it’s okay!”

after seeing your distress about birthdays, satoru had made a note to take them more seriously this time. he didn’t care if you had school, demanding that you come to the grotto before the day ended. 

with a laugh you assured him that you were free and would meet at your usual time. it felt selfish to accept all your gifts and still crave whatever satoru had in store for you. much like you offered him, he promised to give you something new as well. 

he gave you plenty of things over the past few months, aside from knowledge, an exchange of different shells and things lost at sea. you were growing a nice little collection in your room. 

before leaving that evening after seeing off your friends, you took the time to make room on your shelf, prepared to add your new edition when you got home. 

a late additional gift from your parents was a reprieve on your curfew, as long as you didn’t push the limits too far. 

equipped with the best day ever that was only going to get better, you dashed towards the cave.

satoru had already drug out one of your blankets and spread it out for you. 

“had a good day?”

with a giddy grin, you plopped down next to him. “the best!”

he smiles back, hand reaching out to caresses your cheek. you lean into the touch without prompting. there was no doubt that he could feel the light buzz of anticipation under your skin. the sound of his laughter confirmed it. 

you bit your lips to try to contain it better as he took his time easing out of the water. you watched as the scales of his tail shimmered as he brought himself to sit next to you. for awhile the two of you just sat there as the sun dipped lower into the horizon. 

and then satoru parted his lips. 

and sang. 

you dont know anything about siren songs or have any hymn books to follow but there was something different about this song. satoru was always hesitant to speak about the songs, not at all interested in delving into the history. 

you were starting to wonder if this was why. 

there was no longer a sensation of compulsion. the strings that had tugged you to his doorstep all those months ago. this song dipped into your veins and soaked you in everything that was satoru but also a bit of yourself. this wordless song felt like a mixture of you both. 

it was both of you. 

“toru…”

the song didnt stop as his face neared. his nosed brushed along the curve of your jaw and your head tilts up on instinct. its an invitation that he accepts full heartily as he continues to mouth the sound against the column of your throat. 

the warmth under your skin felt as though it was burning when it came in contact with his constrasting temperature. 

for the first time, his song was audible. the a single word as his lips brushed against yours. 

your name.

the sensation of his chilled lips against yours prompted goosebumps- but the good kind you decided as you leaned in. 

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE, MORE BLOOD Vol.13 Kino [Track 2]

Original title: 寒冷

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, More Blood Vol. 13 Kino [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here (15:28 ~ 29:54)

Seiyuu: Tomoaki Maeno

Translator’s note: I was already kind of curious about the contents of this track from reading the title, but as soon as the MC returned from the cafeteria with a popsicle, I already knew what was going to happen. I can really imagine the struggles of having a boyfriend like Kino who loves pulling pranks on you. Although compared to some of the other stuff the boys have done to her, being teased with a popsicle isn’t even all that bad. Seeing him try and make it up to her afterwards made for a cute moment as well.

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5 + Epilogue

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 2: Coldness

“ーー And then I ended up arguing with Yuuri over who is correct. What do you think? Which one of us was right?”

You hesitate.

“Seems like you’re having trouble answering my question. Don’t hold back and just tell me. In return, I’ll punish you if you don’t say it was me.”

You frown.

“You’re struggling that much? Guess I have no other choice. I’ll give you some time. Try and come up with an answer by the end of classes today.”

The two of you come to a halt.

“...So, is this the classroom we had to move to? (1)”

You explain.

“The science lab, huh? It’s really such a pain that science classes take place in a different classroom. Oh well, guess it’s fine. Hurry up and open the door.”

*Rattle*

“...Hm? What’s wrong? You’re not going inside?”

You close the door again.

“...Eh? Why did you close the door again? Don’t we have class here?”

You tell him it’s the wrong room.

“Haah!? Who goes to the wrong classroom!? Unlike me, you’ve been going to this school for quite some time, right?”

You apologize.

“Honestly...I don’t know whether you’re just slow-witted or if you actually have a few screws loose...”

You seem confused.

“Eh? What’s weird?”

You tell him there seem to be more doors than usual.

“What are you saying? You’re just imagining things, no? There’s no way the number of doors would suddenly increase. Doesn’t it just feel that way? It’s no good to try and blame your own mistakes on someone or something else. Also, that barely makes for a decent excuse.”

You insist.

*Dingー Dongー ・ Dingー Dongー*

“Ah-aaah...Right, right. There’s more doors than usual, huh? Anyway, the bell of the next period just rang. We won’t make it in time for our class so what should we do?”

You frown.

“Well, if we’re confirmed late, might as well say ‘screw it’, right?

You tilt your head to the side.

“You know, let’s just skip class.”

You protest.

“If we go now, we’ll just get scolded for being late, right? So why not? ...Come on, this way! Let’s go!”

Kino drags you along.

*TIMESKIP*

“Fufufu~ I’m almost done with this quest...”

*Tap tap*

“Ahー But before that, I have to use this item.”

*Tap tap*

“Hm? What do you want? I’m busy playing my game right now.”

You seem anxious to get in trouble for skipping.

“You’re still worried about that? We already skipped class, so there’s nothing we can do about it now.”

*Tap tap*

“Isn’t spending time out on the rooftop during class something you have to do at least once while you’re young? We’re here now anyway, so you should try and have some fun as well.”

You frown.

“No buts! ...Ah, I get it.  You end up having unnecessary worries because you’re bored, no? In that case, I’ll give you something to do.”

You tilt your head to the side.

“There’s a cafeteria on campus where you can purchase food and such, right? Go buy me something there.”

You ask him what to get.

“Hmー Let’s see...What to choose? ...Then, how about you get something you think I’d like?”

You want him to be a little more specific.

“What would that be? The whole point is that you figure it out.”

You whine.

“It’s not difficult, is it? If you’ve been keeping a close eye on me, it should be a piece of cake! ...Pick the thing that would make me the most happy! Alsoーー”

*Rustle*

“You better not keep me waiting, so I expect you back here in ten minutes, okay? If you’re even one second late...You’ll get a pentalty.”

You flinch.

“Come on. Hurry up.”

You run away.

*TIMESKIP*

*Creaaak*

“Ah! You’re finally back...!”

You ask if you made it back in time.

“Haah? What are you saying? You didnt even come close to making it back on time. Just how far did you have to go for those?”

You explain.

“You got lost? You’ve been a student at this academy for a while, haven’t you? That doesn’t make any sense. Stop making those lousy excuses.”

You try and defend yourself.

“Hmm~? So you got the location of the cafeteria wrong? I guess you went down the wrong stairs or something? Oh well, whatever. More importantly, hurry up and hand it over. You obviously got one of my favorites, right?”

*Rustle rustle*

“...Eh? That?”

You nod.

“Ice cream...? Haah...”

You frown, asking him if he doesn’t like ice cream

“It’s not that ice cream’s bad or anything but...Why didn’t you get me guava juice? You know that I like it, don’t you?”

You tell him that wasn’t an option.

“Haah!? They don’t sell it here!? They really should reconsider their line-up then. But that doesn’t matter, does it? Not only did you make me wait forever, and on top of that, you weren’t able to buy something which would make me happy. Fufu~”

*Rustle*

“This calls...for a punishment.”

You protest.

“No point in fighting back. ...Come here.”

Kino pulls you close.

“Gotcha. When I’m holding you tightly from behind like this, you can no longer get away, can you? That being said, this ice cream has been well chilled. I’m sure it would feel extremely cold if I were to press it against your skin. For example...Against the back of your nape.”

*Rustle*

You flinch.

“You’re already reacting that strongly from just slightly brushing it across? I wonder what would happen if I were to slip it inside your clothes then? Aren’t you curious?”

You shake your head.

“Oh come on~ No need to be modest. Come on...”

*Rustle*

He presses the ice cream against your bare skin as you shriek.

“...Ahaha! Did you hear yourself just now? Well, I guess it would feel cold and disgusting to have an entire popsicle slide down your back. Ah-aah...Your uniform’s a mess as well.”

You call him out for bullying you.

“I’m not being mean, am I? It’s a punishment after all. Besides, that scream just now wasn’t half bad, you know? I’d love to hear it one more time.”

You tell him the ice cream has already melted.

“Guess so. You didn’t buy more than one popsicle after all. ...But you know, I have this.”

*Cling*

“If we use the hourglass to reload, the ice cream and your uniform will return to their original state. You should be grateful.

*Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock*

ーーー

*Creaaak*

“Ah! You’re finally back...! ...Hehe, you gave the exact same reaction as earlier. Why are you looking around in confusion? I told you I would reload, didn’t I? Time got turned back. You remember what happened earlier, don’t you?”

Kino approaches you.

“Exactly. Seems like you properly recall. I pulled you close like this...”

*Rustle*

“...And played with you using this popsicle you bought, didn’t I?”

*Rustle rustle*

“Say...There’s something I’m curious about. I can test it out, right? You already know just how cold this ice cream is. The chilled sensation from having it directly pressed up against your skin. So I was wondering...How will your body react if I repeat the same action one more time, now that you’re already well aware of how it’ll feel?”

You try and get away.

*Rustle rustle*

“...Woah there! You better don’t think I’ll let you get away!”

He grabs hold of your wrist.

“...There. Gotcha.”

*Rustle rustle*

“No point in resisting. There’s just no way you could get away from me after all.”

Kino opens the popsicle.

“There we go~ It’s time for the ice cream you’ve just been dying for~ If I run it across your nape like this...”

You flinch.

“Exactly. You can feel it even stronger when you already know what to expect, don’t you? I wonder if it’s your brain playing tricks on you...?”

*Rustle*

“...Hm? What? Throwing in the towel already? Guess I have no other choice. In that case, I’ll warm you up next.”

*Sluuuurp*

“Hm...The taste of this popsicle is pretty mediocre. I don’t think I could finish the whole thing. The person who bought it should take responsibility and eat it all instead. Here you go.”

He forces the popsicle inside your mouth.

“You’re whining was starting to annoying me, so this works perfectly. Keep it in between your teeth for a bit, okay? Meanwhile I’ll dig into this to cleanse my palate. In the end, it seems like I...”

*Rustle*

“...enjoy this the very best. mmh...”

Kino bites you.

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“Nn...You like this too, don’t you? The whimpers slipping through...They’re different compared to when I teased you earlier. They’re sweet yet sorrowful. Almost as if you’re begging for me.”

*Rustle*

“Let me hear more of those...”

*Rustle*

“...Ah!”

You drop the popsicle.

*Splatter*

“Ah-aah...The popsicle fell down. Your skirt’s a mess now as well.”

You apologize.

“Why are you saying sorry? Ahー Because you dropped it? I don’t care, really. ー Wait, what’s with that face? You’re in tears. Your lips are all sticky from the ice cream as well. I’ll wipe you clean, so look this way.”

You turn around.

*Rustle rustle*

“Perhaps I took my teasings a little too far? ...Were you scared?”

You nod.

“I see. ...Fufu. You’re such a crybaby, how cute~”

*Smooch*

“There, all clean. Now cheer up, okay? You don’t want things to become awkward between us, do you? I guess that leaves your skirt...Honestly, it’s kind of a drag, so would you like me to turn back time to before you dropped the popsicle?”

You ask him if it’s okay. 

“Of course I don’t mind. ...But in return, I might mess with you again~”

You protest.

“I’m just kidding. Let’s kill some time together until classes end? Ah! But don’t get the wrong idea, okay? I’ll still use the hourglass. ...Well then, how should we enjoy ourselves next~?”

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) At Japanese high schools, students stay in the same classroom for 90% of the classes. For some subjects like science, art, etc. they may move to a different classroom which has the right facilities and material. These are called 移動教室 or ‘idō-kyōshitsu’. 

[sarcastically-defensive17]

Yo! Wassup? I read far away today and boy is it awesome like you totally slay as sis .. btw when is part 2 coming ? Not tryna rush you or anything.. Take your time

Far too long - P. Parker (Part 2)

Read Part 1 here

ITS HERE AND I’M SUPER NERVOUS. I FEEL LIKE I RUSHED THE ENDING BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE A FLURRY OF PENT UP WORDS AND EMOTIONS. I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT AND IF ITS BAD THEN LMK AND ILL APOLOGISE SINCERELY BECAUSE I’M SCARED OF THIS HAHAHA

(gif is not mine)

TW: Mentions of blood, grief, injury, abandonment, fear, angst, childbirth. If any of these themes may trigger you then, please, do not read for your own good. Your wellbeing is far more important.

My inbox is always open.

Original story by sarcastically-defensive17

It would be a lie to say that Peter hadn’t been in horrible situations before. However, with the development of his powers came the growth of thicker skin and stronger shoulders to bear the weight of his choices and others.

He fought, day after day, to withstand everything life threw at him. Heartache, mistakes, the one time he frosted the tips of his hair when he was 12 - Y/N knew that he would be alright.

He had to be alright. He had to be alive. She needed him. They needed him.

Y/N had watched him grow as a man, and watched him overcome everything. Then he was finally hers. She had everything she had ever wanted in him, and she was going to bring new life into the world with him by her side, until the missions came between them.

Now, she had been away from him for over 2 months and he was missing in action. Every news station was reporting that he was gone, but she refused to accept it. She knew Peter. She knew the strength he had. She knew that no matter what, he wanted to be a part of his baby’s life.

The minute she saw the broadcast her shaking fingers dialed Tony’s number and he was there to take her to the compound as soon as he could be.

Another three months passed.

Three agonizing months.

She gave birth in the medical bay of the compound, May by her side, welcoming her daughter into the world with a broken heart

Rosie May Parker was welcomed into the world, but the one person who was meant to be there wasn’t. She had her fathers eyes, his ferocious brown curls - but she didn’t have her father.

Y/N didnt have much knowledge of science outside of her computer mechanics degree, nor did she have any means to be a powerful superhero like the avengers, but she had fierce determination. Tony had ordered her to stay at the compound until they found peter - he was also determined that his faux-son would be okay.

Y/N harbored no intentions of leaving, more so, now that Rosie had joined her. May was there as well, watching Y/N fall in love with the small child over and over again, every day, helping where she could.

It was when they neared the day that her daughter would turn two months old, that it all happened.

Y/N had taken up residency in the lab. She was a computer science major at university, and she was able to pick up the workings of the technology Tony and Bruce utilized to keep track of mission data and surveillance measures for MIA operatives. She had spent nearly every day that she had been there inspecting every program, every website, keeping track on news outlets.

The world said that Peter was dead, but she refused to give up. He wouldn’t go down without a fight. Spider-Man wouldn’t submit.

If her eyes weren’t glued to a screen, they were on her daughter, both keeping her connection to peter alive. She monitored his Karen program for any inconsistencies, any sign that the program was online.

Karen had been offline for so long. The minute the building went down on Peter, the only thing letting Y/N and Tony know that he was alive was gone with it.

Rosie would sleep soundly in a bassinet set up next to her chair. There was a strain in Y/N’s head that hadn’t waned for weeks. Each day her head felt heavier, the harsh blue lights from the computers creating a constant reminder of her naive determination.

She was beginning to consider the possibility that he was gone, but something always made her thoughts shift in the other direction whenever the idea graced her cortex.

Her days had been filled with bouts of despondency, but the small babe that she cradled against her chest throughout the day brought light back into her life.

But still, nothing

Not until that day.

Rosie was sleeping in her crib I’m their room, recently fed, changed and cuddled - Friday monitoring the baby in all of the ways that the baby monitor she had with her couldn’t. The clock had just hit 2:38am and her eyes were heavy. She considered submitting to the crushing weight of her exhaustion, until Tony burst into the laboratory with Bruce and Natasha in tow, the woman suited up and heading towards the hallway leading to the quinjet hangar.

“Tony?” Y/N blinked, eyes darting to the baby monitor to determine if the commotion was linked to her daughter. Rosie hadn’t moved, her small chest rising and falling with each breath. “What’s wrong?”

Bruce had rushed over to the computer she was sat at, rebooting various programs that Y/N could barely recognize in her bleary state.

A vein in Tony’s forehead protruded - a clear sign that his stress levels were at a high. Bruce had been attempting to monitor his blood pressure as of late, knowing that his anxiety had been peaking with the disappearance of two of his team members.

Y/N had felt a overwhelming sense of duty to the man who had taken her in. She wanted to calm him, help ease his worries as he had done for her. He was as much family to her as he was to Peter.

His brown eyes were frantic, but there was something else hidden in the warm irises that seemed constantly framed by bloodshot sclera. Hope.

“Take off in 30, Nat.” Bruce spoke through an earpiece, connecting directly to the quinjet she assumed the Russian was boarding.

Y/N focused her gaze entirely on Tony, rising to her feet carefully and stepping towards him slowly, as one would a spooked animal.

The minute she was within arms reach, his hands were grasping her shoulders. There was no pressure under his hands, but there was comfort. “A few minutes ago, a transmission came through.” Y/N felt her eyes widen, mind racing with possibilities. The smile she received from the older man told her everything she needed to know before the words left his lips. “Pete came though. He’s with Barton, they’re safe. Romanoff’s on her way to pick them up.”

Y/N was in disbelief, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, “The building,” she breathed. “It came down on them-“

“The kid will explain when he gets here.” His hands moved to her cheeks. “He’s coming home, Y/N. For the most part, he’s alright. I got his vitals from the Karen program and he is stable, may need some work when he gets home, but he is okay, physically.”

Tears slipped from her eyes, running down Tony’s fingers but he paid it no mind. The smile that split his face was enough of a pardon.

It was another two hours until the familiar sound of the quinjet hangar opening graced her ears.

Bruce had ordered her to get some rest while they waited, but she opted to spend the time watching her daughter. Rosie had woken for a feed, but her big brown eyes stared up at her mother with a knowing look. Y/N could do little to push down the excitement of Peter’s return, but the overwhelming fear quickly resurfaced.

They left on horrible terms. They were no longer a couple, nor did she have the chance to take back the horrible things she said about his faithfulness to their family dynamic. But there was a lingering part of her mind that pushed her to think he would want nothing to do with them.

She left her room, placing a kiss to Rosie’s forehead and asking Friday to keep a watch of the baby, clipping the monitor to her waistband and rushing for the laboratory.

She arrived in time to see the compound medical staff trailing alongside a stretcher, Barton sprawled on it with a smirk on his face and an IV cannula in his arm.

Moments later she saw him.

He looked as much a mess as he felt, he knew so. Soot and dirt coating his skin and his suit, his leg aggravated and aching from an incorrectly set break. He hadn’t expected to see her face, but when he did, it felt as if a building was falling down on him once again.

She caught his eyes darting down to her stomach then back to her face. She smiled at him softly with a nod, hoping he could grasp her meaning across the meters between them.

She hadn’t the chance to say a word to him, nor he to her. Bruce led him to the medbay, offering support where he could for the pain in Peter’s leg, and Tony went to Y/N, cradling her as the pent up grief escaped through her eyes. She wanted to follow after him, so badly.

Tony held her against his chest, sharing the grief that had been building over the months. They were beginning to think they had lost Peter, but to see him alive and standing in front of them - it was overwhelming for both.

“I, uhm,” Tony cleared his throat, his voice wet from tears. “I’m gonna go help Bruce out. I’ll send for you when he’s all fixed up. I promise.”

With a nod of her head, Y/N let him go.

Minutes after, Friday alerted her that Rosie was awake and she took her leave to sit with her baby.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she cradled the babe to herself. She had decided that even if Peter didn’t want to see her, she would at least hand Rosie over to Tony to introduce father and daughter. Despite her previous words, she just knew that Peter would be entirely smitten with the small human, just as much as she was.

As such, it came as a surprise when Friday chimed through her P.A. System requesting her presence at the medbay.

Her feet shuffled to stop at the door for the room they were in before she knew it, and Tony had opened the door to allow her entrance. He and Bruce took their leave, allowing the former lovers to have the space to themselves.

Peter felt the air drain from his lungs and he looked at her. He had sat up on the bed, leg bandaged and healing at an accelerated rate now that it had been set correctly. He was bruised and battered but he still smiled wider than he had in so long when he saw her and the small bundle she cradled.

She was the first to speak, “You’re alive.” Her voice was choked. The past months had been hard on him, but he couldn’t imagine the pain she felt thinking he was dead. Especially when they left things so horribly.

“The building... it wasn’t meant to go down like that,” he sighed, his smile shrinking. “I took most of the brunt because I can handle more than Clint. But we managed to get out and get our target... eventually.”

His eyes were darting to the bundle in her arms, but he didn’t dare to say anything about he baby. At this point, he didn’t even know his baby’s name.

Y/N noticed his gaze, and the unspoken question that his eyes held. Without warning, she took a seat next to him on the bed, unwrapping Rosie and placing her in Peter’s arms. She silently adjusted his hands to ease his fear and discomfort in holding an infant, and she could see the emotion forming in his chocolate orbs.

“Her name is Rosie.” Y/N whispered, eyes stuck on her daughter. “Rosie May Parker.”

“You named her after ‘Love, Rosie’,” he smiled, feeling a tear slip down his cheek. He had a daughter, and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“It’s my favourite book. Two best friends who fell apart, only to come together and repeat it until they could finally be together.” Her fingers fiddled in her lap, picking at her cuticles. Her body was alight with nerves, her toes electric within her boots. “And I had to name her after May. She’s the only mother I have.”

“Rosie,” he tried the name on his tongue, noticing the way the baby scrunched her nose in her sleep. Her mother did the same thing.

Y/N sighed deeply, breathing out through her nose as she held back tears. “Peter, I’m so -“

“You have nothing to apologise for, Y/N.” He ran his finger over Rosie’s cheek. So soft, scared to stir her from her sleep. “Everything that happened, happened because of me.”

“Peter-“

“My list of discretions are unending. What kind of fiancé was I?” He let a soft chuckle fall from his lips, a humorless one, soaked from the sob he refused to let rip from his chest. “What kind of father was I? Who did I think I was, to keep you waiting on me, day after day. Every important event, I missed.”

“I never meant to say those things to you, Pete. To accuse you of not loving me, not wanting to be a father... it was uncalled for. But,” she sniffed, turning her head upwards to gaze at the ceiling. “I felt so alone. And then, you left, and I was alone.”

After what felt like eternity, his eyes met her face. Her skin was blotchy from tears, eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed. She was the most beautiful thing he had seen, apart from the angel in his arms. He felt almost complete, with the two girls by his side. His heart hurt a little less.

“I know. I’m probably the biggest jackass on the face of the planet, and I know that I can most likely do nothing to change that. It’s far too late for me to even begin to say the things I have wanted to say, but I can’t stand the thought of another day without telling you what’s been on my mind since the minute I left.” His body shuddered with a heavy breath, his lips kissing the small fist that rose towards his mouth as Rosie stretched in her sleep. “I have loved you for as long as I can remember. Every second I was away, I wanted nothing more than to run home and apologize for every disgusting thing I had said to you, to put my hands on your belly and promise our baby that I would never leave either of you.

“Then the building went down. I helped Clint get out, but I was stuck there for a few days. Some of our operatives were working as hard as they could to find a way to clear the debris so I could go, but it took a while. The entire time, I had convinced myself that I would never be able to see you again. It was like, like, I knew, that I couldn’t breathe until I saw you again.”

Her hand moved slowly, resting against his cheek to thumb away a tear that trailed his smooth skin.

“I didn’t know how many months had passed while I was gone, but when I got out from under the building, I realized that you were all alone to have our baby.” The sob finally broke through his chest. “I left you all alone. The small little baby that would see the world for the first time without their father.” He rubbed the side of his face onto his shoulder to not drop tears onto Rosie. “I’m a horrible father. I was so horrible to you.”

His breaths were staggered, and Y/N took the baby from his arms holding her against her own chest as she pressed her body to his side. Her free hand turned his face toward her own, but he kept his eyes squeezed shut, tears flowing rhythmically.

“I love you so much, Y/N, and I’m not going anywhere. I promise you,” he caught the way her hand tightened on his arm as he spoke. She was terrified of losing him again. “I would do anything, anything at all, to have you forgive me, but if you can’t then I understand. Just don’t make me leave your life, please.”

She felt her breath hitch, “I said horrible things to you. I told you to never come back, but I can’t stand another day without you. I need you here, with us. We need you Peter, like I told you all those months ago.” She felt his lips kiss the palm of her hand, the same one she used to brush away his tears. “I love you so much, and I don’t want you to leave. Ever.”

He pressed his forehead against hers, his lips pouting from the strength it took to resist pressing his mouth on hers. He didn’t know if she would welcome the contact. He had done her wrong.

“I’m not leaving you anymore, baby. I’m not leaving either of you, ever again.”

Y/N knew that Peter would be alright. His resilience was unmatched, his love ferocious. Y/N had began to think she would never see him again, but the image of him perched in front of her, eyes locked on the child that looked so much like him was one that she would never forget.

The tears falling were no longer out of fear, or sadness, or anger. Her tears fell out of love and happiness. She had the final piece of her family back, and she would do everything she could to see the two people in front of her smile.

“I’ve been far away, for far too long, baby. I’m never leaving you again. I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you and Rosie. I’ll make you Mrs. Parker and buy a house in the suburbs and do everything boring house husbands do,” Y/N snickered, forehead still against his. Peter was rambling, but she knew she would never force him to give up what he loves, so long as he came home to his two girls at the end of the day. “I will love you, both, until the day I die and beyond that.”

She leaned her head forward slowly, allowing him to reject her intentions, but when he didn’t, she poured her emotions from the last half year into the kiss. The love, the fear, the anger, the uncertainty.

When they broke apart, one thing was on her lips, “I love you, Peter Parker.”

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